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Scugog Citizen -- Tuesday, November 21,1995 -- 9 dm "VIEWPOINT by John B. McClelland |. i [LETTERS TO EDITOR} 1 So BOOMERS REVOLT Some time around the year 2015, a strange event is going to take place in this country. The Boomers are going to gb bananas, take to the streets, storm the houses of Parliament and hang the first politician they find from the nearest lamp-post. In the year 2010, the first of the post war boomers (those born in 1945) will be turning 65 and over the next five years hundreds of thousands born between 1945 and 1950 will hit that same magic number--retirement--the golden years--a chance to go south to escape our brutish winters, pursue new hobbies, play golf on a Thursday morning without haying to play hqoky from work, or at last the opportunity to do nothing more than sit back, relax and watch the grand kids grow up. Sounds just great, right? Only one small problem. In the year 2015, the Canada Pension Plan reserve fund will run dry, even with contributory increases already planned over the next 20 years. Paul McCrossan, an actuary and a former MP, has crunched the numbers in the CPP and came up with a very gloomy scenario-- especially for-all the "boomers" looking forward to retirement in the next 15 to 20 years. He predicts that to keep the CPP fund floating, worker coptributions will have to increase to $1259 annually, matched of course by employers. urrently the contribution is $850 by worker and employer. But that is just to pay the pensions for those retiring now. For those of us retiring in 15-20 years, our contribution will have to be:much higher or there won't be a single penny to keep us through those "golden yeard" One report says the employee/employer contribution will have go up from the present 5.4 per cent of payroll to a whopping 15.5 per cent, or an increase nearly three-fold. Even with large increases in contributions, those looking for a pension in'a few years may not get anything or at best a reduced pension that will hardly cover basic living costs--neve# mind a winter in the sun. Many boomers right now are trying to save something for their retirement years. But between paying off the mortgage and getting the kids through school, it's tough and many are going to find the nest egg mighty small when they hit 65. And what happens if ghé "CPP fund is completely dry? How will they survive? Many may have to fee on working until age 70 or later, not because they want to, but because they will have no choice. Yes, unless something is done now about the CPP, the boomers are going to be mighty angry. THIS IS A GOOD RULE The Ontario Hockey Federation which represents minor hockey in the province wants a new rule in place for next year which would forbid a player from joining a Junior team until he has played at least one season at the midget age level. Not surprisingly, the people who run Major Junior hockey are not happy with the proposal and no doubt the rule change will end up in front of the courts, if not by a Junior organization then by some irate parent claiming Johnny's rights hockey player have been infringed. Frankly, I think it's a good idea. Anyone connected in any way with hockey knows there are midget age players who have more than made the grade with a major junior team. What we don't hear about are the ones who don't--the ones who leave home at 14 to play hockey hundreds of miles away in a strange city with players as old as 20. It can be a meat grinder where a lot of promising youngsters wind up on the hockey scrap heap because coaches, managers and parents push them too quickly. What's wrong with forcing a youngster to play at least one season of midget before he attempts ,to make the substantial jump to major junior? Not a thing, in my books, anyway. Let these young teen-agers grow up, let them mature both physically and psychologically before throwing them into the maw of major Junior hockey. On the same topic, I wish the NHL, would stop suiting up 18 and 19 year olds who are no more ready for that level of competition than a 15-* year is ready for major Junior. I hope the rule goes through and I hope that when it gets to court, some judge has the guts to make decision for the benefit of the majority of young teen-agers and not just the exceptional whiz-kid. IN CLOSING: I had to chuckle over a statement attributed to Mila Mulroney (remember her) who can't understand how Pierre Trudeau has such an attraction to the opposite sex. Pierre, she said, is a "short, little, ugly, pock-marked man." Film companies should pay individual buinesses To the Editor: I am a business owner in downtown Port Perry, and would like to respond to the articles in our local papers regarding the BIA and future filming in downtown Port Perry. The BIA, I believe, originated from a need to beautify our main business area for which all our retailers, profe 1 filming. It is for this reason that I feel film companies should negotiate directly with each business that is directly affected. The BIA has been successful in what it has been designed to do but I do