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2 The Canadian Statesman, Bowinanville, Wednesday, June 16,1993 Section Two Former Publishers Rev. W. R. Climie, 1854-1878 • M A. James, 1878-1935 • George W. James, 1935-1957 Produced weekly by James Publishing Company Limited For 139 Years, Our First Concern Has Been Our Community Publisher - John M. James Assoc. Publisher - Richard A. James Plant Manager - Donald J. Bishop Ad. Manager - Brian G. Purdy Editor - Peter Parrott Production , Rick Patterson, Julie Cashin-Oster, Ross Fisher, Laurens Kaldeway, Doug Lugtenburg, Sharon McMullen, Barb Patterson, Ralph Rozema, Jim Snoek, Vance Sutherland, Jim Tuuramo CCNA/j' Advertising Laveme Morrison Editorial Brad Kelly, Lorraine Manfredo, Laura J. Richards Office Angela Luscher, Junia Hodge, Grace McGregor, Nancy Pleasance, Marilyn Rutherford P.O. Box 190, 62 King St. W., Bowmanville, Ontario, L1C 3K9 416-623-3303 Fax 416-623-6161 Conventional Political Wisdom Another political convention has come and gone. And with it comes the question of whether the convention format is really the best way to choose a leader. There are alternatives to the process of selecting a leader in a giant, sweltering arena bristling with signs and placards. We don't really need the brass bands and hoopla. For example, political parties might leave the choosing of a leader to the various MPs in the party caucus who work with potential* candidates on a day-to-day basis and have a much better idea of a candidate's strengths and weaknesses. ' If that option is not democratic enough, then it might also be possible to open the electoral process to the entire party. Why not allow all bona fide party members to cast their ballots at local polling stations across the country? Either option would keep down the costs of mounting a campaign and might therefore attract other candidates who couldn't otherwise afford to mn. But, don't look for any change in the near future. The leadership convention is here to stay for a number of reasons. First of all, there is the fact that delegates from across the country can get together at a convention to exchange ideas, make new contacts, meet rising stars in tire party, etc. The leadership convention is a giant pep rally for the party. And it's also a kind of political trade fair. It's a way of keeping parly faithful interested in the political process. In addition, leadership contests are a good way to give politicians and parlies free advertising. For three or four days, all attention is focused on the convention. And that gives the party and its candidates a high profile in the national media. Of course, the whole process of campaigning which leads up to the convention is another exercise in publicity and promotion of the party. If a party didn't hold a leadership convention, it would lose a huge opportunity to gain publicity and promote itself. There may be a better way to do it. But, the publicity opportunities outweigh any other advantages that the alternatives might have. And, given the added momentum from a successful leadership convention and the election of a first female prime minister-designate, the fortunes of the Tory party are definitely on the rise. Despite what you may have heard from the latest popularity polls, a rejuvenated Progressive Conservative party under their new leader, Kim Campbell, cannot be considered out of the running. And, with the election.of the new PC leader, the 1993 federal election campaign has truly begun. Letter to the Editor Drunks Get Away with Murder The Editor: Seldom does a day go by when the media doesn't have a new itetp about drunk drivers killing one or by Rick James Although I've only heard directly from one person, the grapevine tells me that my column of May 26th has really angered local teachers. For those who missed that column, I suggested suggested that the teachers' federation consider accepting cutbacks that would help trim $2 billion billion from the provincial budget. Specifically, I mentioned, "what if the teachers offered to be unpaid for their professional development days? Or how about giving up some paid sick days?" Those thoughts were based on my opinion that teachers enjoy very generous remuneration remuneration packages compared to employees in the private sector. Especially, when we are experiencing experiencing the most significant re-structuring of our economy since The Great Depression. Unfortunately, teachers Interpreted my opinion opinion as questioning their ability, integrity, and the quality of education. That was certainly not the intent. The purpose of the column was to explain explain that teachers must share In the economic pain experienced by everyone else. In other words, their jobs should not be recession-proof. Even my New Democrat M.R.P. friend from Queen's Park, Gord Mills, writes in his column this week that, "...everyone should come to realize realize that the future of all Ontarians, rates