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SECTION TWO WEDNESDAY, APRIL 24,1991 Efc Canadian Stattsmatt cn Durham Region's Great Family Journal © Established 137 years ago in 1854 ■ « Also Incorporating >|/X The Bowmanville News The Newcastle Independent The Orono News Second Class mail registration number 1561 Produced weekly by James Publishing Company Limited 62 King Slreet West, Bowmanville, Ontario L1C 3K9 416-623-3303 Fax 416-623-6161 John M. James Editor - Publisher Richard A. James Associate Publisher Peter Parrott Brian Purdy Donald Bishop Associate Editor Advertising Mgr. Plant Mgr. All layouts and composition of advertisements produced by the employees of James Publishing Company Limited are protected by copyright and may not be reproduced without the permission of the publisher. Although every precaution will be taken to avoid error, The Canadian Statement accepts advertising In its columns on the understanding that It will not be liable for any error In the advertisement published hereunder unless a proof of such advortisoment Is requested In writing by the advertiser and returned to The Canadian Statesman business office duly signed by the advertiser and with such error or corrections plainly noted In writing thereon, and In that case H any error so noted is not corrected by The Canadian Statesman Its liability shall not exceed such a portion of the entire cost of such advertisement as the space .occupied by the noted error bears to the whole space occupied by such advertisement. r _ e . • 1 n hi 0 mÊê m 3 1B1 Comment J Allegiance to the Queen Isn't politics wonderful? It's a process which often creates problems where none existed. And, of course, it fails to solve problems that already exist. A case in point is the decision last week by Ontario's provincial government government to fiddle with the oath of allegiance allegiance which police officers are required required to take when they begin their careers. Re-writing the oath of allegiance for police personnel can't have been very high on the list of anybody's priorities. We don't seem to recall that the role of the monarchy had anything to do with the provincial election last year. You would think, for example, that the provincial cabinet just might be spending more time considering the emergencies that face the good citizens of Ontario before it started tinkering with the idea of re-defining the role of the crown. The genuine emergencies that face Ontario include: the landfill crisis; the conflict of interest crisis; the economic crisis; the deficit spending crisis; the welfare crisis; and the environmental crisis. And if all of those issues were successfully tackled, then the provincial provincial cabinet might move on to subjects that are not full-blown crises but are merely pressing subjects that should be resolved in a few months or so. And" these might include such matters as the future of nuclear power or the deteriorating deteriorating condition of the provincial road networks or the adequate funding funding of hospitals and the health care system. Premier Rae's government is not exactly exactly a government with time on its hands. It's not exactly a government that can afford to say: "Well, this looks like a slow day at the office, maybe we'll take some time to dust the shelves and revise the police officers' oath of allegiance." The revision to the oath serves no useful purpose other than raising the ire of monarchists, police, traditionalists, traditionalists, and most other Ontarians who believe believe that the government should have better things to do with its time. The oath of allegiance is a nonissue. nonissue. If there were hundreds, or perhaps even dozens of new recruits protesting that they could not serve as police officers officers because they, had reservations about swearing allegiance to the queen, then there might be some reason reason to alter the oath. But there is no such thing. And we doubt veiy much that there are many Ontario citizens who find it offensive that their police officers must pledge an oath to the British monarch. After all, she is the head of the Commonwealth and that includes Canada. The vast majority of Ontarians either either don't care one way or the other or would prefer to see the oath retained because it is one of our longstanding traditions. We find it strange that in a nation which supposedly prides itself on cultural diversity, some of our political political leaders and bureaucrats get squeamish if that cultural diversity includes includes anything related to the British tradition which played a major role in the founding of this country. And they seem equally squeamish about defending defending the traditions of para-military groups such as a police force, for example. example. The oddest thing about the decision to change the police oath of allegiance is the fact that the problem could have been solved by a good, old-fashioned compromise that respects everybody's