The following text may have been generated by Optical Character Recognition, with varying degrees of accuracy. Reader beware!

4 The Canadian Statesman, Bowman ville, Wednesday, May 11,1994 Section Two Letters to the Editor More 407 Opposition The Budget of last Thursday, was the highlight of the week. This week's column will centre mainly around that. Right on target, did we expect anything less? was the attack on the budget from the "experts" at' the Toronto Toronto Sun, Linda Leatherdale et-al. Along with their neo right wing judgement, came criticism from the leader of the "revolution" Mike Harris, Harris, and,, trying desperately to become known in Ontario, via a $600,000 "makeover", Liberal Leader Lyn McLeod. So, let the true facts shine through the gloom. Our economy is getting stronger. Growth in 1993 was the best in four years, hitting 5.3 per cent in the last quarter. Our economic growth is expected expected to lead the world between now and 1997. Over the next three years, 350,000 new jobs will be created. The deficit has been reduced by 30 per cent over the past two years. We have reduced the size of the public service by 4,500 positions, with almost no layoffs, and we expect expect to achieve our target of 5,000 this year. Wé continue to reduce government government spending. Last year the cost of government programs fell - for the first time since 1942. And this year our program spending will decline again. Ontario's labour costs are competitive. competitive. After adding health care costs, Ontario's hourly labour costs in manufacturing manufacturing range from $1.02 to $5.80 lower than those in competing jurisdictions jurisdictions in the United States. Ontario is the leader in the share of its workforce workforce with post secondary education. Ontario's combined corporate income income tax rate of 35.3 per cent is over four percentage points lower than the U.S. average of 40 per cent. So much for those who claim we are driving business out of Ontario to the U.S. through Bill 40 and high taxes. A wide range of indicators confirms confirms that the Ontario economy is gaining strength. New motor vehicle sales in Ontario were up 21.6 per cent in January and February from a year earlier. Housing resales in Janu ary and February were up 30 per cent compared to a year earlier. Ontario's international exports -in January and February were up 9.7 per cent from a year ago. Over the first two months of 1994, Ontario retail sales increased increased by 3.4 per cent from a year earlier. We came to office at a time of great economic and fiscal challenges. I would think our opposition would agree with that. To meet those challenges, challenges, the Government adopted a three-part plan: to invest in jobs, preserve preserve vital services and lower the deficit. deficit. Today, the plan is demonstrating concrete results: jobs are being created, created, services are being maintained, and the deficit is on a steady downward downward track. The Government's approach approach to cost control is clearly working. It has met the goal of lowering lowering program spending for the second straight year. Fourteen out of 20 ministries ministries will have lower budgets this year than last. Since 1991-92, the cost of operating government has been reduced by $1.2 billion, or 16 per cent. Air pilots in government service have told me, that due-to the frugal use of government planes by this government, the pilots are keeping current with the use of flight simulators! simulators! Remember the Conservatives in office and the luxury corporate jet? Last year the number of ministries was reduced from 28 to 20. A far cry from the Liberal and Conservative Conservative government's when almost everyone everyone was a minister of some sort or another. Our streamlining of government government has resulted in a permanent annual annual savings of $42 million. Social assistance controls are focused focused on controlling costs and getting people back in the work force. Costs are being controlled through the recovery recovery of over-payment and fraud detection. detection. Enhanced verification of eligibility. eligibility. Benefit and entitlement changes, and better business practices. practices. Recipients are now required to provide greater detail in documenting such areas as assets, income, and Honorable Paul Hellyer to Speak at Prayer Breakfast Dear Peter: It has come to my attention, that on May 14, 1994, this community will be visited by a very distinguished distinguished Canadian, the Honourable Paul T. Hellyer. He will be the guest speaker at the annual Municipality of Clarington Christian Prayer Breakfast at the Lions Lions Centre, Beach Avenue. May of us do not know, the many endeavours with which Mr. Hellyer has been involved, and how much a part of the Canadian political scene he has been down through the years. Besides representing his own ridings ridings (Davenport 1949-57) (Trinity 1958-74) in the House of Commons, Mr. Hellyer has also held a number of positions within the government, which include Minister of National Defence, 1963-67, Minister of Transport Transport 1967-69, Minister responsible for Housing and Urban Affairs 1968- 69, just to mention a few. Besides his political life, Mr. Hellyer Hellyer has been a political columnist, economics editor for World Press Digest, Digest, and a radio and television commentator. commentator. Mr. Hellyer has also found time to be involved in the Arts and retains memberships with such