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i 4 The Canadian Statesman, Bowman ville, Wednesday, July 20,1994 Section Two I want to start this week's column by reminding you that we still have the "Power of Attorney" kits on hand at the constituency office in Bow- manville. These kits are complete with the full instructions. Call my office office or call in, either way we will make sure you get them. .On hand I also have the video of the TV show I did with a lawyer from the office of the Public Registrar. Look at the video, video, read the instructions, then complete complete your power of attorney and you arc all done. Easy as One, Two Three. In my last couple of columns, I have been saying to you all just how well things are going everywhere. This past week I picked up the newspaper newspaper and read great things about local local new housing starts. 442 new units started in Whitby, 436 in Clarington and 228 in the City of Oshawa. All in the first six months of this year - more than double the housing starts in the first six months of 1993. Is that a great sign or what? The weather has been great, and the economic weather has been tremendous. tremendous. We are 100,000 jobs to the From page three into Soper Creek? Now the anger is over, and the disbelief disbelief has left as well. I am ashamed to live in a community community where violence against women shows itself in such a way. The 14 women who were murdered murdered did not do anything but strive to get an education so they could provide for themselves. Then they were shot by a misogynist gunman. The 24-inch by 16-inch oval cast bronze plaque has raised lettering and two roses. Along the edges are the names of the women: Genevieve Bergeron Helene Colgan Nathalie Croteau Barbara Daigneault Anne-Marie Edward Maud Haviernick Barbara Maria Klucznik Maryse Laganiere Maryse LeClair Amme-Marie LeMay Sonia Pelletier Michele Richard Annie St-Arneault Annie Turccotte Inside is a poem: These 14 names of women slain will always be remembered Killed they were by a single man jealous of their hopes and dreams As we stand here full of sorrow our souls are full of rage and disbelief Then looking back to remember dreams of our own -- there is so much pain Sisters, we miss you, your promise of life We feel the loss of your spirits on this earth. So, now as we pause, to read your names to learn from the past, to look to the future We become a strong force in the eradication of violence towards us all. First Mourn, Then Work For Change. There is so much work that needs to be done. The ripping off of the plaque emphasizes the need. My deepest hope is that the culprit (s) who took the plaque will return it to its rightful location. Many people have commented since it disappeared about what kind of people would have done such a thing. I simply don't know what the culprits) culprits) were thinking when they pried it off the rock. I don't even think I want to know. good compared to where we have been. We have saved 40,000 jobs in the public sector. We have fiscal decisions decisions which are now more manageable, manageable, as difficult as they are, because of what we have done they are far more manageable now than most other other governments in the country are facing. The jobs agenda is coming together, together, Jobs Ontario Training agenda, coming together, social assistance agenda, coming together, fair tax agenda, coming together. We have been through a very difficult time, we tried to provide the best possible leadership that we could. It is fair, we have taken our knocks, but we can hold our heads up high because we have done our best, we have remained remained true to the fundamental values values that have kept us going as human beings and because we honestly believe believe that we have done it better and in a fair and more balanced way than others would or could have. As I listen to what Lynn and Mike would have done I am reminded of that old Italian expression - "tempo buono ogni uno puo navigare." When the weather is good, anybody can sail. Recently, I read an article, obvi- oùsly written by someone quite comfortable, comfortable, which said that we politicians politicians need to stop hiding behind the Great Wall of expensive and unaffordable unaffordable social programs. The writer should spend a week working in my constituency office, where my staff stmggle to arrange the supply of power to homes where it has been cut off, and the occupants wash themselves themselves in Lake Ontario with soap from a food bank, and cook meals on a borrowed Coleman stove. Heart-' breaking stories and situations are the normal every week scenario we deal with, in the real, less than comfortable comfortable world, who many people survive in. It's something that so many can't comprehend when they talk of social program cuts. I can say, that the cut backs in social programs in the United United States have all failed. Ronald Reagan's Reagan's kind of economics created riots across their country. Who can forget the first in Los Angeles or the misery in Flint when their social net collapsed? collapsed? You can be ruthless and heartless to a point, and then you will face the inevitable uprising and rebellion, for the human spirit will only take so much before it explodes. What I am saying isn't socialist ideology either, history is all you need to look at to see what happens when people get squeezed unmercifully. For over a decade now, provincial governments of all stripes have been talking about reforming and improving improving the long-term care system in Ontario. Ontario. I am happy to be able to report to you that o.ur long-term care bill has been introduced and has gone through second reading. We are committed committed to bringing to Ontarians a long-term care system that will better serve the needs of the community. The legislation, Bill 173, responds to the needs that have been articulated over the years by: simplifying access with a "one-stop" approach to information information and services. To create not- for-profit community-based organizations organizations that can respond to the needs of the consumers in their community. By integrating case management to ensure continuity of care, and to put consumer choice and customer service service first. The government has also proven its financial commitment to community-based community-based care. In 1991-1992 we spent $706-million in community- based long-term care services, during 1996-1997 we plan to spend more than $1-billion. This together with the expansion, improvement and integration integration of community-based services, is fundamental to effective and efficient efficient long-term care. We can-and arcchanging arcchanging our over-reliance on institutional institutional care. Much ado was made over the purchase purchase of a new car for Ontario's Lieutenant Governor in spite of a so- callcd freeze on the purchase of any new vehicle. The old care was a 1988 Lincoln TownCar which has travelled travelled over 670,000 km. The cost of refurnishing the '88 car was examined, examined, however, the Lieutenant Governor Governor had expressed some concerns over safety and security and requested