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Page 6. Wthltbv Fr;an PrnP,., Wednesday. DAcimber il.. 1bàR The only Newspaper owned and operated by Whitby resîdents for Whitby resîdents!, MEMBER 0F: Canadian Communlty Ontarlo Community Newspaper Association Newspaper Association Whitby Whtby Business Oshawa-Durham Home Chamber of Commerce in Action Builders' Association .,The Whitby Free Press is distributed free t0Qoi 99%nf the homes in commercial outtets in Whitby, Oshawa, Ajax, Pickering & Port Perry. 28,500 COPIES DELIVERED WEFEKLY MAIL SUBSCRIPTIONS AVAILABLE Canada $36 + GST * Outside Canada $85 + GST ISSN0844-398X Published every Wednesday by 677209 Ontario Imc. 900 Hopkins St. /Box 206, Whîtby, Ontario Li N 5S1 Phone: 668-611il Fax: 668-0594 Doug Anderson - Publisher Maurice Pifher - Editor Alexandra Martin - Production Manager Printed on newspnint with minimum 20% f* recycled content using vegetable based inks. ~ 0 Ail written material, illustrations and advertising contained herein is protected by copyright. Any reproduction by an y means for commercial purposes without fthe express permission of the newspaper ls prohibited and, s a violation of Canadian copyri hi law. Reproduction for non-commercial distribution shoufd bear a credif fine lu the ib Free Press. Questions about board additions T- thecd- to Changes op posed To the edItor: coapi of letter to Premier iAke At a rment Joint meeting c representatives 0f the Durhar Board -of Education and thi Norhumberland.Cîarlngtoî Býoard of Educationanth MPPs for our reglon, ft waw agrsed that our two boardso* education would wrie to youIr response ta the Who Doei What sub-panel report ori oducation released Nov. 13 by chair David Cromble. WEa are ooncemed aboutr how many changes are being propossd for education ln Ontario and the ratesat whlcii these changes are schedulecl ta b. lmplemsnted. In particular, we are concerned about the recommendation that school boards be algne vAth municipal boundarles which, ln aur reglon, wouid resuk In the dismemberment 0f mhe NarthumbedCadcangton board. The Durhamn and Northumberland-Clarington ooards are good nsIglIb6irs and have worksd tff:theroaver the years ta providetebs programs and services for students. Our communities, although geagraphlcally close, differ ln many ways. For example, Clarfngton romains a community 0f farms and smai villages lncoentrast ta the more urban nature 0f Durham. The current boundaIes allow each of us ta meet the needs 0f aur different communitios. To adjustthose boundarlos wauld require a long period 0f transition and wauid, in aur viewpoînts, serve Mtte or no purpose. SW. feel that sducatlon dolars ralssd locally should be spent bocally -ta meet the unique needs 0f aur systsm. 1Loca1Iy elocted trustees are accountable ta thoir communities. This Is democratic govemnance; sornething which could wsll be lost ln the changes currently belng praposed. Ploase slow down the Process of change. Education is mportant enough for your govemont ta take the time ta tacwt us, work with us, and holp, us Io ensure tmat any chanes propased wlll not only beneftt students but also Mil beneftt the ratepayers of Ontaijo. Audrey MacLean Former chair Durham board RLL Wllusher Chair Northumberland.Clarington board Straitjacket Tro the editor: MP Alx Shepherd states in Ihis Parlamentary Report on Itrade with Taiwan (Fres Press, IDec. 4), that the average IIncarne of a Taiwanese le $13,500, compared with a Chinese malnîanderas $400. "You -quickly reaize. the différence b.tween a state-run economny and free enterprise, states Mr. Shepherd. 