Winnipeg Free Press

Winnipeg Free Press (Newspaper) - October 16, 1995, Winnipeg, Manitoba Brian Cole 6977044 focus Winnipeg free press a october 1995 Ontario government jumps into patronage game common sense in full Retreat Toronto the common sense revolution is in full beaten Back by one of the most powerful weapons in the political Arsenal Patron its taken just three months in Power to put an end to what Premier Mike har Ris once called a revolution of practical ideas for making government work bet Ter for the people it that Promise has been cast aside in favor of business As usual the business of taking care of political friends and sup porters at taxpayers the Busi Ness of in a Sleazy sleight hand the conservatives have appointed some of their close personal friends to the social assistance review these positions pay Well Over a the shabby episode began 25 when Board chairwoman Maureen Adams advised four members that their appointments would not be she was acting on the direct orders of social services minister Dave As you As part of the Overall downsizing of the minister advised the Board that our budget would be significantly Adams wrote to the As a result there will be reductions in staff and Board member that would seem to be in keeping with the common sense revolution Promise to Cut the size of and it fits in with other Farmer drastic measures already announced such As cutting Wel fare benefits and a Host of other social less than two weeks Adams was advised by the ministers office that the Premier has appointed four new members to the and three of the four had obvious tory Evelyn Dodds ran As a tory in the june 8 election against Liberal Leader Lyn Dan Macdonald and Maeve Quaid were failed pc candidates on the Federal the demands of patronage have overwhelmed whatever commitment Harris had to reducing remember this phrase from the tory policy Book we want to provide efficient government that Means setting our cutting out fat and and putting people apparently this Means putting tory Hacks at a How about this stirring Promise from Harris in too Many wasteful spending has become too entrenched in the we will Weed it All the tories Are doing is weeding out nip appointees and replacing them with their own theres no attempt to adhere to the common sense we will reduce the costs of govern ment Harris but not when it conflicts with greasing the Palms of the Premier has broken Faith with those who gave him a majority govern ment last he promised hed be a different leading a new kind of government and voters bought Harris Rode to in by claim ing that our political system has become a captive to big special he suggested he would somehow Rise above the old partisan ways of past but Hes done nothing of the after taking care of welfare recipients by push ing them All deeper into Hes turned to making life sweeter for his the terrible thing this betrayal will not Hurt just the it will rekindle and reinforce the cynicism people feel towards All after risking their dwindling Faith in the system on one last realize Treyve been deceived again by someone who explicitly promised a new Deal and a sup Posedly watertight commitment to its whats surprising is How Little time it took for the revolution to Given the supposed strength of Harriss per Sonal pledge to his it was thought hed be Able to maintain at least the pretence of change for a year or Gil Hardy is Queens Park columnist for Thomson news service letters to the editor remarks critics off the Mark in an Effort to score political too Many politicians ignore opportunities to share very important values with the this is exactly what is reflected in the free press article of nip scolds wants her criticisms of the family services ministers comment that Many families Are Rich in love and Nur Turing is absolute indeed Many poor families Are Rich in love and that is exactly what makes the difference in whether we build resilience in your youth or raise children who Lack self esteem and my own Mother has told me Sto Ries of How she was born into a poor family and the choices her parents had to consistently would they Purchase that new go to that expensive concert or ensure proper meals for the Chil Dren my Mother describes that for her parents the Choice was always the result is that she grew up knowing How very much she was loved and As her i am also aware that my mom has had difficult but for her the Choice is also always my needs Are always her first we need to Start teaching parents to value their and to consistently make choices that reflect failing even if we double welfare Many children will still go hungry As parents make choices that Are not in the Best interest of their choices that do not put their children Thompson Winnipeg Blind cos cutting not Best answer i have a it deals with the standards of measurement that invariably used to judge the Worth of a specific project or these standards Are the Dollar Bills or in terms of a government the first and the Only question that is asked is How much will my tax dollars increase if this projects put Forth instead of will this idea solve the problem at hand it is the eve present principle of efficiency effectiveness and it annoys no to watch or listen to the sanctimonious utterances of All those individuals who think they can solve any problem via the simple expedient of cutting off funding or alleged attempting to balance a Bud the simplest analogy that comes to mind is that of watching the shopping habits of individuals where the merits of a specific Pur Chase Are assessed on the color of the As opposed to the Quality of the Why dont our Media headline writers begin their reports by emphasizing effectiveness before condemning it on the fictitious entitled efficient do these individuals feel they have to follow the misleading examples of the advertising Agen cies in our midst Jac Moscovitch Winnipeg How to reach us the free press welcomes letters from letters must be signed and should include a clearly printed address and Telephone names will be published but not All letters May be edited for style and Short letters Are less Likely to be please address letters to letters to the Winnipeg free 1355 Mountain Winnipeg r2x letters can be sent to our fax number letters May be submitted through the internet at letters letters sent via the internet obviously cannot be but must