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www.oakvillebeaver.com · OAKVILLE BEAVER Friday, April 16, 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 Pardons serve a purpose Graham James, a convicted sex offender, was pardoned in 2007. James, 58, a former hockey coach pleaded guilty to sexual assault after two of his former players, including ex-NHLer Sheldon Kennedy, came forward to tell of the abuse they suffered at his hands from 1984 to 1995. A pardon allows people who are convicted of a criminal offence, but have completed their sentence and shown they are law-abiding citizens, to have their criminal record kept separate and apart from other criminal records. Pardons are issued by the federal government of Canada. This means that any search of the Canadian Police Information Centre (CPIC) will not show that you had a criminal record, or that you were issued a pardon. A spokesman for Stephen Harper called the James situation a "deeply troubling and gravely disturbing" development that demands an explanation from the parole board. It is true that the pardon system is flawed if a convicted sex offender can easily get one, but we must be careful not to throw the baby out with the judicial bath water. We were as shocked and appalled as anyone to learn James had been issued a pardon, but a knee-jerk reaction may do more harm than good, at this time. Pardons are routinely granted in this country for many summary convictions such as fraud and simple assault. Does a 19-year-old deserve to have his whole life altered because he got into a bar fight and was charged? There is a time and place for pardons and they are key to rehabilitation and reform. If an individual is held back in life due to a conviction, they are far more likely to reoffend in order to survive and put food on the table. At best, the pardon system in this country needs a tweak, but not an overhaul. 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 Hospital details shrouded in secrecy The AFP (Alternative Financing and Procurement) dog and pony show has Oakville lined up for a new hospital. That it's new, is about all we know, as the secrecy surrounding the details leaves townspeople like mushrooms in the dark. We don't actually know what we will be getting for our money, nor what we will ultimately be paying. The process is an epic failure for the people of Oakville, but not for all parties. The consortium can look forward to managing hundreds of millions in spending, with a promise of secure revenues for 30 years. Nice work with great percentages during lean times. Our municipal AFP supporters can also be considered winners by association. The AFP model blends public funding with private financing expertise at a significant cost to the people of Oakville. It is the associated private financing that really drives up the overall cost of the build-out. Why must Oakville pay an additional two percentage points, when the Province is the primary funding source? Why does the Province allow the municipalities to be used this way? Follow the money and you understand why it's a public/private arrangement. The AFP model is designed to move money (lots of it) from the public to the private sector. The new hospital is merely a vehicle to transport the payload. This project has been in the works for the past 10 years. Hospital renewal has been left off the municipal agenda, so that a "take it or leave it" offer, could be thrown out as a solution. Sadly, the present hospital, even now, has adequate adjacent lands to provide for plenty of expansion at much less cost. Much of the land is already in the Town's hands and more could be procured. Had an honest effort been made over the past 10 years, better procureSee Make page 7 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. Reject costly hospital deal The citizens of Oakville do have a choice and that is to send the $200 million proposal back to the provincial government and tell Oakville MPP Kevin Flynn and the rest of the Liberals that if they don't want to build a hospital for Oakville, then maybe next year we will elect a new government that will build a new hospital without holding the citizens up for ransom. The AFP model or P3 is a financial nightmare and in no other city, province or country have I read where these models were a success. In every case, there are cost overruns. After all, if the private sector is involved there will be a profit to be made See Hospital page 7 Pud BY STEVE NEASE neasecartoons@gmail.com