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PAGE 6THE CANADIAN STATESMAN, SEPTEMBER 20,2000 Editorial&Opinions FOR 14 6 YEARS, OUR FIRST CONCERN HAS BEEN OUR COMMUNITY Publisher - Tim Whittaker Editor-in-Chief - Joanne Burghardt Managing Editor - Jndi Bobbitt Advertising Manager - Brian G. Purdy Advertising - Lavcrnc Morrison, Christian-Ann Goulet Office - Junia Hodge, Nancy Pleasancc-Sturman Editorial - Brad Kelly, Jennifer Stone, Jacquie Mclnnes Cattabtan Statesman Former Publishers and Partners Rev. John M. Climie and W.R. Cliinic 1854-1878 M.A. James 1878-1935 • Norman S.B. James 1919-1929 G. Elena James, 1929-1947 • Dr. George W. James 1919-1957 John M. James, 1957-1999 Produced by Melroland Printing, Publishing & Distributing Ltd. Also Publishers of CLARINGTON THIS WEEK P.O. Box 190, 62 King St. W., Bowmanville, Ontario L1C 3K9 TEL: 905-623-3303 FAX: 905-623-6161 HOURS: Monday to Friday 9:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. Internet - stalesmn@durham.net Publications Mail Registration No. 07637 EDITORIAL It's a matter of life, death and taxes Is $11 a month too much ; to pay for local health care? ! Let's not play political football with this one. ! The need is too great, the urgency too real, the cause too se- [rious. Our hospitals, like an old jalopy running out of time, [need a massive, complete overhaul. And the money can be [raised to complete a $409-million five-year plan at the cost of ;$11 per month from each of Durham's property taxpayers. For [less than 40 cents a day per property taxpayer, Durham's residents residents can get the health care they need and deserve. • The budget breakdown goes like this: the Province will pay >$216 million while the six Durham hospital foundations will «pitch in $93 million for improvements. That leaves the project «$100 million short and that's where you come in. i ' Who will be using Durham's hospitals over the next 'decade? Who will be getting access to one of the finest health jeare systems in the world at what are surely bargain basement iprices when compared with costs in other parts of the globe? If you're stricken ill or hurt in a car crash or need long-term care, do you want to have to travel somewhere else in Ontario for it, far from your loved ones? That's a possibility if we don't act now. A recent survey done by the Angus Reid Group found an alarming 52 per cent of Durham Region taxpayers think health Icare here is either somewhat worse or much worse than it was [five years ago. One of the main reasons for that is a rising population population without increased services coupled with declining .buildings and equipment. And the situation will only get worse ;cind worse without a massive infusion of cash, f The Province is not an endless money pit. It's agreeing to tpay more than half the costs for the buildings. That's in line with the 50 per cent contribution it traditionally provides for Capital expansion of hospitals. So it's hard to quibble with Queen's Park though regional politicians are vowing to lobby [For more money. Fine. But, should that take years and amount [to nothing, where does that put us? We've been waiting for r jnany years for the cancer centre. It's time to see it become a [reality as waiting lists now stretch up to seven months for radiation radiation treatment. % . 'Not only will our health care get a shot in the arm but our [economy will benefit too with expectations of benefits in the [next 10 years of $575 million - based on construction jobs, hospital jobs, new homes, improved tax base - on a total local Expenditure of $193 million. ». Let's be clear. A five-year tax levy of $10 to $11 a month is a small price to pay for our health. Let's get on with it. i. ■ We welcome your opinion. Please E-Mail your comments on "our opinions to statesmn@durham.net. Submissions which Jinclude a first and last name, as well as the community of residence, residence, will be considered for publication. THE STATESMAN Î- 75 YEARS AGO [;Sept. 17,1925 N Local Member of Parliament for Durham County, Vincent Vincent Massey of Toronto and president of the Massey-Harris ^Company Limited was made a minister without portfolio in the Mackenzie King cabinet. Mr. Massey is son of Mr. [Chester D, Massey, one of Durham County's illustrious sons, who presented the handsome Community Hall to Newcastle. It has already been suggested Mr. Massey be offered offered the Liberal nomination for Durham County in the upcoming upcoming election. He is a resident of the riding, having a farm at Canton, just north of Port Hope. I 50 YEARS AGO ÏSept. 