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( 6 The Canadian Statesman. Bowmanville. March 2!). 1989 Canadian Stausmatt (jCNA Durham Region's Great Family Journal Established 135 years ago in 1854 Also Incorporating The Bowmanville News The Newcastle Independent The Orono News Second Class mail registration number 1561 Produced weekly by James Publishing Company Limited " • . . • '~ik9 416-623-3303 Fax 416-623-6161 62 King Street West, Bowmanville, Ontario L1C 3H John M. James Editor - Publisher Richard A. James Associate Publisher Peter Parrott Associate Editor Geo. P. Morris Brian Purdy Donald Bishop Business Mgr. Advertising Mgr. Plant Mgr. All layouts and composition of advertisements produced by the employees of James Publishing Company Limited are protected by copyright and may not be reproduced without the permission of the publisher. Subscription Rates Six Months --$11.00 One Year--$20.00 Three Years -- $57.00 Five years -- $90.00 Foreign -- $60.00 per year Although overy precaution will bo taken to avoki error. The Canadian Statesman accepts advertising in Its columns on the understanding that it will not be liable for any error In the advertisement published hereunder unless a proof of such advertisement Is requested In writing by the advertiser and returned to The Canadian Statesman business office duly signed by the advertiser and with such error or corrections plainly noted In writing thereon, and In that case it any error so noted is not corrected by The Canadian Statesman its liability shall not exceed such a portion ol the entire cost ol such advertisement as the space occupied by the noted error boars to the whole space occupied by such advertisement. m I Cditoi rial Comment ■A L 1! Tightening the Purse Strings Across Canada's bland political plains of waffling and hedging has blown a strong ideological breeze from Saskatchewan. Against a backdrop of political cowardice measured by a contingent contingent of secret opinion polls governments governments conduct before telling us what we really want them to do, the Saskatchewan Saskatchewan government of Grant De- vine stands tall. _ Much of twentieth century economic history records the convergence of pure capitalism and pure socialism into social democracies. The depression depression taught us that the unbridled market market can stand to have some compassion compassion injected into it. Compassion originally took the form of universal health care, unemployment insurance, and minimum wage provisions. For these and similar programs we remain thankful today. Politicians such as Mr. Broadbent - those who have not achieved success in conventional terms - point to such programs as they move on from the limelight and search longingly for changes they have wrought on the country's political or social landscape. A lesson of the last twenty years is that "oversocializing" the free market engine can have devastating effects on the economy it drives. A handful of leaders' in this decade have realized this truth and have acted to correct damage done by others who rushed in with government programs at every turn. Few, however, nave stated the case with the fervour and conviction that Premier Devine demonstrated last week. In its Throne Speech the Saskatchewan Saskatchewan government pledged to begin selling selling off Crown corporations ana assets worth in excess of $2 billion. The Conservatives Conservatives not only have promised more private ownership, they also have promised to transform the entire economic way of thinking in Saskatchewan. Saskatchewan. There are shades of Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher in the latter objective. objective. During her decade in power she has managed to chase the Labour party party back first from the edge of power and and then from the edge of respectability. respectability. Like our federal New Democratic Democratic Party, the British Labour Party is searching for new policies witn which to face new economic realities. _ That there exist 85 government services services and Crown corporations in Saskatchewan Saskatchewan judged worth selling off indicates indicates that the province's economy had swung much too far toward socialist socialist policies. In attempting to solve every problem, problem, soothe every pain, and generally involve itself in every aspect of life, a government strays far from where it is most helpful. Reports from Saskatchewan Saskatchewan indicate that ideological warfare has broken out over the government's plan. It is said to rival the intensity of last year's free trade debate. Good. Government, Canadians must learn and accept, should not continue to grow as it has for much of this century. century. Applying the brakes to government involvement is helpful but is not a sufficient sufficient .tonic for the cancerous government government spending deficit and ruinous accumulated accumulated debt. A curve easily could be constructed (and may already exist) which would demonstrate the inescapable relationship relationship between government revenue and government spending. It resembles the relationship between your kids and cookies. If there are 10 cookies in the house, they will eat them. If you stock up and buy 100, they will eat those as well in roughly the same amount of time: the temptation is too great. Likewise, when government receives receives more revenue it does not cut its deficit. Invariably, politicians and invisible invisible bureaucrats choose to spend even more. ("Heck, we didn't raise the deficit did we?", they chorus in defence of their spending habits) But just keeping the yearly spending deficit constant at $30 billion continues to increase increase the nation's debt load. It is this ever-growing