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PAGE 4 THE CANADIAN STATESMAN, DECEMBER 29,1999 # Editorial&Opinions DURHAM R E G I O N 19 7-1 «j, 1999 FOR 145 YEARS, OUR FIRST CONCERN HAS BEEN OUR COMMUNITY Publisher - Tim Whittaker Editor-in-chief- Joanne Burghardt Managing Editor - Judi Bobbitt Advertising Manager - Brian G. Purdy Advertising - Laverne Morrison, Sharon Goodman Office - Junia Ilodge, Nancy Pleasancc-Stnrman Editorial - Brad Kelly, Jennifer Stone, Jacquie Mcinncs ®i)E Canadian Statesman Former Publishers ami Partners Rev. Joint M. Climie and W.R. Climie 1854-1878 M.A. James 1878-1955 • Norman S.13. James 1919-1929 G. Elena James, 1929-1947 • Dr. George W. James 1919-1957 John M. James, 1957-1999 Produced by Metroland Printing, Publishing & Distributin': Ltd. Also Publishers of CLARINGTON THIS WEEK " P.O. Box 190, 62 King St. W„ Bowmanvillc, Ontario LIC 3K9 TEL: 905-623-3303 FAX: 905-623-6161 HOURS: Monday to Friday 9:00 a.in. until 5:00 p.M. Internet - stalcsmn@durham.net Publications Mail Registration No. 07637 EDITORIAL Redirect, bypass all too common The government is reactive , rather than proactive It certainly seemed like a good idea at the time, a plan that was long overdue in Ontario. The Health Services Restructuring Restructuring Commission, given a clear mandate by the incoming Tory government in 1995, set about changing the face of health care in the province. Hospitals were ordered closed or amalgamated, all with the goal of making the delivery of health care services more efficient efficient and effective. Unused beds in hospitals - there were thousands of them a half-decade ago - were to be eliminated to save costs. With good intentions, the HSRC made many changes. And the Province backed most of those decisions. However, it seems these days we're playing catch-up with health care problems. Minister of Health Elizabeth Witmcr is throwing money at hospitals overburdened with those who badly need care. Hospitals on redirect and critical care bypass are the rule rather than the exception. A few days ago the only hospital in the entire GTA accepting patients was Markham-Stouffvillc. Minister Witmer promised $196 million to help alleviate the crowded conditions to open up more beds. Some $43 million million of that fund will go to hospitals in the GTA. Yet, it points to a multifaceted problem that won't get better anytime soon. Part of the future improvement to our health system must involve increased funding from the federal government. The social transfer payments from the feds to the provinces which have been massively'cut over the past decade and which have •helped the feds eliminate their deficit, must be restored now that Federal Finance Minister Paul Martin lias a surplus to work with. Tax cuts arc great, but not if we don't have an adequate adequate health care system. Mr. Martin's next budget, due in about two months time, must restore badly needed funding to ;thc provinces. But Minister Witmcr must speed up the process of improving the system. Provincial Finance Minister Ernie Eves, with a surplus to work with next spring, must boost spending on health care. Money for improvements is necessary necessary as the population of Ontario, and especially the GTA continues continues to grow. Finally, each of us can help by going to Emergency only .when necessary. Too often, people want to sec a doctor when '.confronted with a cold or the flu. Often, a visit to a hospital or ;clinic isn't needed. Some bed rest, plenty of fluids, etc., will ;do the trick. •We welcome your opinion. Please E-Mail your comments on our opinions to nnews@durham.net. Submissions which include include a first and last name, as well as the city of residence, ".will be considered for publication. : A BACKWARD GLANCE Photo courtesy Garfield Shaw Collection, Bowmanville Museum Dominion store, c.1935 A view of the interior of Bowmanville's Dominion store, the picture most likely commemorating a big modernization of the premises in the spring of 1935. Dominion opened its outlet in town during the spring of 1921, at the present-day location of 71 King St. IV. With more space being required, the store was moved in 1925 to space facing the northeast corner of Temperance Temperance and King streets, in the old Cowan Block, now gone. Dominion remained there until April 1962. A large new supermarket was opened by the company on the south side of King Street near Simpson Avenue on the 26th of the month. Dominion ultimately shut down its Bowmanville store. Its last day of business was Saturday, Aug. 13, I9S3. The privately-owned Gillum Foods was its successor. successor. 75 YEARS AGO Jan. 1,1925 A unique experience in the annals of local municipal history history look place at the nomination meeting for the various offices of the Council Board. The Mayor, Reeve, Deputy Reeve and Councillors from 1924 were the only persons nominated for council for 1925 and were liais all reelected by acclamation. Such an incident was a record without precedent. 