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6 -The Canadian Champion, Friday June 6,1997 SOPINION THE CNADIN CHAPION Box 248, 191 Main Si. E., The Canadian Champion, pablished twice weekly ai 191 Main St. E., Milton. Milton, Ont. L9T 4N9 Ont., L9T 4N9 (Ban 2z18), s one af The Metratand Printing, Pabtishing & Distri- batîng Ltd. graap ni sabarban cnmpaniea which incindea: Ajax / Pickering News (905)8'78- 34 ~ Adnertiaer, Alliatan Herald/Caarier; Barrie Advance, Brampton Guardian, (905 878 - 34 1 Bartingtan'Pant; City Parent, Cnllingwaad / Wasaga Cnnnectinn; Eant York Fax: 878-4943 Mirrnr, Etnbicalee Guardian, Georgetawn lndepesdent/ Actan Free Press, Kingstan This Week, Lindsay This Week, Markham Econamiat & San, Midlaad / Classified: 875-3300 Penetanguinhene Mirror, Mississauga News, Newmarket / Anrara Ira Banner Northumberland News, Nanti Yark Mirrsr, Cakville Beaser, Orillia Taday Ian Oliver Publisher Oshawa I Whitbyl/ Clarinsgtor I Part Perry This Week, Peterbaraagh This Week, Neil Oliver Assciie Pîîblî.eher Richmond Hill I Thnrnbhll / Vaughan Liserai; Scarbaraagh Mirrar UabridgeI Rob Kelly Edimor Stautville Tribune. Taday's Seniora. Karen Huisman Circuaione Manaîger Advertîsing is accepted an the condition that, in the exeat ai a typngraphical errar, tbat portian of the adaertining apace accapied by the erranenea item, Teri Casas Office Manager togelher with a reasaniable allamance for signature, miii ot be charged far, bat Tim CeaIes Prodac ioni Marlaefe the balance af the advertiaement miii be paid for al the applicable rate. The pub- TFed Lindsay Rei Sal5es Manager 0ser reserses the rghi ta categarine adverebnementa an declîne. Different rules for them, you Looking Back The weathered lawn signs are aIl that remain. Another federal election in Canada has come and gone. On June 2, you ruade your decision. But did you know that you were required 10 give a finan- cial contribution flot only to the candidate and parly of your cboice but also to ail the others you didn't vote for? Few Canadians realize the extent to wbich their wallets are beid hostage at election lime. It's lime for the mugging 10 conne to an end. Any candidate in Ibis year's fedaral election who received 15 per cent or more of the vote will havc fully baîf of their election expenses reimbursed by the public lreasury. And the par- tics wîll be reîmburscd 22.5 per cent of their axpanses, if tbey spant aI least 10 per cent of their election expense limit. After the 1993 federal election, laxpayers forked over $14.9 million 10 candidates and another $8 million 10 political parties. That's righl. almoat $23 million of your tax dollars were divvied Op 10 help pay for the cam- paigns of Jean Chretien, Lucien Bouchard, Preston Manning, Audrey McLaughlin, and Kim Camupbell. 'Me total was up 22 par cent froru the 1988 campaign and the take will likely ha even higher wiîh Ibis year's eleclion. Il's part of the hypocrisy surrounding election campaigns. The people govemed by the mIles are the same ones who write them. These rules also represent a grosa double stan- dard. Take the trealment of tax-deductibla con- tributions. A $ 100 contribution 10 a ebarity enli- îles the donor 10 a 17 par cent tax credit. But that same $100, if given 10 a political party, entities the donor 10 a whopping 75 per cent tax write- Let's Ta/k $ Taxes D with PAL PAGN EL off. You neyer hear those sanctimonioun politi- cians, out hustling your vote during an election, squealing about political parties flot paying their 'fair share' of taxes. In ai, tax credits for political contributions means the federal treaaury can be expected 10 forgo more than $20 million in an election year. Coupled with the grants they receive, select par- tien and candidates will scoop about $45 million Brom the political pork barrel in handouts and inducements at the expense of Canadian taxpay- ers. So why is thia allowed to continue'? It's because few Canadiana know what's going on. And thoae who do are in no rush to tell you. It's simply not in the interesta ofîthose who are benefiting from the rules to change them. Now that the clection is over it would be interesting 10 put the candidates who were hag- gling over your vote to a real test of accountabil- ity. Ask îbem if they're prepared to lead by example and scnd their cxpenae reimbursements bock to Ottawa. Chances are they won't. Because in politica, mcmbership bas its privileges. Bratislava Castie Park was in the midst of creation near Kilbrlde during August, 1967. The 50-acre park was being developed by the parishioners af St. Cyril's Methodisi Church in Hamilton. Here, Mary Geoghegen, Maureen Bonny, and Brenda Geoghegen show off a cannon which sat before the park's miniature castie. She s waye out in left-field The new Municipal Act was recenly dia- cusaed aI a committee of Haiton council. Halton Hilîs Mayor Marilyn Serjeanîson said local counicils should meet in private 10 infor- maliy discuas weighty maltera withouî having the prying eyea of the media present. She said actual decisions are neyer made in privata s0 a litîle freewheeling discussion could bring about sonne good ideas. Excuse me? No decisions ruade in private? Council rou- tinely goes into cioaed-door session aI even the slightest bint of