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Whitby Free Press, Wedriesday, November 9, 1994, Page 23 itbyChabe of Commerce asks. What is your firat priority if you get elected, where will you put your energies? How can you help' eaae the incredibly high sense of cynicism currently ex erenced by the electorate at ali three levels? Durham Region has .afpparently lagged behind other regions in the GTA, in funding and in economic development and growth. What are your views on a regionally framed economie development office as opposed to municipal economic de velopment? The firet priority ie ta restore confidence in government. The only way ta do that ie ta involve people intimnately in the decîsion process. I arn cammitted ta representing the ma jority conseneus of my contituents on ail issues and wil make every effort through meetings, focusgru, surveys, ratepayers' &roups, computer bulletin boeaur etc. ta communicate wîth cantituents and ta understand their positions in order ta represent them fully. Citizene must have &cee accees toalal public information at alI times. I would suggest that euch information, eepecially development applications, ehould be available via computer modem so that people can scan such information in its entircty from thcir homo computers 24 hours a day seven dayesa week. The experience of Rossland, B.é. shows that when people know they have real input in the dccision proese, the cyniciem disappears and people become more involved. There are Beveral priorities that must be addressed but firet and foremost ie the challenge of continued fiscal responeibility and striking a budget that continues ta pravide a high level of service ta aur residents while flot încreasing taxes. We must thcn plan financial strategies and timin g for the provision of additional ice surfaces and new library services ta, downtown Whitby. Or equal importance is the completion of sanitary seecrs ta Brooklin, the creation of strategic plans for bath downtown Whitby and downtown Brooklin to ensure their longterm viability, the extension of our new waterfront trail system, continued efforts ta protect our environmentally sensitive areas and, of course, the continuation of programs ta cxpand aur existing induetrial and commercial base while promoting this municipality ta new indutitry. There are four immediate issues that must be dealt with: the future of Whitb~ General Hospital, the p reservation of Lynde MarsZ;cantinuing to hold the line an taxes; and the tîmely construction of ice pada. If elected, I arn cammitted ta preserving acute and emergency care services at aur hos pital. As the Lynde Shores development issue proceeds ta the Ontario Municipal Board, I will continue ta bring forward the position that the propased develapment threatens the mareh. Find the funding ta proceed with ice pade consistent with a n-tax-increase program. Doug Anderson Ross Batten M)arcelle Brunefle Joe Drumm Gerry Emm James Priest Steve Szuhai CANDIDATES MY firat priait y je ta continue ta keep taxes at the lnwest passible levaI. Over the life of this council. the Whitby portion of your tax bill has increased only 1.5 per cent. Be nat only accountable ta the electorate, but available ta them. Continue ta do the things that rnaka us a total community. Provide at reasanable cost recreatianal facilities, parke, open space, walkways, seniors' neede, industrial anâ commercial develapment and in a total cammunity setting. An acute care hospital is a must. A top priority for myself and for the new cauncil will be ta map a positive course of action ta create a strang econamic plan ta provide Whitby with a strategic pragram, recognizing the commercial and industrial opprtunities within aur tawn. This.plan would be used toastrengthen the possibilities in areas euch as downtown revivification, creatian of jobs, a mare balanced tax base, a selling package for Whitby'e business beyand aur borders. I arn aptimistic about Whitby's future with the new cauncil taling a strong leed. ao keep Whitby a strang vibrant cornmunity, we muet do aur utmast ta retain aur Whîtby General Hospital as an active hospital. The Whitby General Hospital issue is proof that the peoaple of Whitby want their representatives ta speak loud and clear. If elected, and as councillor for Whitby and the Region, 1 have many concerne. My energies wauld be widspreed: aur enviranmient, emplayment, negtiating private involvemnent in building and operating ice surfaces in Whitby and substantial ly l weing taxes. Alternatives ta landfill is anather interest. Hawever, my top priarity wauld have ta be public safety. 1 arn very concorned about violcnt crime in Durham and seniousi problcms in aur echools involving dangeraus weapons. IRGIONAL COUNCILI L- Review aIl outstanding issues. Work an eliminating gavernment wastc. Work on eliminating the senseles gavernment restrictions imposcd on business and intrusion into the affairs or business. Work on efficient civil service. Work an a more accountable rcjpionel government. Work on cost-cficient, sensible business- oriented pregrame and make sure that taxpayers money is handled wîth respect and with the utmost utility. 1 1 <Question 2 answered together with question 1) I'm not sure I a ppraciate being linked with provincial and federal lavele of govarnment. Out local council je completely anewerable ta the rasidants of Whitby and le a campletely open government procese in spite of what you mîght rea din soeavary cynical neweps pers or hear from aour local COPE graup (Citizenea Opposed ta, Practically Everything). Pi casie remember that decisions are not aI weys popuoier or ecceptabl e toalal people but they are usuel ly made threugh a truc demacratic process. 