debt which threatens to inflict recession mùch more than the white-hot southern Ontario economy. There must be actual cuts in the deficit precipitated by actual cuts in government spending, Mr. Devine has correctly chosen one of the most attractive attractive means of cutting government spending: privatization. The Saskatchewan premier is not suggesting abandoning public education, education, health care, or unemployment insurance. insurance. He simply is making the case that businesses generally are run more efficiently in private rather than public hands. The biggest threat to our cherished social programs is the massive outlay of tax revenue which goes just to cover the staggering interest payments on our debt. Nearly one-third of our taxes disappear in the form of interest. Although Although many Canadians receive some of this money back if they own Canada Savings Bonds and other government- issued certificates, we still spend far too much on interest. Privatization -- the extrication of government from where it does not belong belong -- should be a central theme in the Canadian economy now and in the 1990s. Post Office Applauds Itself In newspapers across the country last week, bold black letters carried forth the message from our Boast, er, Post Office. "Ninety-two percent is good. But it's not good enough." Below this pearl of wisdom, Canada Post reported that: "properly prepared letter mail is delivered delivered within major cities in two days or less 92% of the time. Between major cities within a province in three days or less 93% of the time. And between major cities in different provinces in four days or less 95% of the time." There you have it straight from the prestigious, and oh so independent, auditor Clarkson Gordon. We Canadians, Canadians, it seems, are blessed with the only postal service on the entire globe which cares enough to engage the services services of an independent auditor to tally tally such figures. It must also be one of the few (if not only) which takes out expensive advertisements to prattle off paeans of praise about its own record. Sound the bugles; let the celebrations celebrations begin. Canada Post can move a letter from point, A to point B in Toronto Toronto in only two days. It's tremendous. It's stupendous. And letters from Toronto Toronto to Bowmanville or Kingston arrive arrive in only three days. Hooray. Letters Letters from Montreal to Vancouver dash across the country in a mere four days - well under a working week. Click your heels; throw the confetti. This is great news. Canada Post has taught a lesson to businesses everywhere: if you're having having trouble meeting your goals, lower your standards. Just last year, Canada Canada Post Corporation (new slogan: "We're getting there") added one full day to each of its targeted delivery goals. Once upon time, our postal \yorkers strived to deliver letters within within a city by the very next day. Such naive aspirations are no longer. This year, remarkably, the revised goals are in sight, progress has been made, and slaps on the back are in order all around. Furthermore, the corporation held a press conference early in March to announce announce that it will turn a profit in the current fiscal year, an event unheard of in recent Post Office history. Herein lies another valuable lesson for the business community: Having trouble making a profit? Just keep raising prices and lowering standards until you make it into the black (having a monopoly during this process is quite helpful). If the rate of inflation were measured measured solely on the basis of the rising cost of stamps in this country we would be in the throes of economic calamity. calamity. In the last four years the cost of a basic stamp has risen almost 12 per cent. Costs to mail letters out of the country have risen even niore. And if you want to send anything which does not fit into a standard envelope and weighs more than three soggy feathers, you get bilked with alarmingly alarmingly high rates. Admittedly, taking potshots at the Post Office is neither difficult nor original. original. But when the corporation taunts us with full page advertisements lauding lauding its minuscule accomplishments, are left with no choice. [ jL-jte- -, * The lighthouse alongside the West Beach at Bowmanville Bowmanville has been a popular spot recently as fishermen fishermen scrambled out over ice covered chunks of rock for a better location at the mouth of the harbor. No doubt the nicer weather will bring more of them, eager to try their luck and get ready tor the inland trout season opening. The most romantic place to live in the Durham Durham Region is Whitby. Twice this month I have had the opportunity to enjoy two candle lit evenings at home. The romance romance isn't because I'm in love though, the candles candles were a method of survival. Power in Whitby has gone off twice in two weeks. The unwanted loss of electricity made me realize realize Just how dependent society is on power or at least how essential electricity electricity is in my life. As an example of the dependency I remember the first time the power failed. It was a Thursday night and I had just settled settled down to watch Knot's Landing. At 10 minutes after 10 on March 16 my house was thrown into complete darkness. The darkness lasted long enough for me to miss the most important important episode of Knot's this season. Missing a television program isn't a tragedy, I realize, but sometimes Knot's Landing is the highlight of my week. An hour after the power power went off, light returned returned and life in Whitby was normal once again. I could watch television, television, listen to the radio and even blow dry my hair. "Normal" conditions, however, didn't