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Page 6, Whtby Fres Prose, W.cfrnoday, Joeiuaay t13.t99 The only Whitby Newspaper owned and operated by Whitby resîdents for Whîtby residents! Published every Wednesday by 677209 Ontarioa mc. at 131 Brock St N, Whety, Ontario Li N 5S1 Phone 668-6111 Toronto Line 427-1834 Doug Anderson - Publisher Maurice Pither - Editor Alexandra Martin - Production Manager 2nd Class Postal Registration $05351 To the edriI(er. Happy New Year, Brian To the Edtor: The fallawing Is letter sent ta Prime1 Mulroney. the text af a Minister Briari Dear Prime Minister, Fiîst sir, let me cangratulate you for your mast couregeous Christmas Ev. message ta yauî layai subjects by remlndlng them of their wresponsibihities" end ta stop blamlng the elected membere. 1 am aiea delighted that you "mnayo b. lnfluenced by your Cabinet and pry -- and nat the "million" of shIhîlnegative volces across the land, and lead us ta even greater accomplishments than in yaur previous twa terms. Ipraudly list 1Just a few of them: "no athier leader in oui his"tory has shawn the resolve ai "States"menship more than you, sii. You were originelly opposed ta an apen border (f ree trade) but wisely listened ta the "experts" end we were blessed with the free-trade agreement. Naw, ln anather strake of greet genius, we "Might" h ave a continental trade grid -- North American tree-trede agreement. *yau have planted the "maney tree" (GST .) thet repleced the aId MST (menufecturing sales tax) which was rarely collected (former Auditor General Ken Dye canfirms). *you "savedu us billions af aur money by apting for the less castly choppers et $4.5 billion -rather than $12 bilion for nuke subs -- a brillient mave. *capital punlshment was ban;ned, and severai million for new prisons is being spent -- e clever make-wark idea. - aur East coest islend province may someday be grateful for yaur act- af "conservation" of their ivelihaad (the Grateful Dead, perheps?). *yaur streÉegist and wice aid bird Hugh Segel (snared from my province> displayed his artfulness this past year by creating a new centennial ta celebrate and arouse patîiotism in the hearts af the disenchented (for a wfeww million ta the ad industry). dared ta b. negative -- Ronald Reagan was neyer as good as Jau, sir, and Mther Teresa wauldb. proud if you ever hMt Broadway. Ves, Prime Minister, you are quit. rlght, Canadians shauld stop blamlng the anes they elected Into office -- they have themselves ta blame, if they can't stand UThank you very much for the 76-cent Increase ln my OAS cheque -- and Happy New Year ta you and your lovely family. Best regards. Jlm McLean (ret.) Ajax, Ont. PS. I read the biographies of Sawatsky, Joy and Grattan and should have wtched novice hockey lnstead. Somne comfort on Christmas Day To the Editor: It han finelly arrrved -- Chrismas marningl Everything went accarding ta plans: the early awakening of aur son ta see if Sente Claus had faund aur house, the opening of presents and the packçing of the car for a trip ta Grandme's hause for dinner. The lest thaught on my mind was slipping an the ice in the driveway, falling down and serlously hurting mysehf. But. unfortuntely, h ad. I found mîysehf and my family spending Christmas day at Whitby General Haspital. Despte lasing my twa front teeth andbreaking my wrist, R really did nat tum aout ta b. such e disastrous adventure. The reason -- the wonderful staff at the haspite's emergeiy department wha treaied myfamily and me ln such a terrific menner. After being tîeated et the hospital, I was off ta the dentist in Oshawa. Dr. Kindîee and his daughter graciously awaited my arrivai. I wauld like ta offer my sincere gratitude ta these people who made this- event -comforting and ViewpoiAntE* Cause for optimism By Murray Koebel Presîdent, Greater Toronto Home Builders' AssocatIon Over the halidays, as frlends and colleg ues wished me. a Happy New Veer, I naticed an extra degree of sincerity in their expression. Many of them added commente such as "May this b. the year we f inally enjay an ecanomic iecovery' or "May 1993 be the year that the pressure eases and peaple begin ta emile again." I cen certainly appreciate my essaciates' commente. After ail,h lias been almast faur years since the housing market went fIat ln April 1989. Over that time, we've seen enaugli layoffs, cutbacks, bankruptcies and shattered dreems ta challenge the most aptimistic 1monbulleve, however, that oui hopes and wishes for recavery will be fultllled in 1993. There are many reasons ta b. aptimistic. Rirst and foremast is the drametic increase in hausing affardability that hescocme about as a remuit of the combination of talling Interest rates and Iower hause prices. The pool ai potentiel buyers who cen afford ta buy the average-priced new home lias grawn dramnatically. In tact, vacancy rates are the highest in 20 years as renters are leaving their epertments behind ta become. praud new homeowners. R is aiea generally accepted A m 9K&LUIK r n *yau finally enacted less stressful on Christmas Day. Mni neII [ r a much better Immigration Act ta soreen out wundesirabtesu ta Cheryl Bronson ensure that only better educated Whltby To the Editor: and "wel offa entrants areRe Vlraeaeatis (h aditdit ur country -- a uree ProaramRe Vieaearetls'Th clever tactic indeed, as a lot of aur Free Press, Dec. 16/92 