25 YEARS AGO Jim. 1,1975 Mrs, Marion Perfect. Denis Pickard and Mrs. Rhoda Anderson Anderson received their 20-year service pin at Bowmanville Memorial Hospital. Making the presentation were Hospital Administrator Dick Elston and Board Chairman Tom Cowan. LETTERS TO THE Please leave us alone To the editor: I got home from my usual day at the office (12 to 14 hours) and after having had just a few minutes to kiss the .kids good night and wash my .'hands before my 10 p.m. first lineal of the day, I reached, for tthe local newspaper just to have a glance at what's going on in my backyard before I pass out from mental and physical physical exhaustion for yet another day. I turn to page 3 where I find that at the end of October, the Region had a $5.7 million surplus, surplus, the income support division division a $4.5 million surplus, the health department a $1.7 million million surplus, Durham Police Services a $4.8 million surplus, surplus, etc. On page 7, there is an article which talks about MP Alex Shepherd's round table of Clarington business leaders on their opinion as to what to do with the $5.5 billion that Finance Finance Minister Paul Martin now has at his disposal (more like $20 billion according to some people close to the Finance Finance Department). In this particular paper there was no mention of just how much loot the provincial Tories have stashed away, but I am sure it's enough for a small Third World country to live on for the next few decades (or eliminate child poverty in Canada for the next 100 years). Here is my two cents worth on what every one of them .should do with the money surplus: surplus: Give it back! And keep your hands off our pockets while you're at it! We have the lowest levels of income in the last 20 or 30 years, we have the highest levels levels of child poverty since we started keeping track, most people arc working themselves to the grave just to make ends meet, young people arc strug gling to find any kind of fulltime fulltime work, yet, we have billions billions of dollars in the hands of lax-hungry politicians. (Also, income and sales taxes arc not the only form of taxation at work here, on top of that we have all sorts of licensing fees, renewal fees, outrageous penalties for submitting your tax payment 15 minutes late, etc, etc. It just never ends). My advice to the so-called decision makers is very simple: simple: leave us alone; keep your hands in your pockets and not ours; get rid of all taxation; let us work ourselves to the bone if that is what we choose to do and let us enjoy it while we are at it. When we are done, make su.re it goes to pay for a good, fair start for all, not just a chosen chosen few. The rich would get richer, but never for much longer than a lifetime and the poor would not exist. Any feedback? George Ramos Don't bet on the premier quitting Tory leader is in it for the long haul Recent actions by Premier Mike Harris arc encouraging speculation he may leave his job soon, but don't count on it. Much of the predicting is founded on the Progressive Conservative premier's frequent frequent absences from the legislature, legislature, which the Liberals drew attention to by the novelty of introducing a bill that would require require him to be in his scat more often, although it will never be passed. Mr. Harris replied he attends as regularly as earlier premiers, which is untrue. But his poor attendance attendance is not new. The premier premier has been on a planned, deliberate deliberate strategy for two years of avoiding the legislature so the opposition parties cannot ask him questions that might embarrass him and help their causes. He was equally absent before before the June election when lie unquestionably was staying and trying to win, so his absence is no indicator lie is tired or attracted attracted elsewhere and ready to quit his role. The premier is seen also as having lost some of his zest ami run out of ideas because he is not bringing in as much far- reaching legislation as in his first four years. It is true his pace has slowed, His Common Sense Revolutionaries Revolutionaries are taking a breather before storming the last ramparts ramparts of the welfare stale Bastille. I lis legislation has been slimmer pickings with its continual continual amalgamations of mti- Eric Dowd At Queens Park nicipalitics, minor attacks on crime and at last a requirement provincial budgets be balanced. But it is still on par with some previous governments' and shows he has some goals he wants to attain. Mr. Harris is being viewed as planning an early exit because because he passed legislation to permit former MPPs to claim their pensions earlier, but if it was designed for anyone in his government, it more likely was Deputy Premier and Finance Minister Ernie Eves, who shows more signs of quilting soon. Mr. Harris, when he leaves, will be deluged with offers of directorships from companies grateful for his tax cuts and weakening of laws that protected protected labour and will he in no mad rush to cash in his pensions. The premier also is showing enthusiasm for another crusade, trying to persuade the Liberal federal government to follow his lead and cut taxes and may want to plug away at it longer before he moves