21,1950 l A survey shows Durham has a higher living standard than most Ontario counties. In a report covering every part pf Canada and the United States, it was discovered Durham's 8,500 families have an average income of $2,719 (or the family for the year. t, 5" 25 YEARS AGO kepi. 17,1975 Ï: The Central Lake Ontario Conservation Authority proposes proposes a 91 -acre park for Bowmanville Creek. Although, it lîays, there is no rush to develop the parkland, quick acquisition acquisition is essential to ensure some is not purchased for subdivisions subdivisions thereby limiting its value as recreation land. P0ÎSTE5TIN6... / TUE TEST; CAME BUCK PO*- JtHJABE,MFE, n Miss n*. dollghan@home.com LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Thanks to the Tiger Cats To the editor: I would like to take this opportunity opportunity to thank the members of the Claringlon Tiger Cat football football club. They are ,a: new group providing recreational activities to the youth of Claringlon. ... „ I have been most impressed with the coaching of the two teams, the coaches are positive, promoters of fair and equal treatment treatment and have a vety positive approach approach when a player may have to be corrected. The problem is discussed in a calm and orderly manner and the discussion always always ends on a positive note. This sense of optimism is also displayed by parents. It is a team approach, everyone cheers on the players and they work as a group for the betterment of the team. I can say it was a pleasure to be involved with the group for a short period of time this summer. I wish them all the success this year with their reminding games. If football fans in Claringlon want to see some players of the future, check out the Claringlon Tiger Cats Football club at their home location at St. Stephen Secondary School on Sunday morning. Go Tiger Cals Go. Nancy Coffin Courticc Columnist misses the issues To the editor: Every newspaper must have its token anti-government columnist columnist and The Canadian Statesman has Eric Dowd. Readers of your newspaper are well aware of his hale for the Harris Tories. We haven't quite figured out yet who he is for: the NDP, the Liberals or the Communists. Eric has to this point kept his rhetoric to the issues of the day: education, environment, health, etc. A recent column however shows he is running out of real issues issues and has lowered himself to write about Mike Harris's personal personal life. "Mike Harris is married twice. Mike Harris has a girlfriend. girlfriend. Will Mike Harris take his girlfriend on the year's to come cainpaign trail?" What has this got to do with the issues facing this province? Maybe a few questions should be asked about Eric Dowd. Is he married? If so, is it his first? If he is not married, is he gay? Does he support same-sex benefits? Columnists many times can hide behind the protection of news reporting, but Mike Harris's Harris's private life is not a news issue. Come on Eric, stick to issues issues the voting public are concerned concerned about. We really don't care about Mike Harris's personal personal life, let alone yours. Gord Reid Longtime MPPs a dying breed Few legislators stick it out for the long term Members of the legislature are finding it more difficult to be survivors, survivors, so a comparative latecomer latecomer with a mere 25 years on the job has become its longest-serving member. Liberal Sean Conway, who was first elected in September 1975, is the only MPP who won in that election still in the legislature. legislature. The Liberal opposition already already has commemorated the event and the legislature as a whole will when it reconvenes on Sept 25. Mr. Conway, still only 49 having having been elected while in university, university, is renowned as the legislature's legislature's cleverest phrase-maker. He said an abrasive New Democrat had a personality like 'an ice cube wrapped in.sandpaper' and the notoriously circumlocutions Progressive Conservative premier premier William Davis spoke like 'the old Colonial"Railway, which twisted and turned, chugged up hill and down dale, and meandered meandered through the remotest sidings sidings before eventually reaching its destination.' As another indication of how MPPs have moved on, only two elected for the first time in 1977 remain in the legislature. They are Conservative Norm Sterling, still a power in government government as house leader and minister minister of intergovernmental affairs and Liberal environmental critic Jim Bradley, the only MPP who remembers every skeleton in the Tories' closet for the past qutirler- cenlury. While Mr. Conway's lime in the legislature, dwarfs that of other current MPPs, many served Eric Dowd At Queen s Park longer in the past. Liberal Hairy Nixon served for 42 years, including including briefly as premier, up to his death in 1961. Farquhar Oliver, Oliver, three times Liberal leader, served for 41 years before retiring retiring in 1967. Tory Tom Kennedy, also briefly premier, stayed 37 years up to 1959. More recently, Bob Nixon, Many's son, served 29 years and was Liberal finance minister. Backbenchers also thought nothing of staying similar lengths of time. Tory Wally Downer put in 38 years and left only when another another Tory pushed him out for the nomination. Liberal Harry Wor- lon stayed three decades and, although although he rarely spoke in the house, regularly got more than 50 per cent of the votes, MPPs have had shorter political political lives recently for a variety of reasons. One has been the volatility volatility of politics, which has exceeded exceeded even that of stock markets, The Conservatives were in government without a break, as