requested a replacement. The new car, a 1993 stretched Lincoln TownCar cost $69,000 including modifications. The old car was sold at public auction and I can't tell you how much it fetched. My guess would be precious little. To all local business, I can announce announce a new Open Bidding Service to be going into effect very soon, which will allow you to bid on government government contracts. The OBS will be a computerized on-line tendering service service that allows suppliers an easy way to tap into provincial and federal government purchasing opportunities. opportunities. Goods over $25,000 and services services over $200,000 (excluding construction) construction) will be advertised on the OBS. These opportunities are part of the Intergrovemmental Agreement on Government procurement. This is a positive step in the government's commitment to open trade between the provinces and create new opportunities opportunities for Ontario suppliers and workers. For full details on this new program, please call 1-800-361-4637. Good luck. Finally, it won't be long before you can make purchases in your local LCBO outlet by using your credit card. You can already pay for camp sites at provincial parks by credit card, the use at the LCBO should be in place before the end of the year. We don't trip oyer mountains, but we do stumble over stones. Until next week. When Violet Cook started this potted violet from a cutting months ago she had no idea it would produce two different colored flowers from one root. It even has two distinct types of leaves. Ms Cook has no explanation as to how the deviant strain came about, but confesses confesses that she's also grown trilliums with five petals. Letters to the Editor Orono Reader Challenges MRP's Remarks on Gun Control Dear Editor: I again take great exception to Mr. Mills' rebuttal of my comments to the Editor on the Legislation to Restrict Restrict Ammunition Sales in the Province Province of Ontario. ■ Again, I will use point form: 1. Irrespective of the fact that the meeting at the Port Perry Gun Club was to discuss gun control, Mr. Mills was specifically asked about the pending Provincial Legislation to control ammunition sales. This question question was asked, of Mr. Mills, by Mr. Dave Hircock of Mitchell's Comers. Mr. Mills answered this question by saying that it was "just political grandstanding" by the Liberals and that it would never pass. "Don't worry worry about it," he said. 2. I still have difficulty accepting legislation that gets introduced and becomes law the same day. The "Public Hearings", held by the standing standing committee of Justice, were attended attended by selected "Politically Correct" Correct" individuals. I don't remember seeing any advertisements in the newspapers, telling the public of the meetings and our ability to attend. What would be wrong with a town hall style meeting? The politicians might be surprised to find that the ordinary ordinary citizens of this province know what's wrong and know how to fix it! 3. I still firmly believe that this legislation will have absolutely zero impact on the criminal use of firearms! firearms! Mr. Mills asks, in his comments comments to the editor, if I would have preferred to do nothing at all. I truly believe that this legislation is equivalent equivalent to doing nothing at all in that it docs not address the problem of the criminal use of firearms. He makes a big deal out of my apparent confusion confusion of gun vs ammunition controls. In my eyes, they arc one and the same. Mr. Mills is the one confused in that he thinks the ammunition controls controls can be equated with crime control! control! 4. Mr. Mills staled that 1 was wrong in assuming that he used England England as an example of gun control success. OK, by his own admission, England has had this method of ammunition ammunition control for 30 years. The facts show that their violent crime rate doubled every 10 years during this time. Are the controls working? Finally, when will politicians realize realize that crime cannot be legislated out of existence. It can only be reduced reduced through full application of the Criminal Justice System. We have sufficient laws now to deal with the criminal use of firearms. What we lack is the political will to do it! We need to ask our politicians why most gun offences are plea bargained away and why the maximum sentence of 15 years, for criminal use of firearms, is hardly, if ever, levied? Please, Mr. Mills, if you are to write another letter to the Editor, please answer the above question! Peter A.Etmanskie 5865 Ochonski Rd. Orono, Ontario, LOB 1M0 No "Gambling Problem" Dear Editor: In your last week's Editorial "Price Tag on Gambling" your last paragraph read, and I quote, "It's no wonder Joel Aldred and other nonnative nonnative residents of Scugog Island are concerned." The gaming facility proposed for Scugog Island is not a casino. It has been licensed as a Bingo/Monte Carlo Carlo facility. The maximum stake is $10 which I would consider to be hardly a "gambling problem" as you put it. The majority of people who patronize this type of establishment, according to the most recent statistics, statistics, are seniors. They go because they find company, they don't like being alone, and they like to have people to talk to. Hardly the type of people who would develop social problems from enjoying a day out, now and then. Since the issue over the gambling facility on Scugog Island surfaced I have held a meeting, which includes Chief Gary Edgar, MP Alex Shepherd, Shepherd, the Mayor of Scugog Township and the councillor representing the residents on Scugog Island, the Chief of Durham Regional Police, and policy policy advisors from the Ministry of Consumer and Commercial Affairs. At this meeting, there was never any mention of concerns surrounding so- called "gambling problems" relating to addiction. Further to that meeting, I have personally sent out almost 1,000 letters letters to everyone living on Scugog Island Island explaining in detail just what is going to happen there. I have re ceived many letters on the subject, including including some from Joel Aldred. Not one of the letters I have received has indicated any concern over the social impact of gambling on Scugog Island. Island. Joel Aldred and others, have certainly certainly expressed concerns, but not over any perceived gambling addiction. addiction. At the risk of as you say, being "wonderfully right all the time," I would suggest that for you to suggest that Joel Aldred et-al, have been concerned concerned over gambling addiction is quite wrong. Gord Mills More Grads From Trent Dear Mr. James: It was very thoughtful of The Statesman to print the names of the young men and women who received degrees from Trent University. Unfortunately, Unfortunately, several names from the area were omitted and also deserve recognition, These arc from: Courtice: Heather Ann Davis - Honors Bachelor of Arts, Paula Fracz - Honors Bachelor of Arts. Newtonville: Teresa R. Wall Caswell Caswell - Honors Bachelor of Arts, Jason Cameron Christopher Vachères sc - Honors Bachelor of Arts. Orono: Karin A1 filicide Murphy - General Bachelor of Arts.