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Page 6 — Halton Hills This Week, Saturday; August 7,'1993 Opinion Acton gets the shaft - again Acton residents are becoming increasingly frus- trated over what they seem to view as a conspira- cy to destroy their community. Further evidence is offered in our ‘The Peoples Corner’ section in the letter from the Turners, Our own photographer, Simon Wilson - ironi- cally, a longtime Acton resident - told me he felt an undercurrent of tension and defensive anger boiling just below the surface, when he recently conducted an informal poll in the Acton IGA parking lot asking residents if they felt they were getting their money’s worth out of the taxes they pay as residents of Halton Hills. Who can blame the Leathertown residents! Certainly not this scribe! . One irate Actonian called me Thursday, and if the phone had been color-coded, it would either have turned a lighter shade of pale or a deep pur- ple. She was upset over the story we ran on the front page of our Wednesday edition, which had Halton North MPP Noel Duignan announcing a grant of $263,835, on behalf of Frances Lankin, the Minister of Economic Development and Trade, out of the province’s jobsOntario Community Action fund. “I thought the province was broke,” she exclaimed. “So where is the money coming from? If money is available to create jobs and help fix things in Milton, how come Acton isn’t getting any? We damn well need it more than Milton!” I agreed wholeheartedly with the caller. Messages have been left for Mr. Duignan, ‘at both his home and his Queen’s Park office to tele- phone me about these concerns and when he does reply, his answers will be printed. Concerning the Milton money, it does indeed seem that once again Acton is getting the shaft while others are getting the gold mine. According to information received from Mr. Duignan’s office, the $263,835 will be used to create 840 short-term person day jobs and an equal number 840 long-term person day jobs. This is politicalese for the creation of a number of part-time and full-time jobs. The Senior Citizens Recreation Centre will get $213,835 and the Campbellville Lions Club Hall will get $50,000 for purchases and renovation of its facilities. Buddy can you spare.a spittoon. Surely, these projects could have been put on hold and the money better spent in Acton, which is suffering not only job losses because of the financial troubles surrounding the operation of the olde Hide House and its satellite stores, but is also very much in need of a morale boost. An infusion of provincial cash - which is obviously available - would have done wonders for both sit- uations, The province also doled out $77,850 (as report- ed in today’s paper) to Georgetown’s Wastewise, a community resource centre. This money was approved by Environment and Energy Minister Bud Wildman. This money could also have been better spent in Acton, where environmental concerns are holding up much-needed development. If nothing else, the money could have been used to pay back the town for the interminably long - and costly - meetings over the possible threat development in Acton poses to Black reek. Mr. Duignan does indeed have to answer a few questions. Here’s hoping he returns my call. Colin Gibson To the Editor: With reference to your July_28 editorial and the let- ter from James Virgin. At the O.M.B. meeting (open to the public) in Georgetown, no one stated Black Creek should be ignored. It was said that it was thought that the problems of greater magnitude should be the concern of the D.F.O. and M.N.R., etc. such as HIS WEEK Halton Hills This Week, , Georgetown, Ont. L7G 4B1 Q.E. Web Printing. Halton Hills This We any time PUBLISHER: Ken Bellamy PRODUCTION MANAGER: Kathleen Topolsek PHONE: 873-; Pollution of the Great Lakes. If Black Creek had pure water, by the time it reached Lake Ontario it would end up in polluted waters if nothing is done at that end too. It is the world environ- ment that is the problem, not just here in Acton. 2,500 more people here will not make another Brampton. A little larger town with a few more stores Keeping a balance To the Editor: I would like to take excep- tion to the letter from MPP Oakville South printed in the July 31 paper, especially the sentence “...every dollar it taxes away from people is a dollar that won’t be spent on the goods and services that power the economy and keep the people working”. How much of our taxes are not applied to “goods and services”? What is school if not goods? What is road vice? How about all the peo- ple employed in the health industry being service jobs for the community? How about the salaries of those we elect to take our places in the thankless job of planning or and working out all these societal goods and services that we demand and hesitate so to pay for? And I could go on and on with lists of what I call goods and ser- vices. What does the MPP call all these societal services? Is it possible that even those elected individuals have fall- en into the trap of putting serving of self ahead of, or in place of, serving the’ whole unit? I believe in the importance of public educa- tion, use the roads a great deal, want my parks kept for my pleasure, use the health ICE MANAGER: Je OFFI lean Shewel HALTON HILLS THIS WEEK IS INDEPENDENTLY OWNED & OPERATED. 