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The Goderich Signal-Star, 1982-09-15, Page 4• P PAGE 4--GODERCI1 SIGNAL STAR, WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBEIE 15, 1982 • DAVE SYKES •:J The one redeeming factor about bureaucracy or a bulging civil service is that it at least serves to keep Canadians up to date on important information bits. Things people really care about. Things quest for information concerning the loyal that affect our daily lives. subjects. • -.One ,of the most ..amazing -and -thor iugh Another great ,source ,of Information on �;�•��o;mios;e.,izadied=��,,�verzsera-ZsaeftasteiSteii;;eatsr«egekRt eerz:terasesa1l9::Iu• s , ��L Ileatetlsees Canada, a virtual numbers bank that bas daily press is intent on publishing. the latest more figures than a Miss Universe beauty poll results on a variety oftopics. pageant. If ever there was anything you wanted to know, Stats Canada could serve up the appropriate numbers and data. When you're talking vital statistics, StatsCan has more information than a neighbourhood 'gossip. Officials at Statistics Canada could probably, with a quick glance at the ap- propriate file, disclose the average number of bathrooms in a typical Canadian home, the chances of your son making a career he the National Hockey League, the Odds on winning a lottery or having personal income taxes decrease, or even the percentage of Canadians who wear pyjamas to bed. The government is demanding in their The economy is in rough shape but the poll business, along with the statistics business, appears to be booming. Never before have statistics played such a vital role in our lives. The pollsters are basically famous for determining the popularity of a political party. Politicians denounce the polls and claim they are not an accurate barometer hi measuring the political climate of the country. But the polls keep churning out the percentages as a guage of the electorate's preference. , Now there are also polls by the score dealing with the economy, budgets and the average Canadian's perception' of the economic mess. Polls simply tend to rein- force einforce the obvious. A recent Gallup poll .suggested that more Canadians are now �'vd"tII'>;'t..el titat � tray -ruuQ t? Yaba they y would not find another. The poll also showed that 80 per cent of Canadians would take a 10 per pay cut to preserve their jobs. Startling revelations. But, one of the most interesting aspect of polls is that invariably, 1,048 Canadians were surveyed. Never 1,000 or 1,100 but alwyas an obscure number. When things get rough the average Canadian is also bombarded with statistics, supposedly relevant to our everday life. Layoff stats, unemployment stats, interest rate stats, balance of payment stats, currency stats, stock market stats...stats, stats, stats. I'm growing wed of polies and statistics that simply reinforce my own fears that things aren't good. But, I suppose, the statistics and polls must provide the damning evidence. The numbers I enjoy the Most are the _. -,p rorty fine stats ;released by the federal ---govexrruraerirs-nat;iowal-:: re cd -welfare: -, Last week the council said that a family of four is poor If it survives in a big city on less than $18,243 a year. If that same family earns $18,500 they aren't . poor in the government's eyes. If that same family earning $18, 243 lived in a medium sized city or a rural area, they wouldn't be poor at all. The council claims that 3.4 million Canadians are living in poverty but to be honest I don't think we need a council to tell people that or substantiate the fact they are poor. I have a feeling people can determine that on their own. But then a few more statistics never hurts. BLUE RIBBON AWARD geondclass ,'mail registration number -Q716 SINCE 1848 THE NEWS PORT FOR GODERICH & DISTRICT Founded in 11149 and published every Wednesday et Oederlth. Ontario. Member of the CCNA end'OWNA. Skiver- , , rising rates on request. Subscriptions payable In *drone* *14.1011 In Canada. IL* to Y.S.A., '34.00 to all other coun- tries, single copies W. Displaydvertlsing rates avell.Ne on request. please ash for Rate Card No. 11 effective Oc. tuber 1, 1001. Sitcom' lass mall Rglstr.tlen Nu.nberb1/6. Advert'sing Is accepted on the condition that In the event of typogriphical error. the dv rtbing space occupied by the erroneous Item, together with reasonable allowance for signature, will nos be damped for but that balance of the'dvertlsement will be geld for Wt the ep- • pllcable rate. le the event of a fypoPaphk.l error advertisinggoods or services et a wrong price, goods or services may not be sold. Advertising 1. merely en, offer to sell. and may be withdrawn at any time. The Signal -Star Is not , responsible for the loss or damage of uninitiated manuscripts, photos. or other materialsuses"for reproducing pur- poses. • / PUBLISHED BY: SIGNAL -STAR PUBLISHING LIMITED ' ROBERT G. SHRIER-Presidentand Publisher DONALD M. HUBICK-Advertising Manager DAVID SYKES-Editor. IV „ P.O. SOX 220. HUCKINS ST. INDUSTRIAL PARK GODERICH N7A 4S6 4 '• $t Y S '• es„,� � +�a.o,ai r FOR BUSINESS OR EDITORIAL IN ES piesis phone (519) 524.8331 If theirovince is to pursue the establishment of a liquid • and ah waste treatment, and disposal plant then the '9ikeIy :targec'-forte sites in the -sant:mestere ,Ontario - reggion. " The ® o; Waste Management Corporation revealed hay, chairman Donald Chant,,' that hat idispreat alrefa'fnan -area south of Kincardine to London were most.suitable. for the waste disposal site. That news is a result of recent hydrogeological studies that classes land,a'ccordmg `to suitability. The study was the.