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www.oakvillebeaver.com · OAKVILLE BEAVER Friday, April 2, 2010 · 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: Canadian Circulation Audit Board Member THE OAKVILLE BEAVER IS PROUD OFFICIAL MEDIA SPONSOR FOR: Recognized for Excellence by Ontario Community Newspapers Association Suburban Newspapers of America Canadian Community Newspapers Association ATHENA Award 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 Easy target Perhaps the best indicator that last week's provincial budget was truly unremarkable was that a day later no one was talking about it. Like his federal counterpart Jim Flaherty did three weeks earlier, Ontario Finance Minister Dwight Duncan managed to play the recession card well -- no great influx of new spending or drastic cuts were brought forward because, Duncan said, the economy is still too fragile for such action. "We will not "All of us who are paid with put job creation public tax dollars have a and economic role to play here. We're all growth at risk in this together." by cutting too soon," he said. Ontario Finance Minister Dwight Instead, Duncan Duncan managed to pick on an easy target -- public sector workers in an effort to make his budget look good. One million public service workers will have their wages frozen as the Ontario government digs itself out of a record deficit. "All of us who are paid with public tax dollars have a role to play here. We're all in this together," Duncan told the Legislature as he warned civil servants cannot expect pay raises, although existing union contracts for nurses, teachers, and bureaucrats will be honoured. The wage freeze -- which could last beyond 2014 -- affects 1.06 million Ontarians in the "broader public sector," or about 16 per cent of the workforce. With shortfalls forecast until 2017-18, Duncan said the Liberals had little choice but to move on public sector wages. While there was some sabre-rattling from some union leaders, the fact remains any messy strikes won't occur until after the 2011 provincial election as contracts for doctors and teachers don't expire until 2012. That allows the Liberals the chance to look tough now and the luxury of having the economy improve over the coming year when they can show their benevolent side with next year's budget -- the one before the next election. 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 Looking for science behind Flynn's private member's bill Re: Oakville MPP introduces private member's bill, Oakville Beaver, March 24. There are a few questions I feel either Oakville MPP Kevin Flynn or the Minister of Energy should answer in order to evaluate Flynn's proposal. I accept that a regulation requiring a buffer zone to ensure public safety, whether 50 m or several kilometres, would be justified, if scientific data suggests this. Whereas there appears to be good technical justification behind the 500 m setback for wind turbines based on the noise and air pressure fluctuations caused by the large rotating blades, particularly when two or more units come into synchronization, I wondered what the basis for Flynn's decision that a setback of 1,500 m, from areas zoned residential, for gas power plants is required to ensure adequate safety. This does nothing for those most at risk, and maybe the only ones at any real risk from an explosion, those working at the plant itself. For instance, was a damage assessment made for the area around the Middletown explosion if there was any significant damage outside the vicinity of the plant? Based on this or otherwise, was an expert scientific analysis made to determine the risk of death, injury and building damage at various distances from a power plant explosion, factoring in the unlikely event of another similar explosion? How does the risk of premature mortality at 400 m, 1,500 m and other distances from the centre of an explosion, if any, including the effects on pollution, fit into the range of other recognized attributes leading to premature mortality on a per capita basis, high blood pressure, tobacco, high cholesterol, being overweight, obesity, physical inactivity, urban air pollution, automobile accidents, etc.? Also, how does the risk compare See What page 10 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. Keep old hospital and build a smaller one This is a critical consideration of the new hospital proposal for Oakville. The truth is that this project is too big and it would be an inhumane tragedy to eliminate the old hospital. A more mild atmosphere would be created if we leave the old hospital functional and build a smaller one. The problem at the present hospital is not that the door is too narrow and we cannot enter, the problem is that we have to wait four or five hours before we see a doctor in the Emergency Room. GIUSEPPE FAVA, OAKVILLE Pud BY STEVE NEASE neasecartoons@gmail.com