PAGE 4 THE CANADIAN STATESMAN, JANUARY 7,2004 www.durhamrcgioii.com Tim Whittaker Publisher Joanne Burghardt Editor-in-Chief Chris Bovie 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 EDITORIAL e-mail letters to ncwsroom@durliamregioii.com Health care costs must be reined in, and fast Eljc Cmtabmn Statesman 0 0 inions April 30,2003 Metroland Printing, Publishing & Distributing Ltd. «■CiLADU % m WtO VIB EtSEWB? ' i ■ • - . x . - Out-of-control spending threatens system ! It's only a symbol of a much larger problem, but somehow along the way, the Durham Cancer Cancer Centre and Lakeridge Health Oshawa redevelopment went from a reasonably priced $ 104- million facility in 1998 to something something in the $300-$400 million range today. ; And that in a nutshell, people of Ontario, is a snapshot of what has been happening with the health-care system over the past decade or so. ' Spending is clearly out of control. What once cost $100 million is now $300 or $400 million. And the Province has been left to pay the bills. ; Where does all the money come from? Look around. We all pay myriad taxes to cover the cost. Î Where once the health care ministry ate about a quartèr of the provincial budget, it now swallows up half of it. It's an insatiable insatiable monster that shows no signs of slowing down. . . ' 1 Here in Durham, 1 the goal wjas at one time to simply build a;modestly priced, state-of-the- art cancer centre and to expand hospital services in Oshawa. But sometime over the past half- dozen years, that changed into a plan that will at least triple original original cost estimates. No wonder the recently elected Liberals have reviewed the project. The entire system requires serious cost control. There is also a need for the feds to come to the table with a substantial increase increase in funding. The days when just 15 cents on each health care dollar is provided by the federal government must end. The Romanow Commission Commission on Health Care said the feds must contribute 25 per cent of the system cost to offset the huge increases the provinces have borne. That would take some of the pressure off Queen's Park, allowing allowing the Province to focus on other needs, such as the environment, environment, education, energy, municipalities, municipalities, roads and infrastructure. infrastructure. They all need cash, too.. Within the health-care system system itself, Durham will need new, expanded facilities to. handle handle a burgeoning population within the next decade.:, The... Province will be ' required to X fund, at least, two-thirds' of any | new construction. . \ . We need more family doctors'. X ; and specialists" to work in our hospitals, and . we . will have to have more nurses to work in them as well. And home care will continue to be a major challenge as baby boomers start to hit senior-citi- . zen age. Health care will continue to be the No. 1 issue. Both the Province and the feds had better listen to the people people or the governments WiU pay * ' the price at the ballot box. 1 ' dolighan LETTERS TO THE EDITOR e-mail letters to newsroom@durhamregion.com OPINION e-mail letters to newsroom@durhamregion.com Finger pointing about mad cow is irritating ; The United States closes its bbrders pretty quickly when mad cow is discovered in Canada. Canada. ! And when the disease lands oil their own soil, Americans are pretty quick to find a scapegoat. Right now, for instance, having identified an isolated case of ÈSE in Washington last month, their fingers are pointing directly directly north. .j This kind of behaviour behaviour reminds me of a time when I was a child and my older tjrother wrote my name in black permanent permanent marker all over the bathroom, i When my parents discovered thé mess and confronted us, he wasted no time in blaming me for the deed. ! In the end, my brother was found out and disciplined, disciplined, though my parents always always felt a niggling concern floating about in their minds because because they couldn't be 100 per cent certain they had punished the right child. Like my brother, the United States won't gain any special favours for transferring the Shelley Jordan Staff Writer blame. And either way, Americans Americans y/ill have to shoulder their share of the punishment. The infected cow was discovered discovered on American soil and, by pointing the finger at Canada as the source of the cow, the U.S. has only highlighted the interconnectedness interconnectedness of the cattle industry throughout North America. Now, should another Canadian cow be infected, infected, it will look bad for the whole continent and the U.S. will suffer as well. What we have going on in North America is a sad case of bickering bickering siblings. In this version, though, the United States has the economic economic clout and expects expects preferential treatment while younger Canada endures. endures. Tracing this problem to its roots and cleaning up our inspection inspection practices, even if it means beef products will be more costly, sounds like the best and only solution. The writing's on the wall. Reporter Shelley Jordan's column column appears every other Wednesday. Stiffer penalties would go further toward curbing drunk driving To the editor: When it comes, to dtunk driving, driving, some would think these impaired drivers .need to be. taught that driving drunk is wrong, but anyone with a brain knows it's wrong. We've all seen the commercials; commercials; we've all been through RIDE programs. There is no excuse for getting getting behind the wheel and driving driving drunk! The government needs to take drunk driving more seriously. seriously. Think about this fact: If a person is caught driving without without insurance, they are automatically automatically fined $5,000, even on a first offence. But if a person is caught driving driving while impaired, they are only given ..