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PORT PERRY STAR -- Tuesday, February 27, 1990 -- 7 Amid all the moaning over Mike Wilson's budget last week, and the constant gnashing of teeth over language policies in this country, there was a little news item tucked away on the inside pages of the daily papers that caught my eye. A couple of guys were found on the tarmac of Pearson International in Toronto dressed in light clothing and without any identification. They were suffering from frost-bite, apparently after they stowed away in the West Indies in the wheel well of a jet bound for Canada. As | write this, immigration officials were still talk- ing to the two, trying to find out more information. But if indeed, they did make the 4,000 flight in the wheel well (at temperatures as cold as -50 and with precious little, if any oxygen at 30,000 feet) it's a miracle they survived. If their story checks out, they should, in my opin- ion, be granted some kind of temporary permission that can lead to full citizenship in the near future. Imagine, risking one's life in the wheel well of a jet plane just to get into this country. Especially, when one considers all the wailing and moaning that Canadians are doing these days over just about everything. Do these guys know something about Canada the rest of us seem to be missing? You bet they do. The fact remains that despite all its warts, its prob- lems, its petty bickering, and its budget woes, Cana- da is one heck of a place to call home. | haven't heard of anybody stowing away in a jet wheel well to get out of Canada. At least not yet, any- Viewpoint by John B. McClelland YOU'LL PAY At lot was said and written about last week's fed- eral budget on the fact that income taxes, "sin" taxes on booze and cigarettes, did not go up. Don't think you got off scot-free. That $500 mil- lion shortfall in transfer payments to Ontario, for ex- ample, may catch up to us in the long run. Chances are this province will simply turn around and trim by a corresponding amount its own trans- fers to school boards and municipalities. If trustees and local councils don't like it, they will have to raise property taxes to make up the shortfall. Cynical? Sure. But there are predictions that On- tario could go to the polls later this year, and there is no way Robert Nixon is going to come up with new taxes to cover the lost grants from Ottawa. And still on the budget, | am personally dismayed at the plans to sell Petro Can to the private sector. Energy (more specifically fossil fuels) is an abso- lute vital necessity to the well being of any nation, far too important and vital to be left to the whims and control of private industry. In iy opinion, energy and control of at least some of the resources, must be left with the national government, even if it is costing tax dollars. Energy is just as important to the national inter- est as defense, health and welfare and education. We wouldn't dream of turning the armed forces, the hospitals, the schools and universities over to the private sector. So why with Petro Can? Besides, who's going to buy it, the Japanese, the Americans, the Koreans? The average Canadian sure as heck can't afford it. agree with. If Petro Can is sold off today, our children and grand-children will rue the decision ten or twenty years down the pike. Energy is one resource that should remain firmly in the hands of the people of this country. It's just too important to allow otherwise. Aside from that, the budget doesn't cause me a great deal of distress. What will be interesting to watch later this spring is how Ontario handles the cut in transfer payments. Ontario, for the first time in 20 years, was projecting a balanced budget, actually a slight surplus of some $10 million. Will Robert Nixon just pass the cuts on to the Stoo boards, hospital boards and municipal coun- cils If he does, will those jurisdictions have any choice but to chop their levels of service? | suspect that the final battlefield for Mr. Wilson's budget will be at the foot of local councils and school boards next spring when they come to set their 1991 budgets and find nl funding levels from the province have shrunk. But they can't pass the buck on to somebody else. They either make do with less, or sock it to the roperty owners once again. That dear readers, won't appen in 1991. It's a municipal election year in Onta- rio, and any politician or trustee looking for votes does not want a double-digit tax hike hanging in the air. But watch out the following year. Some nasty chickens are going to come to roost for the already heavily burdened rate-payer in Ontario. | wonder if those two guys who stowed away in that jet wheel well to get to