Faulty logic

Dear editor:
As a former English teacher and as one who respects and loves the English language, I was surprised and confused by the strange and misleading use of the word “subsidize” by some town councillors.
The discussion centered on the use of fees, and specifically group memberships, at the Memorial Sports Centre.
My former students, and those who have worked with me on boards and committees, will not be surprised that I consulted four dictionaries to make sure that I do understand the word “subsidy.”
The Corporation of the Town of Fort Frances owns facilities and offers services to the community. We, as citizens, use those facilities.
Not all citizens use all facilities and services equally. That does not mean, however, that individuals are subsidizing other individuals as some councillors suggested.
For example, last year the watermain broke in front of my house. By this faulty logic, some citizens were subsidizing me for its repair.
Not all citizens have cars. By this faulty logic, they are subsidizing drivers when roads are driven on or repaired.
These arguments do not make sense and reveal a misunderstanding of subsidies and, perhaps more significantly, a misunderstanding of what is expected of councillors.
They should not be involved in pitting one group of individuals against another.
I believe that we, as a community, value the Memorial Sports Centre and what it offers to us. Council’s task is to determine expenditure and revenue.
The major portion of revenue naturally comes from the town through taxation. This can be augmented by appropriate fees.
The group memberships bring in $40,000 and also encourage more people to use the facility, which is a benefit to everyone.
The manager of Community Services has presented a logical and straightforward report. Councillors do not need to get into micro-managing or delaying decisions unnecessarily.
We all would like the budget to be decided before half the year has gone by.
Sincerely,
Joyce Cunningham
Fort Frances, Ont.