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The Rural Voice, 2005-11, Page 14Italy & Switzerland Mar. 31 - Apr. 14 2006 A memorable tour combining agri- and cultural elements in picturesque and historic settings. If you missed the Gencor tour in 1999 book now to experience it in 2006 with Gerda Matheson as your tour director. Visit unforgettable Rome, Florence, Reggio Emilia, Desenzano and Venice Travel on to enjoy Lucerne, Interlaken, Fribourg. Emmethal and Zurich. From $5610 per person, double occupancy, Toronto departure. A portion of tour costs may be tax deductible. Call 1-877- 683-5742 for pricing and details. TICO License 8500007470. AgriTours Canada Inc., Guelph ON (519) 826-4077 1-877-683-5742 tours@agritourscanada.com www.agMourscanada.com 6�RARBD'S Complete Automobile Soles, Services & Leasing New & Pre -Owned • OLD-FASHIONED SERVICE • LARGE SELECTION • NO GIMMICKS • JUST QUALITY VEHICLES at FAIR PRICES Bus: (519) 924-2601 Toll Free: 1-800-263-1869 Hwy. 10 Flesherton, ON NOC 1E0 www.bernardsqualitycars.com 10 THE RURAL VOICE Mabel's Grill The world's problems are solved daily round the table at Mabel 's. "1 guess I should feel r'ch but somehow I don't", said Molly Whiteside the other morning as she served coffee to the group. Molly had been telling the gang how much the assessment people said her house was worth these days. "If only I could find somebody to pay me that much it wouldn't be so bad," said Molly. " As it is, if I can't afford to pay the taxes I couldn't even sell at those prices." "I don't think there are enough government employees around for all the houses to be worth as much as these guys say they are," said George McKenzie. • "You don't suppose they got their real estate data base mixed up with the gas price data base?" wondered Mabel. "First thing you know they'll be arguing they need a big raise so they can afford to pay for the housing prices they make up," said Dave Winston. "You think maybe these guys work on commission?" wondered Cliff Murray. "You know, the more taxes they can bring in the more money they make?" "I was complaining about my assessment to the reeve and he said my taxes wouldn't necessarily go up," said Molly. "If you believe that I suppose you think Santa Claus is going to come to Christmas dinner at your place, too," grumbled George. "They'll just knock a couple of percentage points off the tax increase they would have given if the assessment hadn't gone up „ "I kinda like the idea of that commission thing," said Dave. "Imagine if the top dogs at OMAFRA got paid according to how much farm income went up?" "Last couple of years they'd be working for nothing,," said George. "Exactly!" said Dave. "I mean right now what incentive have they to make sure they make policies that are actually going to improve things for farmers? We go broke by the thousands and they still get big fat • pay packages." "Sometimes I think they get the big pay because we're going broke," said Cliff. "Sometimes I think they want fewer farmers so they're rewarding these guys for succeeding in driving us off the land." "Actually I think the guys at the top are getting survival benefits," said George. "They're being rewarded for not being among the people who lost their jobs in OMAFRA cuts over the years." "To the winner goes the spoils," said Dave. "Makes sense in this age where the successful people are supposed to be rewarded and the unsuccessful left to expire as quietly as possible." "A theory that always seems to be preached by the successful," said Cliff. "I guess that sort of justifies how all the well-off people in the world can horde Tamiflu just in case there might be a bird flu epidemic while the poor countries who actually have a problem can't get the drug," said Molly. "Oh don't get me started on bird flu," said George. "Have you seen all the idiots who've come out of the woodwork to say people should stop eating chicken to prevent bird flu? Just because every time the TV mentions bird flu they show a chick- en barn, people seem to think chicken barns are the problem. They hardly ever point out the disease is spread by wild birds. What are they going to do, kill off all the wild birds?" "Are you kidding? With all the bird lovers out there?" said Dave. "You couldn't hurt a robin or one of those flying trash can Canada geese!" "Scares like this bird flu thing certainly don't bring out the best in human beings," said Cliff. "Yeh," said Dave. "Who knows whether we'll ever actually have our lungs infected by this bird flu but the infection seems to have gone to a lot of peoples' brains and reduced them to the intelligence of a bird."0 PASSPORT PHOTOS WHILE YOU WAIT Guaranteed to meet government specifications We also do • Home movie transfers to video or DVD • Foreign tape conversions • Regular 8 or Super 8 film A Wonderful Cfiiistinas Gift For your Children MAC CAMPBELL PHOTOGRAPHY 34 Newgate Street (Corner 01 Hamilton & Newgate) Goderich 519-524-7532 10 THE RURAL VOICE Mabel's Grill The world's problems are solved daily round the table at Mabel 's. "1 guess I should feel r'ch but somehow I don't", said Molly Whiteside the other morning as she served coffee to the group. Molly had been telling the gang how much the assessment people said her house was worth these days. "If only I could find somebody to pay me that much it wouldn't be so bad," said Molly. " As it is, if I can't afford to pay the taxes I couldn't even sell at those prices." "I don't think there are enough government employees around for all the houses to be worth as much as these guys say they are," said George McKenzie. • "You don't suppose they got their real estate data base mixed up with the gas price data base?" wondered Mabel. "First thing you know they'll be arguing they need a big raise so they can afford to pay for the housing prices they make up," said Dave Winston. "You think maybe these guys work on commission?" wondered Cliff Murray. "You know, the more taxes they can bring in the more money they make?" "I was complaining about my assessment to the reeve and he said my taxes wouldn't necessarily go up," said Molly. "If you believe that I suppose you think Santa Claus is going to come to Christmas dinner at your place, too," grumbled George. "They'll just knock a couple of percentage points off the tax increase they would have given if the assessment hadn't gone up „ "I kinda like the idea of that commission thing," said Dave. "Imagine if the top dogs at OMAFRA got paid according to how much farm income went up?" "Last couple of years they'd be working for nothing,," said George. "Exactly!" said Dave. "I mean right now what incentive have they to make sure they make policies that are actually going to improve things for farmers? We go broke by the thousands and they still get big fat • pay packages." "Sometimes I think they get the big pay because we're going broke," said Cliff. "Sometimes I think they want fewer farmers so they're rewarding these guys for succeeding in driving us off the land." "Actually I think the guys at the top are getting survival benefits," said George. "They're being rewarded for not being among the people who lost their jobs in OMAFRA cuts over the years." "To the winner goes the spoils," said Dave. "Makes sense in this age where the successful people are supposed to be rewarded and the unsuccessful left to expire as quietly as possible." "A theory that always seems to be preached by the successful," said Cliff. "I guess that sort of justifies how all the well-off people in the world can horde Tamiflu just in case there might be a bird flu epidemic while the poor countries who actually have a problem can't get the drug," said Molly. "Oh don't get me started on bird flu," said George. "Have you seen all the idiots who've come out of the woodwork to say people should stop eating chicken to prevent bird flu? Just because every time the TV mentions bird flu they show a chick- en barn, people seem to think chicken barns are the problem. They hardly ever point out the disease is spread by wild birds. What are they going to do, kill off all the wild birds?" "Are you kidding? With all the bird lovers out there?" said Dave. "You couldn't hurt a robin or one of those flying trash can Canada geese!" "Scares like this bird flu thing certainly don't bring out the best in human beings," said Cliff. "Yeh," said Dave. "Who knows whether we'll ever actually have our lungs infected by this bird flu but the infection seems to have gone to a lot of peoples' brains and reduced them to the intelligence of a bird."0