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6- The Oakville Beaver, Friday September 5, 2008 www.oakvillebeaver.com OPINION & LETTERS The Oakville Beaver 467 Speers Rd., Oakville Ont. L6K 3S4 (905) 845-3824 Fax: 337-5567 Classified Advertising: 845-3824, ext. 224 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: NEIL OLIVER Vice ­ President and Group Publisher of Metroland West The Oakville Beaver is a division of IAN OLIVER President Media Group Ltd. 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 Humane society needs help We are not sure what it will take from government to protect innocent animals from the abuse of uncaring, greedy owners or breeders. All you have to do is point to the plight of more than 50 cats that had to be rescued from a northeast Oakville home Aug. 22. The word home is used loosely in this sense as one often interprets it to mean proper shelter -- something these poor animals did not have. After obtaining a search warrant, Animal Protection Officers from the Oakville and District Humane Society (ODHS) uncovered what was believed to be a Bengal cat breeding operation. Cats were locked in cages, hiding in cupboards and inside sofas without food or water. There was no hydro in the house. To say the conditions were deplorable would be a gross understatement. The house was also without electricity. Thanks to a concerned resident the cats were taken into care before conditions became even worse. While the humane society sorts out exactly who is responsible for the inhumane treatment of these felines, it still has to deal with the welfare of the animals. "They're in the offices, the washroom, the hall, in a trailer we've had to rent for them. They're in foster homes, they're being boarded at vets, they're all over the place," said Johanne Golder, executive director of the ODHS. These extra felines are also straining the humane society's limited resources. "We need donations, we need cash to pay for all of the costs for these guys," said Golder. Oakvillians have always been generous and we expect they will be no different in this particular case. While we routinely write about fundraisers for every imaginable cause, it seemed only right to put out the call for donations to help the humane society effectively do its job. Anyone interested in becoming a foster parent or adopting one of these cats, when they are ready, can contact the shelter at 905-845-1551 or e-mail rescuecats@oakvillehumane.ca. A one-time donation to help the rescued cats may be made to the Oakville and District Humane Society either online, by mail or by telephone. Donations should be earmarked `rescuecats'. 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 Hospital parking fees take advantage of captive audience I wish to add my voice to the complaints about the exorbitant fees charged for parking at Oakville-Trafalgar Memorial Hospital (OTMH). Last week, I drove a disabled senior to the outpatient department for arranged tests. Due to this person's condition, I accompanied her to the appropriate department to make sure she was properly registered and cared for. Arriving at the reception desk, we were told to take a number and wait until called, which we did, delaying my departure for about 10-15 minutes. When exiting the parking lot I was fourth in line. When the car ahead of me arrived at the exit kiosk the payment procedure took an abnormal length of time. I couldn't tell if the driver was protesting the parking fee, arguing about it or simply had difficulty finding the requested amount, but certainly I was delayed. When I finally arrived at the kiosk I was charged $5 for a 32-minute stay. I can appreciate that the parking facility must be selfsustaining, but with parking prohibited on all nearby streets, there can be no question that the facility is fully utilized by those having a real need to attend or visit the hospital. Therefore, each person parking a car at the hospital becomes a captive participant with no choice, but to pay what I (and clearly others) consider to be an exorbitant fee. No wonder the fire route in front of the main entrance is blocked with parked cars daily sometimes right back to the actual entrance. GEORGE DERRICK Secret ballot should remain a secret Last time I voted, I recall there being a strong "shroud of secrecy." I had to hide behind a cardboard booth and fill in my ballot just right. Then my ballot was folded and put into a box so no one could see who I voted for. No one there is allowed to ask who I voted for and it would unconscionable to say out loud in the middle of the election room "I voted for...." It's a secret ballot -- always has been. So why do campaign employees feel they have the right to call my home, ask for me by name and flat out ask, "Can so-andso count on your vote?" Pardon me? I thought it was a secret? Or is there something magical about election day that makes it just a secret on that one day for those three minutes that I'm in the election room? If who you vote for is a secret, then no one should have the right to ask you to reveal whose name is going to receive that coveted "X" beside it. No one. LUCY GRUBER 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. Pud BY STEVE NEASE snease@haltonsearch.com