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Political gaffes ksn ou would think after all these years politicians would learn to -! have a little more respect for the voting public. And if time certainly hasn‘t taught politicians that not all the electorate are boobs and morons, you would think they would have learned something from the meteoric rise of the Reform Party in last year‘s federal election . But two instances this week â€" one by the Ontario NDP governâ€" ment â€" and one by the Ontario Progressive Conservatives â€" still «. show they are still up to their old political tricks. In the NDP‘s case, it was the inclusion of a fourâ€"page insert in Ontario daily newspapers entitled Ontario‘s Budget Plan is Working. After all the attention paid to the Ontario budget by the news media last week, was it really necessary for the provincial governâ€" ment to spend a few hundred thousand dollars of taxpayers money on this insert. The fourâ€"page flyer did not reveal anything new about the budget. The only thing it lacked in comparison to the news media reports was any criticism of the budget. Most offensive was a chart showing Ontario‘s declining deficit. The chart begins in 1992 and continues with projections of a surplus in 1998. The chart conveniently omits any references to the earlier years, which might have shown just how much the deficit has grown in Ontario under NDP rule. The fourâ€"page flyer would not have been as offensive if it had not been paid for by the Ontario taxpayers. The NDP aren‘t the only political parties trying to spread their preâ€"election propaganda to the masses. Last week we received the Ontario PC‘s Common Sense Revolution package in the mail, and a few days laterâ€"we received copies of two Liberal reports Crisis in Waiting and Getting Ontario Working Again. Both were glossy and both were expensive. However, both were paid for by their provincial parties, and not the Ontario taxpayers. When the Ontario NDP party was first elected, it promised new standards for governing Ontario. By wasting taxpayers money on a fourâ€"page party propaganda sheet, the NDP have demonstrated once again they are no better then their predecessors. The other political gaffe was made by Ontario PC leader Mike Harris in hiring a U.S. director and cameraman to shoot the televiâ€" sion adds for his $600,000 preâ€"election campaign. To add insult to injury, the main theme of his preâ€"election campaign is to get Ontario working again. Too bad he doesn‘t practice what he preaches. "I‘m a free trader," explained Harris in defense of the criticism against hiring an American. "We‘re after the best and the brightest around the world." Too bad Ontario voters won‘t be election time. "LETTITERS i o Garbage rebate for condé owners is mo to rescind last year‘s rebate and to The article by Howard Mozel in withâ€"hold the rebate for 8 months of the May 6th Beaver states that the 1994. If this proposal were to be annual speed bump re garbage approved, condominium owners rebates for condominiums upset an would have been defrauded out of otherwise peaceful meeting. Far 20 months of rebates â€" about from it! $835,000. That is what the rebate is Let‘s get the story straight â€" conâ€" all about â€" it has nothing to do with dominium owners pay taxes for serâ€" speed bumps. vices including garbage removal just At the May 4th meeting, the as do all other Oakville citizens. Director of Finance showed how the But, the town does not have equipâ€" town was the clear beneficiary of ment to remove garbage from these the rebate system â€" the townâ€" was properties so the owners of condos rebating less than it was collecting . are forced to arrange and pay for its in taxes and certainly, less than it . removal overâ€"andâ€"above the payâ€" would cost the town if it set up the * ment of their taxes. proposed pickâ€"up system. It is logical, totally, that the town One of the councillors seemed to should remove either the garbage or understand the problem and proâ€" the tax. ceeded to outline a scheme that was Several years ago, an arrangeâ€" logical by which the matter could ment was entered into by the two have been settled at that point. The parties to refund a portion of the tax council hates logic, so rather than to annually, however, the payment of proceed to settle the mater, they the rebate would be made one year chose to adjourn and meet again on in arrears â€" in other words, the Monday night, May 9th. What a terâ€" rible waste of a whole evening. I must say that it incredible that the councillors seem to come to meetings so poorly prepared for debate even though this problem has been before council many times given the same opportunity at rebate for taxes paid in 1993 would be made midâ€"year 1994 and so on. The funds to finance this rebate would be included in the 1994 budâ€" get. Application for rebate must be made for each year by each condoâ€" minium â€" if one does not apply, there is no rebate offered by the towni. Each year at budget time, certain . councillors try to find ways to upset this logical arrangement, so it is necâ€" essary for the condo owners to make their annual presentation so as to maintain the degree of fair play to which they are entitled. Condo owners have always maintained that removal of garbage is preferable to the annual rebate system. 8 This year, during budget study, a scheme was cooked up at the end of a tiresome evening in which it was proposed to initiate garbage removal commencing Sept. 1st. To help finance this scheme it was proposed Bullying is part of growing up Dear Sir: The recent article on the school bully was interesting. Reminds me of my school days. Both my wife and I agree that bullying has always existed and always will, so, unless we are talking the rare case of actual physical harm, it is better recognized as part of the growing up process. What I find alarming is the drive towards a totally benign school system. Any change carries with it a shadow zone, YING/YANG describes this adequately, that can come back to haunt those driving for a gracious and gentle school system. One can imagine a child educated in this manner suffering all kinds of emotional trauma when entering the ‘real‘ world. I. L. Davies Dear Sir: recent Elections Canada report. SPEAK YOUR MIND Got a gripe? Give us a call. Readers are invited to express their opinion on a topic of their choice by calling 845â€"5585, box 5250. All callers are allowed 45 