«t-2-hour suspén- - -sion of46|ji. Ijcence. Where's the sense in that/" It's time for our government to wake up and put and end to these stupid 12-hour suspensions. suspensions. Police should be empowered empowered to automatically charge anyone found driving ■while impaired $5,000. ; Then the number of drunk Œljc Cnmitiimv fetiitesmmi is one of the Metroland Printing, Publishing Publishing and Distributing 4" group of newspapers/ " The Statesman is a member of the Bowma'nvillti Clarington BoardjDf Trade, the Greater Oshawa Chamber of Corn- drivers on our roads should plummet. Brad Miller Courtice Future shouldn't be compromised for an economic quick fix To the editor: Re: More nuclear reactors sought, Sunday, Jan 4 I could hardly believe my eyes when I read your story about Mayor John. Mutton's personal acceptance of more nuclear reactors for Clarington. Do we really need eight more ■ money-sucking, hazardous-to- our-health, environmentally irresponsible, irresponsible, potential terrorist targets for Ontario? What is happening here? Have special-interest groups taken over? • Wiry are we not seeing the bigger picture? Have we learned nothing / from the OPG fiasco in Picker- V ing? . ■/. J-.-'X/ .if ■ ' - It appears'.we haven't. y Agreed. Ontario is in an energy energy crisis and we'd better'act soon. However, what we really need is a major paradigm shift . in the energy sector. We need to start shifting to merce, 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. solar and wind power. We need to put,major research research and development into finding alternative sources/for energy. '■ If we start now, we can possibly possibly make a difference'for future future generations. If we continue to pursue this insane course of action (nuclear (nuclear reactors), we will be bankrupt arid possibly setting the stage for the worst ecological ecological disaster of our time. It is time we, the people of Ontario, started telling our politicians what to do, instead of the other way around. Let's make wise decisions for our kids, the environment and the future -- not myopic, foolish ones based upon laziness, laziness, quick-fixes for the economy economy and pandering to special- interest groups. The future is not hard to see; why aren't we looking? Joel Hough Whitby ' Letters to the Editor ' To submit a letter, please include your name, address and daytime telephone number. Letters should be under 200 words. The editor reserves the right to edit copy length and clarity. Fax: 905-579- 1809, E-mail: newsroom@diirhamregion.com Credit for advertisement limited limited to space price error occupies,. occupies,. Editorial and Advertising content content of the Canadian Statesman Statesman is copyrighted. Unauthorized reproduction is prohibited. Phone 905-579-440C Classifieds 905-576-9335 Distribution 905-579-440/ General Fax 905-5/9-2238 Newsroom Fax 905-579-1808 E-Mail newsroom@dudiamregion.com 865 Farewell St., Oshawa ON L1 H 7L5 Publications Mail Registration No. 07637 infodurhamregion.com CLICK AND SAY Today's question: What should the Region of Durham's top priority be for this coming year? □ Improving regional roads □ Hwy. 407 expansion □ Supporting local hospitals □ A regional transit syslem- Cast your vote online at infodurham .com Last week's question: Is the provincial government's development moratorium in the Golden Horseshoe green- belt, including some Durham land, toô restrictive, or is it a step in the right direction? □ Too restrictive . 21.4% □ The right move 78.6% Votes cast: 70 HAVE YOUR SAY Question Should Clarington be the site of new nuclear reactors? Rob Gardner "1 think enough is. enough. We still have not resolved the disposal of nuclear, waste." 1 ' Jerry Gouveia 111 "Yes, I think so. I don't have à problem problem with nuclear nuclear energy. It is non polluting polluting and not like the coal fire generators..." Patricia McMichaei "I guess it has to go somewhere but I wish it wasn't here." David Schulz "No. We have enough already." TRUE GRIT ... zvciEto - eiAiB.ok f\ V-RBIA CANVAS mmm -\\\t c ti : m Wl... reps „y By Tim Dolighan ,..\N140 M 1 i J(£r EVER^UINq ON MV Wto~ DR1VE/ > u\^| (c) Copyright 2003 Œljc Cmmbinu Statesman is one of the Metroland Printing, Publishing Publishing and Distributing group of newspapers. The Statesman is a member of the Bow- manville Clarington Board of I 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 copy-' righted. Unauthorized reproduction reproduction is prohibited. tollW. Àocna RTH (*gsA