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The Citizen, 1997-09-24, Page 4PAGE 4. THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 24,1997. C itizenTheNorthHuron P.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 Publisher, Keith Roulston Editor, Bonnie Gropp Advertising Manager, Jeannette McNeil PAIDE-mail norhuron@huron.net The Citizen is published weekly In Brussels, Ontario by North Huron Publishing Company Inc. Subscriptions are payable in advance at a rate of $27.00/year ($25.24 + $1.76 G.S.T.) in Canada; $62.00/year in U.S.A, and $75.00/year in 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 not responsible for unsolicited newscripts or photographs. Contents of The Citizen are © Copyright. Publications Mail Registration No. 6968 Why school boards at all ? Reforms announced this week by Education Minister John Snobelen will see local school boards with even less power than they already had. Perhaps it’s time to ask why we have school boards at all? With the system we’ve been operating under since Bill 1 {-/Avi O 1 Davis legislated county school M J LI 1 I vJ I I boards in the 1960s, few | ] people could even name their school trustee. For most people the county school board was a remote, faceless organization. If people did have complaints they often didn't know how to go about expressing them and probably the school board couldn’t do anything about them anyway. Let’s face it, the real power in the school system has resided with the Ministry of Education and with the teachers’ unions. But school boards could at least set their budgets and determine local tax rates, even if that did raise the ire of municipal politicians who were stuck facing the ire of unhappy taxpayers. They could also negotiate with teachers on the size of classes. Those powers have now been taken over by the province. With the province also determining curriculum, one wonders what trustees will be left to do. And as if the old county school boards weren't remote enough, the provinces has commanded that school boards will amalgamate and. have fewer members. Huron and Perth boards of education will merge in the new year and the headquarters for most Huron residents will get farther away (want to bet it’s not Stratford?) Even press coverage of board of education will be difficult under the new set up, let alone public attendance. Huron will have four representatives on the new board to Perth’s five. Under the current system, Huron has 16 trustees and even then there is a public sense of being out of touch with the decision-makers. But then what decisions will the trustees have? Will they have any real control or are they just figureheads, left in place so everybody on all sides, parents, teachers and the provincial government, will have convenient whippingboys? If they have no power, who will want to run? It’s time to look at the relevance of school boards in the new education world envisioned by Snobelen. — KR Invest money in health care The big national debate these days seems to be how to spend the dividend when the federal government balances its budget. There should be one immediate priority: put money back into health care. The horror stories have been mounting in health care in recent months. In Toronto, for instance, hospitals have expensive Magnetic Resonance Imaging machines (MRI) but only have the money to hire technicians one shift a day. It means that regular patients may have to wait weeks for their turn in line. But the hospitals have turned the machines into profit centres, renting out the use of machines in the evening to insurance companies that can afford to pay higher rates. When Toronto Blue Jay Ed Sprague had a shoulder injury, he was able to get immediate attention though other needy patients were bypassed. Expensive operating rooms are not used because there isn’t enough money to keep them operating. Meanwhile the line up for surgery continues to grow. Starved for money by the federal government, provinces have been closing hospitals and reducing service. Now that the federal government has more money, it should relieve the pressure on the provinces by returning some of the money it has cut from health care budgets. The current situation is opening the door for a two-tiered health system the federal government claims it doesn't want. People who have some money are tired of supporting a health care system that makes them wait in line with those who need free care. They’re increasingly willing to pay extra for insurance that will take them to the head of the line. If the federal government doesn’t loosen the purse strings some provinces will use underfunding as an excuse to promote private medical coverage. The government talks about creating jobs, but wouldn’t putting extra technicians to work on expensive equipment and extra nurses and surgeons in operating rooms create good jobs, while easing the pain and the worry of patients? First priority for any spending should be on the area that needs it most and health care definitely seems to be that area. — KR Photo by Janice Becker Letters THE EDITOR, Congratulations to our small­ town Fair Board for another well- run event to hit Brussels in '97. For those who were unable to attend the Beef Barbecue and Dance, it was one of the best I attended in Brussels this year. Where else can you get a meal like that with your choice of pie and then have it all put out again at 11 p.m. A big bag for your buck. The ladies put a lot of work into it and the decorations in the hall were awesome. The band Generation II did an excellent job of entertaining, playing music for all ages. Also, congratulations to the four girls who ran for Fair Ambassador. Their dresses were beautiful and speeches well done. They were all winners and I wouldn't want to have to be a judge. The thing that bothered me most with the wet weather was, where were all our local farmers? The auditorium should have been standing room only as it was in the summer. The young people, friends of the girls, won't come because they want to be able to stand on the arena floor as they did in the summer and spill their drinks. And the sponsors could show more consideration and interest by coming out and hearing their girls speeches. All in all it was a night to be remembered and it will be remembered by these four girls for a lifetime. B. Johnston RR 2, Bluevale. THE EDITOR, Not long ago I chided the editor for saying there was nothing small­ town in the way Brussels handled Homecoming Weekend. I disagreed that we needed to worry about being like the larger centres. Recent incidents make it clear that, in some respects, we are becoming alarmingly like the larger centres and I feel that those responsible for this transfiguration should go to one of these urban areas, if that is the type of atmosphere they desire to exist in, and leave those of us who enjoy the small town life in peace. I am referring to the fact that it is no longer safe to leave even something of no value sitting anywhere on your property. In the process of remodelling our home, we got too busy, and too tired and therefore delayed removing the faucets from the sink we have sitting outside. Someone on the lookout for a good deal has saved us the trouble as they disappeared overnight. I would like to say that, even though these people have other terms for these acts to make it sound less evil, taking something that does not belong to you is Stealing! This is the only word that fits the action! Shame all of you. Sandra Clark. THE EDITOR, I am writing this letter to inform all hockey players and their parents about a new league called the Huron Perth Lakers AAA. My son played with the organization last year. This was the Continued on page 22