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The Citizen, 2003-02-12, Page 4PAGE 4. THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 2003. Editorials & Opinions County faces budget dilemma The bottom line for taxpayers is that Huron County councillors have a long way to go before the 2003 budget is down to a level that will allow an affordable tax increase, but for councillors the issue is even more complicated and long term. Faced as they currently are by a budget increase of nearly 17 per cent, councillors must be wishing they’d followed the trend of the past decade and set an acceptable target for a budget increase and expected department heads to meet the target. It meant for most of a decade departmental budgets didn’t even cover the cost of inflation in salaries, let alone new needs. Perhaps the most visible example is the library system which, faced with these and other cuts, ended up buying fewer books each year than the year before. A library without books is a useless thing. So this year councillors agreed to a needs-based budget. Department heads finally got a chance to ask for what they felt was needed to make their departments function properly. The rest It is a 17 per cent budget increase with councillors left to whittle the budget down line by line. It’s the dilemma of those setting budgets in the public sector without the absolute of market discipline. Try to create efficiency by starving the budget with zero-per-cent increases as the county did for years, and you can actually create inefficiency. But give staff a free hand to say what they “need” and it’s amazing what they’ll find impossible to do without. Meantime, just be grateful you’re not one of the politicians trying to straighten this mess out. — KR So much for that legacy If Prime Minister Jean Chretien is concerned with his legacy you’d never know it from his missed chance to fix the medicare system. Though dollar figures in the billions being transferred to the provinces sound impressive, the help Chretien offered last week was a fraction of what was called for in the Romanow report medicare. It’s little wonder provincial premiers were so unhappy with the proposal. The prime minister’s offer sounded like a lot of money, especially when several years worth was lumped together, and now the public will think the system should be fixed. It’s up to the premiers to try to make the system work and live up to the public’s expectations. Mr. Chrdtien may have pulled off some good politics, but it’s bad medicine for Canadians. — KR Taking on a huge challenge It’s perhaps uncharitable of many people around the world to oppose U.S. President George Bush’s plans for a regime change in Iraq. After all, how can you argue it’s wrong to rescue the Iraqi people from a man who Is clearly a tyrant? The problem is, once you take on the role of toppling tyrants, where do you stop? Will President Bush be as ready to take on North Korea? China? One suspects the American people may run out of charity before then.— KR Letters to the Editor THE EDITOR, In reference to your court reporting column Jan. 22, I understand that people are generally curious by nature. It starts out innocently enough - a little gossip, buying The National Enquirer once in awhile. Before you know it you’re purchasing a scanner so you’re the first to know what terrible fates are bestowed on those less fortunate than yourself. “News” should serve a purpose other than simply entertainment. When reporting of court events includes “he said/she said” comments rather than simply who was charged with what offence, whether they were found guilty or innocent and what sentence they received, you are bordering on the reporting style of the paparazzi and reporting for entertainment purposes not news. What public interest does this serve? If you wish to do an editorial piece, perhaps you could do one on ADHD - how it is often ignored in our school system, how important it is to diagnose ADHD early before secondary behaviours develop, how many people involved in our legal system today have untreated ADHD and how they need help, not to be sensationalized or exploited. Perhaps you could do an editorial on how it feels to be a person afflicted with ADHD, who impulsively acts before he thinks and who doesn’t understand why his body behaves this way. ADHD is a legitimate medical condition that can be picked up on an MRI brain scan. People with ADHD and their families need support from their communities, not embarrassment from their local newspaper. It is hard enough to reach out and get help for family problems. To anticipate that your personal issues will be spread all over the newspaper would deter many from doing the right thing. Who needs that pressure at an already trying time? I would suggest you use your newspaper to affect changes to the problems our community faces, not sensationalize these unfortunate people by becoming the local “Paparazzi”. Sincerely, Nancy Walker. Publisher, Keith Roulston Editor, Bonnie Gropp Advertising, Alan Young, Patty Van der Meer The Citizen is published 50 times a year in Brussels, Ontario by North Huron Publishing Company Inc. Subscriptions are payable in advance at a rate of $28.00/year ($26.17 + $1.83 G.S.T.) in Canada; $80.00/year