the "land of milk and hon- way. This is one area of privatization | strongly dis- ey" really know what's in store for them. - Remember When? 45 YEARS AGO Thursday, March 1, 1945 The annual sports night was held at the arena and those who were there thoroughly enjoyed themselves. Friday night was unlucky for Port Perry. Three places of business were robbed. At the Jackson premises some $30.00 in cash was secured; at Beare Motors, Mr. Parish's car which was stored there, and finally Gerrow Bakery, where they picked up a few dollars and probably something to eat. 35 YEARS AGO Thufsday, March 3, 1955 At Lakefield on Friday, Norma Levinson won second prize in the Lions Club Public Speaking Contest Zone 10A. Jeanne Goode and Bill Beare won the lucky draw last Fri- day night. Bill also won the high men's bowler with 606 (259) but passed the prize on to the next highest Gordon Goode. The head euchre was entertained at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Alvin Heayn last Friday. 1st prize was won by Mr. and Mrs. Clarence Carter and Mrs. Nelson Reader. 30 YEARS AGO Thursday, March 3, 1960 Mr. Cecil King who has been with the Lake Scugog Lumber Co. for twenty-five years, was the guest of honour at a dinner" party in the Flamingo restaurant. Miss Jeanne Williams, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Murray Williams, was named best girl speaker of the Public Speaking Contest Zone 3, Lions Club. A local rink skipped by Bob Kenny with Oscar Beare vice, Archie MacMaster second, and Neil MacQuarrie lead, won the first annual Bonspiel for the Beare Motors Trophy. 11 outside rinks entered the competition. 25 YEARS AGO Thursday, March 4, 1965 Using Public Relations as his theme, Kenneth Cutts, Superintendent of the Business Division of the Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce, spoke to the Port Perry Businessmen at the annual meeting of the Chamber of Commerce. Teachers, School Board members and 512 pupils of Port Perry Public School witnessed an impressive ceremony last Monday morning when the new Canadian Flag was raised by the school custodian, John Reader. J.W. Lowry, Bell Telephone manager for the region reported that there are presently 1,975 telephones in service in Port Perry as of December 31, 1964. There were 70 phones installed just last year in Port Perry. (Turn to page 12) Letters oie Students represent Port Perry well To the Editor: Very often in the course of our jobs as school bus drivers we on- ly seem to hear about the things that we do wrong. During the week of Jan. 29 - Feb. 2/90 we were two of the drivers chartered to take a group of grade seven and eight students to Ste. Come, Quebec from R.H. Cornish Public School. In a time when teenagers are too often noticed for only their misbehaviour we were fortunate enough to have 82 outstanding students along on the trip. Not on- ly did these young men and women behave there and back on the buses, but they also did a fine job of representing Port Perry everywhere that we went. Well Smoking bylaw good idea To the Editor: I would like to applaud the per- son who took the time to write Scugog Council asking why we don't have a bylaw designating no-smoking areas in restaurants. I'm sure there are hundreds of people around Scugog, who would Sometimes the truth does offend To the Editor: In reply to letter in the Star last week "Keep Debate Civilized," the writer accuses me of not hav- ing my facts correct. He says that I accused Premier Peterson of be- ing part of a plot and raising taxes to finance it. He further wrote that my arti- cle was garbage, and that he was offended by it, that his parents were French-Canadian and regrets he has poor French vocabulary. Maybe the truth does offend some people, especially politicians and fellow travellers. For the record, I have been a (Turn to page 8) rather drive to Oshawa to eat, than have smoke blown in their faces. If you agree, tell the restaurant owners you came to eat, not smoke. done students! The R.H. Cornish staff con- _ sisting of Bruce Andrews, Dan Volman, Suzanne Guimont and Ann Marie Rocheleau did a fan- tastic job of organizing and co- ordinating the adventure. They really made us feel that we were part of the team and that our in- put on decisions was important. A special thanks to all for the great time we had in Quebec and for the thoughtfulness shown to us when you presented the lovely gift baskets. A very pleasant reminder that people do notice the extras that we do in the perfor- mance of our day to day duties and that they are appreciated. Yours truly, Ron Mollon, Jill Coffey & Joanne Hyndman, Port Perry Simcoe Transit Smile For The Day 'Oh, Harry, you sweet thing. My very own tow truck!"' Fuefloc ko