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PAGE 6THE CANADIAN STATESMAN, April 17,2002 # Editorial&Opinions FOR 146 YEARS. OUR FIRST CONCERN HAS BEEN OUR COMMUNITY Publisher - Tim Whittaker Editor-in-Chief - Joanne Burghardt Managing Editor - Chris Bovie Regional Editor - Judi Bobbitt Advertising Manager - Fred Eismont Circulation Manager - Kirk Bailey Composing Manager - Barb Harrison Office Manager - Lillian Hook Efjc Canadian Statesman Former Publishers and Partners Rev. John M. Climie and W.R. Climic 1854-1878 M.A. James 1878-1935 • Norman S.13. 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 CLARINGTON THIS WEEK P.O. Box 4SI, 865 Farewell St., Oshawa, Ontario L1 IT 7L5 TEL: 905-579-4400 FAX: 905-579-2238 E-mail: newsroom@durhamregion.com Publications Mail Registration No. 07637 DROP OFFICE: James Publishing, 66 King St. W„ Bowmanville, 8:30 p.m. - 5 p.m. weekdays EDITORIAL e-mail letters to newsmtm@dHrhamrciiioii.com ITER project needs our support World-class scientific facility would be a jewel for Durham With the countdown on now for a decision on the siting of ITER, it's worth remembering why it's so vitally important the Clarington site be chosen for this fantastic project. Tonight, a team comprising Durham Region chairman Roger Anderson, Clarington Mayor John Mutton, Durham Collcge/University of Ontario Institute of Technology president president Gary Polonsky, and two high-ranking municipal managers managers is flying to Moscow to attend the ITER negotiations. Accompanying the delegation as an observer will be our own staff reporter Jacquie Mclnncs, who will provide a firsthand firsthand account for our readers. The talks in Moscow could go a long way toward deciding deciding if Clarington will be chosen as host site for the International International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor. The $ 12-billion facility, which will take nearly a decade to construct and will run for another 20 years after that, will be largely financed by the international partners and the Canadian private sector . with limited public sector funding. But the real key is safety features built into ITER. Fusion technology research has been taking place around the world since the middle of the last century. Many countries have designed designed facilities capable of the high-tech experiments and intensive intensive research needed to bring us ever closer to clean, safe energy generation that is far more efficient and effective than our current nuclear fission plants (such as Pickering and Darlington). Darlington). The latest large-scale project has been the Joint European Torus (JET) fusion machine in England, which has been in operation for about 20 years with no safety problems. ITER simply takes the fusion process one big step further. It's hoped that work at ITER will create the breakthrough that makes fusion the energy of the 21st centuiy. The implications are enormous. For Durham Region, ITER would be a terrific economic benefit. It's estimated the construction of the massive facility would create 68,000 person-years of employment. In conjunction conjunction with the fledgling University of Ontario Institute of Technology, which will see its first class enter the campus at. the Oshawa Durham College site in September 2003, ITER represents a terrific learning opportunity. Both facilities can feed off each other in a scientific symbiotic relationship. The migration to Durham of hundreds of world-class scientists scientists and technologists can only benefit all who live and work here. ITER will draw other high-tech businesses and industries, industries, eager to take part in cutting-edge research. There's every reason to get behind this exciting, innovative, innovative, futuristic project. A victory for the Iter Canada team is a win for us all. Clarington residents are facing a 2.3 per cent municipal tax increase, the lowest in Durham Region. Question: Do you think it's fair? Eric Good "I don't think we should have that much of a tax increase, increase, ever. I don't think it's fair; we're spending too much money in taxes." Sonya White "I have to say taxes in Clarington are too high and have been for years. Taxes don't need to be that high, it's taking money out of the hands of ordinary people. The whole system is excessively excessively wasteful and that's from municipal to provincial provincial to federal." Carol Davidson "1 suppose if it has to go up, it has to go up; it's better better it goes up 2.3 per cent than 3.2. Sometimes 1 wonder if things can be paired to stop the increases because incomes are not going up that much, especially especially people on fixed incomes." incomes." Bill Ilisey "1 think that's fair - it is the lowest. If it (the tax increase) increase) is for a good reason then it's fine. Nobody wants a lax increase, but you're going to gel increases increases anyway, so, that's line." LETTERS TO THE EDITOR e-mail letters ta iicwsmom@iltiilitimregioii.com