The following text may have been generated by Optical Character Recognition, with varying degrees of accuracy. Reader beware!

Fiftyâ€"five years ago, this Saturday, I rought myself a Christmas gift, My (irst electric razor, $12.50. Now I‘m oing it again. Membership in ONE OICE "The Canadian Seniors etwork," $25. Both prompted by cies. Then, firstâ€"growth chin stubâ€" le run amok. This time Fed Liberals® pcoming budget gunfire against us fixed incomers. Best battled, I reckoned, }by ONE VOICE, head office Ottawa, me they can raise our voices to be _ Jean Woodsworth is past president, ’Andrew Aitkens research director, of ONE VOICE. Their current white paper oh the infamous Fed Tories‘ Old Age Security clawback is must reading this winter. For us oldsters, who vote. For the Chretien gang‘s big thinkers. For our own local Liberal hired gun. She needn‘t be reminded of our above averâ€" age presence in her riding. "Pensions are not welfare handouts. Seniors are not leeches on society." That‘s the Woodworth/Aitkens chalâ€" lenge. Lamentably, it‘s not new. In their "I and Without Ghosts" (University of California Press), David Arkush and Leo Lee tell of an aged Chinese woman who, circa 1932, spoke out, too. "If you live in America," she raged, "when you grow old, people think of you as a useâ€" less wart." Also in Ottawa, 1994, we fear. Woodsworth and Aitkens slam pubâ€" lic policy decisions, including those on pensions, being made on ""increasingly inaccurate information." Our Old Age Security system, dating from 1952, "was financed by an earâ€" marked tax." they remind Parliament NE VOICE: speaking for seniors wWhy Wait For BOXing Day 1993 MIGHTY DUCK AND FLORIDA PANTHERS HOODED _ ; sweatHIRTSs * Reg.59.99 C l 24 WlQSS AVC. _ ATHLETES trafalgar Village DBALLC 4 wortp 125 Cross Ave. whe k * bfllzgegggnmn:n * g‘;z\V\"Nuw 40" â€"| Seniorscope Hill‘s aceâ€"wielders, "to make it clear that all Canadians should have a direct and conscious financial responsibility in the provision of old age security." So, they hardâ€"line our case, "when people pay visible, earmarked taxes toward their pension, they believe they have a right to the eventual benefit, and they plan accordingly." Raise your hands, you government caucus insiders who disagree. Bonnie Brown, MP., is yours up? We hope not. We pensioners view our Old Age Security cheques, ONE VOICE stresses, "not (as) a charitable handout which they would be reluctant to accept. This is important because today‘s seniors paid these taxes throughout their workâ€" ing lives and, accordingly, have expectaâ€" tions of receiving their benefits much like insurance or an annuity." That‘s why the 1989 OAS clawback was "such a slap in the face for those taxpayers who had contributed in good faith for almost 40 years, and were repaying their benefits at the marginal rate." Seniors freeloaders? What about the $5.8â€"billion we currently pay in taxes, ONE VOICE‘s numbers! A backwoods minority down low on Ottawa‘s shopâ€" ping list? One in 10 Canadians now are 65 and over. By 2031, we‘ll be one in 3990 WOMEN‘S DRESS SHOES hi (SELECT STYLES) Reg. 69.99 MEN‘S & WOMEN‘S NEWPORT N NEWPORT _ NOW . 40" WOMEN‘S NIKE NOW CROSSTRAINER four, 7.5â€"million strong. All voting age. Wealthy? About 40% of us are poor enough to draw the guaranteed income supplement. Only 5% of us enjoy over $50,000 annual incomes. Stack those stats against your takeâ€"homes, you who work for us on the Hill. All of the above, of course, is the iceberg‘s tip. There‘s lots more for you at ONE VOICE. I wrote and found out â€" 1005â€"350 Sparks Street, Ottawa, Ont. K1R 788 â€" for my Christmas stocking. Bonnie Brown, will you be our Santa Claus for 19947 BOX SONE qllI‘]NESSS m tR WOMEN‘S PARKb;‘N(E)IZ‘fl ) gggfi t P 50 ge_gular WE s DELIVER Serving Ontario‘s Birders Since 1951 Suppliers of Gourmet Bird Seed, Feeders, A.V., CD. Recordings, Gifts for Naturalists of all ages. NOW OPEN | _ Eel!l\lalgg!:LEECE 2 490 PUMA FLEECE PANTS Reg. 39.99 Thurs. & Fri. until 9 p.m., Sur Birdlife Services Oakville Treat a Bird to Reg. 24.99 CHRISTMAS DINNER 2070 Speers Road #47â€"SEED (7333) LIGENSED Tâ€"SHIRTS Several Styles to Choose $11 THE OAKVILLE BEAVER Birdlife Services Oakville U NOW boâ€"fry im y n s t â€" B H 4t3 4iâ€")+xâ€"J WOMEN‘S NIKE AIR NIKE k NOW CROSSTRAINER 5990 Reg.99.99 ALL WINTER FOOTWEAR 1490 CURRENT BOX PRICES 2490 i 2( Yo OFF Bell Mobility SALE ENDS JAN 2/94 SHOP EARLY WHILE SUPPLIES LAST! Cellular Plu 845â€"0150 Centre At "~50" MEN‘S GREATLAND WATERPROOF BOOTS imnâ€"in inâ€" i y s i4 #Â¥ "CPECIAL BUY" Acsr J A y