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2 Orono.Weekly Tinies, Wtdnesday, October 211 * 1998 Remember the Clarington Board of Trade? The fact that Clarington is la-rgely a bedroom community was confirmed in a recently completed 'Transportation Tomorrow Survey'. The survey reported some interesting'sta- tistics that are an indication of an unhealthy trend for Clarington. The survey indicated that ini 1996, daily work trips to Toronto stood at 3,520. This is compared to only 900,,such trips made in 1986. There was also a substantial increase in work trips to Whitby, Ajax and Pickering. In that saine time period, there was only a 3%, increase in work trips destined to Clarington. Clarington hias become one of the fastest growing areas in ail of Canada, but that growth is not a resuit of the jobs offered here. Councillor Schell said at Monday's General Purpose and Administration Committee meeting, "that what the municipal- ity needed was some economic development to overcome the overwhelming numbers of people -leaving the community each day for work." The Clarington Board of Trade was set Up to handie economic development for the municipality. On January 21, 1998, over 125 business representatives from across the municipality gathered at the Garnet Rickard Complex and elected an interim Board of Directo rs for the 1 newly formed Clarington Board of Trade. At that time paid membership stood at 75. Five months later the membership was up to 130, and on June the 2nd, a Board of Directors was elected. Since that time I as a member have heard nothing from this board. A conversation with president Michael Patrick last week revealed not much was dopc over the summer since people were away. The one and only newsletter 1 received, (undat- ed) was issued before the June 2nd meeting. In that newslet- ter Jennifer Chaffey introduces herseif as the new -Membership Developmnent Co-ordinator. She describes hier- duties as starting up and organizing the new office, going out into the business community and explaining the Board of Trade, making presentations, writing monthly uipdates for local newspapers and creating a newsletter every four months. Total membership now stands at 1 80, of the 1, 100 businesses in Clarington. Franly, in disappointed in the way this board seems to be dragging its heels. If we are serious about fighting the bed- room community syndrome, economic, development has to be a priority. QRONO WEKLY TN'Es Subscriptions $2 1.50 + $1.50 G.S.T. - $23.0O!year. Publications Mail Registration No. 000368 Publishmng 50 Issues Annually at the Office of Publication 5310 Main Street, P.O. Box 209, Orono, Ontario LOB 1MO E-Mail Address: oronotimes@speedline.ca Phone/Fax (905) 983-5301 Publisher/ Edîtor Marg Zwart is genuinely ill gaing ta be able ta figure out which haspital they should go ta based on a report card?, 1By the same token a report card could illustrate, for exam- pIe, that high re-a dmission rates for asthma could mean a particular institution fails ta do a good job in that area. Or, it may tell health-care affordable, and ta my mind, what is necessary. Take for example the nurse 1 spake with last summer whô told me the mast common ail- ment treated at the emergency unit where she worked was insect bites. Politicians, and others as well, would like ta simplify this issue ta aone of money. There are thase who think there is inadequate care and citethe lack of funding. Then there are those wha are preoccupied with government finances who talk about cutbacks and hospital cia- sures. 1 argue the answer is not that simplistic and that we are let- ting aur politicians off much too lightly an the health-care issue. Canada is the fourth largest spender on healthcare in the western world. Yet healthcare remains ane of those add areas in g overrilment where there doesn't seem ta be a great deal of accountability ta the public. 1This is because af the medicare system's addity of paying health-care workers withaut any direct reference ta the satisfactian levels of patients. 1 believe in universal access, but at the samne t ime 1 believe we 'must develop a system where consumers af healthcare are mare involved assessing haw well the system, haspital or staff perform. Ultimately health-care work- ers should receive bonuses for excellence. Currently everyone is paid the. same whether you are good or incompetent. This just isn't right. 0f course once you get into analyzing the report c ard system yau begin ta realize evaluation is much mare complex than just assigning an A, B, or F grade for performance. Then there are questions of who is capable of reading these reports? And is someone who researchers a portion of that hospital's patients fail ta prop- erly apply recommended treat- ments afler release.' I noticed that representa- tives from Durharn's hospitals who attended the conference stated their support for the hos- pital report cards. Many of you may he won- (Continued on page 6) of institutbonalization of same of the very sanie psychiatrie patients. Psychiatric patients Who, in another time, would have received more service and support from Provincial Psychiatrie Haspitals are now belng released into the com- munity and at times, when needed, are not able ta accessj mental health beds. Then, discharged psychi- atrie patients in the cammu- nity commit a crime and enter the Ontario Legal System. The Legal system then makes the persan "not criminally responsible" (NOR). The NCR psychiatric patient then re-enters the Ontario Psychiatrie Hospital again in a mucl more costly, labour intensive way - not crimtaly respansible.. Not crlminally responsible patients are beglnntag, ta 1111 up the a]ready short supply of Ontario's Psychiatrie, beds and use scarce reso urces. This means the beds become blocked by NCR patients and other psychiatrie patients are denied access. Yours truly, Joan Gates, President OPSEU, Local 331 Whitby Mental Health Centre FROM,' PARLIAIMENI H IL L1 Alex Shepherd Should -hospitals and physi- cians be required ta prepare report cards on their successful - or lack of-administration and delivery of health-care services? Last Saturday 1 attended a conference with health-carje providers and doctors dis- cussing these issues at the University of Toronto. While Canada's health-care system remains one of the best in the world. the public is voic- ing concerns regarding access ta, and, the adequacy of, health- care., It is important ta decipher between wants and needs. A portion of soc iety want a system which well exceeds what is October 20, 1998 Your editorial last week - 'What if a homeless persan showed up at the animal shelter?," hit the mark. This home for the canines and félines seems a littie on the pricey-posh side at a cost of $350,000., The annual tax bill would be at least-$5,500.00 when you add in garbage costs and the provincial downloading. And according ta some of the sale slgns for new homes in this municipality one could buy two brand new anes with the $350,000. You made a good point in bringtag up the concemn for homeless in numbers that continue ta grow in this province and country and ta ask 'where did it ail get so twisted'. Carol Gore of the Toronto Star in a recent article fingered "greed" for our present plight. Roy Forrester October 8, 1998 Deinstitutîonalîza tian of Ontario psychiatrlc'patients is producing a different klnd-