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The Citizen, 1996-04-10, Page 4P.O. Box 429, BLYTH, Ont. NOM 1H0 Phone 523-4792 FAX 523-9140 P.O. Box 152, BRUSSELS, Ont. NOG 1H0 Phone 887-9114 FAX 887-9021 Letters THE EDITOR, The Village of Blyth Municipal Council has embarked on a campaign to obtain support from as many Ontario Municipal Councils as possible to serve notice to the appropriate provincial Ministries, that as of Jan. 1, 1997, we will no longer continue to collect Educ- ation Taxes from ratepayers. This action stems from the problems and challenges we are facing with cutbacks to both our municipalities and school boards. The provincial government is suggesting that we should be amalgamating into larger regions to become more efficient. It is our opinion that regionalization has not been an improvement to those who have done it and that we would lose all local control over our affairs for no real beneficial purpose. A few years ago a recommenda- tion was presented by the Fair Tax Commission to the Provincial Government to remove all Education Taxes from all property and replace it with a funding system which all people contribute to in a fair manner. The Minister of Finance has stated clearly that they know the existing system is wrong and that they know they must change it Our concern is that they will leave it until we do something in desperation that we shall regret later and will not be able to repair. If this recommendation is adopted now, we, as ratepayers of our respective municipalities can well afford to maintain our traditional services. Since 1970 Ontario Farmers have received a tax rebate amounting to about the equivalent of their Education Tax. They have been receiving it only because farm organizations at that time conducted a tax revolt by withholding the education portion of their tax bill. Only by their organized effort was the Government convinced to rectify the unfairness that existed. The contention that education is a service to people and not a service to property was conceded, but the Government responded only to those who complained actively. Farmers are now being made aware that they may not receive a rebate after this year. We believe now is the right time for allt municipalities on behalf of all Photo by Janice Becker ratepayers to influence the legislative change required to correct an obsolete funding method. This program is a big task for a small village. Support to date is very encouraging. As this support grows we are hopeful that a committee or representative body will develop, comprising of others in the province to carry this program forward. However, it has to start somewhere and our community and its future is threatened. We must not wait forever for someone else to save us. Reeve Mason Bailey on behalf of Blyth Village Council. THE EDITOR, I am writing in response to a recent news release from the Ontario Minister of Agriculture, announcing the repeal of the Artificial Insemination Act by the year 2,000. I believe the following comments will be echoed across the province as dairy and beef producers react to the government's decision. As a dairy farmer, I have had the privilege of belonging to an industry that has a reputation for producing world recognized genetics. This reputation was built through producer owned and directed co-operatives. The Continued on page 6 PAGE 4. THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, APRIL 10, 1996 C The North Huron itizen Publisher, Keith Roulston Editor, Bonnie Gropp Advertising Manager, Jeannette McNeil BLUE RIBBON AWARD 1995 The Citizen is published weekly in Brussels, Ontario by North Huron Publishing Company Inc. Subscriptions are payable In advance at a rate of $25.00/year ($23.37 + $1.63 G.S.T.) for local; $33.00/year ($30.85 + $2.15 G.S.T.) for local letter carrier In Goderich, Hanover, Listowel, etc. and out-o4 -area (40 miles from Brussels); $62.00/year for U.S.A. and $75.00/year for other foreign countries. Advertising is accepted on the condition that in the event of a typographical error, only that portion of the advertisement will be credited. Advertising Deadlines: Monday, 2 p.m. - Brussels; Monday, 4 p.m. - Blyth. We are riot responsible for unsolicited newscripts or photographs. Contents of The Citizen are © Copyright. Publications Mail Registration No. 6968 Creating a lost generation For those college and university students who are approaching graduation in the next month or so, it should be a time of dreams and excitement, instead they're likely to have nightmares and worry. Seldom has a group of educated young people faced such dismal prospects, for the short term, at least. This year's graduates must face the reality that not only are there few jobs out there, but they're competing with unemployed graduates from last year and the year before for what few jobs there are. For employers, it's a dream market with highly qualified young people lowering their expectations to take anything they can find. One wishes, however, that Paul Martin and Mike Harris could sit in on a few job interviews and realize what they, and this current economy, are doing to a whole generation that should be leading us into a bright future but instead is wondering how to pay their student loans, let alone plan for a home and family. Some stories from the small circle around The Citizen's office: A graduate student flying to Japan because there is no work here; a second teacher, two years after graduation, going to work for minimum wage in an electronics shop because with all the layoffs among teachers, there is no chance to find a teaching job; a young business graduate, a year after graduation, applying for a two- day-a-week job because she can't find anything more appropriate; a young man with a university degree working on a pig farm; a young woman college graduate who can find work only intermittently, filling in for people on sick leave. Among four young college and university graduates among our staff members families, only one is working in the field she was trained for, and she had to go to Japan. All are working hard to at least keep busy, doing anything they can. It's a terrible waste of our educated, younger generation. It's also a dangerous situation for our. society. We told these young people if they worked hard, and got an education, they would prosper; instead they're left with no job, or a poorly-paid job, to show for their efforts. They should be spurring on the economy, using the money from their new jobs to buy the things they dreamed of in their years of sacrifice; instead they are living with their families or in poverty. Government and big business must address this growing problem or we risk creating a cynical, dispirited generation from these bright, enthusiastic young people. This is too precious a resource to waste. — KR A cost is a cost is a cost Given the almost pathological concern Canadians have for government spending these days, the release of a list of the "century club", Ontario public servants who earn more than $100,000 a year, brought the expected yelps from many citizens but some perspective is needed in examining the figures. Take the information that the director of education in Huron County earns nearly $108,000 a year, for instance. Way back when Bill Davis brought in the county school board system, a protocol was set up that makes it virtually impossible for the director of education to make less than $100,000. When the average teacher in Huron makes $60,000 plus, the principals of schools must make more. The superintendents must then make more than the principals and the director of education must make more again. It's not hard to see how that salary level is reached. But in general, comparing these top-earning civil servants to people of equal position in the big-business sector, one is surprised how low the salaries are. People in private sector companies handling the same kind of administrative responsibility often earn three times as much as the civil servants. Perhaps as well as questioning civil service salaries, we should also be asking pointed questions about big business salaries. The dogma is that in private enterprise, the marketplace will be a check on extravagant wages, unlike government where taxes can just go on forever. But somebody has to pay for the million dollar-plus salaries of bank executives who are in such a monopoly position that people have few choices but to pay the charges banks levy for loans and transactions. Bank executives are, in a way, able to "tax" at their own discretion to pay their exorbitant salaries. A cost is a cost whether it's a tax or an essential service. We have a stake in the extravagances of business as well as government. — KR E ditorial