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The Times Advocate, 2008-06-25, Page 44 Times–Advocate Wednesday, June 25, 2008 OC Editorial Opinion TIMES ADVOCATE PUBLICATIONS MAIL REGISTRATION NUMBER 07511 We acknowledge the financial support of the Government of Canada, through the Publications Assistance Program (PAP), toward our mailing costs. Canada Deb Lord – Manager Scott Nixon – Editor it 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 EDITORIAL Revisit the rates Our councillors in South Huron have a tough decision to make. Anyone who read the story on this week's front page or attended last week's public meeting in Exeter concerning the new proposed water rates knows there's a lot of anger out there among residents who will see their annual water/sewage bills escalate if the proposed rates are accepted and put into place by council. That people are upset is of no surprise — there are always complaints when the various levels of govern- ment increase taxes or fees. But the level of frustration and anger expressed at last week's meeting in Exeter was something that can only be compared locally to the complaints voiced by Crediton and Centralia residents when they were forced to go forward with the sewer project. Last Wednesday people actually booed when the pro- posed water rates were announced. Some people shout- ed. One man yelled, "We're being railroaded." Mayor Ken Oke had to take the stage and ask the audience to keep the meeting civil. While everyone knew the time would come when we'd have to pay for the $13.5 million Lake Huron pipeline, nobody really thought that meant the average Exeter water bill would go up nearly $400 a year, or that in a comparison of more than two dozen other water sys- tems, Exeter's would be the most expensive. Those who live in apartments are the most shocked. Now that each unit in a building will face a connection charge (up until now each building only counted as one connection, regardless of the number of units it had) those who live in apartments face dramatically increased fees. Some have been told they will have an additional $50 charge to pay each month because of the proposed new rates. Council needs to show some compassion for those in apartments. While the new fee structure was designed to make the charges the same for everyone, many people in apartments are on fixed incomes and can't afford the proposed rates. What will happen to them? Will they move to another more affordable community? In a municipality that says it's so concerned with economic development and keeping the community vibrant, can we risk just letting people go? WM people move here once they start realizing how expensive it is to live here? When there is this much anger and this much concern from the public, the council has to listen and act accord- ingly. The rates need to be looked at again and council should be given various options to choose from. The pipeline is expensive, it has to be paid for and it's going to hurt. But the municipality needs to come up with a rate structure that hurts a little less. THEY'LL LEARN TO LOVE YOU LIKE I P0'- Disthbuted by Canadian Artists Syndic ate We're still growing up It will be a birthday party from one end of the nation to the other next Tuesday as Canadians celebrate the 141st birthday of the country. Compared to many countries around the world, the age barely registers and compared to the centuries or even millennium of some, Canada barely ranks as a teenager on the world stage. And like a teenager, Canadians contin- ue to question who we are and who we want to be. If, as it is said, a person can be judged by their friends, the question remains for Canada as we try to decide how to manage our international relationships, and who do we want our friends to be. Is it to be a good citizen of the United Nations, ready to be called on when needed, as has been the pattern for the past five decades, but which has been increasingly unable to deal with modern prob- lems? Or is it the country before that, which many say was forged on the battlefields of the First World War and came of age in the Second World War, climaxing on June 6, 1944 when we were equal partners with the most powerful countries in the world? Should we be neutral and uninvolved, yet well armed like Switzerland? Should we be friends with established democracies such as Australia, Britain and Japan, or emerging countries such as India and Brazil that will be important countries in the decades to come and which could benefit from Canada's experience in growing their democracies. Or do we want to take a different path, where freedom takes second place to economic inter- ests and strengthen ties with dictator- ships such as China and Russia through activities such as trade and sports in the hope that engagement will bring improvement, although the evidence of that happening has not been historical- ly the rule. Nationally, the country increasingly seems to be a series of regions, from northern and rural Ontario to the 905 district to Quebec and the Prairies, with British Columbia and the East Coast more isolated than ever. In our north are mil- lions of square miles of virtually uninhabited land that is becoming more accessible all the time and will have to be both defended and protected while using its wealth to give the inhabitants of the north a better life. The question of who we want to be is part of being a Canadian and maybe by the time we've reached middle age, we'll have started to figure it out. PAT B BACK 40 VIEW OLEN About the Times -Advocate Address & Office Hours Times -Advocate, 424 Main Street South, P.O. Box 850, Exeter, Ontario NOM 1S6. Our office is open Monday to Friday, 8:30 am to 4:30 pm. CLOSED ON HOLIDAYS. Contact Us By Phone or Fax Classified ad & subscription sales 519-235-1331 24-hour automated attendant 519-235-1336 Fax number 519-235-0766 Fax number for accounting dept. 519-235-2449 Subscription Rates One year rate for addresses in Canada: $42+GST Two year rate for addresses in Canada: $75+GST One year rate for addresses outside Canada:$160+GST Call 519-235-1331 to order a subscription. Classified Rates Word ads: $13 for 20 words, 20¢ for each additional word+ GST. Notices (births, announcements, coming events, memoriams, cards of thanks): $16 + GST for up to 50 words, All ads must be pre -paid. The classified ad deadline is Monday at 10 a.m. Display Advertising To place a display ad, 519-235-1331 weekdays 8:30 to 4:30 p.m. or evenings 519-235-1336 (leave message) or toll-free at 1-888-270-1602. Deadline: Fri. 2 p.m. Web site: www.southhuron.com E-mail Us TA e-mail addresses consist of the person's first initial and last name followed by @southhuron.com. For example, Deb Lord's e-mail address is dlord@southhuron.com Our general e-mail address is ads@southhuron.com. The Times -Advocate Team MANAGER Deb Lord ext. 103 ADVERTISING Deborah Schillemore ext. 112 COMPOSITION Nikki Cyr ext. 101 Kelly Gackstetter ext. 101 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 ACCOUNTING STAFF Anita McDonald ext. 104 Ruth Slaght ext. 106 Marg Pertschy ext. 108 Heather Clarke ext. 111