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'i ) Section Two Editorial Comment What's Ahead in 1985? The start of a new year is a time to make predictions. And we predict predict 1985 will turn into a year of major developments. The municipality will see the beginning beginning of a new wing at Memorial Hospital within the next 12 months. That development, which has a price tag of over $5 million, will be a major focus of fund-raising efforts. efforts. But that's not the only major public public building which is to be considered considered in the future. There's the ongoing ongoing issue of a new municipal headquarters. It's a topic which tends to be placed on the back burner because it represents a high cost to the taxpayers and because it entails controversial debate over where such a building should be located. located. Nevertheless, we expect the question of a central municipal headquarters will be raised during the year. Then, there's the ongoing issue of building a new arena for Bowman- ville. A consultant's study on that subject will be brought forward by spring and we could be in the planning planning stages for such a facility before the end of 1985. All of these major issues facing local council are coming to a head in an election year. Balloting for council and school board positions won't be held until November. But you can rest assured that elected representatives will be thinking of the upcoming vote as they make the important decisions of 1985. If the local economy continues to improve, we may also count on additional additional pressures for development in the new year. We are just now seeing the beginning of some major subdivision activity. One expects that the growth in housing starts will continue. And town council will also be pressed to do its share to attract industry and commercial enterprises. The town's apparent difficulty in attracting new industrial assessment assessment is now a major item on the agenda of public discussion. In an election year, this topic will be raised again and again. Looking briefly at the school board scene, we see that greater challenges are expected by educators. The public school board chairman stated last week that trustees trustees face not only declining enrolments enrolments but also the demand for higher standards even though provincial provincial funds are being cut back. Unemployment was mentioned by the chairman as another alarming problem. It means that students may have to be re-directed into occupations occupations where the chances of landing a job are best. Meanwhile, the Regional Municipality Municipality of Durham is not immune from major decisions. It has to debate debate the less-than-glamorous issue of how it will handle garbage disposal disposal in the future. The solution to that problem will likely be not only controversial but also expensive. The regional municipality also faces its own question of constructing constructing a new regional headquarters. At the provincial level, we have the exciting, prospect of a leadership leadership convention to select a new premier premier of Ontario. This campaign will undoubtedly be followed by a provincial provincial election which should also add to the exciting events of the upcoming upcoming year. Finally, we should keep in mind the national scene, where the new Progressive Conservative government government will be getting a better grip on the reins of power. We can look for a major new budget from the PC government and we can expect decisions on topics such as social service spending and ways to bring government expenditures expenditures under control. All in all, 1985 is shaping up as a year in which major decisions will be made at most levels of government. government. Report Needs More Power The annual report of the auditor- general tends to follow a familiar pattern. Each year, he finds a few dozen examples of excessive spending by government. The public public shakes its collective head over the inefficiency and waste. Then there are the usual jokes about the productivity of civil servants. But when the dust has settled, it seems as though the government goes right back to usual procedures. procedures. This, in turn, results in more fuel for the auditor-general's report report in the following year. Needless to say, the 1984 edition of this popular document shows all the signs of the familiar routine. This year, we learned that antennas antennas for the Canadian Forces' new jet fighters were supposed to cost $9 apiece, but their cost could go as high as $2,000 each. There's evidence that some public public servants are over-paid and they often spend too much on travel. Generally speaking, Auditor- General Ken Dye warned that the federal deficit is increasing so quickly that it's in danger of overtaking overtaking the decision-making power of Parliament. The auditor-general did have compliments for crown corporations. corporations. He said they are under better control than last year but added that much remains to be done. We have always been surprised that more attention isn't paid to the findings of the auditor-geneçal.^It seems as though the public almost expects a certain amount of waste as the price that must be paid for government. It's as if the government has received received failing grades for so long that we have grown to expect nothing nothing better. But such thinking is mistaken. The auditor-general himself noted that the government responsibility in its financial activities is crucial. "This affects every taxpayer in the country in his pocketbook," Mr. Dye said. Perhaps it's time that the government government took some of the budgetary fat discovered by the auditor-general and used it to give this department more powers. We're referring to the kind of scope which would not only ferret out excessive spending but also take action to see that any flagrant misuse of government dollars can be stopped. Everybody talks about government government waste. The report from the auditor-general auditor-general confirms that rumors about mismangement of financial resources is not entirely unfounded. unfounded. Perhaps, in the coming year, the newly-elected government will do something about the problem. By the Way, Who Wanted Happy Hours Anyway? From what we hear, nobody is particularity unhappy about the demise demise of the so-called "Happy Hour". A Happy Hour is a scheme whereby bar and restaurant patrons patrons could receive a discount on drinks -- frequently during the early evening hours when many of the customers