HomeMy WebLinkAboutZurich Citizens News, 1977-06-06, Page 4Page 4
Citizens News, April 6, 1977
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Huron county taxpayers must obvious-
ly cheer the decision made by the board of
education last week in declaring two
superintendents' positions redundant and
moving the two men involved back into the
role of principals.
Many people have questioned the huge
administration costs over the past years
and hopefully the board will continue to
take an objective look at the overhead costs
of education in Huron on a systematic
basis.
Enrollments will continue to decline in
the next few years and obviously other per-
sonnel cuts will have to be made in the
future to reflect this decrease.
One of the frightening aspects of last
uffles
week's report on the board decision was a
comment from director of education John
Cochrane advising the board they would
have to move now on the shuffle or live
with the present staff for the next eight to
ten years because he couldn't foresee any
openings at the principal level for that
period of time.
Surely the board does not have to wait
for staff retirements or resignations before
they can consider reducing staff numbers.
Taxpayers would like to think that as
the enrollments drop in the county school
system, a corresponding decrease can be
made in the teaching and administrative
staffs without having to wait for
retirements or resignations.
Waste of
The Ministry of Education has done it
again. They have been saying for a long
time how tight the money situation is and
how there could be cutbacks in ex-
tracurricular activities and how teacher -
pupil ratios will not be lowered because
they can't afford to pay extra teachers.
There is no money they cry. Well we
would like to know who establishes their
priorities because who ever it is needs
their head read!
The Ministry of Education is presen-
ting every school child in Ontario with a
medallion to commemorate Queen
Elizabeths 25th Anniversary this May 20th.
Not only that, they are also sending all the
public schools "resource kits" for
oney
suggested activities to celebrate the occa-
sion.
If that isn't a waste 'of the taxpayers
money then we don't know what is. Most of
those kids will no more treasure those
medallions than fly to the moon. As for the
resource kits, I just wonder how many of
our tax dollars went into their preparation
when we feel sure the teachers and pupils
in individual schools have just as good im-
aginations as some one on staff in Toronto
and can think up their own ideas.
It's about time this flagrant waste of
taxpayers money ended and the only way
that can happen is to let the Ministry know
what you think of how they are spending
your money. We think it is a disgrace, how
about you?
FIRST WITH LOCAL NEWS
Published Each Wednesday By J.W. Eedy Publications Ltd.
Member:
Canadian Weekly Newspapers Association
Ontario Weekly Newspapers Association
Manager - Betty O'Brien
News Editor - Cathy McKinley
Second Class Mail Registration Number 1385
Subscription Rates: $7.00 per year in advance in Canada
$18.00 per year outside Canada Single copies 20d
I think I will have to invest some money in new glasses.
The Ontario Safety League reports that an English inven-
tor, Mitchel Litman, has developed glasses to stop you from
nodding off. If your eyelids close for longer than a normal
blink, a battery operated buzzer sounds in your ear. Mr. Lit-
man believes that his invention could be of value if used
during boring business meetings, or by motorists making
lengthy freeway trips. Whether you have spectacular buz-
zing in your ears or not, the Ontario Safety League
recommends frequent rest stops to prevent highway hyp-
nosis. It makes no recommendations for dealing with bor-
ing business meetings
i
First the government tells us we are littering too much
and plan a ban on non -returnable bottles. Then the bottle in-
dustry sets up a campaign to tell us that is not fair. The
government should ban cans not just non -returnable pop
bottles. Better yet, they say, don't ban anything. Let people
have the choice to between returnable and not returnable
bottles.
Then the government tells us we are spending too much
money, then they tell us we are not spending enough. Then
the government says its new budget will make more jobs
and decrease unemployment, then the opposition says the
very opposite. Then the prime minister says if you can't
find a jobherethat's tough, why not leave the country for a
while and then you'll see how well off you were here.
Then big business and labor bury the hatchet long
enough to present a united force to the government concer-
ning the removal of wage and price controls while at the
same time the govenment is saying this is not possible at
the present time and would be very bad for all of us.
All these groups seem determined to spend a fortune to
try and convince you and I they are doing everything for
"our" best interests. We are continually bombarded with
different versions of the same story and all sides are claim-
ing they have only our best interests at heart.
Even the government's ridiculous ban on saccharin has
two sides and it's a good job most of us have the ability to
laugh at ourselves, the rest of the world is. The United
States press are having a heydey with Canada's wonderful
discovery that saccharin is dangerous to the health of your
rats. Art Linkletter broke the crowd up on the Johnny
Carsen show with his remark the Canadian government is
now banning sex because after studying rats fora number of
years they have discovered frequent matings in rats cause
offspring.
Yet the Canadian government insists they are only try-
ing to protect"us" In fact everyone seems to be saying they
are only trying to protect"us", that they have "our" best in-
terests at heart and are not thinking of themselves.
Well I for one did not ask this government or unions or
big business or anyone else to protect me. There has to be a
limit. At the rate we're going this desire to protect "us"
will end up with "us" not having any rights left to protect.
As for those who say they only have my best interests at
heart, I say poppycock. I have been on this earth long
enough.- to know that any man who begins a conversation
with "it's for your own good", or "I'm only trying to
protect you," is a liar and not to be trusted. An honest per-
son is honest with themselves and anyone can see no one is
going to do anything unless they get some benefit or
pleasure. Before you protest too loudly, think about it. The
benefit you get may only be your own satisfaction at doing
something for someone else, but somewhere along the line I
think you'll see I'm right.
It's about time all this nonsence about protecting the in-
nocent and doing things with only our interests at heart
stopped. I would like to trust our government and the
leaders of big business and unions, but they will have to
earn that trust and asfaras I'm concerned they are not do-
ing a very good job. Honesty is the best policy, I just wish
we could see more of it.
By the way, the answer to the riddle I gave you last
week is very simple and logical. The question was to place
these four items in a LOGICAL order; a bed, Long John
Silver, a milking stool and yourself. The answer has to do
with legs as Long John Silver has one leg, you have two
legs, a milking stool has three legs and a bed has four legs.
This question was on a law exam given to Ontario law
students last year so if you didn't get the answer don't feel
bad, not one of those students got it either.