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) . Page:8 —Halton Hills This Week, Saturday, October 17, 1992 EDITORIAL MVA crying for re-examination Market Value Assessment (MVA) will be instituted across Halton Region for the 1993 taxation year unless something major happens within the next few weeks to change that direction. it’s required is a vote for re-consideration by regional council, which narrowly approved the taxation scheme last month. While that move appears unlikely given the unwavering stance of councillors from Burlington and Milton who voted unanimous- ly for the system, there’s still a chance that public and possibly political pressure could result in a re-examination of the issue. The question that most readily comes to our minds is, What’s the big hurry? Why do we have to have MVA in 1993? Obviously that same question has crossed the minds of Halton Hills munici- . Pal politicians who sit on regional council. At Tuesday’s town council meeting, Councillor Rick Bonnette, one of Halton Hills’ five representatives to regional council, got unanimous support from Mayor Russ Miller and fellow council- lors on a resolution calling for postponement of region-wide MVA, at least until exact costs of system and the anne for its phase-in are Teques' There’s no doubt that people are confused about MVA ra how it will affect their 1993 tax bill. There’s also no doubt that some people will see an increase because of MVA while others will see a decrease. What will be the impact for those receiving the increase? Will it mean that some seniors on fixed incomes, living in older established areas of Acton and Georgetown, will be forced to sell their homes because they cannot meet an unexpected surge in taxes? No one seems particularly anxious to answer those questions. The real problem behind this whole tax mess is that people have lost faith in government. They Smply don’t believe that govern- ment is fair when it comes to taxati Public delegations, numbering about 15, approached regional council last month asking them to throw out the idea of region- wide MVA or, at the very least, postpone it to a time when the economy isn’t reeling from a recession. However, to observers, it appeared that y repional councillors had already made up their minds and we 't prepared to be swayed. Council via 5 ali evenly, with Oakville and Halton Hills oppos- ing the proposal and Burlington and Milton supporting adoption of MVA. As a result, the vote was a tie, 12-12. That left the decid- ing vote to regional chairman Peter Pomeroy, who cast his vote in favor of MVA. According to rules of procedure guiding regional government, only someone voting on the majority side can introduce a motion for re-consideration. It must then get a two-thirds majority vote from council to be re-introduced. With the vote being that close, it’s obvious that the issue is con- tentious. That brings to mind yet another question to ponder. If a decision by municipally-elected members on council results in a namely, the Regional chairman (elected by regional councillors)—isn’t it possible that some vot- ers might feel that their interests aren’t adequately represented at the regional level? Maybe the tules of procedure at the regional level ni they more accurately reflect the principles ‘of a democratic system of government. Tie votes at municipal levels of government are lost votes. Tie votes at the regional level, broken by the Regional chairman’s vote, should be seen as good grounds for re-considera- tion, particularly when the results of the vote have such wide- reaching implications on residents of Halton Region. Freedom not the issue and acceptable.” g to read Mr. In Toronto, taxpayers’ money ort comments on “Cuaipie was used to fund a pamphlet that family values” ‘Sept. 26, 1992) and tell young boys that homosexual his perception that Tecognition of sex is natural. It gives young boys same-sex marriages is an “assault this advice: “Having sex with men ‘on society.” can be as scary as coming out. But I know that we should be open to _just like being Bay, having sex with the demands of the different groups men is natural. in our society and to be sure that _ It is ironic that at this perversion I i being promoted by the ‘AIDS fair consideration. However, it Committee of Toronto, who you be ee te on in frankly moral think would know that there really some of the things peo- is no such thing as safe sex with pase are wrong. multiple partners. The pamphlet We live in a society out of touch | with its own standards and values. We are being desensitized to almost every form of degenerate behaviors t this garbage, without even a whimper, in the name of freedom of the individual. But free- dom is not the issue here. ie gay rights activists want, as r. Gori stated, “a public acknow!