•first phase in the gov'ernment's attempt to find a Suitable location in the province for a liquid Waste disposal site. • • Now the Waste Management Corporation will proceed - with the second phase of the study which will involve an hi depth look at the preferred sites, including Ashfield Township in Huron County, and examine the feasibility of constructing small- regional plants as. opposed to one Major factory, Chant told a news conference the cor- poration could consider building separate treatment and disposal plants across the province. Thestudy released by OWMC indicates that the Ashfield Township area, as well as others' in the province, is a _ *rime site because of the heavy_elay soil. The province: produces 1.5 million tonnes of liquid industrial waste each year which,cannot be adequately handledthrough normal waste dis "'sal systems. f:::• i�, "lndustrytreats 45 per cent of the wastes municipalities handle another 40 per cent and 10 per cent is recycled. The remaining five per cent is unaccounted for and could be posing threats to health and the production of food. Chant now has the unenviable task of taking his first phase study to the public in the areas of preferred sites. He will undoubtedly get a rough reception wherever he takes his liquid waste disposal site show. The province must find a solution to the problem of disposal but naturally nobody wants the site in their backyard. But, at least, the OWMC will give, financial support to any groups opposing the recommendations of Chant to a hearings board. There is much concern in this area and the province is goingto have a long tough fight before the waste disposal site problem is solved. Fines get stiffer In the past,this newspaper hi co-operation with police, has cautioned readers on the dangers of disobeying the flashing tights on school buses. - It's a problem that has probably existed as long as the flashing lights have been a functioning part of the bright yellow buses. It has been a problem in this area in the past, one that police would like to correct. School children riding the buses are adequately schooled on the proper method§ of boarding and leaving the vehicles. Much of the education. concerning school bus safety has to be directed at impatient motorists who feel their time is more important than safety. Many school children have been seriously injured or killed across the province over the years and now the Ministry of Transportation and Communication has in- troduced stiffer penalties for guilty drivers. Drivers who fail to stop for stptionary school buses with red flashing lights will face stiffer fines if convicted. The Ministry says that first offenders will now face fines of between $100 and $500, instead of $20 to $100. Second and subsequent offenders will now be liable for fines from $25 to $1,000, six months in jail, or both: Previously, drivers who failed to stop for school buses would lose four demerit points but that has been increased to six demerit points for each conviction. While the ministry has imposed stiffer penal measures on offending drivers, new measures also insist that drivers must stop 20 metres or four car lenghts behind any stationary school bus with red lights flashing. It's about time the Ministry recognized the problem and produced fines that would act as a deterrent to habitual of- fenders: The prospect of a healthy fine and or a jail term should make drivers think twice about ignoring the red flashing lights. But, the fact that lives are at stake should be sufficient cause for drivers to take the time and stop. General disagreement The proving ai premiers generally agreed to disagree with the federal government's restraint program recently when they met in Halifax. General concensus was that the country couldn't operate effectively under a blanket restraint program. Each province, the premiers contended, should be left to deal with its ownproblems in its own way. One of the 'only supporters of a federal restraint program was Ontario Premier William Davis and it would not be idle speculation to suggest that the premier may introduce some form of restraint package. It could even be taite ed top the federal g. svernments six arfd five economic salvation plan. A recent Gallup poll indicated that the majority of Cana- dians polled were iWligreement with the federal govern- ment's restraint package. The Liberals are fast losing points On the poll scale but there was consolation in the fact that the public views the restraint program as a necessary' step to recovery. And Davis is obviously thinking along the same lines. Perhaps it is just a smart political move but the Davis cabinet is rumored to be toying with a proposal that would limit raises to the provinces 55,000 unionized civil servants t nine and five per cent over the, next two years. • The rumors indicatea cabinet produced several proposals for wage restraint but that Davis has a marked preference for a nine and five scheme. All proposals were presented at a Conservative caucus meeting Tuesday. While no final decisions have been made a Toronto newspaper said the government will pursue the nine and five restraint package, prohibit public sector strikes, impose the nine and five curbs on prices,- and, limit payments to hospitals, municipalities, school boards and universities to five per cent. It appears that Davis is playing the problem in the middle. The federal government's restraint policy has gained in popularity and so Davis follows suit, but, his own package is temAered in the percentage column to perhaps also win the support of the civil service at the same time. If Davis follows through with such a program he will undoubtedly play on the fine example set by the provincial government and urge the private sector to initiate a similar restraint program. Most workers in the private sector would likely welcome a nine and five wage set- - clement package, having settled for less already to salvage