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Report from Queen's Park by DOUG MOFFATT M.P.P. This week I think we should deal with the problems of the Region of Durham with re- gard to increases in costs to local citizens. Over the past number of weeks we have received at the offices in Bowmanville, Oshawa, and Toronto a great number of complaints regarding regional government. All of these complaints seem to deal with increasing costs which resi- dents feel are a direct or an indirect result of regional government in our area. I am sure that every person is aware of the kinds of in- creases in water and sewer rates which have occurred as a result of the region, under the Region of Durham Act, being required to set up a regional works department and having a regional sewer and water system. There appears to be a great deal of difficulty in dealing with this particular question and no- body seems to be able to provide theq kind of answers we want. I note, with interest, that one groun of neovle are going to begin a series of protests about this in the Town of Whitby and are reported in the press contemplating not pay- ing their taxes. I note as well that other groups are planning information sessions and the Oshawa and District Labour Council bas placed a notice in the local press that on March 23, 7 p.m. at the UAW Hall on 44 Bond St.E. in Oshawa, that a meeting will be held to which regional representatives and the publie at large are invited to discuss this issue. It may well be that these meetings will see the beginning of some action to change the present situation so that people will have more control over the ways and the amounts of money spent by regional government. I must stress that at this point from rereading the Region of Durham Act the present members of council have merely been complying with the legislation as it was set down by the provincial government. To change the Region of Durham Act is not within the power of the regional councillors or the regional counci itself. It rests solely with the legislation and that is one of the areas where we will have to press further to make changes. To date we have had no luck in getting changes in regional govern- ment acts but we intend to continue with this because it appears that the whole system is coming to a halt because of high costs. High costs at this point is of particular concern especially to a lot of people who are on fixed incomes. Pensioners and others are writing letters regarding the price of hydro, especially in rural areas, the high cost of food which un most cases ias gone up drastically and the rise in municipal taxes and including the water and sewer rates. One minor point on this whic.h should be brought to regional council's attention is that when the sewer and water rates were separated from the tax bill this meant that the tax rebate program for senior citizens would not apply to the total amount of the tax bill. In some cases this meant a loss in taxable claim for seniors of $10.00 to $15.00. I am sure this was not the intention of the change in billing processes but that is what did happen. It appears to us that at some point down the line that regional government's re- quest of the Treasurer of Ontario to provide transitional grants in the area of seven million dollars should be looked at much more closely. The Treasurer, if you recall, responded that lie felt that something in the area of one to two million would be approp- riate and I would like to know just why regional council's requist was rejected out of hand 'and the Treasurer's amount substituted instead. It seems that what happens in such cases is that every time you have a shortfall in provincial funds the local taxpayers must make up the difference. Honor Former Trustee Maurice Prout, a Northum- berland-Newcastle school trustee from 1974-1976 and a former Bowmanville town councillor was honored last week in Cobourg for bis work as a trustee. Mr. Prout was one of five trustees presented with souvenirs of bis time on the Board of Education. He re- ceived a certificate and the name plate which marked his place at the board room table where members of the board usually meet. Other trustees on hand to receive their momentoes were D.R. Cook (Cobourg, Haldi- mand, Hamilton); H.N. Shep- pard (Alnwick, Campbellford, Hastings Percy, Seymour); H. Reisler (Hope, Port Hope); J.C. McKague (Brighton Township, Brighton Village, Colborne, Cramahe, Murray). Sewer and Water Bills 55 Darlington Blvd. S., Oshawa. March 26th, 1977 Dear Editor: I note in your pages a constant flow of articles and letters relating to the spirall- ing cost of sewer and water bills with little or no explana- tion that can be understood by the average person. May I, a taxpayer tell your readers the way I interpret the problem based on what I see, hear and read. To bring the Durham Re- gion into being 20 existing municipalities and townships were amalgamated into eight new municipalities that are the region today. Thus, there are eight town councils who each send representatives to the thirty member regional council. Some of these