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HIIXB OUTLOOK Halton Hills Outlook published each by Halt tfrrald TTiy il1 Canadian Company at Street Georgetown Ontario Second last Mull Re tittered 8772202 8772201 PUBLISHER Tbeir Outlook M Pom Lowes Don Brander ADVERTISING MANAGER Carl Sinke EDITOR Dave Rowney Sharon Marshall Manna Bo wen Terry Colter Elaine STAFF WRITERS Am PRODUCTION SUPERINTENDENT Dave Hastings PRODUCTION ASSISTANTS Annie Mary Lou Foreman Y Burt ASSISTANT I en CIRCULATION ManeShadboll Brian MacLeod Reason to feel edgy over taxation reform Finance Minister Wilson has every reason to feet edgy these days he puts the Anal ouches on the fax reform paper he will prawn to Pari amen ton June Most Tories feel edgy about the reforms one of many cornerstones In their highly successful 1984 elec Hon campaign And we re told that none is more edgy than Prime Minister Brian Mulroney Apart from everything else the Liberals and New Democrats see the reform proposals as the most pro mising political Issue of this merit It neither as divisive as say cruisemissile testing nor as eon f us tag and complex as free trade or constitutional accords Ottawa Report it Tax reform not only affects oil of us directly but It a subject that gets us down to basic dollars and cents Like the universality of ly allowances or the deIndexing of oldage pensions or even changes to drug patents we understand what at stoke And since we know the govern ment needs more money there will be searing examinations of every new proposal The question which seems to be Mr Wilson and Mr Mulroney most right now is whether we II be paying less taxes after reform than we did when the Tories were elected The silence on these Questions which have come from both the Liberals and New Democrats has been almost deafening But we can probably guess at the answer FAIRNESS EMPHASIZED So far government spokesmen have been emphasizing the greater degree of fairness in the system Mr Wilson has said that comprehensive tax reform Is one of the most pro mising opportunities we hove to strengthen our economy and the quality of our society He also said of course that under his proposed reform most of us will just now but well into the future as their Incomes grow and they get to keep more of each tax dollar J no some fairly pointed qua tlons about this including one from Lender Ed Will the minister at least guarantee that taxes will not be any higher after reform than when he was elected No answer The only assurance Is that a majority or taxpayers will pay less In personal income tax once the reforms arc Implemented There have been we well know some very stiff tax Increases since the Conservatives came to power dedicated to reducing the huge budgetary deficit Recently publish figures suggest that personal In come tax revenues this year billion into the federal treasury In the figure was billion In the same period revenue from federal sales and excise taxes rose to billion from 14 billion Even with those huge gains we managed to lower the annual deficit by only billion or so While lite reforms may redistribute the burden there obviously Is little chance that our total tax bill II will revert to levels It would under mine that other cornerstone a drastic reduction in the deficit I 0G And what no ve been talking about so far is the good news part of the package There have been airly strong hints of a greatly expanded when questioned on this particular aspect have said that in the event of such a new tax low income earners could qualify for tax credits These comments be made without good reason II would be so much easier to react with ror at the mere mention of a lax on food Such a sales tax which would in corporate provincial sales taxes was advanced by Mr Wilson as one of three options when he recently an dole for presenting his white paper Is baseball still Americas pastime The TV Just happened be on the other Sunday afternoon 01 hand I can recall why It was that I was sitting In front of the TV on a perfectly nice Sunday afternoon quite possibly I was trying to avoid cutting the grass In any case the TV was on And what should be on the TV but a thoroughly remarkable debate A couple of American sports an were trying lo resolve that burning issue of our times Is baseball still America national pastime Quite frankly as a Canadian I had never really considered that Americans might still view baseball as their national pastime I had assumed that the national pastime In Reagan America was Being Back aril Tail Weirs They tell me youve quit smoking provocative question in the Can a dlon mind To wit do we as dlans have such a thing as a pastime Presumably such noted sociologists as Don Cherry would argue That hockey Is our national pastime But this claim seems a bit shaky To begin with Its questionable whether hockey at least its played at the professional level can truly be called a pastime If the average Stanley Cup playoff game is a pastime then so was the landing at