Times Advocate, 1993-11-24, Page 4Tim094 Mo'atu, November 24,1903
.Iim Beckett
illosidilIMINtor: Adrian Harte
r: Don Smith
Iyer: Deb Lord
saw
Bleia.VINIIMMased
o o0,O0s4att iltILT.
.111rilia/t1404611tis( NI iia or any Setter srawitiratterass
300 phis $30200 (total 80.00) t 4.20 O.S.T.
0018de Canada 899.00 (Inotedes 988.40 postage)
A Not -so different Party
he revelations last week that
the provincial government has been
digging deep into the pork barrel
shouldn't have come as much of a sur-
prise.
Premier Bob Rae's old campaign
manager is holed.up in a Tokyo:apart-
ment, billing Ontarians:$200,000 a year
for rent,:plus another $100,000 for ex-
penses;111Zln top of a salary probably
over $100,000. Sure, Tokyo's=acvex-
pensiveplace to live, -but Robin Sears
has renewed his:contract to stayan Ja-
pan for:the province, -even though -their
office has since closed..
And then there's Michael Decter, .a
top negotiator for the government's
plan to tell public servants: they're all
about five percent overpaid, and they
had to open up their union contracts to
take the money back. Decter billed the
.province $65,800 in moving costs to
come from Montreal to Toronto to be-
come deputy health minister in 1991.
What does that work out to per kilomet-
re?
Decter also spent $36,600 on "expens-
es"such as meals, hotels, and transpor-
,tation.
Surely itwasn'tall that long,.ago when
!Bob -Rae was.standing on.the opposi-
'tion side of he-legislature,.attacking
:the Liberals £or;dishing:outtnice ap-
pointments with largeex e5ic- .74 } ,
counts, while pointing out that the line
ups at Ontario's food banks were grow-
ing.
Rae has changed his tune nowadays.
He's on the other side of the House, and
:proclaims that these people have earned
:their money. Decter was able to slash
-billions off civil servant salaries, and
Sears was beneficial to trade. Those are
the very same arguments large corpora-
tions use to justify high -executive sala-
ries in front -of unions pressing for high-
er worker wages.
This isn't to say Rae is entirely wrong,
it's just that things always look a little
different when you're the one in power.
When you've made it to the top, there
are a lot of people you feel obligated to
repay.
CCF .leader Tommy Douglas made his
famous speech;about how silly it was for
societies of mice: to keep electing differ-
ent•breeds of cats to govern Them: If the
truth be known, a1L.governments are
cats. iven if they were mice before,
they soon-begin.to.set like cats, and jus-
tify-.their.actions in the same ways the
,old _cats xdid before.
Those who believed the NDP were go-
ing oto undo . all .those years -of patronage,
payoffs,,and wretched -excess were mis-
taken. One -might be led to:believethe
letters NDP_actually stand for a Not -so
1)ifferent •Partagliftertill.
A.DJI.
Letters to the editor
•
p
Adverse perceptions counteracted
"We would welcome the opportu-
nity to present facts to readers"
Dear Editor:
Over the past few months the Exeter Community
Fundraising team has been working to raise commu-
nity awareness of the need for the new Huron Chil-
dren's Aid Society Family Resource Centre current-
ly being built in Goderich. Many of your readers
will have read something about the work of the
Agency and the urgent need for community dona-
tions to support this project on restaurant placemats,
church bulletins, or in the brochure "Children Need
Space" which we have circulated through the li-
brary. Perhaps your readers have also noticed the
bimonthly paid advertising we have on the Memo-
rial Gifts Program in the paper.
However, very few of your readers have had an
opportunity to address any of the concerns that they
may have about this construction project through a
positive interview with either the Exeter fundraising
committee, the Board of Directors of the Society or
the Executive Director.
Every effort has been made to keep you informed
through regular preas releases on the status of this
project — how and why the decision to buitd.this
$1,66 million new building was reached and the ec-
onomic reason for this decision; the' reasons for
choosing Goderich as the location , etc. We would
welcome the opportunity to present these facts to
your readers to counteract adverse perceptions you
highlighted in the front page coverage of County
•Council report in November 10th issue.
We urge you in all fairness to accept our challenge
and give this "story" the consideration it rightly de-
serves.
Yours truly
Noel Veri, Heather Montgomery, Jim O'Toole,
Mike Veri, Chris Little
The:fixeter f uosimaity Fuodraisilig learn
Fter's Point Ao
Death is final only for those who din. For the
survivors, the reality of death begins when the
life of a loved one ends. And death is a pain
that requires relief. Sometimes comic relief is
hest.
ODitaaries have many useful functions. They
tell us who died and summarize the highlights
in the dead person's life. They show when and
and where the dead person was buried or cre-
mated, who the chief mourners are, and ether
important facts. I'm not knocking obituaries.
They're an institution. Asiwilslly in small corn-
munities, where thank Mss anonymity is
the exception rather tlaattii111t1e, obits are an
essential component of our information net-
work.
But they can be funny, usually without inten-
hon. l'm going to share some gems with you,
,,.and 1 hope no one takes offence. 1 know what
grief is, and L know that laughter can serve as a
[marvelous cure. Life goes on.
In the past, obituary writers did their utmost
By Peter Hesse
. to avoid the words "death" and "dying", per-
haps hoping that the euphemisms they substi-
r:tuteJ might ease the survivors' pain. A man
,didn't die. Instead his demise occurred, he ex-
1vpired or passed away. The last spark of life left
Hhirn; or he was suddenly removed from our
•
trmidst. At any rate, he was never buried but laid
to rest.
