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------ Orono Weekly Times, Wednesday, May 22,1996 -3 av i ekl :> One day soon I will wake up on a Saturday morning and be greeted by the warmth and sunshine expected after the arrival of May. On that day I will have an impromptu yard sale. Perhaps I shouldn't use the word impromptu. For weeks now I have had boxes of yard sale items stored in our spare bedroom just waiting for the right moment to entcr the yard sale/garage sale flurry that takes place every spring. Some people are addicted to yard sales. Everytime they see one they stop to check out the junk and treasures being offered. Always looking for a bar- gain! My friend Mary is a yard sale addict. She finds it near impossible to drive past a yard sale without stopping just for a minute'. Some of those just a minute' stops have turned into a shop till you drop event. Often Mary returns home withi useless items. But hey, she did get them at bar- gain prices. A couple years ago Mary was all decked out in her bridai outfit and on the way to her brother's church wedding when she came upon a gigan- tic yard sale. With a car full of wedding guests Mary decided to stop for a quick shop. If Mary scores a unique item for next to nothing she remembers the address so she can return again if they have another yard sale next Staying In Touch John O'Toole, MPP Durham East This past week, I met with Scugog Council to discuss issues around the proposed charity casino at the Scugog First Nations Reserve. The main discussion was around planning issues. For instance, to what standards will the facility be built and who will inspect and approve the structural and other engi- neering aspects. Safety and the environment were also discussed with respect to traf- fic on Island Road, police and fire protection and the impact on ground water supply for other residents living on Scugog Island. I have written year. Mary's hubby Ralph is a yard sale hypocrite. Most of the time Ralph travels around with Mary to the endless number of garage sales. He tells everyone he goes to keep Mary from spending all their money. In actuality he is addicted to the bartering and scav- enger techniques that develop from constant exposure to these spring outdoor sales. Many times I have heard him brag about a fishing rod or leather jacket he got for terrific prices. And two sec- onds later Ralph will be com- plaining about a blouse or ornament Mary 'vasted' twen- ty-five cents on. Mary gets so angry she tries to sneak out without Ralph in tow to chaperone her spending blitz. Many wonderful items can be found in what your neigh- bour no longer has any use for. Even gift items that are new can be found. Some families are con- stantly having yard sales. Some families do so at differ- ent stages ini their lives. When the babies no longer need baby items. When the chil- dren grow up and leave home. When the grown up children are broke and return home with all theirjunk. Yard sales tell a story. They reveal much about a person. See you at my yard sale ... when it warms up. One day soon! to the appropriate ministers and will communicate their comments to council. The charity casino license was granted by the previous gov- ernment. There appears to be a lack of communication between all four levels of gov- ernment. First Nations and reserves come under the fed- eral government, who really have the on-site responsibili- ty for environmental and other matters. The First Nation has its own gover- nance and responsibilities. The province is involved with respect to the charity casino licenseas well as some aspects of transportation funding. The reion and the municipality ôf Scugog is responsible for most Of the off-site planniig matters. I have also spokln with Chief Gary Edgar and lie assures me that all on-site issues are being dealt with by their con- sultant engineef. As I arn new to this issue, I senise a serious lack of commujnication all around. I will attempt to ensure that conmunication is improved. I suggest we work together and think as one community. This past week, I also met with most of the doctors in Port Perry and Bowmanville. The Minister of Health, the Hon. Jim Wilson, has released the proposed physi- cians' services action plan. The physicians will have to endure the cap on earnings of $3.8 billion. In fact, the proposal attempts to claw back the over-payments of $380 million froin 1995/6, as well as reduce the anticipated over-budget OHIP billing of some $500 million for 1996/7. What this means is, doctors will get a pay reduc- tion of some 10% additional according to their billing prac- tices. To the patients, this might mean doctors will be working for very little pay by the end of their budget year or have to take time off, or reduce some of the services like obstetrics or emergency room coverage. It is my understanding, that doctors in rural areas do not practice medicine like a doctor in large urban centres where they see patients in their office from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. I know there are more doctors per popula- tion in large cities, compared to smaller rural and northern areas. Patient demand is increasing due to an aging population, improved diag- nostic and treatment tech- niques and a higher patient expectation. We are all guilty of over-using our health care system. Ontario spends $418.00 per capita, which is 18.4% higher than the national average. Our health care budget of $17.7 billion is almost 25% of the total budget for Ontario. We must each recognize that nothing is free, even our healtli care system. This past week, I met with more students, teachers, par- ents and trustees to discuss education. I am impressed with the vast majority of hard working students, teachers and parents. Often the dedi- cated individual is not part of the big demonstration mes- sage. Sitting down with a few people away from the Queen's Park and teacher unions and trustee boardrooms, you can see that everyone realizes there is a deficit and debt problem. Everyone is willing to contributed their fair share. However, as you go back to the boardrooms, the sincerity gets lost in the rhetoric. I thank those stu- dents, teachers, parents and taxpayers who have given me their time and opinions. I will convey your ideas and repre- sent you fairly. I will share a couple of items that impressed me this past week. Firstly, I read in 'The Courtice Bowmanville NEWS' about Sheila Stoneburg, a student at Bowmanville High School. It sounds like Sheila has worked hard for four years and will graduate this spring. She has had to make choices and was offered employment but chose to finish her edu cation first. Effort deserves reward and it is just this kind of individual spirit that must be recognized and rewarded. Secondly another student Margaret Kedziora, wrote her story in the Cobourg Star about her undaunted effort to be heard by her school board. She eventually met and pre- sented her case to the Minister of Education. Margaret is trying to find a way to build a new school in her area. Again, there is much energy and individual determination out there to make this a better place. None of us have all the answers. I am regularly impressed by the ideas other people have to help solve problems. The Agriculture communi- ty will benefit from an Ontario Youth Program called SEWAP. The Summer Experience Wage Assistance Program will supplement stu- dent wages up to $3.00 per hour ($840.00 maximum) over a seven week job. I will have the applications next week. Our highways are in terri- ble shape; I know because I drive to Toronto every day. I was pleased by our budget commitnent of some $490 million for highways in south- ern Ontario and $138 million for northern highways. This is $140 million more than the government spent last year. This investment will help the economy and improve safety, along with helping to make Ontario an attractive place for tourism once again. Minister Palladini has promised to fix the pot holes himself. This week, May 2 1st to the 24th, I will be in the con- stituency as the Legislature is not sitting. Thanks to my support team, they have me well scheduled. On Wednesday, May 22nd, at 7:30 p.m., I am scheduled to have a Town Hall meeting in Bowmanville to discuss the budget and any other issue you wish to bring to my atten tion. Also, I will be speaking to the Rotary Club of Bowmanville on Thursday the 23rd. The following quote is worth some thought. "We trained hard. .but it seemed that every time we were beginning to form up into teams, we would be reorga- nized. I was to learn later in life that we tend to meet any new situation by reorganiz- ing....and a wonderful method it can be for creating the illusion of progress....while producing confusion, ineffi- ciency and demoralization", Petronius, 210 B.C. It would appear that the more we change, the more it is just the same old thing. Is it the pur- suit of excellence that keeps us demanding change or is it the sin of mankind, such that he is never satisfied? Another old saying is, time never stands still or time waits for no one. I tend to think that you are either moving forward or going backward. Look to the future and learn from the past. Need a Place for Yonr tåisis and Ideas? SCRATCH PADS & 50e¢ea. or 3 for $1 What a deal! SHOP AROUND, GET YOUR BEST PRICE THEN CALL US FOR YOUR BETTER PRICE We give you the maximum $$$ for your Trade-in. 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