Yes, it‘s meant some personal sacâ€" rifices, sometimes a second job, and many a holiday not taken. But for that cost, we, as parents, are assured that our children receive quality eduâ€" cation from Christian teachers who may openly share their love for God and teach our children the fact that God has sovereignty over the entire curriculum. The teaching of religion, moral values, respect for adults, respect for their peers, and discipline are consistent with what is taught at For the past 16 years, my children have gone to a Christian school. That is our choice, and we gladly pay the average tuition of about $8,000 per year...and we also pay our public, education assessment through our property taxes just like you. Just for your information, we too have paid into the public education fund for some 25 years. Catholic schools in Ontario today receive full funding and the province of Ontario is the only one in Canada that does not allocate some public funds to other Christian schools. Dear Sir: I would like to take this opportuâ€" nity to respond to your editorial entiâ€" tled "‘Who‘s Responsible". You state that the Court of Appeal was correct in its ruling not to extend public funding to independent Jewish and Christian Schools. Martin‘s optimism is buoyed by what he sees as a pent up demand for consumer products. What he may be ignoring is that while the pent up demand for consumer prodâ€" ucts may exist, the consumers ability to pay may not. Several years of massive layoffs, frozen payrolls and wage cutbacks have taken a toll on consumers. For many of us who are still trying to recover from the last recession, and for those of us who aren‘t quite convinced the last recession is over, the Finance Minister‘s announcement can hardly be considered good news. What, we have to go through this again in six years? Frankly, we find Martin‘s announcement simply another grim reminder that many of the politicians on Parliament Hill are completely out of touch with the rest of the counâ€" ~%unny what politicians get excited about isn‘t it. Take for example Finance | Minister Paul Martin‘s glowing optimism that Canadians won‘t face another k â€" recession until the next century. Sorry Paul, but maybe someone forgot to menâ€" tion to you that the next century is only six years away. Christian school supporters also pay taxes Source: EarthSave News Secondly, we would also like to question the transportation costs involved in having the minister and his entourage attend swearingâ€"in ceremonies in Toronto and Halifax on the same day. Dare we suggest the money might be better spent on hiring more immiâ€" gration officers and investigators to ensure that deportation orders will be followed through upon. First off, it would be nice if government officials â€" federal and provincial â€" would learn the definition of a community newspaper. While the presence of Mr. Marchi at the Halifax and Toronto swearingâ€"in ceremonies may be of interest to the news media in those cities, it is not worth 88 cents to mail the release to the Oakville Beaver. While 88 cents may not seem like a huge amount, we have to wonder how many other nonâ€"interâ€" ested community newspapers received the same release. Throw in the cost of paper and and envelopes and we‘re looking at a little bit more than 88 cents. It‘s time the ministry stopped issuing weekâ€"old press releases and started looking seriously at cleaning up its act. This is good news? It is also another fine example of just how far the government will go to waste taxâ€" payers monéy in order to create good publicity. Obviously, somebody at Citizenship and Immigration was trying to combat the negâ€" ative publicity currently surrounding the department. Sorry, but we‘re not impressed. While the issuing of a weekâ€"old press release may seem like a minor point to many, we believe it is another example of the same muddledâ€"thinking that has allowed convicted felons to elude deportation orders because they were too hard to track down. Instead, investigators went after easier cases in the effort to bloat their numbers and make a good impression. ECOLINE. 75 The press release was dated June 29th. At first we thought it was another example of poor delivery service from Canada Post. Closer examination, however, revealed the release‘s envelope was postmarked July 7th â€" six days after the event occurred. o matter how hard they try, the people running Employment and Immigration Canada just can‘t seem to do anything right these days. On Monday, we k. _\ received a press release in the mail from Citizenship and Immigration Canada informing us that the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration Sergio Marchi would be in Halifax and Toronto on Canada Day July 1st to attend swearingâ€"in ceremonies for hundreds of new Canadians. Bumbling immigration officials Greener diet spinâ€"off Want to know how you can