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www.oakvillebeaver.com · OAKVILLE BEAVER Friday, July 30, 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 Tough is good It's been a rarity recently, but it appears the McGuinty government might have got one right this week -- well, mostly right. As of this Sunday, young drivers in Ontario will be subject to some of the toughest age restrictions on drinking and driving in the country. Under the new rules, drivers aged 21 and younger cannot consume any alcohol before getting behind the wheel. Under the legislation, drivers 21 and under found to have alcohol in their systems will face an immediate 24-hour licence suspension at roadside, a fine of up to $500 and a 30-day licence suspension. Certainly this is an improvement to current legislation, but we feel the government could easily have made the fines more severe ($2,000?) and imposed longer licence suspensions (90 days?). New drivers of all ages will also be subject to zero tolerance as they work to earn their G2 licence, which can take up to two years. While some will say the changes to the law unfairly targets young drivers, statistics show people aged 19 to 21 are nearly 1.5 times more likely than older drivers to be involved in fatal crashes and suffer injuries as a result of drinking and driving. That's not ageism; it's fact. Ontario is the fourth province to implement zero-tolerance legislation for young and new drivers. The changes also include steps to alter the behaviour of first-time drunk-driving offenders who, research shows, often continue to drive with a suspended licence. Under the new law, first-time offenders will be eligible for a reduced suspension if they agree to have an ignition interlock installed in their vehicle -- a breathalyzer attached to the vehicle's dashboard that prevents the person from driving unless they blow under a set limit. Offenders must pay for the lock themselves. Tougher laws to be sure, but necessary. 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 Serving the public I agree with Oakville MPP Kevin Flynn that the GTA does owe a debt of gratitude to the men and women who put themselves in harm's way to maintain the peace during the G20 debacle. Unfortunately, the rest of his letter degenerates into a partisan, petulant, ad hominem rant about Prime Minister Stephen Harper and the federal government which, quite frankly, detracts from his plaudits for emergency services and renders his letter rather juvenile. While it is understandable Mr. Flynn must tow the party line and take every opportunity to score political points, please spare us the rhetoric. He does a disservice to himself by trying to correlate a very precarious recovery, in part, to his party's taxation policies as well as characterizing the federal spending on the G20 as "squandered tax dollars" (which I am in agreement) without looking in his own backyard. From this writer's perspective, his sanctimonious inferences that the McGuinty government somehow has our back are disingenuous given the well documented litany of provincial boondoggles such as e-health, ecofee, OLG, sex-ed curriculum, health premiums, spiraling deficits etc., etc. Our Premier, over the past seven years has elevated prevarication to an art form. I am in no way absolving our Prime Minister and his cronies for their behaviour, which at times is less than exemplary. I'm indicting all elected government officials of all political stripes who are party to the new gotcha politics. This detracts from the very reason one seeks to be elected, "To Serve the Public." All we ask from our elected politicians is representation with honesty and integrity as well as a rational and thoughtful voice in government. Do not insult our intelligence with political posturing and inane diatribes, which in the end are pointless, counterproductive and very transparent. We deserve better. GEREMIA DESTEFANIS, OAKVILLE 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. Asking the Premier `Why?' Dear Mr. Premier: · Why do we need an Eco Tax when the HST should generate enough revenue to assist with the disposal of these containers by the municipalities? · Why establish yet another arm's length agency that is not directly accountable and which will generate future expense horror stories? · Why have another tax collector when the HST was to eliminate duplication? · Why keep the public in the dark and then spend money on spin doctors? · Why not admit it was a mistake, be courageous, eliminate it and move on? · Why do you want to die a political death by a thousand small cuts? Why I ask? JOHN BURKUS, OAKVILLE Pud BY STEVE NEASE neasecartoons@gmail.com