Huron Expositor, 2007-03-21, Page 4Page 4 March 21, 2007 • The Huron Expositor
Opinion
Proprietor and Publisher, Bowes Publishers Limited, 11 Main St., Seaforth, ON, NOK 1WO
Wishy washy federal
budget won't
win any favour
When times are great,throw caution to fate,
when times are lean, get real mean.
That seems to be the mantra of the federal
Conservative Party of Canada that, in a fashion
similar to what one would expect from a more left-
leaning crew, is handing out perks, benefits and
yummy incentives to the usual suspects that tend
to benefit in budgets near election time. Namely,
families, environmental groups and, here's a big
surprise, Quebec.
Finance Minister Jim Flaherty, once known as
one of former Ontario Premier Michael Harris's
most -ardent right wingers, is now presenting a
kinder, softer budget for lower-income groups to
work with, too. -
As it stands, the proposed budget's highlights
include a new child tax credit worth $310 a child
for most families, a working income-tax benefit of
up to $1,000 a year for low-income families or $500
for individuals (ostensibly to help them off assis-
tance), billions in extra funding to the provinces for
health, infrastructure and post -secondary educa-
tion and raises to, age 71 from 69 the age at which
seniors must convert RRSPs to retirement income.
Plus, the government is proposing to throw an
eye-popping $1.5 billion at projects designed to cut
air pollution and greenhouse -gas emissions as well
as a rebate of up to $2,000 of buying fuel-efficient
vehicle.
Further, as The London Free Press puts it, if
you're single and have an annual income of more
than $12,883, you aren't getting anything from this
budget.
In his speech, Flaherty waxed poetic about how
the federal budget will renew public transit,
improve health care, equip universities with fanci-
er pens and lead to cleaner oceans, rivers, lakes
and air.
In other words, Flaherty's address was the equiv-
alent of a Miss Universe's winning speech.
We would have liked to see the feds pledge to buy
every county in the country a brand new CT
Scanner. Alas, such was not the case.
Yet, the good news, for the Conservatives at least,
is it is a wishy-washy budget that won't lead to its
own toppling — though it won't win them any
favour with Joe and Jane Public either.
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Meditating over dropped
stitches and tangled yarn
The first time I heard
the concept that knitting is.
a form of meditation and
stress relief, I dropped sev-
eral stitches.
Recalling the tangled,
knotted heaps of yarn my
once -tidy balls of wool so
often became when I first
started knitting - not to
mention the scarves that
already appeared moth-eaten while they were
still coming off the needles - I originally
appreciated knitting for its challenge.
Back in my Brownie days when my mother
taught me to knit for the badge I could earn,
knitting was an agony - probably more for my
mom than me - of misshapen holey cloth and
lots of whining.
I'm quite sure it was my mom who earned
the badge when my project was finally com-
plete.
As a young adult, I begged a friend to take
on the challenge of teaching me to knit once
more when I was admiring a beautiful ski
sweater she was creating without the blood,
sweat and tears I'd come to associate with the
craft.
Under her patient tutelage, I created my
own ski sweater, which still sits - somewhat
like a trophy to my perseverance - in my
dresser.
Of the knitting projects since, I have had
varying results and a fair number still sit in
plastic bags half -finished.
Paging through maga-
zines filled with thick and
luscious sweaters, colourful
hats and cozy afghans, I've
spent more time planning
projects than I've actually
spent knitting.
Anything more chal-
lenging than straight knit-
ting and purling remains
beyond me. But, I have
enjoyed knitting scarves, shawls and blankets
without patterns that were too mind-bog-
gling.
So, when I decided to pick up the needles
again this year to knit something cozy during
a particularly snowy day, I was initially dis-
mayed that my kids wanted a lesson.
I know all too well how two hands can be
two too few when faced with two needles and
a ball of yarn the first time. And, I know that
my kids are just as patient as I am - in other
words, not very.
Over March Break, I must have cast on a
thousand stitches as an empty needle was
handed to me over and over again as my kids
restarted after adding or dropping stitches on
their projects.
While one got into a knitting groove, creat-
ing a very long scarf, the other was more
adventurous and learned to purl as well,
tackling a pattern for a small handbag.
We were a very industrious crew with nee-
dles clicking away in front of the TV - and
See LOOSENING, Page 5
We're not
poor. We live
better than
most people
in the world.
You think you're poor
just because you can't
have all the toys you want.
Really poor people only ask
fora meal.
Well, then
maybe
that's why
they're
poor.
You
know
you're
going to
Hell,
right?
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