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§0PIN10N thmmmtertt's mullet role Walling tn line to fill a minivan Wllh buckcts ol free compost give) a person time to ponder Mule most people liker contemplated the latest playoff gore or what would happen in last week; yemield finale, my own peculiar thoughts turned to thc smleul m1phouons of the compost gtveavmy use” What did such a pmgmm for thc. related gu'tuway of composers and drgestcrs) have to say about the role of go'vrnment in our snotty? It's popular today to drsnuss government as merely a drum an the economy and m Impedunenl to growth. Rrghl wrug corttmetW3tors and elected olhculs argue that a dollar IS better " m a taxpayers pocket to spend than glven Io governments to allocate Sorne,mclud- mg Preston Manning, have at umes adopted the extremist rhetoric of the Amencan milrtra movement and equated taxation with coniisca- uon. Even polllmans who accept a poslllve role for government have conceded that governments should "steer but not row", But, m the absence Manure, adequately-funded governments, who will organize a compost glvcuway for our commumty? It's a great pro- gram, desngned to reduce the amount of waste In our landfills, while gwlng unzens a useful natural product to ANNE“ use m their gardens, Can anyone sen- , ously Imagme a private waste man- Witt agement contractor or even a group of civic-mmded Indwlduals conceiv- mg and organizing something that benefits so many people, yet is so cost-effective? e t M . IR, Even the brggest opponents of gov- EW ernment Involvement tn our hves a“ B' i join m callmg for governments to su' Pi I take the lead when a flood, a forest P, frre or tce slorm hth Yet, emergency _ , rehef am be organized wnh the snap SOON Platkowskt ofa poltucumrs or cl bureaucrats fm- gcrs Not onlv must preparations be made to LOPC wnh such dvsasters. but steps can and must bc takcn to prevent them and ltsscn their m1pocl Who wt" organtze these Meps If not for strong. tadcqtulcly-lundcd govcrnmems? Recent weeks have also seen calls, even from the Reform Party for compensation of all those who contracted Hepatitis C. via blood transfusions But, ll govemmem is to be held rrrsponshlc [or the fad, urcs of our blood system (and they should be), we must also give them the authority and the resources to properly regulate that sys- tem. We must call [or accountabtltty not only after mistakes are made, but when they can sttll be avoided The Krever Commission heard tesumony that federal Health bureaucrats were reluctant to propose stricter regulations that they knew to be necessary because "the political climate of the day was one of derrrgulat1on'r This is the logical and scary conclusion of the anu-governmeru rhetoric spouted by the right Wsthout active government Involvement tn the economy, Canada would have no national rarlway system, no public education system. no unwersal health care system, no network of roads and waterways, and no pension or social Insurance system Sw1hcaruly, all of these msttiultons or programs are subject to serious threats as government withdraws from us long-accepted role, In addltmn, many other nec- essary programs, such as a national Child care plan, rcmam a dream as goverr1merus refuse to exeruse their power to fulfill recognized sacral needs Now that the fare compost IS thoroughly mixed into our garden. it wtll nounsh vegetables and [runs that wall help to feed our family of four throughout the summer May the message that the compost giveaway symbolizes nourish a renewed public support for healthy government programs and the taxes needed In fund them Cliiiiriide Waterloo Town Squaw 75 King St South, Sum 20l Walcrlno, Unlano N2] H'? Telephone 886-13 " Fax No. 886-9383 Ji-snail cdimt@wattrloo-.rllmnid<.cnm g) Editor: Drhwmh t randall Reporters: hm tor/nc: Trl, Whana Display Advertising: Ml k‘qurs (-rrn Matucr N'nm ( ha The hospitals will live happily ever after Indo has given the world the jitters by messmg around with underground nuclear tests. Or as the statesman from Cambndge puts it, "They should quit fooling with those atomic bombs. They're dynamite." Prognosis, Good: Andso the