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•Th e IF P• H al to n H ill s • Th ur sd ay , F eb ru ar y 20 , 2 01 4 6 OPINION While it's all well and good for Premier Kathleen Wynne to sell herself as a new leader who's taking the province in a dif- ferent direction- trajectory as she called it- making electors believe it is another thing entirely. You could say she needs to put her mon- ey where her mouth is, except that's exact- ly the problem with the governing party of this province. It has been for some time. And it's our money. There Wynne was again on Friday, giv- ing more of it to a company that perhaps deserves our praise, but not our pocket- books. Government programs funding private companies on the backs of taxpayers seem to be more commonplace these days and there's something to be said for a more conservative philosophy that seeks to cre- ate a better environment for business to flourish on its own. If two byelections are any indication, the people of Ontario are tired of seeing their money being spent hand over fist. The list of Liberal boondoggles is long and costly, not to mention expensive green energy subsidies to create more electric- ity that we pay other jurisdictions to take off our hands, all the while watching our hydro bills skyrocket. Under the Liberals, government debt has ballooned to more than $272 billion. A different trajectory, maybe. But Wyn- ne doesn't have much time to convince the electorate. Continuous handouts won't help her cause. 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 Wynne is selling but who's buying? Letters to the editor Dear editor, After reading Cindy Wood's letter concerning "safety issues" while skating, all I could do is shake my head. This is a classic case of someone needing to mind their own business and let people live their lives the way they want. There is no need to implement new rules, just because of some- one's preconceived worst-case sce- nario issues. Carrying one's child anywhere comes with risks. Should we ban it everywhere, or should all children wear helmets 24/7, just to be safe? Is there a history of dropped babies at public skating? Of course not, because, surpris- ingly parents seem to know how to protect them without more rules brought on by "safety nannies". Live and let live Cindy. You will feel better for it. Greg Thoms, Georgetown What do you think about Family Day? It's a bonus long weekend in winter (50%,) It's great to have time with my family (23%) I'd rather it was in June (18%) Ho hum (11%) WEB POLL RESULTS (Go to www.theifp.ca) Live and let live: Reader Thanks for all the support Winter friends Dear editor, It has been a dreadful winter here in Georgetown. Snow, freezing rain and de- stroyed trees. But through it all I am so blessed to have the greatest neighbour in the world. Paul and his son Ethan, of which he should be so proud, shovels my walk and driveway and even cleans off my car. We are in our ninth year as neighbours and they always have taken care of the snow. They are very special people and I so appreciate their kindness. No words can truly express my gratitude. Lynn Fischer, Georgetown Dear editor, On behalf of Links2Care, I would like to extend my sincere thanks to all the sponsors, donors, and volunteers who helped to make our 2013 Holiday Hamper Program a success. A total of 451 children from 204 families in Halton Hills, were assisted this past holiday season. Children aged 12 and under received items of warm winter clothing, and those aged 13 to 18 years received gift cards. This program relies on the generos- ity of volunteers, and we would like to acknowledge the contribution made by the 173 sponsors, who shopped for specific children and donated clothing and gift cards to our program. Many other people made financial donations and gave other gift items. Several dedicated volunteers provided hours of their time sorting donations, packing hampers, and picking up and deliver- ing items to various locations. Cathy Gerrow, Community Support Program Co-ordinator 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.