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No evidence to show newspaper is biased Dear Sir: H. Strohm must get a different edition of the Beaver than me. ("Bias evident in paper‘s reporting" last Wednesday). When the Halton Public School Board does something worthy of positive reporting, then the Beaver reports it. Recently I learnt, from the Beaver, of adminisâ€" tration efforts to: â€" a) Combine some of the services offered by the separate and public school boards. b) Reduce the fixed portion of the budget (ie. salaries). A caring community Dear Sir: I would like to comment on the Editorial which appeared in your last issue in which you expressed your disagreement with the teacher‘s refusal to donate one day‘s pay towards the School Board deficit. I disagree with your arguments and suggest that before you ask the teachâ€" er‘s to accept this form of double taxâ€" ation, which it really is, you examine the many utterly useless expenses now incurred merely to satisfy the egos of politicians and a few trustees. In previous years when teacher contract talks have come up, the unions have always held up the threat of walking out with the implication that a child‘s year could be jeopardized by a protracted strike. We may be wrong but if the teachers aren‘t open to disussing the new economic realities of the 1990s in their next talks, the public will be ready to call their bluff. Hardâ€"pressed taxpayers have had enough. Teachers shouldn‘t foot the bill for board spending One such expense that readily comes to mind is that incurred for Heritage Language classes. It is not only a stupid policy but one that is Next consider the contract clause that allows teachers to have a specified numâ€" ber of hours a week in classâ€"preparation time. While teachers are doing this work, taxpayers shell out for more teachers to monitor these classes. Remember, teachers want to be classed as professionals, like doctors, lawyers, accountants and the like, yet they want to do all of their work during school hours and not beyond. It‘s a costly plan and one that should also be addressed in new contract talks. County Board of Education. They might also consider having principals take on teaching roles. Both the ministry of education and the Halton Board must also look at the pupilâ€"teacher ratio. Economies of scale could be used to elminate more jobs as the number of students stagnates. Halton should also look at the need for principals for every school. They‘re making executive salaries with proportionately few peoâ€" ple to oversee and ‘twinning‘ schools would effectively make better use of manâ€" power. This is already being looked at by some boards including the Wentworth Teachers say why should they have to pay for the board‘s mismanagement? Well if you‘re the biggest part of the problem, you‘ve got to be looked at as the biggest part of the solution and with about 80% of the board‘s costs going to salaries and benefits, it makes sense that this is one area the board must look at if it is to curtail runaway spending. One of the main reasons for the plight of all boards of education is the kind of contracts they ‘negotiated‘ with their teachers. If ever there was an example of too much going for too little to too many, this is it. Consider a couple of items. When teachers retire, they get the normal retirement package but they also get a cheque for the number of days they actually showed up for work. In other words, not only do they get paid when they work they get doublyâ€"paid if they have good health. It‘s some kind of twisted incentive to attend work that was agreed to in earâ€" lier agreements and an idea whose time must stop. How nice it would be for all of us to receive cheques that can add up to tens of thousands of dollars for not being ill! It‘s bizarre. The teachers‘ unions have balked because they see this move as the first salvo in an attack against their collective agreements. Their reasoning is that they‘d rather have 75 of their number laid off permanently, than for all of their memberâ€" ship to help out a little. Moves like this are nothing new to business and industry. They‘ve been forced to layoff people, have others jobâ€"share, take unpaid leaves, pay and vacation cuts and other measures just to survive. It‘s called free enterprise, it‘s called sound fiscal management. Dear Sir: Some say that the population denâ€" sity of Oakville is getting too "Big Town" and that people are too relucâ€" tant to get involved and help someâ€" one in distress. Unions representing both separate and elementary school teachers have said ‘no way‘ to a plan from the Halton Board, that board employees contribute one day‘s work for no pay to offset a $1â€"million shortfall in this year‘s budget. Educution is at a crossroads both in how it teaches and how it operates.Like it or not, educators in Ontario and throughout Canada are beginning to realâ€" ize that, like business, they too must take measures to produce more with less and to ensure that product quality doesn‘t suffer. Business has been taking the necessary measures and now it‘s the turn of education. Not true. On Wednesday, March 3rd, I fell on a patch of ice, breaking my leg and tearing the ligaments. It was early evening, and there was not a soul around. If it weren‘t for a kind stranger like Pearl, who saw me fall, and two employees from the McDonalds on Iroquois Shore Road vejig \g fhmtnthenk 16 "l“‘l‘!‘ | 845â€"34 E"<|"'-I‘IA ... well ... I hate to think of the cir cumstances. Not only did these people brave the cold, they helped me inside a warm car while Pearl drove me to the Emergency Dept. Thank you Pearl and "helpers" for rekindling my faith in human nature. Marybeth Skeoch c) Reduce the total number of people on the New realitiesâ€"2 EDITORIAL dishonest because it‘s only purpose, make the required donations to meet who stand to other than emphasizing differences, is the shortfall â€" after all it is only they to act as a subtle reminder to immiâ€" grants to continue voting for trustees * o tcaen o amencteng Where there‘s smoke, 1 tinuance of this policy. Language difâ€" Dear Sir: ferences are threatening to break up Wow! I love just watching the action in your paper Canada and I find it absolutely preâ€" the editor by the candidate for school trustee who Ic posterous that we have elected offiâ€" Ward 6. (Paper shows an antiâ€"Board bias). cials who, blinded by their dishonâ€" What a story there must be behind the