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•T he IF P• H al to n H ill s •T hu rs d ay , F eb ru ar y 27 , 2 01 4 6 OPINION NDP Leader Andrea Horwath has drawn her proverbial line in the sand. She's demanding a budget that doesn't impose new taxes, tolls or fees on Ontarians. And, with a tip of the hat to Tom Petty, Pre- mier Kathleen Wynne says she won't back down. As MPPs returned to Queen's Park last week, Wynne vowed to push forward with plans to fund transit through unspecified "revenue tools." So, it appears we're set on a crash course that will bring us a spring election. But, does that mean the people of Ontario end up with a differ- ent government? Under Wynne, leader for a year, the Liberals have lost five of the last seven byelections, four in ridings previously held by the Grits. That's a bad omen. But, while change may be in the wind, it's hardly a done deal. For change to happen, Horwath still needs to clearly define her party's plan for the province. For change to happen, Tory leader Tim Hu- dak needs to tone down his inflammatory anti- labour rhetoric. The coming weeks will be an uncertain time for all three parties. But it's Horwath who has the most at stake. Both the Liberals and the To- ries are waiting on the NDP to make a move. Wynne needs Horwath's support to keep her government afloat. Hudak needs her support to take down the Liberals. One thing is clear. Moving Ontario forward requires a focus on the future, not the past, with a heavy emphasis on economic stability and growth. There may well be desire to punish the Lib- erals for their monumental screw-ups including eHealth, ORNGE and the cancelled gas plants. But we need a plan for the future that will be positive and productive. Without clearly defined plans from which voters can choose, a spring election will get us nowhere. The Independent & Free Press is published Thursday and is one of sev- eral Metroland Media Group Ltd. community newspapers. Editorial and advertising content of The Independent & Free Press is protected by copy- right. Unauthorized use is prohibited. The Independent & Free Press is a member of the Ontario Press Council, which is an independent ethical organization established to deal with editorial concerns. For additional information or to file a complaint, contact info@ ontpress.com or call 416- 340-1981. The Independent & Free Press Time for a plan Letters to the editor Dear editor, In my travels around the Ac- ton/Georgetown area I noticed the large number of rural mail- boxes that are buried in snow drifts. I realize that these drifts are typically courtesy of our local snowplow operators but they have to swerve away from the ditch a bit to keep from knocking our mailboxes over. The problem this creates is that the snow is deposited in front of your mailbox. This makes the mail carrier's job so much more difficult so please take a few minutes after each snowfall to shovel the drift away so your mail carrier can make their rounds quickly and safely. I know they will appreciate it very much. Ray Lavender, Acton Are you satisfied with Canada's perfor- mance at the Sochi Olympics? Yes (94%) No (6%) WEB POLL RESULTS (Go to www.theifp.ca) Give your letter carrier a break Where is the salt? as an excuse either, as Brampton/Mississauga are dealing with ex- actly the same weather as us. By not providing the work crews what is needed, the end re- sult is that management is playing hard and fast with the commu- nity's safety. I know that will not sit well with some people, but facts speak for themselves, our roads are dan- gerous at present. Thanks for allowing me the chance to rant, but I know how things used to be 10 to 12 years ago in Georgetown, and it is not the same when it comes to winter roads Dave Betchley, Limehouse Letters must include the author's name, address and daytime phone number. Anony- mous letters will not be published. Letters should not exceed 150 words and may be edited for content and/or length. Publica- tion is not guaranteed. Email: cgamble@theifp.ca Mail or drop off: Independent & Free Press, 280 Guelph St., Unit 77, Georgetown, ON., L7G 4B1. Letters policy 905-873-0301 Publisher: Dana Robbins General manager: Steve Foreman (sforeman@theifp.ca) Retail advertising manager: Cindi Campbell (ccampbell@theifp.ca) Managing editor: Chris Vernon (cvernon@metroland.com) Distribution manager: Nancy Geissler (ngeissler@theifp.ca) Classifieds/Real Estate Kristie Pells (classified@theifp.ca or realestate@theifp.ca) Classified Call Centre 1-855-415-8237 haltonhillsclassads@metroland.com Accounting 1-866-773-6575 Editorial Cynthia Gamble: News editor (cgamble@theifp.ca) Lisa Tallyn: Staff writer (ltallyn@theifp.ca) Eamonn Maher: Staff writer/sports (emaher@theifp.ca) Get the latest headlines delivered to your inbox by signing up for our twice weekly electronic newsletter. Go to www.theifp.ca and click on 'Newsletter sign-up' at the bottom of the homepage. Dear editor, I have to ask why basically any road west of Winston Churchill Boulevard is ice covered, but roads to the east are clear. It is not due to a lack of effort by the snowplow drivers, as I see them out at all hours. The incontrovertible evidence is that not enough salt is being used. I cannot accept any excuse trot- ted out by works management or council, as the physical evidence is proof enough that they are not spending the money to provide the level of service we should expect. There has been so much money poured into the coffers of Halton Region by all of the new develop- ments, that money cannot be used as an excuse either. We all know just how much sand there is at the sides of the roads when spring arrives to tell us that there is way more gravel than salt being used. Temperature cannot be used