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Times-Advocate, 1982-12-15, Page 4• 4, •"•*. • "Sf' - Ratepayers may face a lone. frustrating- three - years if Some elected officials maintain the practice established At a !ew inaugural 'meetings where they hid behind c:ited ciocirs td. discuss public business. The Huron -Perth separate school board moved in- to Closed session to discuss pPo&edures they would take regarding theinatter of studying the possible closing of-EcOle Ste. Marie. Another council took the same step when there were some rumblings from members over the appointment of their own committee members. Ex- eter plans -a special closed session -to discuss the Per- sonnel Management. Associates study on town re- organization with employees. The first. two are flagrant examples of elected of- ficials side-stepping accepted rules which govern the type of business for which officials. may meet in - • camera. The latter situation could be ruled to be a discussion of personnel: one of the few topics on Which closed sessions are permitted. However. the accepted parliamentary process in moving behind closed doors : dvocate Serb ing South Huron, North Middlesex & North Lambton Since 1873 Published EnJ.W. fech Publications Limited WI I BATH\ I door HARR\ DIARIES on•po.IT on ROM HAI,G1-41 Nssiyant Editor • DICK JONGKIND BusinessManager PuhaNhed Each Nednesdav Morning at Exeter, Ontario Second Class Nag Registration Number 0386. Phone 235-1331 SUBSCRIPTION RATES: Canada $20.00 Per year: U.S.A. $55.00 C.W. O.C.N.A. CLASS `A' and `ABC' Nip it in the bud was circumvented. The separate school board obviously took inap- propriate action in- moving into a closed session to discuss the school closing matter. It indicates that the board members lack the fortitude required to discuss controversial issues in public; and unfortunately they are not alone in that regard. On most occasions they do not escape the con- troversy. They merely delay it and ir the process they add to their woes by creating a mood of distrust and apprehension among the people whom they have been elected to serve. They create the suspicion that they have a few tricks up their sleeves and obviously that is a disastrous manner in which to approach anything as important to people as the closing of their school. Now is the appropriate time for ratepayers to nip the practice in the bud and they should let it be known to their elected officials that they expect business to be conducted in the open during the next three years. Should apply to all \ Exeter council's decision t� withhold the payment of the education portion of tax arrears has some merit. but the manner in which it is being done smacks of discrimination. The board of education is a favorite target for most municipal council members; viewed too often as some enemy rather than a- group of elected officials representing the same group of ratepayers they do. Any action taken against the board of education is basically a case of taking money from the one pocket of those ratepayers to 'put it in another. Certainly. Exeter ratepayers should expect coun- cil to protect their own interests over those of the board of education. and as there are indications that tax ar- rears will increase due to the current economic con- ditions. the move to protect the town's budget is practical. However. if they are sincere in defending the prin- ciple of the action taken. council should have extend- ed the policy to include the levy for the Huron -Perth Separate School board and Huron county. While the lat- ter -two levies have already been paid fot tlie current year, an indication that they would be incilded in the practice in future levies would have made the policy equitable to all. This becomes even more pronounced in view of council's decision to seek support from other municipalities in Huron and throughout Ontario in their decision to circulate a petition in that regard. Given the fact that all municipalities in Huron have representatives on county councils. the true test of the policy is probably whether those municipalities are prepared to take the same action against county levies in the matter of tax arrears. If they are not, then perhaps there is no justifica- • tion in taking such action against the school boards. It is. after all, the principle that must be defended and not the amount of the principal involved. And just what is THEIR price? One .of the difficulties periodically.en- countered by journalists and public. of- ficials is in recognizihg when someone is attempting .to • "buy them off-. .Soine•of those attempts are so flagrant. that -there is little difficulty in detecting them • • There isn't much doubt what is in.thet •Mind of the fellow who stands in front of your desk with his open wallet in his hand asking what he could do to keep his narrie out of the court news Noris there any hid- den message in the distillery •represer.