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PAGE 4, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 30, 1980, WHITBY FREE PRESS whitby U_ Voc7fteCunyTw ihe PhnBuges, ubiser-fMnaingEdto w illt y 1Published every Wednesday by M.B.M. Plublishing and Photography Inc. Phone 668-61Iul The Free Press BuiIdiný Volce of the County Town Michael Ian Burgess, Publisher - Managing Editor 131 Brock Street North, 'hle only Whitby newspaper independently owned and operated by Whitby residents for Whitby residents. P.. Box 206, Whitby, 0 Community Editor Production Manager PrInt & Promotional Manager Classified Ad Advertising Manager M,1>1 .,4 No g, int. Wtlrbl t d't»'ot corm,'f Board of Education is out of control The changing of the year brings more than the festive season. It is also the time of year when govenment decides by how much they will fill their coffers through the taxpayers involuntary donations. The greatest power of government is that to tax, to raise money indiscriminately, without control, to fulfil its own desires and to fulfil those programs which they deem desirable and for the "common good," whatever that is. It has already been announced that the Towbn of Whitby and the Region of Durham will raise their taxes by 5.9 mils and approximately 10 per cent respectively for the 1980 fiscal year. It must be pointed out that these are for residential taxpayers only. These increases are not so bad when the average homeowner realizes two things. Firstly, the residential taxpayer pays only a small percentage (comparitively speaking) of government revenue as opposed to the commer- cial and industrial sector. Secondly, the largest jump in municipal taxes will not be the responsibility of the previously mentioned bodies but that of the Durham Board of Education. The cost of education is going "right through the roof" as the expression is coined. It has been estimated that the Board will spend, perhaps even surpass, $100 million in current expen- ditures this year. (And the Board does not even take in all of the region as Newcastle is part of another Board.) This is where the increase of giant proportions will lie this year. It is unfortunate to note that when the tax bill is delivered it does not show which government gets what amount of money. It is common knowledge that the school board receives 55.1 cents of every property tax dollar that is collected by the Town of Whitby. What do we get for that 55.1 cents? Experts are telling ujs that the quality of education is down, that because of certain fac- tors, our children are not receiving the disciplined, quality instruction that their parents received. If education Is regarded as a service which we pay for, we are not getting our money's worth and we appear to be paying more and more for less and less. Since it has been interpreted that the Durham Board of Education is by-and-large a waster of tax money what should be done? It is obvious that the board must bu made financially responsible. But to whom should they have that responsibility? The most likely, and best qualified, candidate is the Region of Durham. The Board of Education should have to submit it's budget for approval to the Durham Regional Council as does other bodies such as the Police Commission and the Central Lake Ontario Con- servation Authority (CLOCA). The Board of Education should have to follow the same budgetary guidelines as do other governmental agencies. The Durham Regional Council, primarily because of Finance Committee Chairman John Aker, has been cost conscious and has attem- pted to hold the line on spending. At their last meeting, regional council received and file, without discussion, a resolution from the -County of Hastings which said that regional or county councils should have the authority to review Board of Education budgets. - The resolution went on to say that if this was not acceptable, then boards of education should collect their own taxes or the Province of Ontario should assume all educational costs presently borne by the property taxpayers. The resolution made one point of extreme im- portance. The criticism for these costs is more often than not directed to the local council that collects the money for the school board. Taxpayers tend to blame local and regional councils for high tax increases when the largest portion of the increase belongs to the Board of Education. The Town of Whitby and the Region of Durham are not the tax-happy people they are sometimes blamed to be. If anybody is tax-happy It is the Board of Education. The Free Press goes on the record as suppor- ting the resolution of the County of Hasting, howeve;, we also offer an alternative if this one is not acceptable. Education right become a user-charge. That is, the taxpayer should pay for education as he does for water and sewage. That way, tax- payers would know how much they are paying for education and that body would not be as in- visible as it is now. Letter to the editor.... Reader says we missed the point Dear Sir: Upon reading both the let- ter to the editor on Wed- nesday, December 26th, by Ms. Karen Black regarding the "Beauty and Brains" ar- ticle, and your response, i am compelled to write my obser. vations on this situation. Your response shows that you have mlssed the point of Ms. Black's argument. You seem to imply that she had bad intentions when she wrote to you. She obviously knew that you meant to use the caption to compliment and that it was only subcon- sciously, like so many other social attitudes, that you im- plied sexist ideas by headlining an article, using the catchphrase "Beauty and Brains", on the academic acheivements of a female. The word beauty is irrelevent to this subject of academics and only served to reinforce the idea that one of female's most important attributes is that she be good looking. Furthermore, "Beauty and Brains" creates a misnomer that these aualities are a rare find in one same female. Had the person been male, would you, under the same circum- stances, have made any reference to his looks as an achievement? Your argument is replete with evidence that show that subconsciously, society per- petuates a myth of the femnist stereotype. No where does Ms. Black suggest that the Whitby Free Press is staffed by male chauvenists, your statement; that the staff is comprised almost totally by women, ail of which found no of fence to the caption, serves to show that feminism faces a great challenge to change the social attitudes of ail people. Furthermore, you state that the debate for the rights of women Is an emotional issue and therefore invalid, (check pg. 11). Truly, It is an emotlonal issue, but to discIaim it because It Is emotional is wrong. Many scholarly works are devoted to the study of women and their rights, ail reinforced by factual evidence. New fields of research are opening up In academics specifically for the purpose of studying this debate. I am sure Ms. Black did not feel "threatened" by your statement. Rather, she took the time to show that discrimination by sex, Is yet a problem of society. i believe the Whitby Free Press stands behind its editorial policy that al people be treated equally, but like many elements 0f society, does not realize the subconscious sexist attitudes that society accepts as everyday idloms. Renee Bikker 85 St. George St. r. 380 Toronto, Ont. MSS 2E5 *MIke Knoll f*u Mal uige 1i *Robin Lyon *Karen ThOffPSOn 1 1