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PAGE A4 THE CANADIAN STATESMAN, August 27,2003 www.durhamregion.com Tim Whittaker Publisher Joanne Burghardt Editor-in-chief Tony Doyle Managing Editor Fred Eismont Director of Advertising Eddie Kolodziejcak Classified Advertising Manager Kirk Bailey Distribution Manager Lillian Hook Office Manager Janice O'Neil Cheryl Haines Composing Managers Clarington's Award-Winning Newspaper Since 1854 Efjc Canabtan Statesman ■ ■ Phone 905-579-440C Classifieds 905-576-9335 Distribution 905-579-4407 General Fax 905-579-2238 Newsroom Fax 905-579-1808 E-Mail newsroom@durhamregion.com 865 Farewell St., Oshawa ON L1 H 7L5 Publications Mail Registration No. 07637 August 27,2003 Metroland Printing, Publishing & Distributing Ltd. infodurhamregion.com EDITORIAL c-niiiil letters to ncwsroom@ l <ltirliiimrenion.com Time for Eves to make his move Durham has long list of issues for provincial candidates For months now, Ernie Eves has desperately tried to find the time to make a date with Ontarians at the polls. In no particular order, the premier has had to weave his way around severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) scares, mad cow tears, provincewide blackouts, and any other number of issues beyond his control. And we haven't even mentioned the vitriolic public response to his decision to introduce the spring budget at an autoparts manufacturer. Yet, it seems like he finally has his window of opportunity, with all signs indicating a fall election is inevitable, especially given the' recent rave reviews Mr. Eves has been earning, through polling, for his handling of the recent blackout. Which means it's finally time for all three provincial parties to move beyond the photo-op, attack-fax, and rhetoric stage and get down to serious discussions on a number of key issues. On a provincial scale, real alternatives and solutions must be put forth for our tenuous hydro situation, our labour-disrupted public school system, our ailing health system, for protection of the environment and to address growing gridlock on our highways. The list of local issues runs just as deep across Durham Region. In Pickering, the restart of four nuclear reactors continues to make news for how far behind schedule the operation is running and the billions of dollars the project is costing. With delay after delay mounting and revised date after revised restart date, an increasingly increasingly impatient public demands and deserves answers as to why. Down the road on the Ajax/Whitby border, the location of a proposed link between the future expansion of Hwy. 407 and Hwy.. 401 is no nearer a solution. The two municipalities continue to fight over which side of Lakeridge Road is the right spot. '•'For that matter, how fast and how far, the 407 travels 'across Durham and into Clarington' is also desperately in need of addressing. addressing. The longer we wait, the longer the region is denied the opportunity to open up thousands of acres of industrial land, giv-' ing a much-needed boost to the economy and local tax base. It seems just about every Durham municipality is struggling to attract a full complement of doctors, and real solutions are required, required, particularly in Scugog, Uxbridge and Clarington where there is a deep rural base of residents. Whitby is in the same boat and even Oshawa, a large urban centre of 150,000 people, is an estimated estimated 40 physicians short of a full complement. Lastly, it was back in the days of NDP rule that the region was first promised a new courthouse to fix the current antiquated setup of various locations across the region. More than eight years later a decision on location has still not been reached, much less a shovel shovel in the ground. There's plenty to discuss and plenty to be debated debated in the weeks ahead. However, for sure, voters arc looking for a clear and detailed course of action for our future. It's time to get down to real business and issues - we're awaiting awaiting our options. LETTERS TO THE EDITOR e-mail letters to newsroom(fl'durliamrenimi.emn There are good people out there To (lie editor: Today I had a wonderful experience. experience. My van's transmission transmission blew. I was slack in the centre lane al Highways 57 and 2 during during rush hour. My baby was in llie backseat. My cell plume was dead. Two police cruisers went by either without noticing or pretending pretending mil lo notice. I know this nil does not sound good, hut I'm getting there: Filler David Kirk; a siranger driving by noticing hazard lights who decided lo turn around, slop, and help. l ie knew who lo call, lei me use his cell phone and he stayed with me for what seemed like an hour. Me arranged help lo get my van to the side of the rond so dial traffic traffic could proceed. David, you have restored my failli in humankind during a time where it seems we are bombarded by criminals and, oilier had people in die news. Although my van will likely he cosily lo fix, my heart is happy because you eared. My beaulifuI baby and I are sale, and we are truly grateful. Tara McAslan Court ice dofighan.com LETTERS TO THE EDITOR e-mail letters to newsiooml® (hirhanireyion.com Many factors behind hospital's need for funding To the editor: Re: 'Hospital budget ailments ailments require funding injection,' This Week, Aug. 13. Your editorial rightly points out that 'there is no simple answer' answer' to the hospital funding conundrum. conundrum. And that's the position position Lakeridge Health finds itself itself in today - without simple solutions. However, I fell your readers may want to know the reasons why this is the case. Over the past number of years, all hospitals have been faced with mounting funding and cost pressures. There is no question, inflation within the hospital and healthcare sectors has been on a gallop. Costs continue continue to soar. We struggle to cover the increased cost of medications, medications, expensive new diagnostic diagnostic equipment and technology, technology, as we absorb increases in wages and benefits. While other income sources, such as the income income from parking or private rooms are necessary, die poten tial for revenue growth in this area, as one might imagine, is quite limited. Hospitals also find themselves