last very long. On Good Friday a transformer caught fire throwing Brooknn and many parts of Whitby into darkness once again. This time the blackout lasted for two hours. After spending 120 minutes talking to my brother with the flickering flickering light of candles lighting lighting portions of the room, I began to appreciate the luxury of electricity. Without power I can't curl my hair. My alarm clock can't wake me up for work in the morning because it runs on electricity. electricity. I can't listen to music because I don't own any battery operated radios. I can't watch television television because it too, receives receives its juice from electricity. electricity. One can't even read without power. Eyes become become a little strained trying trying to read tiny characters characters by a flashlight beam. I couldn't even work without power. Not too long ago we were thrown into darkness here at the Statesman. Without power our computers didn't work, nor did our telephones. We could barely see to walk from one room to another one. Fortunately, the blackout blackout didn't last very long and we were able to return return to work. When you try to think of things to do without power you begin to realize realize just how much easier our lives are thanks to electricity. Our houses are heated. We can cook our meals without having to start a lire. Some people can heat their meals by popping popping their food into a microwave microwave oven. With the flick of a switch a room is lighted. By pushing a button one can be entertained entertained for hours. Food and drinks can stay cold indefinitely thanks to a refrigerator. I know now what a luxury power is. The next time someone suggests a romantic candle lit evening evening to me, I think I will have to decline. Light bulbs are the only way to go. This is the second letter directed to our recreation director's director's department. Why has the hall at the new recreation recreation sports complex had only three or four rentals since last fall, when every other hall in the community is booked solid a year or so in advance? A second ice pad would probably have been much more profitable. I am sure the donors of Skate '88 and taxpayers of Newcastle would appreciate some answers. answers. I was very pleased to see the decision on purchasing quality chairs for the new hall and with the number of rentals they will definitely last for years to come. I must mention that on being a regular visitor to the new sports complex and a donor of Skate '88 it was my understanding that the name plates on the seats were to be riveted on. Do we wait until the plates fall off and get lost or do we fulfill a commitment? I am sorry if you feel that I am out of order but I feel that not only do the Skate '88 donors but also the taxpayers taxpayers of this community deserve deserve some answers. Loyalty and customer service service fall hand in hand. A concerned citizen Paul Robinson Memo to: Regional Council Council Re: the Official Plan From: Irene Kock, on behalf behalf of Durham Nuclear Awareness It is the opinion of Durham Durham Nuclear Awareness (DNA) that a very significant significant threat to our local environment environment is not being dealt with adequately in the Official Official Plan for Durham Region. Region. The nuclear industry and its associated hazards must be addressed at the planning stage. Specifically, residents should be provided with adequate adequate plans to enable them to cope with a nuclear accident. accident. The Official Plan should give a "special designation" designation" to the emergency planning zones and restrict population density to a level which Mil make prompt evacuation feasible. This option option is rapidly disappearing in the Pickering station vicinity vicinity and should be seriously seriously evaluated by Regional Council. In addition, residents residents should be the subject of a thorough base-line health study to track the public health impact of the day-to-day activities of the nuclear industry in our community. community. DNA urges Council to encourage encourage the provincial gov ernment to pursue a policy of phasing out nuclear energy energy and replacing it with conservation conservation initiatives and renewable, renewable, environmentally safe technologies for electricity electricity production. The technology technology and knowledge exists to ao this - the political will to make it happen doesn't. However, even if the reactors reactors are phased out before a serious accident occurs, this does not solve our problem of what to do with the highly radioactive spent fuel, which is now stored on the site at Pickering and which will soon be piling up at the Darlington Darlington site. Nor does it help us deal with the decommissioning decommissioning of the old reactors when they are shut down. A "special policy" should be developed developed with regard to the Pickering and Darlington Nuclear Generating Station sites. This policy should aim SWEAP Holds Meeting Here Garbage - something we all produce - has become a crisis issue. There arc many" 1 actions we can take person- i ally and in our community ' to reduce and recycle ouc.JJ solid wastes. The Bowman : ville Branch of the Newcas- „ tie Public Library, 62 Tern-',*) perance Street, will be'",' holding a meeting on March " 29 from 7:30-8:30 p.m. to sect' J; a video and discuss with Ju-J- ( lie Palmer, a representative" 1 . of Metro Toronto's SWEAP SR? team, what we can do. '• ,jJ SWEAP stands for Solid Waste Environmental Assessment Assessment Plan. It is a 20 to. 40 year plan for the manage- ! ment and disposal of the solid solid wastes that arc generated,' by the industries and the three million people in the municipality