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8 • WATERLOO CHRONICLE • THURSDAY, APRIL 27, 2017 WATERLOO CHRONICLE 630 Riverbend Drive, Unit 104 Kitchener, Ontario N2K 3S2 519-579-7166 Fax: 519-579-2029 www.waterloochronicle.ca Donna LUELO PUBLISHER EDITORIAL Bob VRBANAC EDITOR ext. 2305 editorial@waterloochronicle.ca bvrbanac@waterloochronicle.ca Adam JACKSON REPORTER ext. 2308 Twitter: @KWAdamJ ajackson@waterloochronicle.ca Samantha BEATTIE REPORTER ext. 2229 Twitter: @Samantha_KB sambeattie@waterloochronicle.ca ADVERTISING 519-579-7166 Ted ANDERSON, 579-7166 REGIONAL AD MANAGER tanderson@waterloochronicle.ca SALES LEAD Michelle STEVENS, ext. 2232 mstevens@waterloochronicle.ca SALES REPRESENTATIVE Cassandra DELLOW, ext. 2306 cdellow@waterloochronicle.ca SALES REPRESENTATIVE Aaron MURRAY, ext. 2304 amurray@waterloochronicle.ca CLASSIFIED 1-800-263-6480 CIRCULATION 519-894-3000 Canadian Publications Mail Sales Publication Agreement Number 40050478 International Standard Serial Number ASSN 0832-3410 Audited Circulation: 31,292 The Waterloo Chronicle is published each Thursday by Metroland Media Group Ltd. ONTARIO PRESS COUNCIL The Waterloo Chronicle is a member of The Ontario Press Council, which considers complaints against mem- ber newspapers. Any complaint about news, opinions advertising or conduct should first be taken to the newspaper. Unresolved complaints can be brought to: Ontario Press Council, 2 Carlton Street, Suite 1706, Toronto, ON., M5B 1J3. COPYRIGHT The contents of this newspaper are protected by copyright and may be used only for personal non-com- mercial purposes. All other rights are reserved and commercial use is pro- hibited. To make any use of this mate- rial you must first obtain the permis- sion of the owner of the copyright. For further information contact Bob Vrbanac, Managing Editor, Waterloo Chronicle, 630 Riverbend Drive, Suite 104, Kitchener, Ontario N2J 3H8. LETTERS POLICY Letters to the editor must contain the writer's full name, address and tele- phone number. Addresses and tele- phone numbers are used only for veri- fication purposes. Names will not be withheld. We reserve the right to edit, condense or reject any contribution for brevity or legal purposes. Letters may be submitted by email to editorial@water- loochronicle.ca. Suburban Newspapers of America VIEWPOINT WATERLOO CHRONICLE CHRONICLE EDITORIAL People pay lip service all the time in their support for arts and culture, and in doing wanting to protect the environment. But when it comes time to actually do something, they're nowhere to be found. � e latest example was an event called Common Ground on Saturday on Regina Street. The event was the best of both worlds bringing togeth- er art groups, local socially responsible businesses and people concerned about the environment for a common purpose -- to highlight the need for action on Earth Day. It even included a spe- cial performance by Suubi Fushion Dance, a group of Ugandan youth who have been the subject of local filmmakers highlighting their struggle to preserve their musical education in their African nation. They had a successful tour and fundraising effort last year and are still looking for the same kind of support. � ey will be back in the fall for a fundraising show, and they were recently profiled in the Toronto Star. It would have been a great thing for local audiences to come out and see and support. Instead there were only about 50 people that welcomed these kids and supported their e� orts. We complain all the time about the lack of cultural opportunities and how this area is boring compared to the bigger metropolises like Toronto. Then, when some- thing does show up in our own backyard, we don't support it. Groups like Neruda Arts have upped the cultural diver- sity of the arts o� erings in the last few years and they should be thanked for those efforts not greeted with indi� erence. Some will say they didn't know. Well we did a story about, posted in our Around Town section and listed it in our coming events. Other than leading you by the hand, there isn't much more that we can do at the Chronicle. There is a vibrant and dynamic community out there in Waterloo and the surround- ing region, but too many peo- ple are missing it. We know there is too much to do and too little time to do it in, but we have to break out of our rou- tines sometime and try some- thing di� erent. Don't get me started on the environment. The only time we seem to care about it is when the weather ruins our day. Sure they are two dif- ferent things -- climate and weather -- but for some that's as far as they'll stick out their necks. When weather patterns change permanently, and the seasons disappear it will just be something else for Canadi- ans to complain about. Shake off your complacen- cy and do something about it. Action is better than reaction for getting something done. Come on people, get out there This week's provincial budget will be a celebration for the Liberal government as it brings the budget back into balance for the � rst time in almost a decade. � e only thing we can say about it -- what took you so long? � e government started this de� cit trip in response to the great recession of 2008, when the world's financial system was on the verge of collapse. It was the right response from all governments to turn on the spending taps at that time to help stabilize an economy on the precipice of disaster. But in the years since, the economy has recovered especially in Ontario, which now has the strongest economic growth in all of Canada. In fact, the signs for Ontario have been positive for a num- ber of years, but instead of putting money back into the rainy day fund and starting to pay down its historic provincial debt, the Liberal government kept spending. � e only reason the budget was brought back into balance was because provincial revenues outpaced projections, putting the province back in the black quicker than expected. The provincial budget could have been balanced even sooner said Robert Hogue, a senior economist with RBC, in an editorial board meeting with Metroland Media editors last week. Th e Liberal government kept from making those tough decisions when the economy was in recovery mode. � e problem is the provincial debt now stands at more than $318 billion and Ontario's debt to gross domestic product is closely approaching 40 per cent. It's the provincial government' third highest budgetary expenditure at more than $11 billion a year, falling behind only health and education spending. Th e only province in worse shape is Quebéc, but it's starting to get its � scal house in order and has started a debt reduction plan. Hogue argues it's time for Ontario to do the same, otherwise it won't have the tools in the tool box for the next economic downturn. It's time to get serious about debt reduction. It's time for debt reduction BOBBY'S WORLD BOB VRBANAC