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OAKVILLE BEAVER Wednesday, July 8, 2009 · 6 OPINION & LETTERS The Oakville Beaver 467 Speers Rd., Oakville Ont. L6K 3S4 (905) 845-3824 Fax: 337-5571 Classified Advertising: 632-4440 Circulation: 845-9742 www.oakvillebeaver.com 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 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 SARAH MCSWEENEY Circ. Manager Less talk, more action on job creation front It seems nary a week goes by now without some announcement of a federal-provincial infrastructure grant benefitting Oakville residents. And while we wouldn't want to appear ungrateful to our federal and provincial elected representatives for ensuring our tax money is returned to us in the form of funding for local infrastructure improvements, we are getting a little cynical about the job creation platitudes that accompany these announcements. The question is whether the funding is actually creating new jobs for currently unemployed workers or maintaining jobs in private sector firms which regularly deal with government contracts on an ongoing basis. The other question is when the announced funding will actually be spent in order to help boost the economy. So far, we are not impressed by how fast the various levels of government are injecting our tax money back into the ailing economy. Take the latest infrastructure announcement -- $1.33 million for an artificial soccer field at Bronte Athletic Park and upgrades to Kinoak arena. Tenders for both projects won't be done until the fall and there was no announcement on when construction would actually begin. Not really much help for someone on the unemployment line today. On the brighter side, two major projects -- the $33.4 million Southwest Wastewater Treatment Plant and the new $45 million Oakville Transit facility -- will see some demolition work begin in August. But neither one of these projects is scheduled for completion until March 2011, so any stimulus to the economy is a little farther down the road. Again, we are grateful the federal and provincial governments have seen fit to invest our tax money back into much-needed local projects. We aren't disputing the need for these projects or the benefits the community will reap from their completion. We just think the politicians are laying on the job creation comments a little thick these days. When it comes to creating jobs, we need a little less talk and a little more action, please. 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. Letter to the editor Don't cave in Re: Mattamy lobbies for lower development charges, Oakville Beaver, July 1. If Peter Gilgan of Mattamy Homes thinks Halton Region's costs to builders is too high, then they shouldn't build here. I'm fine with that. What I'm not fine with is politicians continually caving to the demands of builders and with the end result being under-serviced, poorly-planned communities that further tax existing resources like schools, water, recreation and transit. The builder won't care if the infrastructure is really there to support a community, they'll simply make their profit and move on. GARY PEARSON Mayor short-sighted It is wrong for Town Council to approve an $8,000 increase for residential development in Halton. For the mayor not to recognize we are in a recession right now is shortsighted. His plan is bad for the home building industry, it's bad for Oakville and it's bad for new home buyers. PATTI NICHOLLS Letters to the editor 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. Make developers pay infrastructure costs I am writing to voice my concern that greenfield developers may wish to avoid the cost of new roads required for their development projects by having Halton taxpayers pay these costs, or have the building of the required roads postponed. I strongly urge council to resist this by supporting the Halton staff report that would require the development industry pay for the costs of new roads, water and wastewater infrastructure in Halton Region. I am the moderator of Oakville's Citizen Round Table on Public Transit and spend considerable time discussing funding issues regarding our road infrastructure. Further, I am a planner and member of Ontario's Professional Planning Institute, with an Urban Design Specialty and Accessibility Design Certificate. This background requires me to point out the weakness of the arguments put forward by some representatives of developers. Firstly, developers are in business for profit. This simple truth requires the recognition that any action or avoidance of action that can enhance profit will become the strategy of these developers. The proposed off-loading of necessary road costs and the avoidance of infrastructure costs would simply be the achievement of such a strategy, through the bank accounts of Halton taxpayers. Secondly, any development constructed where no services exist requires an expenditure to provide the required services. Logic dictates that the developers, who make profit from such projects, must be asked to pay their way. Therefore, I strongly urge councillors to support the staff report that would require the development industry pay for the costs of new roads, water and wastewater infrastructure in Halton Region. HARVEY ROTRAND, MODERATOR, OAKVILLE'S CITIZEN ROUND TABLE ON PUBLIC TRANSIT No sympathy Re: Mattamy lobbies for lower development charges, Oakville Beaver, July 1. Well, so sad, too bad. You will get little sympathy from me and most of the residents of Oakville. Our town is being ruined by all the new housing developments. No care is being taken to build attractive neighborhoods, with well spaced homes, all you see are large homes being crammed onto small lots, so close together that you can reach out and shake your neighbours hand through the window. It would give me great pleasure, and relief, to see no more mass housing developments in Oakville. Thank you to Mayor Burton and Kevin Flynn for sticking to their principles. MRS.B. WAGG