PAGE 4, MONDAY, D)ECEMBER 30, 1985, WIIITIBY FREE PRESS Iltublished ever -v We'dles<1a - N whitby BILL MaUAT by ' N71.Nl. .Publishîing Communlty çSand lhotography linc. Ilhonl e 66i -6il Ili The F'ree Press Building. Voice of the County Town Michael Ian Burgess, Publisher - Managing Editor k:1 BrockStreetNorth. SecondClassMai VA). Box, 20>, Whil N"0111. Registration No 5351 Tte only Whitby newspaper independently owned and operated by Whitby residents for Whitby residents. We may not always be this fortunate According to Mayor Bob Attersley 1985 has been very good to the Town of Whltby. The final numbers won't be released for another week or so but the Mayor maintains that the town should top the $70 million mark in building permits issued over the course of the year and that spells a hefty increase In assessment dollars to the town and new possibilities. The extent to which the town's administration can be considered responsible for creating this growth ls perhaps limited - as Toronto looks to the east for housing and industry, Whitby figures prominently ln Its sight lines and this, in conjun- ction with the strong economy, makes growth in Whitby Inevitable. As custodians of this growth however, our town fathers play very important roles and the decisions they make about today's development will certainly influence whether or not Whitby continues to attract new blood. And development has been proceeding accor- ding to carefully laid guidelines, according to the Mayor. The residential development in Whitby, $55 million worth this year alone, is the finest anywhere in the region he said last week, and ad- ded that the town will continue to direct that growth to ensure that quality housing charac- terizes community development. Obviously commercial and industrial develop- ment is harder to come by and there have been mutterings in some circles that the town has not done enough to stimulate growth in this sector, particularly industrial growth which creates the most jobs and forms the foundation of a strong economic base from which the community can move forward. To his detractors, Mayor Attersley points out that for the last f ive years the town has had a policy of diversifying its Industrial base in an effort to reduce Whitby's dependence on the auto industry, always so susceptible to shifts in the economic climate. Indeed, during those five years the town has seen 60 new industries shoot up - industries that have created more than 1,000 jobs and next week, promised Mayor Attersley, a new manufacturer will be announcing its decision to move to Whitby, a move which will add at least 200 more jobs to that tally. While other communities in this country are dying a slow economic death, Whitby is riding on a wave of confidence which the Mayor and others believe will continue through 1986. It's good news but, at the risk of playing the devil's advocate, good news never lasts and If there is one thing we ail have learned about economic trends It Is that they are just that, trends and trends, by definition, are short lived. Municipal politicians have a tendency to ride the public purse strings, convinced as they often are that fiscal restraint is the electorate's yard stick of their performance. While restraint is ad- mirable in practice, It must be exercised in a broad context which includes consideration of factors beyond next year's assessment roll. Fiscal policy that directs itseif to the immediate future without considering the long view can be penny wise and dollar foolish as the saylng goes. To quote Mayor Attersley, the town "is on a roll" and as Whitby councillors prepare for this winter's budget considerations we hope they will have the courage to look beyond 1986 to the years ahead. We may not always be this fortunate. Letters to the Editor: Garbage jollies To the Editor: Tis the season to be jolly. The people who collect the garbage for the Town of Whitby make me wonder if it is the festive season, the silly season, or just plain April Fools. Last spring I put out an old metal garbage pail for the heavy pick- up. I put a sign on it asking, "Please take this away." The gar- bage truck came and went. The battered old pail was emptied and left in front of my house. When the fall heavy pick-up came around I put the poor old relic out again with a larger sign asking that it be taken away. This time the garbage men took the pail away, but not the old one with the sign on it. They took my good pail which was beside the old one. During the course of last fall I used the bat- tered old pail as a reserve container for leaves, dead plants, and other light garbage which I would not put on a weekly basis. Three weeks ago I put it out for the normal Wednesday pick-up. The truck came, and went. When I went to bring in the em- pty pails the battered old one had a very nice red lettered notice which stated, "This con- tainer is not deemed as a suitable container for garbage, however, if you put it out next week we will take it, and the contents away." I read between the lines that I was being told, "You Durn fool. This durn pail isn't any good, and, if you insist on putting it out again we're going to take it." The following week I put the poor old pail out again with the notice from the town firmly at- tached to it I said good- bye to my old friend. Not so, the weekly pick- up came and went. The sign and the garbage was taken. The old friend was thrown in the ditch by my driveway. i brought it back to my house and during the following week I filled it full. I put it out again for this weeks pick-up. I put a very large printed sign on it asking that it be taken. Today the garbage truck came, as. usual, went as usual. My old friend remains in all its battered glory at the end of my driveway. •I am debating whether or not I should send the garbage collec- tors an engraved in- vitation to take it away, or should I gift wrap it and send it by special delivery to the Town of Whitby. Perhaps I will have it mounted on a pedestal, place it in the middle of my lawn and call it a marvellous work of modern art. Perhaps I should have a competition among the town employees for the best suggestion of what to do with it. The winner will be given the first opportunity to go through my garbage when the heavy pick-up is held the last week of this coming May. I wish to extend war- mest greetings to the garbage men of Whitby. May your pickings all be littie ones. Very Sincerely, Tom Doucette Happy New Year!