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9 0001 £€ vaguns! vrhaapT GATTI VaO ya Tans 12 -- PORT PERRY STAR -- Tuesday, January 23, 1990 Talk | used to often wonder why certain people's insurance rates were so high, but the experience of driving in Port Perry would have Mother Theresa forking out three "grand" every six months. Driving in Port Perry is always a challenge, even to the most experienced, careful driver. A dull evening could prove to be very exciting simply by buckling up, and joining the downtown simulated Indianapolis. For example try pulling out onto Queen Street from Perry Street, crossing Highway 7A from Simcoe, John Street to Queen or any attempt to leave the Port Perry Plaza. | think the gentleman in the Monte had the right idea last week, by unfolding his Toronto Sun across his steering wheel, while waiting for the seemingly endless stream of traffic to subside. Another dangerous spot is anywhere in the vicinity of R.H. Cornish Public School in the morning, after school, or lunch time. Every morning | edge my way out of my driveway trying to avoid countless obstacles. On my left, right, and centre are parents dropping their chil- dren off for school. Children are running carefree out from be- hind trees in my yard, across the driveway, and into the road. There are always children who stop to play at the end of my driveway, as well as many neighbours' driveways. This is when your safety, and your car's are not the only ones in danger. Still with all these children in the area, cars come s ing up the hill, and several come around the cor- ner at Ottawa "squawking" the tires, and skidding sideways along the road. Cars are stopping, and starting, others are at- tempting to go around these vehicles, and these little kids are trying to get to school safely. Of course there is a crossing guard, but no man can watch out for the safety of 800 children, and no man should have to. Everyday | face this impossible task, and if not for sharp re- flexes, my Grand Am would be the size of a sardine tin. There are cars on the boulevards, cars on the roads , cars on neighbours lawns. | was probably the only jpeisen who was unhappy to see the Bell Canada strike end last year. For several weeks | had my own personal traffic controller in the form of Bell Canada worker Charlie Ash. It was nice to be able to pull out of my driveway worry free. The most annoying aspect of this traffic jam around the school for me personally is that many seem to think my drive- way is a pick-up zone. I could not count the times | have been in my car on Queen Street with my signal clicking unable to enter my driveway, because someone has decided that in my driveway, or direct- ly across my driveway is the ideal place to park. By the time this "person" packs up the kids, and moves, | have a twenty car back-log, behind me, that should never have happened. (Turn to page 14) Local "famine' to help the hungry Forty thousand children die from hunger every day. However, some Port Perry residents are do- ing something to help reduce that grim statistic. Famine fighters from Scugog United Church will participate in World Vision's 30 HOUR FAMINE) from 1 p.m. Friday Feb. 16 to 7 p.m. Saturday Feb. 17) to raise money for the world's hungry. By going without food for 30 hours, participants will identify with the millions who go to bed hungry every night. They will be sponsored for fasting by family, friends and neighbours. Medical reports indicate that fasting for 30 hours, while drinking juices and water, is not harmful for healthy teenagers and adults. "What participants lose in weight during the 30 hours, they gain in knowledge," said Glen Langford, World Vision's representative for Port Perry «The fast can't compare with the perpetual hunger many Third World people face but it is one way to identify with them while providing practical help." World Vision hopes to raise $1 million this year through the na- tional event. Last year, more than 17,000 Canadians raised $750,000. This year, more than 20,000 registrations have already flood- ed into World Vision. The agency which works in more than 80 countries, will use the donations raised to provide immediate food aid and to establish community development projects. In Ethiopia, for instance, where drought and war has destroyed much of the country's crops, $200 can provide four families with emergency food, medical care and seeds until next season's harvest. The student who raises the most money from Ontario will be eligi- ble for a travel scholarship to In- dia to visit World Vision develop- ment projects in August. Letters so: Some thoughts on the taxes you pay To the Editor: The following letter was sent to one of our regular letter writers, Roy Walker Smith, of Port Perry. He says this letter arrived in his mail box a couple of weeks ago, anonymously. He has asked that it be pub- lished in the Star. For some time, the Conser- vative Government has been trying to sell us a goods and ser- vices tax of nine per cent (dropped recently to seven per cent) However, there seems to be an unwillingness by finance minister Michael Wilson to let people know what will be ex- empt from this tax, if anything. I would like to point out to Mr. Wilson that itwould be in- conceivable for him to levy this tax on foodstuffs that nourish the body, books, magazines and newspapers that nourish the mind, medicines or prescription drys that help make the public well. It seems ridiculous to put a tax on the cost of leaving this world by death. These are all items that are very important to the poor, and most others as well. know if there are other items Mr. Wilson plans not to tax. Like everything the gov- ernment does, it starts at the wrong end and then tries to add or subtract to make the legisla- tion more palatable. The fairest way to taxation is through income, and if the method now being used is not adjusted, the poor will continue to suffer, and with the GST they will be hit with a double wham- my. Here is the way to set up the income tax on individuals that will be fair to all. Everyone knows that with the current cost of living, those earning under $20,000 should notbetaxed. If everyone is given an ex- emption on the first $20,000 in