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Times Advocate, 1996-07-24, Page 4Page 4 Times -Advocate, July 24, 1996 Publisher & Editor: Jim Beckett Business Manager: Don Smith Production Manager: Deb Lord Advertising Barb Consitt, Chad Eedy News• Heather Mir, Chris Skalkos, Ross Haugh, Brenda Burke Production; Alma Ballantyne, Mary McMurray, Barb Robertson Brenda Hern, Joyce Weber, Laurel Miner Transportation: Al Flynn, Al Hodgert front Office & Accounting; Elaine Pinder, Sue Rollings, Ruthanne Negrijn, Anita McDonald, Cassie Dalrymple The Exeter Times -Advocate is a member of a family of community newspapers providing news, advertising and information leadership 1'.t)I I ()RI \I. • • PublIcatlons Mall Registration Number 0386 SUBSCRIPTION RATES; One year rate for Ontario subscribers - $35.00 + COST Two year rate for Ontario subscribers - $63.00 + GST CANADIAN ADDRESSES OUTSIDE ONTARIO pinion One year subscription - $63.00 + O$T Two year subscription - $119.00 + GST OIHE@_BATES Outside Canada - $99.00 + OST 1ti Published Each NOM byay J.W.MoEedy thig at 424 Main St., Exeter, Ontario, 156 by .W. Eady PrrbMcatbns Ltd. Telephone 1-619.235-1331 • Fax: 519,235-0764 6.1.T. 161.0131043 Charities beware: donor fatigue sets in t the moment, there are sever- al major fund raising programs under way in this area including the commu- nity centre and library renovations funds. In addition, there are baseball teams and children's groups trying to raise money. Hospitals conduct fund raising campaigns. Schools conduct fund rais- ing campaigns. Groups which have received funding through our tax dollars in the past have seen their budgets slashed to the point where they can no longer do business - unless they conduct fund raising cam- paigns. Grant money has simply dried up, forcing social service agencies to look to the private sector for financial support. There are tag days for this group, 50- 50 draws for that group, barbecues, corn roasts, yard sales and more. Where will it end? The simple fact is, it won't. If anything, the demand on our charita- ble dollar promises to get much, much stronger as more programs suffer fund- ing cuts. As more and more groups struggle for charitable donations, some fund raising campaigns are getting very glossy and professional. Those one-hour television specials (the ones that start with a dis- claimer, "The views expressed in this program do not necessarily represent those of this station") don't come cheap, and they are effective at raising huge amounts of cash for groups in- cluding the Toronto SPCA and assorted Ielevangelists. Even when the cause is a good one, and in truth many are, reports of the percentage of money which goes to- ward the cost of fund raising leave some people saying, "That's it, no more." It's called donor fatigue. People get tired of increased demands for charita- ble donations. "If we can't raise so many thousand dollars within the week, this agency which helps troubled teens will have to close its doors." "If we can't get $1,000 right away,the ball team will miss the opportunity to travel to Montreal for the big tourna- ment." And there's the request for funds that enters the realms of blackmail. "If you don't call the number on your television screen and pledge those dollars by the end of the show, God will strike me dead." And yet the concept of donor fatigue implies that people lump all requests for money together, and once they start re- fusing, they'll say no to all of them. This isn't the case. There is an old line about fooling some of the people some of the time. There is another even more appropriate: "Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me." Donor fatigue will cause people to be more selective about who gets their charitable dollar. It will cause people to research the groups making requests and to plan ahead of time how much they will give and to whom. As they become jaded by glossy and sometimes fraudulent fund raising cam- paigns, people will be considerably less likely to write a cheque on impulse. Donor fatigue will result in greater awareness and a lot more caution. Just a guess, but the probability is high that groups requesting donations will find the high pressure, emotional ap- peals will stop working. What will work? People will be look- ing for honesty, for groups prepared to open up their books for all to see. They will want to see only a modest amount of money going toward the business of raising more money. And they will want to know how local people will be helped. Most people are generous and care about the welfare of their fellow crea- tures. But the present economic distress in some sectors is giving the general public a crash course in being careful where their charitable dollar goes. Saugeen City News i • • • WHAT'S ON YOUR MIND? • • • The Times Advocate continues to welcome letters to the editor as a forum for open discussion of local Issues, concerns, complaints and kudos. WE ASK THAT YOU KEEP YOUR LETTERS TO A_MAXIMUM OF 300 WORDS. The Times Advocate reserves the right to edit letters for brevity. Please send your letters to P.O. Box 850, Exeter, Ontario, NOM 1S6. Sign your letter with both name and address. Anonymous letters will not be published. A View From. Queen's Par TORONTO - Premier Mike Harris says he is against government interfering in people's lives, but he is turning Ontario into the snitch capital of the world. The Progressive Conservative premier has said repeatedly government bothers residents too much and has begun the process of disman- tling some bureaucracy. But at the same time he has set up first a wel- fare fraud phone hotline and asked people to call and provide information on those they sus- pect are receiving welfare to which they are not entitled. Callers are not required to leave their names. The province will investigate all calls and Community and Social Services Minister Da- vid Tsubouchi claims they will save $2:; mil- lion in welfare in the first year. The next snitch line was almost inevitable af- ter that for welfare fraud. The provincial audi- tor's annual report said the province is losing an amount which one source estimated at $3 