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Well that was an interesting cou- ple of days, wasn't it? One day we win the World Series and the next day we lose the country. Kind of like winning the spot dance on the S.S. Titanic. Okay, so exactly what part of NO didn't we understand? Looking back on what began as a national referendum that turned into a political abortion I think our com- munication skills could use a little work. As far as the NO goes I think we grasped the N part as in negative, having none of it, not on your freakin' life. Just as emphatically I believe we seized upon the O as oh God no, over our dead bodies, zip, zilch, zero as in our prime minister's present popular- ity rating. Apparently in that tiny little space between the N and the O is where I fit in. I voted YES. As approximately the only person in Canada to do so, I feel somewhat disappointed today. I guess I just wasn't getting the memos. The rest of you shut me out of the loop, as it were. While I looked at our leaders, the creators of the Charlottetown Accord and said "This might work," you were looking at by William Thomas MY LIFE AFTER THE REFERENDUM - HELL these same people and wearing lapel buttons that read: "You All Make Me Want To Puke." The YES people didn't exactly put forth a smooth and convincing sales presentation. Soon most of them will be looking for new careers and although I have no idea what they're qualified to do - Amway doesn't pop into mind. Why NO? Well, 7,550,723 Canadians voted NO and each of them had two reasons -- "Brian makes me nauseous" plus a personal peeve unrelated to the text of the accord. Not having had an election for so long, many people bypassed refer- endum, drew up a list of nominations in their mind, cancelled the tradition- al campaign and put all the candi- dates they could think of next to the word NO on that silly gray slip of paper. And there they made their mark. What price are we paying for all this? Well we gave Keith Spicer $25 million of our money to go across Canada to test the mood of the coun- try and he came back with the conclu- sion that Brian Mulroney isn't very well liked. The referendum will cost $200 mil- lion when all the bills are tallied and the bottom line was yes -- Brian Mulroney is not well liked at all. If the prime minister decides to run again, the cost of an election will be $300 million and again Canadians will confirm that on the scale of popu- larity Brian rates just above National League umpires but just below halitosis. : That's roughly $525 million. In the interest of austerity, shouldn't one of us go and tell him to his face! What do we have to do to get the message across -- hire Sinead O'Connor to tear up a photo of the man on Saturday Night Live? It would be cheaper. Personally, I'm really steamed at you people who voted NO. You see I bought the YES package. I believed Bob Rae when he said if we voted YES we'd all get along so well it would be like a lovefest and we'd all wear head bands and body paint and we'd have a hootenanny in a field near Woodstock, Ontario and Bob Dylan would come and sing, only he'd be like he used to be - coherent. And now there's not going to be any party and it's all your fault. And I believed Joe Clark when he said if we didn't vote YES this coun- try could disintegrate into an ugly civil war just like Beirut. Yes, he said that. So last week I had to erect a barrier of car tires and barbwire bet- ween me and my neighbor Bob who voted NO and I have to get up at 4 a.m. every day and lob a Molotov cock- tail on top of his house to make him aware of my and Joe's dissatisfaction. And it's all your fault. And that's not the worst. The worst is that Prime Minister Brian Mulroney promised us all a yearly income of $©1,000by. the year 2,000 if we voted YES and I borrowed on that promise to buy myself a brand new red Jaguar. It's red with a Canadian flag on the aerial and a bumper stick- er that reads: "Canada - Love It Or Leave It!" Now I ask you, all you NOsayers -- where in the hell am I going to get $91,000? And never mind that, my house insurance quadrupled since Bob start- ed throwing back the Molotov cock- tails that don't go off immediately. My life has gone to hell since the referendum and it's all your fault. So I figure if each one of you NOsayers send me a dollar, that's $7.5 million. Hey, for that kind of money I'll pay off the car and the insurance, buy mod- ern weapon systems to deal with my neighbor, rip up a photo