earnings, there would be no need for the current complicat- ed system of so much for single persons, so much for married, and a few small reductions for children or for looking after a sick relative, etc. All these deductions could be covered by the initial deduc- tion offered. Both the federal and provincial tax calculations would start on all monies earned above this deduction, and would have an increased rate' on each increment of $10,000. Those investing cannot have an arrangement of claim- ing some of the profits in one year to off-set losses in a past year. Each year's tax is as- sessed on the earnings or profits of that year. It would allow winnings in any contest or sweepstake not be charged as income in the year received, but any interest accrued if invested would be- come earnings or if purchases made, they would attract sales tax. In the case of sales reps us- ing a company vehicle or their own, they would be re-imbursed for things like up-keep, storage and parking. Travel expenses, meals can be claimed for re- imbursment from the company, which in turn can claim as busi- ness expenses. But this should not apply to entertainment ex- penses. If a person receives a spe- cial cash bonus, it should be earnings in the year received, or if a stock option, assessed at market cost of stock at the time itis received. In this way, there should be nobody who escapes paying in- come tax in a year if they re- ceive over $20,000. These changes might elimi- nate a lot of un-necessary em- ployees in the tax department, which should greatly reduce government costs and in turn our taxes. Editor's Note: Under the terms of the proposed GST, such things as groceries, prescrip- tion drugs, medical and dental services are exempt. The future of the planet earth To the Editor: Mankind, in its historical, sur- vival of the fittest, greedy, selfish ways, has seldom taken the long view and only planned for the im- mediate future. It is only in the past few years that we have come to understand that we cannot go on exploiting the planet's resources indefinitely. Since the advent of science a lit- tle over a couple of centuries ago, we have learned to control the plethora of ills that served as the limiting factor to our population growth. Our heros were those scientists who developed medicine that stamped out disease and suffering. Now we are caught in a dichotomy. All those miracle cures have made the planet ill. It is projected that we are going to double in numbers again in the next decade - frightening. Many now realize that far too many of us exist already. A century ago for the most part we were an integral part of the planetary eco-system with natural checks that kept our population in balance with the rest of the system. Now we, the homo sapiens are analogous to the cancer that grows within many of us. We have become the mutant cells of nature that are poinsonously growing out of control. I do not have the egotistic view that through our exploding growth we are capable of destroy- ing the planet, but 1 do believe that unless we find ways im- mediately to limit our population growth and stop plundering the natural planetary systems the planet will simply heal itself by getting rid of its homo sapien cancer. We will be wiped out or at least cut back in vast numbers by some massive natural event. A letter written to the Port Perry star entitled "Society's acceptance" last week by Clayton Connel truly gives the image, of our, dichotomy here it is again, verbatim. "To the Editor: We killed the buffalo on the prairie and now they are gone. We killed the whales in the sea and now thay are gone. We killed the babies in the womb and we are still killing them. Why?" Why? Now obviously, we must use every method possible to limit human population growth, then there would be better chance for survival of the planets other species and us to. While I once shared the views of those of you who are "right to lifers" you must now sit down as I have, and re- think about where we humans fit in the larger picture. Who and what does 'right to life' apply to? There is need for a basic philosophic change. We must learn fo live in a new and har- monious way with nature. While abortion might appear like murder, truly no human can make that judgement call, outside the possibility of the potential parents. Ideally, we all know it is best that an unwanted child is not con- ceived, when it happens however, nothing should stand in the way of a mother deciding on abortion but her own conscience. For the sake of the survival of future genera- tions on this planet, unwanted children should not come to term. This is a hard pill, but only one of many that must be taken in our new battle for existance. William Lishman R.R. 1 Blackstock Do girls cry, or don't they Big girls don't cry! Or do they? These are the questions fully ex- plored in ninety minutes of first- rate theatre as written and per-. formed by Ottawa's funny, in- telligent....and touching, Heather Esdon, a 'big girl" herself. 'Thinly' disguised as Faith Monaghan, a "somewhat over- weight' actress preparing for an important audition, Esdon regales the audience with her in- nermost thoughts as she tries to put her best face forward. Many will empathize with the unlikely heroine as she peels off one fun- ny line after another relating to those too-tight jeans or swimsuits, the fatal allure of chocolate, and ultimately, the theme of self- acceptance and physically filling- in. Through witty chatter, hilarious visual comedy, and a generous dollop of poignant sen- sitivity, Heather brings "Faith" to all her viewers. A smash hit at the Edmonton 1988 Festival, Esdon remounted her script for Ottawa's Great Canadian Theatre Company in late spring of '89, and has been touring with the show through the winter of 1990 -- a fresh spring breeze indeed. Port Perry is fortunate in hav- ing Town Hall 1873 host this novel and enthusiastic performance on Saturday, February 3rd at 8 p.m., a sure cure for those February blahs -- and a must-see for all those viewers who are certain to relate to this intensely moving, multi-dimensional, one woman show. Tickets are now on sale at Irwin Smith Music. Buy one: you will be glad you found out the answer to "Do Big Girls Cry?"