bil- lion a year through tax dodges, mainly busi- By Eric Dowd nesses failing to report transactions and remit tax. Harris said the tax cheating is regrettable and he wants to stop it, but added that it 'seems to be human nature around the world.' The opposition parties seized this and ac- cused the premier of being less concerned about tax evasion by well-to-do business than welfare fraud by the comparative poor, al- though tax evasion costs taxpayers considera- bly more, and having a double standard, which the Tories indignantly denied. Finance Minister Ernie Eves insisted the To- ries view tax cheating as extremely serious and the province last month opened another hotline which it invited people to call and report those they suspect are tax cheats. Eves said the Tories are as concemed about tax cheats as they are about welfare abusers and taxpayers are tired of paying extra to make up for those who refuse to pay and want to crack down. Callers to the tax fraud hotline similarly are not required to identify themselves. Student j6.�thiedioit.. By Tonya Riehl - Student Employment Officer The babysitting course was a success! The Exeter area now has eleven newly qualified babysitters: Rachel Amerongen, Megan Bisback, Amanda Brooks, Christina Davies, Ashley Dickey, Jennifer Hern, Lindsay Janke, Ben Kirk, Elisha Martene, Iris Paige, and Kim Riley. The sttltiehts especially enjoyed the practical section where they had to care for my three month old nephew, Andrew Hodgen. The office will close next Thursday. Employers wanting to post jobs after August 1st, should call 1-800-265-5185. Students should note that jobs will still be posted on the Job Bank at the Exeter Office even after I am gone. Students are also still welcome to use the public access computers. Don't give up! As we all know, a job interview does not always equal a job. Feelings of discouragement are natural when you are not offered a job. It is important not to give up. Finding a job takes time. To quote a fellow Student Employment Officer, Jenny Wareham, "even looking for a stud Don't give up! part-time work can be a full-time job." Be persistent! A person who knows how to conduct a job search will eventually be successful. There are many reasons why you may not have been selected for the job. The most obvious reason is that there may have been someone with more experience than you. This is not your fault so you have no reason to doubt yourself, you may have the exact experience the next employer is looking for. Another possible reason is that there is a problem with e n t . your resume, covering letter, or interview skills. Use this as an opportunity to review your job finding tools to see if there are areas where you can improve your presentation. Remember that their is no such thing as a perfect resume and that you can always find a way to enhance it and that becoming good at interviews takes practice. It is recommended to call the interviewer and ask their advice on how you can improve your chances in the future. Who knows, they may even know of more job opportunities either in their company or in another. It can not be stressed enough not to give up. There are always employers out there looking for good employees. Often it means being in the right place at the right time. Your chances of this happening increase if you are out everyday looking for the next job opportunity. Get used to rejection, it is all part of the process. Keep a positive outlook and let those around you know of your job hunt, for they are excellent sources of encouragement and support. You could also explore other options, such as volunteering or job shadowing as a means of connecting with the workplace. These jobs may not pay now, but the experience could be invaluable in your future. Yet another alternative is to upgrade your skills to make yourself more marketable. For example, a first aid course or computer training. Finally, consider hiring yourself. The government offers loans to students with an entrepreneurial spirit. This gives wonderful experience and looks amazing on a resume. Next week, I will focus more in-depth on upgrading, starting your own business, and other ways you can make yourself stand out. Until then! Ontario, snitch capital of the world Yet another hotline which motorists are asked to phone when they spot other drivers breaking laws, in which the Ontario Provincial Police participate, also has been expanded. Police want the public to let them know par- ticularly when they see motorists speeding, changing lanes improperly, following too close- ly, disobeying traffic signs and failing to fasten seat belts. They will try to intercept reported drivers and charge them if they see them break the law. They may charge also where the offence is seri- ous and the complainant willing to testify in court, but mostly will send warning letters hop- ing these will improve driving and will disre- gard anonymous calls on the ground that any- one who makes a serious accusation should stand behind it. Harris oddly stopped photo radar introduced by the previous New Democrat government be- cause he felt it smacked of Big Brother watch- ing. The snitch lines have merits. The small mi- nority of welfare recipients who fail to report money they earn, or live with men who support them, often are difficult to detect by officials, but known to friends and neighbors. Tax evaders often are known to others and police cannot see everything on every highway. People would report a theft if they saw one, it can be argued, so why not welfare and tax fraud? But there also are dangers, for example peo- ple calling with good intent but on scanty suspi- cions that prove groundless and subjecting the person they name to a worrying investigation and casting a shadow. Some will call in with no grounds simply to create trouble and settle a score, as they can more readily when they do not have to identify themselves. Even when calls are well-founded they create a climate in which people inform the state about acquaintances and neighbors and worry someone will inform on them -- this is getting remarkably close to Big Brother, which Hams says he is anxious to avoid.