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Tolls on Ont. roads The Ontario government is planning to pump well over $1 billion to construct Highway 407 as a connection between Highways 410 and 404. Initial work on this project will start this year with an investment of $88 million, the first phase will be completed in 1996 and the remainder finished by the year 2000. Government officials estimate that this » project will generate some 26,000 jobs, including 1400. The construction of highways is a x food way to create Jobe in southern Ontario and to sti In details of the project last week, Premier Rae said the Govern- ment will introduce tolls on this ly to help pay for it. This would be a first for Ontario roads, and we have to wonder whether these tolls would be worth the trouble. Will tolls only serve to slow traffic rather than keep it moving as motorists drop their Loonies into a slot? And will motorists, who resent the idea of paying a toll to drive on a highway, avoid Highway 407 and in' doing this just add to the congestion alon, Highway 401? Keep in mind that Highway 404 is supposed to relieve the congestion on Highway 401. The government says the recently created Transportation Capital Corporation "will ensure that revenue from tolls will be kept separate from the Government's general revenues and can be dedicated to paying for construction of the highway." Have we heard this somewhere before, like with hunting and fishing licences, the revenue from which was supposed to be used exclusively for natural resources management. We know that the coffers of the Ontario Government are barren at the moment. Building new roads to help speed traffic flows and relieve the grid-lock in this part of the province is welcome. But do we have to get into tolls -» for it? Surely not. Finally, if the toll system on Highway 407 proves workable, how long will it take the government to start putting tolls up on other roads in Ontario? Back off on UIC With over one million Canadians out of work these days, this is hardly the time for the federal government to be tightening down the screws on Unemployment Insurance. Sure, there are some who will go to any lengths to cheat or "beat the system," and no doubt there are some who left their work without just cause simply to "go on pogey." The other prong in this assault on the UI program is a réduction in the ceiling from 60 to 57 per cent of earnings. For somebody who had been making $30,000, this will reduce UI benefits by almost $1,000 per year. For a family struggling to make do on UI, that's a huge sum .and could very well be the difference between hanging on and going under. The Conservative government says these changes to the UI be beating up on the d who are struggling through the worst recession in this country since the 1930's? No. : By all means, the government should be enforcing the rules on UL But let's give the vast majority of jobless some credit. Most of them are not slackers or lazy bums looking for a free ride. A lot of them who lose their jobs are faced with the prospect of keeping a family together while they look for other work. And that's not an easy thing to do these days as jobs are tough to find. The Federal Government never tires of extolling the benefits of the Free Trade Agreement. Still, the fact remains that since the FTA kicked in three years ago, 408,000 jobs in manufacturing alone have been lost, and no part of Canada has been hit harder than right here in the heartland of Ontario. The unemployed have things tough enough these days without the federal government pecking away at their benefits and tightening down the screws on what is needed to qualify for UL The government ought to be putting all its efforts, enexgy and il into job creation to get the loyed back rules will save about $1 billion annually. But is this the time to |. LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Health system ailing To the Editor: I had the occasion on Monday, February 8, to require services of our Health infrastructure we 'pay so dearly for and never think of until we actually need it. My son Clay was playing Midget hockey at the Scugog Arena on Monday night, when at approximately 8:50 p.m. he sustained an injury which would require medical attention. Immediately, the visiting teams coach and Clay's trainer Roy Hope rushed to the scene as it was quite apparent a serious injury had occurred. The arena staff dialed 911 for an ambulance to be dispatched quickly as the station was only 800m away. I left the seating area and went onto the ice to see what the problem was. Clay was in shock by this time, but managed to say that he thought his leg was broken. With Roy Hope holding his leg still and the rest of the people comforting Clay as much as possible, I asked the arena staff where the ambulance was, as 10 As soon as they had immobilized the leg with a splint and loaded him onto a stretcher I asked them where they had been. I was told that with only one ambulance on duty it had been on another call that was of a higher priority. I asked what would have happened had there been someone with a heart attack, would they be dead by now? They said they were doing the best they could with the system we have. After arriving at the local hospital at 9:30 p.m., Dr. Bill Cohoon and his emergency staff examined and x-rayed Clay and he was found to have a fractured femur (broken thigh) bone and would require surgery. I was told by Dr. Cohoon that a specialist in that kind of surgery would be required they didn't have any spare beds and Sick Children's Hospital had a bed, but they said Clay was too big to handle. Finally Toronto Sunnybrook Hospital said they would take him immediately. The time that had elapsed trying to find a hospital that would take him had been 2 1/2 hours. The ambulance drové him to Sunnybrook and returned to Port Perry and was away approximately 2 1/2 hours. From the time of the accident until delivery to Sunnybrook, everyone involved had helped as much as they could and it was deeply appreciated. What bothered me enough to write this letter was that you need to know our health dollars are not treating us fairly. One ambulance can't handle and he immediately phoned Oshawa General and was told that they couldn't handle that type of injury. Next he phones Markham-Stouffville and they said they didn't . have any spare beds. Frustration was setting in as Dr. Cohoon wasn't getting any co-operation from other minutes had gone by. The hospitals, Clay was in staff phoned again and were extreme pain and I was told that the amb was helpless to do anything about on another call. the situation. After waiting on the ice with ~~ Dr. Cohoon continued on his my son, now in great pain and shock, the ambulance attendants arrived 20 to work rather than putting the boots to those who are down. after the initial call. phone calls between cases, doing the best he could under the circumstances. He Fhoned | Toros Western and two emerg at the same time (Don't become deathly ill) and when it delivers out of town there can't be much back up help if needed. Hospitals don't have the staff or adequate beds to handle even a broken leg, It shouldn't take calls to six hospitals to get your son the medical help he requires. Something is drastically wrong with our system to have this occur. How would you feel if it was your child? Doug Scott Port Perry, Ont. Piblished by Scugog Citizen Publishing Lid. yoo publishers ] Johis B, McClelland, Valerie Ellis 36 WATER ST, PORT PERRY, ONT. L9L1J2 over 10,000 homes and businesses in and around Scugog Township. Subscriptions sold outside Scugog Township. | Phone : (416) 985-6397 Fax: (416) 985-1410 | OCNA Member CCNA Member