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Page 10 THE HERALD Wednesday February mi Editorial Buy Canadian If further proof was needed that the faltering Cana dian economy impacts on all our lives down to and in cluding the local level one need look no further than the situation facing Georgetowns Standard Products Ltd The company which makes auto parts announced Monday that over employees would be laidoff for a minimum of two weeks with some employees facing the possibility of extended unemployment in March A company spokesperson Personnel Manager Harren told The Herald The way things look it the layoff in March could be more than one week but I cant say for sure Other small manufacturing companies are also feel ing the pinch of the shrinking economy and all signs point to the fact that things could still get worse before things pick up again and the economy bounces back Canadians in general and Ontarians in particular are reacting to the economic woes in an odd manner They expect governments whether at the municipal provincial or federal level to come to the rescue with some miracle solution that will make things right again Be advised this just wont happen Granted our economy and economic policies are equally badly in need of an overhaul one that is long overdue but ordinary Canadians can help out by follow ing a single rule Buy Canadian That would seem to be stating the obvious yet more and more Canadians are flocking sooth of the border for bargains and this exodus of loonies is having an effect on our economy Statistics Canada reveals that 55 million Canadians crossed the United States border in December alone That figure represents a per cent increase for the same month in 1989 The same report states that million Canadians in December were on oneday trips Translated that can only mean shopping excursions Were cutting our own throats said Don Eastwood managing director of the Canadian Organization of Small Businesses This is no idle statement Figures issued by the Ministry of Industry Trade and Technology show that Ontarians spent at least million shopping in the United States in 1990 Using the formula that in sales represents one Ontario job it can be calculated that 6000 jobs were lost in Ontario alone because of the Canadian money spent in the United States Granted because of the differences in the tax systems bargains are obtainable by crossing the border to shop But every dollar spent in the United States means less money being pumped into the Canadian economy at a time when it is badly needed This in turn means lost jobs here at home Think of this the next time you tell a laidoff friend that you are going to Buffalo on the weekend for a shopp ing spree School board rapped Dear Sir The headline news that a depressed construction industry will save taxpayers million for a new replacment high school somehow understates the fact that the Board of Educa tion will dow Increase its present debt of million by another 59 million Environment concern Dear Sir Every year I am appalled at the number of people who run their motors while sitting in their cars outside of stores banks and schools especially the latter Dont these people know that an idling motor spews forth the worst kind of pollution If tbey do know dont they care Tills lack of concern will affect everyone but particularly their children grandchildren and future generations More than 700 scientists atten ding the World Climate Con ference In Geneva stated that we are fastly moving toward an Please do your part by turning off your key you can help and will even save money Mrs D Carrington Georgetown With savings like that think how much more the Trustees could have saved if they had voted instead to reoccupy the nearby situated million valued Perdue High School when its one dollar a year lease expires on August 1991 Do they a one dollar yearly rental income will offset the in terest cost on million to be Meanwhile weeks before the February meeting of the Trustees was to review and then vote on the tenders submitted the Board deposited of the taxpayers money into a non- interest bearing account with the Town of Building Department This was done in spite of the fact that no building permit can be issued until the On tario Municipal Board has approved the issuing of another 59 million debenture No one at the Board could give a date as to when the OMB would hear the Boards application while interest is lost on a daily basis at taxpayers expense taxpayers loss not savings can simply be added up by including another 59 million to the debt load a loss of a million high school being leased out for one and the misuse of George Oakville The Hills HERALD Home Newspaper of Halton Hills Established A Division of Canadian Newspaper Company Limited Guelph Street Georgetown Ontario L7G 3Z6 K ROBERT Publisher and General Manager 8772201 EDITORIAL Managing Editor Suit Dan I CLASSIFIED Join Shirley CIRCULATION MaikShtdboll ACCOUNTING jannl Haplchuk Accountant rates Copy 111 Canada In Ihia nan Oman Toronto Ontario IMS or M0 Calhcvl Monbaal Th atfrartltar trull not UabtoiordamapaiarUingmiiofacroral- baron ft amount paid lor bf mat portion Men lh arror uch It ha I or thai M no or nan arhrartlaamanl ai aoaca actualhj paid Peoples Forum People must be told of issues Dear Editor At election time only two out of three Canadians even bother to go to the polls It is no wonder that we are governed in Ontario by a majority government representing only of the valid votes ie 22 of the eligible voters i e less than of the people So much for a majority No wonder that both federally and provincially we seem to go through cycles of short dictator ships of one color or another with no connection to the real needs of the people Many people who show up to vote do not bother getting informed about the issues Others just gave up on their democratic right to request the representation we deserve It is this mass apathy and the inertness of the moral but silent majority that I am trying to stir up with my frequent letters If we sy nothing we deserve the governments we are getting Lately two women were enough stimulated by my writing to publicly respond A letter from the first was published in the In dependent cm Feb 13 She makes two points that I constantly show lack of respect for womens rights and that I should stop writing to the papers Her inter pretation of my statements as be ing against womens rights is ludicrous I have three daughters myself the majority of the FCP supporters in this town axe women and I hope this letter will provide her with a clearer understanding of my position I was very glad that The Herald published on Feb a response from a selfdefined radical feminist If not the beginning of a dialogue this may provide the opportunity for a clarification of our perhaps no so different opi nions I do not see anything wrong in being radical in the sense that she explains being routed I strongly agree with her first two points safety of the person for all women and calling abusive mates to ac count I believe that men have a long way to go towards changing their attitude and respecting women in their private lives as well as in public I also agree with her fourth point she wishes an end to de meaning advertisements por nography sexrole and exploitation of women for sex or profit in this consumer- oriented society I could not have said it better myself This gives me an opportunity to go back to her third point the sexual liberation pitch On this point the consistency of the feminist argument has to be checked In advocating safe abor tion for women who need them for example I believe that they are calling for their own ex ploitation and oppression How is our first objective Safety of the person for all women compati ble with abortion on demand Abortion denies the fundamental right to life to more than women each year in Ontario alone In addition abortion con- tributes to the exploitation of women for sex or profit Sex exploitation as men are en couraged towards taking matters of procreation lightly and not en couraged in exercising self- control and respect for women if the abortion fix is available Profit exploitation as many abortionists make considerable amounts of money from this practice In addition many mothers are in further predicaments having to deal with postabortion syndrome and often other medical problems To sum up on the sexual behaviour question the request of some women and men of being free from control and advise not coercion from family friends and church may end up working to their disad vantage On her last point working towards a more equitable distribution of power and pro fits we must progress at the in dividual and local levels Measur ing what is equitable is not on ly a question of numbers but also a question of attitude For exam ple when a property is registered only in the name of one spouse is there really trust between the two When a woman is regard ed as less capable in the board rooms of large corporations etc However if less women chose or were unavailable for a par ticular job equal representation cannot be imposed Finally equal pay for equal work is a must but equal pay for work of equal value is a socialist excuse for centralized wage control see my letter to Hie Herald publish ed last Dec 8 I would like to thank Joan for letting us know of her position which I think is far from those I quoted in my original letter However I have to disagree with her final remarks I perceive that she would happily get rid of the old values altogether and of the moral system onto which this country was founded and prospered Does she think that the current sexual liberation morality is a basis on to which to be rooted on If she would dispose of traditional values and morals onto which new moral system would she be routed Sincerely Giuseppe