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PAGE 4 ♦ THE CANADIAN STATESMAN ♦ March 8,2006 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 Efje Cauabian Statesman Opinion | MARCH 8, 2006 durhamregion.com ■ Phone 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 L1H 7L5 Publications Mail Registration No. 07637 infodurhamregion.com EDITORIAL e-mail letters to ncwsroom@durhamrcgion.com MRP makes right call on cellphone ban Durham MPP John O'Toole isn't content to let a constant busy signal stop him in his effort to get cellphone use banned by drivers. Mr. O'Toole has, in the past, introduced a bill to have the hand-held devices prohibited from use by those in the act of driving. But his efforts have come to nought as his bill died on the floor. This time, however, the MPP has seen his bill pass first and second reading and, with the legislature a long way off from dissolution, it's a sure bet his bill will be read a third time. And this time, it should pass. While critics of the bill say it's unfair to blame driver'error oh hand-held cellphone use alone, some of the horrific accidents we've had in recent years suggest Jhe use of a cellphone played a role. A coroner's inquest into the accident which killed a father and his daughter when the pickup truck they were in crashed through a Pickering train crossing and was struck by a train, revealed the man had been speaking on a cellphone at the time of impact. ; More recently a mother and . her child went into a canal and drowned. . Again, the evidence revealed the woman had been talking on a céllphone when the crash took place. While there are clearly. other distractions at play on the road - everything from unruly children, children, to drinking hot and cold liquids, to eating, to even reading reading - it makes little sense to cite other improper driving.behaviour when discussing cellphone use while driving. Just because any number of activities decreases driving ability ability is no reason to excuse yet another one. All of these distractions can and should be controlled by an attentive driver. And police, should they see a vehicle moving erratically can stop the driver and lay a charge of dangerous driving. The problem with a hand-held device is that it takes one hand permanently off the wheel while also distracting the driver's attention, attention, often for many minutes at a time. Combined. with all the other problems which can befall drivers, drivers, the distraction can lead to devastation. Hands-free devices, which are easy enough to find, can make driving a much safer experience. In addition, there is no problem with people using cellphones when parked or stopped or when riding as a passenger; passenger; It's just that, when it comes to safety; on our roads, it's best to hang up while driving and keep two hands on the wheel, two eyes on the road. BACKWARD GLANCE Bowmanville Theatre, 1985 Statesman file photo Bowmanville Theatre at Bowmanville High School was showing showing 'A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum' in 1985. Cathy Haick is Panacea and John Amesbury is Pseudo- Ius. x V' 1 ■■ » ;>-1 &;•.* • -\V . v ^.\ • ; . V . / \ ] i "'.ri i 1 ' V!. *Jf( dofighan.com CLICK AND SAY Today's question: LETTERS TO THE EDITOR e-mail letters to newsroom@durhamregion.com Politician's stance disappointing To the editor: Re: Bev Oda's stance confusing, ambiguous, Feb. 17 editorial. It has become painfully clear there are few, if any, politicians in our country with a conscience. Bev Oda has chosen to take the path of least resistance! so as not to displease her fellow party members and more importantly importantly her leader who would have surely chastised her and quite possibly taken away her cabinet post. ; It is becoming increasingly difficult difficult to trust any politician that is involved in our government whether at a federal, provincial or municipal level. . ... They are for the most part all in it for nothing more than their own personal gains and aspirations. aspirations. It certainly begs.the question of who can we trust. In the future I think I will place my ballot with the Green party. They haven't had the chance to experience the greed, corruption and behind the scenes dealing that is happening on a daily basis throughout this country. Gary Musick Clarington Business tests customer's faith To the editor: I'm a staunch believer that if. you live in .a community you should invest back into it, as in supporting the small businesses of it. I recently took my home computer computer into a local business for repairs. I thought it was toast. I got to the local business and he opened the side panel and immediately told me my mother board was shot. He did not plug it in or put testers testers to it. But gave me a price of $320 plus taxes. , r .1, decided to get'a second opin- 1 ion. 'v, . i ; Within two days I got back my computer. ' A memory stick was loose, scrambling my hard drive. No charge! How many locals are. getting ripped off by these guys? Why should I trust any more local businesses? But how can I support any of these struggling local businesses after this? Would you? ' Paul Seeley Bowmanville People should get decision on regional chairman To the editor: Re: Regional chair referendum defeated again, Feb. 19. I read this item with interest and amusement. • Interest with the fact, that I, along with, a lot of my friends, feel this should be an elected position and amusement with the antics that .take place at council meetings, because this matter has been going on for nine years, since 1997!. On Feb. 15 the vote was 14- 13 against with one vote being absent which could have made it a tie. Councillor Joe Drumm says "that, people do not want an elected chair," and Mayor Gerri Lynn O'Connor says "Let's get onto the things that matter to residents." Well, to both of you, this does matter to the residents! So to end this matter, to