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OAKVILLE BEAVER Thursday, November 5, 2009 · 6 The Oakville Beaver 467 Speers Rd., Oakville Ont. L6K 3S4 (905) 845-3824 Fax: 337-5571 Classified Advertising: 905-632-4440 Circulation: 845-9742 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. Editorial and advertising content of the Oakville Beaver is protected by copyright. Unauthorized use is prohibited. Commentary Letter to the Editor NEIL OLIVER Vice-President and Group Publisher, Metroland West 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 WEBSITE oakvillebeaver.com We need `wise' taxes to fight climate change We need wise taxes to fight climate change. How can we reconcile these recessionary times, when governments are strapped for cash and forced into deficits, with the urgent need to fight climate change and protect our health? My answer is: by introducing more `sin' taxes, such as those we already have on tobacco and alcohol. It is critical for the health of our planet, and our life as well, that the pollution we are initiating as consumers through our bad habits, or producing as manufacturers, be taxed substantially. I suggest all levels of government should introduce a wise monetary mechanism to encourage the `green' goods and services, and to discourage those that are detrimental to our health and the environment. In other words, we should have higher taxes on products and activities that pollute, and lower, or no taxes, on those that reduce pollution. Such a wise taxation system should no longer be perceived as a "government grab"; on the contrary, it would be appreciated as a necessary source of revenue for maintaining, or even intensifying, green policies, without escalating deficits or jeopardizing economic recovery. The proposed Harmonized Sales Tax is such an opportunity. By greening it, the finance ministers could prove our governments are serious about implementing the green policies. People should be able to save money by buying and acting green. I could not think of a more practical and effective way of fighting climate change, of improving the environment and of stimulating the economy as well. There is growing concern and protest against the proposed Harmonized Sales Tax, due to the addition of a series of goods and services, which haven't been taxed under the present sales tax. I believe a Wise Harmonized Sales Tax, which would make polluters pay, and at the same time would reward environmentally-responsible citizens, would be supported by the majority of voters. It would be irresponsible not to maintain climate change as a priority. It would be a shame to lose Ontario's recently-acquired leadership in this area. Despite the deficit, which could be kept under control with Wise Taxes, and following the example of our neighbour to the south, we should intensify investment in green energy and a green economy. This investment will bring great long-term dividends, not only economic, in new jobs and tax revenues, but also in better health and cleaner environment, resulting in lower long-term health care costs. NICHOLAS VARIAS RECOGNIZED FOR EXCELLENCE BY: Ontario Community Newspapers Association Canadian Community Newspapers Association Suburban Newspapers of America THE OAKVILLE BEAVER IS PROUD OFFICIAL MEDIA SPONSOR FOR: United Way of Oakville TV AUCTION RIZIERO VERTOLLI / OAKVILLE BEAVER ALL ABOUT SMILES: From left, Rick Hanson, Tim Hortons store owner and grandfather of Taylor Hanson, centre, and Anissa Hilborn, ErinoakKids Foundation president, are all smiles after Oakville Tim Hortons stores raised $16,600 for kids with disabilities. It was accomplished through the sale of Smile cookies at participating locations for one week in late September. Proceeds support ErinoakKids Centre for Treatment and Development, which cares for children with disabilities in both Halton and Peel. Must-see TV: Desperate Hypochondriacs of Hysteria Road ccording to the Mayan calendar, the world will end on Dec. 21, 2012. According to the media around here, the world is effectively ending, well, right about now in the grip of swine flu. Now, I'm not saying the H1N1 blanket-coverage is altogether inaccurate (although it is certainly altogether obsessive), but I do think that of late it has tended toward jumping the shark -- or, worse, tended toward CNN-ishness. Like misery, hysteria loves company. And, like H1N1 itself, hysteria is highly contagious. Just for a point of contrast: as I watched stories of the virulent virus being splashed all over television and radio newscasts and the front pages of our newspapers, I perused the opening page of The New York Times website for five straight days and found one lonely H1N1 reference, a photograph of school kids giving up an arm to the vaccine. A far cry from our All-Virus, All-The-Time coverage. So, is New York simply not under siege like we apparently are? Actually, New York has had more school closings, cases and deaths than we have. Don't get me wrong. I'm not suggesting the concern over swine flu is unfounded; swine flu has the potential to be a A mutating menace to society. Also, the two members of our extended family who have been knocked off their feet by the bug will attest that it is mean, nasty and relentless. Still, current evidence suggests that thus far this flu strain is actually less lethal than the usual strains. That's right, less. So, imagine my surprise when I Andy Juniper surfed over to the website of a Toronto newspaper on the weekend and found that the main story was of one person dying of H1N1. I hate to hear of anyone dying anywhere of anything. But as I read the story, I couldn't help but wonder how many people died in the same time period from cancer, auto accidents, lightning strikes or even the normal flu? Perspective, please, perspective. You see, as a hypochondriac, this hysteria hits home. And it hits hard. If not for the daily demands of life, I'm sure I would have spent the past month hiding under my bed, quivering in the fetal position, hugging my super-sized bottle of hand sanitizer. But since life (thankfully) forces me to move forward, I spend my spare time seeking that ever-elusive perspective. Oh, and getting mad at the government: in particular, the Minister of Math who went from telling us that we had a surplus of vaccine that we were going to ship to far-off, less-fortunate countries, to telling us, oops, clinics are closed. Not enough vaccine. It's enough to make a hypochondriac holler. It's enough to make me go mad. But, you know, my parents taught me to always try and make positives out of negatives, to try and learn something from every situation whether that situation is good, bad, or ugly (and swine flu definitely falls into the latter category). So, what have I learned from the onslaught of H1N1? I've learned how to effectively cough into my elbow. I've learned how to knock fists (a la Obama) in social settings. I've learned how to properly wash my hands ­ yeah, that's me singing the full alphabet as I lather up. And I've learned to not believe everything I hear or read. Like H1N1, hysteria is highly contagious. Also, sadly, it sells. Andy Juniper can be visited at his website, www.strangledeggs.com, or contacted at ajjuniper@gmail.com.