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■ i 2 The Canadian Statesman, Bowmanville, Wednesday, April 21,1993 Section Two Former Publishers Rev. W. R. Climie, 1854-1878 • M.A. James, 1878-1935 • George W. James, 1935-1957 Produced weekly by James Publishing Company Limited For 139 Years, Our First Concern Has Been Our Community Publisher - John M. James Assoc. Publisher - Richard A. James 1 Plant Manager - Donald J. Bishop Ad. Manager - Brian G. Purdy Editor - Peter Parrott ■! Production v | Rick Patterson, Julie Cashin-Oster, Ross Fisher, Laurens Kaldeway, Doug Lugtenburg, Sharon McMulJeri,; ! y Barb Patterson, Ralph Rozema, Jim Snoek, Vance Sutherland, Jim Tuuramo >' CCN yy Advertising Laveme Morrison Editorial Brad Kelly, Lorraine Manfredo, Laura J. Richards ' Office Angela Luscher, Junia Hodge, Grace McGregor, Nancy Pleasance, Marilyn Rutherford P.O. Box 190,62 King St. W., Bowmanville, Ontario, L1C 3K9 416-623-3303 Fax 416-623-6161 Consolation Pay Durham's regional councillors just don't get it. They don't seem to understand that becoming an elected official is not intended to be a lucrative career, but a means of serving one's community.. Regional councillors -- at least the majority of them -- seem unduly concerned over giving themselves extra fringe benefits to make the job a little more rewarding. They were initially considering the possibility of pension plans. But, at a recent meeting, they opted for a severance pay package which would give departing councillors a little extra cash. The exact amount would depend upon a councillor's years of service. But, according to the new severance pay scheme, a councillor who loses an election could get a maximum of almost $11,000 in his or her severance package. The severance pay will, no doubt, be viewed by cynics as a means by which councillors can improve their income without getting the usual flak that accompanies a pay raise for politicians. In these recessionary times, elected officials would be roasted if they voted themselves a straightforward increase of, say, five per cent. By agreeing to pay themselves a severance bonus at some unspecified time in the future, they can honestly claim that they have not raised their own salaries. Yet, at the same time, they will be assured of a few extra bucks later. ■ So, the first question which councillors must answer is whether or not they are setting a good example by voting to pay themselves more money in the middle of a recession. Whether councillors approve a wage increase or a severance package, they are improving their compensation. They must still ask whether improved compensation is justified in these times of cutbacks and unemployment. Next, comes a more philosophical question about how elected officials ought to be paid. Politicians are regularly working with senior municipal civil servants who earn much more than they do. So, it is only natural that politicians would look at the salaries of these staff members and think that they deserve similar compensation. However, politicians who hold such thoughts should consider whether they are holding elected office because they need a job or because they are interested in contributing to the welfare of the community and serving their constituents. If they are merely seeking a job, they ought to look somewhere else. Let's face it. From a 1 career standpoint, politics is not a wise choice. The main problem is that every few years, you have to stand for re-election and run the risk of being unemployed. As long as we have a democratic society, that will be one of the major occupational hazards facing elected officials. But there are other drawbacks too. For instance, all politicians earn the same amount of money, whether they spend 80 hours a week on the job or eight. No matter how good they are at their job, the pay doesn't increase. And, while there are opportunities for promotion, they only occur by winning another election and those election victories depend on many things outside the control of the politician. If elected officials want to turn their jobs into a full-fledged occupation whose practitioners can adequately support a family, we would have to hold elections about every 30 years, when the elected officials reached retirement age. Or, we might have to go the route of professional sports and pay astronomical salaries each year on the understanding that politicians will have to put away money for the years when they are no longer able to get elected. Of course, each of these options is absurd. So, why don't we admit from the outset that politics is not a job like any other. Those who wish to run for public office shouldn't flatter themselves into thinking that they have entered a profession. Rather, they should see themselves as dedicated amateurs whose qualifications are no more than a clear understanding of the needs and wishes of their community and whose rewards lie in the satisfaction of seeing a job well done. Those who would run for political office because they need a secure well-paying job would be better advised to dust off their resumes and seek gainful employment