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________________________________________________omn&WkyTme enuaMrh3~1O Kendal Hall News by Phyllis Lowery On Wednesday, March 24th the men held their Scarlet Meeting at the hall. The regular card party was held on Friday, March 26th, with 9 tables ini play. High score went to Marg Todd with 81, good to see you back out and about again Marg. Second high went to Tom Wilson and Doreen Lowery wbo tied with 78; and third went to Emma Spencer with 74. The draw was won by Maurice O'Neil, the draw for free admission to next card party went to Wayne Lowery. Next card party will be held on Saturday, April lth due to Good Friday falling on the date of the card party. Corne out for an evening of fun, food and fellowship. On Saturday, March 27th the Ladies of Kendal HuIls L.OB.A. 1420 held their annual Bake and Penny Sale. The baking was plentiful and sold well, the penny sale in the evening was a success, witb ail tickets being sold and many going home witb good prizes. The door prize was won by Terri Grffin of Bowmanvile. Lunch was enjoyed by al afterwards, ail in ail it was a successful day. The Junior Lodge is busy preparing for Grand Lodge, which will be heid in Cobourg this year, on Thursday, Friday and Saturday, April 15, 16, 17. The Men's Lodge meet on Wednesday, April 7th. The Ladies on April 8th and the ý_,Juniors on April lst. 4ld ~Dutch 00 Carpentry CUSTOM HOME BUILDING RENOVATIONS ",Smaît Jobs and Large l'il Take Charge" 1 -705-277-2397 JOE H. LEYSTRA Queen's Park Report from Gord MilIs, MPP Durham E-ast Happy Birthday Elaine Once more It had been my intention that heaith and medical reporting was over for the lime being. After ail I had gone mbt enough detail of recent happenings and conditions. The decision 10 stop such writing did corne prior 10 reading an address made by Dr. Michael Thoburn, president of the Ontario Medical Association, urging the Ontario Government to toughen tobacco legislation. The doctors address was not the-run-of-the mil address or so I thought. Il was not lengthy but it was to the point. The Doctor pointed out that trends sbow that new smokers are almost exclusively children and teenagers, particularly females aged 15 to 19. He gave a list of measures that the profession would ask 10 be included in new stronger smoking legislation - producîs in plain packages, licensing ail retail oullets, banning smoking frorn schools, public places and workplaces, raise age of smoking to 19 and ban ail tobacco vending machines. He also pointed 10 13,000 deaths in Ontario linked 10 tobacco use and 38,000 across the country in 1989. Further the eslirnated cost of treating major srnoking-related illnesses in 1989 reached a total of $9.5 billion. That figure alone is near the annual déficit of the Province of Ontario at the presenit time and could well be used for other medical purposes rallier than for one that is really preventable. The doctor's address for stiffer control over smoking no doubi caught my attention due 10 the fact that over the past few weeks I have witnessed and heard the wonders that are being undertaken in the health field to the benefit of everyone. Ontario's 1993-94 Budget - Balancing Priorities & Options Last week, 1 spoke briefly about the deficit, should we let it go unchecked or be tough and bring the deficit down. First of al let's look at the consequences of letting the deficit skyrocket. Borrowing costs money, we al know that. Ontario now pays 12 cents of every revenue dollar as interest on ils debt. That's manageable. But if deficits were allowed to go substantially higher than the Government's Medium Term Plan, the interest payrnents would begin to consume a greater share of our revenues. And that means less will go 10 programs and services. This year alone we will devote a little over $5 billion just t0 paying interest on the debt. That is $5 billion that is not going to programs and services. To put il ini perspective, tbe Ontario govemnment contributes just a bit more to education ($5.7 billion) as I arn furtlier well aware, baving smoked for the most part of rny life until some five weeks ago, Iliat il is not that easy to quit. But really and truly there is a lot of wasîe and a lot of unnecessary buman suffering that is controllable if only the determination can be made by the individual. It is not easy and still isn't and 1 know. No one ever said that our problem necessitating surgery was totally caused by smoking. The surgeon, incidentally a female, did state bowever that due to smoking there could be a probleta of pneumonia setting in and this could have critical repercussions. The stalement was made botb prior to the surgery and in the three minute information session witb the surgeon on leaving intensive care. Walking the aisles of the bospital we did meet up with another patient who had under- gone the same operalion. He had been a smoker as well and pneumonia had set in and he after four weeks in hospital was awaiting word of bis discharge and was stili there wben 1 left. Dr. Thoburn, head of the Medical Association, when