organizations (and is active with) as Canadian Opera Opera Company, Royal Ontario Museum, Museum, Ontario Art Gallery, the National National Ballet of Canada, etc. Mr. Hellyer served his country 194446 with the Royal Canadian Air Force and Royal Canadian Artillery, and continues to serve, as witnessed by his receipt of the prestigious Canada Canada 125 Medal. As Chairman of the Ontario Prayer Breakfast Steering Committee, Committee, I think Mr. Hellyer will be a very interesting speaker to hear on May 14th. Many of our own local folk will be an integral part of the Prayer Breakfast this year; Mayor Diane Harare; Gord Mills, MPP, Alex Shepherd Shepherd MP, Canon Byron Yates, St. John's Anglican Church, Reverend Mike Abma, Rehoboth Christian Reformed Reformed Church, Captain Wilfred Harbin, Harbin, Salvation Army, with entertainment entertainment by the Norton Sisters. Proceeds from the Prayer Breakfast go to support support the Bowmanville Memorial Hospital Hospital Chaplaincy Fund. Tickets to this event are available from: Orchard Park Furniture, Olde Tyme Fish and Chips, Blessings Travel, Durham Christian Book Store, or the Prayer Breakfast Committee Committee at 623-2385, ext. 225. Thank you for your co-operation in keeping the people of Clarington informed of our interesting visitors. Sher Leetooze. Hospital Aux. Says Thanks For Coverage Dear Johnny: On behalf of the Auxiliary to Memorial Memorial Hospital, Bowmanville, I would like to thank you and your staff for the excellent support and publicity you have given us over the past two years in "Bits and Pieces" and "What's Happening in Town'. It is very much appreciated. Yours truly, Vivian Pickard, Public Relations medical disability. Unemployable 16 and 17-year olds living at home are now ineligible for benefits; and benefits benefits have been reduced for single parents under 18 living at home when their parents are not on social assistance. assistance. Last year, the Government combined combined three ministries - Education, Colleges, and Universities, and Skills Development - into the single Ministry Ministry of Education and Training. That has not only saved $11 million in direct direct operating costs but it has also contributed to greater cooperation among educational institutions, leading leading to new efficiencies. Access to student student support through the Ontario Student Student Assistance Program has increased, hi the 1993-94 program year, more than 180,000 students will receive assistance compared to 160,000 in 1992-93 program year - an increase of 12 per cent. Most people I spoke with, prior to the budget, told me they.didn't want to see services cut to the bone in order order to reduce the deficit in a dramatic fashion. We listened, but alas this decision decision will make the big boys of Bay Street angry. They may punish our government for this with a credit rating rating drop and subsequent higher costs of carrying the debt. As it is, hardly a week goes by without an organization organization or group, funded by the government, government, coming to see me over the present cuts they are asked to live with. If we had decided to cut and slash, as Mike Harris would have done, the burden would have been unbearable for all those who provide services, mostly to the most vulnerable vulnerable of our society. Our quest to lower the deficit even further than the 30 per cent we have achieved was severely severely hampered by the federal government's government's shortfall to Ontario of transfer payments previously agreed to. The federal government's share of the cost of social assistance, which we didn't get, is $1.7 billion this year alone! Add to that the loss of $500- million in tobacco tax. Land transfer taxes fell $90 million below budget plan, and the Employer Health Tax was $55 million below the Budget forecast. An information brochure on all aspects aspects of this year's budget can be picked up at the constituency office during tins week. The full budget report report can be ordered as well. Until next week - if you yearn for the good, old days this summer, turn off tiie a/c. Hold on a second...Why are Durham Durham Region Councillors, who sneer and laugh at the NDP government at council meetings, suddenly on their knees begging the Province to build Highway 407 right away? Is it because because the municipal election is only a few months away and they don't want to discuss this monster project with the people who will be forced to move and to live beside it? Two years ago when •Ministry of Transportation officials held public meetings and we were told the project project was 20 or 30 years into the future, future, local councillors said that people people shouldn't get all excited about something that might never happen. Now, these same elected officials want the 407 'yesterday' because Durham is supposedly losing $2 billion billion a year because of traffic tie ups on 401. Even if that ridiculous figure were true, the 407 would not be the answer. Road planners the world over have learned that building new roads never reduces traffic congestion. congestion. A Queen's University professor of Urban Planning plainly stated the 407 won't reduce traffic tie-up and the Better Transportation Coalition agrees. And what will it be like to have another 401 right through the heart of Durham? What about the thousands of people who will be affected by this mega-project? Many people who live in this rural area have been here for many generations. Others, chose