Cheers to Catholic board on gay issue To the editor: I want to applaud the Durham Catholic District School Board for discouraging discouraging the practice of homosexuality homosexuality in its schools. Homosexual behaviour is biblically wrong just as lying, stealing, cheating and fornicating fornicating are. Do we allow lying, stealing,. cheating and fornicating fornicating in our schools? If the DCDSB is to stand true its mission statement it needs to have rules to protect our children children from all immoral behaviour. behaviour. I believe every school board should. If these two young men wanted to come to the prom or any other student event and act as young men should, they never would have made this into an issue. It is clear they have an agenda on their mind. They are obviously obviously attention seekers and need to learn to understand that their school board is acting according to its policy and in the best interests of the whole student population. The Bible clearly tells us we are to love the person but hate the sin in each and every one of our lives, to help us turn from wrong behaviour which ultimately hurts the person who is doing it as well as those around him. I would ask these boys to think about the people they are affecting by their behaviour, especially their own families. They definitely need to get truthful answers to tough issues issues going on in their lives at this time. The Bible tells us to "hate what is evil and cling to what is good," in Romans 12:9 in order to teach our children children right from wrong. I don't believe we as parents want our school boards endorsing any behaviour that has a negative influence on the social and moral development of the character and hearts of our children. Just because our government government is condoning it and school boards are therefore forced into allowing it, doesn't doesn't make it right. The Durham Catholic District School Board is on the right track. Marcia Richter Bowmanville Eves changes views to suit himself He's done it before and he can do it again If voters want a 'new' Ernie Eves more suited to changed times, he can give them one -- he has done it before. The fledgling Progressive Conservative premier is under pressure to come up with a substantively substantively different image for himself and his party because under Mike Harris it lost some appeal and fell in polls. Mr. Eves already has indicated indicated that, while as deputy premier premier and finance minister he was a strong supporter of Mr. Harris, he will bring some different different views and a style that will be less combative and more consultative. In the past, Mr. Eves had no difficulty changing his views when it helped him. He was a fierce critic of expanding gambling, gambling, and particularly the New Democrats' decision to open Ontario's first casino at Windsor, Windsor, before the Tories were elected to government in 1995, and Mi; Harris shared his view. Mr. Harris's concern was rooted in his overall philosophy government already look too much money from residents and did not need more, but Mr. Eves as Tory house leader had worries specifically about gambling, gambling, saying statistics show it leads io more crime. Sure, the government collects collects money, Mr. Eves said, but it creates side-effects like drugtrafficking, drugtrafficking, increased petty crimes of all kinds, prostitution, prostitution, addiction to gambling and other costs to society. He expressed expressed concern governments of all parties in all provinces were becoming more and more Eric Dowd At Queen's Park addicted to the huge revenue they could obtain from gambling. gambling. He also had fun twitting that the NDP before an election opposed opposed casino gambling, but after it won, it needed more money and introduced casino gambling and all of a sudden its principles went out of the window. window. Mr. Eves spoke forcefully, saying the NDP acted like a "gestapo" in pushing through a casino, and many who worried about the proliferation of gambling gambling fell they had a real champion. champion. But after the Tories won the 1995 election, they also decided decided their government needed more cash and their principles went out of the window and they added six more casinos and 14,000 slot machines. Mr. Eves had no problem adapting to this change and collected the extra revenue happily without any sign his conscience bothered bothered him -- who says a leopard cannot change its spots? Some thought of him as a Red Tory after he talked a lot about reducing pollution. He said the Province should conduct conduct aggressive campaigns to counter threats from acid rain and be aware constantly of the need to protect the environment. environment. But Mr. Eves put a higher priority on saving cash when he became finance minister and his budgets contained spending cuts that drastically reduced staff and left them unable to monitor hazards that contributed