The following text may have been generated by Optical Character Recognition, with varying degrees of accuracy. Reader beware!

PAGE 6THE CANADIAN STATESMAN, JANUARY 8,2003 Tim Whittaker Publisher Joanne Burghardt Editor-in-Chief Chris Bovie Managing Editor Judi Bobbitt Regional Editor Fred Eismont Director of Advertising Eddie Kolodziejcak Classified Advertising Manager Kirk Bailey Distribution Manager Lillian Hook Office Manager Barb Harrison Composing Manager Efje Canabtatt Statesman ■ Clarington's Award-Winning Newspaper Since 1854 ■ Jan. 8,2003 Metroland Printing, Publishing & Distributing Ltd. www.durhamregion.com Rhone 905-579-440C Classifieds 905-576-9335 Distribution 905-579-4407 General Fax 905-579-2236 Newsroom Fax 905-579-1806 E-Mail newsroom@durhamregion.com ■ 865 Farewell St., Oshawa ON L1H 7L5 Publications Mail Registration No. 07637 infodurhamregion.com EDITORIAL e-mail letters to newsroom@diirhamrcsion.coin War on drugs going full blast in Durham D urham police have spent much time, energy energy and money battling drugs over the past few years. The problem seems to be getting getting much worse, not better. Reduce Impaired Driving Everywhere (RIDE) officers found an increase in a different different type of impairment these past seven weeks: those who toke and drive. Acting-Sergeant Mark Stone of the Durham Regional Regional Police is clearly troubled by the 30 motorists who were stopped and charged with marijuana possession. That's in addition to the 56 who were charged with driving over the legal limit of 80 mgs. per 100 mis. of blood out of 27,066 vehicles inspected. By comparison, in 2001, police stopped 30,497 vehicles and charged 70 people with being over the limit. "Personally, I was shocked by the number of narcotic charges," said Sgt. Stone. Drug charges this year tripled over last year despite fewer vehicles being stopped. In several cases officers were greeted with clouds of smoke from freshly burnt joints as they made their stop. While there are no specific measurable levels for marijuana marijuana impairment behind the wheel, as there are with alcohol, alcohol, officers can chargé obvL 1 ' ously stoned drivers. ' ' Toking and driving is only- a part of the ongoing, expensive expensive drug battle. This past year has seen an all-out war on pot-grow homes with dozens of busts made throughout the region on a continuous basis. More than 100 pot homes were shut down in Durham during 2002 and there promises to be many more this coming year. Not only has millions in 'pot been confiscated in these raids but hundreds of thousands thousands of dollars in illegal hydro theft has been restored. Grow homes typically tap into power lines illicitly and steal tremendous amounts of power until they are caught. Police are also keeping a close watch on the movements movements and activities of local bikers, who've moved into the area in the past few years. The Hells Angels have established established a clubhouse in Oshawa and are also working, according according to police, with local puppet puppet clubs. An alleged outlaw biker was busted recently for drug activity here. All this effort by police merely points up the increasing increasing problems caused by drugs in our region. Whether it be toking and driving, grow homes or drug dealing and the associated crimes that go with it, our police face huge challenges as we head into another year. Their challenges challenges are also our challenges. challenges. Whether we're parents parents or children, we owe it to "ourselves to work with law enforcement to stamp out illegal illegal drug use. OPINION c-mail letters to newsroom@clurliamreyion.eom An election year: the good, the bad, the bottom line A recent national survey reportedly reportedly found most Canadians optimistic about 2003, but surely any optimistic optimistic Ontarians forgot it's a municipal municipal election year. Just the thought of the fall election can make a community journalist seriously reconsider basket-weaving as a career choice. During an election year, you've got to cany your shovel with you everywhere, and it isn't just for clearing snow. But having said that, local elections are extremely extremely important, or they should be. Each and every taxpayer in Durham Region could benefit from paying attention attention to local issues, and getting to know their candidates, or at least what their candidates candidates hope to achieve if elected, But you know that isn't going to happen. Historically, municipal municipal elections see the lowest turnout of eligible voters. As long as the garbage truck shows up on collection collection day and as long as the streets are plowed, the average taxpayer/voter won't care what's going on at city hall until something something close to home shocks them out of apathy, such as a new Ibur- lane highway being built beside their house. We gel the leaders we deserve, deserve, especially if we just sit back and let the neighbours vote them into office, But those who do keep an eye on municipal politics (and inexplicably, inexplicably, there are a handful of residents in each municipality who are regulars at the weekly meetings) can tell you the campaigning campaigning