The Goderich Signal-Star, 2009-02-04, Page 6Page 6 - Goderich Signal -Star, Wednesday, February 4, 2009
www.goderichsignalstar.com
Proprietor and published by Bowes Publishers, P.O. Box 220, 120 Nuckins Street, Goderich, Ontario N7A 4B6
EDITORIAL
Has Canada's budget
been sprinkled too thin?
It was the $64 billion question.
And whether or not the Conservative government has answered the
important budget questions for Canada remains uncertain. In some ways
they did and in other ways the budget has not gone far enough.
The Conservatives definitely sprinkled billions of dollars around in the
budget but it was spread out in such a fashion that it is difficult to deter-
mine how effective it will be in responding to the biggest economic crisis
to hit this country in the last century.
Finance Minister Jim Flaherty deserves some credit for the inclusive
and conciliatory approach he took in gathering information for the -budget
from across the country. Flaherty and Prime Minister, Stephen Harper,
listened and learned, consulting along the way with the opposition par-
ties, Premiers, major city mayors, municipalities, economists and interest
groups. Canadians had a definite stake in the process and the results were
fairly evenly spread across a diverse and ailing economy.
And that may be the shortfall of the budget. Money was sprinkled in all
different directions and its effectiveness is severely lacking in many
places.
The budget included needed funding for infrastructure, social housing
and the extension of unemployment insurance benefits beyond 45 weeks.
More needed to be done with the EI program as only about $950 million
was committed to extend benefits for recipients while ignoring funda-
mental problems that will create hardships for many families during the
worst recession known for generations.
There were some general across-the-board tax cuts that will be of value
to even those in the over $80,000 income bracket. Tax cuts won't deliver
the same bang for the buck that Canada needs as higher -end taxpayers
will tend to save cuts or apply the money to pay down existing debt.
The problem with tax cuts is that they tend to extract money from the
government revenues forever and only a generous infusion to low and
middle-income earners would have added needed stimulus to the econo-
my. ,
There is no "question that the Conservatives have radically changed
their mindset and pumped billions of dollars into a most fragile economy
and laid the groundwork for a steep, multi -billion deficit. Despite assur-
ancesthat Canada is in the best shape of any G7 nation to withstand
recessionary forces, we will be and have been dragged into this recession-
ary spiral along with everyone else.
• There was some political expediency to the budget's reversal from the
government's economic statement in the fall of 2008 and we can only
'hope this budget was offered in the true spirit of treating an ailing econ-
omy and not just a desperate measure or a necessary evil for political
expediency.
This budget may not position Canada for long-term results. It offers
short-term stimulus for a short-term government.
Canadians can only hope that all the programs offered in the budget
will be delivered in good faith and good time.
The health of the economy and the country depends on it. (D.S.)
iiatinVii.11 DUMP
rTHATS ALL Yol) NAE 1'0 DECLARE
IN 'ME Mb... PLEASE AWVANt.�EDRoP
1.1411t006.4 TRE XRAY AND DRoP YOUR
PANTS FOR TME SEcoND PART oc null NEW
CLEAR GARS
ittAr• CIN acft.ir
Wil14ThAw,5 b
041.4,0* Wiii A•a
Visitors thankful for hospital care
To the Editor;
The Goderich Hospital: The little hospital
that's all heart.
My wife just had an operation in your hospi-
tal and we would both like to say how wonder-
ful the care she received was. Right from the
very start at admitting, we were treated with
the utmost warm and caring attention by every-
one.
In these days when hospitals are having bud-
gets trimmed below acceptable limits and staff
are exected to do more and more for less, it's
that much harder to give the warm care that so
soodssoms
The Goderich Signal -Star:
published every Wednesday at Goderich, Ontario is one of The
Signal -Star PublishIng.Group of Community Newspapers, a division
of Bowes Publishers. The Gaderkh Signal Star shall not be liable for
law to publish an ad for typographical errors in liublkation
exeept to the extent of the cost of that portion of the ad in which the
error ocettrtrd. The Goderich Signal -Star triremes the right to reject
or edit any advertisement.
The Gaderich Signal -Star is a proud member of the Canadian
Cowra►uarlty Newspapers Assoctrition (CCNA) and The O ratio
Community Newspapers Association {OCNA).
11
011111101111111101
Editorial Deadlines...
Monday at 10 am Accounting...
Advertising Deadlines...
Entertainment, Births, Deaths,
In Memoriams... Friday at 3 pm
Classifieds... Monday at noon Display Sales...
Display Advertising... Monday at noon
•
Letters
opinion
helpful and apreciated to the sick.
You folks in Goderich have reason to be
really proud of your hospital, it sure does
deserve your support.
Sincerely,
Tom and Georgette Durrant
Kincardine
Classifieds tit Subscription...
•
Office Manager...
Telephone
Fax....
Publisher...
Reporters...
519-524-2614
519-524-5145
Dave Sykes
Dominique Milburn
Gerard Creces
Denny Scott website...
Advertising Manager...
Judy Austin
Rhonda Butt
Mary Johnston
Janet Shrier
Lisa McLaren
Mike Duerden
Kevin Shrier
Email...
gssnews@bowesnacom,gsssports@bowesnet.com
gssads@bowesnet.com, goderiehads@bowesnet.com
www goderichsignal stu r. com
Pu.uc 01N Mat. Ammon No. 40084883
PAP A'aernunou No. 7802
RETURN tlit(EUVEnsrlE Cauaiw Amuses
To:
Circulation dept,,
120 thicki M 9t., PA. Box 120,
Oaderich, ON,
NIA 488
(519) 524.2814
taw gswieive@boivanet.com
We acknowledge the financial support of the Government of
Canada, through the Publications Assistance Program (PAP),
toward our mailing costs.
Cana