Harry Stemp was born in Uxbridge in 1934. He started his career with the Uxbridge Times-Journal as an apprentice typesetter at age 14. He soon began writing sports for the Times-Journal and eventually owned 10 community newspapers in central Ontario including the Times-Journal. He started writing his award-winning Stemp’s Stew in 1965. The column came to an end shortly after he sold his newspaper chain in 1989, but was rejuvenated in 2006 when Harry became a regular contributor to The Cosmos.
On Emergency waste, pyramids, and taxing sex
Recently while driving to a golf tournament in Ottawa I listened to a radio panel discussion on how to cut down on government waste. Each panellist had some wonderful ideas on how politicians could save millions of tax dollars. Ideas like joining together departments which provide similar services to the public accomplishing two things. Less beaurocracy and red tape and eliminating a large number of staff, saving payroll costs. There were other ideas but, as I listened, I didn't realize that I would soon see a classic example of a serious waste of tax dollars.
As I honed my putting skills there was some confusion amongst the staff. A player had been hit in the face with a golf ball and needed help. Not a life-threatening accident, incidentally caused by himself as his ball hit a tree and came back smacking him on the cheek, but one that required serious medical attention.
What happened next was hard to believe. First an ambulance, with two medics, rushed through the course entrance and was sent in the direction of the wounded golfer. Great I thought. That was fast and he will receive the professional help required. I went back to work on my putting. Sure wasn't prepared for what happened next. A few minutes behind the ambulance two police cruisers, sirens blaring, arrived and were directed to the area of the mishap. But it didn't stop there. Five minutes later a huge fire truck drove into the area and a half dozen firefighters disembarked and raced to the scene. By this time the man had been placed on a stretcher, loaded in the ambulance, and was starting the trip to the nearest hospital. In fact, the fire truck had to be moved aside to let the ambulance through. What a waste, I thought, and I expressed this to a fellow golfer who is a member of a local council.
“How could this happen?” I asked.
“Part of the system set up by government,” he explained. “When you need help you have to call 911. The dispatchers have no idea of the seriousness of the accident so they send out the whole 9 yards, ambulance, police and fire. This mishap will probably cost taxpayers close to $10,000.”
I thought that sounded a bit high, but he is part of the system and I am not. Suppose this is why New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg is putting a number of hi-speed vehicles on the road. They will receive distress calls first and race to the scene. Once there it will be their responsibility to call for more help if needed, be it medical or fire. Mayor Bloomberg explained that he is tired of seeing huge costs incurred for minor incidents that one police officer, or one ambulance could easily handle. He estimated this move could save New York City taxpayers millions of dollars a year.
If in trouble, we all want the fastest service available. However, I think we also want to see hard-earned tax dollars put to the most efficient use possible. Maybe a system like that of New York City will work safely and efficiently, save a lot of tax dollars, and catch on in other municipalities - even here in Canada.
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Looking forward to the110th Anniversary Gala of the Uxbridge Music Hall being held on September 17. It will be wonderful to take a musical and theatrical journey covering the evening when this grand old hall became the centre of social life in Uxbridge. And to think that, many years ago, council actually considered a suggestion from one councilor to sell the Music Hall to the neighbouring Williamson Motor Sales to be demolished and the land used as a car lot. Fortunately, unlike our beautiful Post Office, saner minds prevailed and the cockamamie idea was shot down. Thanks to many hard working Hall Board members as well as members of the Kinsmen Club, who turned the barren basement into a comfortable Senior Citizens Centre, we have been able to enjoy a wide variety of community events on a regular basis.
Years ago our schools did not enjoy huge auditoriums and the Music Hall was often used for school concerts and graduation exercises. One of my favourite memories was a UHS graduation exercise when I was part of the physical education team which performed amazing human pyramids for the packed house. Being the smallest, and lightest, kid in high school who possessed an excellent degree of balance, I was always at the top of the pyramid and often found myself as high as 20' in the air.
One of the pryamids that night started with six older students on the bottom and built until I was all alone on top. It was always a thrill and an even bigger one for me to perform on the Music Hall stage. That was until, during the performance, I realized that I was so high in the air that I was above the top of the stage and was looking into a lot of ropes and rigging that ran the curtains and lighting instead of gazing proudly at the crowd including my parents and my siblings. The only time they saw me was when we crashed the pyramid and I landed on top of a huge pile of bodies belonging to the senior students of the school. But my parents made me feel good by praising my performance. Good memories. So it will be a fun night to go back in history and watch talented friends and neighbours re-enact the opening event which occurred 110 years ago. You can pick up your tickets for this all-star trip for only $20 each at either Blue Heron Books or La Petite Fleur. Hope to see you there.
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Lots of election ads hitting the airwaves as Ontario residents head to the polls on October 6. As usual the parties are slamming each other and making all kinds of promises that are seldom kept. Premier McGuinty is being nicknamed “The Tax Man” as his record of keeping his promise “If elected, I will not raise your taxes” has been broken so many times it is nothing more than a joke. Having said that I discovered an amusing tax grab the other day and even though I hesitate to pass the idea along to McGuinty, I will do it anyway.
The City of Bonn, Germany has begun collecting taxes from prostitutes with an automated pay station similar to the parking meters familiar on the streets of most cities. The machine prints out receipts for a flat fee - about $8.35 - for the privilege of walking the streets from 8.15 p.m. to 6 a.m. The program started last weekend and already the city has collected $375. After one warning any sex worker not possessing a ticket will be fined up to $145 for breaking the law. Mind you, prostitution is legal in Bonn but that should be a minor move for the McGuinty government to put a law into effect and start making a few bucks from the oldest profession in the world. They tax just about everything else - why not tax the sex trade?
