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2 - Orono Weekly Times Wednesday, May 26, 2004 ORONO WEEKLY TIMES - 5310 Main St., P.Ô. Box 209, Orono, ON LOB 1M0 Email: oronotimes@rogers.com or Phone/Fax 905-983-5301 Subscriptions $29.91 + $2.09 GST = $32.00 per year. 'Cjf Publications Mail Registration No. 09301 • Agreement No. 40012366 • Vjfff Publishing 48 issues annually at the office of publication. "We acknowledge the financial support of the Government of Canada through the Publications Assistance Program (PAP) toward our mailing costs." „ CanadS The Orono Weekly Times welcomes letters to the editor on subjects of interest "YL'^nîletSconldïS^unsuitabîe^lf 'mt bï ricknwiedged S returneTwl reserre' tta steS? If your retail iSSSS ^SEÏSZtZZSi weekly ^mes will no, be respond for the loss or d,ma 3 e o, sudn items. . Weekly Times Publisher/Editor Margaret Zwart Sports and Display Advertising - Donna Battersby Front Office and Classified Advertising - Rosey Bateman Senior smokers deserve some dignity As the Region counts down to the total ban on smoking smoking in public places, some of the by-law's implications are hitting home On June first, next week Wednesday, smoking will be prohibited in all public places and work places in the Region of Durham. Consider for a moment the senior citizens across the region who live in homes for the aged. These are people, who after a life time of contributing to society, find themselves living in a home because they need a level of care. . One has to feel for those seniors living out their lives in a home for the aged, who now have to go outside to indulge in their smoking habit. These seniors likely know better than most, the harmful harmful effects smoking has on their lives and others around them. They are also probably more aware than many younger smokers the powerful addictive qualities of nicotine. Chances are, people who find themselves living in homes for the ages, who smoke, have given up trying to quit. With the Region's no smoking by-laws in place next Tuesday, seniors in homes for the aged who are unable to get outside, will no longer be able to smoke because second second hand smoke creates a health hazard for the staff, many of whom flock outside at every break they get to light up. The Region should consider giving homes for the aged the tools to get around the ban. The Region has found-a way around the banfor-area-. gamblers by pèrmitting designated-smoking rooms»in- v *. bingo halls, casinos and race tracks. Surely the Region's senior citizens who live in homes for the aged deserve as much respect as those who wish to gamble in a smoking environment. Staying in Touch MPP John O'Toole Budget Breaks Old Promises and Makes New Ones Having promised Ontarians there would be no tax increases and no deficit spending, the Dalton McGuinty Liberals have done the exact opposite and introduced introduced both in the 2004/05 Ontario budget. The new health tax paid by everyone with a taxable income above $20,000 could cost you another $75 a month. At the same time, the government government is taking away provincial funding for most routine eye exams, physiotherapy and chiropractic chiropractic services. When an Ontario family pays an extra $1,000 per year in taxes, our economy will suffer. Ontarians will put off buying a new refrigerator, going on vacation, or registering their kids for swimming lessons. This will create a ripple effect throughout (he economy, The health tax is on top of new increases in electricity prices, gas, insurance and local taxes. Does this look good to you? What many Ontarians must remember is that the Liberal government has not yet delivered delivered on commitments to shorten shorten hospital waiting lists, or give us more teachers and more doctors. The budget itself is a long list of promises. Many of these won't be delivered delivered for two, three or four years, if at all. Consider this question: If the McGuinty government will not keep its election promises, why should we believe it will keep its budget promises? I'd like to hear your views on how to tell the McGuinty government they should have brought in the budget they promised during the election. If you would like copies of the budget documents, or other information, I would be pleased help. Please call me at 905-697-1501 or 1-800-661- 2433 or by e-mail at: john_otoole@ontla.ola.org. Hydro Rates Raised Again and Agriculture Funding Reduced Last week's budget gives Ontarians yet another increase in their hydro rates. The McGuinty government is increasing our hydro bills in order to pay for $3.9 billion in liabilities on the provincial books related to the electricity sector. The accounting details are complicated. However, the Liberal government is essentially collecting $3.9 billion billion from Ontarians' electricity electricity bills to reduce the deficit. This is over and above the increases that took effect April 1 and the debt retirement charge. Without applying this new $3.9 billion energy tax, Ontario's deficit would be gieater than $2.2 billion 1 was shocked to read that the Ministry of Agriculture and Food budget has been reduced by $128 million in operating dollars for 2004/05. The only new funding for agriculture announced in the budget is in support of nutrient management. However, just $5 million of that $20 million commitment will How this year. Divided among the almost 60,000 Ontario farm- srccordcd in the 2001 census, that works out to about $83 to each farm enterprise. Like too many Ontarians, farmers will be paying more and getting less from their provincial government. government. Bill 75 Would Extend Tax Exemption on Affordable Meals The protest over the "Soup and Salad Tax" last month has shown that Ontarians want to keep the retail sales tax exemption on meals under $4. After the May 18th provincial budget, it's one of the few tax breaks left for the typical Ontario citizen. However, the exemption was introduced about 20 years ago, when costs were much lower than they are today. Earlier this month, I introduced a Private Member's Bill to raise the retail sales tax exemption to meals under $6. If passed, my Private Member's Bill would bring the exemption in line with inflation. It would also help stimulate sales and jobs in the hospitality industry. It would give a slightly larger tax break to average Ontarians who often have to eat away from home because of thetime constraints on today's busy O'TOOLE se» page 4 Letter to the Editor Medicare Protection Pledge Dear Editor: Given the recent public dialogue about the Orono Medical Foundations' efforts to garner the community's support lor local health care services and the much-anticipated much-anticipated federal election, 1 encourage interested citizens to log onto www.hcalthcoali- tion.ca to view the Medicare Protection Pledge for publicly funded, not-for-profit delivery of health services in Canada. This website has very relevant relevant information about the impact of for-profit health care, including death rates and public-private partnerships. You can find out which Federal Election candidates have signed the Pledge to date and you can sign the petition calling on public office holders holders and candidates to take the Pledge. Cathy Graham, R.N. Kendal