themselves in the middle of a worldwide worldwide competition to attract the necessary medical professionals and specialists to provide these services. The fact that our population population continues to grow rapidly and that we now see sicker and more elderly patients than in the past, has also contributed to these pressures. In addition, for hospitals such as Lakeridge Health, costs have increased due to the dislocation dislocation and disruptions associated associated with necessary hospital expansion expansion and renovation, much of which had been put on hold for more than a decade. Unfortunately, when your every dollar is stretched to meet these increasing pressures, a shortfall of close to $5 million is a major concern, adding further pressure on the entire Lakeridge Health system. However, at Lakeridge Health, our real bottom line is to provide the necessary, quality care that the residents of Durham require, within the resources resources we have available. To this end, we have embarked on a major new planning initiative to review not only the programs and services that we provide, but also to make sure that how we provide these is effective and efficient as possible. Our goal is to ensure that LHC not only copes witli the increased pressure pressure and demand for healthcare programs and services, but that we excel at providing care throughout the region. The premier has stated that officials will review funding requirements requirements at the end of September September and we remain hopeful that, upon review, the Ministry of Health will provide us with the necessary funding to meet our commitment to all our local healthcare needs. Françoise Guenette Corporate Director, Communications, LHC Clarington should have helped To the editor:. During last week's blackout while many businesses lost perishable perishable items, the town hall was being run by generator, but closed due to power outage. Why couldn't our town hall set up some facility and help small businesses save some of their perishable items and in turn help the community who were in need of these items? Leah Monsma Bowmanville OPINION e-mail letters to new.sni<)m@cliirIiamreyion.e<>m Time to drop legal drinking age back to 18 again age from 18 to 19. The theory Reason for raising it 25 years ago has now been eliminated While our federal government government wrestles with die controversial controversial yel progressive progressive issues of decriminalizing decriminalizing marijuana and legalizing gay marriage, lie re's a hot potato for our provincial provincial government: reduce reduce the legal drinking drinking age in Ontario to 18. Why shave a year from the minimum age teens can purchase purchase and he served alcohol in lliis province? The answer is simple: with die elimination of the Ontario Ontario Academic CreeliI year (Grade 13 for you older readers), readers), there is no need lo main- lain a drinking age of 19. For that was die argument made in the 1970s lo lift die drinking was dial die vast majority ol high school students should be prohibited from drinking. Now that we've chopped a year from high school, we should take llie next logical step and chop a year from the drinking age. Of course, there will he concerns about teenage drinking drinking and driving. But such an argument surely shows a lack of respect for the knowledge knowledge and responsibility responsibility shown by the vast majority of teenage drivers who understand understand - better than many much older drivers drivers - dial drinking and driving is wrong. One could argue a single single year makes Mille difference when it comes lo die decision whether lo drink and drive. The decision to break die law really knows no minimum or maximum age limits, The real problem over die drinking age is now being laced al Ontario college and university campuses. The arrival arrival of the double cohort has put pubs and bars into a quandary and serves to exclude exclude the entire first-year class and part of die second-year class next year. That's not to say the purpose in going to post-secondary school is to drink alcohol, merely lo come to grips with the reality that attending attending campus pubs witli friends is simply a part of col- lege/univcrsity life enjoyed by and looked forward to by nearly nearly all students. The alternative will he to see a vast majority of students drink illegally this coming year, Is that a solution anybody is happy with? When we can legally enter into contracts at 18, vote at 18, go off lo war al 18, and drive at id, is it sensible to enforce a drinking age of 19? The time has come for die Province lo revisit this issue and drop die drinking age. Which parly will deal with lliis political hall of fire? No doubt, if it happens nl all, it won't occur iinlil after die coming provincial election. election. But die age should he lowered. Tim Kelly Staff Editor Ikelly® (liirliaiiirDylon.com CLICK AND SA Today's question: What is the top issue to be addressed In the next provincial election? □ Hydro □ Education □ Deficit □ Health Care Cast your vote online at infodurhamregion.com Last week's question: Do you think you're doing enough to power down this week? □ Yes 66.7 per cent □ Could do more 23.5 per cent □ No 9.8 per cent Total votes: 132 HAVE YOUR SAY Question "Has the blackout changed how you use electricity?" electricity?" Kathy Çhateauvert • "Yes, we keep the air . T ■ conditioner I Wr' off and cool ,|>V <7*' / the house by opening windows at night and closing them and the curtains during the day and using the furnace fan." Lee Robb "No, I don't think it will happen again, they'll be on top of it" Trevor Leon "Yes, I keep the air conditioner conditioner off when possible, possible, I try to be more aware of the power I'm using, and I'm watching less TV." In Helen Frederick "Definitely, I'm more aware of the power I use and try to conserve conserve where possible." Eljc iCiimibian Statesman is one of the Metroland Printing, Printing, Publishing and Distributing 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. advertisement. Credit for advertisement advertisement limited to space price error occupies. Editorial and Advertising content of the Canadian Statesman is copyrighted. copyrighted. 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