help.. â€" Save 1.5 trillion gallons of water a year. â€" Prevent half a trillion pounds of raw animal excrement from fouling our waterways. â€" Reduce our consumption of fossil fuels by 2.5 billion gallons. â€" Save 25 million acres of trees. o â€" Save 7.5 million tons of topsoil. o â€" Free up 130 million acres of land for other uses. @ These would be the benefits to the 9 environment if *\ North Americans by Catherine Farley }' : reduced meat consumption by C just 10%. Eating less meat also has many health benefits. Caring for Our Resources This would enable the Legion to continue its fing work of conâ€" tributing financially to many worthwhile, charitable causes, without being harangued by the media and individuals. But, in my opinion, the Legion should go one step further. In defâ€" erence to and with respect for agnostics and atheists and so as not to offend any and all religions and sects thereof, all parades should, in the future, be nonâ€"religious. Dear Sir: Re: The Sikh/Legion Controversy. I think that all branches of the Royal Canadian Legion should, in this modern age, be politically corâ€" rect and religiously neutral and rescind their regulations regarding the nonâ€"wearing of religious head covering in their premises. Is religious discrimination acceptable? In my opinion, the only thing you are saying clearly is the high cost of duplication of two expensive school boards. In that we both agree, I don‘t see how the expense of a large new Board office provides a single beneâ€" fit in the classroom. If you have a bone to pick about the Public and Catholic School Boards and their bureaucracies, please voice your conâ€" cern to them. It‘s quite clear from your article that, should we receive the funding we rightfully deserve, you acknowlâ€" edge that it‘s going to cost you a bit more to run the public school system because the truth is we, who have opted out, are today subsidizing the public school! If our schools were to dissolve and merge with the public/catholic schools, only then would you realize the true cost of public education. You note that you have done your part in your payment of taxes and the province has done its part for providâ€" ing one public school system. But so have we. You voice great disdain over the province‘s recent decision to also allocate funds for the separate catholic system. I don‘t speak for all parental What a short; simple, inoffenâ€" sive, and totally nonâ€"discriminatoâ€" ry ceremony, yet entirely respectâ€" ful in remembering and honoring those who died in defense of democracy! The following is a suggested procedure. The Legion members would march to the cenotaph, there would be no prayers or hymns, the bugler would sound the Last Post, there would be a minute‘s silence during which each member and spectator would say a silent prayer, or meditate, or whatever according to his or her own dictates, the bugler would sound Reveille, nonâ€" religious wreaths would be laid, O Canada would be played and sung (if this is still permissible in our hyphenated, multicultural nation), and the parade would march off. In that way, I know where my money is going and what my child is being taught. Almost every week, a new family, concerned over the eroâ€" sion of Christian values at the local school, inquires about enrollment at our school. They, too, will alter their lifestyle to invéest a substantial sum of money to guarantee their children receive quality education that reinâ€" A simple solution to the funding issue is to divide the entire education tax pie by the amount of students and proportionally send those funds to the school of the parents‘ choice. But here is a new twist for you...the chairman of the board, all school trustees, and committee memâ€" bers work for free!! And we don‘t have fancy Board offices either. We meet in the classrooms on desks refurbished by loving hands. schools; however, the supporting parents of our Christian school helped build our present school building. Parents do regular ongoing maintenance, serve on fundraising committees, and act as trustees on the school board for up to threeâ€"year terms. Many an evening is spent interviewing teachers, establishing curriculum, and assessing our faciliâ€" ties. But concerning the soâ€"called Advertising is accepted on the condition that, the applicable rate. The publisher reserves th The Oakville Beaver welcomes your comments. All letters must be signed and include the writer‘s address and phone number. Letters should be typed, doubleâ€"spaced and addressed to: Letters to the Editor, The Oakville Beaver, 467 Speers Rd., Oakville, Ont. L6K 354 newspapers which includes: Ajaxâ€"Pickering News Advertiser, Barrie , B Robert Glasbey Advertising Director mgm’}lwngm Post, es e%. Elob;)oka Guatd:nmeseomrgn; Norman Alexander Editor Acton Free Press, This Week, Lindsay This Week, Mai 467 Speers Road, Oakville, Ont. L6K 384 Geoff Hill