traditions and beliefs. Those who do not subscribe to the Christian religion or any other religion can take an alternate oath when they, are called to give evidence in a court of law. Similarly, those who felt that they couldn't swear allegiance to Canada's Canada's monarch could opt for an alternative alternative oath which would be equally binding. If one were to change the oath of allegiance allegiance at all, it seems as though that would have been the way to do it. But, of course, the change was unnecessary. unnecessary. Unnecessary, except in the minds of a few people who feel that the role of the monarchy isn't in step with their own political philosophy. There's an old saying that if something something works, don't fix it. Unfortunately, many politicians haven't heard that pearl of wisdom. They prefer to break things that work and to fix things that aren't broken. Welfare...Cash for Life After a column appeared in the Toronto Toronto Sun and Financial Post last week concerning welfare costs, there was, as might be expected, a rebuttal by the provincial government. But we're not sure that the government's government's response is a successful rebuttal rebuttal of anything whatsoever. You may recall that the Toronto Sun article claimed that a family of four, whose two parents were on welfare welfare would receive an income equal to about $25,000 per year. And it further added that this amount would not be taxable. It went on to conclude that, in order to match a take-home pay of $25,000 per annum, two wage-earners would need a pre-tax family income of $45,000. Now, there may have been some misunderstanding of the article when it was discussed in the local barber shops and coffee klatches. Certainly, some people may have thought that every welfare recipient could earn $45,000. But such misunderstanding on the part of readers is not the fault of the original column. The fact of the matter is that, in SOME cases, a family of two earners, with two children, would have to earn upwards of $45,000 per year to make the same amount of money that they would cam on full welfare benefits. Certainly single persons on welfare do not earn that much. Nor do individual individual parents. But, from what we can see, the example cited was substantially substantially correct. And the now-famous column also pointed out a proposal from a report on welfare which recommends that the government cut down on the degree to which welfare pay-outs arc supervised. supervised. For example, it was noted that persons would no longer have to have a permanent residence in order to reçoive reçoive the benefits, And it was noted that this could open the door for welfare welfare scams in which recipients would opply for assistance in a half a dozen different locations and pocket n half a dozen cheques. But rather than argue the specifics of this particular column or engage in a battle of statistics at 50 paces, perhaps perhaps it's about time someone took another another look at the philosophy of welfare assistance. Like it or not, vast amounts of the public purse are being spent on welfare. welfare. And it seems as though the process process has gone beyond the stage where it was a temporary payment for persons persons who were in need of emergency funds. Rather, welfare is becoming a permanent permanent source of revenue for some. And, given the pressure to liberalize welfare systems even more, we are rapidly approaching the stage where the benefits really amount to a minimum minimum compulsory salary paid to all persons in amounts which are determined determined by their circumstances. Perhaps there's nothing wrong with a minimum salary. But, it seems to us that if everyone is to get a guaranteed salary from the government, it's about time that a new principle is introduced. introduced. Why not require those who receive these benefits to work for the community community in some capacity which meets their qualifications and skills? And, if they lack those qualifications, they might even be required to learn useful skills while receiving welfare. There are many tasks in areas such as environmental protection, the arts, education, and community or volunteer volunteer services which could benefit from additional workers. And why not draw these workers from the persons who receive government assistance. It's not a novel idea, to bo sure. And whenever it's introduced, the bleeding hearts of our society will claim thnt wo arc going hack to an era of Dickensian workhouses. But that's not necessarily so. , If the government has decided, in its wisdom, to pay everyone a salary, then it would only bo logical for it to give everyone a job. The Quiet This is the voice of a quiet Canadian, a Canadian who knows what it is like to walk with dignity, pride, respect respect and love that only a nation such as Canada can produce. Today, I am saddened by the attitude of the governments governments of Canada ana Ontario Ontario who are determined