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PAGE A4 THE CANADIAN STATESMAN, NOVEMBER 26,2003 www.durhamrcgion.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 Œfjc Canatrian Statesman Rhone 905-579-4400 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 L1 H 7L5 Publications Mail Registration No. 07637 ('.lariniton's Award-Winning Newspaper Since 1854 NOVEMBER 26,2003 Metroland Printing, Publishing & Distributing Ltd. infodurham .com EDITORIAL e-mail letters to ncwsroomts'(I iirhnmregion.com Broken promises ruin environment Liberals can take action to ensure no further moraine damage is done Destruction of the environment and decimation of the Earth's natural natural resources seem to come naturally to mankind. Efforts to restore polluted waters and preserve our grcenspacc for the future health of the planet come only with hard work and intense lobbying of governments. governments. agencies and business. Sometimes, it seems that with every step forward we take a few backward. There is no reason to celebrate the Liberal government's announcement announcement Friday it will expand a natural heritage park that will protect areas around Ontario's Golden Horseshoe from urban development. development. The Hip side of the announcement will see 5,700 homes built on the environmentally-sensitive Oak Ridges Moraine, known as the 'rain barrel' of southern Ontario. Dalton McGuinty's Liberal government has apparently found itself itself unable to keep an election promise to halt the construction of 6.600 homes on the moraine in Richmond Hill, due to the high costs of squirming out of a Tory-made deal with developers. Instead, the Liberals have negotiated a reduction of just 900 homes on the moraine, and developers will give a relatively modest sum of $3.5 million toward the heritage park, a greenbclt that will stretch from Niagara Niagara Falls to Lake Scugog. No matter which party we vote into power, environmenlally-sen- silive land keeps being bulldozed. We cannot expect to maintain our quality of life without the moraine, from which more than 50 rivers and streams originate, providing half-a-mi 11 ion people with water. Once the moraine is gone, it will be gone forever. The Liberals, barely in power a month, are already besieged by broken promises and are facing tough decisions in battling the provincial provincial deficit. Still to be grappled with are electricity costs, which could well prove shocking indeed to the average homeowner after the Liberals decided not to stick to their pledge of a price freeze until 2006. What one government does, another can undo - to some degree, at least. What the Liberals need to do now is take some concrete steps to ensure no future development destroys the Oak Ridges Moraine. These steps must include protecting drinking water by forbidding development that compromises the source of our water; finalizing the Tory-initialed deal to swap Seaton land in Pickering for a developer's moraine lands in Uxbridge; and making all details of land swaps involving involving the Pickering Seaton lands and Oak Ridges Moraine property property transparent. Meanwhile, as the City of Pickering continues with a developer-funded growth management study of its agricultural preserve preserve lands, west of Seaton, the Province should be watching carefully carefully and treading warily to ensure we don't go down this slippery slope again. Let's not have a government years from now trying to undo another bad deal. Once our farmlands and forests are relinquished to subdivisions, we will never get them back. OPINION e-mail letters to iictvsrooni@durlianiregion.com Minimum-wage increase important for everyone There were many reasons why Ontarians were looking forward forward to last Thursday's throne speech by the newly elected Liberal Liberal government. Some seniors were wonder- jug if the education tax cut promised by the Ernie Eves government government would be scrapped; CEOs waited to hear if corporate income taxes were to increase; while I longed to hear the government government say it would raise the minimum wage. Dalton McGuinty's government government did announce it would raise the minimum from $6.85 an hour to $8 over the next four years. This decision means at least one election promise they made will be followed through, although although an experience during the campaign makes me wonder for the reason behind the announcement. announcement. In the area where 1 worked previously 1 asked the Liberal candidate if the minimum wage would be increased if the party was elected. He responded by asking why 1 cared about the minimum wage since I didn't make it. Does that mean no member of provincial parliament should care since none of them make minimum wage? Everyone should care that the minimum wage has been frozen in this province since 1995. At that time Ontario had the highest minimum wage in Canada and until any Liberal-legislated increases increases come through it sits at fifth, Ontario is one of the richest provinces, yet hundreds of thousands thousands of people live below the poverty line. According to a report by the Caledon Institute for Social Policy, Policy, -It) per cent of minimum wage employees work full lime, They are not students or Danielle Milley teenagers working for some spending money. For a single person supporting supporting themselves making minimum minimum wage they can currently only survive in rural Ontario, according according to before-tax low-income low-income cut-offs (LICO), or poverty poverty line, stats published by Statistics Statistics Canada for 2002. The LICO differs based on the size of community someone lives in. Someone making $6.85 an hour and working 40 hours a week will earn $14,248 a year and the LICO in rural Ontario is $13,311. The next category is a community of less than 30,000 (LICO $15,267). That is why I care that the minimum wage be increased. Even with the increase to $8. people living in big cities will have to go without food or clothes or something. And in four years the increase won't be as effective since inflation will have increased as well. The argument used for years to keep the minimum wage stagnant stagnant was that an increase would hurl small business owners. 