HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Times Advocate, 2006-01-18, Page 66
Exeter Times–Advocate
Wednesday, January 18, 2006
Opinion Forum News
Seniors' perspective
Continued from page 5
Legion News:
Soup & Sandwich: on Friday, January 20th 2006, plan to
attend a "Soup and Sandwich Lunch." at the Royal Canadian
Legion Branch #167, 316 William Street, Exeter and times
are 11.30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Cost is $ 6 per person and take-out
is available. For more information, contact The Legion at
(519) 235-2962.
Exeter Legion Party - Come and have some fun at the Exeter
Legion on Sat., Jan. 21 from 4 to 6 p.m. Don Harvey will
entertain you and you will also have a good chance of win-
ning meat at the meat draw.
Last Post Fund:
Funeral and Burial Financial Assistance for:
Eligible War Veterans and Peacetime Disability Pensioners
Please contact Suite 905, 55 St Clair Avenue East
Toronto ON M4T 1M2
(416) 923-1608 Fax: (416) 923-3695 T. F. # Canada & US 1-
800-563-2508
Internet Web Site at www.lastpostfund.ca
Public Reminded about "Phishing"
The OPP would like to remind the public and the many inter-
net/e-mail users of a common scam called "phishing" or
"brand spoofing". This is the creation of e-mail messages
and web pages that are replicas of existing legitimate sites
and businesses. These web sites and are used to trick users
into submitting personal, financial or password data. These
e-mails often ask for information such as credit card num-
bers, bank account information, social insurance numbers
and passwords that will be used to commit fraud. Note:
Never give your social insurance number to anyone except a
federal or provincial government agency.
Phone -busters, the national anti -fraud centre jointly operat-
ed by the Ontario Provincial Police or the Royal Canadian
Mounted Police suggests tips to protect you from this type of
scam:
• Protect your computer with anti-virus software, spy ware
filters, e-mail filters and firewall programs.
• Contact the financial institute immediately and report your
suspicions.
• Do not reply to any e-mail that requests your personal
information.
• Look for misspelled words.
Your financial institute will not ask you for this information.
If you've received one of these suspicious mails, report it at
reportphishing@antiphishing.org or the financial institution
that it appears to be from. More information can be found
on-line at www.phonebusters.com
Postal Rates:
Effective Jan., 16, postal rates have increased:
• The cost of mailing a basic letter within Canada (letter
weight less than 30 grams) increased by one cent, from 50
cents to 51 cents.
• It will also cost Canadians more to keep in touch by mail
with friends and family in the United States and other for-
eign countries. The price increases by four cents, bringing
the cost of sending a letter to the United States to 89 cents,
from 85 cents. The cost for standard international letter mail
goes up to $1.49 from $1.45.
• Sending registered mail also will cost more - $6.50, up
from $6.25.
For further information about rates for sending ad mail and
various other services, contact your nearest Canada Post
Office or check the Canada Post website at www.canada-
post.ca
RED SKELTON'S Recipe For The Perfect
Marriage:
1. Two times a week, we go to a nice restaurant, have a little
beverage, good food and companionship. She goes on
Tuesdays and I go on Fridays.
2. We also sleep in separate beds. Hers is in California and
mine is in Texas.
3. I take my wife everywhere, but she keeps finding her way
back.
4. I asked my wife where she wanted to go for our anniver-
sary. "Somewhere I haven't been in a long time!" she said.
So I suggested the kitchen.
5. We always hold hands. If I let go, she shops.
6. She has an electric blender, electric toaster and electric
bread maker. She said, "There are too many gadgets and no
place to sit down!" So I bought her an electric chair.
7. My wife told me the car wasn't running well because
there was water in the carburetor. I asked where the car
was; she told me "In the lake."
8. She got a mudpack and looked great for two days. Then
the mud fell off.
9. She ran after the garbage truck, yelling "Am I too late for
the garbage?" ... The driver said "No, jump in!"
10. Remember: Marriage is the number one cause of
divorce.
11. I married Miss Right. I just didn't know her first name
was Always.
12. I haven't spoken to my wife in 18 months. I don't like to
interrupt her.
13. The last fight was my fault though. My wife asked,
"What's on the TV?" I said "Dust!"
An elderly couple was sitting together, watching their
favorite Saturday night TV program.
During one of those commercial breaks, the husband asked
his wife: "Whatever happened to our sexual relations?"
After a long thoughtful silence, the wife, during the next
commercial break, replied: "You know, I don't really know --I
don't even think we got a Christmas card from them this
year."
No longer number one
Remember when "Canada is the best place in the world to live" was the slogan
that won the Chretien/Martin Liberals the mandate to govern our country? That
mandate has now stretched to 12 long years. By now we should be living in a
Glorious Liberal World — the Land of Plenty — no poor, no uneducated, no waiting
lists.