seeâ€" onds to express their opinion and must provide their name, address and phone number for verification. A cross section of the responses will be published in next Wednesday‘s Oakville Beaver. ie seat! to only $28,846 per seat. e than a Those who claim that "money buys elecâ€" tions" will have a hard time explaining the most The report, which reveals how much the varâ€" ious political parties spent in last year‘s federal election, showed that the election‘s biggest losers were also the election‘s biggest spenders. The PCs spent $10â€"million and won only two seats â€" which works out to $5â€"million per On the other hand, Reformers won 52 seats after spending $1.5â€"million â€" which works out It seems fairly obvious that money does not THE OAKVILLE BEAVER _ THE OAKVILLE BEAVER 467 Speers Road, Oakville, Ont. L6K 354 845â€"3824 Fax: 845â€"3085 Classified Advertising: 845â€"2809 Circulation: 845â€"9742 or 845â€"9743 Advertising is accepted on the condition that, in the event of a raphical error, that portion of the advertisi space occupied by the erroneous item, ther with a reasonable allowance for i ture, will not be charged for, but the bal the i will be pa the applicable rate. The publisher reserves the right to calegodmm reject advertising. In the event of typogrlzhul eror, ldvefl%ng goods or servi y ol ' i on ooo o Oe c ty wil bo ce P The Oakville Beaver welcomes your comments. All letters must be signed and include the writer‘s address and phone number.. Letters should be typed, doubleâ€"spaced and addressed to: Letters to the Editor, The Oakville Beaver, 467 Speers Rd., Oakville, Ont. L6K 354 Sedbump before with several of them having faced this matter for years and years. The problem does not appear to be lack of information being supplied by town staff â€" it seems to me to be one of lack of leadership and of a desire to come to some consensus before councillors come to a meetâ€" ing. The Mayor and two of the counâ€" cillors declared a conflict of interest, without explaining the reasons, which results in the disfranchiseâ€" ment of all condo owners for whom they are their representatives on the council. If they were in conflict of interest because they are condominiâ€" um owners, then so are all the counâ€" cillors who do not own condominiâ€" ums â€" these people could be supportâ€" ing actions which would not reflect on their relationship with the town in matter of taxes for garbage removal, but would only be detriâ€" mental to condo owners. People who live in condominiâ€" ums do not create speed bumps â€" this is the work of councillors who do not understand the meaning of logic, fair play and good manageâ€" ment. % S. Esson Bruce. Election results demonstrate candidates cannot successfully buy election votes buy elections. not needed. It‘s time that the politicians learned to trust the people. Ian Oliver Publisher Robert Glasbey Advertising Director Norman Alexander Editor Geoff Hill Circulation Director Teri Casas Office Manager Tim Coles Production Manager Canadian voters are smart enough to base their voting decisions on what is said by whom, not how much money a candidate or party may spend spreading that message. That‘s why laws which restrict what politiâ€" cal parties or independent citizens spend to spread their messages not only violate the freeâ€" doms of speech and association, they‘re simply The National Citizens‘ Coalition May 11, The Oakville Beaver, published every Sunday, Wednesday and Fridaiyé at 467 S Oakville, is one of the Metroland Printing, Publishing Distributing Ltd. group of subi newspapers which includes: Ajaxâ€"Pickering News Advertiser, Barrie Advance, Bram Guardian, Burington Post, Colingwood ‘Connection, Etobicoke Guardian, Georget Independent/ Acton Free Press, Kingston This Week, Lindsay This Week, Mark| Economist and Sun, Stouftil Tribune, Miton Canadian Champion, Mississd News, Newmarketâ€"Aurora Eraâ€"Banner, North York Mirror, Oakville Beaver, Orillia To Oshawa/Whithy This Week, Peterborough This Week, Richmond: Hil/ThomhilWWaud Liberal, Scarborough Mirror. All material published in the Oakville Beaver is protected by copyright. Any reproductiq whole or in part of this material is strictly forbidden without the consent of the publisher. teesallhewrongprice,goodsorservieesmaynotbssou.Adveanglswetymoflanosdandmybemhdmwnnmy LETTER OF THE DAY _ Rwanda inaction discredits peacekeeping role Dear Sir: In his searing editorial cartoon of May 4th, Steve Nease justifiably condemns the United Nations for its abysmal failure to halt the slaughter in Rwanda. Since the assassination of Rwanda‘s Hutu president on April 6th, as many as 500,000 .people have been slain, mostly from the minority Tutsis ethnic group. Pleadings for U.N. involvement from onâ€"site organizaâ€" tions such as Oxfam and the Red Cross have fallen on deaf ears. By brutally killing children, the elderly, the sick and injured, and Red Cross workers, Hutuâ€"led government troops and militia are in direct violation of both internaâ€" tional law and the Geneva conventions. Rwanda is a charnel house comparable to Cambodia under the Khmer Rouge, Germany under Hitler, and the former Soviet Union under Stalin. Surely such conditions demand U.N. intervention! While Article 2 of the U.N. Charter prevents involveâ€" ment ‘in matters within the domestic jurisdiction of any state‘, conditions in Rwanda are so adverse as to invoke an infinitely higher principle; namely, the amelioration of human suffering. By its shameful inaction, the U.N. has totally and comâ€" pletely discredited itself as an agent of world peace. It would appear that the international sale of arms by member nations, including Canada, supersedes any real desire to protect and preserve life. Indeed, the human race has a long, long way to go. Peter D. Pellier ECOLINE Caring for Our Land Planting by the moon It may sound like a loony idea, but some gardeners swear by it. A Full moon May 25 ® Plant vegetables that grow aboveâ€" ground on the new and waxing moon. ® Plant root crops (carrots, beets, _0 onions) after the full moon _ e_2 when the moon is waning. ® Transplant on the waning moon â€" that means it‘s best to wait until May 28 weekend to put those storeâ€" bought seedlings in the ground Some say it‘s due to the moon‘s gravitational pull; others claim it‘s the extra light of the full moon. allonal GRAPHICS SYNDICATE 1575 ss l ©1994 ArtPre: David Somerville President Source: The Postage Stamp Garden Book