ot Metropolitan, i Toronto and the regional , municipalities of Durham.' and York. The public is al-, ' ready significantly involved in the planning process of, SWEAP through a network, of Advisory Caucuses. In order order to provide the public with further access to information information on waste management management alternatives, SWEAP has implemented a number of information centres in public libraries throughout these three regions, including including a special collection at the Bowmanville Branch of the Newcastle Public Library. Library. This collection includes includes articles and newsletters, newsletters, vertical file materials as well as minutes emanating emanating from SWEAP Process and from other organizations. organizations. "Groups such ns the G.O.O.D Committee have made a start with their successful successful implementation of the recycling of watch batteries batteries and their plans to recycle recycle rubber tires," says Maria Maria Politano, community services librarian for Newcastle Newcastle Public Library. "As a relative newcomer to this community I have found a great deal of interest interest and participation in environmental environmental concerns. It's very encouraging," she added. added. The library hopes that the March 29 program will . provide some practical advice, advice, information and suggestions suggestions to individuals who are interested in contributing contributing toward the reduction of waste and recycling. . , Letters to the Editor , >H (btiv TTPl'ln bis to ensure the proper han-, dling and storage of the ra'-' ~ dioactive wastes and the;» proper decommissioning oft ; the reactors themselves. -, Regional Council should'.!' also encourage the Canadi-,. an government to decide the £ fate of the high level radioactive radioactive wastes. No site for this . task currently exists, and until a site is selected' 1 * and prepared, these wastes,! ! which will remain hazard- - ' pus for hundreds of centu-' 1 - ries, are to remain at the ,: Pickering and Darlington _ sites. : • J In summary, DNA feels! - that it is your responsibility 1 to ensure that planning isi^ carried out in a way which, - ' benefits all residents of Dur- ham Region, not only riglij; now, but for generations to"; come. We do not inherit the»- earth from our parents, we" borrow it from our children. ■ < Go Transit Extension Awaits Government Funding GO Transit chairman Lou Parsons (left) spoke to the Bowmanville Rotary last Thursday, March 23. He was introduced by Rotarian Rex Walters. GO Transit is taking the first steps toward extending train service to Oshawa. However, officials have not set a target date, and unless the necessary necessary funds are allocated by the Ontario Ontario government, the environmental study currently underway will sit and gather dust rather than pave the way for expansion. GO Chairman Lou Parsons spoke to Bowmanville Rotarians last week and reminded club members that "the Premier Premier did make a commitment to extend extend service to Oshawa. We will do so when the funds are made available." There are no plans at any stage for extending train service further east than Oshawa. After launching a barrage of jokes, the former Peel Region chairman described described the current GO system and compared it to the system when it began began 21 years ago. During the initial operating year 2.5 million people used the service; in 1989 33 million passengers passengers are expected to use GO transit. "That's what you call growth," concluded concluded Mr. Parsons. As the demand and popularity „ GO have increased so have the facili ties and capital expenditures involved in moving millions of people at the lowest possible cost. The subsidy per passenger on GO, the chairman stated, stated, is $1.65. He compared that to the subsidy on the VIA Rail system which he said is $80 per user. In addition to seven rail corridors throughout southern Ontario, GO operates operates 1,200 miles of bus routes, feeding feeding GO trains or the TTC, The buses, Parsons stressed, are kept out of the Toronto downtown area as much possible. as of The train line stretching from Pickering Pickering to Whitby is the only section of track which GO owns outright. Every other train route must be rented, at what the chairman called "exorbitant rates", from ON and CP. Both possibilities possibilities are being considered for a future Whitby-to-Oshawa link. A major headache at the new Whitby Whitby GO station from day one has been parking. Some spaces currently are being being added, but to build a second tier of parking simply would be too expensive, expensive, he said. "It costs $10,000 per parking spot for a second tier." GO owns 20,000 parking spots in total, total, and by charging just $1 per day, Parsons suggested, GO could raise $5 million per year. "We may have to charge for parking," he said, citing S wing demand not just in the shawa area but throughout southern Ontario for increased GO service. GO currently owns 99 single-level train coaches, 80 double-deckers, 40 locomotives, locomotives, and 204 buses. "This summer we will take delivery of 16 locomotives, at a cost of $2.2 million each, which will save 30% of fuel costs," lie reported. When questioned about handicapped handicapped access to the GO system, Parsons Parsons responded sympathetically. "You will not be doing anyone any favours if you dump them into the middle of Union Union Station in a wheelchair at rush hour. The answer to the problem is a parallel transportation system," lie insisted, insisted, The transportation system at the Skydome "will be a very good system when we get it in place," but lie warned that chaos will ensue this June when people first try to get down to the new facility.