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The Waterloo Chronicle is published every Wednesday by the Fairway Group, owned by CityMedia Group Inc., a subsidiary of Torstar Corp. editorial@waterloochronicle.ca sales@waterloochronicle.ca composing@waterloochronicle.ca WATERLOO CHRONICLE The views of our columnists are their own and do not necessarily represent those of the newspaper. Group Publisher | Group Sales Director/ Associate Publisher Andrea Bailey Bob Vrbanac Reporter, Ext. 227. Sports Editor, Ext. 229 75 King St. South, Suite 201 Waterloo, Ontario N2J IP2 signed with name . address and phone number and will be verified for accuracy. No unsigned letters will be flob Leuschner â€" Dwayne Weidendad Copyright in letters and other matenals submitted to the Publishet and accepted for publication remains with the author. but the publisher and its licrnsees may freety reproduce them m print. electmnic or other forms Omt mailing address is 75 King St S Suite 201. Waterion N2LIP2 International Standard Serial Number Special Projects Special Projects Mgr 623.7218. 823.7218, Fxi. 208 Fat. 210 The Waterloo Chronicle welcomes letters to the Editar They should be published Submissions may be edited for length. so please be brief Blair Matthews Gerry Mattice Canadian Publications Mail Sates Product Agreement Number 40050478 B86â€"2830 Fax: 886â€"9383 Letters Policy un Rarral Ext 22l Sales, Ext. 222 ISSN 0832â€"3410 Audited carculation 7 Norma Cyca Janne Dean re seems to be a $100 million white elephant I following local candidates on the campaign trail this year. The RIM Park fallout was the focus of the first mayâ€" oralty debate last week as the candidates tried to splatter as much mud on each other as they could to see what would stick. Even the local regional council race seems to be more about whether or not you were involved with the project, despite the fact that upper tier of governâ€" ment had nothing to do with the park. While there are definite lessons to be learned about the whole financial quagâ€" mire that the city now finds itself in, like making sure to read the contracts you sign, the future of local governâ€" ment shouldn‘t lie in the past, but should be more about what candidates are going to do for this city and region in the future. That‘s why it was _ refreshing to serve as the moderator of the \A(liard 2 BOB debate last Wednesday at Laurelwood public school. VRBANAC Perhaps it was the fact that 7 no incumbents were involved in the debate, but it seems to me that there were more issues being disâ€" cussed than simply dealing with the RIM Park fallout. At least that what the members of the 100â€"strong audience suggested by the questions they submitted. Not that the question of RIM wasn‘t raised by myself at the start of the debate. But after all the canâ€" didates gave their position on how they would handle the city‘s ongoing financial constraints the four candiâ€" dates also offered their vision for the community they live in. Whether it was a promise to hold the line on taxes, by University of Waterloo student Mike Kerrigan who proposed that all candidates sign a no new tax pledge, to Judy Greenwoodâ€"Speers idea of sharing library access with the two local universities, they offered some new ideas. Angela Vieth, chair of Communities in Bloom, was also strong on the pesticide issue, just as candidate Jim Bolger was insistent about doing something to address the traffic problem in Ward 2. They also took some tough questions from the audience including Kerrigan being asked whether he should live in the ward he represents. Not to be left out Greenwoodâ€"Speers was questioned on her plan of registering all university students as part of the soluâ€" tion to the local student housing problem, while Vieth was questioned on the use of city funds for Commuâ€" nities in Bloom. Bolger was also asked about the comâ€" peting interests of development and the environment. While some where put on the hot seat I was impressed by the passion and eloquence that they showed in answering all the questions. There is obviâ€" ously no place to hide when your neighbours are the ones asking the pointed questions And the debate wrapped up with two issues I think caused a lot of gridlock on the last council. They were, who would you vote for for Mayor and could you work with their platform? And as a follow up I asked what the role of the councillor was in relation to city staff? Do they drive the process or are they directed by the process. While some thought the mayor question unfair, we saw enough inertia on the previous council to know that the next council and mayor have to do a better job of working together _ As for the last one, I was interested in hearing each of the candidate‘s thoughts about how they as a counâ€" cillor will work with city staff. 