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PAGE 6THE CANADIAN STATESMAN, FEBRUARY 20,2002 FOR 14 6 YEARS. OUR FIRST CONCERN HAS BEEN OUR COMMUNITY Publisher - Tim Whittaker Editor-in-Chief - Joanne Burghnrclt Managing Editor - Chris Bovic Regional Editor - Judi Bobbitt Advertising Manager - Fred Eismont Composing Manager - Barb Harrison Office Manager - Lillian Ilook Œfje Caitabtmt Statesman Former Publishers and Partners Rev. John M. Climic and W.R. Climie 1854-1878 M.A. James 1878-1935 • Norman S.B. James 1919-1929 G. Elena James, 1929-1947 • Dr. George XV. James 1919-1957 John M. James, 1957-1999 Produced by Mclroland Printing, Publishing & Distributing Ltd. Also Publishers of CLARINÇTON THIS WEEK P.O. Box 4SI. 865 Farewell St., Oshawa, Ontario LI H 7L5 TEL: 905-579-4400 FAX: 905-579-2238 E-mail: newsroom(s'durhamrcgion.com Publications Mail Registration No. 07637 DROP OFFICE: James Publishing, 66 King St. W„ Bowmanvillc, 8:30 p.m. - 5 p.m. weekdays EDITORIAL e-mail letters to newsroom® durluimresion.com Time to elect regional chairman Position is too important to leave to a council vote If we elect our mayors, our members of provincial and federal federal parliament, our local and regional councillors, and our school board trustees, why do we not elect our regional chairman? chairman? If you're looking for a logical explanation for this democratic democratic anomaly, listen to what Durham Region Chairman Roger Anderson and Oshawa Regional Councillor John Gray have to say. Chainnan Anderson: "If you have an elected chairman, his or her message is going to be different from that of council. He is there to take forward the ideas of council. If he or she was elected, he or she would be there to ensure his or her ideas get done. Right now you have a spokesman for the region." Coun. Gray: " The Region's budget is over $600 million and the chairman is actually a very powerful person. He can move motions at committee, he has influence over stuff and he can mould and shape the Region to his liking. Someone in that position position should be elected by all people in the region." Both politicians make good points for their view. Ultimately Ultimately however, Chairman Anderson misses a vital issue. In a system system where an incredible amount of public money is at the discretion discretion of elected officials, the person at the top must be responsible responsible and accountable to those who pay the bills. And those who pay are not the small band of regional councillors who, in their little club, elect the chairman every three years. One key problem with the current system, which requires the chairman come from the ranks of elected councillors or the incumbent, is the chairman owes his job to those councillors who vote for him. What kind of position is the chairman in after the election? Does he owe any favours to the councillors who backed him? Is he more likely to back an issue raised by a supporter supporter on council against the interests of a councillor who voted against him? An elected regional chairman is answerable only to the electorate and must work for the best interests of all Durham residents. The issue of a region-wide campaign - Mr. Anderson worries about the costs of such an election and the type of candidates candidates who would ran for office - is a red herring. After all, the regions of Hamilton-Wentworth and Waterloo elect their regional regional chairmen. Any individual eligible to run in any election should be able to take a crack at the regional chainnan's post. The best candidates will rise to the top, as they usually do, and the people, in a fair and free election, will pick the person they feel is best. That person may even be Roger Anderson. It's time for democracy to speak loud and clear at the Region. Region. Let's have the Province amend the Region of Durham Act in time for the next election in November 2003. CLARINGTON COMMENTS Question: Should the Municipality of Clarington support a smoke-free bylaw? Chris Bradley "It's up to every person if they want to make that choice and up to the business business if it wants to make it non-smoking or half-and- half. I'd leave it up to everyone's everyone's freedom of choice. People who do smoke, feel comfortable when they can." Anne Genercaux "There are too many problems problems with smoking. I've had more than one person in my family who died of lung problems. I'm for non-smoking as an ex- smoker. I haven't smoked for years now. I try to go into non-smoking areas because 1 have allergies to smoke." Rene Picco "Smoking is a right, not a privilege. 1 don't think businesses, businesses, especially bars, are going to do as well if they go non-smoking. For the personal aspect of it, it's supposed to be a free country, country, so why shouldn't you be allowed to smoke." George Leslie Virtue "I'd like it that way but you've got to be fair with other people. There should perhaps be places where smokers could go. It's not right for us to impose our beliefs on other people, is it? I object to smoking very much but... the bars and restaurants will always find ways and means to serve the smokers." MikB u/m W6ANICE (iW... A Little too Nice... ... 