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Times Advocate, 1994-12-14, Page 4Page 4 Times -Advocate, December 14, 1994 Publisher: Jim Beckett Business Manager: Don With Composition Manager: Deb Lord Advertising; Barb Consitt, Theresa Redmond News; Adrian Harte, Fred Groves, Heather Vincent, Ross Haugh Production; Alma Ballantyne, Mary McMurray, Barb Robertson Robert Nicol, Brenda Hem, Joyce Weber, Laurel Miner, Marg Flynn Transportation: Al Flynn, Al Hodgert front Office & Accoun(; Norma Jones, Elaine Pinder, 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 sti 0 0 into EUI ORIAI,S Names worth remembering ommunity Living South Hu- ron deserves credit for naming one of its group homes after one of its most deserving supporters. Alma Godbolt, one of the founding members of what is now Community Living, never sought any recognition for all the work she did for the organi- zation. She was on its residential com- mittee until the day she passed away, and there surely can be no more fitting name for a group home that was a part of her volunteer life for years. It is also good to see Community Liv- ing break a local trend to coming up with generic names for everything. Maybe it's just a kind of bashful humili- ty associated with this end of the county, but far too many buildings and organizations seem to be dubbed "South Huron something -or -other". In fact, there seems to be an almost conscious effort to conceal the word "Exeter" for those agencies setting up shop in town. To see something actually named after a person is a rarity indeed. The Helen Jermyn seniors apartments, named after Exeter's first female reeve, are one of the more notable exceptions. This town and this area are not built on generic government and agency pro- jects. They are built on the hard work and vision of people like Alma Godbolt, and we should be proud to remember them by putting their names on what they leave behind. Bill 119 preserves future lives Bob Rae and the provincial NDP are actually doing something con- structive for the future. They're not do- ing it in the interests of corporate busi- ness, unionized labour, or special interest groups, but the healthy and long-1asttt�ig' iture of children. • Bill 119 - an Act to prevent the provi- sion of tobacco to young persons and regulate its sale and use by oihers will keep children and teenagers from smoking and reduce second-hand smoke. Effective November 30, the sale and supply of tobacco to a person less than 19 years of age is now prohib- ited. ' Bill 1 19 bans the sale of tobacco through vending machines and pharma- cies and prohibits smoking in retail stores, common areas of shopping malls, video arcades, schools, colleges; universities and public transit shelters. Municipal bylaws still control smoking in arenas, community centres, and res- taurants and donut shops. Bill 119 is another step towards rec- ognizing the lethal and hazardous ef- fects of smoking on human lives. Sec- ond-hand smoke causes lung cancer and respiratory disorders in children, is the third leading cause of preventable death after direct smoking, and alcohol abuse, and is the number one source of indoor air pollution. Second-hand smoke is a more serious health hazard than asbes- tos. l Prohibiting the use and sale of tobacco to people under 19 years of age will en- sure they have a healthy and long-lasting future. And estimated 36,000 out every 100,000 smokers now age 15 '11 die from tobacco -related diseased befo they reach age 70. About 75 percent of young smokers become addicted users before the age of 17, and of all youth aged between 15 and 19, 16 percent smoke. While Bill 119 forms the basic regula- tions for tobacco sale and use, even stricter regulations remain at the discre- tion of municipalities and private busi- ness operators. If they, like government, care about the health and welfare of chil- dren,prohibiting or banning smoking in arenas, community centres, and restau- rants is only one more step away. From the Fergus -Elora News Express A View From Queen's Park, By Eric Dowd Publications Mail Registration Number 0386 SUBSCRIPTION RATES: CANADA Within 40 miles (85 km.) addressed to non letter carrier addresses $30.00 plus $2.10 O.S.T. Outside 40 miles (65 km.) or any letter carrier address 530.00 plus 530.00 (total 60.00) ♦ 4.20 G.S.T. Outside Canada $99.00• On $6.93 OST (Includes $88.40 postage) Published Each Wednesday Moming at 424 Main St., Exeter, Ontario, NOM 1S6 by 1.W. Eedy Publkatlons Ltd. Telephone 1-519235-1331 • Fax: 519.2350766 G.S.T. •*105210035 "our Views Letters to the editor • McLeod misinformed says Mathyssen McLeod has a responsibility to check out the facts before mak- ing irresponsible statements. Dear Editor: Liberal leader Lyn McLeod recently told the On- tario Federation of Agriculture that the NDP has passed a resolution at its convention calling for a $10.00 an hour