1 dont agree that there je as much cynicism cancerning local government as the question implies. I believa that because people have immediate accees to their elacted representatives b y phone or bumping inta us et stores or local avents, and because we, in fact, are neighbours, there is a greater comfrt with the municipal politicien. Whila some misunderstandings arise, I always try ta ensure my positions on issues are in tune with what I believe the majority of citizans would want. After aIl, I have ta explain them ta my neighbours. The blame for cynicism reste squaraly with the senior levaIs of goverrnment. The proof je in the resuits of tha hast provincial and faderaI elections. Wtching bath houses an telavision je for the moet part a circus atmosphere. Al tee often, wa sec where memibers of bath houses hava had ta step down becausa they have broken the rules. Our council must continue ta ba open, ta iten and respond and build on its credibility. Cynicism derives from being perceived as doing thinge frorn a difTerent agenda, by saying ana thing and turning around and doing the opposite, or nat admitting ana s mistekes. The exemple of this lest council, going ta Beleville in 1992 ta, hold their closed doar meetings, wheraas the peophe of Whitby are kept in the dark after footing the bll, I caves taxpayers out in the cold. I will support mare open, communicative meetings (within the Town of Whitby) so ail taypayers will be kapt abreast of important issues. The credibility problemes thet politiciane, in general, endure taday are self-inflicted. Flip-flops, deceit, secracy and self-indulgence, not ta mention napotism and patronage, have unjustly ternished ail politiciens, aven good sincera candidates. I ar nona politicien, any success echiaved throughout my lifa can bc indiractly linked ta using common sense. Deceit and lying weranont part of my upbringing. Therefore, 1 wouîd have a problem learning these traits et this time of my life. Being hanest and forthright alweys pays. I egrce with the electorate that c ynicism jes high end will preveil for soe time. 1 will make an effort ta convince tha clectcîrate that govcrnment je there ta serve the pepl. o this end, 1 shail be avoulable ta have an open diCou with people on the issues that confront the municipality, and go back ta grassroots polîtics with continuoue consultation by having themn involved in the dccision-making precess. Whan a large business decides where ta locate, it is an ecanomie decision. Land cost, transportation caes and taxes are far mare important than expensive colour brochures or the number of handshakes from eager pliticians. Low taxes will ba the biggest factar in whare businesses locate in the next thrae years. That shauld be Whitby'smao focus. As long as the Region is doing the job prope=y individual ecanomic development departments are unneceseary. Past history would cartainly support the fact that ecanamic development and growth was mare aggressive in the western regione of the GTA. In 1993 that gap closed significantly and in 1994 Durham Region actually leade in mast categaries that datarmine that statisticat criteria. It should aIea be noted that Whitby is the leeding municipality in Durham Region in ternis of econamic develapment and growth. In the past termi of office, this council restructured aur marketing and canamie developmcent department and developcd an award-winning marketing campaign which is praving ta be mast succesaful. Our strate ta assist and expand aur exieting commercial and inuustrial base, as we I as attract new industry, is very succeseful. We muet certainly coordinate with regional econamic development strategies but Whitby is much better served by the information, strategies and initiatives praduced by aur awn marketing and economic development department. Thore le a rale ta be played by econarnie offices at the Region and Town levels. 'The Town of Whitby's ecanomie development over the course of the recent recessian hais been autstanding and has, in fact, outpaced aIl other cammuni ties in Durham Region and moet of the GTA communities on a comparable basis. For instance, in, 1993, 23 new industries lacated in aur tawn. I'n' grateful for the confidence and assistance the citizens have afforded me over these yeare. Warking for them is my primary agenda. I hope that my exporience and trac k record will justify their support on Nov. 14. This is sheer fallacy. Non-residential unita have increased by 23 per cent in the first haîf of 1994, Tha GTA's has declined by 18 per cent. In non-residential public sactar construction, Durham has increased by 115 per cent while the GTA's has decreased by 43 per cent. Cumulative value (in millions) of building permits within Durham is: Whitby 308.3, Pickering 283.6, Ajax 132.5, Oshawa 143.8, Clarington 213.7, Scugog 30.0 and Uxbridge 45.0. As you can see, Whitby la number one. Fram my exparience as a former chairman of a regional standing committee (nine yaars), I arn fully aware cf political pasitioning for availabla funding, and now that the GTA has been created, the taek becomes much greater. It is true, as with the Whitby General Hospital versus Oshawa Generel Hospital, we know where the funding has been going ta date, nat ta Whitby General, and thîs will continue unlees new measures are brought inta place quickly. Whitby is capable of an aggressive ecanomic departmen t and has met with some positive results, but givn more leaderehi p through council, Whitby could and ahoudb eaddmore funding as a major growth area wi thin the Region of Durham. Municipal economic and davelopment offices ehould anly be involved as liaison and coordinators and the production of promotional matarial. It doas not make econamic sense for local taxpayere ta subsîdîze business by eending local politiciens on tripe abroad, for example. Businesis people do it bout and cheaper. Ministers af trade at hîgher lavels of government eeem ta do a better job of attracting business thraugh trade missions. The duplication of such departmnente throughaut the rgo is very costly. A central regioal department couled'be beneficial and lese costly. Small business creates jobs, so we muet help. them in the following way: create a good business envirooment for them; meke ventura capital available by sctting up venture capital fond or corporations by selling shares or uBing lotteries for fond accumulation. A regionally framed cnnomic development office is ton expensive and je flot expeditious enough, due ta having ta deal with the municîpolities. AIea, business will go where the market je good, labour je plentiful and affered the bcst environment. A reassonab'ly sized municipal economic development office hec a botter chance of eccompliehing this.