'The Statesman' spoke to business associations across the region and they agreed that the increase being phased in won't impact businesses as severely and they will be able to adjust, Let's hope minimum wage earners in Ontario don't have to wait until 2015 for an increase beyond $8. Reporter Danielle Miller's column column appears every other Wednesday. CLICK AND SA^ Today's question: Should the regional chairman's chairman's position be elected by voters or stay as it is, voted on by regional councillors? □ Public voting □ Regional councillors Cast your vole online at infodurham .com Last week's question: Does the education system benefit from provincial testing testing of students or is it a waste of time? □ Waste of time 39.6 per cent □ Needs improvement 19.5 per cent □ Helps students and teachers improve ■ 40.9 per cent Votes cast: 149 HAVE YOUR SAY LETTER TO THE EDITOR Question It's fill season again. Do you get the shot or not? e-mail letters to newsroom@diirhamreyion.com Hospital lawsuit just greed To the editor: I wanted to let my feelings be known on people suing Lake ridge Health for the stress, caused by the sterilization error. While this was a bad mistake mistake and I do sympathize with people who are having extra tests and added stress, I don't think money can compensate for stress. To me, this is just a case of greed on the part of lawyers and the people concerned. I wonder if they realize that by suing the hospital their insurance insurance fees will be increased. This puts a greater strain on health care. When health-care costs increase increase it usually leads to cutbacks cutbacks in service. Hospitals could lose staff or have to close some beds down. In the long run, the whole community community suffers because of the greed of a few people. Wilma Kantor Hampton Christmas does come way too early To the editor: Re: 'Christmas comes way too early,' column, Nov. 19. Thank you David Slcll for recognizing the absurdity of the start of Christmas celebrations celebrations in October. Imagine my shock driving home through downtown Bowmanville on Oct. 29 only to see two local store windows decorated for Christmas. This demonstrates two disturbing disturbing qualities to me. These two merchants decided decided Halloween didn't warrant any recognition. I could be fine with that decision, decision, however, what I find very disturbing is the rush right past Remembrance Day, no recognition or homage paid to these young men and women. The greed to begin the cash-cow grab means I will not be shopping in those local stores. I am a strong supporter of our downtown core and have felt very let down by these two merchants and their greed. I would imagine that by Dec. 15 we should have the Valentine's candy out for sale. Please ask your readers to reflect reflect on why we celebrate Christmas and choose to put the spirit back into the holiday season. Thanks for this opportunity and keep your ideas coming. Dianne McKenzie Clarington Article strikes a chord To the editor: Re: 'Living with ALS,' Nov. 19. I found the article to be inspiring inspiring to say the least, and hopefully I can read between the lines, but 1 am left wondering wondering what insights Kim Conners might pass on if he found the time. Larry Codd Whitby Everyone should vote for regional chairman To the editor: Re: 'One more vote to go,' Nov. !6. Indeed, in essence that is what it - the decision about a regional chairman for Durham - is: an appointment, not a democratic democratic election by the region's region's voters. The ad hoc committee in 2002 did nothing to correct the controversy; surely deciding that any Durham voter/resident voter/resident can put up their name for the position (but not making any public advertising about it) was no real solution. Chairman Roger Anderson has said a full election would only cost taxpayers money and open the doors to party politics. politics. Pray tell how a few more names on the municipal ballots and the vote counting would cost a lot more money? Party politics? What would make voter election of the regional chairman (instead of by regional regional councillors) any different different than election of mayors, councillors or anyone else? Elsewhere in 'This Week,' the column by managing editor editor Tony Doyle, 'Time has come to push voters to the polls,' raised major issues. Voter turnouts of 30 per cent or less should be telling our politicians something. Maybe public election of the regional chairman would help that "push" and end this argument once and for all. Think of all the non-political, non-party talent who would run! Alan Ingham Oshawa Dave Durbin 'No, but we are -, going to gel ' one next time.' Grace Flunk 'Yes, because I often got the flu (before) and I think it is helping.' Irene Gourlay 'No, not yet, but we have (the shot) every year.' Pearl Ball 'Yes, to protect myself. 1 do not want to get the flu.' TRUE GRIT By Tim Dolighan Or Cnimbiini &tiilfSmmi Is one ol Iho Molroland Printing, Publishing and Distributing group ol newspapers. The Statesman is a member ol Iho Bowmanville Clarington Board of Trade, the Greater Oshawa Chamber ol Commerce, Ontario Ontario Community Newspaper Assoc., Canadian Community Newspaper Assoc., Canadian Cir culations Audit Board and the Ontario Press Council. The publisher reserves Iho right to classify classify or refuse any advertisement. Credit for advertisement advertisement limited to space price error occupies. occupies. Editorial and Advertising content of the Canadian Statesman Is copyrighted. Unauthorized reproduction Is prohibited,