But what do I see? I see 12 years indelibly marked by corruption, scandal and
decay. Thanks to the UN Index, the Chretien/Martin Liberals' sad record of gover-
nance is now measurably clear. Canada is no longer "the best place in the world to
live." We are now ranked number five on the UN Index.
I've had enough of their Glorious Liberal World — it's time for a change. This
time, I'm voting for the Conservative Party via Mr. Bev Shipley, Lambton-Kent
Middlesex.
CONNIE GRAHAM
Port Franks
Declining your ballot
I researched through Elections Canada the right to decline a ballot
in a federal election.
A voter can decline a ballot in protest of no confidence in the
candidates running in their riding.
The voter accepts the ballot and immediately hands the ballot
back and states they wish to decline the ballot. They must give
a reason for declining the ballot. The reason can be as simple
as no confidence in those running.
The declined ballot is counted in the overall tally. If enough
ballots are declined another election has to be held in that rid-
ing with a new slate of candidates. Spoiled ballots count for
nothing in the overall tally.
As the Elections Act stands now people have to find this out on
their own as governments and candidates do not want this right to be
used against them at the polls.
If you are not happy with your choices on the ballot this is your tool to show no
confidence and still vote.
A
moral and judicial decay, it was never their fault! Such responses reflect contempt
for the electorate, and also a sign of conceit. Now during the election campaign,
when such attitudes are challenged and questioned, we get a `back -up -against -the -
wall' type of response: "But those other guys, they can't be trusted! They, have a
hidden agenda!" Well, I think the gig is up. It's abundantly clear who had a hidden
agenda for at least 12 years, and they've finally been found out. Election day is their
day of reckoning!
Who we associate with speaks volumes about our personal agenda in life. We
make this plain for all to see by whose sign we place on our lawn. And whether we
realize it or not, we also make it plain to ourselves by whose name we place the "X"
on election day.
JERRY DE BOER
Exeter
In Steckle's defence
I am writing in response to the letter that was submitted to most local papers by
James Braun, a campaign worker for one of the candidates in the upcoming elec-
tion, claiming our MP's voice is rarely heard in Parliament. To be clear, I completely
reject the arguments put forth by Mr. Braun.
Before I begin, I would willingly admit, unlike Mr. Braun, that I am a partisan
supporter. My vote will go to Paul Steckle. That said, I am not a Paul
Steckle supporter because of some blind party affiliation but
because I believe Mr. Steckle is a decent man and a great
MP.
Since 1993 Paul Steckle has worked to represent our
interest in the House of Commons but simply put, being an
MP is about more than the aggressive theatrics we witness
each day in question period. Mr. Steckle is the chair of the
Agriculture Committee, one of the most active committees
in Ottawa. Furthermore, I know for a fact he meets with
hundreds of individuals and groups every year and, in most
instances, delivers solid results. Is that not what we expect
our MP to do on our behalf?
Lastly, I am afraid that Mr. Braun's creative use of numbers must
be pointed out. Suggesting that Mr. Steckle's voice has only been
heard in Parliament 41 times is imaginative at best.
To each voter in Huron -Bruce, I encourage you to vote on election day. Research
your decision carefully and beware of partisan "facts". It is our duty to vote for the
local candidate who will best represent our interests in Ottawa. For me, that person
is Paul Steckle.
s
Letters
to the
Editor
GORD WESTOVER
Harriston
A day of reckoning
Election day will soon be here but as you travel through the local countryside and
then through town, there are not many election signs to be seen. Is this somehow
noteworthy? Maybe we see few signs because it's winter and the ground is hard. Or
maybe it's indicative of less volunteers to place the signs. I suspect the latter may be
the more significant reason. Of the signs we do find, it also seems the percentage of
"red" signs are also fewer this time. Might this be an indication of what's to come on
election day? I suspect it may.
In the past, Paul Steckle always carried this riding in landslide fashion, but those
days may well be over. Paul is respected for his personal integrity, but no matter
how you cut it, a vote for Mr. Steckle is a vote for the Liberals. Is "association" with
the Liberals also indicative of fewer than normal "red" signs? Signs are often placed
on private property and require permission by property owners. Maybe, just maybe,
the permissive nature of the Ontario electorate has finally waned for the federal
Liberals.
With a track record like the Liberals, who would want to be associated with such
arrogance? Regardless of what went wrong, and regardless of the outcries over
BOB BAKER, Hensall
Parliament possibly reduced
in power
I was astounded to hear Paul Martin propose deleting the "notwithstanding"
clause from the Charter. To do this would be handing complete control of the coun-
try over to the Supreme Court. I have always believed that a democracy was for the
people, by the people as represented in Parliament.
If Martin should get his way then Parliament would be greatly reduced in power to
little more than a bureaucracy.
The other part of the problem is that the prime minister makes the Supreme Court
appointments himself, so that all we would need in the future would be a prime
minister, along with the Supreme Court, to rule over we the serfs.
Courts certainly have their place but not in a dictatorial position as has been in the
recent past.
GARNET BLOOMFIELD,
llderton