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PAGE 6 THE CANADIAN STATESMAN, JULY 17,2002 Editorial&Opinions FOR 14 6 YEARS, OUR FIRST CONCERN HAS BEEN OUR COMMUNITY Publisher - Tim Whittaker Editor-in-Chief- Joanne Burghardt Managing Editor - Chris Bovie Regional Editor - Judi Bobbitt Advertising Manager - Fred Eismont Circulation Manager - Kirk Bailey Composing Manager - Barb Harrison Office Manager - Lillian Hook e-mail responses lo newsroom@ilurhamnews.net So, councillors think they know better Decision on choice of Regional chairman disappointing It doesn't come as a surprise, perhaps because it never had much of a chance from the very start. The decision by Durham's 28 regional councillors to keep the choice of picking the Regional chairman all to themselves is essentially essentially a slap in the face to the democratic process. What should be a position open to election - as are all other municipal and regional council positions in Durham - will continue to be chosen in a vote of regional councillors councillors during the first meeting after each municipal election. There is one important switch however. Any eligible voter in Durham Region can now stand for election again. Council Council policy in the last election was to select from within. Scugog Mayor Doug Moffatt's comments on the issue of election of the Regional chairman were revealing. To the proposition of asking voters in a referendum if they favour election of the Regional chairman, Mayor Moffatt said: "If you put a question on the ballot, 'Are you in favour of lower taxes?' the answer would be 'Yes,' and if you ask 'Are you in favour of a holiday?' the answer would be 'Yes,' and if you ask, 'Are you in favour of electing the chairman?' the answer would be 'Yes,' because it makes sense on a cursory view to say 'Yes.' You are going to get an uninformed answer and then people will say later, 'How did that happen?"' While the mayor seemingly has a low regard for the decision decision making power of Durham Region voters, Ajax Mayor Steve Parish took a different tack. "To vote against this is to say they (voters) can't be trusted to give us informed informed advice on this. I think it forgets who pays the bills here." Those who pay the bills should have the final say on who holds the best-paid, most important elected leadership position in Durham Region. The issue seems clear cut. Just who exactly is the chairman responsible'to? Under the current system, he owes his job only to the handful of regional councillors who vote for him on election day. It's unfortunate most councillors believe only they know what's best. Perhaps the provincial Minister of Municipal Affairs should eventually make the decision, since councillors councillors have too much to lose by giving up their power to select select the chairman. Question: Clarington, along with the rest of southern Ontario is experiencing hot summer temperatures. What are you doing to beat the heat? Justin Wood "Going to the cottage. I'm going to swim, take boat rides, drink - just try to keep cool." Nicholas Beenen "Sometimes we come in the (air-conditioned) house and sometimes we go swimming in our pool," Bob Mcrrilccs "Staying in the air-conditioned air-conditioned jobs. I'm going to all the buildings 1 service with air-conditioning, if at all possible." Christine Caswell "We go in our house 'cause it's niee'and air-conditioned air-conditioned and the sprinkler outside, Since we're on vacation vacation we're doing some shopping and heading to the Halls to get the cold mist." SfjE Canadian Statesman Former Publishers and Partners Rev. John M. Climic and W.R. Climic 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 Metroland Printing, Publishing & Distributing Ltd. Also Publishers of CLARINGTON THIS WEEK P.O. Box 481, 865 Farewell St., Oshawa, Ontario LI H 7L5 TEL: 905-579-4400 FAX: 905-579-2238 E-mail: newsroom@durhamregion.com Publications Mail Registration No. 07637 DROP OFFICE: James Publishing, 66 King St. W., Bowmanville, 8:30 p.m. - 5 p.m. weekdays LETTERS TO THE EDITOR e-mail letters to newsroom@iliirhanmews.net 0MB serves purpose To the editor: Re: 'Time for review of the OMB,' editorial of June 26, 2002. Instead of focusing on the 60 per cent of eligible voters who didn't vote, highlight the 40 per cent who did. These citizens, citizens, while perhaps small in number, chose a good council that is meeting the needs of today, and preparing for the future. future. The upcoming transit system system and increased recreational opportunities exemplify some of this council's initiatives. (Thank goodness 5 a.m. lineups lineups for swimming lessons are - now history!) * : It is unlikely low voter percentage percentage can be blamed on the OMB. This neutral board ensures ensures protection of all citizen's rights. A good reporter must recognize all council decisions are not good. Take, for example, example, the Courtice corridor. As reported throughout your June papers, this project sits in limbo, unapproved by council because it did not please a 'number of citizens.' Did the number of landowners opposed opposed to the corridor study represent all Clarington voters, or even Coiirtice voters? If a silent voice cannot be assumed as one of acceptance, perhaps council-should begin a referendum referendum process, using the following following questions: 1. I agree with the Courtice corridor and wish the plan to proceed as drafted. 2.1 disagree with the Courtice corridor and wish council to allocate another $100,000 to further study the issue. Until a time when politicians can be ruled by what is right as opposed to what will ensure re-election, I suggest the OMB remain intact and the 40 per cent of Clarington voters be applauded for their efforts. Liz Farrell Bowmanville Politicians love to play humble card Most intent on proving they are ordinary people A politician trying to get to the top in Ontario may someday boast he was raised in a comfortable comfortable home, had straight As at Harvard and is a whiz at polo, but don't count on it. Most politicians arc intent on proving they arc just ordinary ordinary guys. Ernie Eves has been trying to show it since he announced announced he was coming back from his $l-million-a-year job in the financial world to run for premier and he is still hard at it. Mr. Evcs's first, famous words in his comeback were he has always felt more comfortable comfortable on Main Street than on Bay Street. He recounted also how his parents were working- class and he worked hard to put himself through university and become a lawyer. When Mr. Eves ran fora