minimum wage. Her information, she claimed, was based on media reports, "since none of us have access to the closed sessions." . Premier Bob Rae pointed out this statement was "totally, utterly and completely false." New Democrats have always debated their con- vention resolutions publicly. There was no resolu- tion of the kind Ms. McLeod claims was allegedly discussed at convention. Delegates to convention did, however, spend a great deal of time discussing issues of real concern to rural and agricultural Onta- rio - rural diversification, community economic de- velopFlent. support of the family farm, and alterna- tive fuels. As Leader of the Opposition. Ms McLeod has a responsibility to check out the facts before making irresponsible charges speaks volumes about what she and her party are offering Ontarians. She owes an apology to the Premier, to our party. and to the voters of this province. Sincerely, Irene Mathyssen MPP Middlesex Could the New Democratic government which is having problems finding friends under ' its own name win an election in disguise? This idea is gaining currency as the NDP is mired at only 16 percent in polis and has to call an election within months. The view has long been widely expressed even by some non -New Democrats that Pre- mier Bob Rae is more respected for his intelli- gence and articulation than his party and the opposition leaders and, if somehow he could only dissociate himself in the public mind from it, he might win. The notion that the New Democrats might do better hiding what party they belong to has beealken momentum by the success in mu- nicipal elections of New Democrats who avoid- ed mentioning their party affiliation. They include the new mayor of Toronto and they won although the NDP federally and pro- vincially has fallen in popularity to its lowest since it was formed and could win only eight percent of votes in the'most recent provincial byelection in Toronto. No wonder some New Democrats are mulling over how they might disguise themselves, pos- sibly by running as the Bob Rae Party. The NDP would not be the first party to try to hide its antecedents. If Progressive Conserva; rive leader Mike Harris was stopped on the street, he might not admit he is a Tory because of the bad name their party acquired under for- mer prime minister Brian Mulroney which still deters some from supporting the Ontario To- ries. Harris puts out position papers variously la- , belled 'Team Harris', 'the Mike Harris Team' and 'a Mike Harris Publication.' The banner across his podium reads 'Join Mike Harris' and his major document outlining his platform ti- tled the Common Sense Revolution, talks of a 'Harris government' and 'Hams plan', but fails to mention the Conservative Party in 22 pages. Frank Miller, the last of the Tory premiers who governed for 42 years, spelled out his poli- cies in 1985 in a pamphlet titled 'Enterprise Ontario' in whose 26 pages he did not even ac- knowledge a Tory party existed for fear it Can the NDP hide behind Bob Rae? would remind voters that it had been around too long, but it did not save him. Even the successful Tory premier, William Davis, put out full-page newspaper ads headed 'Ontario needs the leadership of Premier Bili Davis' with only a cursory reminder at the bot- tom to 'Vote for your PC candidate'. He want- ed to avoid the public thinking of his connec- tion to the lackluster federal Conservatives led by toe Clark. Provincial Liberal candidates when Pierre Trudeau was prime Minister and antagonizing people between his own elections preferred to be called anything but Liberal. The former pro- vincial leader and premier David Peterson com- plained the federal name was a 'millstone' around his neck. But there are obstacles to the NDP's winning re-election by running as the Rae Party, apart from the huge ground it would have to make up. Many support candidates with NDP back- grounds in municipal elections because they of- ten are people of quality who can be counted on to lose some partisanship once elected at a level where normally there are no parties. Rae also is linked inseparably to NDP gov- ernment policies. It has been well established that the premier's office sets all important poli- cy and allows little dissent and everything the NDP does bears his trademark. When the NDP gave more power in strikes to unions, cut pay in the public service and en- couraged casino gambling, this clearly was Rae speaking. Rae is infinitely more responsible for NDP policies than anyone and the opposition parties would not let the public forget it. New Democrats also traditionally have em- phasized policies and shied from promoting the cult of leader. Many would resent their party running as a one-man showiAnd the whole idea would attract attention to splits in it over Rae's policies and even increase tensions. The NDP can run, but it is doubtful that it can hide.