old adminis- trations contributed financial surpluses. Some, on the other hand brought to the region large financial deficits as well as worn out sewer disposal plants that frequently discharge raw sewage into Lake Ontario, water supplies that limp along and roads barely fit for cars to travel. Some of these municipal- ities had for years been running on a shoestring. When the idea of regionalization was introduced, several years before it actually came to be, in January 1974, many of the elected people of those town- ships deliberately neglected to authorized necessary main- tenance and improvements. This for the simple reason that they could keep the taxes down and therefore them- selves in office with the comforting thought that Big Daddy the Region would take care of everything in due course. Thus regional government not only inherited a large financial responsibility fron these old jurisdictions, but also many of the same old councillors to run this new multi million dollar corpora- tion. This all coincided, with the Arabs having the bright idea to hold the world to ransom over the price of oil and thus overnight inflation became rampant. The new regional council set to work to put to rights some of the huge problems they had inherited. For example, a new well for the village of New- castle ($185,000) was con- structed wbich is~ already out of date and a new water supply from the lake has been ordered at an estimated cost of two million plus. Many other water and sewer pipes have been constructed. Another example is Oshawa's Kawartha Street. This had a 'back up' sewer problem. All of these items and many many more must be financed- by you. To further complicate the financial matters the Regional government was committed to produce an 'Official Plan.' In spite of the black cloudš of inflation gathering on the horizon, encouraged by an interest free loan of 39 million from the province the council stumbled blindly on. The plan called for population targets. Whitby, Oshawa, Courtice for example is set at 350,000 persons. An anticipated in- crease of some 200,000 people over twenty years. The engineers were then directed. by vour elected representatives to design plants for 500,000 people. Just in case their first figure was too low. The regional engin- eers did a great job helped by many other professionals who flocked to Durham to feed from the regional tax pocket. In the meantime, two and a half years had gone by and most of the sewer and water users had only been charged an estimated amount for water and sewer use. The day of reckoning has dawned. The tax man bas caught up with you. Now you have a bill that not only reflects the amount of water used in the days specified, but possibly includes the differ- ence between the estimated and actual amount used over I CON Enroute with Warren Lowes The road from Damascus to Bagdad is not exactly one you would select for a Sunday outing, but the Comex Motor- cade bas just come through. Across the great Syrian Desert is a journey through 600 miles of desolation. At times it resembles the Paliser Triangle of the Canadian prairies without its topsoil and at others one is reminded of the surface of the moon. On the desert,-one expects to find sand, but this is a giant wasteland of lifeless-looking vegetation (mostly stork's-bill and catchley) scattered with sunbleached, eroded stones. Here and there is a sign of grass and low shrubs and it is in these places that nomad tribesmen pature their sheep. Ocasionally you will see herds of camel roaming at will. This great desert wasteland follows the entire western side of the Euphrates river until it merges with the Syro-Arabian desert of the Audis. Thus, it occupies a large slice of the country of Iraq. On the north and west, the Zagros Moun- tains separate Iraq from Iran, and at the south, the country comes to a funnel-shaped end, where the Tigris and Euph- rates flow together into a great marshland which is often dense with thicket, reeds and canebrake. The headwaters of botb famous rivers have their origin in the Taurus Moun- tains of Turkey (near Mount Ararat). Their courses separ- ate to some 250 miles apart; narrows to 20 miles at Bagdad, widens again, then come together finally at Al Quarna where they flow into the last two and a half years for which you had not budget- ed. It could also reflect a repayment on debts that should have been met years ago. An inflation factor. The beginnings, and only the beginnings of payments for the aspirations, rightly or wrongly, for the future of the Durham Region. It also re- flects an equalization factor. The factor that says all who live in Durham will be equal when the bills are distributed. This factor is anyway, the socialist (NDP) wish of the majority of the electorate so should be the only question not disputed! Or should it? Yours faithfully, Ann Cowman U EX8 I the Persian Gulf near the port city of Basra. It is the great alluvial plane between these rivers, kept fertile by the constant deposit of silt, that feeds the 8'/4 milion people of Iraq. It is this great plain, which supported 2,000 or more