to force their will on the people of this nation, even it it means polarizing the country, country, if it means destroying the foundation that has made Canada one of the most respected and admired countries in the world. Such respect and admiration has not come by chance, it was earned by the demeanor of the people in this country over the past 100 years. To understand the true nature of a Canadian, one must look to the past, to the traditions that bound this nation together, "the true North strong and free," and contrary to present belief, a nation with a quiet inner strength that belied what appeared to outsiders as a lack of pride and determination, determination, the inability to make this a nation of power and strength in the world comm- munity. We are a nation of power and strength, and history history will record how much of that power and strength we have contributed to the world at large. If we as Canadian have a weakness, it lies in our humility, humility, to show compassion without return or reward, but we have not seen this as a weakness, but a strength that carried us through the Great Depression and three wars, the ability to care for others less fortunate than ourselves. When our country needed us we were there, when the world needed us we were there. We are a nation of quiet doers, we feel a strong moral obligation for what God and this country have given us. That moral obligation extends extends to those who gave of their lives to maintain the traditions and heritage that had made this a nation to be Food Seized At Cinemas Dear Mr. James : On a recent Sunday afternoon, our 8 and 10 year old boys expressed a desire to go and see the new "Turtle Movie." As the Bowmanvile Cinema was the closest theatre showing the movie, we opted to drive the boys to the mall. As parents who believe in nutritious snacks for our children, we armed them with vitamin added fruit drinks and apples to eat during the movie. After the boys had paid for their tickets, the staff of the theatre confiscated their snacks, with no explanation. We assume the theatre's management has this policy to assist its own junk food stand's sales. They failed in this case as the boys did not have sufficient money to buy anything. They did succeed however in providing us with a very good reason never to set foot in their establishment again. This money grabbing, small time attitude will eventually (especially in these economic times) see the demise of businesses like the Bowmanville Cinema. After all, we sent the boys to see a movie, not to eat junk food. Finally, this question, what if one or both of our boys were diabetic? Respectfully, Paul Scott, Newcastle. Canadian respected. How long we can continue continue to be a proud nation will lie in the hands of the present generation and future future generations. If we sacrifice pride, dignity dignity and respect, if we sacrifice sacrifice moral responsibility, moral obligation and moral duty because of complacency or apathy, then we become a nation without a soul. Affluence Affluence is creating corruption, greed and a single-minded attitude among the people of this great nation. It is time to stem the tide of discontent and distrust. It is time to return to the old values that bound this nation nation together. It is time to thwart the efforts of the malcontents who wish to tear the fabriic of national unity and pride, to create a national wasteland of self- satisfying, power seeking bureaucrats. It is time for all time Canadians Canadians to stand up and be counted, to come together as a nation, before we no longer have one. You must learn from the past, to prepare for the future. future. I have shared the anguish anguish of a depression and two wars, with my fellow Canadians. I am proud of them. I love my fellow Canadians. Canadians. No matter the flag, Jack, Ensign or Leaf, we will continue to be forever Canadian. Joseph R. Rafton, 20 Cove Rd., Wilmot Creek, Newcastle, Ontario LIB 1B9 Legal Anglers Dear Editor: As president of Durham Region Anglers Association, I am writing to express some concerns of our members members and to inform you of the steps we are taking to address address them. As annual runs of rainbow rainbow trout return to area creeks and streams, we are seeing a large increase in illegal illegal fishing activity. Fishing Fishing in closed waters, snagging snagging and netting of fish have all been witnessed by our members in recent weeks. As a result of this, we have contacted Durham Regional Police and the Ministry of Natural Resources enforcement enforcement staff asking them to increase enforcement of the Game and Fish Act on streams in Durham Region. As both organizations nave responded favourably to our request, I would like to. take this opportunity to inform the public of the penalties that can be imposed for illegal illegal fishing. If caught fishing without a valid Ontario resident resident sport fishing licence, the minimum fine is $50.00.