seeking stronger legislation against smoking stated, "I have neyer been able to accept the devastation caused by tobacco. The sense of helplessness, grief and anger is shared by ail OMA members". Further the doctor states," We are sick and tired of dealing with Ibis devastation when it is totaily preventable." One could ask do we really have to wait for provincial or- federal legislaîion to elirninate sucb a devastating effect on society. There are mnuch better things to do widh our time and resources. il does 10 debt interest ($5.2 billion). An example of just wbat can happen is close by. Because of excesses of the past; the federal government now pays almost 30 cents of every revenue dollar on debî interest. In our discussions at what level next year's deficit should be, the government must consider tbe following issues: 1) bow much money will we have to conîribute to debt interest payments now and in the future? 2) will an increased deficit lower our credit rating and make future borrowing more expensive? 3) will an increased deficit undermine confidence in the province? 4) wili a lower deficit mean drastic spending cuts that will negatively affect the already weak recovery? Some people will say the solution is just 10 cut spending eitber across the board or by rapidly eliminating programs and services the way businesses do. But few people stop to think that businesses restructure and downsize when revenues falI because demnand for their product or service has dropped. But governimenî is having to restructure when revenues have~ fallen but demand for services have încreased dramatically. Iîs not that easy, nor is it that smart, bo cut indiscrirninaîely. There is also little apprecialion for where money is spent and how much is spent. For example, 71% of the budget is spent on essential public services (such as bealth care, education and social assistance) which the province has a legal and moral obligation to provide. And rnost people would neyer want to give these up. We don't believe the answer is simply t0 cut spending. Instead, we have focused our efforts to slow down the growth in spending and to spend smarter. This has to be accomplished in a responsible manner - with minimal job losses or disruption to services. This is important for economic recovery. Smarter spending means reforming prograrns 10 make them more effective and efficient. Excluding interest on thbe debt, the growth in spending has been slowed to 2.8% this year. If you take out social assistance there is virtually no spending increase in 1992-93 (0.4%). In discussing how spending can be contained, the government must consider the following issues: 1) who will ho affected by a spending reduction? 2) how will it impact on an important service? 3) how will spending reduction affect economic recovery? How many will be laid off as a resuit? 4) does this program meet DENTISTRY FOR THE FAMILY <General Dentistry ïncluding Orthodontias and Implants) DR. B. KOSTIUK, B.Sc., D.DS. DENTAL OFFICE ONE 30 Cobbledick Street Orono, Ontarlo call 983-5825 DENTAL OFFICE-TWO 5 King Street E. Newcastle, Ontario cail 987-5256 New Patients Welcome * Satu rday Appointment Available AUTO WORKERS CREDIT UNION /1 Where CON VENIENCE Is What Credit Unions Are Ail About Drop in and ask us about Home Banîg ... Direct Deosit ... AutoCash Mastercrd . .. Overdraft Protection Everythlng in the way of personal banking convenience. AUTO WORKERS GREDIT UNION OSHAWA OFFICE BOWMANVILLE OFFICE ORONO OFFICE 322 King St. W. 133 King St. E. 5331 Main St. 728-5187 623-4821 983-5561 Ontario's priorilies? 5) is there a better way 10 provide tbis service or program? The decisions that face us as we prepare for the 1993-94 budget involves striking a balance. First of ail, the government must strike a balance among competing priorities: supporting jobs and economic recovery; maintaining important public services; and controlling thie deflicit. Second, the government must strike a balance among the three options: raising more revenue, leîting the deficit go higher and resîraining spending. None of the solutions to this fiscal dilemma are easy. And none guarantee the problern will disappear. Eliminating the deficit strictly through spending cuts would wreak havoc on the economy and on peoples lives. Tax increases are not popular and some would say impede recovery. But a massive cuuting of goverrament spending will also impede recovery, as will deficits that eat up more money in inlerest payments. Then again, the entire revenue problem cannot be made up strictly through more tax increases. As we corne to grips with Ibis year's provincial budget it is obvious what is required is a balanced approacli. My colurnas on the budget process have atîempted to show that there isn't an easy solution 10 be had. How would you achieve a fair balance, given tbe need to support jobs, maintain important services 10 Ontarians and keep the deficit under control? 1 would like to hear your views - please write to me. Until next week - rernember - even the lion bas to defend himself against flues. From Your Twisted Sisters z