1 amn one df those thousands of enlrepreneurtal spirits who created wealth and employment ln the 1960s and 1970s, and who now sit on aur hands, tieri ln a bureaucractic straitjacket. According ta the Globe & Mail - Econarnist publication The World In 1996, Canada, with mors natural resources and farmland per capita than any other country ln the world, has a GDP per head of $20,1 60. The number for the U.S. is $28,440. .Citizens of Austria, Denmark, Germany and Norway enJoy GD)Ps of over $30,000 white Swttzerland manages $41 ,750 even though that country has only marginal farmland and littie ln the way of natural1 resources.1 I Invite Mr. Shepherd ta take hle lesson ta mhe Prime Mnisterq and the provincial premiers andc urge thsm ta remnove thei straltjacksts, and ws will showc themn that there le no Inherent reason wy -C---dans should not enjoy ines squal ta the Swis. And, yes, if would be nce to keepsome of thefrui 0f aur labours.c Give me the freedom ta dov my vry bs,and mke a rlght, not a privilege.p Peter Simonson Ajax # To the editor: Re: 'Hospital board adds two new members' and "HospitaI coukdI bse al GPs,' Free Press, Dec. 4 I feel no animioslty toward these two new members. 1 do have questions. Where were these directors ln June, 1996 whsn the election was hsld and members were able to vote? DId they vote? Wsre they members -for the necessary Ure? Why were nons ôfthe -ather. five nominees who wsnt through To the editor: Our heafth cars Is In danger The provincial governmer intends ta relinquish iu responsbllty for the fundinç and protection of primai) health cars. Outstandlng anc comprehensive health services, that benefit many ln oui communities, are ln jeopardy. ht has been statsd that Is h the *provincial government's Intention ta shift fuil responsbility for the fundlng ai essentiai health services - public heafth units, long-terni cars, assistive devices, ambulanc services, child cars, group homes, substance abuse preventian, community health centres - ta -local muicipalities. Even wlth the best Intentions, .municipalities, are ill-oquipped ta provide and maintain the same leva and quality of servce, given the diverse and often inadequate financlal capacities 0of sach municipaity. Many heakth services may disappear alfagether while others may le vuinerable toaa Iack of standardization, Inefficient financtal resources, and a mnarked difference ln the qualty of service from region ta reglon. As an outreach warker for the South Oshawa Community Healt Centre, 1 ses, flrst-hauid and on a daily basis, the correlation between high quality heakth servicoes and indMVdual wel-beng and quality of Ife. Community heatth centres such as ours were originaliy implemented in this province as a ost-effective alternative ta expensive, traditional fes-for-service delivery of health services, and wsre- otten made mors acessible ta disadvantaged S0P U 1a t 1o ns Our clients spe9ak highèy of ths medicm arsthe rceWlvIn the nominatlng procedure andi election nat selectsd ta 1111 these vacancles? If Whitby residents have a concemn about the direction the hospItal Is taklng and whers they wlll be able to recelve emergency and acute cars, they can join the select graup callsd the Corporation of Whltby General Hospital. It costs $5.. Two thlngs bother me. Rt apasthat ans doos flot have^ ta b. a member long ta became a director, butans must be a member far -six months ta voté. for- the aur lol communlty hsalth cars facllty- and express concsm tmat the quallty and existence 0f local heafh services WU lb. dlmlnished. While new and creative health service alternatives romain non-existent communlty health centres have been ldentied as ans of the prirnary health care systerns that really Is wrking. Our healh cars Is ln danger. We ail have a responsililly ta speak, pro-adlively, ta aur MPPs, media representatives and poliidians ta protect aur heafth cars system. Rt ls Imperative that we regi ster aur strang objection ta this plan, as a, wrongful approach ta reduding the deficit. Lot us emphaslze, with a sound and colective voice, that the overaJi responsiblilty and funding for ail health services must remaln wlth the province of Ontauio. Our future health depends an it. Lise Lafiamme Mention appreciated 1 ýwlsh ta thank 8111 Swan for his klnd words ln the Nov. 27 Free Press column, 0Or sise.' While I cannot speak for Ms. Teskey, NVe wondered if this pae has something Io do with Inspiration. Thon again, perhaps it'snot the water, or the nuclear power stations, or 1 have not beon at this writing business for vsry long, but I have corne ta appreciate how few and far between the successes parn b.. Thank you again, Mr. Swan, for noticlng. Ruth E. Waiker Whtby directars. f anyone wlshes ta have ay real say as ta the hsplal's direction, that IndMdua must be appointed ta a vsry select commfttee. 