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2 - Orono Weekly limes. Wedhe^iy. September 13. 2000 Weekly Times Serving'East Clarington 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. Box 209, Orono, Ontario LOB 1M0 E-Mail Address: oronotlmes@speedline.ca Phone/Fax (905) 983-5301 Publisher/Editor Marg Zwart One measure of success By all accounts the 148th Durham Central Fair was another in a long line of successful fair events for the Orono community. I must apologize for the confusion caused by our big blunder last week. The centre page went past four sets of eyes, and yet we managed to print last year's events schedule. We tried to cover our track s by sending out a special edition of the Orono Weekly Times (hot pink) with the correct schedule, Wednesday night, however I know not all readers were made aware of the error on time. Though exhibits were generally down a touch, except the fruit and vegetable displays, which were as dismal as their growing sea son, attendance was up again. In fact attendance has nearly doubled doubled in tne last four years. 1 realize the fair has to be financially successful to survive, however, I'm not encouraged with the trend I'm seeing to ensure that survival. Good gate receipts should not be the only criteria used to measure the fair's success. Yet, how can I argue with the masses who fill the grandstands to watch the entertainment being dished up? The fair board has found a winning formula as far as filling the stands, and bringing in the crowds, however I see the agricultural and rural component of the fair being sacrificed to ensure financial success. The Thursday night Farmer Olympic Games have been replaced with a Demolition Derby. A Demolition Derby does nothing to reflect our rural past, nor how important the agricultural industry still is to our entire region. And I certainly hope it is no reflection of where we are today. There were a lot of good things about the fair, and when you try something new, you will be criticized. It was a good fair, a credi t to all the volunteers who again worked so hard to put it together. ' : / : r ; >. : / Fairs are constantly Changing, and I realize the fair board has to find the right mix, while covering themselves as much as possible possible in the event of poor weather. It's not an easy job, and they're doing it well. 1 just don't want to see the country taken out of the Durham Central Fair. Letters to the Editor September 11, 2000 In a recent article in the Clarington This Week, it was announcéd that I woujd be officially opening, the campaign campaign office for one of the mayoralty candidates for the Municipality of Clarington. Please be advised that I will not be attending any of the func tions for any of the mayoralty mayoralty candidates during the municipal election. •I am maintaining a very busy schedule at the present time as I continue in my capa city as the Mayor of the Municipality of Clarington until December 1st, 2000 and I prepare myself to return to private life. I trust that this information information is satisfactory. Yours very truly, ", DIANE HAMRE Attn: Marg Zwart "A 3 hour work day?" Let's look at a typical "day in court." I've been there; - many times and seen it. 09:00 AM: The, courtroom has been open for a half hour or so and lawyers are attempting to arrange for their early exit. You are there representing yourself. Don't bother trying to find out where you are on the docket. Once it is noted that you do not have a lawyer - you move to back of the bus. Sit down. It's going to be a long day. 09:20 AM: "All rise" - the judge arrives 20 minutes late. For the next hour or so, the judge does no judging. He sits there and oversees an assortment of mundane, paperwork that should never have required his presence or rubber stamping in the first place- 10:45 AM: The judge announces a 10-minute break - "all rise." Many thousands thousands of dollars in legal fees later - half of the lawyers leave. 11:10 AM: "All rise" - the Judge returns 15 minutes late. The judge now gets serious serious and tries to convince anyone who does not have legal representation that he or she will be at the mercy of the court and the chances of a justice will be slim. The judge looks at what is left, and chooses what will be handled for the afternoon session. 12:15 PM: The Judge announces a lunch break and that trial(s) will start at 01:30 PM sharp! 01:45 PM: "All rise" - the judge returns 15 minutes late. The trial start and make no mistake; the judge controls controls the length of it. Sometime around 04:00 PM, the judge will leave the bench. A judge spends less than four hours a day actually actually hearing evidence and rendering decisions. It is certainly certainly no mystery as to why the courts are so backlogged. The justice system 16 a closely guarded government procedure that is a cash cow for lawyers as they prepare themselves for retirement Judgeships or politics. The Constitution gives us the right to defend ourselves in court and or appoint an "agent" (Not necessarily a lawyer) to represent us and expect a fair verdict. Forget it folks, - it just doesn't happen happen that way. Judges blatantly blatantly refuse to acknowledge the right to an impartial trial when a member of their own private fraternity does not represent the accused. This extremely powerful part of government has become a very, very scary "exclusive good old boys" club. K. Adams Sept. 9, 2000 Mr. Peter Jaworski RE: Your article on Health Care Your opinions are directly opposite to mine. In my opinion, opinion, your reasoning is completely completely wrong. The best health care security security system in the world, for the people, is in Canada. This, according to a United Nations analysis based on 32 countries. The great U.S.A. (whose system our great and glorious presently elected leaders appear to want to emulate) is near the bottom. The American system of Medicare is terrific for the very rich, but for the average person it is horrendouô. 23.000. 000 Americans have no health care at all and 10.000. 000 have only minimal. minimal. Great Britain has two tier health pare arid it doesn't work. '■ Canada's health care is not free - all of us have paid for it. through our taxes. Some governments In Canada have screwed up the system, not the people. Some adjustment is necessary and governments have to get behind it to save it. Why spoil the best there is? Some politicians in Canada would lové to destroy our system. You know them. They can proye to be a scourge to all of us, you included. Your comment regarding doctors leaving Canada for theU.SA - 425 left last year and 279 returned. The reason reason for this high rate of return (by the way most of those that returned are the best in medicine), to use the vernacular, was because of the cut throat way the American doctors dispense their service. The high crime rate also had an important bearing. You say that Canada is dependent on the IJ.S.A. for improvements. You could not be more wrong. Canada's record, as a country of 31 million people, has far out produced and invented procedures procedures per size ratio. Right now Cuba, the country that is the object of a lengthy trade embargo by the United States, has a cancer procedure procedure which the American medical companies would love to get their hands on. It is being promoted and protected protected by a Canadian company company for world dispersal. Thank God! Money and pharmaceutical pharmaceutical companies are the keynote and I agree that these companies have their part to play in the development development of new life saving drugs. However, read between the lines and understand understand that behind every American medical promotion is a pharmaceutical company prodding and goosing to make more excessive profits. As a Canadian, learn to praise your system and ask yourself this question; Where has the Humanity gone ; in American medicine? Rolfe Wakefield RECYCLE ,ZS ÏEPS wm J5ÏEP mm _ _ dolfghan@home.com