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2 - Orono Weekly limes Wednesday, February 22, 2006 Weekly Times Subscriptions $32.71 + $2.29 GST = $35.00 per year. 'jgjjf Publications Mail Registration No. 09301 • Agreement No. 40012366 Publishing 48 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." CanacE . ORONO WEEKLY TIMES - 5310 Main St, P.O. Box 209, Orono, ON LOB 1M0 E-mail: oronotimes@rogers.com or Phone/Fax: 905-983-5301 Publisher/Editor Margaret Zwart Sports and Display Advertising -Donna Wood Front Office and Classified Advertising - Rosey Bateman The Orono Weekly Times welcomes letters to the editor on subjects of interest to our readers. Opinions expressed to the editor and articles are those of the writers and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the Orono Weekly times. Letters must be signed and contain the address and phone number of the writer. Any letter considered unsuitable will not be acknowledged or returned. We reserve the right to edit for length, libel and slander. If your retail classified ad appears for the first time, please check carefully. Notice of an error must be given before the next issue goes to print. The Orono Weekly Times will not be responsible for the loss or damage of such items. Where was the debate! Sometimes it is quite informative to re-read our own paper. For example, in rereading last week's publication, the letter to the editor on "Total Hockey", demands our attention. attention. The writer of that letter mentions Michelle Harris of a firm called "Marketing Dynamic Solutions". Aside from the similarity of name to our departed premier of Ontario (Michael Harris), has anyone ever heard of Ms. Harris, or of "Marketing Dynamics"? We wonder what qualifications this firm offers? Who did research to conclude that this firm can make "Total Hockey" into a winner? We can't help but notice that, in the same issue, we were able to report, finally, on a difference of opinion at council. On our page one, we told you that Jim Schell had actually - opposed a motion put forward by the Mayor on the issue of Heritage Designation. It would be picayune of us to point out that this disagreement was on a point that almost no one cares about, and that involves no expenditure of taxpayers funds. The Heritage District Designation is undoubtedly important to the 13 property owners, and we are sure those 13, plus their families (maybe 30 people in total), appreciate Mr. Schell's work on their behalf. But, here is the question--"Where were our councillors when the "Total Hockey" scheme was debated?" Or, Was there any debate? First, council decided to spend $225,000.00 of taxpayer's money to buy a collection that previously had no known value. Where was the debate? • Next, council decided to spend $1.8 Million dollars (we are now into real money!) to build a home for this collection. collection. Which councillors opposed that? More recently, council decided to borrow the money 1 required, so the taxpayers will pay out interest for years into the future. Was that debated? The writer of the letter to our paper, makes a comparison of "Total Hockey" to the Montreal Olympic Games. In our view, this is an insult to those games. While the Montreal Olympics were one of the biggest boondoggles in Canadian history, côsting taxpayers billions of dollars; they were a viable project. We have heard no informed opinion that "Total Hockey" has any viability. Again, re-reading the paper, we note that in his column ' last week, the "Mayor's Corner" (on the Municipal advertising advertising page), Mayor Mutton stated that the firm of Deloitte. Touche have prepared the business; case for the facility in which they guarantee the municipality a steady income stream from Total Hockey. We phoned the author of that report and he states that tie has not, nor could he ever, make such a guarantee. So did council hear solid vindication, by recognized experts in their debates? Deloitte Touche is an accounting firm, what expertise do they have in predicting ttie future of revenue generators? As the writer of the letter asks, ".Why would school boards, or teactiers, add "Total Hockey" to their curriculum? The writer's point is that the vastly superior "Hockey Hall of Fame" is just a one hour jaunt and is perfect timing for a bus trip. We, tiere at the paper cannot answer that question. We wonder--was that factor debated by our council prior to committing well over 2.5 million dollars of our money? Never mind the fact the hockey history is. not on any . Kawartha Pine Ridge District School Board curriculum. What debate was there to convince us that "Marketing Dynamics Solutions" is the answer to the prayers of we, the long suffering tax payer? The letter writer concludes by a reference to the previous home of the collection. Apparently, it was the "Big Apple Restaurant " on Highway 401. It would seem that maybe the collection has. now found a real bunch, of apples, the taxpayers taxpayers of Clarington! One of ttie issues clearly illustrated by the recent federal election, is that Canadians want les§ government. Canadians do not want the government to be in the oil'business, or in the sponsorship business. Why would Clarington taxpayers want the local government to be in the entertainment business? business? Did our councillors debate that question? Letters to the Editor "Something to think about" To the Editor ' . not research the facts, etc. seems to think it reasonable to Regardless of what is factual use his weekly column to In my humble opinion, I or erroneous on either side of 'politicize' his position. Is he think the citizens of Glaring- the issue, I don't think the on a special pedestal reserved ton deserve an apology and Mayor should be using this for Mayors only? I think not. the taxpayers deserve a forum to reply to his critics. I think this column, which refund. If members of the public is part of a municipal expendi- In the Mayor's 'column' on have concerns they feel ture was intended to be used to the municipal ads page in .last strongly about, strong enough infonn residents about what is week's paper, lie takes issue to voice an opinion, we must happening in our community with letters to the editor about do so through the regular at an administrative and poli- his stand on the hockey muse- process; a 'Letter to the cy level on matters that effect urn. He claims that writers did Editor'. . However, our Mayor LETTER see page 3 Write your MRP if you support BILL 15 Letter to the Editor the individual and costs for medications, or insulin pen RE: BILL 15 our healthcare system and injections, may be the pre- Ontario taxpayers, the direct scription for better glucose On December 1st, a private . healthcare cost to treat people control. ... member's bill proposing the with diabetes in Ontario will The best diabetes treatment extension- of OHIP .coverage • be more than $2 billion this 1 . option is a decision to be made to include diabetes insulin ■ year. , . .. ' . between a physician and the pumps and supplies passed its Physicians' may prescribe individual, second reading before the to people with type 1 diabetes, If you support this Bill, House in the Ontario an insulin pump as the most write immediately to your Legislature with unanimous appropriate delivery method . MPP requesting their support support from all parties. . to better control glucose lev- for Michael Gravelle's Bill 15 In Ontario, 706,500 people els. Insulin pumps and sup- - An Act to amend the Health live with'diabetes which if not plies, are expensive, but are Insurance Act. properly managed can lead to often not covered by employer Thank you for helping costly complications such as or private health insurance Ontarians living with diabetes, heart attack, stroke, kidney plans, and are not included on Sincerely, disease, blindness and limit . our provincial formulary. Bill 1 amputation. Aggressive man- - ,15 attempts to .address this Craig MVanni agement of diabetes may access issue. Regional 'Director delay or avoid these complica- For the majority of those Central East Ontario. Region - tions, saving quality of life for with diabetes however, oral Canadian Diabetes Association