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PAGÉÃ" 'ErHYFE The ny Whitby Newspaper'owned and perated by Whîtby residents for Whitby residents! Published every Wednesday by 677209 Ontario Inc. at 131 Brook St. N., Whitby, Ontario ' IlN 5S1 Phone 668-6111 Toronto Line 427-1834 Doug Anderson - Publisher Maurice Pither - Editor Alexandra Martin - Production Manager 2nd Class Postal Registration #05351 -'---à *0 Is a change as good 'as a rest? By Barbara.Black The exit af the eighties and the entrance ai the nineties has seen mare devastating chanqe than in almeet any period in this century. In my own generatian (thase cf us new in a ur golden years were children cf the.thirties depression), we have ýneyer experienced an econemny as bleak as that of the past few manths. The mood af the country is reflected in the desalate, debt-ridden downtowns cf amalI cities and towns like Whitby, Oshawa and many athers in Ontario where, merchants cannot compete with the lârge-volume shopping centres to sel merchandise inundated with GSI and PST and PBM (PNme Minister Brian Mulroney) whose financing 2 has driven the country te the deNt side et the ledger. The, downtown ai Oshawa, with is varieus vacant lots -(as a resuft ef demaolition or blazes> resembles a Hiroshima bomb blast, and, every week another realler literally bombs.' The downtown theatres have basically closed, *but in any case, how many couples or families can affard a movieat $8 or $9 per viewer? In 'dcwntown Whitby several retallers on Brock, St. have vacated, and with the inclement spring weather, at times, downtown Whitby resembles a ghost tcwn. Shopping at the local super- markets is now a guessing game which really requires one te carry a calculator. The humnan brain cannat add two taxes easily,-and after cengratulating aurselvesfer the minimhl purchases we have accessed," and expecting a great saving ai the cash register, Rt turns eut, after taxes are punched in, we have once again fîaunted the inf amous 'hcuseheld budget." And let's net forget about a little treat, by eating out at a restaurant fer a change. After yau have ardered the cheapest special an the menu, -incîuded the two taxes, and paid the waitress her tithe ai a 10 te, 15 per cent tip, indigestion is a common resuit: alI of a sudden the $20 bil ycu had has'gone with the wind.' Frankly, you de give a damn, and vcw tram new on yau will est at home. Thanks te the federal leader of Canada, we in Ontario have 1111e or ne change (meney) let. Ultimately, this change in aur lifestyles 18 in ne way as gead as a rest, as the rest we are getting is described as unemployment, bankruptcy and depression.* The change we need muit, be at 10" Sussex Drive, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. Opinions expressed ar those of the author. Government.had littie choie I hve ecevedmay calîs from constituents about the budget. Many are understandby concerned about the high deficit we have ben forced into. Let me say at once that na-one la happy about a $9.7 billion deficit. Our government la flot happy about it. But the bottom fine is there was littie choice. Without any extra spending by our government, the deficit would stili have been about $82 billion. There are three reasons for this. The first is that the federal gavernment cut $3.6 million in transfer payments ta Ontario. These payments help pay the cost of heafth, education and social programs. The second -reason is shrinking provincial revenues from sales and incarne taxes as a result of the recession. The third reason is increased wefare caseloads, also as a resuft of the recession and people losing their ob ur gavernment faced a tough choice. We could have tried ta balance the budget. This would have meant passing the $3.6 billion tederal cut an ta taxpayers. Perhaps, we could have raised the money by closing hospitals, schoals or colleges. We cauld have raised the sales tax or incarne tax. We coulçi have eliminated enviranmental progranis, or placed user fees on doctar and hospital visits. We could have slashed social programs - ignoring the realty that more than 40 per cent of those depnding on social assistance are children. Ail of these actions vwuld have plunged our province into a deeper recession. h is estimated that a balanced budget would have cost this province 70,000 jobs. Our government chose to fight the recession, not the deficit. The time ta fight the deficit is in times cf prosperity. ight now, we are going through hard times. Many families are hurting. Could we honestly add ta their burden. 