starts early, Judi Bobbitt Regional editor You'll know it's happening when each and every member of a municipal council suddenly has to speak to eveiy issue during a public meeting, addressing their remarks to the nearest community community television camera. Meetings grow tediously long. Channel- surfing on a recent Monday night, I watched 10 minutes of a council meeting out of curiosity and yes, it's already started; there was one politician giving a planning planning director a hard time because some residents/voters had a problem in the neighbourhood. neighbourhood. Never mind that all the Official Plans, zoning amendments, amendments, bylaws and endless endless planning studies arc approved by council, council, not the planning director. director. Call me cynical, but I predict this will be the year your local councillor councillor returns your call; the year every politician politician will be as sweet as pie as they take up one neighbourhood cause after another and bombard the newsroom with press releases trumpeting their ideals and calling calling for action. When November draws closer, you can always count on a little mud being thrown around by opponents on the campaign trail. Take everything you hear during during an election year with a grain of salt, but ilo yourself a favour this time around and pay attention, attention, Question the candidates who come to your door, start following following the issues in your community community and attend some all-candidates' all-candidates' debates. You deserve to have a say in how your tax dollars dollars are spent. Above all, if you don't vote, don't complain for the next three years. LETTERS TO THE EDITOR c-innil tellers to ncwsroom@durliiimrcgion.com Gold may not be so bad after all To the editor: Re: 'All that glitters is not the best investment choice,' Jan. 5, 2003. In the article on gold as an investment investment choice, Gordon Ley warns us against those who suggest suggest that the price of gold may reach $1,000 per ounce over the next decade. He says, "Whenever "Whenever anyone forecasts this type of return on any investment, run, don't walk, as far away as you possibly can." Gold at .$ 1,000, per ouiicè sounds attractive, but if it does take a decide to get there, the^ac- tual annual return on the initial investment would be less than 12 per cent based on the current price of gold. An annual return of 12 per cent is not extraordinarily high. I would be surprised if Mr. Ley is warning his clients to "run, not walk, away" from any invest ment that might provide an average average annual return of 12 per cent over a decade. Gold may or may not be an appropriate investment at . this time, but Mr. Ley should really have calculated the rate of return before making such a rash statement. statement. Rex Strom Courtice Gold might glitter To the editor: Re: 'All that glitters is not the best investment choice,' Jan. 5, 2003. L U:'.,; ;< WoW, Jeanne : Benetèàu con- - tributed this rather negative (gold ' as investment) assessment just when gold has broken two important important psychological barriers ($330 and $350) on the upside. Sure gold pays no dividends... just like JDS Uniphase or Nortel, and most other recent high-tech wonders. On the other hand, in the last year there have been incredible (investment) profits made by those investors who chose gold- related investments such as producing producing mines and any such speculative speculative mining property which may prove to hold potential reserves reserves identifying a commercial ore body. Of course virtually all the major gold producers pay some sort of a dividend. (Gains of 50 per cent to 500 per cent in just one year have been veiy common for this group). If nothing else, I would say any and all serious investors ought to have some gold or gold- related investments and view them for insurance purposes, especially especially during these turbulent times. To add icing to the cake, once the market realizes just how many US (dollars there exist today, traders may very well wish to swap some of those (overvalued) (overvalued) dollars for some solid undervalued undervalued gold. Investment adviser adviser Gord Ley will not wish to deprive his clientele from participating participating in what seems to be a coming bull bullion market. R.H. Rosma Oshawa OPINION e-mail tellers to newsroom@durlianircgion.eom NDP showing signs of life as election draws near T be party that was virtually virtually non-existent in the last two Ontario elections could have an impact in the next, due within months. The New Democrats have barely survived with an average of only 10 to 15 per cent support support in polls since voters tossed them out of government government in 1995. However, However, the third party has stepped up to a more respectable 22 per cent in the latest polls. This is not exactly a level that suggests they could win the election, which Progressive Progressive Conservative Premier Ernie Eves is expected to call shortly shortly in the tradition of holding votes every four years. The New Democrats Democrats arc too far behind, have left loo many memories of their high spending and failures to keep longstanding promises, and lack the personalities and organization they once had. Bill 22 per cent is not far below the support they had lor several decades before they were almost wiped out by being in government. It brings them close to having some influence influence in an election. 