of Mulroney on Saturday Night Live and with what's left over I'll go to Quebec, sneak up behind Jacques Parizeau and give him a wedgie. It's certainly better value than we've got for our money so far. Letters to the editor Durham police well trained To the Editor: One gets used to partisan views in reading any politi- cian's weekly report to his or her constituents, but the absur- dities proffered by Gord Mills, M.P.P.,in defence of the new po- lice firearm regulations are sim- ply indigestible. o personal offence to Mr. Mills, but if he and his party spent less time worrying about how to appease special interest groups with banal rhetoric about "accountability," and more time in finding the funds to get better police service, he would be doing a favor to his Durham constituents. Our police force in Durham is well trained and well run. It is also undermanned and in an unequal battle with demo- graphics and our ever-growing population. I understand that it takes over 46 minutes in many cases to respond to calls in north Durham, because our force simply doesn't have the budget to provide the necessary manpower for a speedier re- sponse. Yet, the N.D.P. have no hesitation in spending millions of dollars to add a further layer of police paperwork that does nothing to advance the real pub- lic interest - the protection of our citizens. Police officers and police forc- es, whether Mr. Mills under- stands it or not, are accountable to us, shift by shift and day by day.Itis a pity that government are only accountable at election time. Yours very truly, Bryan T. Davies First the dog, then the children? To the Editor: re: Joy Forbes "Dog-gone sys- tem Oct. 27,1992. Dear Mrs. Forbes: How unfortunate that your daughter-in-law suffer the in- convenience and expense of her charge of cruelty to animals. As an animal lover I am pleased to know that our court system takes care of the inno- cent animals of abuse. They are welcome to use some of the over $6,000 in taxes I pay each year on our two homes. I have a few questions for you and your family Mrs. Forbes. 1. Are a dozen donuts more impor- tant than this "well-loved ani- mal?" 2. If the dog is not well be- haved why was she not left home in a kennel crate for the day? 3. Does your daughter-in- law always lash out with tem- per induced violence? (particu- arly over something as trivial as missing donuts)? Might your grandchildren be next victims? Regards, Darlene Bonser See you next year To the Editor: To the 40 or 50 brave and creative loitering near the Queen Street Beckers on Hallo- ween night: come again next year and we'll have some real fun. To the police who failed to dis- pense the fertile young minds: come again next year, and wel gee what happens. John Futhey , A # gaat ly vd LY oA : a gw 4 hill 5 ¥ co i sl? - LY . or $ 5 Willlam Thomas Harrison Is pictured driving his horse and carriage at the Livery Stable behind the St. Charles Hotel (on Water Street, just south of Queen Street). The picture was taken sometime around 1920. 456 YEARS AGO Thursday, November 8, 1947 A record congregation attended the Dedication of Grace United Church on Scugog Island. The service was under the direction of Oshawa Presbytery with Rev. J. E. Griffith presiding. Mrs. Herbert Hope is home in Port Perry after visiting friends in Scotland and England for six months. Mr. Spry of the Dominion Housing Commission was in Port Perry and met with local councillors and businessmen. He outlined conditions under which Port Perry could secure homes for veterans, built and financed by the Dominion Government 356 YEARS AGO Thursday, November 7, 1957 The Honorable Dr. M. B. Dymond, member of provincial parliament and newly appointed minister for the Department of Reform Institutions, officially opened Memory Hall in Utica. The hospital auxiliary elected its slate of officers with the following results -- Mrs. M. B. Dymond, Regideny, Mrs. S. Rodman, 1st vice-president; Mrs. . Wanamaker, 2nd vice-president; Mrs. Wm. Chapman, recording secretary, Mrs. I. Martyn, corresponding secretary, and Mrs. D. Crozier, treasurer. 30 YEARS AGO Thursday, November 8, 1962 Otis O. Hamilton was made a life member of the Port Perry Rod and Gun Club at its annual banquet. Ben Smith was the master of ceremonies for the evening. Miss Pauline Tease of Port Perry and Miss Miriam Rotgaus of Toronto are student teachers at Utica School. An early morning fire destroyed 3,600 broiler PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 8