Whitby Free Pres, Wedîesday. JuIy 28.,1993, Page 7 How about an election?. / Forgive me if for the second week running we talk about this strange beast called the "Social Contract." But August 1 approaches. Can Bob Rae be far behind? e Rae's NDP government is fighting to emerge with. some part of its integrity intact. That ain't going to be easy. .*~ (I remind readers that in my everyday existence, __ once out of the phone booth this weekly column provides, 1 arn one of the 950,000 workers toiling in the public sector, broadly interpreted. 1 do have a certain axe to grind.) ______________________________________ First, praise where praise is due. Despite the painful times of this NDP government, there have been no attempts to limit discussion of the Social Contract. This has not always been so. Many public servants can point to exampi es in which the govern-] M E ment of the day used its flot inconsequential power to So on this Rae should get full marks. As the power brokers play their tug-of-war games, we are constantly reminded: this recession is no one's fault. This recession is world-wide. This recession bas limited government revenues, giving the government less to spend. These are tirnes like no others, not even the Great Depression of the Thirties. It took a major, major war to kick-start the economy out of that one. But this time there wil be no kick-start. This is fIi the way it will be for some time to corne. (Unless someone can invent a major, major war. But who's left to fight?) j Let's deal with the stats: Ontario bas lost some .i 250,000 manufacturing jobs sirice the recession ' began. These have disappeared, moved, evaporated, z closed. They wil not reappear in recovery, experts tell us. Given that one job in six belongs to the public sector, that might indicate that an equivalent of one-sixth of 250,000 jobs shculd be slashed from the public payroll. That would mean some 40,000 jobs in the public sector should end. Given that sort of mathemnatics, one can argue that BROOK STREET LOOKING NORT. FROM DUNDAS STREET, C. 1863 a three-year pay freeze and twelve .days unpaid leave One of the earliest photographs of Whitby, this view shows the Ontario Hotel (now Johnvince for aIl public servants would be a small price to pay. Foods), the first Royal Hotel (burned in 1872) and the brick building at rxght, the Perry Block (burned in 1864). The wagon at the left holds sacks of grain. Whltby Arhlvoe photo In a column on June 9 I argued exactly that. I stili believe it is a valid argument. But look, now, at what is happening. The Social 10 YEABS AGO Contract is becoming a sha.Ral savings are being from the Wednesday, July 27, 1983 edition of the tossed overboard so the government can say it bas WTBY FREE PRESS forged a deal. We will get a deal -- but at what price? - Cullen Gardens expects to have haîf a million visitors this year. Unios ae i diarry. he ew emorate Prty* Pringa Creek subdivision residents have started a Neighbourhood Watch program. Unios ar indisaray TheNewDemoratc Paty* A second beer store for Whitby will be opened at the K-Mart plaza. is tearing itself apart. Public service workers are e Col. John E. Farewell Public School will open in the Otter Creek subdivision in living and working in fear. September. If these are times like no others, then what we No April Fool jokes, mind. I'