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www.oakvillebeaver.com · OAKVILLE BEAVER Friday, December 11, 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 --Open 9-5 weekdays, 5-7 for calls only Wed. to Friday, Closed weekends 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 Regional 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 'Tis the season to shop smart and local Canadian -- and specifically Oakville -- retailers are hoping for a `green' Christmas this year after weathering (we hope) one of the worst economic years on record. We also hope that local consumers this holiday season think Oakville first when dashing about for their shopping. This community has a wide variety of stores, at Oakville Place, Hopedale Mall, Dorval Crossing, Upper Oakville Shopping Centre, Maplegrove Mall, Trafalgar Village, Bronte Village, Kerr Village, downtown, RioCan Centre Burloak or at the vast number of malls and plazas. Our local merchants could certainly use your patronage. Remember, spending dollars locally helps our entire community. Local businesses are the ones that sponsor your child's soccer team, contribute to the arts and donate to any number of worthy and charitable causes. Helping to keep their cash registers humming makes our town an even greater place in which to live. Also this festive season, consumers should be in a better mood to spend more (at least moderately) than last year as the economic climate continues to show improvement while interest rates are at a record low. That said, Nancy Marescotti, director, card marketing, BMO Bank of Montreal, offers some tips for shoppers to make the most of their money and save more this holiday season: · Set a budget and stick to it · Don't wait until the last minute to shop as you are more likely to overpay · Supplement your spending -- look to loyalty programs with robust reward portfolios · Just say no. Don't pay for an extended warranty you probably don't need. Many credit cards have features such as extended manufacturer warranties or protection against loss or theft · Pay your balance in full by the due date to avoid interest charges · Use one credit card to pay for your holiday purchases -- it's less hassle and makes it easier to track expenses. Finally, remember that patience is a virtue and you'll need to have it when you hit the stores over the next few weeks looking for that elusive prime parking spot. Remember, there are just 14 days left before Christmas. 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 Ban election signs, too Re: Clamping down on campaign contributions, Oakville Beaver, Dec. 2 I am pleased to see Oakville Council set to review the action Toronto Council approved disallowing donations from corporations and unions. May I suggest our Council also mirror the actions of other municipalities, like our neighbour Burlington, the banning of election signs on public property? I believe both steps would make elections more affordable to the regular citizen as they could both potentially lessen the cost of running in a municipal election. The election volunteers needed to install, maintain and collect the signs at the conclusion of the election could be better deployed in engaging voters via canvassing, potentially increasing voter turnout thus empowering democracy. The public tells me they are offended both by the cost, environmental pollution and driver distraction caused by the growing number of signs placed on public property during municipal elections. The staff time to ensure these signs are compliant with the bylaw and to enforce the candidates removing them, impacts residential property taxes unnecessarily. Think back to the visual blight during the 1988 election; the federal election was just two weeks behind the municipal. With a minority government in Ottawa there is a real risk a similar blight could arise in 2010. Democracy is served by choice; the ability for individuals to contribute to that choice is lessened when election costs become too high. Oakville Council should act quickly to ensure that both of the above enhancements to the democratic process are in place for the 2010 municipal election with the bonus of saving property taxes. ANN MULVALE 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 email to editor@oakvillebeaver.com. The Beaver reserves the right to refuse to publish a letter. Late, late movie not for kids This weekend I went out with my husband to the movies, babysitter booked and kids home in bed. We headed to the Cineplex on Wyecroft to see the much anticipated 2012. The movie time was 10:05 p.m.- 12:50 a.m. quite late, but hey, we don't do this often. Sitting in our seats we were appalled to witness how many people were bringing in young children to see this movie, some I'm guessing as young as five years old. Keeping in mind it was after 10 at night, let alone the content of the movie. I went out to speak to the manager and she informed me the movie is rated a 14 A. In disbelief I returned to my seat astounded at the fact people were bringing in minors. In some scenes there was devastation, drowning and chaos. We as a society have to be accountable for what our young children are viewing. People are desensitizing their young ones only for them to grow up into young adults who don't care about anything, but themselves. What's the matter with you people? Get a babysitter, see a different movie with your kids or wait for DVD and watch it when the kids are in bed. HAYLEY LEITGEB Pud BY STEVE NEASE neasecartoons@gmail.com