in U.S.A, and $100/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 newsscripts or photographs. Contents of The Citizen are © Copyright We acknowledge the financial support of the Government of Canada through the Publications Assistance Program (PAP) toward our mailing costs. Publications Mall Reg. No. 09244 Canadian Publication Mail Agreement No. 40050141 P.O. Box 429, BLYTH, Ont. NOM 1H0 Phone 523-4792 FAX 523-9140 E-niail norhuron@scsinternet.com Website www.northhuron.on.ca jxocna (£sna Member of the Ontario Press Council DISTRESS DISSENT MY LEGACY STARTS WID DI5. DISGUST DISSATISFACTION Looking Back Through the Years Feb.12,1958 Ross Smith was elected president of the Morris Twp. Federation of Agriculture. Betty Alcock of Brussels was awarded the provincial honour certificate and pin for completion of 12 4-H homemaking projects. Mr. D.A. Rann was awarded first prize in the photographic competition View of Property From Street, sponsored by the Ontario Horticultural Society. The award was won with a coloured slide showing a portion of the patio and petunia bed at their home. Mrs. C. Steffler was chosen president of the St. Ambrose Altar Society. At the Regent Theatre in Seaforth it was Beyond Bombasa starring Cornel Wilde and Donna Reed. Listowel’s Capitol Theatre was showing Elvis Presley in Jailhouse Rock. On sale at the Rutledge Grocery was the one-pound tin of Nestle Quick for 59 cents. Feb. 15, 1968 Flasher lights and bells were to be installed at the CNR level crossing at County Road 12 in Brussels. Winners of the Brusels curling draw were Al Johnston, first, Murray Hoover, second; Mrs. A. Johnston, first; Mrs. Donelda Pearson, second; Mrs. Nora Stephenson, third. A young couple with their baby walked away unscathed from a car­ train accident in Brussels. Unable to stop because of slippery conditions, the car slid into the side of the train. A double funeral was held in Wingham for a brother and sister who died on the same. day. The 71 and 72-year-old siblings were both of Tumberry Twp. The man had been ill for some time, the woman for about a month. Specials at Stephenson’s Bakery and Grocery included the one-pound jar of Kraft cheese whiz for 69 cents; three 48-oz cans of tomato juice for 89 cents. The 24-oz can of Puritan beef stew was selling for 49 cents at McCutcheon Grocery, while the 11- 'oz bottle of Aylmer ketchup was selling five for $1. Feb. 14,1973 Paul Carroll was acclaimed the New Democratic Party candidate in the Huron riding. Despite worries about need for a complete rewiring of the Blyth Memorial Hall theatre, the cost of wiring improvments would come to only a couple of hundred dollars. Rev. Joseph Keith Stokes of Blyth was moving to Leamington. He had been rector of the Blyth, Auburn, Belgrave and Brussels Anglican churches since 1969. More than 30 deaths involving drivers and passengers of snowmobiles were recorded in Ontario. Education Minister Thomas Wells announced that the province will award $100 to Ontario Scholars. Unusually mild, sunny weather had turned many small streams into foaming torrents. Ron Plunkett of Auburn and Glenna Ellis, RR2, Clinton, both students of Hullett Central Public School were named prince and princess of the Clinton Winter Carnival. They competed against . students from schools surrounding Clinton. Feb. 10,1988 Winning awards at Blyth Skating Club’s achievement night were Erin Bolger, Kimberley Ferguson, April Bromley and Lori Bailey. Kevin Wheeler, RR5, Brussels, and his partner Michelle Menzies of Preston combined with Melanie Gaylor of Stratford and Lee Barkell of Kirkland Lake to win the silver medal in the fours compeitition at the The Citizen RO. Box 152, BRUSSELS, Ont. NOG 1 HO Phone 887-9114 FAX 887-9021 Canadian National Figure Skating Championships in Victoria B.C. Ethel WI celebrated 85 years. Feb. 10, 1993 Financial troubles at United Co­ operatives of Ontario led to the independent Teeswater Co-op’s purchase of Aubum, Belgrave and Mildmay UCO stores. Murray Lowe marked 30 years of barbering on Brussels main street. The Aubum Missionary Church raised $38,547 for missions, surpassing its goal of $30,000. Feb. 15,1995 Three local men threw their hats into the ring to represent the Liberal party in the provincial election: John Jewitt, Doug Gamiss, Rick Mclnroy. A weekend blizzard hit the area. The Blyth boys volleyball team captured first place at the regional tournament. Players were: Dean Wilson, Joe Schmit, Tyler Stewart, Drew Corneil. Shawn Bromley, Nathan Hubbard, Jamie Taylor, Adam Blair, Jamie Black and Jeremy Van Amersfoort. The Carlton Showband was appearing at Blyth Memorial Hall. Leah Hood and Rick Fedorick joined the staff of Blyth Festival as the new director of communications and assistant development co­ ordinator respectively. Two former East Wawanosh Public School students were members of an improv team from F.E. Madill Secondary School who hoped to compete in the Canadian Improve Games in Ottawa. Micah and Manny Hussey were on the eight-member team which sent a video of an improv performance to the selection committee in hopes of making the cuts. Playwright Laurie Fyffe and musician Beth Bartley got together in Blyth to fine-tune Fyffe’s newest script, Ballad for a Rum Runner’s Daughter.