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Home My WebLink AboutThe Times Advocate, 2008-01-02, Page 44 Times–Advocate Wednesday, January 2, 2008 ocna =CNA TIMES ADVOCATE Editorial Opinion PUBLICATIONS MAIL REGISTRATION NUMBER 07511 We acknowledge the financial support of the Government of Canada, through the Publications Assistance Program (PAP), toward our mailing casts. Canada Jim Beckett – Publisher Deb Lord – Production Manager Scott Nixon – Editor Si ft The Times -Advocate is owned by Metroland Media Group Ltd. Metroland 424 Main Street South, P.O. Box 850 Media Group Ltd. Exeter, Ontario NOM 1S6 • 519-235-1331 Doug Rowe -General Manager, Southwestern Ontario Division CN 2007 BLUE RIBBON EDITORIAL New set of problems Ars the manufacturing sector in Canada, and particularly Ontario, continues to eel under the weight of the hefty loonie, the folly of our federal government's recent budget, passed through the minority Parliament with the use of innovative shotgun -to -the -head tactics, becomes more and more apparent. Awash in cash from the 10th consecutive budget sur- plus, Stephen Harper's Conservatives elected to contin- ue the recent practice of devoting the bulk of the wind- fall to servicing the national debt. The rising Canadian dollar, combined with the lure of cheap overseas and south of the border labour, contin- ues to play havoc with the concept of job security for rank and file workers. Today's job market bears little resemblance to conditions before the early '90s, when deficit slashing came into vogue in a big way. In the current marketplace, even many blue-collar jobs exist on a contract basis, leaving workers with lit- tle in the way of long-term security. While there may be little the government can do about these trends, which are evolutionary in nature, and a perhaps natural response to uncertain market conditions, there are measures that could be taken to offset them. The most obvious would be to use some of their surplus funds to enhance Canada's unemploy- ment insurance program, now known somewhat "Orwellianly" as employment insurance. Throughout the '90s, Liberal deficit -slayer Paul Martin orchestrated an ever-increasing gap between what the government took in in EI premiums and what it paid out in benefits. While it made some sense to limit eligibility to those who could produce a legitimate reason for being unem- ployed, the feds may have gone too far in this direction, to the point where EI processors look askance at any application that doesn't indicate the applicant was laid off. Benefits were also cut from 60 per cent to 55 per cent of employment income during the last dozen years. The fact is, a great deal of the "surplus" that succes- sive federal governments have used to eliminate the deficit and pay down the debt, have come from the excess manufactured in the EI system. When well- paid, secure manufacturing jobs are becoming increas- ingly scarce, continuing to raid the coffers of a system designed to support displaced workers is penny-wise and pound-foolish. Governments today boast of low unemployment rates, but their figures are somewhat misleading due to the transient nature of modern employment. If the econo- my is that strong, why does food bank use continue to grow nationwide and why do statistics continue to show an increasing gap between Canada's wealthiest citizens and its poorest? If they continue to ignore the need for a stable system to provide workers with a constant stream of income, they will find themselves creating a different, and likely far more expensive, set of problems. — from the Listowel Banner About the Times -Advocate SORRY, KID, BUT MY CHRISTMAS BILLS JUST ARRIVEIL I CAN'T AFFORD To RETIRE! Nbili;bicyr Let's keep 'em up this year Another year, another set of New Year's resolu- tions, and if you're anything like me, it'll take a mir- acle to keep them more than a couple of hours. In fact, I can't recall the last time I actually stuck with a New Year's resolution. But I'm determined that in 2008 I'll be able to finally prove to myself it's possible. I know without any help I'll fail once again, so I went surfing the Internet and came across a helpful website, About. com It listed several tips how to stick with your New Year's resolution. It also listed some interesting facts. The top 10 New Year's Resolution tips include: • Be realistic. Strive for an attainable goal; • Plan ahead. Don't make your resolution on New Year's Eve. If you wait until the last minute, it will be based on your mindset that particular day; • Outline your plan. Decide how you will deal with the temptation to skip that exercise class or have one more cigarette. This could include calling a friend for help, practicing positive thinking and self - talk, or reminding yourself how your bad habit affects your overall self; • Make a "pro" and "con" list. It could help to see a list of items on paper to keep your motivation strong. Develop this list over time, and ask others to con- tribute to it. Keep your list with you and refer to it when you need help keeping your resolve; • Talk about it. Don't keep your resolution a secret. Tell friends and family members who will be there to support your resolve to change yourself for the better or improve your health; • Reward yourself. This doesn't mean eating an entire box of chocolates if your resolution is to diet. Instead, celebrate your success by treating yourself to something that you enjoy that does not contradict your resolution; • Track your progress. Keep track of each small success you make toward reaching your larger goal. Short-term goals are easier to keep, and small accom- plishments will help keep you motivated. Instead of focusing on losing 30 pounds, focus on losing that first five. Keeping a food diary or a symptom journal could also help you stay on track; • Don't beat yourself up. Obsessing over the occasional slip won't help you achieve your goal. Do the best you can each day, and take each day one at a time; • Stick to it. Experts say it takes about 21 days for a new activity, such as exercising, to become a habit, and six months for it to become part of your person- ality; • Keep trying. If your resolution has run out of steam by mid-February, don't despair. Start over again. So, now with some helpful tips, I guess I really don't have any excuses. I just have to think of a reso- lution to keep in the first place! NINA VAN LIESHOUT KICK THIS AROUND Address & Office Hours Times -Advocate, 424 Main Street South, P.O. Box 850, Exeter, Ontario NOM 1S6. 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Deadline: Fri. 2 p.m. E-mail Us Web site: www.southhuron.com TA e-mail addresses consist of the person's first initial and last name followed by @southhuron.com. For example, Jim Beckett's e-mail address is <jbeck- ett@southhuron.com> Our general e-mail address is ads@southhuron.com. The Times -Advocate Team Publisher Jim Beckett ext. 109 ADVERTISING Deborah Schillemore ext. 112 EDITOR Scott Nixon ext. 105 REPORTERS Pat Bolen ext. 113 Nina Van Lieshout ext. 107 CUSTOMER SERVICE Sue Rollings ext. 101 Jennifer Skonieczny ext. 102 PRODUCTION DEPARTMENT Manager Deb Lord ext 103/114 Nikki Cyr .ext. 103 Kelly Gackstetter ext. 103 ACCOUNTING STAFF Anita McDonald ext. 104 Ruth Slaght ext. 106 MargPertschy ext. 108 Heather Clarke ext. 111