liligation, personnel or property conceruis. Items are discussed, and decisions made in private ail the lime. AIl the public gels is the resuit, wiîh no information as 10 how il was reacbed. Ms Serjeanîson said federal and provincial govemrmenîs meat in caucus 10 discusa issues witbouî media scrutiny. AIl she wanta is that same pri vilege.Of course holb upper-tier govamn- menîs have 10 face organized opposition.in ques- tion pariod. Tbey bave 10 defend every piece of legialation they put forward in debates. To Ms Serjeanîson I wouid say, fine, you Haggling hubby always gets a bargain Kuta Bcach, Bali, Indonesia, 1977. Hubby was on a roll. A weck on the island and already ha consid- erad bîruscîf an expert ai gctîng the hast bar- gains. Ha lovad haggling and on Ibis particular after- noon, he was quibbling with a street vandor ovar the price of a bloc batik shirt. Ha was ralenîleas. Ha aven wenl as for as 10 walk away trom the staîl, but the vendor, caoghl Up in the heai of tha mnoment, ruade hiru a finaI ofler and hobby îook il. 1 always wonder whalhar the poor Balinesa tallow ruade any profit ai ail on that sale. 1 discovared 10 my embarrassment Ihat hobby bas flot lost bis compelitiva adge. Las( Salurday momning, I witnessed the man ai work. Il sîartad aI the luggagc shop. On the previous day, I had gone out scouling for a garmant cover atod a sbaving kitl'for huhhy's iravels. Foolishly, I ollered las accompany hiru 10 the shop. "Do we gel a Saturday moming discount?" hobby askad the clark as she approached us. I cringcd. "No," was ber irru raply. Ha hrougbt the sobject up again as ha placad bis inîanded purchasas on the couniter. On the Ho mefron t wih STERCADW L 'Well," he saîd. an ha handed the clerk bis credil card, "sinca I don't gel a discount, lIlI charge il so ilîIl cont you." 1 was îrying 10 casa my way out of the shop by then. Our I l-year-old had witnessed this transac- tion by bis mode] father. He was ail cars and eyes. That same young one was in a rush 10 gel to the department store. He had a wallet full of cash he had received for bis birthday on the Thursday past and be was keen 10 see il spent. He headed for the loy department, while hubby dragged me mbt the appliance section, asking me if I would like a rice cooker since I always fail miserably aI producing fluffy rice. An unsuspacîing clark asked if she could ha of assistance and togathar we Ibrea ponder the mer- ils of a trio of cookers. I didn't have 10 waiî long for the attack. "Do wa gel a discount for the Iloor modal?" huhhy asked ber. "No," she rapliad. Ha hadgerad ber, but the brave woman remained intraclable. AI thal point, 1 lost intarest in rice cookars. "This box bas heen damagad," said hobby. "Do you hava any sealed ones'?" "No," raplied the clark. Hobby continuad. "Looks like Ibis item was relumned. "What guaranîce do wa have thal the batteries Ihal are included are any good?" The clark couldn'î argue that point, s0 sha came up with naw AA and nina-voît batteries. Our next stop was a men's cloîhing store on the other sida of town. Whoa, that was enougb for me. "Can you drop me off aI the bouse firal?" I asked hobby. Ha did. An hour laler ha retumed witb bis purchases, including a sport shirt for which ha had ohîained a $ 10 discount hecause someona bad mistakanly put il on a sale table. Reaume with a à View bave your privale meetings but in exchanga I wanî a public seat aI the counicil table where citi- zens can lake part in the proceedings with the samne rigbts and priviieges as any eiected person. I waa surprised other committee mambars did flot pick up onl Ibis. Afler the meeting aI least one couniior indicaîad be would bave said someîbing, but Ms Serjeanîson neyer formally requesîed commiîîee's considaration. When no support came for the ides il was dropped. The sysîem is set up wiîb checks and bal- ances. Witboul opposition aI municipal counicil, the Municipal Act stipulates Ibat business mutt be conducted in public. Wbiie 1 can undersîand the need 10 keep sonne discussions private, local counicils arc 100 quick 10 go mbt closed session. Bn passing: Why did Multon's chief execu- tive officer David Hipgrave try 10 filibuster the Municipal Act? If someone told bim 10 take more conîroi of the agenda, îbey should recon- aider. After presenîing a wriîîen report on changes in the new Municipal Act, Mr. Hipgrave saw flt 10 provide Milton counicil with a line by lise expansion on bis report. Councillors, having already read the report, reacîed like ha was reading War and Peacc - in Russian. Heads bobbed, whispered conversations shill- ed topica, people sîared poliîely aI the ceiling, then their fingemails, then aI carpat ln. Only 45 minutes later il was over, cveryonc 100 polite 10 put hir utU of our misery. Then he did il again the nexî wcek when Milton council was approving ils position on the Municipal Act. Not one 10 drive the agenda, the normally unobîrusive Mr. Hipgrave usually offers only 10 answcr any questions councillors may have. He does gel red faccd whcn sound systeru malfunctions occur, likely because he just kickcd the sound box wbicb sils under bis desk. One lime he took a phone caîl aI bis dcsk during a counicil meeting. I hope he remembared 10 pick Up the milk and loaf of brcad. e..