scat in the legislature in a rural area where many wealthy Torontonians Torontonians including his partner, Isabel Isabel Bassett, have country homes, he furthered his image of being an ordinary joe by saying saying they know him at the local Canadian Tire store and Howard's, the butcher's shop, The premier is busy now claiming his budget is more Main Street Ilian Bay Street, because il postponed tax cuts that would have helped the bet- ter-olT, to provide more money lo spend on services lor all. Politicians have had a mania to show lliey came from luiin- hle roots since Abraham Lincoln Lincoln emerged from his log cabin and probably earlier, They want to assure voters they can appreciate the concerns concerns of average families Eric Dowd At Queen's Park through experience and were not born with silver spoons in their mouths, but worked their way up. Thus Elizabeth Winner, who ran against Mr. Eves for leader and got to be deputy premier, told in her campaign how she immigrated as a small child with her parents from Holland. The family had "little in material material goods" and she worked in a local convenience store from the age of 12. Tony Clement, who also lost for leader, stressed lie worked in his father's restaurant from 10 a.m. to 2 next morning, making this seem a province of child labour, as well as opportunity. opportunity. Mike Harris, Mr. Eves's predecessor predecessor as premier, was keen to be seen as an ordinary guy, although his family owned various various businesses. Mr. Harris said, "I come from the people, I'm the guy next door, I'm a working stiff. I'm Mike from North Bay." Mr. Harris once said he knew what it is like to have to live on bologna, hut his scrupulously honest father could not remember remember it. Mr. Harris once accused his predecessor, New Democrat premier Bob Rae, of having an "elitist" background. Mr. Rae was the son of a career diplomat diplomat and one of the brainy group of Rhodes Scholars at Oxford and lived in some upscale neighbourhoods. But when he was premier Mr. Rae played this down, saying saying lie lived "pretty frugally and my family has a mortgage and a car loan and we don't live very differently from millions of others." Durable Tory premier William Davis liked to picture himself as just a small-town guy at heart, although he was a lawyer who, on retiring, immediately immediately collected a score of Bay Street directorships. John Robarts, another lawyer, liked it to be known that when he enlisted in the navy in the Second World War, lie held the rank of "ordinary seaman." Leslie Frost, also a smalltown smalltown lawyer, knew how to seem an ordinary guy around election times, when lie got out his battered battered old car to drive down the concession roads seeking votes. David Peterson, Liberal premier premier from 1985-90, was the only premier who did not care whether the public thought he was well-off. Mr. Peterson came from a well-to-do family, never disguised disguised it, feeling it fit the yuppie yuppie atmosphere of the times, bought a million-dollar-homc in upscale Rosedale, seemed to spend half his life in tuxedo and scarlet cummerbund and was accused by opponents of living a "lifestyle of the rich and famous," famous," after a popular TV program program of the time. Jacquie Mclnnes Staff Writer jmcinnes@durhameivs.net No more hoopla for kids The basketball net is gone from Lutrell Road and all is quiet for now on the little dead-end street leading to nowhere in south-west Bowmanville. The Aspen Springs neighbourhood has drawn attention over a controversy centred on the net, owned by one of the local teens. Kyle Riggs left it on the unused unused and barricaded road allowance that will some day lead to another subdivision subdivision but for now ends at a field. It was there for all the neighbourhood kids to use at their leisure. Unfortunately, aside from being a great source of fun, the net apparently drew some typical adolescent behaviour, behaviour, including swearing, occasional littering littering and, according to one neighbour, some recreational drug-taking just off the road in the field behind his fence. Before the road was used for basketball, basketball, it had for several years been used for road hockey and skateboarding, reports reports Kyle's mom Darlene Dooley. In other words, it's a great place to play, regardless regardless of the game. It's understandable if you happen to live nearby the aforementioned activities activities can occasionally get bothersome. Few would dispute that. What is unfortunate is that someone chose to resolve this matter by complaining complaining to , the municipality/leaving bylaw officers no choice but lo order the net removed. Will that stop kids from playing on Lutrell Road? Probably not. They'll still likely go there to skateboard and play road hockey and other games kids invent with a piece of unused bare pavement. Some will still swear while a few others will experiment behind a fence that shields them from the eyes of the community. What the call did do is divide a neighbourhood and take away a perfectly perfectly healthy activity for teens during a] long summer when some of them arc still too young for jobs and too old Ton day camp. j "It's a no-win situation," says Don] MacArthur, the area councillor. 'The bylaw department, as much as possible/ tries to avoid enforcing the road occu-j pancy bylaw. They don't want to be run-* ning around making kids stop playing! road hockey. But if the town knows] about it and condones it, it could be held' liable if there's an accident." Kids are kids, then they are teens. If, you live in a subdivision, chances arc] you arc going to have to tolerate some- youth behaviour, good and bad. *] What really seems to be missing is] some adult behaviour. Parents should bq] ensuring their kids aren't out at 11 p.m." making noise beside a neighbour's win-u dow. Residents, annoyed at their neigh-]] hours' kids, might want to try a friendly! visit to the family just to give the heads!] up there's a problem before they call the] town. 2 It's called living together respectfully. respectfully. Kids, they say, learn by example. ; THE CANADIAN STATESMAN is one of the Metroland Printing, Publishing Publishing and Distributing group of newspapers, 't he Statesman is a member of the Bowmanville Clarington Clarington Board of Trade, the Greater Oshawa Oshawa Chamber of Commerce, Ontario Ontario Community Newspaper Assoc., Canadian Community Newspaper Assoc., Canadian Circulations Audit Board and the Ontario Press Council. 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