Halton B esty, cannot see the damage they are _ Communicator Committee and OTHS. f doing to the country. I am an immiâ€" l_lmas@fflxeretsanalloutmsauhgomgona grant from the Indian subâ€"continent _ DAYINE 2 great time. i ‘£@ f and I know what language differ. . _ Aen‘t the Board‘s motto "Education is HOT in H ences can do to a people. Language, I smoke, there o fire assure you, is a great unifying force George Pickios and government should use all its AntiCS Of Board' 3 direCtO resources to encourage and ensure that every citizen obtains fluency in Dear Sir: asked is just either one or preferably both official I find the antics of Director of lose? I hav languages rather than squander its the Halton Board of Education, of the teach scarce resources on this myth of . Bob Williams, highly amusing as 1993 but do building a multiâ€"cultural and multiâ€" _ he tries to get a oneâ€"day pay rebate â€" that teacher lingual Utopia. from Halton teachers. Talk about one days pz If the NDP Government and their friends in the liberal press are deterâ€" mined to pursue this divisive policy then it is only fair that they rather than the teachers should be asked to PHONE ALONE CALL845â€"5585 i 47 payroll As a former Chairman of the Oakville Taxpayers Coalition, 1 must also comment on Strohm‘s observation concerning your coverage of that organization. Few people can afford the time to attend municipal meetings. Many have the basic philosophy of ZERO INCREASE in taxes, and do not agree with the use of debt to keep their taxes down. The coalition is simply a group of several hundred like minded ratepayers. They pay a small donation to have themselves represented at local government meetings by interested and MLLE BJ commrommmimmennnramimmyiniommmnbennmmmnininimimpinins mmseminnearnaniinsimsaeuimnsiinsens mdns se inepeinmsen en ene en en on ie reraeemrenrmencars | SPEAK YOUR MIND Got a gripe? Give us a call. Readers are invited to express their opinion on a topic of their choice by calling 845â€"5585, box 5250. All callers are allowed 45 secâ€" onds to express their opinion and must provide their name, address and phone number for verification. A cross section of the responses will be published in next Wednesday‘s Oakville Beaver. Wow! I love just watching the action in your paper and enjoyed the letter to the editor by the candidate for school trustee who lost in the last election in Ward 6. (Paper shows an antiâ€"Board bias). What a story there must be behind the Halton Board of Education‘s Key Communicator Committee and OTHS. It seems as if there is an all out assault going on about now with everyone having a great time. Isn‘t the Board‘s motto "Education is HOT in HALTON‘?Where there‘s smoke, there‘s fire! George Pickios Antics of Board‘s director amusing Dear Sir: I find the antics of Director of the Halton Board of Education, Bob Williams, highly amusing as he tries to get a oneâ€"day pay rebate from Halton teachers. Talk about smoke and mirrors, with high proâ€" file meetings and media coverage. Where there‘s smoke, there‘s fire I note that teachers, if they agree, will not lose any benefits but the question that begs to be The Oakville Beaver welcomes your comments. All letters must be signed and include the writer‘s address and phone number. Letters should be typed, doubleâ€"spaced and addressed to: Letters to the Editor, The Oakville Beaver, 467 Speers Rd., Oakville, Ont. L6K 3S4 Mivcec." Classified Advertising: 845â€"2809 Circulation: 845â€"9742 or 845â€"9743 845â€"3824 Fax: 845â€"3085 \K VII asked is just what will the teachers lose? I haven‘t seen any mention of the teachers salary increase for 1993 but does anybody want to bet that teachers, even after giving up one days pay, will take home less money in 1993 than they did in 1992? To my mind it is a despicable shallow ploy, a one shot play for public consumption in the year 1993 while expenditure for public education will continue to rise unconscionably. The next step, of course, is for Bob Williams and other assorted highly paid bureauâ€" crats to voluntarily give up one days pay also ... OH WHAT A Give me a break. These people may be able to blind side our electâ€" ed trustees and the other sycoâ€" phants with this kind of foolishâ€" ness but I don‘t buy it for one minute. GOOD BOY AM I! gain anything! Michael J. Glynne J.E. Segueira Ivor Davies Robert Glasbey Advertising Dir Norman Alexander Editor Geoff HiHM Circulation Director Terd Casas Office Manager Tim Coles Production Manager Ian Oliver Publishey In my opinion, no human in this world has any â€"right to force a female to abort or keep the fetus. Remember, murder is when someone kills a person or animal, not a fetus that is not even here. I believe that any female in this world has a right to have an abortion for the above reasons. I was told that this is a democratic country with freedom. That is why we must live our own life without Catholic goons, governments, or any other people telling us what to do. Some people do not want to have any children these days. Therefore, if they get raped, abused or just accidentally pregâ€" nant, they should not be punished and denied an abortion. I do not believe in abusing abortion as a means of birth control, but I do believe that any female in the so called "free country" should be given an abortion if needed. There are many different reasons for abortion. i.e.: alone and single, no finances, ill menâ€" tal or physical health, rape, drunkenness, age and many more. Dear Sir: X I am writing this letter regarding the statement in the Friday, March 12, 1993 issue of the Oakville Beaver written by Adrianna Bassi about abortion. I do not like to discriminate amongst other people‘s opinâ€" ions, but this woman does not understand the issue of abortion properly. She stated that "The slaughter and death of the unborn is the most violent of all." That is an overâ€"exaggerated stateâ€" ment. How would Adrianna Bassi or any other person like to have to pay higher taxes to support MORE welfare mothers? â€"â€"_ LETTER OF THE DAY _â€"â€" Many different components to the debate on abortion In 1988 the United States paid the highest percentage of gross national product toward health expenses of any country â€" nearly 12 percent. . Health expenditures of selected countries 1988 Average = 7.5% e Country 7907 WEEKLY FOCUS )30 | .7 % } 205 | Â¥y/% 1 3% #a/ 4 Kelly Wolfendale Health expense as a % of GNP M W W Graphic M Cns Woe h M moe py withc M # We 90