stable as the massive stone legislature legislature building, for 42 consecutive consecutive years up to 1985, when they lost their majority and then government. government. Elections in 1985 and 1987 swept out the vast majority of Tory MPPs and replaced them with Liberals. In 1990 the NDP marched into office and turfed out most of the Liberals. Then in 1995 Premier Mike Harris's Tories Tories surged in and swept out most of the NDP. Only a few MPPs , survived all these huge turnovers. But some MPPs also left of their own accord. One reason is the increased pressure in provincial provincial politics. Issues are larger and more numerous and complex. The last three premiers to leave, Tory Frank Miller, Liberal David Peterson and New Democrat Bob Rae, were kicked out. . Mr. Davis, the last to leave under his own steam, was premier premier 14 years, but few expect Mr. Harris to stay that long. The main question has been whether he will run for another term, which would require him to be premier an accumulated 10 years or so and he has said he will, but some still doubt it. Only a couple of Mr. Harris's ministers quit in the last election to seek easier fields, but others have said privately they are feeling feeling the strain. Back-benchers also have felt increased pressures because being an MPP has become more of a full-time job than it was decades ago, although Mr. Harris has reversed this a bit by refusing to have the legislature sit as often as some of his predecessors. Bill the role of MPPs has been more and more downgraded as governments of all parlies have centralized policy-making in a small elite in the premier's office, The atmosphere in the legislature legislature also has become meaner and more strident and polls increasingly increasingly have shown lack of respect for MPPs. Kids make a difference at Terry Fox Run Anyone who questions the longevity longevity of the Terry Fox Run for cancer research research should have been in attendance at Sunday's annual run in Bowmanville. Bowmanville. While the organizers of the event have taken the local run to a higher level with increased participation and money raised, what they witnessed on Sunday had to give them optimism for the future. What was significant about this year's run were the number of young kids in attendance. There were small children in strollers being pushed by adults, young kids on roller blades and bikes and even a few who walked or ran. It was encouraging to see so many parents who were trying to instill the value in their kids of trying to help those in need. The Terry Fox Run is one of those events that provide the perfect platform. For many of the kids, cancer is a word that is not foreign to them. If cancer has not struck down ( a,close family member, then chances are there is a friend who has lost a loved one to the deadly disease. In Bowmanville, among the guest speakers prior to the start of the run are cancer survivors who give an inspirational inspirational message about their personal personal battle and triumph over cancer. It's important that young kids see and hear first-hand that their efforts are not wasted; that with their continued support, support, there will be more survivors. Last year, the son of a popular, teacher delivered a message, reminding reminding people that as they were about to head out on the course, the pain or fatigue fatigue they might feel over the next hour or so doesn't compare to the pain and fatigue somebody with cancer suffers suffers with every hour of every day. That message has stuck with me, and was repeated to my son who participated participated in his first Terry Fox Run. While my three-year-old was pushed in a stroller by my wife, my seven- year-old pedalled his way around the course with me. Our time alone gave me the opportunity to try and get across to him the importance of what he and every other kid was doing, and how proud parents were. Was the message lost? Well, his Terry Fox Run certificate was left on the dining room table Monday in favour of a Digimon cartoon cartoon character book for show and tell at school. But over time, he and all the other kids will realize the important contribution contribution they made. And if they begin to realize that they can make a difference, difference, it bodes well for the future of the event. I THE CANADIAN STATESMAN is j one of the Melroland Printing, Publishing Publishing and Distributing group of newspapers. The Statesman is a member of the Bowmanville Claring- ton Board of Trade, the Greater Os- hawa Chamber of Commerce, On- j tario Community Newspaper Assoc., | Canadian Community Newspaper I 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 lo space price error occupies. mam The Canadian Statesman welcomes letters to the editor, All letters should be typed or neatly hand-written, 150 words. Each letter must include the name, mailing address and daytime telephone number of the writer. The editor reserves the right lo edit copy for style, length and content. We regret regret that due to the volume of letters, not all will be printed. Fax letters lo 623-616lor emailed lo slalcsmn@durham.net