issue). ow risk-taking entrepreneurs" benetits kuds o onadyuppeisot have hit the skids, i.e. *owe and lSmeone etoyur pap s not dn whyO severel trusts and thausands To the Edltor: lteing op rerh.Aps at readingyo of bankruptcies, etc. hae ri oycully. sna rmeuithye the passing of Bill C91 (drug We would like ta say thank you hv eiul iifre h mers bill) is enather wÎse ta al aur associates and valued public. measure ta' get drug users off customers who participated in aur On Dec. 2, 1992, y ou pninted an expensive medications and save 'Children's Christmas Tree article entitled 'MPP sympethizes aur country millions (billions?) as Pragram'wihm roais.'Inhau quted they switch ta cheap herbl" As e resuit of yaur kindness m a aynatndsetee remedies. generasity, 308 children in aur wcrkshoPs "<A'RC Industries) are a the highlight of yaur second cammunity had a present ta apen exacEy whet develapmentally term has ta b. your hee ta help a an Christmas rnamung. handicapped people require7 I did friend ta help themeelves ta the We wQuld like ta extend a nat say thet., "Persian Oir (what are ffnends- special thank you and wnsh one and On Dec. 116, 1992, yau printed for?> aIl a happy and prosperaus 1993. mly letter ta the editor which was *but the climax of vour ability sent ta correct yaur error and ta lias ta b. the dramatic WV shot 0f The management e'cplain what people da need in the thj«Q -P- -KM~ tr.5404 wWy. t 9 4cut - ita.0 ot.dm.oeseaAe;IesI t~&#4&%topL that the resale market bas ta Improve before new home saes cen Improve. In the latter hait of 1992, t he resae market has been quite strong and is entering 1993 in a balaniced state. A leadlng realtor predicts demand for houslng ln the Toronto area will jump five per cent whle house prices will uise by two per cent ln 1993. The housing market should also bonefit from the existence of thiee goveînment Incentive pragrams: the RRSP Home Buyer's Plan, the Fit Home Loan Insurance Pîogiam (fIve per cent dawn) and the Ontario Home Ownership Savings Plan. These progîems will help buyers ln differert ways. For Information, cali the GTHA housing information lin. it <416) 391-HOME. In the first nine months of the f Ive per cent down pragiam, maie then, 53,000 purchasers toak adventage of the apportunlty ta buy their first home. Te proram will b. avalleble ta buyers throughout 1993 and shauld continue to buay the market priai ta its sunset review in early 1994. The RRSP prog ram has been e' similar success. In its first fine manths, there were apixmately 130,000 RRSP withdieawels. Athaugh this does not transleste in 130,000 home sales, beceuse some buyeis are withdrawing mare than on. RRSP, the piogiam hec cleaily hed an Impact. In 1993, w. expect homebuyers ta continue to reconize the value of lending themselves their own money, intereet fiee, for 15 yeers. Buyers muet enter Into an agreeent of purchase and sale by Mar1. 1994 ta use their RRSP ta ~uyhe*Ontario Home Ownership Savinge Plan <OHOSP) comple- ments the faderai programrs by provlding tex credits for contributions ta the plan as well as land transfer tex refunds when the savinge are applied ta the puichase of e new home. This le the lest year ln whih you cen open an OHOSP. As you cen see, I have meny gaod reasons ta b. aptimistic about aur prospects for 1993. And l'm nat' alan. in my thinking. Canadase national housing agency, Canada Mortgage and Hausing Corporatio (CMHC), is aiea quite bullieli on the Torantoarea housing market in 1993. I was delighted when I reed CMHC's forecast for next yeer. The highigts of the foreceet read hike music ta my ears -- "local econormy MI share in Narth American recovery .-. potentiel for strong new home ectivity in 1993 -. renavation activity ta revive." In summary, ta use a well-warn cliche, there's nawhere ta go but up tai the new home industry in. 1993~ Ouiindustry creeted mare then 25,000 jobs during 1992, a relatively poar year. W e hape ta ,preate fer mare jabs in 1993. Thet should b. music ta everyane's ears. ror: public mnisinformned yau chenged the ward 'not' tai Inaw,' completely reversing the meening of my statement. The mast important ward in the entire letter was nat correct desphte the context of the letter which, lied h been considered in the praafing af your reprint, would have shawn thet sheftered warkshops aie nat what people need naw. Yaung people gredueting tram high schoals where they have peticipeted in, and b.nefhtted tram, an integrated piogramn do nat went ta spend their productive adut yeers segiegated end isalated in sheltered workshaps. They went ta perticipete in aur communities, and they went the opportunity and the supports they need ta conitnibtte as membeis 0f the workforce. Ministry of Community and Social Services to pravide such supports. ht is alsa consistent with the ministry's policy direction. In the face of no funding tram MCSS ta promate refarm and closure of shettered workshops, this association begen its own reform pracesss. Our progressive reforms, unidertaken during this recession, have resulted ln ane-third of the individuels prviuly fully shettered and msltdin aur ARC workshop, being supported in job placements in the community. This type af support is called 'Supported Emfey mnit.' pracess for cutting sub~sidies ta workshops did nat Include consultation. il did not support (aur) wcommunity To the editor...