- tativehanding over a press release about a new brand of liquor that he just happens to have a bottle of and leaves On your desk.' • The elected official who unexpectedl gets an invitation out for dinner from so- meone who has a matter that will appear on an UpcoMing -Council agenda doesn-t have much trouble. in detecting the -reason for the invitation: Perhaps unfortunateh for jotunalists or elected officials in smaller communities. the attempts are- very infrequent. and usually so paltry that they are not even v, orth considering. There's an Old adage that every man has his price. but the writer has always considered as an insult the price by which some people•think he . could be bought. No tine has yet come cibse to my price. but there's always hope •. • Is * • • Iry Case the meaning of 'the foregoing. has escaped those for whom the message • was intended. 111 get more dir&tly to the point.by informing the members of Ex- eter•council that the giant birthday party they staged in my honor last week did not match the price of whatever they •had in .Mind ' Certain) the wine and food Was delicious . and while even a little off-key, their renditiOn Of "happy birthday" was touching . • . • •. I could be accused of jumping to the wrong conctusion and there may be some validity in assuming that the event was in recognition of there fair and ac- curate cot erage they have received over theyears. But being of a suspicious nature and ever -zealous Of the need to guard ones credibility and remain untouched by patronage. there i an overwhelming urge BATT'N AROUND with the editor to seek a more sinister cause for their. .display of hospitality and generosity on. the occasion of the edi tor. s birthday. • After all. there have been several that have preceded it. and this yzar i•was no particular milestone - No. I must assume that there vias some underlying thought of. reciprocation in. theirdeed • The ratepayers should rest assured that. even the honor of being the first to have a birthday partystaged at the expense of the public coffers will not erode the diligence heretofore -displayed. . • • - The big .qtiestionof course. is this.: • if council members think my price is a good meal. a.couple of drinks and a song:. .what is .their price' • • • . • . . There has often been a suspicion that those of us who mark birthdays during the Christmas season are often short-changed When if comes to presents. There is a tendency on the part of the giver to not -dig quite as deep. particularly if that same giver is expected- to come up with a Christmas present around the same time. The problem reaches even greater pro- portions during times of economic reces- sion and . we December and January children are often left to covet the more generous bounty that seems to befall those whose birthdays occur at a time during the yeas when -the crunch of gift giving is less onerous. However, the writer must admit to reaping a bounty this year. and surpris- • ingly enough it is due to it being the festive season. Among the gifts this year were several bountiful samples of some Christmas baking. In fact they were so generous in portion that there was an urge tofeel apang of guilt in knowing that the husbands of the cooks were going to have to do with so misCh. less. But the guilt quickly waned in considering the fact my figure can withstand the goodies so mud better than theirs anyway. • • , • • But the real benefit in birthdays this year - is. not from my own. but . rather number one son'S. He became an adult .this week, although he's been travelling . around in an adult's' bodyfor severalyears it seems.-• At any ate. the law says.lom no longer responsible for his actions. The respon- sibility is his alone. Hopefully. it won't cause him as much worry happily un- justified .asit has me for the past 18. years. When you stop and -consider the aspect of reaching adulthood. it is quite a wesckne. One day yoti.re a child and the next you're an adult. So little time to con- sider the ramifications; the responsibilities' • He assures me he can handle it 1 have n� reason to doubt it. because to do that would.be to doubt yourself• . Perhaps 1 echo the sentiments of most parents who see their offspring get off on their own course in these difficult times. I'm glad it's not me' Hopefully he and his. contemporaries will turn things around so they won't,have the same feeling when they watch the next generation embark on their course. 4 "Mahe if we fertilized it.- - Wake up, Canadians • That was quite a pang of alarm that lurched through the country recently when Finance Minister Lalonde had the temerity to suggest that one of our great Canadian institutions. the baby bonus. was not un- touchable, that he might siphon it off from those who don't need it Finance ministers in the Liberal government like to rattle our chair once in a while. Maybe it's just for the pleasure of hearing the great. grumbling roar that ensues. Much like a small boy teasing a big bear securely attached to a stout post. or in a cage. He can always jump back. pretending he was brave. but actually scared out of his wits at his own temerity. Lalonde might just as well have sounded an air- raid siren :i then. when the whole nation. Liberals and all. turned on him. pretended he was only kid- ding. Just a substitute warden who had pressed the wrong button. - MacEachin did it ayear ago. in little grunts and. squeaks that hinted in- come . tax might ''nOt. possibly. at some time in the future. if the event arose. after due con- sideration. •and with malice toward none. be in- dexed to inflation. That would have given the government millions and millions of funny money to play its own brand of monopoly. He was howled at. his ancestry invoked. his per- sonal lifescarified, and his political neck put on the. block before cooler heads intervened and said he should merely be boiled in oil ( cod liver. as.befits his origins. "Me for the Bahamas.