disagree with attempting to capitalize financially as an organization representin®f us, the services and service industries pay an annual fee to cover all costs. This has been successful as is obvious when walking down Queen Street, making our town an attractive setting for film production companies. ' It is quite evident however, that filming does not always affect every member of the BIA and will vary, Bepending on the location and situation of each particular very bers of the BIA. In closing, I do feel however that the Township of Scugog should be compensated, as well as money held in trust to cover costs and obligations, which may not be fulfilled in the film companies' agreements. Dana Smith Dana's Goldsmithing Inc; Port Perry, Ontario Driver in a hurry To the Editor; On Thursday, November 9, 1995 at approximately 3:00.p.m., a school bus was parked in the IGA lot next to Marwood Antiques. When the driver finished shopping, backed the bus onto Mary Street and We a parked car on the opposite side of the street pushing the car ideways and doing a iderable amount of damage. This driver was aware that something was hit but fled the scene without stopping. A witness tried to stop the bus but the driver was in too much rush to get to pick up the children on time. I wonder if a child had been hit would this driver have stopped? 99% of the bus drivers are courteous and cautious but this driver should not be allowed to be gmcharge of our children. Beware parking in any parking lot in the area. If you see a yellow bus parked, park your car as far away as you can as this might be the same bad driver. Walter Edwards, Port Perry Tolstoy and jobs To the Editor; How typical and how shortsighted is the comment of Durham East MPP John O'Toole reported to have said, "It's nice to have read Tolstoy but it's not necessary to get a job." It is also frightening to think that all "society" is interested in is producing a there is a large important part ef humanity called culture that requires thoughtful nurturing through other forms of education so that our lives can be rich and fulfilling and not leave us to feel we are merely numbers in a complex sterile impersonal system. Full lives may not necessarily include worker popul whose only fu will be to labour and consume and make business owners happy manipulators of our human resources. We are not ants in an ant hill - yet! Of course we must prepare ourselves for gainful employment - we have to eat - but g Tolstoy, but literature and art and music and physical enjoyments round us out into happier creatures and less prone to chopping off the heads of politicians who have lost their vision. Yours Respectfully, Owen R Neill, Port Perry Where's Bloc Ontario To the Editor; Wake Up Ontario! Do you realize that Chretien is about to give Quebec -distinct society _ -veto gver constitutional change -guarantee Quebec senate appointments, ete. The best of Canada and the majority of Quebecers have voted and confirmed that this is not what the people of Canada want or desire. The late referendum has shown the true aim of Quebec separatists, a pure French _--_---- I do not understand the political situation, Quebec has 51 members in Parliament. They dominate and control all the processes of Parliament. Ontario has 99 members, where are these members? They can't all be on holidays with Chretien and family. The people of Ontario demand that these 99 members get together, and act immediately to pass a law barring any further referendum, or any further concessions to Quebec. P.S. We have a Bloc Quebecois - Where is "Bloc Ontario™ W.J Fitzpatrick Port Perry Avian Ron Ward still keeps plugging away To the Editor: Open fax to Scugog Citizen Readership Guessing at about 3 weeks, I'l be Bet to send a report full of surprise, to alll those who spontaneously sent me their Yes Vote Cheque for a lottery to kill Ontario's deficit. It came as no surprise that P.M. Harris ignored my fax to him: but that's his problem. We've now got a group, that have put their money up front, to bring about needed change. As promised, if our initial effort failed, all of your cheques will stale date. Your bank won't honour them:-so your cost for" your valiant effort amounts to zip. I had advised some of you , that M.P. Alex Shepherd would destroy them. Trouble is: no politician will return mail or a fax. So much for Shepherd's June letter to me, that started all this: and' so much for politicians. It was never my 'claim that we need them anyway. Of course, we do need something. Right now, we need more Yes Vote $2. cheques. It Alex | is not too late to send yours in, payable: Death to Ontario's Deficit Balance c/o Minister of Finance. With thanks to P.M. Harris - it will never be deposited. What it will do, is swell the ranks of citizens to receive my above report. That is because it has been proven to me it is a waste, to entertain those who are fulfilled by just blowin' in the wind. If that was effective, we wouldn't be in this mess. Ladies and gentlemen: It's that time. Avian Ron Ward RR.1 Janetville, Ontario LOB 1KO Phone: 705-277-2376 Fax: 705-277-9451