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No wonder up to half of marriages end up on the rocks and kids turn to drugs f any good could be squeezed Iout of Sept. 11 it was that our churches experienced a surge in attendance and family became more important, with R.V. sales going through the roof as parents chose togetherness to wandering the Caribbean. But eight months after the tragedy, it appears it‘s business as usual with Spiderman hauling in $114 million in its first weekend and "sports"dominating the airwaves, shoving even Middle East news onto the back pages. The dinosaurs become extinct for a second time prompting crocodile tears, while the blue birds are victimized by the boo birds as they take up residence in the basement. It can be argued that we all need entertainment, a break from the dayâ€"toâ€"day grind of making a living, Participants in 30 Hour Famine make children‘s futures brighter n behalf of World Vision O(}anada. I want to thank the participants, organizers, and volunteers for their valuable contriâ€" bution to the 31st annual 30 Hour Famine. The 30 Hour Famine is a nationâ€" al event that provides youth with a unique means of exercising their social consciousness. Not only does the event help us identify with peoâ€" ple who benefit from the programs supported by the famine, but it is Contrary to Keith Farquar‘s opinion, the RIM Park scandal is not closed and the issue is more important than more or less RIM Park financing scandal is far from over You said it QUESTION DO YOU THINK THE CITY SHOULD CLOSE THE WESTMOUNT ROAD FIRE It‘s a question of how the wrong but when major league baseball salaries clear the fence at $3.2 bilâ€" lion annually we should pause and wonder when sports died and obsession began. How much of our thought life involves mulling over the Leafs‘ chances against the Senaâ€" tors; how much of our week is spent stuck in the rink or in front of the There should be nothing sadder than watching the perennial joke played out, where the wife and famâ€" ily suffer temporary divorce as the big guy develops bed sores watchâ€" ing his team. The greatest paradox of the 21st century is that, despite convenâ€" iences ranging from intelligent windshield wipers that spring into action at the first drop to sevenâ€"secâ€" ond bacon, we are short of time, to the extent that dating clinics permit also a fun and creative way for Canadian teens to come together and make a difference in our local and global communities. The money from this year‘s 30 Hour Famine will support youthâ€" focussed programs in Africa (Sierra Leone, Kenya, Burundi, Tanania, Ethiopia and Chad) India, Guatemala, Sri Lanka, and Canada. A portion of the funds raised will also aid children in Afghanistan. This wouldn‘t happen to us again if Waterloo had more Moars. people ended up with more, and the right people ended up with For those of you who have If Keith Farquar has more "I don‘t think it‘s a good idea. It sounds like they‘re decreasâ€" ing fire coverage and response time, which doesn‘t appear to make sense." "I‘d say no. They should be closing the one from which they don‘t get to a fire fast enough." ) THE CHRONICL] Wayne Addison COMMENT Dave Hagey the single to sample up to 10 of the opposite gender in an hour, cufti out the waste of time and money spent using the traditional method. The truth is that we‘re spending time beyond work majoring on the minor, punishing our bodies at the gym or indulging ourselves by keepâ€" ing up with the latest in cars and houses. No wonder up to half of marriages end up on the rocks and kids turn to drugs â€" we‘re not takâ€" ing care of the real business of life which is to nurture and serve this often crazy world, not ourselves. If knowing that, for the cost of a single seat at the ACC, we could feed and school a child orphaned by AIDS for up to a year, would we, or would we squirm a little and change the channel? already submitted your donations â€" thank you. 0 For others who are still collectâ€" ing money and planning Famine activities, we encourage you in your efforts. Injustice hurts; poverty kills. You did something about it! On behalf of the children whose futures are brighter because of your efforts, I thank you. money to burn, I and a lot of other Waterloo citizens, because of RIM Park, could use more, not to menâ€" tion Moar. president, World Vision Canada "From the little bit I‘ve read about it, 1 think they should keep the fire hall on Westmount because of its central posiâ€" tion." "I live on Erb Street and I hear fire trucks all the time. They don‘t bother me, but it wouldn‘t bother mre if they move it either. We need them anyway." Catherine Counsineau Bob Reitzel Jim Newton, New Dundee unding for education and a healthy social infrastructure Fare not only thoughtful and