above long held ideology." At a time when the rest of Ontario's workers are facing double digit unemployment, massive layoffs, wage freezes and cuts, loss of benefit packages, and reduced vacation time, teachers are saying that by, "...voting for lower wages for teachers, you are in turn voting (or mediocrity in the ranks and mediocrity in our future leaders." That statement concerns mo greatly. Using that philosophy, perhaps we should double their salaries so they will do twice as good as job. Let's remember, I was only suggesting that they give up some paid sick days, or not be paid for professional development days. Not a bad concession, compared to the hit Ontario's private sector's workers have taken. Another statement from the same teacher also also deserves attention. In a letter to The Statesman last week, she stated, "This profession profession noods to offer salarios and bonolits com- parable to thoso In tho privato sector in order to According to the school board, teachers are required to work 194 days per year compared to around 250 for most workers. That's about 25% fewer days for a base salary that is as high as $63,060 for qualified teachers with 12 years' experience. They are also entitled to 20 paid sick days per year which may be accumulated and used as a bonus at retirement. There are also nine professional development days, a lucrative lucrative group benefit package, a first rate pension pension plan, and provisions for sabbaticals. If you're still not convinced there's room for reductions in teachers' salaries, let's turn to a publication called the Town of Newcastle Community Profile. It's a marketing brochure potential Investors receive from the town listing a variety of statistics about taxes, land availability, availability, natural gas prices and wage rates. According to the figures compiled In March of 1993 by the Canada Employment Centre, guess who leads all 32 sample occupations In both highest wage and highest average wage categories? Teachers take top honors at $40.00 and $21.04 per hour, respectively. So, why am I targeting teachers' remuneration? remuneration? You should be concerned about It as well because a huge portion of your tax bill goes towards towards teachers' and administrators' salaries. Even math teachers will tell you that for every $1,000 you pay In taxes, $610 of It goes to the school board. Of that $610, about $460 of it goes towards salaries. Keep In mind that the public education portion of your tax bill wont up 5% this year, after several huge double digit Increases Increases throughout the 1980s. The tax burden on both Individuals and businesses businesses has become excessive, and It Infuriates me that teachers refuse to consider concessions concessions while the taxpayer who provides their pay cheques suffers. Teachers will argue they work many hours outside of the regular class preparation preparation time, and that their jobs are more stressful stressful than most. Not nearly as stressful as tho middle aged worker who has boon laid off because because of his company's high taxes, and ho now has to toll his wife and throe kids Hint any Job prospects are very remote. Have you over hoard of a teacher being laid off? No doubt I'll lake some hoot about my posl more people on the roads, or drunks killing people in homes or on the , strcci. j / . When was ihc first lime or the last j time you heard of a drunk person kill- i ing one or more people gelling the 25 year sentence for murder? A sober person murdering another person can and have received the 25 year prison sentence, not so with the drank who kills while drunk. The point is that anyone who had a few drinks docs in fact get away with murder under our present political laws. In our society, anyone planning to murder should always have a 'few drinks' before committing murder because because it reduces the sentence from approximately 25 years if sober to approximately 2-5 years if a few drinks were consumed before they murder anyone. Why arc people who consume alcohol so privileged? We must seriously consider the economic factors alcohol has on our society. It docs create a lot of jobs from the makers of alcohol to the grave diggers. Between the alcohol maker and the grave diggers arc the sales people, judges, lawyers, undertakers, undertakers, media, medical people, coffin makers, prison guards, church officials officials etc. it appears that our politicians politicians who make the laws and the courts who interpret the laws view killing of innocent people by drunks as ncccssary/worthwhilc because of all the jobs the killings create. •Drunks' arc really good for our economy from the politicians viewpoint. viewpoint. Have you or they ever considered the fact that when the killing of innocent innocent people puts some food on the table table of those who make a living as a result of people dying, it amounts to a perverted, insidious, legalized, indirect indirect form