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Whitby Free Press, Wednesday, September 13,1996. Page 21 Region politicians cool (o GTA p lan PROM PAGE 1 local roaction te arguably the most controversial of the recommendations unveiled by Robertson - reducing Durham's eight municipalities te four. "My concern is that in a community like mine there will be resistance te losfing our identity," said Edwards. "But it makes a lot more sense than this business of creating an eloventh province," lie admitted in reforence .te Motro Toronto counci' cail for a 'super' regional government stretcliing from Burlington te Osliawa. (At Mondajs Whitby council meeing, Edwards announcod that the amalgamation proposai las since been witlidrawn.) Robortson, chair of the GTA mayors' comritteo on restructuringi appeared before council accompanied by Peel Rogion chair Emil Kolb and Michael Garrett, Pees chef administrative officer. They wore on hand te outline a sovon-point plan for roforming the GTA that will be presented te al GTA mayors and regionai chairs on Frîday. If adopted, it will thon be forwarded to the Ontario govrnment for its conideration, Robertson aid. Among the proposais the government couid be asked te implement are the followingr s hiling proporty assessmont fr-om provincial control te municipal control and imposin "actual value" assesmmont t achieve a more equitable tax system; «We haven't used market value asseasment because Toronto is frightened te death of that terIm," explained Robertson. "So we used actual value assessment which is close te market value assesmment but is more acceptable for marketing purposes.f No 'intetît,' no charges FROM PAGE 1 take lier chidren in the truck. "Tley said wliat lie did wasn't illegal... I dont think thlats riglit. This is a residentiai neiglibourhood... "My children are terrifled te go outaide. I don'tsee how lie can Set away witl this."f Whitby police inspecter Walter Hall sympathized with Barker's concerns but said it was "vexy apparent" the suspect suffers from a mental disorder. Hall says the suspect returned sliortly aller the original incident, knockod on thàe door and teld Barker 'Give me these chidren, rm babysitting these children.' Police detained hum and checked out hisestory, Hall says, talking te bis family who conflrmed lie has mental problems. They aleo talked te the suspect's family* doctor wlio,- Hall says, tlla2ked officers for the information but saidlie wasn't going te, do anytbing about it. Police thon decided te rolease the sfuspect Ho couldn't le cliargod because "the main ingredient required te prove an offence ià guilty knowledge - intent (te, commit a aime.) The. officers were ail of the opinion tliat this guy genuinely felt that lie was babysitting these two children... and that this woman was keeping thom from 1"m." As well, there were "insufficient grounda" te warrant a charge of attempted abduction. "Ho nover made any threateng F gestures or attempted te grab the kcids. He yelled te tlem te come te the truck... and thon drove away (when challenged)... "A few minutes later lie cornes up and knocks on the door. la that the actions of an abductor?" Hall acda that if the suspect had committed an offence, sucli as actually abductin the children, police would have been in a botter position te act. Hospitl reso lio PROM PAGE 1 standards, wepre not dealing with the real world,"hle said. 'To just say wo want the samo hospital we liad in '68 is not going te, get us anywliere." Mitchell said the Emm-Scott motion will only "drive a wedge" inte the liospitai board and ho defended the board's position on the rehabilitation contre proposai now before the- Ontario government. (The board supports rehabilitation as an adjunct te, some existing services such as expanded outpatient day surgeiy ana 24-hour urgent care - provided funding isavailable.) "For true lifo-threatening emorgencies, ambulances are sending people te, other hospitais," said Mitchell. wMy understanding is it wil cost the liospital $300,000 a year te, be a true emergency service and where they're going te, get the money, I don't know," lie said. 'TiUs wiIl be a fractious issue at a tâme wlien the. hospital board is trying te look forward and be practical."ý According te Edwards, councdlls position on the liospital is clear. Ho insisted the resolution unanimously adopted by council last year cavera the two issues mentioned in the Emm-Scott motion. "You (Mfitchell) were a member of this council and you voted in favour of that," said Edwards. "I respect you for saying it now, but I wisli you had corne forward. last July,. I flnd it regretablo that you waited until this time te make your views known," lie said. "I think you vo been misinformed in a lot of ways," Scott adrnonislied Mitchell. Scott claimed "evor-yono" from physicians te liospital workers to the community at large supports 24-liaur emergency service. 'There are tea many things you're not aware of," she said. Scott continued te boerate Mitchell but Edwards cut lier short. "This is a democratic organization and everyono is entitled te their views, no matter liow intelerable they are," ho said. E ... ............. ......... ........ Under- The Whitby Spirit under-i girls' rep soccer team's lague season ended on Aug. 30 with an 8-1 win over West Rouge. Whitby's scorers were Helen James (three), Candace Nzeakor (three), Vicky Methven and Erin Watson. Earlier in the month Whitby beat Ajax Warriors 2-1, bath goals by Kati Danihor. Whitby's worst defeat of the season carne on Aug. 14. when they bast 8-0 te Scarborougli United. However, two days later, Whitby bounced back te win 2-0 against Pickering B, goals frorn Methven and Francs DePaîrna. On Aug. 21 Whitby defeated Ajax United 2-0 on goals from James and iàndsay Zara. Four wins frorn five games enabled Spixit te tie Ajax Warriora for third place, behind beague winners Scarborough and runnera- up Pickering A. In the Whitby soccer tournament, Spirit defeated Ajax United 1-0 with a goal by Zara, Is fmish third and in the afternoon beat Newmarket 4-0 on goals from Nzeakor, Methven and Zara (two). In a hard-fouglit game against Nepean Hotspurs, thoy lost 3-2. Wihitby goals were scored by DePaima and Nzeakor. Other Spirit players are Meaglien Johinson, Markie Warren, Natasha Nzeakor, Rachel Wallace, Stephanie Schope, Sophie Linkiater, Laura Yamada, Michello Allen, KiCrsten MacKenzio, coaches Paul James and George Warren and manager Ted L-inklater. senior Knights repr Hoping te follow the succesa of their junior counterparts, the Oshawa Blue Kniglits senior field lacrosse seasn will begin neit Monday at Civic Fields in Oshawa. The junior team, made up of iseveral membera of the Whitby Warriors junior A box lacrosse team, recently won the Ontario charnpionship. The senior team, aged 21 and over, will likely include several former members of the Warriora' junior team as; well as college and univorsity students, past and present,~ with field lacrosse experience. Had coach is John Scanga who recently helped bis team win the Durham Men's Lacrosse League (box lacrosse) cliampionship. Tryouts for the Blue Knights senior team have already begun and the final lineup will likely be determined temorrow. Blue Knights play Toro 'nte next Mogiday niglit and will host Beaches on Wednesday, Sept. 20. Game times for bath are 8 p.m. * a provincialmncipal flnancing "swap" that would give municipalities responsibility for liard services sucli as roads, transit and waste management while the province would pay the full cost of soft services sucli as welfare, publiceliealth and homes for the aged; This arrangement would eliminate the need for municipalities having to rely on inconsistent grants from the province to help pay for services mandated by Queen's Park, Robertson said. * eliminating school boards and replacing the boards with a comrittee of regional council; Regions would assume responsibility for building and niaintaining schools and providing bus service while the province would pay teachers, 'Robertson said. "Why would you then need a trustee?" lie asked. "Just as you have a healIth commttee,. you. would have an education commiftee." Another option would be to retain trustees, but "gut their salaries and make tliem work like a hospital board,"hle added. According to Robertson, the comrittee's recommendations are more practical than the proposai from Metro chair Alan Tonks, for example. "fie Tonks! model is too, big and cumbersome," lie said, while expresSing doubt that the province will support the creation of a municipal body with more power than "most provincial governments in Canada." Among the benefits of the proposed GTA plan are lower êos3ts, greater local control over service levèes and a downsizing of government botli through fewer politicians and bureaucrats, Robertson said.' .However, GTA politicians do not have mucli tirne in which to consider the plan, lie noted. A task force on reforming the GTA, appointod by the former government and lieaded by' University of Toronto- professor Anne Golden, lias been told to submit its findings this November. Ini addition, Municipal Affairs Minister AI Leachi las given municipalitiesuntil the end of this montli to put forward their own proposais. Wliatever plan the government 701 Rossland Rd. E. Whitby 668-1164 doms implement, it will be in place by the 1997 municipal eloctions, Robertson said. His committee is therefore rocommonding that the government allow GTA, munciplites12 months in which to put the plan into effoct. "Are you prepared to suck it up over the neit year and do it yourselvos or let Mike Harris docide it for you?" lie asked. Despite the deadline, Whitby couneillor Marcel Brunolle said it would be foolish for council to make a docision,. Brunolle was especially upset with Robertson's call for a "straw vote" of council. "Wre not cattle, -were not here te be stampoded," said Brunolle. "Good govornment dosen't corne from boing forcod into docisions. You're not giving us an opportunity te respond," lie said.. "It!'s not common sonse or good govornrnent because Al Loacli drawe a lime ini the sand." Robertson was sympatlietic, but unmoved. "I wish we liad more time, but it's not going te, happen," lie said. Edwards, meanwhilo, came te, Robortson's defence at Monday's Town council meeting after Brunelle gave council a briefing on the regional session. Edwards said the NDP government liad promised muniifies 18 months in which te respond te the Golden commission's report. «rBut the new government teok over and said 'no dico,'it must be in by the end of September," lie said. Edwards said lie may be calling a special council meeting within tlie next two weeks . so that Whitby's position is on the record. Regional councillor Joe Druxnm, Who camdthr-aebeeii no puüblicfè meetings'W- 'helàd o n th e'iss:u e anywliore in the GTA., said the Conservatives may regret their haste. "The premier lias te remember the last three elections in Ontario all produced different governments3," said Drumm. "If lio's talking about a partnership, thon let's have some tirne te, make decisions," lie said. "We have until the end of the montli te make a decision on sornething that will affect the community for the next 100 years ... tlit'wrong." jjànpPRECTOUS PLATES 'N THINGS Ajax 686-7185 TAKINGODR "Great Gretky" First plate in a niew series called "Hockey Heroes" $39,90 WHITBY STORE CLOSING SEPT. 27 We are concentrating on one store to better serve Durham Region as a dealer for the Bradford Exchange. We thank our Whitby custorners for your patronage and look forward to seeing you in Ajax. IVe invite voi to1 enquire about ouir cilub beneflîs and deliven' service. 9-- .-, -- 1- -- - - - .-