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WH1TY FREE PRESS, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 25, 1989, PAGE 7 PAGE'SE YEN JEA WHAT A DIFFERENCE A DAY MAKES Last Friday, the United States passed from the glitsy Hollywood make-believe world of Ronnie Ray-gun into the sober gray backroom world of conservative George. The inauguration of George Bush concluded a strange chapter in Anierican history. The Reagan era "restored America's pride in itself." Will the Bush years be remembered as the time that America woke up from the dream and realized it didn't have much to be proud of? The Reagan years were a paradox led by a man wliose grasp of the media was sucli that people hung on bis words and believed him - the sound and the delivery was far more important than the meaning. It was a period based on so-called Reaganomics wben Arnerica was supposed.ta eut back on the fat, eut back on the bureaucracy, eut back on govermnent itself - Aniica was going to learn to live witbin its means. Yet, Reagan increased the national debt more than al l is predecessors combined and the people loved him for it. Reagan mesmerized people into believing that the American economy which bad become inefficient in comparison ta, the Japanese and Europeans had been revived. Yet, the real change was the drastie devaluation of the American dollar. America simply priced the competition out of the market. Even at that, Americans want Japanese and German quality so nudli that they stili run up huge trade deficits which (in part) caused the stock miarket crash of October '87. Reagan was supposed te build a "better Anierica" yet the rich got richer, the poor got a lot poorer, the air and water got dirtier - Reagan's talent was ta make people forget ail of that. Government got smaller in areas like welfare and civil liberties (areas that enhanced buman dignity), yet got a lot larger in areas like defence. Poor George! He doesn't have any of that show-biz charisma to fal back on. Sooner or later the Anierican people will snap out of the dream. Will they blame George for breaking the speli or Ronnie for creating it? George Bush is considered the best prepared President to enter the White House since Franklin Roosevelt. In tenis of training and previous government positions, bis credentials are impeccable. His contacts and influence in Washington are already well established. He will need ail tbe help lie can get. When the American Constitution was witten two hundred years ago, it was carefully designed te balance the power of the Presidency witli that of the Congress. Neither can do mucli witliout the agreement of the othier, Yet, in spite of tbis, the President controls the agenda. Thus Reagan was able to increase defence spending even when Congress wanted te cut the budget. And having talked about the "Evil Empire" for haîf bis life, be persuaded Congress ta ratify a treaty which began the process of disarmament. I spite of a protectionist congress, lie was able te pursuade them that a free trade agreement with Canada was a good idea. And now, just like Reagan, Bush controls the agenda. But what is bis agenda? How he will use the influence lie now lias remains essentially unknown. His election promises are easily dismissed as pure political expedience - there isn't enougli money for them and lie knew it all along. La he just another shark like Nixon was? His "inder, gentler Ainerica" inaugural speech was pretty standard stuif. Even bis cabinet gives little indication of bis agenda - most have been around Washington as long as be lias and the ideological mix leaves virtually every option open. So, it seems that Bush will simply "Play it by ear"' ...which is just the way lie wants it. I have frequently accused Wbitby Council of running a closed sliop. One of the key elements of that was its unwillingness ta, provide meeting agendas and planning reports in sufficient time that the public and the media had the opportunity to read and digest them. Weil, next Monday, a motion to make agendas available at least one full working day in advance of a council or committee meeting will be presented ta, Council by Lynda ................................................................................................................ CONSTRUCTION 0F CANADIAN NORTHEIRN RMILWAY TIRES=L AT DEVHJYS DEN, 1910 A large iron railway trestie was constructed in 1910 across the valley known as Devil'is Den, now part of the Heber Down Conservation Area. The railway was littie used and the trestie was demolished about 1937. The concrete abutments and bases for the trestie are ail that is left today. WhlLhy Arclve photo 10 YEARS AGO fromn the WednedyJanuary 24, 1979 edition of the WHFMY REE PRESS- * Ontario Health Minister Den.nis Timbreil announced on Jan. 22 that the WVhitby Psychiatrie Hospital will be rebuilt in the 1980s at a cost of $27 million. " An agreemient will be signed soon to construct an underpass at the CPR tracks on Durham Road 23 (Whitby-Ajax Town Lino). " The Town Council will take another look at passing a bylaw malcing smoke detectors mandatory in ail Whitby homes. " The Downtown Board of Management wants a $20,000 loan from the Town of Whitby to make capital improvements in the core area. 25 YEARS AGO froni the Thursday, January 23, 1964 edition of the WHITBY WEEIKLY NEWS " The Whitby General Hospital Board is studying a proposai to build on provincial government land near the Ontario Hospital. " Nearly 300 people have signed a petition demanding traffic liglits at the Dundas-Anderson-Hopkins Street intersection, because of a recent traffic fatality. " Mrs. Joyce Burns bas been named chairman of the first annual fund-raising drive for the Whitby St. John Ambulance Branch. " Oscar Moore has been re-elected president of the Quarter Century Club at the Ontario Hospital. 75 YEARS AGO from the Thursday, January 22, 1914 edition of the WHITBY GAZETITE AND CHRONICLE " Officers representing Civil Engineer T. Aird Murray presented plans to the town Council at a recent meeting for a sanitary sewer systemn in Whitby. " Rev. John Abrahami, minister of St. Andrew's Preshyterian Church since 1879, lias announoed bis intention to retire in June. " J. E. Beacock and Son of Myrtie Station are selling granulated sugar at 22 pounds, for one dollar and coal oul at five gallons for one dollar. " The 209-acre Glen Dhu Farm on the 3rd concession (Rossland Road) is offered for sale by F'rank E. Jones of Whitby.