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PAGE 6THE CANADIAN STATESMAN, September 3, 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 185-i EDITORIAL e-mail letters to newsroom®(lurhamrejVon.com And they're off... finally Demand answers from candidates not propaganda S o the great guessing game - in Ontario politics anyway - is finally over. With Premier Ernie Eves's decision Tuesday to go to the polls Thursday, Oct. 2, the real power in this province will devolve to those who really should hold it - you, the voter. It's up to you to make the candidates in 103 ridings across this great province prove they belong at Queen's Park. Hundreds of MPP-wannabes will be pushing hard for your vote, working overtime to convince you they have all the answers. What can you do? You can phone, e-mail, and show up at all-candidates meetings meetings determined to get your questions answered. Demand that candidates listen to what you have to say. Often politicians are great at spewing forth everything they will do, how the party in power either did great things or did nothing useful at all, how if you only elect them all will be well under the sun. Few are talented talented at hearing your concerns. Make them listen to what you have to.say. Upset about the school system? Make each candidate provide you with a specific, specific, realistic plan for change. Angry about health-care services? Insist candidates explain how they and their party will facilitate improvements. Frustrated with the tax system? Demand detailed answers as to how the Tory, Liberal or NDP candidate will make it better. If you're really industrious, take a look back at platforms the three major parties put together for the 1999 election. Did the Tories follow the platform they promised to implement? Were the promises made by the opposition parties realistic or sensible given what has happened over the past four years? How does what was pledged in 1999 compare or contrast with the 2003 platforms? Why? It takes work to make a democracy function. It's not simply a matter of showing up at the polls on election day, though fewer and fewer (just under 60 per cent in the 1999 election) have bothered to do that. What's needed is a serious look at the issues involved and the promises made by the parties running as to how they will solve them. In provincial elections, there are usually usually only a handful of issues on the table. Education, health care, taxes, energy, the environment,, and Ontario's place in Canada tend to be the main concerns campaign after campaign. Who should win? Largely; it comes down to several points: Who do you think is the best leader? Who do you think has the best team (cabinet possibilities)? Which party do you believe will be able to deliver on their promises? Which of the parties do you think will follow through on the issues most important to you? It all requires a lot of time and effort, which is asking a lot, but then living in a democracy requires effort. It only happens every four years or so. Put in the effort needed so the candidates who want your support support earn it. WH rtfeî cY u.txM com -TW litmus -SUDDENLY A SIX mE saisy m mm TKBBi , v '• ' 8S#Ü LETTERS TO THE EDITOR e-mull Idlers In iii , wsro<mi@clurhmmvi'i<m,c(im Keep eye on those gas gougers To the editor: If my local gas station look advantage of a crisis and raised the price of gas dramatically, I would have no problem remembering remembering that gas station as I drove by il when the crisis was over. If the raise was ordered from a chain corporate office, that station should have reported that its generator just broke down. Not totally unrelated it is now rumoured terrorists may have taken out those transmission transmission lines. Perhaps, me thinks, it would be a good idea for all gas stations stations to have generators... governments, governments, corporate gas, companies, companies, and grocery chains listen listen up.,..dull! Paul Cordon Cniminglon Etjc Canadian Statesman ■ ■ Rhone 905-579-4408 Classifieds 905-576-9335 Distribution 905-579-4407 General Fax 905-579-2238 Newsroom Fax 905-579-1809 E-Mail newsroom@durhamregion.com 865 Farewell St., Oshawa ON L1H7L5 Publications Mail Registration No. 07637 September 3, 2003 Metroland Printing, Publishing & Distributing Ltd. infodurhamrs9ion.c0m tern dolighan.com LETTERS TO THE EDITOR e-mail letters to newsroom@durliamrcgion.coiii Police the target too often To the editor: Re: 'Police slwot Durham man,'Aug. 27, 2003 In four words, whoever laid out your front page managed to twist a news story to suggest the police are somehow at fault because because someone shot at them, forcing an officer to return fire to stop an immediate threat. None of our police officers comes to work thinking 'Gee, I hope I can shoot someone today!'They are intelligent professionals professionals with an extremely challenging job, who make split-second decisions which will undoubtedly be questioned by those with the luxury of time to reflect on all the "what-ifs", without the pressure of a deadly weapon being pointed (or fired) in their direction. The story on page seven of the same edition is balanced, but our police deserve better than your headline. Doug Lewis Kendal Price-gouging criticized To the editor: On Friday morning still with no power and with the worry of no water looming over us, 1 went to purchase a case of bottled bottled water (usually priced at $6.50) at a convenience store. At this particular store the owner was more than happy to charge 130 per cent more for the same case of water 24 hours after the blackout. When another another consumer questioned the owner he was glad to inform us this is now the new price. New York and other U.S. states are protected by 'Price- Gouging Laws' that prohibit "unconscionably excessive" prices for consumer goods and services that are vital and necessary necessary for the health, safety and welfare of consumers during an abnormal disruption of the market market resulting in a state of emergency. emergency. Unfortunately in Ontario we have no such law, some MPPs itave tried a number of times to have price-gouging legislation introduced but to no avail. As consumers though we do have our own means of retribution, retribution, 'word-of-mouth', the ability ability to tell everyone we know about these merchants and not to shop at their places of business. business. When your community is in a slate of emergency it is not time to try and turn a profit on others misfortune. It is time to pull together and help out like so many of our friends, families, families, and other retailers did. S.A. Messina Whitby OPINION e-mail letters to newsmom@(lurhamregion,eom We ought to put Province in 'Jeopardy' W e need more movie stars to run for government government positions in Ontario. If California can do it, we can too. Besides, much of the filming for Hollywood is done in the GTA anyway. So maybe some old-school Canadian celebs could start things off by running for provincial and municipal municipal posts. Sure, matching the popularity of Arnold might be tough. But I am confident we, the Canadian people, can pull it off. The natural choice for Premier of Ontario Ontario would be Alex Trehek. He's knowledgeable; knowledgeable; knows how to deal with questions; questions; already sells out to the U.S.; and is comfortable with the media associating his name with 'Jeopardy' or 'Pitfall', "Alex, can I have Overcrowded Emergency Emergency Waiting Rooms for $500?" For Oshawa mayor, I nominale nominale Michael .1, Fox. He was fiscally responsible as the right-wing characler on 'Fam ily Ties', Alex Keaton, and he gained political experience acting as the mayor's assistant on 'Spin City'. Plus, he may be able to do what Oshawa politicians have failed: bring the city's image 'Back to the Future'. Could the downtown arena be the flux capacitor the city needs to bring people back downtown? Clarington needs a young guy, popular with the ladies. Perhaps only William Shalner could take the place of Mayor John Mutton (although K.D. Lang could do the job, too). The council chamber could be decorated like the bridge of the Enterprise, and deputations deputations could be done on a giant video screen al the front of the room where guests are forced to dress like Klingons. A breech in the ship's core would lake on a new meaning with Darlington Nuclear nearby. In Whitby, the logical choice would he Toronto Maple Leaf coach Pat Quinn, lie has already coached Whit by athletes in the Olympics, is used to working for an organization organization with lots of money, and may help the Town with its dream to have its own junior hockey team like Oshawa. Finally, Alan Thickc could be Regional chairman. He would understand the Region's pride and self-pity over the area's huge population growth, and blame it on the Province just as our current representatives representatives do. He'd refer to the troubles troubles as 'Growing Pains'. Celebrities like comedian Marlin Short, Lovcrhoy singer Mike Reno, and CBC anchor Alison Smith could fill other government jobs. And perhaps 'Bob and Doug' actors, Rick Moran is and Dave Thomas, could govern north Durham, Truly, fame is more important important than political experience in the eyes of voters, Look no further than Ronald Reagan in the U.S. 1 le was an actor. But the truth is, actors have an edge over the rest of the famous famous candidates. Because many politicians study the,art of acting well before they're voted into power. "Alex, could 1 have famous Canadian blackouts for $300?" Jeremy Le Page Staff Writer |lG|tnye@ iliirliamrcijlon.com CLICK AND SA^ Today's question: Do Darlington and Pickering nuclear stations need no-fly zones? □ Yes □ No Cast your rote online at infodurhamiegion.com Last week's question: What is the top issue to be addressed in the next provincial election? □ Hydro U Education U Deficit □ Health Care 27.6 per cent 15.9 per cent 12.4 per cent 44.1 per cent Total votes: 170 HAVE YOUR SAY Question "Were your children children excited to get back to school or was it a struggle to get them out the door on Tuesday?" Kathy Fagan "They ran out the door. Tomorrow it might be something different." Dave Duffy "She woke up early. She was dressed, she was ready to go." Thompson (f tenc * ler s he Lisa VanLuven "They were jlk JH disappointed. j||| because they, :, 'Mr couldn't go with them."' (Eljc Ciiuntniui j&tntcsnwm 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. Unauthorized reproduction reproduction is prohibited. Aocna H3H51 ÜOB