Whltby Free Pres, Wecfrwsday, FMard 27, 1996 Page 15 Arts directory to be produced The Oshawa & District Coundil for the Arts (ODCA) has received a grant for $3,000 from the Ontario Arts Council ta produce an arts directory. The directory will profile the ODCA and provide visibiity for area arts organizations and vendors. It will- be available ta the public for a two-year period f-rm 1996 ta 1998, free of charge. The directory will be distributed across Durham1 Region *and neighbouring, communities. It will be availablP at hotels, achools, libraries, art galleries, museumns, star.., shopping centres, chambers of commerce, city and recreation centres and taurism centres. Advertising space i. available in the directory, with discount rates for ODCA members. For more -information, contact Cathy. Skelly at 404-8700, ext. 223. Pali me ar Rpot Shidn' icemaeCPP premum By Alax Shephord las the Canada Pension Plan been mismanaged, forcing the federal government ta consider changes? it The plan was ini trouble fr-om its implementation ini 1967. AS a pay-as3-you-ga plan, idepended upon having considerably more contributors than beneficiaries'. But since 1967 birth rates feU, people live longer and the government reduced the age from 65 ta 60. Although the decrease in eligibility meant a reduction in benefits, the move was a mistake. CFP also changed from being a pure retirement plan by allowing the disabled early retirement benefits. 0f course you can argue the merits of these changes, but the fact remains many people became éligible before retirement age. Couple this with the federal government taking two yearsd warth of benefita - $40 billion - and loaning it back ta the provinces ta build schools and other capital assets hard.ly considered liquid. The provinces are paying the. mney back but at approximately three per cent lesa than the market rate - an indication of why the. plan isn't growing well. Now we are at the point where some are asking if there should be a CPP. They say indiViduals3 should be allowed ta do their own planning using RRSPs, etc. There is still a great need for a conipulsory system. I say that knowing it insso bard for many of us ta, save for retirement on our own. I can't think of much worse than being elderly and poor. Living ini dread of retirement because you can't afford it is not my idea of a caring country. The continuation of a mandatory plan is important because it ensures a minimum level of benefits. StUR the questions of universal benefits, reducing benefits ta sustain CPP, and administration by the. private sector, remain. And there is one of my own ideas: Would it flot be beneficial ta allow a portion of the reserve balances ta be loaned back toasmall and mediumwsized industries. This3 would give them access ta capital and allow them ta croate jobs. These are some of the options now on the table. I don't believe we can increase the current premium of 5.6 par cent you already pay CPP as some are suggesting. Taxpayers are paying enough and are already carrying a parsonal debt load which is tobigh. Alqx $hepherd ig MP for Durham riding which includea Whitby, north of Taunton RoacL To reach hio conai ituency office, oeil 723-7570 (Oshawa).