1 don't think so. In the end, we had ta P5 qP.M.PPM-i 5 Èý - ý . *,àre;", To the WB itor. Theuie must be a bettr way .To the Edltor: Re: The Industrial studies Durham Cathollc Board cancellatlon of the arts and famlly programs by the Reglonal Roman Separate Schooî Mayparents, students and teace= were shocked and disappointed when the Durham Region Roman Catholic Separate School Board announced Wt was cutting the grade 7 and 8 family studies and Industrlal arts prog ranis. The demise cf these programs is part cf the bonrd's attempt ta keep local tax increases comparable ta the Durham public board, which maneçjed ta keep is increases reîatively low witt hut cutting, or evon reduclng, these valuable services. The Ministry cf Education is currenty erhasizin th courses in aur schoals ta encourage and prepare a ur students ta enter fite the variaus related professions, and ta develop interests for their future leisure activities. The ministry guidelines suggest that 60 heurs be given te each prograrn but most co-ed courses in the province offer 25 ta 30 hours in each, for a combined total cf 50 ta 60 heurs. The twa ca-ed programs of industrial arts and family studies offered by the Durham separate schoal board invelve over 2,500 girls and boys for 15 hours in each subi ect, for a total af 30 hours. Our teachers have designed their progranis ta incorparate as many ' ef the ministry guldelines as passible in their action-packed courses. Probably the most important achievemnent cf bath procçrams is that every student attains that great feeling cf success when they camplete each one cf their self-made prcjects. These and activities, arganizational skills and plenty cf hands-on activities. Family studies and industrial arts progranis reach 100 per cent cf the grade 7 and 8 population. When these students attend secondary schaal, the numbers who take these oiptional courses range froni 10 ta 20 per cent. This is due ta many factors such as the tery limted number cf options permitted, especially in grades 9 andl10. R is hoped that for the many students who do not take these courses at the secondary level, they wiIl have developed the1 seif-confikence to attempt related activities during their adukt Iffe,1 based on their grade 7 and 81 successful experiences. Z Apart from the obviaus learnlng of skçiîls,. the Industrlal arts, and familyý studies programe cancelled byl t heDurhamn separate achoal board also offered grade 7and 8 students sorme valuable experi- ences in worklng co-operatlvely, learnlng responslblliy for others, taklng respansibllty for thelr own action and, In many cases, probably the student's anly apport unity ta really succeed. These elements In the cancelîed prograrns <we are frequently told) are prectsely the cnes ta which today',s.young people need.ta be exposed. Surely, there must be a better way ta reduce aurý local educational taxes than b remnoving these student-orientze,ý respansibility- building, handseon_ approaches ta learning. Joe Ryan, Prealdent Ontario Engllah Cathollc Toacher*' Association Durham Unit Pie ase retum Memnonal Cos To the Edîtor: Re., The persan who broke Into my home Recently, someone brake into My home and took a collection cf siFver jewelry that meant a iot ta me -- reminders cf my teen years, souvenirs fom m travels, gifts f romi my famiy - mr sentimental than menetary value. But among those 'trinkets' was somnething special, something e1a this person should noth le, something that should aiways be in my family. This was the Mémrial Cross, presented ta my mother on the death cf' her only son in World War Il. ft us engraved 'RE. Rocs, R%45968.1 He was burned in I-IlIand a month after his 2Oth birthday. To the persan who took this cross, please return i tot me. MII Whftby Total lack of sensitivity To the Editor: Tradition is the handing dewn ai beliefs and customs without written instructions. Traditions within the Canadian fabric have been the keystene ta political, business and family rituals which helped faund this nation, and yet aur goverment chooses te déIste. or alter that which dees not coriferm or may embarrass thé party faithiul. Bunkl The oath cf allegiance ta the Queen has been .a tradition within, this country and province for ever. a century. This pledge, te our head et state, represents a piece of aur heritage which makes p part of who we are -- Canadians. At a time when we are crying out for aur own identity, our gcvernment has decided ta cast aside something that makes us unuuly Canadians. am aroffended and insuted by, the total Iack of sensitivity that our government has demonstrated, .and damned angvy et this blatant attack on eur,_heritage and ýhead of .state. How dare the premier -. how. dare eur gavemment .- shame on' them. Gad save the Queen.- Robert Wallace W.arlng Whltby Thanks for participation To the Editor: tary. The input frcm t he tocus arouas @.-lwubé0ens et s vnrni* y I would like ta thank Free Press important companients af the study publisher Doug Anderson very in helping Whitby' Arts much fer his participation in a lncorporated take- advantage cf focus group discussion on the the many exciting opportunities current and future direction cf which are open to R. Whitby Arts lncorporated. As you, On behaf aif The Station are aware, these meetings, which Gallery, mray I again thank you, were attended by ovér 60 persans, Deug, for y aur participation. We were oe. of the tirst steps In wilI do aur best ta keep everyons carryinp out The Station Gallery's informed of the study's progrsss, teasbility study; partlcularly upon its conclusion Through aur -consultants% the samefive months tram new. board and staff af thé gallery have received -many excellent Lînda Paulaclk suggestions and -useful commen- Director/Curator