of cannibalism, or should it be termed "Political Cannibalism'. I repeat people who kill while drank do get away with murder under our legal and political system because because it's good for our economy, as is aids, cancer; smoking etc. Anyone who dies or gets killed before they reach the age of 60 has to pay taxes until they die but because of dying so young they don't qualify for old age pension. Their early deaths save the government much money. This too is good for the economy. D.D. Cranfield 251-3rd Avenue South Saskatoon, Saskatchewan S7K1M3 Youth Group Raises $193 from Yard Sale Dear Mr. James: Thank you so much for putting our Yard Sale ad in Bits and Pieces on May 26th. Just wanted to let you know that the Tyrone Enniskillen Youth Group raised $193.13 for Project Project Love. Thanks again for your help, Sandy Archibald YES! A new Tory era has swept down on us at long last. One with a new leader who just happens to be a woman, and one that might make a lot of people sit up and take notice. Kim Campbell has what Picnrc Trudeau had, and still has, charisma. She also has common sense and is intelligent. While some may wonder 'why her?' others are actually rejoicing in. the selection of Ms Campbell. However, on the darker edge, there' are those folks who may not like her personally because she has a back-" ground unlike those who went before her. But, that is the big plus. She knows about survival, because, she has had to survive her parents' marriage break-up. She is a single woman, almost. She is currently separated from her husband husband in her second marriage. She is not the only woman in Canada to be separated from her husband. But that isn't all. Ms Campbell has done what many baby boomers have had to do over their working years - change jobs. Statistics show that adults will have to change their careers at least three times over their working years. So, far, she fits in with the statistics. She is a woman of the 1990's, a baby boomer. By not fitting the stereo-type of what a Prime Minister 'should' be like as seen by Canadian male politicians over the last 126 years she will be able to bring the breath of fresh air so desperately needed into the position of Prime Minister. However, let all Canadians be forewarned. forewarned. Just because she is a woman and some men still think they can twist women around their pinkie fingers, fingers, she's not the type. She's tough. She has ideas that will make Brian Mulroney's look like the tooth fairy in comparison. She wants to reduce the deficit and the national debt which stands at $491 billion at this time. Of course that means we are going to be pulling our belts tighter and not living so high off the hog for the next few years. She is going to have to do what a lot of provincial leaders have had to do over the last four years -- forget the favors and get real. There will be some unfavorable eliminations in the national budget, but perhaps some things need to be changed. This reporter can sec some real changes in the way welfare and unemployment unemployment insurance will be doled out. Stricter rules need to be put into place for both programs and a greater emphasis emphasis needs to be placed on retraining retraining everyone for a global economy not solely the Canadian or North American economy. While some people fear her inexperience inexperience with handling the country's finances, she has proved herself capable capable of assessing and handling the three portfolios she has had with amazing speed. Besides, all politicians rely on the super-bureaucrats to actually run their departments until the politicians get a feel for things -- she will be no different. During the next two weeks she will Continued on Page 3 attract high calibre Individuals Into tho oduca- lion from my Irlonds In tho loachlng profosslon, tional system" In my opinion, that would bo a groat plnco to start so that wo may roduco wagos In tho education systorn. Lot's do a comparison comparison and soo how your job, II you still liavo ono, stacks up against a loachor's. but tho sacrod cow status o( tho oducatlon system system has existed lar too long. It has to bo cut. II It Is not corrected now, thoro will soon bo a lime when our children will not bo able to afford to take an apple to tho teacher. We Asked. -- Do you think the Highway 407 should by-pass the northern portions of the municipality? .. .And You Said Barry Welsh R.R, #5, Bowmanville Jim Braylcy Hwy. HZ "It should go straight across the "j would like It to stay ns l *' c proposed route "No. It shouldn't go area where It is less nwnv from the rural goes right through my through the northern Mary Martin Acres Road That would be great W. Colville R.R. #2, Bowmanville away densely populated.". area." house now." portion. The government government already has the land It needs to expand the 401." Next week's question VVlut is your opinion on the new leader ol the Progressive t onservative Party'