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6- The Oakville Beaver, Friday March 21, 2008 www.oakvillebeaver.com OPINION & LETTERS The Oakville Beaver 467 Speers Rd., Oakville Ont. L6K 3S4 (905) 845-3824 Fax: 337-5567 Classified Advertising: (905) 632-4440 Circulation: 845-9742 Editorial and advertising content of the Oakville Beaver is protected by copyright. Unauthorized use is prohibited. THE OAKVILLE BEAVER IS PROUD OFFICIAL MEDIA SPONSOR FOR: The Oakville Beaver is a division of IAN OLIVER Group Publisher Media Group Ltd. NEIL OLIVER Publisher DAVID HARVEY General Manager JILL DAVIS Editor in Chief ROD JERRED Managing Editor DANIEL BAIRD Advertising Director RIZIERO VERTOLLI Photography Director SANDY PARE Business Manager MARK DILLS Director of Production MANUEL GARCIA Production Manager CHARLENE HALL Director of Distribution ALEXANDRIA ANCHOR Circ. Manager Climate for change As we begin to see an end to a potentially record-breaking (for snowfall) winter, it's difficult to think about global warming, climate change and the environment. However, as you gaze out at the huge pile of snow at the end of the driveway, remember those hot, smog-filled days of August. The Province, which talks the talk when it comes to the environment, but rarely walks the walk, recently put its first foot forward in fighting climate change. Premier Dalton McGuinty appointed a climate change watchdog to lead Ontario's fight against global warming. Hugh MacLeod's task will be to make sure the government's many environmental plans -- from banning conventional light bulbs to phasing out coal-fired power plants -- are actually implemented. However, if MacLeod is going to be truly effective, the government will have to give him the tools and the necessary power to enact and enforce change -- not something our elected bodies usually like to do. Without substance, MacLeod's position will only look good on paper -- recycled paper perhaps -- but paper nonetheless. The government's action plan on climate change, released last summer, is about pushing Ontario to do what it can to mitigate the environmental crisis. Here's hoping that MacLeod's appointment will see that climate change agenda implemented and any good ideas moved forward. However, McGuinty had better be prepared to buy him a big pair of scissors to cut through the red tape that has shut down many worthy environmental efforts in the past. The Oakville Beaver welcomes letters from its readers. Letters will be edited for clarity, length, legal considerations and grammar. In order to be published all letters must contain the name, address and phone number of the author. Letters should be addressed to The Editor, Oakville Beaver, 467 Speers Rd., Oakville, ON, L6K 3S4, or via e-mail to editor@oakvillebeaver.com. The Beaver reserves the right to refuse to publish a letter. LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Council should keep tradition of prayer In life, you usually get two choices to things you don't agree with, to do something or do nothing. To pray or not to pray. I can understand people who believe this tradition, which is religious, should be discontinued. However, until these people demand that they work Good Friday and Christmas without holiday pay and do so, they should stop complaining. Are these two traditional holidays not based on religion? You cannot have your cake and eat it, too. Should those holidays be limited to those of the Christian faith? Perhaps only those who bring a notarized letter from their pastor, minister, priest or deacon should be allowed to have those days as holidays. Ridiculous! If the parties involved don't believe in a God then these words are just....words. A baptism would just be water and who doesn't like water. The argument that it wastes time and money is comical at best, because our elected officials and government are all very efficient individuals and have never created any waste. In my lifetime, I haven't seen anyone hurt by prayer, so leave it alone. We do have bigger issues than this. This is a tradition set up by the founders of our country, the same ones who created the best country in the world. BERNARD ROKICKI BY STEVE NEASE snease@haltonsearch.com Regional chair responds I am writing in response to Ronald Rea's letter, Tax and spend won't solve problems in The Oakville Beaver, March 14. Mr. Rea is incorrect about Halton Region's taxes. Here are the correct facts regarding the 2008 regional taxes and our Fairness for Halton campaign. Halton Region's 2008 tax increase is one of the lowest in the entire Province of Ontario. The budget results in a property tax reduction of 0.6 per cent for regional programs and services, and an increase of 5.3 per cent for Police services (to add 20 new police officers), for a combined property tax increase of 1.3 per cent. The regional taxes were actually reduced by 0.6 per cent. This compared to the seven per cent, eight per cent and nine per cent increases in other municipalities. Mr. Rea does not want the federal or provincial governments to help fund our infrastructure. I disagree. I believe both the federal and provincial government must help fund the infrastructure in our region. I am joined in this fight by other mayors such as Hazel McCallion and councillors right across Canada. We recently got $40 million in GTA pooling money for Halton from the Provincial government. The pooling money was Halton property taxes that were going to pay for social Pud See Regional page 7 The Oakville Beaver is a member of the Ontario Press Council. The council is located at 80 Gould St., Suite 206, Toronto, Ont., M5B 2M7. Phone 416-340-1981. Advertising is accepted on the condition that, in the event of a typographical error, that portion of advertising space occupied by the erroneous item, together with a reasonable allowance for signature, will not be charged for, but the balance of the advertisement will be paid for at the applicable rate.The publisher reserves the right to categorize advertisements or decline.