9> WAS ttnuA TUE UUN ^ Fob TUAT M/ra Cow, WWUJ.W(iVV\t4-toM e-mail letters to newsroom® durlinmrcsion.com Columnist should ask about parking To the editor: Re: 'Selfish drivers create roadblocks for the handicapped,' handicapped,' Walter Trehern, opinion opinion shaper of Feb. 8, 2002. I feel if Walter Trehern asked the people he is accusing why they are parking in handicapped handicapped parking he may get a surprise. Have you ever come back to your car after parking with room to open your door to its full width only to find someone has parked so close you have to squeeze yourself like toothpaste toothpaste to get in your car? 1 have a friend who has had 16 operations on her legs. Well, if my friend can't open her door to its fullest extent she cannot get in or out because she cannot bend her knees, yet she does not have a wheelchair, walker, or cane. What about people with a heart condition, etc.? I do realize some people do take advantage, and they need to have a means to discourage flippant use of the parking spaces. Shirley Phillips Courtice Some handicaps aren't obvious To the editor: Re: 'Selfish drivers create roadblocks for the handicapped,' handicapped,' column by Walter Trehern Trehern of Feb. 8, 2002. As 1 read your column regarding regarding people parking in the handicapped spaces, 1 was reminded reminded that I too, used to think the same way as you. Fortunately, in the last six months I have had the pleasure of meeting a wonderful lady named Patty. Patty has a handi cap sticker and has had people be really rude when people see her get out of her car and walk, without the use of canes, walkers, walkers, etc. Patty has had major heart surgery, and also has a pacemaker. She does have difficulty sometimes while walking and needs to sit and have a rest, so therefore if she was at.the Oshawa Oshawa Centre and had to rest frequently frequently at the sitting areas, she will be there for quite some time. I feel that your article is very unfair to disabled persons such as my friend, and it could cause some people to be more verbally verbally abusive. The bottom line is you cannot cannot always see what the handicap handicap is and unless you see the person acting like a marathon runner, don't pass judgment. Please consider adding a note to your next column indicating indicating that there are some people people such as my special friend. Jayne Leger Oshawa TV debates part of campaigning A politician cannot become premier these days without being willing to debate opponents on TV and Ernie Eves has accepted this, grudgingly. The former deputy premier, now front-runner in the race to succeed Premier Mike Harris, had tried to avoid appealing in a debate with other candidates planned by the CTV network on Feb 27. The candidates have appeared in debates organized by the Progressive Progressive Conservative party on cable TV, which many cannot see. The debate on CTV will have journalists asking questions from a public rather than Tory perspective and virtually all residents residents will be able to tune in. Mr. Eves refused and offered lame excuses. He first said he had a conflicting engagement and later said journalists from only one network questioning candidates would not represent a wide enough range of views. But it is more likely he felt he could continue more comfortably comfortably as front-runner if he did not attend more forums where he could be compared to other candidates candidates and asked to describe his policies, which are few, and why he quit the legislature a year ago. Rivals claimed Mr. Eves was afraid to debate and Health Minister Minister Tony Clement suggested Mr. Eves, who is noted for his immaculate dress, would claim next he had to slay home and do his laundry, while Finance Minister Minister Jim Flaherty called his excuses excuses red herrings. Mr. Eves has eventually agreed to join the debate after CTV pointed out it had no objection objection to other networks joining in and providing panelists who would add to the diversity of viewpoints. Eric Dowd At Oueen s Park Mr. Eves had followed a long line of front-runners or incumbents incumbents who have tried, and sometimes sometimes got away with, avoiding sharing platforms with those running running against them. New Democrat leader Howard Hampton, a competent speaker who would almost have to run off with someone elsc's wife to get space in the Toronto media, challenges Mr. Harris once a month to debate him on some specific issue, the latest being rising energy prices, but the premier ignores him. Mr. Harris recently challenged challenged Liberal Prime Minister Jean Chretien to debate him on TV on health care costs, but Mr. Chretien turned down the uppity provincial leader and suggested he debate one of his underling