Circulation Director Flews. N%‘S‘"mfm Eraâ€"Banner, NTom Yén? m‘m ome Beaver, Oriilia T 845â€"3824 Fax: 845â€"3085 J Oshawa/Whitby This Week, Peterborough This Week, Richmond HiVThomhilWVal Classified Advertising: 845â€"2809 Teri Casas . Office S n e Beiver is plomoied by copyrignt . m mal t c Circulation: 845â€"9742 or 845â€"9743 Tim Coles Production Manager whole or in p%l:tot this material is strictly lor:ddenpmm mzy consent of ":w uï¬m accepted on the condition that, in the event of a typographical error, that portion dfl\emotï¬dngwmmiedbyheonmiqn.bgommlmnomhhllmlouimn.wilnubsdurwdlonb\lheblhrmdmommmï¬lbspddl 1ra!eAT11epw|isherrasefvesmerigmbcategonizeandrqmadvuï¬dng.hhemï¬oltypogmphcdavrov’admï¬singgoodsormnllhowmgpvioe,MuMmthM‘Mmsm«wmofluladebawithdrnwnnmy i It would also demonstrate that discrimination is quite permissible in religion, but is totally unacceptâ€" able in the secular world. Strange, isn‘t it? If the answer to any or all of those questions is "No", surely this would be discrimination based solely on the sex of about half of the Sikh membership. discrimination in the Legion, perâ€" haps now would be an appropriate time to examine religions. For example, what is the status of women in the Sikh religion? Are they permitted to wear the turban which is a mandatory item? Similarly, are they permitted to wear the kirpan? Are they permitâ€" ted to be in the same area as their husbands, brothers, or boy friends during services in the Sikh temple? In summary, we have paid as much tax as you for the education budget of all children, yet you want to deny us our share. We are not askâ€" ing Ontario to foot the bill to further our own desires, merely asking that a great injustice be finally rectified in allowing our tax education tax dollar to be directed to the school of our choice. Of course, that may not sit to well with you as it appears your only real concern in the article was the cost of education...not the quality. George Kloet Not one dollar will go into the hands of a director of trustee. What a tremendous blessing we have just witnessed throughout the campaign and zoning process. You may want to look into why these parents would give over and above tuition to finance the construction of a new school. Our school is relocating from its site in Mississauga after 35 years of steady growth. The membership of about 400 families, representing at least 35 different church affiliations, has just gone through a capital pledge campaign that has raised an incredible $950,000 to date. forces the same Christian principles that they themselves grew up with. John Cooper ble to answer ‘yes‘ to the bstructing their view. The ucation suhscnbe to the Equity policy discussion appalling In this time of financial restraint, we as members of the health care team (physicians, administrators, board members, and affiliated health care providers) should be striving toward fiscal responsibility, not contributing to increases in health care costs which, in this case, are clearly not in the best interests of patient care. Furthermore, with Cesarean sections, hospital costs are dramatiâ€" cally increased, the length of patient stay following Cesarean section is three to five days as compared to the recently, implemented OTMH 24â€"hour stay following a normal uncomplicated vaginal delivery. Cesarean section is not an acceptable alternative to a normal labor and vaginal birth in a healthy mother with a healthy baby. The proceâ€" dure should only be performed when labor is considered to be detriâ€" mental to the mother or the baby. Cesarean section is an operative procedure with a risk of maternal death two to four times the risk associated with vaginal delivery. Surely, an unnecessary Cesarean section wouldâ€"not be the "preferred choice" of an educated and informed patient! I commend OTMH‘s effort in lowering the Cesarean section rate from 28% to 20% in the past two years and agree that continued efforts should be made to reduce the rate to a level approaching the provincial rate of < 15%. The article also states that Cesarean section is "the preferred choice of many Oakville patients" and that "patients are often attractâ€" ed to Cesarean sections because they have a definite time when the baby will be delivered and do not have to go through labor." I do, however, take exception to the statements made by Dr. Keith Phillips, Chief of Staff, such as "the higher the education, the higher the Cesarean sections." There are areas in Ontario and Canada, with patients of comparable educational and socioeconomic status, that do not have a Cesarean section rate of 20%. Dear Sir: Re: Article on June 22nd, 1994 â€" "OTMH Cesarean sections secâ€" ond highest in province". Unnecessary Câ€"sections increase hospital costs Dr. Donald K.M. Black Oakyville Citizen Chief of Obstetrics Gynecology Credit Valley Hospital 1985 â€" 1994 Abase, 2 Sheri Levyâ€"Abraham July 13, 1