î\(u .WtfltBYVFTEE PRESSIWEDN-ESDAY, 'JAN1JARY 10, 1990g. VOICE OF THE COUNTY TOWN The only Whitby newspaper independently owned and operated by Whitby residents for Whitby residents. Pu blished every Wednesday By 677209 Ontario Inc. Phone: 668-6111 668-6112 668-6369 Doug Anderson Publisher w -ý4, GNA d Maurice Pifher Editor Peter Irvine Advertising Manager Alexandra Simon Production Manager 2nd Class Posta r1egIstration #05351 Despite what appear to be assurances from the Ministry of Environment that an environmental assess- ment hearing is unnecessary for the temporary dump proposed by Lasco Steel, we agree with a suggestion by Whitby councillor Joe Drumm that Town comments be made only after further study of the application. Town planning staff have recommended that the Town indicate there is no objection to waiving the need for a hearing, but that adequate assurances ( including financial assurances) be provided. But after concerns by councillors Dennis Fox and Joe Drumm about the a ea Hold a heaning proposed dump, which wili take shredder byproduct while the two-year-old test berm (now at capacity) is the subject of an environmental assessment, the application will be further studied by the Town. Wishing for assurances as to the environmental safety of the dump will not necessarily result in a paralysis of Lasco operations. Otherwise, Lasco would not have waited until November to make application to the, ministry. Or perhaps the ministry is so famillar with the dump proposal, in conjunctibn with the test berm, that Town and Region comments are now wanted only as a matter of correct process. A Town comment that a hearing be held would Indicate that the Town wants to be fully aware of the Implications of what is proposed at Lasco, even should those wishes for a hearing be ignored. It's a gesture worth making, and one we feel that, one way or another, won't jeopardize Lasco operations. New year "brings riches to all Whitby councillors" To the editor: The new year will certainly bring riches to all Whitby councillors as they give themselves another unearned pay increase. Sad to say their mediocrity is exceeded only by their greed. Take the west ward representative, for example. After giving himself a 29 per cent increase for 1989 he found it necessary to add to this a six- week holiday, presumably at full pay, he also took six weeks' holiday from his obligation as Mainstream Canada A smaller bottle of snake oil By Terry O'Shaughnessy In what amounted to the worst- kept secret in Ottawa, Finance Minister Michael Wilson recently announced a two-per-cent reduction in the proposed Goods and Services Tax (GST) from 9 per cent to 7 per cent. Wow! So now instead of paying a combined federal-provincial rate of 20.99 per cent in New Brunswick, for example, consumers will be pay- ing 18.77 per cent on most goods and all services. As John Bulloch, president of the 85,000-member Canadian Federation of Independent Business puts it, Wilson's announcement amounted to little more than "snake oil in a smaller bottle". "The decision to lower the rate simply proves that the Canadian pub- lic's overwhelming opposition to the GST was finally getting under the government's skin," Bulloch said. "This move is just an attempt to improve the marketability of this seriously flawed tax." Bulloch adds that although Cana- dians may be somewhat more recep- tive to the lower seven-per-cent levy, any introductory rate, he says, is of little consequence in the longer term. "The rate is bound to jump right back up to 9 per cent after the next election," Bulloch said. This latest move does nothing, of course, to eliminate any of the flaws that have made the GST one of the most unpopular initiatives to be introduced by this, or any 4*QttergoenmentaTevent emoryr CLOCA chairman, presumably at full pay. And on top of this he happened to be in the area and dropped in on the last council meeting before he took yet another holiday. This display of contempt for the taxpayers of Whitby in al probability has net this individual (29 per cent + 6.3 per cent + 6.0 per cent + 1/3 tax free) an increase more in the order of approximately 80 per cent. Another councillor pulled the same stunt, but not quite to the same extent. Moonlighters and part-timers are not usually rewarded with According to CFIB, small firms are overwhelmingly opposed to the imposition of two completely differ- ent retail sales tax systems. A recent survey conducted by the Federation found the level of GST opposition among its membership stands at 96.8 per cent. Bulloch says the reason that so many small