HomeMy WebLinkAboutZurich Citizens News, 1971-10-07, Page 10PAGE 10
ZURICH CITIZENS NEWS
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We who live in Ontario are
faced with another decision to
make. We'll go to the polls
on October 21 and be expected
to case a reasonably intelligent
ballot after much soul-searching
between now and then.
As usual, there will be those
folks who won't have much
brain work to do. They will
be the ones who have had their
minds made up since they first
started to vote which party
they will support. They're the
ones who sit staring rather
blankly at the television and
newspapers and when finally
confronted with a new thought
or a new issue will throw up
their hands and cry, "My mind
is made up. Don't confuse me
with facts. "
To be really fair, I suppose,
you would have to label these
folks as truly steady and depend-
able, If all voters were like
them, there would be no need
for a mandate ever again be-
cause there would be no change
in the party in power, only the
men who weilded that authority.
In every election, too, there
are those who won't worry about
the pre-election prattle because
they haven't voted for 20 years
and they don't intend to start
now.
These are the people who sit
back on their haunches, critic-
ising and finding fault without
ever offering an alternate sol-
ution. Nothing is right, they
feel. Politicians and the people
behind them are corrupt and
greedy, just a bunch of puffed-
up puppets who dance to the
tune of a dollar bill.
So on election day, they
watch from a distance, hardly
even aware of what's happen-
ing around them. They are
content to let someone else
make their decisions for them,
to risk their hard-won freedom
and to gamble that tomorrow's
long-range forecast will be no
worse than today's.
Then there are the voters
who like to back the winner.
To them, performance or pol-
icy is neither here nor there.
The important thing is to pred-
ict the winner and to be on his
(or her) team.
Sometimes that's an easy
matter. Sometimes it is as
simple as ABC to pick the
successful candidate. But when
it is tough, and in the outcome
you could have sold your birth-
right for a mess of potage, that
is when elections take on new
dimensions for some voters.
That's when a person has to
weigh the situation carefully so
as riot to find oneself out on the
end of a limb about to be sever-
ed from the tree at the main
trunk.
The arrogant voter is another
breed. That's the fellow who
REDI-MIX
CONCRETE
(ALSO FORM WORK)
McCann Const. Ltd.
DASHWOOD
Phone 237-3381 or 237-3422
BY SHIRLEY J. KELLER
struts through the streets for
weeks prior to the election,
beating upon his chest and prom,
ising either great success for his
favorite or dire disaster for his
favorite's opponent.
This rather sickening speci-
man is so cocksure of bis cand-
idate that he begins to make a
real nuisance of himself. Ile is
apt to become so overbearing
that he frightens ' away any
converts and makes even his
fellow partymen cringe and hide
And you've all met the sore -
loser, the voter who switches
allegiance because some favor
has not been granted or because
of a simple misunderstanding.
There are those who feel that
a political party should be a
personal saviour, with quick and
satisfactory solutions to every-
one's wants and means.
These kind of people use
vengence as their guide when
casting a ballot. The man isn't
important. The party isn't
important. Even the policy
doesn't matter a whit, What
really counts, the sore loser
feels, is that Power to cancel
our somebody else's vote in
order to get that sweet, sweet
taste of revenge.
There are even a few pract-
ical jokers around on election
day. These are the guys who
get a real kick out of spoiling
their ballot or confusing the
poll clerk. Election day is a
time for fun and frivility they
feel. Let the others get serious
about this voting privilege.
Somebody has to put a little
spice into living.
But thank heavens the vast
majority of Ontario citizens go
about voting in the proper way.
Thank goodness that most people
listen to the speeches, study
the policies, read the newspaper,
for comments and digest what
people are saying before mak-
ing that all-important decision
on election day.
The open-minded voter may
n ever switch parties. It doesn't
necessarily follow that just
because a man hears all sides of
an issue he must change his
viewpoint if he isn't convinced
it is for the best. But he does
vote - and he votes intelligently
after careful deliberation.
THURSDAY OCTOBER 7, 1971
PLANT BULBS NOW!
Now is the time to plant
flowering bulbs for blooms next
spring and summer. September
and October are the main bulb
planting months but even Nov-
ember and December are suit-
able in southern Ontario.
The first requirement is good
soil. A fertile sandy loam is
best but almost any soil will
do if there is good drainage.
Work the soil down 10 or 12
inches, adding well -rotted
manure or compost and a hand-
ful of good commercial fertil-
izer to each group of bulbs.
Horticulturists with the Ontario
Department of Agriculture and
Food recommend covering the
bulb with about twice its
height of soil. Plant the bulbs
in groups, spacing the individ-
ual bulbs a few inches apart.
ONTARIO
Important message
to Ontario residents
aged 65 and over
On January 1, 1972, hospital and medical insurance premium payments will be
abolished for all residents of Ontario 65 years of age and over. This is in keeping
with recently announced Ontario Government policy.
This policy will apply to the age of the certificate holder and will include
coverage for eligible dependents. Premium -free coverage becomes effective on the
first of the month during which a resident becomes 65.
HOW IT WILL WORK
Under the new plan combined coverage will be continued under the resident's
present Ontario Hospital Insurance number. The OHSIP billing system will be
discontinued. All residents 65 or over who remit Ontario Hospital Insurance
premiums on a pay -direct basis will be requested to complete a premium exemp-
tion application.
As the insurance records do not identify those who will be eligible for premium -
free coverage, the application, when received, should be completed by those 65
and over and returned as soon as possible in the envelope which will be provided.
If you qualify and have already paid premiums to cover benefits after January
1, 1972, a refund will be made for the over -payment.
Unfortunately, until exemption applications are processed we cannot avoid
routine mailing of normal premium notices. However, residents 65 or over should
not be concerned. If the notice applies entirely to coverage in 1972, please hold it
until the application for free coverage is received.
IF YOU PAY YOUR PREMIUMS THROUGH A GROUP
Persons enrolled in groups will be reported to us by the group and transferred
to our "Premium Exemption" file.
Groups will be fully informed about this in the near future.
ONTARIO HEALTH INSURANCE PLAN
2195 Yonge Street, Toronto 7, Ontario.
Hon A. B. R. Lawrence, Q.C., Minister of Health