elsewhere. And, while a democratic society allows all citizens to run for public office, those who do so should certainly consider first becoming established in their own business or profession. It is our opinion that politicians who have an alternative means of support will be better able to make tough decisions. That's because their main concern will not be about keeping the pay cheques coming in. In other words, local politicians shouldn't'quit their day jobs. Indeed, it is often the politicians who arc active in their own business or profession who arc better able to understand the needs of the citizen. The last thing we need is. government by a pack of high-paid office-seekers who have no tics to the working world and spend all their waking hours trying to get rc-clcctcd. .0 fcmk mryou who Vot<zd against rrvz- \ I s&vy ■ fc-ELSCT -*W£5 Vv -=^L_ O4-21-'93 . ; Defeated Regional Councillors Can Count on Severance Pay Letter to the Editor Dear Editor: What is tolerance? Laura J. Richards Richards in her March 24th "Outlook" has her ideas what to tolerate. Not the way her father taught hcr. I am not sure how much she will tolerate, endure, endure, permit or allow to exist without interference. Most people will not tolerate evil done to them and will call the authorities for justice, and rightly so. Governments arc to protect protect its citizens and punish the evildoers. evildoers. Or, docs she tolerate her neighbours' behaviour when he or she takes from her without bringing back what belongs to her. So not all behaviour has to be tolerated when it touches other persons, nor evil doings. doings. And here we come to an area where many people do not know or want to know "Baaaaad" from good. Smoking seems to fall under bad fr x: A by Rick James and abortion not. How much more docs it take to call euthanasia good and has to be tolerated? Mr. Cavilla or C.H.P. is looking for the best environment environment for all people including families families and women's shelters as well. Laura presumes this to be the first social program to be cut. Please do get your information right before putting putting it in print. C.H.P.'s first 'C' stands for Christian and also means charity for those in need. At the same time justice would come to protect citizens from evildoers. Responsible living is required of all Canadians, not only highway travelling without alcohol. Parents arc responsible for the behaviour behaviour of their children. Do observe when parents tolerate whatever their child wants to do, and give them what they want. They would put their parents out of their home before long. Some good teaching can be obtained obtained in the Bible book, Proverbs. Since not all readers arc Christians, it is good to know how tolerant Jesus Christ is and how He lived on earth. Would you please read Luke, Chap- m After my column last week about customer service, I feel very much like hockey mouth Don Cherry. The public either loves you or hates you. Many readers echoed my thoughts that it Is Imperative that all merchants remember that the customer is king. In a small town, the poor customer service of one merchant affects all local local businesses when dissatisfied customers take their business out of town. However, a few people disagreed with my column and by the tone of the conversation, I don't think they'll be sending me too many Christmas cards this year. Some objected to using an unsigned letter, while others did not think It appropriate for me to be critical of the way some merchants choose to operate their businossoSi Hindsight being 20/20, If 1 were to write the column again, I would have still used the unsigned unsigned letter because of Its message, but edited It further to make the complaint even more general general In nature. I certainly did not Intend to single out any particular business, and offer my humble humble apologies to those merchants who were not the object of the lotlor writer's anger, but never- tholoss felt they had boon blamed, In the past, when Individual merchants have boon named os the subjocl of a complaint, The Statesman has forwarded such letters to the business owner owner so that ho or she could deal with the problem on a more personal basis. However, the fact Is that the message of lost week's letter Is Important. Dy the way, tills Is not the first time the Hint wo have received such letters at The Statesman, which is wny I opted to use the unsigned letter. In addition, there are other complaints In a similar vein which have reached us in casual conversation. In the letter is a message for all businesses. And, I certainly Include our own company in that group. As a long-time Bowmanville business, let's remember that the letter was also directed at us. But, I'm a firm believer that criticism Is always always good even when It's bad, and we are using using It to remind our own staff about the importance importance of customer service. The message is that the customer Is our key to success. The overwhelming majority of businesses businesses In Bowmanville understand this fact. But, even a good business can have a bad day or allow