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: ' < =" 8 -- Scugog Citizen - Tuesday, Novemb 2 199% - : IE : iohi co-publishers : John B. McClelland, Valerie Ells published by: Seas Cl Git tizen Publishing Ltd. cpurtishers:jon %. ve 3 OCNA Member office manager : Sibylle Warren nl E SCUCOSCIIEIN. CCNA Member advertising manager : Valerie Ellis : - wel ly oo ee SENNA adv. sales reps : Thom Doran, Jennine Huffman is distributed, free of charge, #CNA reception : Janet Rankin : to over 13,500 homes and businésses nies production ; Tanya Mappin, Liz Drebit 54 WATER ST., PORT PERRY, ONT. L9L1J2 in and around Scugog Township. feature writer : Heather McCrae CiroCCNA Verified "Proud Canadians, proud to call Scugog Township home." i Phone : (905) 985-6397 Fax : (905) 985-1410 | Subscriptions sold outside Scugog Pp: [EDITORIAL ACTUALLY SANTA WERE STILL WAITING TO HEAR BACK FROM THE SWISS GOVERNMENT \. ABOUT LITTLE BRIAN J I'M MPKING A \ h LIST... I'M CHECKING Pye mT TWICE... I'M GOING = T0 FIND OUT WHO'S The peoplé df Ontario will find out this week just how serious the Conservative government of Mike Harris is about cutting its spending. . 9 All indications are the provincial government is extremely serious. , Finance minister Ernie Eves is scheduled to make his ¢ statement on Wednesday and the measures are going to be draconian. Cuts in' transfer payments to municipalities, universities, schools, and hospitals could be as much as 20 per cent--some say more like 25 per cent. The impact will be widespread--from pot holes in the roads not getting fixed, higher tuition at golleges and universities, the closing of hospital beds and entire hospitals, larger class sizes in elementary and. secondary schools, higher user fees for everything from minor hockey to adult slo pitch leagues. The coming cuts are not just one-time because thére is a bit of a shortfall. They will b¢ permanent. If a municipality has its transfer payments slashed 20 or 25 per cent in 1996, this will not be topped up again the following year. { We have already seen what the provincial government has done to welfare payments, child care subsidies, shelters for the homeless and battered women, public transit--just about any and every service or organization that gets money from the provincial government. Dr: ? You bet. Ne y? You bet, again. Ontario this year will spend over $9 billion just to service its debt. The province, you see is in debt to the tune of slightly urider $100 billion, and the deficit this year alone will balloon by another $8.6 billion. In other words the Ontario government will spend $8.6 billion more thar it takes in. As a cabinet di t published over the d points out, the size of the debt and on -going deficits each year have reached crisis proportions. Without massive cuts in government spending, the province will go bankrupt, as early as the year 2000 when it will take $20 billion in interest each year to service the debt. You don't need an MBA from Harvard to figure out that sustaining this level of debt and i y is Some reports indicate the spending cuts 'be announced this week by Mr. Eves will total about $3.5 billion. Whatever the amount, Ontario is clearly moving into new and un-charted waters' Previous governments over the last two decades didn't have the political courage to say no--to put a stop té the spending. When the coffers fan dry they raised taxes or ran to the money lenders, or both. Harris made it clear i in the summer election campaign he would 'embark on an unp! ign to slash He also promised that while he slashed spending to 'bring the , deficit under control, he would throw some money back at the " pegple by cutting the Ontario portion of their personal income taxes, by as much as 30 per cent. Faced with the prospect of higher property taxes, higher fees for arenas, swimming pools and baseball diamonds, higher tuition for college or university, not to mention the very real possibility of user fees in the health care system, a cut in personal income tax no doubt would be welcomed by most working Ontarians. However, Mr. Harris ought to stick to fighting on one front at a time. Drastic spending cuts coupled with cuts in personal taxes may be no more sustainable than the deficit projecti Why not leave the tax cuts alone and soften the impact of the spending cuts? After all, putting a few more dollars into the pockets of working Ontarians is not going to get the pot holes in the road fixed or save a hospital bed from closing, or Teor a day care centre ¢ open. Most Ontarians, no matter what their political stripe, have come to recognize that current levels of government spending simply cannot continue. Most understand that unless governments get a handle on spending, their children and grandchildren will be mortgaged forever, if those governments can avert bankruptcy. If Mike Harris wants to tackle the deficit by cutting spending, 80 be it. There are no surprises here. But don't try to' do the impossible by cutting te deficit and cutting taxes at the same time. The axe falls || NICE -- NAUGHTY OR a To the Editor: I am writing this letter as the samaritan in Greenbank. In September, our cat was taken from Port Perry, abused and abandoned fifteen miles several ads in your newspaper and many people called with sightings. Those I was able to thank. When we found him eight weeks later, weighing only three pounds, at the animal shelter, we thanked the yery special people who nursed him back from near death. But the kind + woman who found him under her porch and took pity by bringing him to the shelter has not been thanked. You see, this is not just about a family pet. This has been a painful lesson for our, children - there are cruel people out there. But there are far many more willing"to help and ask nothing in return. You are the opposite of the hateful, frustrated lonely person who committed this act. To go to such measures to help a stranger's cat, imagine how fortunate are the people in their lives. To have these people as family, friends, and. neighbours To the Editor: I am writing as a fairly newcomer in business jin Port Perry. My first impression is that Port begins at Simcoe Street, along Queen and ends at Queen and 'Water Streets. Lights and signs on buildings and curbs everywhere make Queen Street very picturesque. only way of contacting a good y north of our home. We placed What ever happened to Water. The children In the Landry family of Port Perry were very happy to get their pet cat Rug back safe and sound. See letter on this page. is a gift. You have taught my children by example. Your kindness and lgve must surely Street? As it faces the waterfront, it is also vary. picturesque except for baseball fields, tennis courts and beer gardens. Very little parking space, no lit up signs or sidewalk advertising is allowed, which does nothing for businesses on Water Street. We have been coming to Port Perry for more than 30 years and thought this would be a nice place to open a business. Unfortunately, be returned daily. The Landry family Port Perry Are we forgetting Water Street? we are not trying to offend anybody, but, prejudice is apparent everywhere. . With all the small businesses .going out of business, whatéver has happened to your small town friendly neighbourhood atmosphere? ' Louise Revells, Michaelina's, On picturesque Water Street, Port bony.