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The Citizen, 1997-10-29, Page 4PAGE 4. THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 29,1997. C itizenTheNorthHuron P.O. Box 429, BLYTH, Ont. NOM 1H0 Phons 523-4792 FAX 523-9140 P.O. Box 152, BRUSSELS, Ont. NOG 1 HO Phone 887-9114 FAX 887-9021 E-mail norhuron@huron.net Publisher, Keith Roulston Editor, Bonnie Gropp Advertising Manager, Jeannette McNeil VERlFlCO CIRCULATION _f*10 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 Mall Registration No. 6968 E ditorial Working together Two heads really are better than one when it comes to solving problems — and often eight or 10 can be even better than two. It’s loo bad, then, that both the government and the teachers’ unions in Ontario’s teachers strike, seem bent on a course that shuts out a wide variety of opinion. Those who have sought I ) solutions to difficult problems by bringing a group of people together to discuss the problem, have often experienced the magical moment when ideas start flowing from one person to another, and a group solution emerges that is far better than anything any one person would have come up with. Not only is the idea better, but because everyone had a hand in creating it, it has more support But both government and union leadership seem sure that they know best. Union leadership didn’t go back to its membership before it declared war on the government, last week. There are many teachers, particularly at the elementary level, who don’t support the strike. Still, they are without a paycheque, are pilloried by their neighbours for taking an illegal action, and portrayed as a greedy special interest group. Union leadership says, in effect, you elected us, now it’s up to us to lead. But that’s what the government says too. Having received a minority of all votes cast in 1995, the Harris government feels it has a mandate to whip the province into shape. If that means rewriting all the laws to take power out of the hands of local school boards (and local municipal councils) so be it. The government has resisted consultation (or carried it out in name only) because it fears that “special interests” will divert it from its course. And many supporters say that democracy is being served because, after all the province elected this government and it can do what it wants. Both sides assume that people should think only during an election and the rest of the time should go away and let the leadership carry out its plans. Both sides arc foolishly wrong. If we want the best education system for Ontario, shouldn't we get the best ideas from everyone? Instead, we have a provincial government that wants to give all of the say for the education system to Queen’s Park. Part of the reason for this is to try to gain some rebalance of the education system because the power of the unions had turned local school boards into impotent facades — they may have appeared to be in control but the right to strike (given to the unions by Bill Davis) meant the unions called many of the shots. The education system is letting down students, parents and the many fine, dedicated teachers who work hard to educate our children. Wouldn't be better if all sides would lay aside their sense that “only we know best" and willingly accept the best ideas from everyone? — KR The environment deficit Imagine if the federal and provincial governments had kept on blindly spending money and ignored the growing deficit in their financing. People would have been outraged. Yet in effect, that’s exactly what we’ve done with the environmental deficit — ignored it. Several reports recently have pointed to the fact we’ve actually lost ground in the battle to clean up the environment Canada, for instance, has failed miserably to honour its pledges to the Earth Summit to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Also last week the International Joint Commission on the Great Lakes said the lakes remain terribly polluted and indigenous peoples may be ill because their diet is high in fish. Indeed the obsession with the financial deficit may have contributed to the growing environmental deficit. As governments sought to cut expenses, programs to clean up the environment have suffered. Staffing cuts have meant governments couldn’t enforce regulations that did exist. Yet in the long run, the battle of the environmental deficit is the most crucial to win. We cannot continue to undermine the natural resources which humans need for life. We need clean water. We need clean air. We need nutritious foods that are going to build our bodies, not make them sick. Yet many of the very people who were most worried about the financial deficit, seem to think we can go on forever using our rivers, lakes and our air as sewers. Now that the financial deficit crisis is over, it’s time to focus on the environmental crisis, before it’s loo late. — KR Photo by Jeannette McNeil Letters THE EDITOR, A letter in your Oct. 22 edition from a concerned resident and taxpayer of Grey Township in response to their observations at the Oct. 6 meeting of council contains a number of assumptions and statements that are not reflective of the petition filed or its intent. 1) The letter states that "...a group of township residents concerned with the number of large bams being built on insufficient land to handle the liquid manure..." An assumption has incorrectly been made that the large operations do not have a sufficient and base; this is not stated in the petition and I believe the intent of the petition is a concern with the application rates of manure. 2) The letter states that Nutrient Management Plans allow 4,000 gallons per acre twice a year. There is no specified limit of what the Nutrient Management Plan will allow; this was simply staled as an example of what a Nutrient Management Plan "might" permit and would take into consideration the important factors such as crops being grown, commercial fertilizer being used, nutrient levels in the soil, etc. In this example, perhaps the Nutrient Management Plan will recommend that no manure be spread the following year. An application rate of 4,000 gallons/acre is not high - it is less than 2/1 Os of an inch per acre. Whether we like it or not, large livestock operations appear to be the trend in agriculture today, and I believe council has acted in a proactive manner in implementing the Nutrient Management Plan requirement as part of the building permit process. It is my understanding that our requirements and regulations are much more advanced than many other areas of the province. A genuine concern was expressed by the petitioners about the amount of follow-up to the Nutrient Management Plan's and this was certainly acknowledged by council. Council is looking into this and has also referred this to a county committee for input. Yours truly, Leona Armstrong, Reeve Township of Grey. THE EDITOR, As we start into this teachers' strike it seems to me that the teachers and the people of Ontario are like a homeowner who has been duped by an unscrupulous contractor. The guy showed up at the door saying he could renovate and improve the house while saving the homeowner lots of money. Well, what house couldn't do with some improvement and who doesn't want to save some money? so the homeowner said, "Sure go ahead." And so the unscrupulous contractor set to work and it wasn't long before he said "Your house is in terrible shape. We have to tear it down to fix it." And so he brings in a team of wreckers and they start to tear the house down and they start selling the salvage to their friends. At this point the homeowner started to feel a bit insecure and he went to visit the healthcare household which had received similar treatment. All that was left was a gutted shell with nurses, doctors and patients desperately trying to cover the holes where the doors and windows had been. So the education homeowner went home and said "STOP. My house could use some improvement but it does not need to be torn down and I don't want you selling it to your friends." End of parable. Let us remember that leaked documents revealed that this government was planning to create a "crisis" in education so that it could carry forward its agenda. Weil they have created their crisis. We have not had a mediocre education system. We have a mediocre and dishonest government. It is time as parents and as citizens that we say enough is enough. Do not be fooled by promises to improve the education system. They are tearing it to pieces. I would be pleased to be part of a parental sympathy picket at the Continued on page 23