- Fishing in closed waters carries carries a minimum $100.00 fine. Snagging and netting of fish carries a minimum fine of $100.00 per fish, in your possession. The seizure of equipment used to snag or net fisn and in serious cases, the seizure of vehicles ,used to transport fish is also possible. possible. Juveniles can be charged and assessed fines under the act. It is the responsibility of the angler to ensure that they are fishing in open areas areas and that children, fishing under their supervision, obey all fishing regulations. I encourage all residents to explore the wonderful fishing opportunities available available in Durham Region, but do so with conservation in mind to protect them for our children tomorrow. Thank You Stewart McLellan President - D.R.A.A. Re-Shuffling Without a Full Deck Human nature tends to make people paint similar, similar, but different, situations situations with the same brush. We hear stories about people doing things and assume those things are being done by others simply simply because they belong to the same group. All blondes are suddenly suddenly dumb because of an instance of one blonde person doing something or saying something silly. Or something done by one person of one race (such as stealing), leads to the conclusion that all people of that race are thieves. Or because one newspaper newspaper or television reporter reporter is a slimeball, all reporters are portrayed or perceived that way. It isn't the right way to regard someone and it isn't a fair judgement to make. But prejudice never never is fair. If it was, racism and sexism wouldn't exist. But it does exist because because society hasn't done enough to change it. We have become a mass market, consumer world where items are mass-produced instead of individually created. Because Because of this, we view things in groups instead of as single entities. Sometimes that grouping grouping can cause damage. Classing all men as ignoramuses ignoramuses isn't fair, nor accurate, and can lead to hurt feelings. Classing everyone receiving receiving governmental financial financial assistance as shysters shysters also isn't fair. Last week, Durham Regional Councillors were upset about an 'article 'article in a Toronto newspaper newspaper extolling the ease involved involved in obtaining assistance. The councillors had every reason to be annoyed. annoyed. Despite the fact the article article makes it seem as if social ' assistance staff aren't doing their job in determining who is eligible eligible for assistance, it creates the impression that everyone on the system system doesn't need it. We have all heard stories stories about so-and-so living living down the street who is on welfare and is able to provide the kids with the latest and newest toys. A story such as this, true or not, casts a negative negative light on the entire population of people receiving receiving assistance. Some figures floating around in the regional council chambers last week indicated that 2-5 per cent of the people on the system abuse it. This means that roughly 95 per cent of the welfare recipients in the region are on the system because they need it. How many factories have closed in Durham Region in the last year? How many other companies companies have been forced to lay off their employees, some permanently, because because of rough business? And how many other companies are affected in a spin-off from these closings closings and layoff's? Maybe there are problems problems with the financial assistance system. Maybe some people who don't need social assistance assistance are abusing it. But, because one person person out of 10 or 20 or 30 sees a free ride and wants to take it, does this mean we should lump the nine, nineteen or twenty- nine people who do need it into that same group? We talk in generalized terms and forget the individual. individual. The stories, the hopes and the struggles of Jane Doe or John Doe and every every other person seeking government help aren't listened to or asked to be heard. You can criticize the system and yell at politi cians for what you per : ceive as being unfair. But don't condemn and point fingers at every person person in the cheque line-up because the guy at the end shouldn't be there when everyone in front of him has nowhere else to ' be. Welfare Case Increases are Down in Mar. Increases in. the number of welfare cases in Durham Region are not as high as they were a couple of months ago. However, the number of people receiving welfare in Durham is still climbing. General welfare assistance assistance cases increased in March by 2.8 percent over the month of February. The February increase was 4.5 percent over January. January. January's figures were 13.8 percent higher than those of December. While the increases are not as large ns they have been, Durham Regional Chairman of Health and Social Social Services, Diane Hamre, noted the number of cases is still high. The number of people