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Bcugog Citizen -- Tuesday, November 10, 1992 --0 4 VIEWPOINT LETTER TO EDITOR] Do You Live In Scugog Township Are You Unemployed? If 80, you should take the time to fill out the survey in this edition of the Citizen. This survey has been placed by Employment Services Outreach, and is designed to to help those who are out of work. Outreach wants to determine just how many people in Scugog are using the services that are available to the unem- ployed. And if they are not taking advan- tage of these services, why not? This will help to assess the needs of the unemployed in the Township. The survey is fairly detailed, but it doesn't take very long to fill it out. You are not required to put your name on the survey. If you're out of work, why not help yourself. Take a few minutes to fill out this survey and return it to Employment Serviceg' Outreach, 116 Water Street, Port Pefry. LOL 1R2. And speaking of this, the number of people out of work in this country continues to be a national shame. The official unemployment rate is over 11 per cent. The actual rate is higher as a lot of people don't show up as a statistic because they have dropped out of the job hunt due to frustration or sheer exhaustion. An article I saw recently put the unemployment situation in perspective. As long as Canada's primary resource sector remains weak, unemployment will remain high. Farming, forestry, mining, fishing, the article argued, are what generate wealth in Canada. As long as prices remain depressed in the primary sector, everything else gets dragged down. Government make-work projects help get people off UI or the welfare roles, but that's about it. But that's really just taking money from a different pocket for a while. It's strictly stop-gap and does little to build the real wealth on which the economy of any nation stands. As bleak as the unemployment picture is right now, there is more bad news from Ottawa (what else is new) about the deficit. Last year, the deficit ran to $34.6 billion, almost four billion dollars above original estimates. And for the current fiscal year which ends in March, 1993, the outlook is not much better. The reason for such a massive shortfall in revenue? Reduced revenues (from taxes) and increased spending for such things as Ul. Even though the government slapped the country with that murderous Goods and Services Tax and promised that it would be used to reduce the deficit, the federal government continues to add to the deficit by spending $34 billion more than it took in. And they say it is because of reduced revenues and increased Ul pay-outs. Well, of course in the middle of the worst depression since the 1930's, the amount of tax collected will be down and the amount paid out to the unemployed will be up. The government should have budgeted for that. And it's pretty clear the government has not been able to cut its own spending elsewhere. Why else would we be running $34 billion in the hole in 1991-92, even with all the money from the GST pouring into Ottawa? How bad are things going to get before they get better? Some suggest the depression has hit bottom (i.e., it won't get any worse) But they add quickly (and this is really frightening) things are not going to turn around at all. What we are going through now in November, 1992, is about where we will be in two years or longer. In short, the "good times" are back, baby. Personally, I don't believe that theory (that this is as good as it's going to get) Perhaps I should say I don't want to believe that theory. Because if it's true, I shudder to think what the future holds for my children, or anyone's children, for that matter. Contrary to what some people think, I am not by nature a pessimist, but it's tough not to be these days, given the horrid state of affairs in this country. Like a lot of people I have all but given up hope that government can turn things around. With the GST we were promised deficit reduction; with free trade, we were promised economic benefits. We have a Tory government in Ottawa and an NDP government in Queens Park. Both have displayed ample evidence that neither enjoys a monopoly on mis- management. But then it is not the politicians who experience the tough times first hand. They don't stand in line at 4:00 AM with 4,000 others in the hopes of landing a job at a new hotel; they don't fill out applications for UI or welfare; they don't know the feeling when the boss says "your job is redundant," or when somebody in New York or London says "we're shutting down your factory." Too bad. Maybe if they did, they'd at least get the priorities straight. Appeal to all citizens To the Editor: The following letter has been sent to federal Justice Minister Kim Campbell, Prime Minister Brian Mulroney, Durham MP Ross Stevenson, Durham MPP Gord Mills and Ontario Premier Bob Rae to commemorate "White Ribbon Against Pornography Week," Oct. 25-Nov. 1. This letter, along with the enclosed white ribbons is one way we, the people of Immaculate Conception and St. Bernadette Parishes in Port Perry and Nestleton are expressing our concern about pornography. We live today in an age of openness never before experienced in our history. Although, of itself, this openness is a good thing, for we are not advocating a return to times of closed mindedness, we feel with openness must come responsibility. We, as caring and concerned communities, speak out against the never-ending stream of pornography infiltrating our society through television, movies, videos and books. These, under the guise of so-called "self expression," create the danger being passed on to our children and to adults, of de-sensitizing us to all acts of sexual abuse. As people become accustomed to the so-called "soft porn," it is a gradual acceptance of other forms of "hard core" pornography. It is with great urgency that we appeal to you to strengthen the Criminal Code in regard to all forms of pornography, from which many crime sources derive their capital. We urge stronger guidelines concerning the ratings, distribution and display of all such material. Many of us have watched as this disease has taken hold within our communities, and we failed to speak out because of the labeling with which we are often branded. We feel we must appeal to all our good citizens to open our eyes to the effects of pornography on our society Sincerely, Immaculate Conception Catholic Womens League, Port Perry Else Schillings, President Remembrance Day not Holiday To the Editor: 1 shall never forget November 11, 1945, Armistice Day (now Remembrance Day) in Germany. I totally disagree with the "holiday" concept of Remembrance Day. This to me is a day to remember the dead and wounded of the wars Canada has been involved in and the sacrifice men and Despair over To the Editor: Via this writing I refer your readers to the headline and coverage, the Toronto Star, Monday, Nov. 16 - "Scare Voters, Yes side was told." 1 despair that high profile Canadians plus our elected "representatives" women made in the interests of we who survived. It is not a day to be bargained or governed, or a day to go golfing, fishing or swimming. It may be that there are too few of us to remember. Lest we forget. In Flanders Fields. Roy Walker Smith scare tactics would so participate. Surely the game of party politics versus good of country, demands severe examination and questioning. A. Grant, Port Perry P= SnapsHoT OF THE WEEK -- here, | gotta get to the Royal. Hey! You there, yeah you with the camera - Let me out of wm ™ PEU~BILvED MvysiEr vI 4 fi Be. Who are they? Where did they live? What did they do? Were their lives filled with happiness, or empty with despair? If you recognize someone here, please call the Scugog Shores Museum 985- 3589 and tell them who you think they are Let's get these photos to a family album, where they will be kept with other memories.