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Whitby Free Press, 4 Sep 1991, p. 6

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PAGE ,WIIiUMY fla BWEDNMAY, mi 19 The only Whitby Newspaper"owned and operated by Whîtby resîdents for Whitby residents!, Published every Wednesday by 677209 Ontario Imc. at 131 Brook St. N., WhÎtby, Ontario LI N 5S1 Phone 668-6111 Toronto Line 427-1834 Doug Anderson - Publisher Maurioe Pither - Editor Alexandra Martin - Production Manager 2nd Class Postal Registration #05351 -ViewSen an occsionalcotribuion by Fros Pros. publisher, Dug Anderson A Plague on Botbh Their Houses Bath aides in the current pastal dispute. are sa completely self-servinp that it ia near impassible ta* talc. aides. The gênerai public, which bath sides are pledqed ta serve, are being hun; out ta dry while management and the unian canduct their public siuaest. Da yau suppase if we conducted aur awn natianal walkout9far lawér postae rae t wauIdhave ia-Y effect? Thécyncalattempts by bath management and the CUPW ta, manipulate 'public apinian serve na purpase ather than ta disgust us further. The use ai pensian and wefare chleques as a baigaining chip is sa low that it shaulId be sufficient graunds ta tire management and decertify the union. Bath sides are supposed ta be worldng for us and if they can't da sa peacably then we need Io replace them with peaple who can. The Issues in the dispute are so deepraoted that any ether 'salu- tion' merely compoundà thé problems and ensures that poarer service and hlgher prices wilI continue unchecked, and diaruptionswill accur eve e w years wif h increasing acrimony and violence. Whe thé Post Off"c was converted ta a Crown Corporation several years aga, we were tald that relations between management and the union would improve and disruptions like th15 would flot occur. However the Post Office today has easily the worst record af sus- tained labour-management animosity in Canadian history.Ter as i- tde doubt that management would like nathing botter than ta 'break' thé union and the union nothing better than seeing their bosses eat arow. lb. intention ai thé govemment ta make thé Post Office a profitable enterprise has not paid off. Even f they do achieve profkiability, if is cetalno nt through efficiency or g9ood business pradtises but rather by usîn their monopoly ta raise priées. Hawever prof tability in postie-land is nat at ail what if seema. A recent report by the consulting firm aif Reid Management for a coali- way cher companies have ta they in fact have lest money - heavily - every yrear. Over thé last three years, thé consultants estimated a net operating ioss af $648 million while the Post Office has reported a arit f259 million. In ather wards, the post office appears ta have used 'créative' bookkeeping ta 'cook' thé bocks. Thé huçe discrepan- cy seems more akin ta money laundering than sound financial man- agement. Thé numbers are based an varlous public documents includinqthe PO's awn annual reports but are somewhat conjectural since the aPst Office isseIfaly exempted from public scrutin)(. t doés net even have ta open fs books ta parliament. This is in spite af recommenda- tions ta that efect by the Niesen task force in 1985, thé Marchmént Report an Post Office productivif in 1986, and thé Parliamentary committeon Consumer and Corporate Afflaira and thé Postai Ser- vices Review Committée in 1990. Telatter committe was dissolved by thé governiment fallowing that report. But even more damning, thé report charges that thé Post Off ice may have channelled hundreds ai millions of dollars eamed through. ifs manopoly an firat clasa mail (pstage rates go up again in January) ta subsidize ifs courier and admail divisions so if can compete wif h leanér private entrernurs. Logic dictates that postiés earning $15 or mare per hour backd up by a bureaucralic dlinosaur need te b. subsidizéd in order ta b. competifive.. ..Such croas-subsidies are what: makes aur first class mail rates so much highér than in the US. Thé post office dénies cross-subsidies but, if thé charge is untrue, they could easily proveoit by cpéning their books ... but théy won't. (However, in spite af such unfair (and illégal) cross-subsides, papers like thé Frée Press can still delivér more flyers, more réliably fo esmaney than Canada Post.) Sa while management has béen caught with ifs hands in thé cookie ar, thé workers are caught demanding extra monéy frcm little aId ldes if they want ta getthéir mail. 'The Post Office is on a collision course with reality and whethér ifs this govemment or the next, they are qoing ta, have ta corne cean. Thé fact that thé cabinet has been a willing partnér ta the decéption can anly réduce thé présent government's already plummettéd ratings. Thé Post Office has ta became a much léaner opération and must hé opénly régulated as the US. postal service is. Sincé bath thé présent management and thé union seem se predisposed ta ignore thé public, which is ultimately responsiblé for and pays for their exis- tence, thé anly solution is ta remove bath. Thé govémment nééds te appoint a spécial administraterinvéstigator with swéeping quasi-judiciai powérs ta bath investigate the probléms and implément in ouins. f thé gavernmént did that, their popularity might make f back up te 15% in time for thé next élection. Commitment was met To the Editor: 1 am writing