'fhe increase in support for the NDP partly reflects reduced enthusiasm for tbe Tories and their main rivals, the Liberals, who lend in polls. Mr. Eves lias retreated on so many issues, from allowing a free market to set hydro rates to increasing nursing home fees, lie has an image of being ready to abandon any principle at a hint of protest. Liberal leader Dalton McGuinty has made almost as many flip-flops, his most recent recent being for and against privatizing privatizing electricity transmission transmission and freezing hydro rates. Neither has convinced voters voters he is capable of choosing policies he can stick to or shown the confidence confidence and surc-foot- edness they expect in a leader. New Democrat leader Howard Hampton Hampton in contrast, as even some of his critics critics have acknowledged, acknowledged, has been a model of consistency, against privatizing hydro assets and against a free market in rates, among other stands. Mr. Hampton also lias carried the burden of promoting causes favoured by many who are left of centre, such as increasing the paltry $6,85 an hour minimum minimum wage, which has not been raised since the Tories under Mike Harris, Mr. Eves's predecessor, predecessor, won government in 1995. Some who deserted the NDP at that time appear to feel it has done penance and have returned to its fold and such signs of NDP healing may encourage encourage others on the same path. The main impact of a stronger NDP will be to take votes from the Liberals, who arc closest to it on the political spectrum, and indeed Liberal strength in polls has fallen slightly as the NDP's has risen. Any sign the NDP is getting back on its Icet also will discourage discourage further attempts to organize organize so-called strategic voting voting similar to those efforts made in 1999. At that time some unions that normally support support the NDP urged electors to vote for whichever candidate in their riding had the best chance of beating the Tory, which often meant voting Liberal. They argued the paramount objective should be getting rid of Mr. Harris, because of his cuts in services and hostility toward toward unions. Mr. Harris was among those who recognized the NDP was vulnerable to such calls which could help Liberals and this produced the odd spectacle of the Tory premier trying to prop up the NDP by saying it at least had policies, while no one knew where the Liberals stood. The call for strategic voting was effective enough it cost the NDP a handful of seats and it depended very much for its success on the deep resentment of Mr. Harris. But unions will be less inclined inclined to push it if the NDP shows signs of gaining a few seals and it will have less appeal appeal anyway now Mr. Harris lias been replaced by the more moderate Mr, Eves, who does not engender the same animosity. animosity. If the NDP can notch up a few more per cent, it also would have a level of support that in the past three decades has enabled it to restrict the Tories Tories to three minority governments governments and push out one of them when it combined with the Liberals, Liberals, But, it still is a long shot. Eric Dowd Queen's Park CLICK AND SA^ Today's question: What is the most important issue facing Durham Region in 2003? □ Making a decision on new regional headquarters □ Getting Pickering nuclear reactors back online □ Developing a regional transit link □ Addressing local hospital needs Cast your vote online at infodurhamree tio^com Last week's question: Are you concerned about our blood supply after three different types of blood products were removed from circulation due to concerns about West Nile virus? □ Yes 71.9% □ No 21.8% Votes cast: 64 HAVE YOUR SAY Question As we enter a municipal election year, what are the issues you feel Clarington politicians should be concerned with? David Bay "How are the politicians going to bring and attract new business to the area. ' There is growth here and a lot of families moving to the area but no place or new companies to work for." Tom Mayhew Mark Thompson "I think they have to look at the rapid rate of growth in this area. There are new schools and subdivisions subdivisions but the infrastructure infrastructure doesn't seem to keep pace. There has to be a better balance." Alfreda Wheeler "I think the council and staff are doing a great job, Mayor Mutton has also been very good. My only concern is putting a four-way stop sign in Tyrone; it's a very dangerous intersection." QTfir iCmiiibinn Statesman is one of the Metroland Printing, Publishing and Distributing group of newspapers. The Statesman is a member of the Bowmanville Clarington Board of Trade, the Greater Oshawa 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 advertisement limited to space price error occupies. Editorial and Advertising content of the Canadian Statesman Is copyrighted. copyrighted. Unauthorized reproduction reproduction Is prohibited. À ocna HHËÜ1