on. The premier tries to shape almost any issue into a criticism of ( lllawa, usually winding up offering to work with it in any way to eut taxes. One move he is unlikely to make, although it is being pushed at him, is leaving Queen's Park to lead a united right-of-centcr federal party. Mr. Harris led the opposition in Ontario for five years, knows its disadvantages and would be reluctant to give up a reasonably reasonably secure premiership of the biggest province for the uncertainties uncertainties of opposition in Ottawa. Ottawa. The premier also has urged the Liberal federal government to use its fiscal surplus to cut taxes rather than improve social programs which particularly help poorer provinces, so they would not rush to welcome him as federal leader. Mr. Harris's proudest boast is lie keeps his promises, which is not entirely true, but he has kept his major ones like cutting government and taxes. If he quit in 2000 after being elected for a four-year-term in 1999, it would he the equivalent equivalent of breaking a promise and not a high note on which to leave. The Tory leader also thinks enough of his revolution he would like to leave it in secure secure hands and he has no clear, safe successor. The most commonly commonly suggested is Management Management Board Chairman Chris Hodgson, who has demonstrated demonstrated talent for smothering opposition opposition criticisms but not indicated lie can inspire revolutionaries onward. Mr. Harris will need to develop develop a successor and he still could quit before the next election, election, due in 2003 or 2004, hut not much before. Is everybody ready? For the past year, all anyone has heard about is the dreaded Y2K bug, and the inability of certain computers to fiip four-digit date codes to the year 2000. if y Jennifer jjjf '«***> '«viT Stone 4 Staff Writer So far, all the major utilities and service-providing companies here say everything should be fine in this area -- we shouldn't find ourselves without without electricity, water should still come out of our taps, and heat still ought to be provided by our gas furnaces. They've checked over and over again, and all should go smoothly. In fact, just last week, Ontario Power Generation's Darlington Nu- - clear Station site vice-president Charles Packer said, "I think (midnight (midnight New Year's Eve) is going to be uneventful. There will be a lot of people people paying attention." About $ 100 million million was spent at Darlington ensuring Y2K compliancy, Mr. Packer said. But, with at least one major television television network in the U.S. tracking the countdown to midnight around the world, starting with the first country to ring in the new year and the new century, century, we'll know ahead, of time how computers elsewhere have reacted. We'll have a headstart. What happens if a country not so prepared as Canada docs experience difficulties, and their difficulties arc broadcast for all to sec? Will there be a mass rush to the grocery store to pick up canned goods and other staple items to ensure families don't starve in the event power docs go out? Will propane for barbecues be selling at an absolutely unheard of rate? Will you be able to buy fire wood, a candle or a jug of water in all of Clarington? Having water, food, candles, flashlights flashlights and batteries in the house is always always a good idea, Y2K or not. Witness the 1998 ice storm in eastern Ontario and Quebec. They didn't have a year or more to prepare -- it came without warning. Do yourself a favour-- don't wait to hear about possible emergency situations situations elsewhere on New Year's Eve to prepare yourself and your family for possible problems caused by Y2K. Prepare yourself now for any set of circumstances, even weather situations situations that arrive unannounced. Have a jug of water slashed away somewhere, just in case. Make sure there's propane in the barbecue well in advance of needing it. Have a big jar of peanut butter or some other nutritious substance substance in the back corner of the cupboard. cupboard. Be prepared -- whether it he for Y2K or any other possible eventuality. THE CANADIAN STATESMAN is one of the Metroland Printing, Publishing Publishing and Distributing group of newspapers. The Statesman is a member of the Bowmanville Clarington Clarington Board of Trade, the Greater Os- liawa Chamber of Commerce, Ontario Ontario Community Newspaper Assoc., Canadian Community Newspaper Assoc., Canadian Circulations Audit Board and the Ontario Press Council. The publisher reserves the right to classify or refuse any advertisement. Credit for advertisement limited to space price error occupies. The Canadian Statesman welcomes letters to the editor. All letters should be typed or neatly hand-written. 1511 words. Each letter must include the name, mailing address and daytime telephone number of the writer. The editor reserves the right to edit copy for style, length and content. We regret regret that due to the volume of letters, not all will be printed. I'ax letters to 623-6161 or emailed to stntesnnKudurhnm.net 0 ^/C: Apcna « DDC frenm IV4MIM m*MUM II