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6 -- PORT PERRY STAR -- Thursday, December 28, 1989 The, Rout Povey Slay, 235 QUEEN STREET - PORT PERRY, ONTARIO EDITORIAL Publisher - J. Peter Hvidsten Editor - John B. McClelland News/Features - Julia Ashton BUSINESS OFFICE Office Manager .- Gayle Stapley Accounting - Judy Ashby Billing Department - Louise Hope NAOIAN COMM ve En yy 0 bod ees s A330 Member of the Canadian Community Newspaper Association Ontario Community Newspaper Association Published every Tuesday by the Port Perry Star Co. Lid. Port Perry, Ontario PHONE 985-7383 FAX 985-3708 News/Features - Kelly Storry Retail Sales - Kathy Dudley, Linda Ruhl, Tracy O'Neil The Port Perry Star is authorized as second class mail by the Post Office Department, Ottawa, for cash payment of postage. PRODUCTION ADVERTISING Second Class Mail Registration Number 0265 Annabell Harrison Advertising Co-ordinator - Valerie Ellis Subscription Rate: InCanada $20.00 per year Trudy Empringham Advertising Sales Representative - Anna Gouldburn Elsewhere $60.00 per year. Single Copy 50¢ Darlene Hlozan Editorial Comment - but eventually, they just dug a bit deeper THANKS, MIKE Federal finance minister Mike Wilson has given Cana- dians the Christmas gift they've been longing for. He cut the GST from nine to seven per cent. Ho, ho, ho. Gee, thanks, Mike We knew all along you were just a generous Santa masquerading in Scrooge's clothing. Imagine that. Less than a week before Christmas, the GST gets shaved by a couple of points. Break open the egg nog, sound the bells, rejoice Canadians, heed the word that has come down from above: a seven per cent solution. Pardon our cynicism, but 'seven per cent or nine per cent, is there really a difference? Fact of the matter is the GST, once in place in January 1991, is going to have a dreadful impact on all Canadians, but mostly on those who can least afford it. Oh, sure there are a few tax breaks here and there for those on very low incomes, but for those in the so-called middle income range, those who are already struggling with a plethora of taxes levelled by all three governments, the GST is just one bullet to bite. : In fact, middle income earners are getting a double whammy. A proposed one per cent reduction in personal income taxes has been scrapped, to help make. up the shortfall in revenue by cutting the GST two points. Critics of the GST, and there are many of them, from the Opposition benches, to Labour, to consumer groups and social advocates, are nearly unanimous in their con- demnation of this new federal tax. Sure, the government tells us that the GST will replace the 13.5 per cent manufacturers tax, the so-called "hidden" tax. Canadians just don't believe any savings are going to be passed along when they buy a new car, washing ma- chine or pair of blue jeans. And besides, the new GST will apply to just about everything from funerals to hair cuts. Groceries are still ex- empt, but just wait til next year. And like the provincial sales taxes that keep creeping up, what's to stop the feds from adding a point or two to the GST in years to come? True, the federal treasury is in a shambles; the debt load and interest payments almost beyond the scope of the average person to comprehend, but is lumping more and more of a tax burden on present and future Canadians the answer? How much deeper can people be expected to dig into their pockets to pay for the sins of past administrations that spent money they didn't have? | Something has to give. Critics of the GST are suggest- ing that the Conservative government could fall in the next election over this single issue. We think they may have something there. In fact, we sense a mood among Canadi- ans that this is the final straw, and they are going to tell Mr. Wilson, Mr. Mulroney and the rest of them, that enough is enough. Historically and culturally, Canadians over the years have accepted what governments threw at them. They have not been rebellious or very defiant, and the notion of a full-blown tax revolt is not a part of their character. But the mood Is changing in this country; and it's changing in a big hurry. There is frustration, anger and re- sentment. In the past, they may have arpegind grumbled, The GST is slated to come into effect a year from now. We strongly suspect that over the next 12 months, the an- ger is going to to grow, and it won't abate one iota by the time the next election rolls around. Hear that, Mike? 9 7 "Perrer SAVE YOUR ENERGY, BOY / WHEN THEY CUT THE RAILS AN' JAM THE RIGHWAYS YOU'LL GET WRUNG OUT BEFORE. YOUR TME [© 3 | Jottings by }. Peter Hvidsten UNSUNG HEROES I've been called to attended two fires during the past few weeks, in my capacity as a report- er/photographer, and both have been tragic. During that same time frame, members of Scugog's two Fire Departments have attended no less than a dozen calls. My main purpose for attending the fires was to record the events for a future news story. The firefighters have a much more serious task. Their's is to try and save property and life from the devastation of one of the man's most feared disasters... fire! A few weeks ago, after receiving a call about a fire in downtown Port Perry, | quickly dressed and headed for the business' section. My heart nearly stopped when | looked towards town and | could see a column of smoke billow- ing its way skyward in the cold, black night. My first thought was, "the fire was out of control, and the business section was about to be wiped out by fire, again!" But as | rounded the corner, | saw the street congested with fire trucks, an ambulance and police cars. Three firefighters were positioned on a ladder, with the one on top pouring water through the window of an apartment. It was an extremely cold night, and it wasn't long until the chill of winter started to creep un- der my coat and around my neck. My fingers felt like icicles as my bare hands gripped the came- ra waiting for a good news shot. After what seemed like ages, in reality it was probably little more than an hour, the local firefighters had the blaze under control. A short time later, exhausted firemen carried out the body of an elderly woman who had been unable to escape. In terms of news, a picture of the firemen stru gling through the narrow doorway, as they carried the woman to a waiting ambulance, would have been the best picture | could have taken. But | stood there frozen, too shaken about what was hanspiring to have my reporters instinct take over from my initial reaction. It's times like this, when people are stand- ing on the street watching their home and life- long possessions burn, and firemen are risking their lives as they battle the fire, that | feel like crawling into a hole, so no one can see me standing there with my camera. Although there is usually nothing | can do, recording tragedies always makes me feel like I'm taking advantage of someone's misfortune for the sake of a news story. To some extent that may be true, but it is not only the job, but the duty of the newspaper to record all news, be it happy or.sad, and that is why we attend. Last Sunday morning, the day before Christ- mas, the telephone rang at home informing me of a serious fire on Scugog Island. Once again | bundled up warmly, and head- ed for the scene, with a dozen questions running through my mind. it didn't take long for some of those ques- tions to be answered, for as | drove along Water St. | could see a large billowing column of smoke far away in the distance. There was no doubt, it was a bad fire. By the time | arrived, firemen were already hard at work trying to minimize damage to the home, but even the untrained eye could tell by the time this fire was brought under control, there would be little if nothing to salvage. The fire ended with no loss of life, although a young family, including two small children lost their home and all their possessions to the blaze. This would not be a Merry Christmas for the family, but through the efforts of the firemen and other concerned people, the family was given given clothing, money, and toys before they left to spend Christmas with family in Toronto. These are just two recent examples of the tragedies Scugog's firefighters must face every time they are called out. When the call goes out, they don't know if it will be a false alarm; a fire in a tool shed, or at a home, business or farm. They could be called to a vehicle accident at which they will have to use their skills with the jaws of life. They could be called to assist at the scene of a drowning, or even to pump out a flooded basement, But whatever, or whenever the call, they must be prepared to deal with almost any type of human tragedy. (Turn to page 7)