- peat that their lifestyle is valid also goes on to describe sex in vul- gar and profane language. Do our children need to read this? Do any of us? Is this valid and acceptable behavior? Can 7 asa rapope ble porenty tell my childre riages are a ies just as our family is? Never! Yours truly, Robert Yantho The Apple Factory at the corner of Highway 7 cea Minted Road, just east of esta has got into the spirit of the Halloween season with large straw pumpkins adding to the store’s visual appeal. CONSTITUTIONAL CONTROVERSY Don't be afraid to vote no Dear Editor, As a person who is currently thinking of voting no in the upcom- ing referendum there are some con- cerns and points I wish to express. Tam concerned about: -Federal powers and money being handed over to the provinces in the belief that there will be a reduction in bureaucratic duplica- tion. Later, when it comes to the very difficult and distasteful task of actually removing the federal employees involved I doubt the government will have the resolve to act. -Expansion of the House of Commons to 337 seats. Do we real- ly need more MPs and the costs that go along with such an increase? Our leaders should be showing the way to fiscal reform by proposing to reduce the number of MPs, and devising a way of dis- tributing the remaining seats fairly. -The other clauses that may be contentious but are not getting pub- lic recognition now because others are taking the forefront; will these come back to haunt us later? -Attempts being made to scare people into voting yes. This tends to make me believe that the “con- sensus report” may not stand on its -A special status being given to one province. -The possibility that the “distinct society” references can be coupled with the “notwithstanding clause” and result in further erosion of the rights of minority peoples in Quebec that would otherwise be protected by the Charter of Rights. and I can think of only a few cultural pieces of Canada, but I cherish them all, such as: Caribana, Ukrainian and Italian weddings, Highland Games, lobster suppers in P.E.1., lower-town Quebec, the International picnic, Quebec’s Winter Carnival, little Italy and Chinatown in Toronto, the 1992 Toronto International Pow Wow. All of these exist, and in many cases flourish, without any consti- tutional protection. I find it extremely difficult to believe that the wonderful cultural reality that is Quebec needs constitutional protec- I realize there was a lot of give and take among the people who took part in this process, and there- fore some of the clauses are tied together, even though they may not appear so. And yes, it is our respon- sibility to know what we are being asked to decide upon. But why couldn’t a method have been found, to break this “consensus report”, into logical pieces that can be dealt with more easily by those of us who may have trouble understand- ing its language and implications. 1 am told bad things will occur if T vote no, not that good things will happen if I vote yes. This appears to me to be like election politics, where one candidate speaks nega- tively about the other hoping to convince us not to vote for the other, and by default, vote for the aker. The current dire predictions are similar to those surrounding the Meech Lake accord. It failed and the country did not fall apart. The economic woes we find ourselves with now are not a result of that failed accord but are the result of other issues we should discuss at another time. There are always economic fluc- tuations surrounding a major politi- cal discussion - that is the nature of a free market system. I resent it 2 being suggested to me that I_ make this decision based primarily on economic factors. These proposals are deeply important to all of this country’s people, so we must yote with our minds and hearts, not our pocketbooks. If a no vote will cause so many terrible things to occur, why are so. many reasonable and intelligent people advocating it (a no vote)? Does everybody have a selfish agenda? Must I therefore be a jaded and cynical bystander in yet anoth- er mud-slinging, name-calling elec- tion type process? If so, I will endure yet again, and even adopt my own selfish manner. For this is MY country, MY Canada. Look at it on a map, it is big, beautiful and diverse. It has survived many problems and will survive this one, and more in the future. It was founded on diversity and will survive our current differ- ences. I love MY Canada. If you love it too, don’t be afraid to act with your own mind and heart, not someone else’s. Sincerely yours, Daquano Eswaer Halton Hills This We ook Weshod Eso, pit: lished every Saturday at 232: Ont. L7G 481, cep Oakvile by Q.E. Web Pri In the event of typog : Ken Bellamy ae ESTATE MANAGER: Kathy Toth EDITOR: Scott Kline Seer pipes Has Sr HALTON # HILLS TH THIS WEE WEEK'S Is reek LY OWNED & OPERA PHONE: dase FAX:873-3918