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Should Members of Parliament have their pensibns rolled back? Ian Oliver Publisher Robert Glasbey Advertising Director Norman Alexander Editor Geoff Hill Circulation Director Teri Casas Office Manager Tim Coles Production Manager If the NDP government fails to control its own spending then Wednesday‘s $2 billion tax grab might seem like peanuts comâ€" pared to the next budget. In announcing the new tax increases, Laughren claims he‘ll provide $4 in savings and reduced costs for every new dollar raised in taxes. It‘s a lofty promise and one worth keeping, but it remains to be seen whether Laughren and the rest of his NDP government can pull it off. So far, they have not shown much progress in its "social contracts" talks with the public sector unions. And while the NDP government is not adverse to picking the taxpayers‘ pockets to solve its problems it has shown little eviâ€" dence of bringing its own spending under control. The longer it remains in power the more evident it becomes that the Rae government is spinning its collective wheels in office and is unable to provide any leadership or solutions. The sad truth is the Rae government has realized far too late that the provincial deficit must be controlled. When it first came to power the government‘s solution to solving the recession was to spend its way out of struggling economy. Instead, the econoâ€" my remained in poor shape while the Rae government increased the deficit. Now the government has decided the best way to solve the deficit is to spend (through increased taxes) itself out of the deficit. The Rae government‘s tonic for controlling the debt rmght be a little bit more acceptable if we had complete confidence in the government‘s ability to provide a solution. But we don‘t, our memory is not that short. There‘s little doubt that stern action had to be taken. In unveilâ€" ing its latest budget the NDP government said the tax increases were part of its plan to reduce this years projected deficit of almost $17 billion to $9.2 billion. But even if this goal is reached Ontario‘s total debt is expected to rise to $78.6 billion in 1994, almost double the $39 billion debt in 1990. eaction to the Ontario NDP govemment’s budget has been generally negative. The response is understandable considering Finance Minister Floyd Laughren has orchesâ€" trated the biggest tax grab in the province‘s history. And the timâ€" ing couldn‘t have been worse. With the economy still in poor condition after being batted by a recession, some fear the removal of $2 billion for taxes from the public purse will further stall or even kill any recovery. Tax grab hurts RESULTS OF LAST WEEK‘S POL 467 Speers Road, Oakville, Ont. L6K 384 Classified Advertising: 845â€"2809 Circulation: 845â€"9742 or 845â€"9743 Results of the poll will be published in the next Friday edition of the Oakville Beaver. Cast your ballot by calling 845â€"5585, box 5008 to vote. Callers have until 12 noon Thursday to register their vote. Do you think the NDP government‘s tax increases were justified? The Beaver, published every Sunday, Wednesday and Friday, at 467 Speers Rd., Oakvile, is one of the Metroland Printing, Publishing Distributing Ltd. group of suburban newspapers which includes: Aj -Pid(etr’i? News Advertiser, Barrie Advance, Brampton Guardian, Buringion Post, Collingwood Connection, Etobicoke Guardian, G lown Independent Acton Free Press, Kingston This Week, Lindsay This Week, Markham Economist and Sun, StouffVile/Uxbridge Tribune, Milton Canadian Champion, Mlss:ssagg:-: Ne{_us Nogrsmmst-Aurors %v:a-Banner, yorth York Mirr]g}:, Ow ile Beaver, Onilia Today, Oshawa/Whitby This Week, Peterborough This Week, Richmond Liberal, Scarborough Mirror. All material published in the Oakville Beaver is protected by copyflfl Any reproduction in whole or in part of this material is strictly forbidden without the consent of the publisher. By eliminating highway driving, drinking and late hour driving, many of the accidents caused by This letter is written in regard to your May 9th editorial on graduated licensing, which was read to my grade 10 class. There was a very negative response to this article from most people, but I myself think it is a good idea (I do not yet have my license). I was met at the hospital by Leeâ€"Ann‘s friend who explained, that while everyone was standing around the fire a young man had decided that the fire was not big enough so he had taken a red gas can from a car and proceeded to throw gasoline on the flames. When the gas ignited and flashed back to the gas can burning his hand, in a panic he threw the can. Leeâ€" Ann just happened to be walking in the path of the At about 11:30 p.m. I received a phone call from Leeâ€"Ann‘s friend from the Hospital Emergency Department informing me that they had stopped by the "bush party" and that both Leeâ€"Ann and her roommate had been burned in the bonfire. My older son and I rushed to the hospital terrified of what would be waiting for us. Dear Sir: On a recent Friday evening my daughter Leeâ€"Ann and her roommate came home from college for the weekend. After the usual number of phone calls to determine just what was happening at home here in Oakville, they headed out to a house party with some of Leeâ€"Ann‘s friends. They also mentioned the posâ€" sibility of dropping by a "bush party" because many of her high school friends would be there. I know when Leeâ€"Ann was in high school I never liked the idea of her going to "bush parties" but in view of the fact that she has been living away at college for the past year, and has always been very responsible, I was really not concerned for her safety. Graduated licensing is applauded Bush party was students‘ nightmare 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 384 dn e y z* _ BOB FLOYDS BUDCET P NETAKE lT”S/ tz "%Oou MAKEIT teens would be eliminated. With not being able to have any kind of alcoâ€" hol level in your system, this would prevent many new drivers from getâ€" ting behind the wheel, having misâ€" judged their alcohol intake. Highway and late night driving are probably the most difficult type of driving there is and by taking this driving away, which makes new drivers nervous anyway, a lot less I am writing this letter in the hope that some of the young people who frequent "bush parties" will read it and a lesson will be learned. We were all very fortunate that this story does not have a tragic endâ€" ing. Leeâ€"Ann and Donna or anyone else could have been disfigured for life or even killed by such a foolâ€" ish deed. We don‘t always get a second chance and being sorry doesn‘t always change things. My daughter‘s roommate received only minor burns and some hair damage. Leeâ€"Ann received severe, very painful burns to her left ear, and further burns to her right ear and hand and minor burns to her lips. Her hair, needless to say was severely burned. gas can and was doused with the flaming liquid. My daughter‘s roommate who was also nearby, received the overflow. On speaking with Leeâ€"Ann she told me she only remembers her hair bursting into flames. She said she was just running hysterically banging her head in an attempt to put out the flames but they just kept getting bigger. Then her jacket ignited. At this point she said she does not remember what hapâ€" pened. Apparently at the same time, her roommate‘s hair was also aflame. Thank God, two very couraâ€" geous young men, had the sense to tackle the girls and roll around with them on the ground to smother the flames. Had it not been for their quick thinking, the situation would have been very tragic. All in all, I agree with this new law, and think that it will be a great asset to the other drivers on the road. accidents would occur. Graduated licensing would most likely cause insurance costs for young drivers to become lower, because of the fewer number of accidents. Joanne Meyrick Oakville