generations of Neander- thal man, who are thought to have inhabited the region for 60,000 years. That is why it has become known as, "the Cradle of Civilization." That is why it was formerly known as Mes- opotamia-"Land between the Rivers." Over the centuries, this area bas survived the passing of the Sumerians, Persians, Greeds, Romans, Arabs, Ottomans, Turks and British Empires. It still survives, known since 1932 as independent Iraq. During these many years, Mesopotamia is credited as being the locale where the wheel first came into use; where the plow was invented; where a cuneiform pictograph writing first appeared and where in later years the decimal system was intro- duced along with the study of algebra. The 130 Canadians on this Commonwealth Expedition were not able to get to Al Quarna where the fabled Garden of Edenis supposed to have flourished in Biblical times, but, yesterday, two bushoads went to Babylon to look around. As predicted by the Prophet, Isaiah, the place is now in ruins. King Nebuch- adnezzar's famed Tower of Babel is nowhere to be seen but there is some evidence that the Hanging Gardens existed, as well as the great Banquet Hall where Nebuch- Letter to the Editor Section Two The Canadian Statesman, Bowmanville, March 30, 1977 3 adnezzar saw the handwriting with the resuits Many dTlées Iraq and the hour was so late, on the wall. and levees are being pushed we decided to pitch camp But how is the "Cradle of up to trap water and form alongside huge piles of crated Civilization" faring in this growing paddies. Four dams oranges, just inside the border modern age of mechanization have been built in Iraq and one of Persia. It has been an and flights to the moon? mammoth dam on the Eu- interesting week. The oranges Fortunately, the population pherates in turkey. An at- were from Jordan. of Iraq remains reasonably tempt is being made to bring stable at 812 millions. Nearly a many acres of hitherto waste- quarter of this population lives land back into civilization. DEEE SL in and around Bagdad, strad- Will this succeed? Is it too SIDES - BEEF 69c lb. dling the Tigris River. Intern- late? Some are optimistic; ally, the city is a blend of new others point to the travails of FRONT QUARTERS and old. Great blocks of Egypt and her problems with 59c 1b. ultr-modern brick apartments the Aswan project. Only the HIND QUARTERS and office buildings are rising future bas the answers. Look 99C lb. among the clutter. Trade is ing at it either way, there are brisk in the market place lessons for.Canada to learn. DIAMOND "A" BACON where the modern Sinbad And so we leave Iraq-the 16 lb. Rox must still struggle to fight off country of enigmas. $11.99 the commercial advances of While in Bagdad, we noticed 24 lb. forty or more over-zealous the presence of very few BOX of WEINERS hucksters. And this is all tourists, most of them famous $12.99 stimulated by the latest boost countries of the far Left. Many in oi revenues. wondered how we were even DE KO K ER'S The oilfields are mostly in permitted to enter at all? Iraq the north, near Mosul. New fairly bristles with its military M EATS fields, however, are being presence and our Convoy was Corner of Taunton Rd. brought into production police escorted through much and Hwy. 115 further south as the result of of the crossing. It took four Orono 983-5445 agreements (1967) with hours to clear customs leaving Russia and France. I am informed that one-half of all oil revenue goes to the Tw oeg o e si§ government and that 70 per w more good reasons cent of this, in turn, is invested in long term projects f or otdrinkdng: to help absorb the shock when the oi dries up.1 And that is the sixty-four dollar question. How can this C e Arab Nation plan so that the "Cradle of Civilization" can Our experience shows that ab- continue to nurture its young? stainers have fewercaraccidents If they must someday turn fewer home fires. So we car Osborne & Shank back agriculture, what is afford to insure for Iess. Insurance Agency M. being done to preserve the -If youre a non-drinker, can you land base of Mesopotamia? affordnotto look intoAbstainers First, and to the great credit of the Iraquis, we must take inura rh note of the great and flourish- ing date industry. On either side of both Tigris and Euphartes, from north of Bagdad to the Port of Basra, are mile after mile of date palms-35 million or more of NOTICE them, and interspersed with orange trees. Iraq produced The Voyageur colonial Limited over 80 per cent of the world's supply of dates. aepesdtanuc I other sections, fields of cotton, barley, wheat, lentils, rice and sesame add to the food supply. But still, all is not well. The big problem along the rivers is flooding. On the back verges to the 43 King St. E water systems, years of over- as the new Bowmaviïle Agency grazing from sheep and goat herds has produced great landscapes of impoverished soil, while the marshlands in the delta, which formerly Tickets and Parcel Express occupied 35,000 square miles have now been reduced to about 6,000 square miles. 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