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the HERALD- fife Home Newspaper of Halton Hills- Established 1866 A Division of Thomson Newspapers Company Limited Street Georgetown Ontario 3Z6 Editorial Wednesday February 1902 K ROBERT Publisher and General Manager 8772201 00 Hi months HI COLIN GIBSON Managing Editor CM A Community toodilioo on ill and toiler rl Hi published thu ntwjpjpei offices Queen W Toronto Ontario or I he Hit publisher thill tut be cm dMMia muni Mil in lot occupied hit portion of the in which the occurred error due to the at ill otherwise there be no lability or nan inter Inn niinl the pud lor such Lighten Up Blah Blah Blah Thats they way most people are feeling nowadays what with the barrage of news reports in this and other newspapers about the recession taxes unemployment and the constitutional crisis Not to mention the fact we are now into the month where people develop symptoms commonly referred to as the February blahs People are probably saying enough already and who can blame them Well its time for a more positive outlook on life and to heed the advice of FM radio personality and Acton resident Jack Carpenter its time to just plain Lighten Up wear a red nose tell a joke make someone smile wear crazy clothes Mr Carpenter is asking Hills residents and Canadians across the country to join with him in declaring Feb 6 tomorrow as Lighten Lp Day And we think the idea couldnt have come at a better time Mr Carpenter got his inspiration from some of his listeners who told him about an area in Britain where people wear red noses to lighten up on St Jacks Day the patron Saint of Humor Feb 6 At a time when people are struggling to get by its en couraging to see someone showing others life isnt the drudgery it often appears to be our part in helping make Feb 6 a fun day we at the Herald are encouraging staff to let their hair down so to speak and express their lighter side in terms of what they want to wear or do We might have a problem here So we challenge the local business community and any other group to do likewise and let us know the results Please call us Feb 6 at 8772201 and tell us how youre lightening up your day If possible the Herald will send over a photographer to capture your expressions of fun on film Hopefully the fun we have Feb will help us get through the tough times Community Forum Pet Peeves BARBARA BRECKON GEORGETOWN Phone calls that are not returned and sales people who do not assist customers Those are my pet peeves SNYDER GEORGETOWN People who dont clear the ice from their sidewalks and charging parking downtown because businesses are having a enough time as it is CHRIS GEORGETOWN The govern ments overspending is my mam pet peeve It seems like they have always got their hands in our pockets COLLEEN ARMSTRONG GEORGETOWN The same as everyone elses the economy They just raised the price of parking in town and this could drive away business for local companies Peoples Forum Thanks Brianfor nothing To the Editor Recession or depression Just ask one of the 15 million Canadians today that are unemployed to get the true answer to the above question Ten and half per cent of the work force unemployed ac cording to Stats Canada based upon those that are drawing unemployment and the seasonal unemployed But if you take into account those whose unemploy ment insurance has run out and those that are living on welfare as a result the true- picture is likely between 20 per cent and 25 per cent of the work force out of work and climbing higher fast Long established companies small businesses and private in dividuals are now declaring bankruptcies at alarming rates more now than in the great depression of 1929 There is not one Canadian family in this once great country of ours that hasnt been affected by this to some degree Who is to blame for the mess we are in now One only has to look at our pre sent federal government for the answer to this question Brian Mulroney and the Con servative Party will go down in our history books as a mismanag ed government that reached an all time low in popularity in the history of Canada Brian and his government has done more harm to this country of ours than any previous govern ment in the last years The damage he has inflicted upon this nation with his free trade with the US A monetary policies and his socalled reconstructing of this country will be felt for years to come One only has to look at the railways that once united this great country of ours from coast to coast the post office the fisherman the farmers the forest industry and the mining in dustry and the list can go on and on Whatever Brian and his government has touched in this country of ours it has had a disastrous affect on us and we as Canadians end up paying and paying through the nose for it Take the GST for example it was brought in a little over a year ago it was to help pay down our national debt well instead of our national debt being reduced by even one penny the government has already forecasted that the debt is likely to raise by one billion dollars plus you can bet on that It makes you wonder what this tax was ever brought in for another cash cow for the govern ment or and another burden on the backs of the Canadian people I wonder if people realize that over per cent of their earning goes back in taxes In other words for every you earn cents plus goes into taxes You are to live off the remaining cents or try to It is a great coun try when over half the money you earn has to go back to the govern ment Canada is one of the heaviest taxed countries in the world and is it much wonder with three levels of government to support plus a senate up in Ottawa What good is the senate anyway when can stack it with his members and can push anything down our throats he and his party have a desire to do It clearly points out that our whole govern mental system has to change and has to change fast before we end up with a dictatorship type of country Anyone who thought 1991 was rough hasnt seen anything yet is going to be the worst with higher unemployment and more bankruptcies to come As far as this recession or depression bot toming out there is very little chance that we will see it this year Recovery from it will take years Georgetown Second opinion The Editor If a doctor told me that I had one month to live I would seek a second opinion The Town and the owners of the Acton quarry signed an agree ment enforceable at the Towns discretion that would prevent the site becoming a dump If it was binding the taxpayers stand to save millions of dollars The town has a legal opinion that it is not binding There is considerable legal opi nion that it is binding Perhaps those we elected should seek a second opinion before committing so much of our money K Acton Be good neighbors Dear Sir I read with interest the item headed Bylaw Request printed in the Council Briefs section of your newspaper on Wednesday Jan 29 Just the day before I had written the following letter to your newspaper Does the slogan Be nice clear your ice not apply in Georgetown My 75yearold mother was forced to walk on the road today because of the icy and uneven condition of the sidewalks bet ween Eleanor Crescent and Joseph Gibbons Public School Her attention was naturally fociissed on looking out for traf fic so she failed to see a piece of plastic tape used for keeping newspapers in bundles sticking out of the snow This wrapped itself around her feet and she to the ground Mum injured her hands her left knee is swollen and she is sore and bruis ed including a black eye The Town has made a com mendable effort to clear the sidewalks as soon as possible after a snowfall this winter for which we pedestrians are ex tremely grateful Unfortunately many residents have made little or no effort at all to clear their small section of sidewalk Sometimes there are reasons but there is no excuse for most residents Surely those who are able could help out those who are not Come on Georgetown be good neighbors and clear that snow Yours sincerely Name withheld by request