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2 - Orono Weekly Times, Wednesday. October 25. 2000 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 thé 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 No clear issues This Municipal election has certainly not been hampered by a lack of candidates. Twenty-two candidates are vying for seven positions on council. What has hampered the election is a lack of any clear issues. One of the major issues being bandied about during this campaign is the threat of amalgamation,^")! municipal realignment. realignment. Though each of the candidates is talking about possible amalgamations with neighbouring communities, nobody knows what will happen, where and when. Not one of the candidates has any information, based on fact, that could lead to an informed opinion on amalgamation. Councillors currently in office have the benefit of a preliminary report on financial implications to it's taxpayers if they were swallowed up by a neighbouring municipality. In my opinion, the threat of amalgamation, amalgamation, in some form at some time, is out there, but is not a real issue in this election. No informed case can be made for any type of realignment. The need for more ice surface in this municipality has been raised by members of the public, and could be an issue, but this past council has put off building a new twin pad arena to beyond the next four years. Extending the 407 is out of the municipality's hands, as is the expansion on the Newtonville Dump. Short of bodily putting putting y ourself between the bulldozers and their task, we have little little control over those decisions. Since there are no real issues to stack the candidates up against, we need to elect a council that is able to chart a course through the next three years, that will uphold the principles of sound planning, not dave in to developers, pay more than lip service to environmental protection, and recognize the importance importance of preserv ing our agricultural lands. . Check the records of those who have served in the past, and find out how they voted on important issues such as land use. Are candidates familiar with studies such as the Agricultural Economic Impact. Study, and the Official Plan? It is said, you get the council you deserve. / : a Letters to Editor v ■• •. :J To Residents of Clarington: The position of the CCC is that we are not supporting any The 'upcoming municipal single candidate, for Mayor or election is an important one f or an ÿ Councillor positions, for us. We have many issues We are a non political organi- which impact our future; zation whose main concern is environment, amalgamation, the environmental well being transit, taxes among others. G f . t h e former Clarke For the Committee of Township. Clarke Constituents, environ- We woU ]d like to maintain ment is important as it is for our reS pectful relationship all people. with Council and the Mayor, Any "no dump" signs no matter who is elected We attached to candidate signs trust t h a t all candidates are belong to that particular can- equally concerned with the didate. They do not belong to environment and will contin- the Committee of Clarke U e to support current Council Constituents. They are not a positions against any new or sign of endorsement by the . expanded landfill in CCC for any one candidate. ' clarington. We also trust that Council will enforce any bylaw bylaw zoning .infractions in order to preserve our rural and urban well being. Committee of Clarke Constituents Dear Editor, Durham Riding citizens have some reason to be pleased with their MP Alex Shepherd. In the October issue of his- Durham Digest he informed them that he had been promoted to Parliamentary Secretary, A well earned promotion! After all, from the Prime Minister's point of view - a backbencher should be seen and not be heard - Alex Shepherd deserved it. It was very correct, and proper of Mr. Shepherd to use his franking privileges to inform his constituents of his progress in his party and Parliament. However, it seems less proper to use the same issue of the Durham Digest to accuse Ralph Klein and Stockwell Day of weakening. weakening. regionalizing and contributing contributing to the rapid demolition demolition of Canada. Franking privileges are paid for by all taxpayers, opponents included, included, and not intended for partisan partisan election hype. More harmfiil to Canada than Ralph Klein and Stockwell Day is abuse of power and privileges by the Federal Government. The latest latest typical examples are this premature election, dumped on Canadian voters by an unaccountable Prime Minister and Mr. Shepherd's dubious use of franking privileges. privileges. Such incidents make politics politics unpalatable to many Canadians. It leads to citizens citizens not voting, creating governments governments failing to represent the people. In other words, the end of democracy. Sincerely, Evert Vroegh Hampton at report cards stated. "On November 13 we get a report card," stated Finance Committee Chair, Councillor Brian Nicholson, "those that pass will be back, those that don't, won't." Starting in 2000, all municipalities will have to measure their performance in nine high-cost service areas, including water, fire and road service. The Ministry says taxpayers can expect the first report from their municipalities municipalities next summer. Regional Finance and Administration Committee recommended to council that the Ministry of Municipal Affairs be requested to defer implementation of a 'report card' until appropriate standardized standardized measures are found. Further, they ask the Minister of Finance be requested to provide the necessary funding for the various municipal benchmarking studies currently currently underway, including any municipal costs incurred to implement any new Provincial reporting requirements. requirements. Regional staff will continue continue the benchmarking studies, hut will not supply the information information to the Province. The Region has 'respectfully 'respectfully declined to partake in any Municipal Report Card process. The initial motion, put forward forward by Mayor Steve Parish, at the regular meeting of the Durham Regional Council, last Wednesday, and endorsed by Mayor Hamre was "to tell them [the Province] to stuff it; " "I've never worked with such a finger pointing government," government," said Flamre, they treat our municipal politicians like we are pieces of dirt." The Ministry of Municipal Affairs has instituted a< mandatory municipal report card, where municipalities across Ontario will be measured measured and reported on. "In the first report, we will all do really bad," stated Parish. "Before 2003, our grades will go up because of what this [the Provincial] government has done, I find it insulting and arrogant," he Correction Clean-up of the Sidney B. Rutherford Trail will begin on Friday and Saturday morning, not Thursday and Friday morning as stated in last week's paper. • All interested volunteers are asked to meet in front of the CIBC Bank, Main Street Orono, at 9:00 a.m. Friday or Saturday morning, October 27, and 28. JUEBfinLEOFBâfc 3E BOTLE OF m, .'.THE BATTLE OF QVE®. ...TUB BATTLE TO SURVIVE Jüt