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2 - Orono Weekly Times, Wednesday. September 6, 200Q ) Orono Wf.f.klv Times Serving hast Ciarington and beyond since 1937 Subscriptions $23.36 + $1.64 G.S.T. = $25.00/year Publications Mail Registration No. 09301 Publishing 50 Issues Annually at the Office of Publication "We acknowledge the financial support of the Government of Canada, through the Publications Assistance Program (PAP), toward our mailing costs" 5310 Main Street, P.O. 6ox 209, Orono, Ontario LOB 1M0 E-Mail Address: oronotimes@speedline.ca Phone/Fax (905) 983-5301 Publisher/Editor Marg Zwart Fair benefits As the 148th Durham Central Fair sets up at the Orono Fairgrounds this week, I've had occasion to do some reflecting on what the Fair means to this town. Though almost everyone T spoke to agreed they enjoyed going to the Fair each year, and the Fair was an important component component of this village, I did get an ear full from one of the downtown merchants who said the Fair was bad for his business. business. Fte claimed thé Fair sucked away his business because no one frequents his establishment while the Fair is on. In fact, few merchants in town said the Fair was good for sales. On the whole, when the Fair is on, very little business is being conducted conducted in town, yet all the free parking spots are occupied. From the unscientific survey 1 conducted last week, while soliciting ads for the centre spread, almost all the merchants were able to ignore the slump in sales caused by the annual Fair, realizing the greater benefits such an event brings to a community. Though it's hard to pin down the exact benefits a huge influx of people one weekend a year brings to a small community, it is evident that the community flourishes from going through the exercise of putting on the annual event. The fact that the 148 year old Orono Fair is improving each year, speaks to the health of the community supporting the Fair, from which they draw the huge numbers of volunteers each year. Those who go out to the Fair each year, and participate in it, reap the benefits. Those who stay on the Main Street and begrudge all the business they're losing, to the Fair, well... life's too short. Letter to the Editor Mike Harris (Premier of Ontario, Kingston): "I share your concern. We are looking into every possibility in order to ensure that Ontario's Health Care System can be sustainable well into the future. So, yes, we are considering considering every viable option." Stockwell Day (Canadian Alliance leader, Albany Club): "I'm not sure whether it is such a feasible option. We will definitely look into it seriously and weigh all of our options. A completely private health care system is not one of those options that we think are viable at this time. There may be room to use private health distributors for certain functions much like is being done in Alberta right now. But work with us, Peter, one and proven leadership in municipal affairs to lead the new Council to face the many challenges expected during the next term. One of these challenges might be the posr sible break-up of Clarlngton. Another challenge will be to attract industry to Clarlngton and turn it into an economically balanced community where young and old can find well-paying jobs. Voters should analyze candidate candidate records and place ability ability and experience above friendship. And above all do vote! With a past voter turnouts of around thirty percent, Clarlngton was lucky it did as well as it did so far. However, such luck may not last. Sincerely, Evert Vroegh Hampton step at a time." Frank Klees (Former Canadian Alliance leadership hopeful, Waterloo): "This is a veiy touchy issue. People seem to be tremendously divided over just that. 1 would certainly seriously consider consider the option of various private private and public mixtures for hèalth care distribution if it was the right thing to do for Canada. A fully private system, system, however, is just not up for debate right now and I don't think the Canadian public public is prepared to eliminate the public system outright. We are looking into it." That's what these conservatives conservatives told me when I went to various meetings, organizational organizational assemblies, and thank- you visits within the last year. The^ question I asked of each of them, it was the same one, was whether or not they have given thought to the possibility possibility of a private health care system. system. ■' , ' Now, it's not to sdy that I think we should have private health care overnight. And it's not to say that I would even go that far if, along the path, we found, some terrible hitches. Nevertheless, we should move in that general direction if we are concerned about innovation and- longterm longterm sustainability. You see, innovation happens happens when people invest. And investment happens when people take risks with money. It's one thing for the private sector to take a risk, they do it all the time, and quite another for the public sector to do so. The public sector, being funded by tax-dollars, is at the mercy of public opinion (and rightly so)^ The trouble with taking initiative in trying to innovate in cancer research, say, is that other interest groups feel they are just as deserving of such funding. Aids research, research into heart problems, advancements advancements in asthma research etc., would all vie for government funded research facilities. Since that is not feasible, the wisest political move is to avoid the trouble altogether.. The public sector does not innovate, it takes existing things and re-distributes them, or, by central decision making, decides what to do with it all. This is why relatively relatively freer countries consistently consistently outperform, in terms of new products or improving older products, countries with a more pronounced governmental governmental presence. Long-term sustainability depends, mostly, on increasing increasing efficiency and* reducing the cost of the service or product. Innovation accomplishes accomplishes both tasks--better machines mean less time needs to be sfient on a particular particular task (think of the washing machine, the microwave, the dishwasher, the computer, and so on). Less time spent on a particular task medfris that the cost, over the long term, goes down. And, yes, it is as simple simple as all that. As it stands, Canada is dependant upon the United States for improvements in health care. We wait patiently patiently until some company in the States decides to funnel their money into Research and Development, does all the relevant relevant tests and, when all that is finished, buy the final product. product. This is how we got Viagra, to name the most popular popular of recent medical 'breakthrough's'. 'breakthrough's'. (continued page 12) Dear Editor, Clarlngton Is one of the nicest ànd largest bedroom communities in .Canada. However, relative to its size, Clarington's industrial growth has been small. If Clarlngton Council had made jt a policy to restrict industrial industrial growth, it could hardly have been more successful than it is now. This may not be a serious matter for those who don't like industry, or already have a good job here or in Oshawa, but it is unfortunate unfortunate for the growing children of these families who moved to Clarlngton because of affordable housing. If things don't _ change, these young people will have to join their parents on daily trips on the clogged 401 and other high T ways to where the jobs are. This fall, we have our municipal elections, and there are already several candidates for the position of Mayor. Voters should make it clear to these candidates , what they see as important issues. One of these should be JOBS - local jobs. When previous councils allowed all those housing developments, they should have tried harder to promote industrial development. If they did, they were not veiy successful. You can't attract much industry by publicly arguing about raising lot levies and whatever levies and taxes at a time when all levels of government are striving to lower taxes. Observing Canada's economy economy and the world-economy, it. becomes clear that provinces and countries with a competitive tax rate attract most industry and those that don't become economic wallflowers, somewhat like Clarlngton. It's high time to take municipal elections more seriously. The future of our future citizens depends on it. Electing well-meaning, but inexperienced politicians for Mayor out of a sense of friendship could be harmful to the community. We need a Mayor with common sense ,