The Rural Voice, 2002-01, Page 16***AAA 444444444
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ONSULTING
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Listowel
515 Tremaine Ave. S.
1-800-669-2931 OR 519-291-1388
FAX 519-291-1102
Owen Sound
1399 2nd Ave. East
1-800-567-7412 OR 519-371-8111
FAX 519-371-6011
FOR YOUR STEEL
REQUIREMENTS
12 THE RURAL VOICE
Mabel
's Grill
"Haven't had the snowblower out
once," gloated Dave Winston the
other morning. "Isn't it great?"
"Yeh but think about what we're
doing to the economy," said George
McKenzie. "This time last year I
single-handedly put the stock of steel
companies up
with the
number of
sheer pins I'd
broken off on
the blower."
"Well it
sure is nice
not to have to
get up in the
morning and
get the lane
blown out
early enough
for the milk
truck," said
Hank
Vanderplast.
"Yeh, times like that I kind of
dream about the future when we're
supposed to have these remote •
control tractors and you'll be able to
just sit in your office and send the
tractor down the lane to do the work
by itself," said Cliff Murray.
"Kind of like having a son only
better," said Dave. "The robot does-
n't want the car on Friday night."
"Well unless things get better with
crop prices we may need to have
remote control tractors," said
George. "Our kids won't be able to
afford to take over the farm so we'll
be stuck in our wheelchairs in the
nursing home, still doing the plowing
at home by remote control."
"I don't know, it might be an
added attraction for kids to take
over," said Hank. "I can't pry my
kids away from the video games to
do any work. Maybe if farm work
was like a video game they'd like it."
"Yeh and the object of the game is
to keep the big bad banker from
gobbling you up," said Dave.
"Same as now," said Cliff.
"Well I read in the paper where
Lyle Vanclief says Canada's farms
are going to be `green' by 2005.
Seems to me if he wants us to spend
money on the environment he'd
better give us some green," said
Hank.
The world's
problems are
solved daily
'round the table
at,Mabel's
"Hey, remember we're talking
about Canadian money here. It might
be Lyle's hoarding up the old one -
dollar bills iso he can give us the
green," said Dave.
"That's about the denomination he
needs with the size of federal
subsidies he's been doling out," said
Hank. "Lyle flings around loonies
like manhole covers."
"Ah wait until you hear the
governments screaming about how
much crop insurance they'll have to
pay out this year," said George.
"What'd I hear, $150 million for
soybeans alone?"
"Which means, people will be
complaining about the subsidies
fanners get," said Cliff.
"Yeh, but given the price of
soybeans, there might be some
money for the fuel dealer and the
seed dealer and the fertilizer guy but
there's not going to be any money
left for the fanner," said Dave. "Why
don't they just give the money
straight to the suppliers so they could
get accused of needing subsidies for
a change."
"And then I hear we can expect
the cost of hydro to go up when they
sell Hydro One," said Hank.
"Yeh, I mean they take $38 billion
or whatever in our taxpayer invest-
ment, they spin off the company and
sell it off for $5 billion. Does that
make sense?"
"Sounds like the place is being
run by farmers," said Molly
Whiteside as she delivered fresh
coffee. "Aren't you the guys who can
take $300 an acre in inputs and turn
it into a crop that brings you $200
and acre?"
"What really gets me," said Cliff,
studiously ignoring Molly's little
shot, "Is that we taxpayers are going
to be left with $33 billion in Ontario
Hydro debt and we're also going to
have to pay higher hydro bills to
make it worthwhile for these guys to
buy the company. Does that make
sense?"
"I knew I should have studied the
new math," said Hank.
"Gee I thought you guys were
masters of some sort of new math,"
said Molly. "I leave you a five dollar
bill, you add a 15 per cent tip, and
still only leave five dollars."0