include Home address and Telephone simply its a Good idea the faculty of the technical communication department at red River Community College was particularly excited to learn and to have participated a recent con Ference on Plain at people everywhere Are beginning to realize the need for Sim ple and direct communication in the we were even More pleased that the free press 18 would devote an entire Page to the sub your argument for Plain Lan Guage was convincing and your examples we at the col lege Are continually trying to per Suade our students of the benefits of stating information and we Welcome All the help we can a recent Survey by the Manitoba chapter of the society for technical communication shows that Industry is Awakening to the effect of poor communication on the Cost of doing business and is working to solve the the continuing education department at red River Community College has begun offering a certificate program in technical communication designed for people in business and thank you for your part in emphasizing the importance of Plain Horace Hackett Winnipeg Nelson gets it wrong Nelsons interpretation of Canadian treaty history is incorrect maybe a More Thor Ough Reading of treaty 4 would be helpful for a better under standing of the rights and obligations entered into on 15 and by the parties to the treaty did not steal any thing from the ojibway and Assiniboine stories tribes in the treaty did extinguish title to certain in return the Crown among other All life sustaining Protection ser vices and Public facilities to the bands such guarantees were not available to any other group of probably the most important Crown obligation negotiated by Nelsons ancestors were the provi Sions for Reserve schools and West Ern these Wise men in peacekeeper places a mine in a secured area on the Road to Sarajevo last would turn in their Graves if they could see today How Little so Many of their offspring have made out of these they prob ably would be equally shocked to hear How Nelson is explaining it All 125 years Betty Nowicki Winnipeg get it right or leave it alone i am writing about an written by Val Small town values cherished free he makes me out As a Oneman gang while i am Only a spoke in a he refers to me As having Laid Square feet of Hardwood flooring and half a mile of base there were several others who have put in As much and More Effort and time As i name some Don Tom Larry John Leo Kristjanson and oth i was told one that it was better to do nothing than to do unnecessary i would suggest that applies to Werier if he cant get straight i am not very Happy that the Arti Cle came out As it Oleson Gimli waiting for marys letter such a wonderful letter such imagination regarding How eve would Tell her Story such questions and answers about How men and history have treated eve and thus women thank you Karen tool Mitchell for i look for Ward to marys since your columns began you have challenged agreed with some of my concerns about what the Church is doing to Many of my like look Forward to your column every we Admire your courage to speak the speak out on so called taboos and speak to persons of various we anticipate your future Pat Robson Winnipeg honesty still the Best policy on was shopping at a Safeway store on when i came to pay for my Gro Ceries my Wallet was i reported the next Day i was phoned and told it was turned not knowing who turned it in i thank them everything was intact it is so Good to know that there Are honest Jean Soffi Winnipeg ban landmines landmines Are Blind weapons that cannot distinguish Between the Footfall of a Soldier and that of one Hundred million landmines now lie in wait around the devastating and increasingly popular in today regional Zed they kill or maim Between and peo ple every most victims Are in Over the past 25 landmines have been used in almost every including suffer about one million people have been killed or injured by mines during this antipersonnel land mines Cost a few dollars to Clearing one costs up to 300 times that mines Are now being cleared at a far slower rate than they Are at the recent in convention on certain conventional Sec Retar general Boutros Boutros Ghali called for the total elimination of such devastating Canada has not produced or sold landmines since Nev the Canadian forces stockpiles these weapons and sol Diers Are trained and equipped in their Canada should set an example for other nations and sup port the Call for the destruction of existing and a ban on their production and Thomas Winnipeg this boy is not regular i am tired of teenagers being put Down because of prejudiced i am referring to the 6 Story teen left to fend for self by Catherine Hes a regular said manipulating people if he knows he can get his Way staying out too late at night and the please define regular teenage this from a broken left homeless by uncaring parents is not remarks like those should not be put on All the Young people that some Day will be Reg ular Middle aged or regular senior in this Day no one is or this would be a perfect Louise Sherby Birds Hill unravelling a titanic mystery the letter from Scansen regarding the article on the titanic deserves comment lost souls of the free Santini and myself do not Dis Pute the agreed upon totals for lost and saved from and feel that it was a misunderstanding that led to the inflated total in the orig Inal writer Hopes to blow lid off titanic free one Issue that we do struggle to bring the truth out on is the myth of the ships musicians playing nearer my god to so Many different witnesses Tell conflicting stories on what the band played that it is absurd to claim that this one song can be agreed on As the final the most reliable accounts mention that or Light popular songs were the bands choices throughout the final hour or so of the ships to Sud Denly play a rather downbeat hymn would have in survivor grades words Scansen mentions Walter lords a night to remember As a Good i would like to Point out that lord himself does not endorse nearer my god to thee in his nor in a the night lives where an entire chapter is devoted to the subject of the titanic i would also like to Correct the spelling of my last which has been devising me since the word of our Book has come Bruce Thomson Winnipeg doonesbury of june by Garry Trudeau a j Simpso private hmm cant re gout you on this ;