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Page THE HERALD Wednesday March 1991 Selfinterest group The use of the cliched phrase between the devil and the deep blue sea aptly captures the predicament Cana dian taxpayers find themselves in during this time of economic hardship The first shoe dropped Feb 26 when federal Finance Minister Michael Wilson revealed the details of his get tough budget a document purporting to help ease Canadas recession woes and the second shoe will un doubtedly drop when provincial NDP Finance Minister Floyd Laughren brings down his first budget expected sometime in April If anything local frustration at the system in general and the taxation system in particular could provoke a of opposition to any decisions made at the municipal or regional level and this would serve no pur pose whatsoever Such is the situation which is occurring in a number of Southwestern Ontario communities As has been recorded in the Herald previously a tax revolt which originated in Blenheim saw HaltonPeel MP Garth Turner dispatched from Ottawa to the area in question and in his report to Finance Minister Wilson on the situation Mr Turner pointed out quite succinctly They are a symbol it may be a small tax revolt but all governments should take these guys seriously In Blenheim a group of businessmen banded together and refused to pay a tax increase last year forcing the local government into freezing 1990 taxes at 1989 levels and subsequently forcing the cancellation of a number of proposed town projects The Blenheim incident caught attention throughout Ontario and thus was born the Ontario Taxpayers Coali tion a ragtag group of supposedly concerned citizens from a number of Ontario municipalities attempting to lead a tax revolt According to Coalition founder George Lansens his organization has brought together antitax groups and claims members in 12 chapters All well and good up to a point as is the case with the majority of social protest groups According to published reports the Coalition now plans to draft a taxpayers bill of rights that would de mand the various government infrastructures keep tax increases below the inflation rate or be forced to hold a plebiscite on tax increases As reported the Coalition has six main goals in cluding annual votes on municipal tax increases representation on all municipal boards and commis sions recorded votes on all money matters a limit of two terms for municipal councillors and school trustees an end to duplication of government services and a halt to the starting of new programs by senior levels of government unless the funding is supplied We beg to differ with this kind of socalled enlighten ed way of dealing with taxation and in turn a slowing economy There is already a system in place to deal with these issues the elected representative process and it does work quite well It fails only because selfinterest groups choose to work outside the system rather than from within to the detriment of everybody As for the Coalitions main aims it supposedly is fighting for the taxpayer who will pay for what basical ly is duplication of things that are already in place You got it the lowly taxpayer the one the Coalition sup posedly represents Annual municipal votes on tax increases would cost municipalities more to administer than the result would justify If a person wants to represent constituents on boards or commissions he or she can run for office A record of who voted which way on money matters is usually noted in local newspapers or can be obtained from that particular government Regarding two terms for councillors and trustees these people are duly elected by the voters and the voters choice should be respected Duplication in government services is a bureaucratic nightmare that will end as the money wasted on these services dries up The Coalition also wants money from senior levels of government before new programs are initiated all well and good But the taxpayer still ends up paying for the programs anyway If these people are so concerned let them put up or shut up Run for elected office Attend every municipal or regional council meeting Attend school board meetings and let your voice be heard These meetings are open to the public Question your elected and appointed officials on issues you disagree with and voice your dissatisfaction either through the power of the vote through letters to local newspapers making your dissatisfaction public The Ontario Taxpayers Coalition is a pig in a poke A selfinterest group trying to grab headlines and peo ples money It should be viewed as such Editorial The Halton Hills HERALD Home Newspaper of Halton Hills Established 1 866 A Division of Canadian Newspaper Company Limited Guelph Street Georgetown Ontario L7G 3Z6 K ROBERT MALCOLMSON Publisher and General Manager 8772201 PRODUCTION DAVE I in Kim Maria SUBSCRIPTION RATES Copy In Slot Canada Mo DO all month Foreign Hi TIM claim copyright on all original ntwt arm admrtlilng malarial by Hi amploraaa and In National Toronto Ontario M9H or MO heart St Montraal QuobK Tha trial not labia darnagai art ting out A In beyond amount paid In actually occupied by thai portion lha occurred to nagllganca Ita aananli ihara no liability lot non in union adnrUiamanl bayond amount Peoples Forum- Sincere thanks expressed Dear Sir My wife and I wish to express our very sincere and heartfelt thanks for the many messages of support and goodwill for our sons Christopher and David serving Canada in the Persian Gulf It has been an anxious and stressful time for us but we have been truly heartened and uplifted by the many friends neighbors and indeed folks from all over the country who have taken the time to let us know that they shared our concern One of the factors contributing to the very high morale of our forces in the Gulf is the knowledge that they enjoy the overwhelming support of Cana dians back home As an example of this David has received nearly 200 letters many of them from school children He hopes to answer them all in due course Christopher has a slightly less glamorous but no less important role He is serving as second-in- command of a minesweeper engaged in the clearing of mines in the waters off Kuwait We are justly proud of our sons their comrades and the Cana dian Armed Forces in which they have the honor of serving Yours very sincerely Deere Georgetown Friendship rally Dear Editor Organizers hope to attract seniors from across the Province to a Friendship Rally in September Seniors in the City of Elliot Lake are planning a Super Rally for September 10 12 1991 which is part of the week pro claimed Seniors Week in the com munity This is a spmoff of a smaller senior rally held in the past which was a great success A committee has been struck to start planning what events will take place and bow to attract peo ple from outside the community Our greatest assets are the friendly people the beautiful lakes fishing clean air and a relaxed way of life The City of Elliot Lake has been aggresively pursuing the Retirement Living concept for the community This will be one more opportunity to showcase what they have to offer For further information con tact John Secretary Seniors Friendship Rally Com mittee 1991 Elizabeth Square PO Box Elliot Lake Ontario 8489721 More Letters on Page 12