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The argument continually made by eduâ€" cators either outwardly or subliminally The March 18th article ‘Action needed now to combat education shortcomings‘ by members of Parents for Learning could use some further insight vis a vis educational tax dollars. Improving quality of education need not mean higher taxes This time it‘s under the auspices of the regional chairman‘s task force on the local economy, a worthy group indeed Don‘t get me wrong. [ think the feasibility of amalgamaâ€" tion should be studied. It‘s something that you have to do from time to time. Like going to the dentist or paying income tax. It seems to me the amalgamation issue has been studied since Kitchener founder, Joe Schneider, rumbled in from Highway 401 on his conestoga wagon. The first thing Joe did was to make himself a summer sausage sandwich; the second was to ask about merging with Waterloo. This time around no one is pointing to huge savings through amalgamation or to more efficiency. So it‘s a safe bet that Kitchener and Waterloo will greet the new century as separate cities. Will the two cities ever merge? Well, I can foresee it happening when: Madonna enters a convent; Jimmy Hoffa faces off the puck at Maple Leaf Gardens in a Stanley Cup final; Brian Mulroney takes a bus; Kelly Gruber says something intelligent. Hands ‘em Up: Variety store stickups have become a crime staple in the community, and now we have girls making like Bonnie Parker Waterloo Town Square 75 King St. South, Suite 201 Waterloo, Ontario Chronicle Kitchener and Waterloo will amalgamate when . . . Well, it‘s spring, the time of rebirth, and already one perenmial has surfaced. It‘s the matter of the merger of Kitchener and Waterloo, an issue that keeps coming back like a reprobate cousin. We ask those board members who voted against paying for an independent audit into Langdon Hall â€" isn‘t it worth $1,500 to resolve an issue that has gone on far too long, especially in light of the fact that you‘ve budgeted $15,000 for coffee this year? If there‘s nothing to hide, this audit will eliminate any doubts about the board‘s fiscal accountability. It‘s certain there‘ll be more and This issue referred to here is an audit of the costs associated with a Waterioo Region Separate School board retreat at Cambridge‘s exclusive Langdon Hall. Asking the question is Waterloo trustee John Rodina, and Mr. Rodina â€" your point is a good one. For almost a year now Kalita Stemmier has been seeking information about the retreat, questioning why it was held and how it was paid for. She‘s gone to the Ministry of Education in her investigation; she fought an election on the issue, and won a seat on the Waterloo Region Separate School board; she‘s asked the board for an audit, had the audit approved, then seen it pulled. ‘‘Why would they not want to clarify this once and for all and have it done with?" 3 Enough is enough PAGE 6 â€" WATERLOO CHRONICLE, WEDNESDAY, MARCH 25, 1992 Fax. No. NZJ 1P2 Telephone 886â€"2830 News Line 886â€"3021 more holdups, and Display Advertising: Maureen McNab Teresa Clemmer Gerry Mattice Pete Cudhea (Sports editor) Deborah Crandall Melodee Martinuk News Editor: Because the dollars spent either atl the elementary or the secondary level is comparable in the Golden Horseshoe Triâ€" angle of Ontario, I would like to draw a comparison between a city in Alberta, Calgary, with a city in Ontario, Mississau. ga. Now the Peel Board of Education in Mississauga is exactly the same size as the (;Jalgnry Board of Education in Alberta. Recent studies have -n‘:';(-i;“l:s .;el.l“:;l‘; revolves around dollars And Furthermore: There are times when I‘m as dumb as a box of rocks. Like last week when I sniffed a bit at Waterloo‘s selection as one of the 10 most livable cities in Canada. I‘d have really hooted if I‘d realized that Sarnia was one of the 10 honored. Sarnia? It‘s a wonder Hamilton wasn‘t chosen, too. Let the record show (and its more forthright residents admit it) that Sarnia has a major pollution problem, an economy in tatters, and a downtown not worth noting. hoods Rick Campbell Andrea Auernigg Mary Baycroft Circulation Manager: Greg Cassidy Major Accounts: Bill Karges percentage of personal inéaxrz;;;;th“{n“:h; Alberta as a province ranks seventh in Canada on e‘duafion_a! expenditures as a and a half times those levied by the Calgary Board of Education. Furthermore. March 18th article in the Chronicle, Ontario‘s students at the age 13 math level rank below every other province. Yet the Peel Board in Mississauga levies taxes two that Alberta‘s students are amongest the brightest in Canada and as quoted in the Waterloo Chronicle is published every Wednesday by Loo SNM1\ l W Suburhen Mewepapers af amsous t me 410 Fairway Rd. S., $40 yearly in Canada, Kitchener, Ont. $45 yearly outside Canada. President: Paul Winkler +GST. The Fairway Group Incorporated 215 Fairway Rd. S., By the way, one version of the Elvis stamp shows him young and trim and the other old and pudgy. Some say they‘ll pick the second version. And use it only for bulk mail About the only thing Sarnia has going for it is its proximity to water and to U.S. shopping. By the way, I finally read the topâ€"cities piece in Chatelaine. It was as flowery as a seed catalogue and about as convincing. But, ah well, as civic recognitions go, it‘s still better than a slap on the belly with a wet fish, Against the Odds: Ontario‘s socialist government is too sanctimonious to let us shop on Sunday, but incredibly it‘s giving serious study to permitting gambling casinos and/or video slot machines. Maybe Bob Rae wants l:.o break a habit and do something for at least one usiness â€" organized crime. Police chiefs say that Mafiaâ€"type moguls would be the big beneficiaries of casinos and video gambling. Does anyone really believe that Ontario lacks outlets for the gambling urge? If Bob Rae really cares about families and what happens to their pay cheques, hr‘ll nix any new gambling activities. Besides, there‘s no need to legalize gambling. We already have. It‘s called Election Day. First Things First: The Miami Herald conducts reader phoneâ€"ins on various issues. About 1,400 people called the Herald to vote for their favorite version of the soonâ€"toâ€"beâ€" issued Elvis Presley stamp. The next day citizens were invited to share their deepest c(;ng:lrlns about their country‘s future. The result? Exactly 3 8. country in expenditures as a percentage of Gross Domestic Product and seventh in expenditures per capita of the labor force. If in Alberta, the Alberta Chamber of Resources is demanding improvement in educational standards without placing additional funding demands on taxpayers, is Q’nurio up to the challenge to follow suit? £ Ted Kryn Waterloo Tuburhen Mewspapers af Amerca