compassionate public policy â€"they are essential to our future economic success. If you‘ve been reading this column for more than a month, you‘ve probably seen these ideas before. What‘s changed is that corporate leaders and think tanks are now starting to say the same thing. Ann Golden, the former head of the United Way in Toronto, is the new president of the Conference Board of Canada, which is traditionally a conservative think tank. Perhaps the hiring of a more progressive person as the organization‘s spokesperson was a sign of a greater plan to soften this traditional stance, or perhaps it is part of the reason for that shift. In any event, take a look at what the conference board is saying now. "We seem to be reaching a new level of collective understanding that Canaâ€" da‘s economic competitiveness strategy must embrace both economic and social dimensions," Golden recently told a busiâ€" ness audience. She also explicitly rejected the idea of costâ€"cutâ€" ting as "the fundamental strategy for competitiveness." Golden quoted from and referred extensively to a report describing the plight of Canada‘s cities and called on all levels of government to work together to tackle their problems. "There is no need to describe in detail the litany of problems that currently bedevil our great cities. Our infrastructure â€" from schools to transpOrtatiOn â€" is . mm aging, even crumbling; who ever | en e i thgought that Canadians%vould quesâ€" | ANOTHER | tion drinking their tap water? We not VIEW | only continue to allow, we subsidize ‘ inefficient urban sprawl. For the past | q. decade both the federal and provinâ€" . (MR cial governments have sought to balâ€" t _ ance their budgets by offâ€"loading uk costly obligations, like social housing W i " and public transit here in Ontario, on "§" * to local governments. Canada‘s in te" | largest cities are experiencing high | levels of poverty, and homelessness | | has become a national shame... A I t SCOTT | decade ago the prevailing message focussed on costâ€"cutting as the funâ€" PIATKOWSKI damental strategy for competitiveâ€" ness, on the need for each of us to be selfâ€"reliant, even selfish. The talk was all about cutbacks, not strategic investment. Today, several of Canada‘s business leaders are linking competâ€" itiveness to a broader, more inclusive agenda â€"including innovation and investment in cities â€" rooted in values that Canadians hold dear." Around the same time as Golden‘s speech, the TD Bank was releasing a report warning about the future of the City of Toronto, which it called "a locomotive in need of repair. "Private sector involvement has been instrumental in virtuâ€" ally all of the urban revitalization campaigns that have restored so many U.S. cities to their former glory. Yet, it has been in scarce supply here... Indeed, if there is one area in which the GTA lags behind its U.S. counterparts, it is in its ability to draw on the financial resources and strategic expertise of its busiâ€" ness leadership." The report calls for massive federal and provincial spending on infrastructure, transportation, social housing and educaâ€" tion. In addition, "deep pools of poverty" and a shortage of affordable housing threaten the city‘s competitiveness. Last week, Mike Lazaridis (founder and coâ€"chief executive officer of Research In Motion) made similar remarks at an "innovation summit" held at the University of Waterloo. "It is a shame how the most important investment we can make as parents and as a country has somehow been mislabelled as an expense, said Lazaridis, "We are, in fact, starving our schools, universities and colleges, and this is far from a successful stratâ€" egy." More funding for schools "is the most effective and reliâ€" able direct investment in the success of our children and our success as a nation." Lazaridis even exhorted business leaders to change their politics. "Get involved," he said. "Put science and education on equal footing with health care, tax reduction and balanced budgets in the next election." I welcome this trend towards more social responsibility on the part of business leaders and their think tanks. Saying, "I told you so" or "What touk you so long?" would be completely counterproductive at this point (or any point). Instead, let us talk about how we can harness this corporate support for eduâ€" cation and social spending. Given that our new premier claims to be listening, he could start by listening to the recent posiâ€" tions put forward by the conference board, the TD Bank and It‘s the best hope that we have, since he‘s used to listening to business and is clearly still uncomfortable with the idea of lisâ€" tening to people who have always opposed Tory policy. The left was right EKoT eeviat ;g CSg C (’v $ #41 s n | | _ scort _ | \ PIATKOWSKI |