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________________________________________________ Oroeio W.e1d~TIm.s, Wdnemday, AprU Z~ 1995 - 3 Last weok, during somo discussion over my birthday, I was told my hair appeared ta be much whiter! I roally don't wonder at that given some things I have to bear. As an exarnple,I1 think most people have gotten ta know that cvery letter sent ta me receives a personal reply within a week. I have neyer professed ta be "perfect" -and certainly not in the written use of English, I bave focused on quick replies ta letters coupled with a high degree of honesty, and the odd look at The New Webster's Handbook of Practical Information for help about writing correctness along the way. Last week, a teacher, still smarting over the Social Contract, returned a lotter I had sent out, marked Up with the grammar faults teacher - ta pupil fashion! I ask you? Isn't there any realization that toachers, like ail other people who are paid by taxpayers, have an agreement with the govemment ta contribute ta the Social Contract like other public servants? The people I speak with in the private sector seem ta understand the need for the Social Contract, very weil. I suspect the foderal civil servants would 'have been pioased ta have had the opportunity to take part in job negotiations and participation mn a programn whereby thoy got ta keep their jobs. While on the samne subject, you may have noticed some reduction in services provided by doctors over the last few weeks. Doctors, like ail other people who are paid by the taxpayers, have an agreement to contribute to the Social Contract. By the end of thc fiscal year (March 3 1) doctars wiil owe the govemment $ 120- million. To meot this obligation, some doctors are now trying to reduce their billings if one month. To do this, many doctars are unfairly punishing their patienta by closing their office i March. The problem is the inadequate method choson to achieve their targets by their bargaining agent, the Ontario Medical Association. Last Apil thc Ministry of Health warned thie OMA that their mcthod would not work. Our concerns werc raised throughout the year with the OMA. Some people seem to think that doctars should not bo part of thc Social Contract. The OMA placed full page advertisements ini thc Toronto media protesting thc Social Contract, while asking people to restnict vis its to their doctors during March. It would bc grossly unfair to exempt anyone paid by taxpayers, from making a contribution to the Social Contract. In 1991, Ontario doctors carnod an average net professionai. income of $135,000 -- that's $20,000 above doctor's national average, and double their 1980 average., Physicians have Uice right ta, take trne oft. They do have an obligation to notify their, patients and ensure appropniate backup services are available. 1Recently, the provincial Liberals and somne media commentators dlaim that our govemmient is engaging i a pré- election advertising blitz. Officiai sponding figures show Uiat in 1990,'Uic Liberals spent $35.9 million on advertising. In 1994-95 we spont $23.8 million. We have cut spending on advertising in Uic past four years Happy Sweet l6th Birthday Stephanie by almost 10 per Cent each year, while the Liberais hiked their spending by 10.5 per cent each year. 1The Conservatives in the United States push forward relentlessly with their creation of a society of haves and have nots. It appears fashionable these days to try to create a mean socicty. We have seen it take hold in Alberta, and somne people would wish the trend to follow here in Ontario. But there is price to pay for this. Not having enough money for the basic necessities of life, food, clothing and shelter is bad enough. But to make the matters worse, poverty stigmatizes its victims, which i turn undermines their hope and self-esteem. You may not think about it that way, but despair is a health threat, too. Many of the more fortunate Ontarians contnibute to this problim by blaming the poor for their poverty. Such is the stuff created by other politicai parties, who are caliing for mothers of young chiidren to bc obiiged te work for the money they receive fromn the social assistance net. It doesnt seem to matter to them if the work makes sense, just as long as they work, as some form of restitution for being poor. Cancer is the scourge of our Urnes, but if you look at what causes disease poverty is at the top. If we could eliminate the glaring disparities between rich and poor we would increase overall life expcctancy more than the prevention of all cancer deaths. The health model usually ranks diseases as the cause of death. But take a real look at what causes diseases. As we approach an Ontario election it is well to reflect upon die social havoc that would be caused using the Bay Street approach to the kind of Ontario that direction would create. Excuse me if I seem to bc ia quandary, but last week I read i the local media that the local provincial Liberal candidate said, "we need to maihtain health care - it is a right that should be available to everyone." How doos that fit with what was said by the Liberal Prime Minister, Jean Chretien. He told CBC Radio recently that medicare should 'hb cut back to cover oniy catastrophic ilinesses and major surgery and that federal involvement in national public health insurance was only intended to be temporary! Mr. Chretien is dead wrong on that. Former Liberal Prime Minister Lester Pearson echoed Justice Emmett Hall's 1964 Royal Commission, recommendations that our medicare should be al encompassing. In 1964, both the insurance industry and doctors groups, joined by the Ontario Conservatives - denounced Pearson's plan as a "political fraud." Ontario Tories wanted a U.S. style two-tier systemn of medical care. The kind you get thiat serves those who have money the best, while others get iess. In complete contrast to what the local Liberals are saying, The Caledon Institute, a respected Ottawa think tank, put the issue baldly. The Martin budget, it said, wili "speil the end of Clarke Museum publication (Contionued fromn page 1) projects, like the two local museums (Bowmanville and Clarke) are among the first to go. The staff at the Museum has had to be dut from three members to two in the last five years. .For those of you who have neyer been to the Museum before, it is weil worth a visit. Take an afternoon on the weekend to go rhetoric on health care. Next year federal transfers wil take the form of block funding for health care. Block funding weakens the federal commitmnent to medicare. It carnies no assurance that federalfunding will respond to thehealth needs of a growing population. Nor will the federal government be obliged to share the burdens if social assistance caseloads risc. Until next week - take care.' THE CATERIG CONNECTION SOCIAL CATERERS TOur Specality Famly Style Roast Beef Dinner Weddings- Anniversaries - Business Functions Hockey - Basebal * Bowling Banquets HOT - COLD - BUFFETS FRED, PATRICIA, RODNEY STORSBERGEN Box 416, Orono, Ont. LOB 1MO 983-9679 11N STORY SCOTT STORY SERVICES 905-983-5491 L AN D SC A PIN G INSTALLATION - GROUNDS MAINTENANCE WATER PONDS - PERENNIAL GARDENS* A»CONSULTIN G -DESIGN. THEN CALL US FOR YOUR BET E- e-I Weuetefl7/ ...Cei ogv oth The Regional Municipality of Durham W orks Department HOLIDAY CLOSURE 0F TRANSFER AND RECYCLING SITES The Oshawa, Cartwright and Scugog Transfer and Recycling Si tes wiII be closed Friday, April 14, 1995 and wiII resume regular operations on Saturday, April 15, 1995. V.A. SILGAILIS, P. ENG. COMMISSIONER 0F WORKS and sec the displays. The Museum is in the process of putting together two shows; Red Suspenders a display on fire- fighting from thc 1800s, and the Museum's own history over the past twenty-five years. t is located in the Old Kirby School in Kirby at Hwy. 35/115 and Regional Road. Those of you who would like to become a member of the Museum to heip ensure that its valuable projects continue, can caîl the curator, Mark Jackman, at the above number. For those of you who do not want ta support the Museum directly, but want to ensure that the -Museum still has the funds needed ta operate, call your local councillors and lot them know that you support the Museum and would like to sec it continue to grow and operate. Lets support this valuable resource; it is QfLL history, and if we won't ensure its survival, nobody cise will. Roses are red9l 'violets are blue Sugar is sweet, and so are you. Love Mom, Dad and Kevin