receiving receiving social assistance in the region in March of 1991 was 66.8 per cent more than the number receiving assistance assistance in 1990. Pressing Matters In One Small Town - by John E. James-- w NOTES ON A RAINY DAY Spring. First sign of good weather. Lingering hours of daylight after dinner. Green grass, flower bed sprouts, budding leaves, enchanting squadrons of honking geese heading north. Bronzed battalions of the species "Canadianus Elderatum Floridoodaw" reappear amongst our midst, mowing lawns at frequency intervals deliberately deliberately intended to embarrass neighbours. neighbours. Also arriving again this year, precisely precisely as each household stows heavy weather gear, readies garden tools, rescues cob-webbed lawn chairs from sheds, prepares minor leaguers to play and gathers grumbling family members members to perform detested annual work rituals... Rain. Not much else has gone well in the early months of 1991, but one could safely observe that rain is having an excellent year. In fact, given the average average Canadian's tendency to find a dark cloud in every silver lining, do not ho surprised when the news mafia unleashes a flood of special reports declaring: declaring: "Rain is Killing Us." And why not? Scientists have conclusively proved everything else is. Forget what you've been taught. Rain is bad. Rain is worse than organized organized crime. Rain could be our most serious threat. Striking an insidious blow to the average average Canadian's peace of mind, rain attacks at the precise moment we are most vulnerable. As winter's grip be- 'ns to slip, we're smitten with insatia- e cravings for the teensy-est bit of sunlight at the end of the icy tunnel. Alas, 'The Force" is not with us. Who knows what evil lurks within man? Rain docs. It permeates, saturates, dissipates and obliterates our traditional common common sense approach to daily life, completely completely annihilating rational thought. Overstatement? We beg to differ. Any current elementary school "show and tell" performance offers abundant evidence. No one is immune; from the nation's lowest socioeconomic socioeconomic straggler to the foremost loader of this great land (Notre Pays, Oy Voy!*) ('"Editor's Note: As n public service to promote unity among all Canadians, Canadians, this column will attempt to create n sense of basic bilingualism for readers readers via occasional translation of key words and phrases within tin; text. -■*) Yes, rain is unquestionably the root source for much of that which presently presently ails us. What other rationale could justify Prime Minister Brian Mulroney's choice of Joe Clark as the cabinet minister minister responsible for solving the Eng- lislVFrench Crisis (Le Grand Boeuf- Merde)? What else would have motivated Ontario Premier Bob Rae to nominate the notorious Susan Eng as chairman of Ontario's Police Commission or to accommodate Eng's refusal to recognize recognize Queen Elizabeth as head of the Commonwealth by removing all mention mention of allegiance to the Queen in the province's police Oath of Allegiance (Le Pledge Peut-Etre)? Or how could a senior magistrate, Judge Jean-Pierre Beaulne, dare to dismiss the case of an individual charged with the death of another human human being, because "ten months was too long a delay" before trial? More examples: •What could have prompted replacement replacement of door to door mail delivery (La Service En Retard) by Super Mail Boxes which only open in colder months after thawing by butane lighter? lighter? •What logic was employed by conservationists conservationists who urged banning liquor liquor bottles in dumps, hut unfortunately unfortunately failed to address the greater question - who can afford bottled liquor? liquor? (La vie, c'est une bitch.) . _ 'Unbelievable department: a convicted convicted child molester could not legally be stopped from opening, promoting and operating a day-care centre in Ontario? Ontario? •Colour us optimistic: Despite a potential potential French-Canadian split, a new $89 million edifice is being constructed to house the National Archives in Gatineau, Gatineau, Quebec. •A defence of "I was dumb (but very rich,)" worked impressively in the case of'Banned For Life Ben' Johnson, who returned to "amateur" running (but not winning) again, a mere two years after disgracing himself and the rest of the country in the Olympics, •And finally, we offer the plight of Evelyn Gigantes, Ontario's new (uhh, better make that "old") Minister of Health who recently resigned after inadvertently inadvertently naming an OHIP claimant whose identity is supposed to be protected protected by law. The media has had a field day with this terrifying indiscretion, indiscretion, but somehow overlooked the more relevant and hard-to-swallow fact that taxpayers paid roughly $500,000 for the "innocent victim's cocaine cocaine addiction treatment in Houston, Texas. Blame it on the rain. (Tnhcrnnc. 11 Pleut encore!)