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WATERLOO CHRONICLE Dwayne Weidendort Gerry Mathice Group Sales Director _ Retail Sales Manager The Waterloo Chronicle is published every Wednesday by The Fairway Group, a division of Southern Ontario Community Newspapers Inc., a division of Southam Publications, a CanWest Company. Ken Bosveld Deborah Crandall Associate Publisher _ Editor, Ext. 215 886â€"2830 Fax: 886â€"9383 Eâ€"mail: wehronicle@sentex.net Andrea Bailey Bob Vrbanac Reporter, Ext. 227. Sports Editor, Ext. 229 75 King St. South, Suite 201 Waterloo, Ontario N2J 1P2 Associate Publisher: The views of our columnists are their own and do not necessarily represent those of the newspaper. Lynn Bartol Launie Ridgway Regional Classified _ Classified Manager Sales. 623â€"6617 The Waterioo Chronicle welcomes letters to the Editor They should be signed with name, address and phone number and will be verified for accuracy. No unsigned letters will be published Submissions may be edited for length. so please be brief Copyright in letters and other mate nials submitted to the Publisher and accepted for pubhcation remains with the author, but the publisher and its hcensees may freely repro duce them in print. electromic ar ather forms Our mailing address is 75 hing St S . Suite 201. Waterioa N2L 1P2. our e mail address is we hromcte@sentex net. and our fax number is A86 938% Ueh Dutheld Circulation Manager, Ext. 225 International Standard Serial Number ISSN 0832â€"3410 Canadian Publications Mail Sales Product Agreement Number 40050478 Advertising Advertising Sales, Ext. 223 Sales, Ext. 222 Ken Bosveld 905â€"523â€"5800, Ext. 239 Notma Cvea Letters Policy Audited circulation: 26,056 Melissa Hounslow Karen Dwver Circulation Assistant t bothers me a lot that reporters and comâ€" Imemalors â€" and even the chair â€" eviâ€" dently came away from the three public meetings on the future of the Waterloo pubâ€" lic library with the impression that the majority in attendance were opposed to â€" or leery of â€" a new library building. The fact is, those in attendance were not polled on whether they were in favour or opposed. While trying to focus on the presenters‘ information, attendees were forced to endure the contributions of a few vocal indiâ€" viduals who interrupted the agenda to soapâ€" box for an expansion of the present library and to give the presenters a hard time. Attendees were then asked to work in small groups, but this was not to decide whether to build new or stay put, but to come to an agreement on "what the library should look like in one year and in five years." While attempting to comply with the suggested flow of the meeting, participants found the same vocal individuals dominating the disâ€" cussions with the result that the wishedâ€"for consensusâ€"building never got off the ground. Finally, each small group‘s nonâ€"conâ€" sensus results were repeated to the whole meeting, published in the media as consenâ€" sus or majority opinions, and have been repeated ad nauseam ever since. A new building is the way to go One of the beautiful things about democâ€" ratic decisionâ€"making is that decisions can be reached by the majority vote of the peoâ€" ple or their representatives (city council). Since the library meeting participants did not vote, their decision cannot be known. An untold number of the residents who attendâ€" ed the three public meetings, including myself, left convinced that a bandaid renoâ€" vation would not do, a new building was the way to go, the board and the consultants had done their homework (it didn‘t need to be redone}, and that the Superbuild funding was a perfect complement to the plan. It is true that the library decision could be reached by keeping out an attentive ear for those who interrupt, quarrel and dominate; however such a decision would not be democratic or in the best interests of the public as a whole. The need is great for a new library uch as I love the architectural Mdesign of the present Waterloo library, I find I must support the construction of a new facélity. The need is great for more space, which simply isn‘t available at the current Albert Street location. Just around the corner we have a large piece of land which will provide the necessary room to hold a library more suited to the needs of this growing commuâ€" nity. Partnership with the YMCA will give us useful programs now lacking due to cramped quarters and chronic underfundâ€" ing of the library by past and present Waterâ€" loo councils. One hopes this will change in the future. A new library would be a positive step in the development of the city of Waterloo core. Potential purchasers of the old building should be encouraged to retain its external architectural features, so that we don‘t lose this attractive historical structure. Donna Keddie, Waterloo Alice Croft, Waterloo VIEWPOINT Andy‘s not headed for the Chretien cabinet D 3. 