hospitals will all live happily ever after. That's an ooly-drooly way to put it, but it's what you can expect from the tremendous report of the hospital Classified t irodauonmmrr Manager: restructuring commission It was akin to three kids writing Santa Claus and getting almost their every wish granted. Theres no pomt In recapping the whole shop- pmg hst. except m say that a cancer centre PS expected m 2001, and that's something! dearly wish, Group Advertising Manager: Bun h tum w But Icl's look backward a minute to Health Mimster L1: Wttmer's advice to the community to MISC a ruckus about the health shortcomings. Wcll, the community - particularly the Record - did And apparently " worked. It shouldn't have had to, What does the need to be noisy say about our polltical leaders. Includmg our MPPs? What does It say about our medical leaders? What does ll say about our community leaders? David (“nu They should have been ralsmg a constant high-decibel squeal over the way Waterloo Region was getting shon- changed If they did, " wasnt loud enough, Not nearly. It's Incredible that the restructuring Commrssron was astounded by what the region lacked, Anyhow, s-urcly our med,cal Ucdmes shouldnt be doled out on the basis of squeaky-wheel-gets-the-grease. lt should be more rational than that Some self-styled xynlcs are wondering whether such a won- dross mp0" has any connccuon With an upcommg election. Pcrish that lhoughl, although In passing, I've wondered how much " has to do with Liz being health minister A cynic am I, Anyhow, now " onward and upward wuh the feuds and lussmg behmd us The bug mnncrs, so far, are the peoplc of the rcgmn 1BR keep n that way Storm Warning: Mavhc you messed tt, but that are plans afoot In gwc helm storm warnings lo Southern Ontario We a h rlrn A mm C irralation: lvrrx I Pit ha Muuhcw Hayes Group Publuhcr ( hm] M Mvncmx Production: Millie MJnm krm MIHL'Y Waterloo Chromcle is published every chnrsday by The wrws ol our uvlummsls art" thesr own and [hr Hews M the newspaper (teg (WEB mum Danger Spot? After a year and more of furore, it looks as tt work is actually going to begin on the interchange between the Conestoga Parkway and Highway 8. ' need the best we can get. They should have known about the latest tomado, ll they'd looked at the barometer, they would have seen that the little hand was on the seven and the big hand was on Saskatchewan. The bikers, let it be said, an wily thugs and slicker than a sardine-packer's thumb Besides, they're intimidators of the first order Well, we've $50 mllhon to spend lo gussy _ up the 1nterseCttDn, of course, even now " safer than the celebrated "Spagheuiluncnon" ll replaced. By the way, there's only one thing worse than seeing a flashing red light m your rear-new mirror, Thats not seerng u and Baird backing into it, Two-Wheelers: Ontario plans a crackdown on bikers, and whale l wrsh luck to the forces of law and order, I'm not very confident. I remember a Christmastime some years ago, Two Satan?, Choice members had come into the Record to Inserl their annual sman-aleck greelmg card. N decided that the Record wouldnt run It and the result was an acrimonious exchange. I ended 11 by muting them to leave (The language is only approximate). Anyhow, at the end of the day I picked up wife Conme al Fairview Park and wound up at the homestead. There was a slew of Chnstmas cards awaiting us, and, yes sir, smack on lop was a card from Satan's Choice with the charming nolar "on "We know where you hve'" II left me really riled, Ifl could have found those hikers, ld have kicked the Iralmng wheels " Ihmr hAes The Falrvmv Group A dmslun ol Numham Inn lntomnl-nnal Standard Serum] Number IKQN up!!! Jun, A "thrilled" Kitchener Conn. Berry Vrbanovic tsk-tsked that "the interchange has a reputation as one of the worst In the province." Oh? Maybe I've missed something, particularly the string of mishaps the Inter- section caused. l travelled that intersection maybe 30 tttttey a week for years, and can1 recall any accr dents. Oh, maybe a couple, Madcd suhsx rlpllun mm $63 warlv m Canada $90 yearly outsulc ( anada ' in _ I do nu! nrn‘sxanly rrpre4r11 Trr." 23531$El