- where there is no income tax was the cry. But trial balloons have a habit of becoming lead Sugar and Spice Dispensed By Smiley balloons. securely fasten-. ed around -your neck and mine. so. keep an eye on those serpents. I . don't.. know how you can do both. but I always liked mixed • metaphors..Many a ser pent has sent up a trial balloon.. How about the cobra. which puffs up his. neck: and *then hits you • when youreadmiring his lack of jowls? Anyway. a howl of rage went up from everyone. • including his Liberal - members. when Lalonde dared to hint that the Baby. Bonus was not Sacrosanct: He withdrew his heavy hand 'like a • scorched infant. Doesn't he know that the entire Liberal party owes its life to the Baby Bonus?' Old Mac Xing: the • most unpopular leader this long-suffering country every suffered. saved his neck. and his party. by in- troducing it. Never -mind that Ann Murray. Pierre Trudeau. E.P. Taylor • and Conrad. • Black. among-•. other millionaires,. have col- lected it The Bahv 'Bonus one of the great bulwards of Canadian life. and any politician who trifles with it is risking his own political life. Ever since its' inception (conception? the Baby Bonus has been rnore im- portant in this country than a national flag. a na- tional anthem. or a new constitution. And you don't have to be bilingual to get it. . "Por years. the average Canadian family has used it for something sensible, like a case of beeror a car- .. tonof fags. Some .weirdos. who didn't need the cash. ac- tually invested it fortheir children's education. At five percent. might as Well have bought . some beer or donated it to the Sally -Ann. Inflation swept it away. I'd hate for my children to be trying to go to uniVeristy on the pro- ceeds of theieBaby. Bonus • They might finish first term. first year. point is. that the Baby Bonus. or Whatever they • tall it now. has always been right up there With The Long Weekend. The Five -Day Week. Only .on SaturdayNights. and The First of July. in the hearts of true-blue Canadians, NOW. how • long are we going to put up with this chipping away at our na- tional institutions? At one 9 • end they're after the Baby Bonus. At the other. they've already cut off The First of July and. by some benighted process, turned it into Canada Day. Now there's a name to send a shiver of pride down the bowed spine of every redbloOded Cana- dian. Canada Day. *Just roll it around on your tongues few times.No puking allowed. Canada Day? 'try it again. Canada Day! Maybe it doesn't quite come up to Guy Fawkes'. Day br• Bastille Day or Washington's Bir- thday. But it does have a ring to it. It rings like tap- ping a doughnut. You'll have noticed that France celebrates France Day. . Germany. Ger- many Day. England; England Day, and Hayfork Centre. Hayfork Centre Day. It's only logical that our parlia- ment. eighty percent ab- sent. ten percent drunk. should pass a bill to name our only national holiday, and be supported 13So a supine Senate. with such a striking title. -1 must admit. the new name gives me a real gut feeling for my. homeland. Same kind of gut feeling that an over -dose of milk , of magnesia gives me. • By gad.Sirs, I've fought the new flag. the metric system. the national an- them. and the insOlenceof -the .women's lib move- ment. Am 1 to fight on alone? Will nobody rally to' the old standards? Next thing you know they'll be after the Old Age Pension, our last bas- tion of universal poverty Wake up. before it's too late Avanti Canadienses! What's holding you back? A lot of people have very strong opinions 'about seatbelts. I've heard a few say that they're willing to pay the fine if they get caughts but there is no way that they are going to get into the. things. They're. uncomfortable. they leave a .sWeat mark on your good clothes in the summer and they hate the thought of being trapped in a burning car or in twenty feet of water after a crash. It's interesting' that these same people will buckle up without hesita- tion when they get into a big 747 to head for England The little light comes on. -*Fasten Seat ter safet record than you Belts -and everybody . and your car ever autonialically starts look- dream of having. Honest.. Perspectives By Syd Fletche\' ing for one: 'Nobody gives the stewardess an argu- ment when she conies around to .check it out What makes this even more interesting is that that 747 jet has a far bet - there are very few drunks driving around at :MOO feet, and up there you'ye got a good chance of flying over the snowstorm in- stead of through it. • A Couple Of months ago a young man 1 know Was driving towork early in the mOrning. On a curve just outside of town he met another car. head on. both cars travelling at about fifty miles an hour. Both cars were large American-style models. so the impact was approx. anately the same for both. Looking at the two cars you would wonder how anyone could possibly come out of them alive. Ile had his seat -belt on. The driver of the other car. a young woman, did not . Ile escaped with a cracked collar bone. and a broken finger. She died.