Bacon Scrapins are the little bits of meat left in the greasy fry pan. They’re tasty, but the ‘nutrition’ needs searching for. This tale is a bacon scrapin.

Hello Editor,

My buddies Pete and Jorge are also regular readers of The Wilmot-Tavistock Gazette. Like most folks, they tell me their paper sits around on an end table all week until the next issue comes out. Frequently through the week, they’ll pick it up and read or re-read an article or advertisement.

They were pleased to discover, from reading your July 21st Editor’s Desk piece titled ‘Fair and balanced coverage’, that a lot of folks read the Bacon Scrapins tales that I submit for your consideration each week. They were a bit proud that maybe their thoughts are a small part of how the paper invites folks to ‘search for the nutrition’ within their own conversations. They, like you, think you’ve got a good mix of content!

Pete was quite surprised, though, that so many folks seem to have missed his statement, “The only place I know of that charged to participate was here in the township. They required $5 to let you in, and they had security to enforce whatever.” He asked me to emphasize to your readers the “charged to participate” part, and that nobody talked about operating costs.

It was Jorge who added, “Everybody knows nothing’s free! Don’t they? Every Canada Day event had costs to produce, even with volunteers. The first rule in analyzing anything is always, ‘Follow the money!’ In the township, for ‘Canada Day’, one paid $5 cash – up front, in person – if you wanted to get in past security to participate. It wasn’t FREE to get in like the other places. Confusing free entry with operating costs? It’s like comparing apples to oranges – they’re entirely different things. Good grief!” Jorge was waggling his finger excitedly in the air as he said it.

Pete added, “I stated that it didn’t necessarily cost anyone anything to get in to participate in all those city events. They were FREE to get in. The exception was $5 to get in to participate in the township! This newspaper’s FREE, but we know it too has operating costs. ‘Thank you’, advertisers! I guess some folks didn’t read everything – all the words?”

Jorge then raised an interesting point that he asked me to submit to you. “We’ve all heard of the principle of dealing with others called, ‘Trust, then confirm!’  We all know or should know, that the National holiday’s events are subsidized. In most places, our federal taxes are included, as it was advertised in the township. We all know that federal, provincial and / or municipal public taxes are providing public ceremonies for ‘Canada Day’. Those subsidies should allow everyone to participate. Ability to participate should be equal for all citizens. No entry fee. Free to participate. FREE!”

Jorge also had 2 critical questions that he asked me to submit to you, so your readers could ‘search for nutritious answers’.

His first question was, “Why do all the surrounding places provide adequate subsidies to provide a ‘National Celebration”, without an entry fee, when the township does not – why do present township councilors seem to believe a National celebration’s operating costs have to be off-loaded onto a private organization, led by a sitting councilor?”

His second question was, “Why is there no requirement that a published financial reporting of how many exact dollars are raised from which people and places (including the federal government), for an exact accounting of how many dollars are spent each year, for how many dollars are left over, and in whose names / accounts are all those dollars held?”

We thank you for your Editor’s piece, and thus providing us with another opportunity to chat about how our ponderings may stimulate other folks to ‘search for the nutrition’.

Maybe some readers even chose to call a local councilor for answers to their questions? ‘Trust, but confirm!’

Our threesome again adds our toast, “Here’s to all altruistic volunteers!”

Note: Except for the first person singular, the characters in Bacon Scrapins tales are fictional. Your deliberations are encouraged.

 You may send appropriate email comments to the writer at thisiswilmot@gmail.com