ministers. Mr. Chretien can always always draw his own crowd. But times have changed since a premier could dodge a TV debate debate in an election campaign and get away with it, as Tory William Davis did in 1981. Mr. Davis was a master of many things, but not words, and struggled in TV debates. In 1975 lie wanted to avoid a discussion in which he would appear with both opposition party leaders. Liberal Robert Nixon and New Democrat Stephen Lewis, a noted orator. So when his opponents opponents asked for a debate, Mr. Davis replied he already had accepted accepted a formal proposal by TV station CFTO, then run by Tory John Bassett, in which he would face each opposition leader in separate debates, which he felt he could handle easier, and could not go back on his word. Mr. Davis got his format and debated each opponent separately, separately, but still lost his majority and fared no better when he was shamed into debating the other two leaders on the same stage in 1977. By 1981 Mr. Davis had no appetite appetite for a debate at all, but was saved again by the obliging Mr. Bassett. Mr. Davis announced he would happily participate in a TV debate providing all networks networks produced it jointly, which seemed reasonable until Mr. Bassett's Bassett's station refused to co-produce co-produce with rival Global TV. The station dug in its heels and Mr. Davis soon discovered his election schedule had become full up and it was too late to arrange a debate anyway. None was held and Mr. Davis regained his majority. Mr. Davis's successor as premier, premier, Frank Miller, tried to do the same in 1985. He refused a TV debate on the grounds talking in a studio would be artificial and sterile. When opponents suggested suggested having one before a live audience, audience, he replied lie had made his decision and was slicking to it. Mr. Miller predicted the concern concern at his refusal to debate on TV would quickly disappear, but this time it became a central issue and one reason he lost the Tories' majority and was quickly out of government. Voters also now take it for granted candidates lor premier will light it out on TV and would regard any who refused as afraid of being compared and Mr. Eves could not afford to slay out. Business can decide on smoking Talk that Durham Region could pass a bylaw to prohibit smoking in all public places has some residents breathing fire - and with good reason. This past week five people, at random, random, were asked by this reporter if they thought Clarington should support support the Region's suggestion to go smoke-free: four out of five said 'No' - including an elderly man who said he was against smoking but still against a ban. His argument is smokers have rights too. If there are places for non- smokers to go, why shouldn't there be places for smokers as well? He said people who don't smoke shouldn't shouldn't have the right to enforce their beliefs beliefs on others. Although I am ashamed to admit il, I am a dirty smoker. I totally understand understand the concerns expressed by non-smokers regarding second-hand smoke: it makes you sick, you taste it in your food, and it is bad for your health. But isn't the attempt to create a regionwide regionwide bylaw just another step toward toward banning cigarettes completely? Every year for decades now more and more restrictions on smoking in public places have been brought into law. We've had a ban on advertising and sponsorship of events by tobacco companies. We've had an education blitz which has attempted - and largely failed - to stop teens from smoking. What we've seen is a hypocritical hypocritical government which points its finger at the public and preaches about the horrors of smoking but gladly rakes in many millions in tax dollars. If municipalities are so hard-core about the ill effects of cancer sticks, why not ban them totally? Round smokers up and exile them to 'Quit Camp.' Create Smokers Anonymous and force the dragons to attend. That way, all the smokers will be reborn into a non-smoking world and restaurants and bars wouldn't take a loss in business because smokers smokers would cease to exist. But that day isn't coming soon. Recent surveys show about 25 per cent of Canadians still smoke. The number has steadily dropped over the years but it is still very significant and an integral part of the restaurant and bar industry's clientele. If it is a restaurant's choice to go non-smoking, fine. However, the Region Region does not own all bars and restaurants. Businessmen and women whose livelihoods may depend on the 'smoking trade' are the ones who will suffer under ana enforced ban. Until we have an entirely smoke- free world, let's allow business owners owners to decide how they want to operate. operate. Crystal Crimi Staff writer ccrimi (it ditrhatnrcsion. com THE CANADIAN STATESMAN is one of the Metroland Printing, Publishing Publishing and Distributing group of newspapers. 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