the satisfaction of all the taxpayers in the region (and I do not live, in) have the councillors do two things. On the next election ballot in all areas of Durham Region add: (1) Should the chairman of the Regional Municipality of Dur- ' ham bè elected by general vote? Yes or No. (2) Are you, as a resident, in favour of the councillors voting themselves a pay increase in the next term? Yes or No. Then add up the votes, and you will be the voice of the people! • Earl .Brown Oshawa LETTERS Wewelcomelettersthatinclude name, city of residence and phone numbers for verification. Writers are generally limited to 200 words and one submission submission in 30 days. We decline announcements, poetry, open letters, consumer complaints, congratulations and thank you notes. The editor reserves the right to edit copy for length, style and clarity. The newspaper newspaper contacts only those people people whose submissions have been chosen for "publication. FAX: 905-579-1809; E-MAIL: Newsroom ©durhamregion. com. Workers between rock, hard place It was Charlie Wilson, the chairman chairman of General Motors, who said at a United States Senate hearing in 1955: "What's good for General Motors is good for the rest of the United States." Just over half-a-century later, it seems that what's now good for General Motors may not be what's good for its workers or for Durham cither for that matter. Consider the situation unionized unionized workers find themselves in just months after agreeing to a new three-year contract with GM Canada. That deal, reached last September, September, is all but in shreds just six months later, leaving Local 222 labour leader Chris Buckley to say in this latest round that he was negotiating, "with a gun to my head." That gun was the not-so-suhllc message that, unless the union made huge concessions to man- Tim Kelly agement, it could kiss goodbye to future car production in Osha- wa. Forget about the quality and productivity awards won by G M's No. 1 and No. 2 car plants in Oshawa - putting those plants ahead of even import producers with factories in Canada or the United Stales. General Motors is making local workers an offer they can't refuse. Flay ball with us or we'll lake our technology and build else where where the labour costs are cheaper. What's mystifying is why none of these issues were clearly spelled out at bargaining time. It looks like GM decided to take the easy road in bargaining to avoid a possible strike only to turn around just months later and suggest that what was agreed to in 2005 is not going to cut it in 2006 and beyond. What real choice do local workers workers have? If they turn their backs on management's management's demands, they'll be looking at killing off their own jobs. Management won't take the heat, union leaders will. But if they agree to the current round of concessions, what's to say management won't demand more in six months time, and more after that. Pretty soon, virtually all work could be outsourced with work ers earning half the pay they get now and probably fewer benefits as well. So much for having a union, Some might suggest that's how it ought to be. GM, after all, is in cut-throat competition with multinational carmakers, many of whom build vehicles more cheaply than it does. But think for a moment about how prosperity in this region was built over the decades, The growth and power of GM has been a large part of the high standard of living we all share here in Durham. Through GM and its feeder operations, many families have been able to live a much higher quality of life than we would otherwise have. To chop that standard by a large percentage is going to impact job rates and incomes on many levels and will hurt businesses large and small -- not just GM. An additional source of pain is the trust reached over many rounds of bargaining and successful successful contracts between management management and the CAW. Deals were reached, sometimes after a strike, many times without without one. The bottom line is that the CAW and GM management have •worked together. That's now in jeopardy. Don't blame the union for G M's problems, Management saw lit to sign off on every contract. If those contracts weren't reasonable reasonable or sensible for GM management, management, they should never have been agreed to, It's a new era for everybody but not one that is likely to help morale at the auto giant. Copy editor Tim Kelly's column appears every other Wednesday. E-mail tkelly@durhamregion. Do you support a move to.< a four-year term from the* current three-year span for ' municipal politicians? Yes H No Cast your vote online at r f infodurham. .com Last week's question: >j 'vri Do you support Durham ri i Region joining ScugogTown-i ship in banning the posses-yj sion and public use of rep-;,. lica guns to youth under 18? No 51.2% Yes 48.8% Votes cast: 406 r ii • ; .■ HAVE YOUR SAY •ji- Are you looking forward to , ,, more big box stores in Clarington? Frank Shetler "No, the big box stores are putting the small shops out of business. It's a proven fact." Marilyn Smith "To be truthful, yes. I feel they " have more to offer the consumer and their prices are better." 2 J Judy Pell "Not really, I love shopping" downtown in the smaller stores. I like dealing with local people. You get to know them." i'M V l o Phil Dentremont "I'm not sure that I want to see them here." The Canadian 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, Commerce, Ontario Community Newspaper Assoc., Canadian Canadian Community Newspaper - Assoc., Canadian Circulations Circulations Audit Board and the Ontario Press Council. The publisher reserves the right to classify or refuse any advertisement. Credit for ad- ; vertisement limited to space - price error occupies. Editorial • and Advertising content of the Canadian Statesman is '• copyrighted. Unauthorized re-; production is prohibited. ■r t. '■'i. v Ip™ Q