the quiet, country setting to raise their families. By rushing approval for this before before the November election, our local politicians are taking away our right to choose the kind of life we want for ourselves and our children. They did not ask us if we supported their hunger hunger for another 8 lanes of concrete. , The 407 will change the region and the lives of thousands of people forever. We should have an opportunity opportunity to talk about it, to look at our real needs and to look at various options. options. No official, elected or otherwise is going to ask us what we think about 407 - they think they know what is good for us. Let's use our voices now before we lose them altogether. Stephen G. Leahy Brooklin, Ontario Dear SirlMadam, Those who claim that "money buys elections" will have a hard time explaining the most recent Elections Canada report. The report, which reveals how much the various political parties spent in last year's federal election, showed that the election's biggest losers were also the election's biggest spenders. The PCs spent $10 million and won two seats - which works out to $5 million pér seat! On the other hand, Reformers won 52 seats after spending $1.5 million - which works out to only $28,846 per seat. It seems fairly obvious that money does not buy elections. Canadian voters voters are smart enough to base their voting decisions on what is said by whom, not how much money a candidate candidate or party may spend spreading that message. That's why laws which restrict what political parties or independent citizens spend to spread their messages messages not only violate the freedoms of speech and association, they're simply simply not needed. It's time that the politicians learned to trust the people. Your sincerely, David Somerville, President Support for Organ Donor Program Attn; Editor, ' I would like to extend to you my appreciation, on behalf of By Mutual Consent, the article placed in your paper and the picture that was taken of the display booth this past weekend weekend at the Kinsmen Home Show in Bowmanville. Over 870 donor cards were distributed distributed to the public and many questions questions were answered. Many recipients and those currently on waiting lists for organ transplants are appréciative of corporate sponsors and their support support for the promotion of this much needed program. Again thank you for caring. Sincerely, John Willoughby Chairperson, By Mutual Consent Bowmanville Paying income tax on support payments, who would be paying die tax? The issue has caught the public's attention since the recent decision by the Federal Court of Canada. Because of the court's finding I fear some parents making support payments will default on what they owe, further impoverishing the women women and children who have every right to those payments. Many single mothers, and that's the group we're talking about here, live in desperate financial conditions. As it now stands, many are not receiving receiving support payments from former former spouses. In the case of Suzanne Thibau- deau, the woman from Quebec who 1 brought the case before the court, she argued custodial relationships, like uncles or grandparents, are not taxed on money they receive from noncustodial noncustodial parents, so why should she be. The court agreed. (Although right now the decision does not have an impact on all taxpayers. It applies only to Thibaudeau and her 1989 income income tax.) Now the problem for the federal government, and don't laugh, is the integrity of the tax system. You read it right. In other words, what is a tax deduction deduction for one group of taxpayers, has to be income to another. Therefore, Therefore, somebody in society has got to be taxed for someone else's deduction. deduction. The government isn't going to give up any revenue. In this situation, the deduction would cost government, in gross amounts, $662 million. Not to muddy the waters, but it should be noted that another problem arises with support payments. Its roots lie at the provincial government level. Family law provisions do not recognize recognize the concept of disposable income. income. Disposable income is the money money you have left to spend after your taxes are paid. This means the province decides what support payments will be assessed, assessed, based on gross amount or how much money you have before tax deductions. Having said that, if the parent making the support payment loses the tax deduction, their average payment increases 35 per cent because the payment is coming out of their disposable disposable income. I know this sounds like an accountant's accountant's jargon -1 am one - but this is the rub for the parent losing the deduction. deduction. And it's why I worry for mothers and children who receive payments. If the non-custodial parent is going going to have even less disposable income, income, will the mother and children suffer? And what about the guy who hasn't been living up to his obligations obligations to begin with ? Is this decision going to hurt the very people Thi- baueau is trying to help? The federal government is committed committed to enacting tougher laws to ensure ensure non-custodial parents make support support payments. One argument is that the tax deduction to non-custodial parents helps put money in the hands of mothers and children who needed it. This decision may well effect the future ability of the very poorest single single parents from attaining relief.