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2 • Orono Weekly nines, Wednesday. October 18, 2000 Weekly Times Serving East Clarington ancJ beyond since J 937 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: oronotimes@speedline.ca Phone/Fax (905) 983-5301 Publisher/Editor Marg Zwart Diane says "Thanks" On May the 1 st, of this year, Mayor Harare announced she would not be seeking re-election. Last night, our Mayor chaired her last council meeting. You can't have been in political office for 20 years without having done something right. Diane Harare was first elected to council on December 1, 1980 as Regional Councillor for Ward 3, which at that time represented all of Clarke Township. In November of 1991, Harare was elected Mayor of Clarington and'has been re-elected to that position in two subsequent subsequent elections. It was an emotional Diane Harare who announced she would not seek re-election this time around. And it was an emotional Mayor who made it through her last Council Meeting without losing it Monday night. Diane was well entrenched in her role as Mayor when I came onto the scene three years ago so I know little of her early years. What I have observed first hand was a Mayor who steered a tight ship. Diane was not afraid to speak her mind, and you knew where she stood on issues. I did not always agree on her stand, nor she with mine, and she wouldn't hesitate to tell me so. I'd gotten quite an ear full from her one time, but when the dust settled, it was business business as usual. Diane loved her job, and gave the residents of this municipality municipality 20 good years of service. Just before council adjourned Monday night, Diane thanked all the Municipal Staff present, and asked them to go back and tell their departments, "they made it happen for me." "If I've had any success in my work as an elected official, I owe it to staff," Harare said. ■» To the councillors that will be back she said, "don't forget, not one of us can done one thing alone," Her last words were, "now I ask that no more be said," and "took her final adjournment. She will be missed. . Letter to the Editor The Editor, Orono Weekly Times In "The Veridian Story" (October 11) Roy Forrester does well to illuminate the electricity supply situation in Clarington. By way of additional additional background, early in the last century a visionary tribe under the banner of Sir Adam Beck, founder of Ontario Hydro, foresaw electricity electricity as the future lifeblood of Ontario. A system of Municipal Utilities in urban areas and direct supply by Ontario Hydro in rural areas resulting in non-profit, low cost, equitably priced, elec tricity for all, became a world renowned model. For three quarters of a century the principle of power, distribution at cost, generating its own financing, was zealously guarded. No money was to be diverted from customers' pockets for other purposes and no subsidy subsidy to be provided from other public funds. Now, in the seemingly confused and tortuous name of commercial competition, somehow as between our Provincial and Municipal governments this gut principle has been jetti- - soned. Just such a diversion is taking place from the pockets of some of the electricity electricity consumers in Clarington, for general purpose purpose use as tax revenue. Not from all consumers, not for oil and natural gas, competing competing and less versatile energy products, not for other goods and services. Just for electricity electricity purchased from Veridian in Orono, Newcastle and Bowmanville - - that lifeblood without which we can not get along for a day in our hi-tech world, and for which we should all surely pay the lowest possible fair and equitable price. What is this payment for? Interest on invested capital? Dividend on shareholder investment? Payment for a franchise? None of these? Have electricity consumers down through the years not already paid In full in their rates for the system facilities on which the Municipality is now receiving these substantial substantial "interest" payments? As a rural electricity consumer consumer and taxpayer on the fringe of Orono I do not pay but benefit from this special levy on Veridian customers. I should perhaps relax and count my blessings. Were it not, that is, for more than a twinge of apprehension about the implications of the intrusion of Municipal finance into the cost of and revenue from a consumer product. Let alone this most vital one of all. And were it not for the éven more disturbing- disturbing- spectre of the redoubtable Sir Adam turning turning over in his grave. Henry Sissons The Peter by Peter Jaworski According to recent rumours, Chretien and the Liberals are planning an election election call this. Sunday for a vote to be held on Nov. 27. This is a good strategy, I think, for our fountain-building fountain-building ruling party. Recent polls suggest that the Liberals will take another majority government, government, will have approximately approximately the same amount of representatives representatives in the House, and will do it all rather glibly. Like it or not, the Liberal party has become almost synonymous synonymous with Canada. We've 'enjoyed' back to back victories by the Chretien-led bunglers of accounting and qre sûre to get yet another term. This is all well and good, especially since I believe Paul Martin to announce more fiscally con servative policies, but let's speculate a bit about the other parties and their chances. First, let's address those New Democrats who, surprisingly surprisingly enough^ aren't so 'new' nor entirely 'democratic.' They've been around since 1961, and have absolutely no understanding, nor desire to support, the democratic free market system (you do vote with your dollar). As I see it, the tide seems to be moving away from their left-leaning economic predilections. We've already seen the surprising growth and, if I may say so, relative success of the Canadian; Alliance, as well as a shift toward more conservative fiscal fiscal policies from the Liberals. All fingers seem to be pointing pointing in a continued move on the parts of both federal and provincial governments away from economic interference and towards greater freedom in this sphere. As far as leadership and the politics of personality, poor Alexa McDonnough will not be fairing too well. She simply lacks the charm and charisma of a Jean Chretien or a Stockwell Day# to be a real ..contender in terms-of winning debates or masterfully crafting crafting speeches. True, this shouldn't really matter, we should focus on the policies and platforms, but it does. And in this, Ms. McDonnough is going to suffer. suffer. Suffer, too, will Joe Clark with his 'hey, I could be your father' image. Yes, it does have a certain appeal. When he speaks I pay attention (continued page 5) Mm dolighun@horne.com