were just getting out of work. Anyhow, the Happy Hour is gone. Establishments are now required to dispense drinks at a set price. And that means the end of the discounts. discounts. We'd like to know who wanted the Happy Hours in the first place. Lobby groups concerned with drinking and driving didn't want them. The discounting of booze only encouraged heavier drinking. And that goes against government crackdowns on drinking and driving, driving, not to mention official concern over the effects of alcohol and drugs on the health of citizens, You might think that Happy Hours would be supported by bar owners, but apparently that's not the case. They actually lost money by offering discount drinks at certain certain times. Of course, most establishments establishments offered the discounts because because their competitors did so. It seems that about the only people who could possibly benefit from the Happy Hours would be those interested in drinking to excess. excess. And surely the government did not have this group in mind when it began the two-year experiment experiment with cut-rate drinks, So it's best for all concerned that the laws have been changed and the old rules arc back in force. It's also wise that Queen's Park saw fit to change the legislation before before the final week of the Christmas season. Even this modest effort towards tightening the provincial liquor regulations will probably save lives this Christinas and New Year's Eve. The Canadian Statesman, Bowmanville, December 19,1984 3 Our Wish for the Christmas Season is Peace and Goodwill to everyone. That is the spirit and the meaning of Christmas which celebrates the birth of the Prince of Peace. Have a Happy and Holy Holiday. From the Management, Staff and Correspondents of Wcp (Uatmbmn Statesman and Stye Newcastle independent Byline... by Peter Parrott Christmas is a time that brings out both the best and the worst in people. In fact, you can tell a lot about personalities personalities by the way different individuals look at Christmas. I divide people into two groups. There are the Santas and the Scrooges. The Santas look at Christmas and say Ho Ho. The Scrooges say Ho Hum. The Santas hang their kids' stockings in front of the fireplace with tender care. The Scrooges complain about line-ups at the cash registers. Santas have made lists and began buying Christmas presents last April if not earlier. Scrooges elbow their way through shopping malls at six p.m. on Christmas eve. Santas are enthralled by the splendor of itfe (Eanahian Statesman 623-3303 (*CNA Durham County's Great Family Journal Established 130years ago In 1854. Also Incorporating The Bowmanville News The Newcastle Independent The Orono News Second class mall registration number 1561 Produced every Wednesday by THE JAMES PUBLISHING COMPANY LIMITED 62-66 King St. W. ( Bowmanville, Ontario L1C 3K9 4 I Û 0 lb JOHN M. JAMES Editor -- Publisher GEO. P. MORRIS Business Mgr. RICHARD A. JAMES Assistant Publisher BRIAN PURDY Advertising Mgr. PETER PARROTT Associate Editor DONALD BISHOP Plant Mgr. All l.youl» und composition ol ndv.rlliemenls produced by Iho employees ol The Csnsdlnn Salesmen, The Newell. Independent end The Jemes Publishing Company Limited ere pioloclod by copyright end musl not be reproduced without written permission ol Iho publishers. 115.00 a year -- 6 months $8.00 strictly In advance foreign -- $<15.00 eyoer Although uvniy piocnulion will bu I,ikon lu avoid error Tho Canadian Slalosman accepts advoilitiing in its columns on llni understanding Hull II will nol bo linbln lui any onor in lire iidvnilisnimml published horoundor unless a pi nul ol such iidvmlisomnnl Is rmiuoslcd in willing by tho ndvuilisui oral relumed to Thu Canadian Slalnr.man business ollicu duly signed by Iho advertiser and with such mini or collections plainly noled in willing llieroon. and m lh.it case d any oiror so noled is nol coifccl.nl by Tho Canadian Slaliisnun ils liabilily shall nol exceed such a portion ol me entire cosl ol such ■idvriiHsImonl ns lire spacu occupied try lire noled emu bears In lire whole space occupied by such edveilisemenl Christmas lights. Scrooges mutter things about hydro bills. Moreover, Santas love to hear choirs singing singing sweet music of Christmas carols. Scrooges complain about all the hypocrites who show up at church but once a year. Of course, most of us tend to exist somewhere somewhere between being an outright Scrooge or a kindly Santa. But I like to think of myself as being more of a Santa than a Scrooge. It's like something I once read about newspaper newspaper reporters. There was a theory that reporters reporters are either the Gee Whiz! kind or the Aw Shucks! kind. The Gee Whiz variety trys to see everything new as interesting interesting and exciting. The Aw Shucks species has reached a stage of cynical detachment. I guess I must lean towards towards the Gee Whiz side of the personality spectrum, because I find it hard to get cynical cynical about this season. I admit that I enjoy Christmas. Yes, I may not like the smarmy sentimentality of the season. But I do enjoy the light and optimism optimism which seems to flow at this time of the year. It seems to me that festive seasons such as this one prove that people have a tremendous tremendous potential for joy and happiness. It's just too bad that these traits become blocked by noise, worry, meanness and all of the other "junk" which accumu lates in our day-to-day life. It occurs to me that none of these observations observations are particularity new. But then, Christmas Christmas has been around for over 1,900 years and it's difficult to say something new about the season. Let me just wish you a Gee Whiz kind of Christmas. Here's hoping hoping that the joy and vitality vitality which enlightens this small corner of the year will follow all of us into the coming 12 months. RIDE Program in Effect Ontario Provincial Police are taking steps to control impaired driving in the municipality municipality during the festive season. An OPP spokesman said last week that a special squad of officers officers from four local detachments detachments is on duty to administer roadside spot checks. On November 29, the group tested drivers in the Newcastle area and laid five charges in connection connection with impaired driving. Eight other motorists received warnings and had their licences suspended for 12 hours. The OPP will be conducting conducting additional tests for impaired drivers on local provincial highways highways during the holiday season.