2 \R’ 4 8 ".4"3!,/}'7 _ S C a i of the possible. It took off the tax rolls about 45,000 folks at the bottom end, and also let the smallâ€"business tax cuts to proceed as planned. Otherwise, it was a Watch This Space budget with all the goodyâ€" goody things delayed for a year. _ To paraphrase Sir Winston Churchill in a difâ€" ferent context, when it comes to tax reductions, never was so little waited for by so many for so long. More of Same: Here‘s a bit more on the budâ€" get: The Tories did as well as was possible. After all, despite the dollar pinch, they tossed some more in the pot for education, health and water. Predictably, the extra scratch satisfied none of their critics, and it‘s hard to conceive how much would. Judging by their chilly reception to extra dough, money doesn‘t talk; it goes without sayâ€" ing. _After all, spending will be up by more than $2 billion, and revenue by more than $3 billion. And â€"let‘s have a flurry of trumpetsâ€" growth is calâ€" culated at 4.2 per cent next year, Up | m from 3.1 per cent this year and 1.0 s per cent last year. â€" LOXCO: The budget is better than what could be expected. If nobody seems wildly enthused, few people, outâ€" side of smokers, seem outraged. It is, one might say, the kind of budget to take to a subsequent election. Now about the smokers: Agreed, the provincial boost, combined with the federal increase, adds about $9 to the price per carton. It‘s easy to understand the wails of the smokers, but it‘s not easy to comâ€" prehend their vows to patronize black markets. It‘s been explained that a differâ€" _ ent method of collecting the tax, will make the blackâ€"market butts harder to come by. That‘s just James J. Dandy. A while ago before some cigarette boosts were rolled back, we saw what are so grandly known as our native people dealing blackâ€"marâ€" ket fags on an awesome scale. Come what may, our various governments have to make sure there‘s no meaningful tax avoidance. Our governments look ridiculous in the face of such taxâ€"dodging. And the penalties should reflect the amounts involved. But you could plead that cigarettes aren‘t a totally bad thing. Take the cigarette cough. It mie Eves has made his debut as a premier with a budget to display. You‘d have to say it was pragmatic, that it demonstrated the art SANDY gives some people the only daily exercise they get. _ â€" â€" 0 â€" Jail ‘em: As long as we‘re committing maleâ€" factors to the can, let‘s stick in a word for jailing stubborn bar owners who let their customers smoke. Judging by the comments of bar owners, you‘d think that playing fast and loose with the law is a sort of game. Well, let them play it and loose. And lose. It‘s thumbing a nose at the region and it‘s hardly playing fair with the bar owners who heed the bylaw. Granted, it‘ll take a bit of doing to get the repeat offenders headed for the slammer, but it‘s worth doing. Then maybe we won‘t get the smartâ€"aleck comments from them. After all, it‘s because of those yahoos that we have 35 million laws to try to enforce the Ten Commandments. Dissenting Vote: Don‘t bet on Andy Telegdi to get a spot soon in the Chretien cabinet. After that multiâ€"newspaper piece he wrote, promoâ€" tion will be a long time in coming. Obviously Andy has been in the ranks of the unhappy Grits since he and the PM parted comâ€" â€", pany on the niceties of a Helmut Oberlander deportation. J I The Aspers asked him to quit and sign a confidentiality agreement which would have been a big fat lie. Russ declined and a big ruckus has developed. I‘ve known Russ since way, way back and I worked with him and for him after Southam acquired the Record until my retirement. He‘s an excellent newsman and as loyal as they come. Now that fat is in the fire the Aspers have sent a letter to subscribers pledging they‘ll protect editorial independence and integrity. I‘d say they‘re weeks late in taking the vow. Happy Holiday: Have a happy and howling Canada Day, eh? Still, make sure it‘s a safe one, because Canada hasn‘t even one taxpayer to Firing Line: It looks as if the Aspers, father and son, had better learn a bit about the intricacies of chainâ€"newspaper publishing. Asper the younger, David by name, fired Russ Mills, Ottawa Citizen publisher, for running and editorial which said the prime minister should resign. This time he appears to be the first maverick to set down his oppoâ€" sition in such bold terms with a result we do not yet know. In any event, Chretien is unlikely to serve more than three more terms.