contributed to the deaths of seven residents from contaminated water at Walkerton. He had been an admirer of Ontario Hydro, the provincial utility, which he praised lavishly as "a low-cost, reliable source of power and powerful ingredient in enhancing jobs and income creation" and world leader in developing new technology. But when Mr. Harris, with his ideology the private sector always does things better, decided decided to privatize much of Hydro, Mr. Eves was there to help the process along. To cite one more example, Mr. Eves in opposition felt the Province in fairness should equalize the price of gas at the pumps between southern and northern Ontario. He pointed out northerners often had to pay between 10 and 20 cents a litre more and were handicapped because they had limited access to public transit and depended on cars. But as finance minister he quickly got detoured off this route and residents still pay more for gas in the north than they do down south. Mr. Eves proved lie can reinvent himself and his views when it helps his cause and he should be expected to try it again. Crystal Crimi Staff writer ncwstDom@tturhamrcgion.com Show boards the money For years school boards have been screaming for more provincial funding. funding. Classrooms are big, textbooks are few, teachers are cranky and some school boards arc facing a deficit. With new premier Ernie Eves comes a new cabinet and a new education education minister to hold the cards for Ontario's future: Elizabeth Wilmer. Ms. Witmer was a teacher and served as a trustee on the Waterloo Board of Education for a decade, and was chairman for five. She wants to rebuild the Tories' relationship with teachers and in the next 90 days, should be reviewing the funding formula. formula. The Peterborough Victoria Northumberland and Clarington Catholic District School Board should be pleased to hear that, as its lobbying the provincial government to review the formula has been constant. A recent newspaper article suggested suggested many school boards will be facing their first deficit this year, but Kawartha Pine Ridge District School Board, which serves Clarington, has grappled with a deficit for two years. The deficit has caused millions to be cut from educational services. KPR is still working on getting rid of the deficit and returning funds to classrooms. classrooms. The deficit came a couple years after the Peterborough County Board of Education and the Northumber- land-Clarington Board of Education were forced to amalgamate. Many leased buildings were no longer needed, needed, but still had to be paid for; the provincial government's early retirement retirement policy for teachers was and still is costing more money in retirement gratuities than funding covers; arid utilities have increased without enough funding provided. At every public or Catholic school board meeting this year, funding has come up in one form or another. While KPR will decide early in May if the doors to one Cobourg and two Peterborough Peterborough schools will close, PVNC seems hesitant in closing schools and is putting faith in the provincial government government to change what has been referred referred to as an unrealistic funding formula. formula. Ontario schools don't need the new premier and education minister to play the sympathetic friend and open their arms to quiet the sobs of teachers, but to open their wallets and solve the real problem of under-funding. Students deserve the same quality of school, not just education, generations before enjoyed. . There was a time when every child received a textbook for each class, tests were returned promptly as teachers teachers had time to mark them, principals had time to supervise and enforce school policy, and extracurricular activities activities filled the lunch hours and evenings of students - and that time wasn't too long ago. THE CANADIAN STATESMAN is one of the Metrolancl Printing, Publishing Publishing and Distributing group of newspapers. The Statesman is a member of the Bowmanville Clarington Clarington Board of Trade, the Greater Oshawa Oshawa Chamber of Commerce, Ontario Ontario Community Newspaper Assoc., Canadian Community Newspaper Assoc., Canadian Circulations Audit Board and the Ontario Press Council. The publisher reserves the right to classify or refuse any advertisement. Credit for advertisement limited to space price error occupies. Editorial and Advertising content of the Canadian Canadian Statesman is copyrighted. Unauthorized reproduction is prohibited. prohibited. The Canadian Statesman welcomes letters to the editor. All letters should be typed or neatly hand-written, 150 words. Each letter must include the name, mailing address and daytime telephone number of the writer. The editor reserves the right to edit copy for style, length and content. We regret regret that due to the volume of letters, not all will be printed. Fax letters to 905-579-1809 or emailed to news- room@durhamrcgion.com