jobs. Davis May be on the right track if the caucus buys his proposal, but he' seems to be playing it safe at the same time. Copy eat • By Dave Sykes DEAR READER SHIRLEY KELLER I had a chat a few days ago with a member of the present Huron County Board of Education who is determined to resign at the end of this term. "You were right you know," my friend told me. "The fighters are all gone from the board. And I'm tired too." The reference was, of course, to a column I did several weeks ego in which I pointed oat that apathy on and off the board of education is what has put things in such a rotten mess. The "mess" at that time was the decision of the board - under rather clandestine cir- cumstances - to vote themselves at 30 percent increase in salary. Real cheeky to say the least, in the midst of one of the worst economic slumps the world has known for many decades. But then, who really cares? Obviously, board members - even those one, two or three who are said to have opposed the proposal are able to live with the results of the decision. And taxpayers - you and me, brother - have taken the attitude that it is more productive to simply pay the climbing education bills in this county withoutquestion than to try to cut our way through hecrap that prevents us from seeing any positive response to our wishes. I know that board of education representatives argue they never hear from their constituents. That's probably true. Speaking from personal experience with school board representatives, I know it's at the best of times, nothing more than an exercise in making yourself feel some better for having been heard The stock answer is, "Well, the board feels the -decision was justified. The committee in charge looked into it carefully and the decision was • based on hard fa _ " The board membermay even tell you, "I voted against it. I'm only one person after all." So to be truthful, I'm as apathetic as the next guy. Since the inception of the county board of education in 1989, I've been a little like a John The Baptist a voice crying In the wilderness of newspaper columns. Every so often, some reader will say he liked what I wrote and agreed with it fully. Or someone else will say I'm crazy. But nothing is ever accomplished by me or bymy ravings. The strength comes in numbers, in loud protests - or so it appears. Our system is now so far removed from the people - so ridiculously isolated from those who would have a valuable opinion - that the only'way to make any impact at all is through public demonstrations of one sort or another. Remember the dirty book protest? But only a very small percentage of Huron County residents are prepared to go to those lengths - and the issue needs to be an emotional one to whip up that kind of frenzy. So the Huron County Board of Education and its administrators trudge quietly forth, (con- vinced their decisions are favourably accepted by the taxpaying public simply because their constituents don't call them on the telephone or make any embarrassing waves. But board members delude themselves. The taxpayers, the teachers, the parents, the students - are not happy with all that's going down in education in this region. And . while it is true that the quality of edecation° in Huron County is world class - a'sk any student who has gone beyond Huron and Ontario to study in any other university in the world - it is also true that the Huron County grassroots opinion- is not sought out by board members. Board members do not know how the people feel - nor do they give the impression they care. I would urge taxpayers to take a new approach this fall as election titne looms. Why not give some serious consideratln to the selection of your board representative? If you aren't satisfied with the representation you've been getting, why not run for office yourself? Or with some of your friends, why not prevail on an interested person in your area who you feel would make an ex- cellent candidate? What we need is men and women at the board level who will not only speak their own minds - but will know your mind and speak that opinion too. We need persuasive people, dedicated people, determined people who will not be put off or give up when there is opposition. We need open people - people who will clear the way for some honest appraisal of board per- formance by the people who pay the bills. We need thinking people who are willing to learn about the educational system- and able to understand and appreciate the goals and am- bitions of teachers as well as students. We need decisive people - people who can examine all aspects of a problem, see the best solution for all concerned and spare no effort to put that sol tion in place. We need People who will align the ambitions of the administration with the needs of the people of Huron County who pay the bills. Will you serve? Do you know someone pile might? might? There's plenty of time to field a host of new and forthright candidates for this fall's elections. Down with apathy. Just this once. Referendum on global disarmamentneeded An open letter to council: How disappointed I was to hear that town council has voted againsthaving a referendum on _ global diar- mament included in the municipal elections this fall. Apparently they feel that "it is not a municipal concern".. Surely, it is! LETTERS Isn't this the level of government that is closest to the people? We should all realize what will happen to us if somehow these weapons are ever used. I don't believe that there can be any win- ners — we will simply cease to exist! Please — give us the chance to say that we want worldwide nuclear disarma- ment. At least fortv-one other ° communities, in- cluding Toronto and London, are doing so. Aren't we a progressive enough com- munity to do so as well? Sincerely, Susan Chan