businesses have opted against the finance minister's GST is because they don't believe that replac- ing a flawed system-the existing Manufacturers' Sales lx (MST)- with a more seriously flawed system is, as Wilson contends, an improvement. "The high federal/provincial rate of the tax, the compliance problems of two different sales tax systems that differ in a hundred ways, the cascading of taxes and the lack of visibility are legiti- mate concerns for all Canadians and nothing in Wilson's recent announce- ment changes this," Bulloch said. Under the new proposal, the reduc- tion in expected revenues from the GST-approximately $18 billion as compared to $24 billion-will be made up through a number of questionable changes. For example, Wilson has eliminated plans to compensate small businesses $600 per year to help offset the costs of collecting the GST which will average $1,400-$2,000 per year. Instead, business owners will receive a one-time credit of $1,000. This move, says Bulloch, is just another part of the government's broader public relations strategy. "Wilson is hoping to buy the support of small business people with the $1,000 credit up front," he said. "The complexities of the GST, however, make support a virtual impossibility. " For Wilson, this entire exercise has been a debacle from start to finish and, as a result, his own credibility has been smashed beyond repair. And at this point, the only thing in worse shape is his tax. - - - CFIB-Feature Service such unrealistic extravagance. And to say that these increases have anything to do with inflation is laughable. All of our councillors are gainfully employed, their full-time pay cheque would be the one to increase according to- inflation. Part-timers are usually motivated by only two things, one is need, the other is greed. When the need is not justified, the greed becomes an obsession, especially when you are in a position to set your own pay. Worth does not enter into it at that point. For any member to say that the pay raises they have heaped upon :m- ý:selves as fair, is an insult to the intelligence of the taxpayers of Whitby. And besides, inflation was not hit 6.3 per cent as yet. In the Northwest Territories, where a councillor is paid about $3,000, he must pay over 10 per cent for a 5-lb. bag of potatoes, over $50 for a box of baby diapers. They cannot use their part-time money for such things as payments for big cars, hockey sticks or tailor-made shirts. There is an old argument that the more we pay our politicians, the better the politicians. Not so, this is now redundant. Case in point - more than 30 very highly paid federal MPs are alleged to be under investigation by the RCMP. So much for our honorable members. Many sincere people are interested in entering politics and the money is not always the main attraction. Some truly want to do something for the community in which they live, rather than take as much out of it as they can get away with. As ridiculous as it may seem, perhaps local politicians should be paid according to ability and performance, or perhaps they could be given a 1 per cent increase for each 2 per cent eut in realty taxes. That is what is called "earning your pay." It is most disturbing to see our local councillors set their own pay behind closed doors. They are obviously not capable of this privilege, to give themselves another increase of six per cent for the year 1991, in advance, is repugnant. This cowardly move will not fool the electorate, they realize it was done to avoid the embarrasment of giving themselves raises in an election year. However, I am sure someone will remind them when the time comes. Yes, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs are indeed going to prosper with their pre-arranged pay increases. Additional taxation will not affect them as it will us, but those who pay taxes. in Whitby will certainly not be living in the land of Make-Believe. Who knows, maybe we will muster up enough guts to catch up to eastern Europe. Yours truly, J. il. Priest Whitby Gift drive contributions appreciated. To the editor: On behalf of the patients of Whitby Psychiatric Hospital, the volunteer association would like to extend sincere thanks to all those who took time out of busy schedules to respond to our patients' gift drive. Community service groups, church organizations, girl guides, brownies, elementary school classes and individuals who became involved made our gift drive very special. Again, our sincere thanks. Joanne H. Ashley Volunteer Coordinator 131 Brock Street North, P.O. Box 206, Whitby, Ont. LiUN 5Sl