in respanse te councilior Bugelli's letter which appeared in thé Whitby Fre Press, Aug. 14 edition. Thé latter covered a myriad of subjects from Mr. Kapuscinakl's faim ta persanal attacks on myseif, 1k. Hall and Mr. Practor. H-owéver, couniciller Bugelli did finally reveal thé reasoning fer placing play structures on thé Kapuscinski passive park. In 1988, counicil propased te changé thé name of thé main stréet in the RDF subdivision from Whitbumn St. ta Kapuscinski St. As a resut ai opposition from thé résidents, thé namé wasn't changéd but counicil agrééd te name a park scheduled for phase two af thé subdivision altér Mr. Kapuscinski's farnily. When phase two was buili, Kapusciak passive park, aleng wit h Kapuscinski Ct., wéré inctuded. Thé résidents of Kapuscinski Ct. atémpted ta have thé name changéd but counicil rejécted thé requést. Théeoriginal réquest by Mi. Kapuscinski was ta have thé main street named aller his family. A Thé centrai issue is net thé trée rémnoval or thé sizé, or whethér a park or stréét should b. named aller Mr. Kapuscinàki. Thé central issue that councilior Bugélli has failed ta grasp or chooses net ta address is thé procéss uséd by Town council te make décisions. In this case, one Town counicilior can ignoré thé wishes et 146 heuséholds, Town staff and thé erations committée, and by gaining 'support' tram thrée othêr couciler, ntlcthis décision on thé comrmunity witheut providing arîy rationaie. Whén apposition te thé décision is mounted, council arnd thé committée stonewall thé apposition and mnové quickly te implémént thé controersial décision. Subdivision and Whitby résidents wonderéd why thé décision had béen made and wéré angry ne logical réason was provided by council. Councillor Bugélli has béén badgéréd' and criticized for- his pari in' single-handedly directing thé outcome and has f inally provided thé reason. Appaiently, cauncillor Bugélli had thé misguidéd idea that hé was fulfillin9 a commitment ta Mr. Kapuscinaki by ensuring play structures were érécted on Kapuscinaki passive park. Kapuscinaki passive park and Kapuscinaki Ct. havé béen a réality for sevéralyears.-Any commitméntê ta Mr. Kapuscinaki- was met -long age. Why didn't councillor Bugelli simply tell us ai thé cutset thé réason fer selécting thé Kapuscinski site? Pérhapshé thought his reason was t=be and wouid net stand up undêr scrutny. Hé would have héen right. If is feeble. Thé play structurés could havé béen erected ai Briaigreén, and Kapuscinaki park and Kapuscinski Ct. would stili havé existed. ' il tcak months ta worm thé reason from councilior Bugelli, but i léast now we know net anly how, but why, thé 'décision was made. Thé play' structures are on KapuscÀ'inaipssv ark bécause councillor Buelli thought Mr. Kapuscinski wanted thémn thére. In act uail adt, Mr. Kapuscinski wanted thé main street named aftér his family. Councullor Bugélli* daims his action was based on intégrity. Seéing councilior Bugelli use thé -EM PAGE 28 To the EdItor: Ré: Public service Postai union leaders encour- aging violence, dictating thé number of jobs ta hé creaied, dictating how much wé, the public, will pay for aur services, putting thé heaith and wéfaié af many in jeopaidy -- ail done while aur gomvermnt says it 'will net interféré.' At thé same time, anothér govmrment éncouraed and toleratéd union leader~i calling thémsehes thé 'public service alliance,' promising thé samé type To thé EdItor: Ré: 'Voté adi,'spécial' meeting criticizéd,' Aug. 7191, Whifby Fre Press. af conduc against thé citizens oi this country. Add that ta thé ever burgéoning public debt, and you must knew thot aur govemments have succeedéd ln thé last 20 years ta changé thé meaning of 'public service' ta *public pariahe.'Our éver increasing tax burden - is furthér évidence ai this. Canadians must require governménts and their agencies te manage oui tax dollars and théir personnel for aur bénéfif, net thé reverse. Louis S. Allors Whltby ne parent reason. Wethe local résidents) have asked for council's help in a féw i ssues and have recéived ne hélp whadsoévér. Are thé lacal counciflors net there to hélp the As a résident ai Ashburn and people they représent? someoné who lives an Townline As for Mayor Bob's comment Rd., I must applaud Gerry Emm loi that Mr. Em m was having thé guts ta stfnd up ta 'elèctioneering,' corne on, Bob, Town council and question thé don't b. petty. I'm sure you have a méthods théy use whén déciding spécial anneunceriient as te what on sométhing that affects area you are up ta atér you givé up thé résidents.mars chair. I wender if if was 1Council should conduot them- d=cdldata spécial' meeting. selves in an open and lair mannér, that's whaÉ they are vcted inta As for thé r émaining couneillors office ta de. wha élécted te 'gi ve themselves a I knew thiat this la one résident nice raise just aller thé élection wha was tald during thé Last (whilé we are al forced te tighten eléction that taxés were net an aur -béifts and spend. leas), consider important issue (Mr. Emm,» on thé Ri- your severancé pay and wait cther hand, campaigned for fair until this fali's élection. .taxes and an epen-door policy). In Sign me , rm had as helI and thé past five yéais, undér thé l'm net going ta take if any morel, currént Town council, aur taxes For our benefit Open and fair To the editor...

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