Itself to lapse Into mediocrity In the customer service department. So, It never hurts to reiterate the Importance of the customer. I realize there Is nothing now In the "customer Is king" philosophy. Bui, sometimes sometimes wo all need a bit of a Jolt to Jog our memories. memories. Especially, when you realize the fact that most of us are competing hoad-to-hoad against big business empires which have certain' advantages. advantages. Customer service can give us the winning edge. All I can say about last week's column Is this: You can "shoot the messenger" who brought you those comments. But, please don't overlook overlook the message. Or, ns General Motors' vision slntomont roads," Customers Are For Life." ter 12 just to find out something about Him? Christ's tolerance is to give us time to find in Him mercy in repentance before He comes with justice. justice. He is long suffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance. What a great protection we would have by looking into God's commandments commandments for our daily living. But this is not the case and we can observe observe what this has brought us if a thirteen year old is brought to an abortionist and money for food is wasted on lotteries and the children go to school hungry. Is there a "baaaaad" and a good or is all relative to the time we live in? I say "No" to this kind of relativism. In Ontario, we have enjoyed many good freedoms in the past, but to tolerate evil is asking for our destruction. The beginning of this can already be observed. observed. One question I have: "Do you tolerate the Bible in the schools and the teaching of the sermon on the mount of St. Matthew 5?" Thank you for your attention. E. Mostcrt R. R. 8 Newcastle Laura J. Richards Cancer A friend of my family discovered in January a lump in her breast. Louise was quickly put into the hospital hospital and had one of her breasts removed. removed. On Wednesday, when my aunt visited visited my home, Louise was with her! It was a shocker -- seeing Louise's closely shaved noggin peaking peaking out from a baseball cap. When she took the cap off, I had a hard time pulling my eyes away from her head. However, once we all got to talking talking about things going on in the political political scene here in Ontario and back home in the Maritimes, I soon stopped gawking. We talked about the cancer treatments treatments after supper on Wednesday evening. evening. • She will be having three mpre chemotherapy sessions and she is taking taking an expensive new dmg to help in-' crease her white blood cell count. Because she lives in New Brunswick, Brunswick, her radiation treatments will he done in Saint John. If she were here, living in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) where she would be closer] to some of her family members, she would probably have to go away from Toronto in order to have her treatments. treatments. ; Louise did discuss the idea of coming coming to Toronto for her treatments. However, her doctor at home advised her not to because of the long waiting list. Her chances of getting the care in New Brunswick sooner were much better. That's one of the cmel facts of life associated with living in the GTA. However, the residents of Durham Region have the opportunity to make a difference. A trio of Oshawa resil dents is petitioning Durham Region residents to ask the provincial government government to pitt a cancer treatment centre in Oshawa. The provincial government woûlet put the dollars into the centre to alleviate alleviate the many months of long waiting; lists in the Toronto hospitals. Oshawa General Hospital is in competition with Scarborough to receive the centre. centre. This is strange, since the govern? ment wants to put the treatment centre outside of Toronto. !; Anyone who drives the 401 with any frequency is well aware of thç Welcome to Metropolitian Toronto sign just before Scarborough. - ' i •i But back to the topic at hand. The planners for the new expansion for thé Oshawa General Hospital want to cxi; pand into Alexandria Park, a resident tial park for one of the older sections of Oshawa. ' But it doesn't have to be that way. ; One would think that if the hospital hospital wishes to expand, why not take the back parking lot instead. While they arc building the expansion, they ctm put in a few levels of underground parking under it instead of looking for more land. And, maybe we can get the cancer treatment centre. We'll hope, pray and sign the peti-. lions in our communities. VVe Asked... Do you think Bowmanville needs a bingo hall? ... And You Said . r ^ 7 Ruth Ciraulo Doug Moran Tammy Nihill Bill Oyagi Bowmanville Bowmanville Bowmanville Bowmanville "No. It's gambling "I don't sec why they "Yes. It would be "Not downtown, basically and 1 don't shouldn't have one. A something for people Parking can be a think that's a good lot of people like lo to get out and do." problem. In an idea." play Bingo." industrial area, maybe. It can do a lot of good for charity." \e\t week's question Should Kegion.il ( onm tllors reieive sever,tine p.ty when thev lose .in elei lion ' naa