2254 FAX: The People's Corner Don’t single out Acton for blame and amenities should mean some more badly needed jobs and a nicer town for us all to enjoy. In a recession, small Stores are badly hit and in a small town like Acton, it’s even worse. We need the expansion to keep what we have here. We find this whole farce of the government's expen- sive meetings and discus- sions really ludicrous when all around us major pollu- tion is being perpetrated every day, and nothing done about it. The trolley buses in Toronto are being replaced with buses that cause more pollution and many “little” things, like that in towns around us - nothing is done about that! Why us, then? So why is Acton singled out - is it because we are small and EDITOR: Colin Gibson CIRCULATION MANAGER: Marie Shadbolt Ht can be picked on at govern- ment levels without big Political repercussions? Don’t stop anything - look for some answers. Let us get Canadian technology work- ing for us to preserve the waterways. Spend the money that way. All the money spent meeting and arguing could put some of our people to work solving the problems. The problems are not solved by stopping Acton’s growth, let us have progress of the right kind... Let our “responsible elect- ed” councillors do their job, after all, they know best the details of the proposed expansion. The technicalities involved, details and meth- ods they will use will do the best job for Acton. W. & M. Turner Acton Political mismanagement To the Editor Once again we hear of the Oss mi °. services ly, am glad that someone else in the government instead of me, etc. etc. My plea is that we keep a balance in our societal and Personal thinking at such crucial times in the economy of both our social needs and our personal needs. : Florence Wilkinson Georgetown Georgetown hospital praised To the Editor, I was recently required to be admitted to Georgetown and District Memorial Hospital for surgery. In the week I was a guest in'their facilities (and I was treated like a guest), I never once had any unpleasant incidents. From the Admitting Dept. through to the Operating Room staff, through to the surgical staff on Ward B, I must praise their profession- al proficiency and humane care giving. I also must compliment Pam Sargent, the Ped/Surg Nurse Manager who, despite her busy schedule, took time out to visit all her patients daily. The hospital itself is spot- lessly clean, despite renova- tions being done. Georgetown Environmental concern To the Editor: As I was pulling out of my driveway today, I noticed your newspaper, folded, WRAPPED IN A PINK PLASTIC BAG! Shame on you for not con- sidering the environment! I wonder if cost cutting mea- sures took precedence over the environment, ONCE AGAIN! Imagine my surprise, when later in the day, while reading your publication, I happened across your item called “Take the Ecology Quiz”, which, so it happens, clearly states that PLASTIC DOES NOT READILY DECOMPOSE (I see ques- tion #2 of the quiz on page 8). I look forward to your Paper, as it keeps our house in tune with the community we live in, but I am some- what disconcerted with the direction you are taking regarding delivery. Joanne Anger Georgetown Editor’s note: The pub- lisher and circulation man- ager have been informed of your concern. We trust you have informed our rival Paper (blue plastic bags) about similar concerns. Canadian interests by our existing politicians. need a complete change and let’s get some honest people who have the intestinal fortitude to straighten out the rot in Ottawa. From an article in the Globe & Mail, July 26, 1993. There are 26 large foreign factory ships, 13 Russian, 12 Cuban and one Japanese fish- ing with Canadian govern- ment permission about 80 miles off shore. Also, 15 Canadian companies from outside Nova Scotia have permission to hire foreign vessels and crews to fish off the Nova Scotia coast, allow- ing 3,000 tonnes of haddock, Pollock and cod as a by catch. The former 26 foreign fac- tory ships are supposed to catch species such as silver hake, mackerel and squid with cod and haddock as by catches, I cannot understand the mentality, or lack of it, pos- sessed by our civil servants and politicians in Ottawa. The absolute disregard for Canada’s fish stocks and fishermen is unconscionable. Rod Pinkney Georgetown You, or someone in your office, has undoubtedly Teacted this way to a spent photocopier or laser toner cartridge and its replace- ment; “What a waste!” Aside from the unbeliev- able amount of associated packaging, the cartridge itself is a massive thing that looks suspiciously as though the garbage crisis was furthest from the minds of the manufacturers. Fortunately, however, there are recyclers of these units, and although they can be recycled only a limited number of times, it’s a bet- ter option than using them What a waste WERE once, then sending them to a landfill. Office Magic Stationery at 265 Guelph Street in Georgetown and Wastewise at 36 Armstrong Avenue in Georgetown accept used cartridges from many Hewlett Packard, Apple, Cannon, QMS, Brother, Wang, Lexmark, Unisys, Panasonic and Sharp mod- els. All of the packaging that comes with it is also accepted! Call Wastewise at 873- 8123 or drop by for details. Send your letters to or fax them to u: Got a beef or a comment? Halton Hills This Week /232 Guelph St., Unit #9, Georgetown L7G 4B1 : Letters to the Editor S at 416-873-3918