Dead men were praised for their sterling qual-
aitics;they had been widely known, often re-
,•vered and universally respected. Dead women
,.were called either kind and loving mothers, -
„faithful and devoted wives, or sisters always
avi11ing to lend a helping hand to those around.
them
While the chief mourners were sorrowing, the
,,e,antire community was shocked to hear. Here
0.,are agile of My favourite phrases. Skase treat
them with the respect they deserve. You may
laugh. but don't make fun of them. They de-
serve our disi:reet smiles, cautious chuckles,
perhaps out' pious cacchninations.
"He expired - the triumphant passage of the
"Men ere ' never%o `tikety
to settle a que§tion rightly
as when they discuss it 1
freely.”
... Thomas t+1N1iy
libeltetts iiiRbeti lted0111 "N dietegst4P24*aMlit.;
-Exeter, Onted9, NOM ISO -by J.W. Eedy Pubdeatlons Ltd.
Telephone 1-81.9-2354331
e S.T. M!105210835
e< a
Letters to the editor
Disagrees with council's decision
"We strongly believe that all
relevant information must be
considered before these types of
serious decisions are made."
Dear Editor:
Last Monday night, Exeter Town Council made a
decision about homemaking without talking to the
provider of over 80 percent of homemaking services
in Huron County. They decided to support the bid
by private health caregivers to fight the province tor
their business share, and cited the following rea-
sons.
Their first concern was that non-profit homemak-
ing agencies are not as efficient as for-profit home-
making agencies.
FACT: The Ministry of Health's recent Ontario
wide study of all long term care services found that
there were no significant case differences between
non-profit and for-profit homemaking agencies. In
addition, Town and Country Homemakers was
found to be one of the most efficient homemaking
agencies of all non-profit and for-profit homemak-
ing agencies in Ontario.
If efficiency is a major concern of council, then
efficiency should be better understood. For exam-
ple, total quality management, a favoured manage-
ment system designed to improve quality and effi-
ciency, promotes customer satisfaction, partnership,
continuous improvement and management by fact.
'Ibe issue between a for-profit and non-profit mo-
tive is not even seriously considered.
Their second concern was that own -profits are
even more inefficient because they use volunteers to
augment their services. FACT: Non -Profit home-
making agencies do not use volunteers for home-
iees. Both commerciaLand non—profit ;
agencies use only paidistaff for homemaking. Town;
and Country Homemakers does use volunteers on its'
board, on its advisory committees for planning ser-
vices, and for vital home support services sun:- as
meals on wheels. This helps.build services that are
responsive to the needs of the community. There are
several differences between the agencies, however.
One important difference is that Town and Country
Homemakers' fundraising subsidizes clients unable
to pay the full rate.
Their third concern was that the council does not
support non-profit services. FACT: The decision to
limit for-profit market share was supported by Sen-
iors alliance, a coalition of Ontario organizations
representing seniors, and by all major unions repre-
senting long term care staff. Non -Profit agencies are
preferred so that more dollars will go to services,
not profits.
Their fourth concern was that by waiting until
1995, a newly elected govenurient may drop this ap-
proach. FACT: The Liberal government started to
consider reducing for-profit market share in 1987, a
strategy that is widely supported. This support will
likely continue regardless of who is in power.
Town and Country Homemakers support service
systems that give the most cost-effective long-term
care, homemaking -and home support services to the
residents of Huron County. To achieve this, we •
strongly believe that all relevant information must
be considered before these types of serious deci-
sions dire made.
II Yours sincerely,
Noreen McCann
Chairman of the Bgard
Waw but inevitable departure
Christian - in the calm begotten of the certain
faith of a glorious unmoriality beyond the
grave. The event has cast a deep gloom over
the entire community, as all acknowledge the
esteem in which he was held by all...".
"A familiar figure around the village has
gone. The curtain has fallen on the last chapter
of a long, busy and useful life, as the Angel of
Death appeared last Thursday..." -
Under the heading "His Death Regretted":
"The sudden and sad removal from our midst
on the 17th ultimo of this upright citizen who
in the 77th year of his life has come as a loss
the likes of which is one of those that many
among us are found to be ever so deeply regret -
ling.''
"A.S. has finally passed to the great beyond
after having been ill ,oras it seemed to the sor-
rowing widow an awfully long time."
"Tine funeral was largely attended. Chief
mourners received many colourful floral trib-
utes: a pillow from the family, baskets of roses
from the office staff, wreaths from neighbours,
,and Gut flowers from some.".
"One could see the esteem in which her erg -
fined remains were carried all the nine miles to
the cemetery, where she was placed in the
ground to meet her maker."
"His widow was by his bedside when the last
spark of life ad fled, and when his slow but in-
evitabledepanure came. A better pian has nev-
er been mourned by so upany in that village in .
the prime.of life."
"Tributes from a host of relatives and friends
covered the casket. He was removed to the ce-
metery, and there he remained to the end "
Ah. the end. Death. for thousands of years,
sages and theologians have tried to define it.
Now scientists and legal experts get into the
act. What is death? What's it feel like? When
exactly ;docs it occur'? How long does it last?
What happens air? Questions .and more c. -
tions. Not all the answers.satrsfY, ys.
But those of us in small communities can be
sure of one thing. We won't really die. We'll
just pass triumphantly into the obituary oection
of our local newspaper,