1 cannot blame' Whltby doctars for flot wanting ta continue worklng ln this fadulity whsre acute cars service has been evaporati n and emsrgsncy service h as been reduced. ln order ta botter serve their patients ln Whltby, they proposed some klnd of association with Oshawa General 1Hospital. This was rejected àfter very eloquent pleas from some board members and administration flot ta albow the proposai. Members -are assured thsy wauld have urgent cars. 1 must acknowledge Dr. A. DAngelo and Dr. R. Rayman for their efforts on behaif 0f their patients »and ail Whltby patients. Thsy wsre vocal from the beginnlng ln their opposition ta losing these services ln Whltby and attsnded many 0f theý meetings., If and when Whltby rssldsnts- are farced ta go slsewhsre for Immediale medical cars due ta the premrature. changes at Whitby Geq'eral, ther majority 0f directors wW 'b. scrambling ta fida scepegoa. Psrhaps they should look Ina mirror. Ruth Holdsworth' pari ai 1 ci Itu-Wh epby Protection for senhiors By Alex Shopherd Seniors getlng hit with a 50 per cent tax rates? Garth Turner, the former minIster 0f National Revenue ln Bilan MAulronoy's Progressive Conservative govemment, has.ý causod a panlc among seniors by stallngIn a column he wrltes that this'le goIng ta happen. Imagine a comment .1ke this from someone who was part 0f a gavemment that lmplemsnted 32 persanal Incarne tax Increases. Mr. Tumer, and thase who agréé With hlm, 1k. ta taik about' people who dldn't save for their retirement and how those who diwUll not get benefits. Life is neyer that simple. Lot me expiain. Many people who worked'very hard ai their lives dld not have ths benefit 0f worklng for companles that could afford pension plans. In Cther cases, hardworklng people, because of their educaton, were leif wlth lower-paylng jobs. Couple mhat wtth brlnging up a family and vsry littie Is loft for savIngs. I's not that they wouldn't save, they couidnl save. What the new system wIMU do Is combine the Old Age Pension and the Guarantsed Incarne Suppleément Inta ans benefi package. Now seniors are reqluired ta fil out farms overy March basod an their incarne tax returns whlch le absurd and a duplication of efforts. The new seniors' benefit package is $11.420 per Individual or $18.440 per couple. The benefit Is reduced ta, the extent that other forms of Incarne exlst. The bsneft t l reducsd by 50 cents for each dollar of incarne until k rmachos $5,1 60 per senior which Is equal ta the current levaiof OAS paymefts adjusted for projscted lnflatlàn ta, the year 2001. This now occurs wlth GIS., Sa if you have zero other Incarne, you receive the full $1 1,420 or $18,440 par couple. At an Incarne level of $26,000 the benefitwMIl go down ta $5,150 or $10,320 per couple. At an incarne leviof $e,000 or $78.000 per couple, na benefit MRl be rocslvsd. The benefits are not taxable. ln other words thoy are in after tax money. Over 75 per cent 0f seniors MlU b. better off under this systsrn and thsre MilI b. less paperwork ta do svery March. ln town hall meetings Iv. dlscussed this wlth seniors. The consensujs was that the most vulnérable seniors should be protected. Growlng aid Is Inévitable. But there Is no neeci for- Canadians ta grow aid and be destitute. Alex Shepherd 1.4 MP for Durham fdling whfch Includes Whitby, no#th of Taunton Road. To reach hie constltuency office, oeil 721-7570 <Oshawa). r j Health care threatened 1 To the editor: 1