1 think a lot of the problems of the last council came in how they communicated with city staff and with each other. I also think it‘s important to know how the candiâ€" dates will get the citizens of Waterioo more involved in the process of governing their city More imp?)rtanll\, are they ready to be held accountable by those citizens? Sorry, I just had to ask VIEWPOINT ‘m happier than a vegetarian looking at Ithe prices in a meat market. Yes sir, thanks to some help from my accountant, my income tax return was filed on time. But the government is now taking away in taxes what I once dreamed of earning. Seriously, I‘ve been in good shape finanâ€" cially for quite some time now. 8 It‘s a credit to my late wife, a canny lady who figured that what you don‘t owe won‘t hurt you. â€" She also reckoned that the man who coined the phrase "easy payment plan" was awfully sloppy with his adjectives. Still, this year was one of the least prosperâ€" ous among recent times, but that had more to do with the stock market than anything Funny, 1 heard from my broker oftener when times were good than when the market was limping. Ah yes, Canadians sink millions into unsound financial schemes, one of which is trying to keep up with the neighâ€" bours. (nngmmmmmmnmee Gee, rounding up the stuff for my tax return Was a bit of a chase. It took more brains to get the material than it took to earn the money. I was serious when I said my prosperity owes everything to my late wife. She always looked after our finances; we lived well enough, but never splurged. For example, the only reason the average Canadian family never acquired an elephant was that it‘s never been offered one for $50 down and $10 a week. No elephants for us. And. of I Ee course, I was always paid well by The Record and that made the path a little easier And my executive ability counted, too. That was my art of getting credit for the work others did. That and a subtle touch as an employee served me well. Yes sir, before arguing with the boss I made absofutely sure 1 was right and then changed the subject. And. say, 1 used to read the want ads and see all the jobs I wasn‘t equipped to handle And my dad gave me some advice for which I was grateful. He said 1 should be thankful if the job was little harder than I‘d like. Or as he put it: A razot can‘t be sharpened on a piece of velvet. The fun of filing a tax return I had something else going for me: mod RONICLE | SANDY BAIRD esty. That‘s my skill in encouraging people to find out how modest I am. You know, it‘s easy to grasp some things about economics. For example, about the only place a quarter goes as far as it used to is when it rolls under the bed. The best time to buy anything was a couâ€" ple of years ago. _ s s _ Today you can buy a dime‘s worth of anyâ€" thing for 30 cents. And the things you never wanted are considerably cheaper. â€" It‘s no wonder that the way most people live with their incomes is partially to blame. Yup, as soon as the average person pays the fiddler, another one is tuning up. About the only thing we get more of for our money these days is requests. It‘s no wonder that the family who buys together cries together. And it‘s a leadâ€"pipe cinch that future Canadians will be born free, equal and up to their ears in debt. Oddly, Canada is running out of things c z& our grandparents never thought J we‘d use. And if it‘s true we‘re )\ [ H approaching a moneyâ€"less sociâ€" I l h‘ ety, some of us are even ahead of our time. You know, I think my attitude changed when I got older. They say a man shows his age about the same time he shows pictures of his first grandchild. Economists, you know, are not respected. Most of them can count their frends on a thumb Ah yes, an economist talks about DY something he doesn‘t underâ€" stand and tries to make you D think it‘s your fault But strangely the economists always sound as if they have the quiet. assured feeling that you have before you fall flat on your face Yes sir, and nothing makes a youth smarter than to be the only grandson. â€" It was perhaps the second indicator of age. My hair was light, then it turned dark, then it turned gray, then it turned loose So I‘m an oldâ€"timer. I can remember when rock was something you did in a chair. But I‘m thinking about that tax return. Call it conscience, that small voice that says the government may check that return. Still, most people could live within their incomes if they were as economical all year round as they were right after their vacaâ€" tions. \x