Normandy Besides a pastime should be a year round activity whereas there Is no hockey at ail or one or two weeks In August hockey is not played during Winnipeg spring All of which leaves us with me unanswered what is true national pastime Until fairly recently It could have been argued that the national pastime was resenting Pierre Trudeau This was a year round tivity and It could be enjoyed by almost anyone since the only re quirement was a secret belief that Pierre though you were an idiot But this pastime is no longer available to us and nothing has really stepped forward to replace it On there has been some attempt make a national pastime out of disliking the CBC but this just the same For starters It just very satisfying to dislike a corporate tor resentment to gain the status of a genuine it has to be ocusscd on a specific personality and you look pretty silly if you tried to form a local chapter of Right Thinking Canadians Against As such most Canadians set tic tor Ignoring the CBC which Is at best an avocation rather than a pastime A cynic might take a different tack and suggest that Canada tional pastime Is something like col letting unemployment Insurance But here again we run Into pro blems with the definition of pastime Thanks the efforts various governments at various levels there arc now a number of areas in Canada in which collecting has actually become a career Actually in looking back over this partial list an interesting pat tern begins to emerge every one these has been a passive pastime As such we might postulate that the national pastime If such exists has something to do with being a spec tutor Perhaps even a spectator to events sou th of the border At the moment for instance a fairly popular pastime Is reading about the allegations of a romantic liaison with a gorgeous model that wrecked Gary Harts presidential aspirations and trying to imagine this happening to Ed Broadbcnt Or perhaps leading about sex scandal that ruined Jim ministry and trying lo this happening to Ihe Moderator the United Church Personally I d prefer to believe that Canada national pastime must be something much deeper and more profound For Instance for small minority of Canadians a popular pastime Is writing books that try establish the nature of Identity On the other band a popular pastime for a vastly larger number of Canadians Is not reading these books Similarly It tough to make a case hat we make any sort of pastime of the events Potential backyard hazards From fuels to pools the of consumer demand careful handling especially when children are around Backyards are full of potential ha tarda at this time of year Bob Clendinlng Director of Fuel Safety for Ontario Ministry Consumer and Commercial tions which is gearing up for a major summer safety com The key word here is Many of the Incidents reported our branch safety tions throughout the province could be avoided We urge parents to use the resources available to them to karri how best to keep their children sofeth summer As a start Mr Rest families become familiar with rules for handling such com fuels and gasoline Brochures these topics arc available from the ministry Con Information Centre St Toronto Ontario M7A JG311I1 tall free 1 Ontario residents with an aw code may call the 416 1 collect As well careful use of fuels area legislated by the urge Daunts brush up on Rood water safety practices A number of pan provide information on general water rescue techniques along with full on diving injuries widespread concern Sources The Royal Saving Society of Canada Ontario ltd North York Ontario M3B IYb The Society recently produced a basic water rescue program called Rescue Smart A nine lesson handbook the program is designed to be taught parents or other adults and such topics as causes of drowning diving and rescue Tho new guidebook costs HO The Society also has a number of brochures mailable free and can borrowed at no cost Information I and posters may lie at most municipal pools The imd in Red Cross Society Si Toronto Ontario M4Y also operates water safety and courses through municipal pools anil community facilities throughout Ontario For information not unliable locally contact the On tario sionnl headquarters listed The John Ambulance Society St Toronto Ontario 1G5 Another excellent source of safely Informn lion Society operates branch of rices across the province Numbers arc available from the provincial headquarters In Toronto Although they are not specifically summer related programs and babysitting courses run by St John Ambulance also be of interest Some other year round safety con ccrns suggested sources of in formal loh follow Cribs portable car scats cradles pacifiers clothing flammablllty playpens strollers and toys contact Consumer and Corporate Affairs Canada Product Safety Branch Town Centre Court Scarborough Ontario 4X8 die or 10 John St S Hamilton Ontario L8N A local librarian may be able to help find sources of information on other child safety concerns