PAGE6, eWeBY FREE PRESS, WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 13,1991 The only Whitby Newspaper owned and operated by Whitby residents for Whitby residents! Published every Wednesday by 677209 Ontario Inc. at 131 Brock St. N., Whitby, Ontario L1 N 5S1 Phone 668-6111 Toronto Line 427-1834 Doug Anderson - Publisher Maurice Pither - Editor Alexandra Martin - Production Manager 2nd Class Postal Registration #05351 Lunacy To the Editor: I have, with great interest, read the press release concerning the construction of a non-profit co-op apartment building in Whitby, at Dunlop and Hickory Sts. This 122-unit building constructed under the province's 'Homes Now' initiative will contain 18 apartments rented at market rents and 104 apartments will have rents geared to the income of the tenants. Al of us would agree that the principle- of non-profit housing, in theory, makes sense. But one would also expect the cost for those units to be comparable or even Iessthan what the private sector provides them for, since there is no element of profit involved That's where all of us poor, naive taxpayers are wrong. The 122-ùnit building, of which 104 are subsidized, will get an annual operating subsidy of $2,600,000. That works out to a subsidy of $25,000 a year or $2,083 a month for each subsidized unit. Let us not forget that on top ofthat, the teants pay rent that amounts to 25 per cent of their income. As a taxpayer who is footing the bill for this lunacy created by the politicians, I think I have a right to an explanation. Why is it that a new private sector apartment rents for $800 to $900 a month (in the Oshawa-Whitby area) but the government needs well over $2,000 a month per unit to break even. For the amount of money that the NCP government is spending in subsidies for new co-op apartments, it would be less expensive to the taxpayer to buy each tenant a house, providng that the house is built by private enterprise, not the government. The scary part is that this co-op building is not an exception to the rule. A press .release from the Ontario Ministry of Housing dated at the beginning. pf .this yqrar regarding a 79-unit, nun-prôfit4 co-op apartment to be built on Brimley Rd. in Scarborough, says that the annual operating subsidy is going.. to be more than $1,854,000. Of these units, 58 are going to be subsidized. An annual operating., subsidy for each geared-to-income apartment works out to $31,965.51 or an incredible $2,663.79 a month, plus the tenant's rent. A recent study commissioned, by co-op housing organization indicates a need for 14,000 to 16,000 rental units each year for the next 25 years. The question that comes to mind is who is going to bear the cost of constructing those units, now that the private developer has been forced out of the apartment construction business by regressive NDP government legislation? Is the taxpayer willing and able to support government housing programs that seem to cost twice as much as what the private sector can provide them for? I also believe that the news media could do a much better job of informing the public about the astronomical cost to the taxpayer of non-profit co-operative housing in the province of Ontario. Instead of reporting the costs as an annual subsidy per project, the way the Ministry of Housing releases them, costs should be broken down to an annual subsidy per unit -- numbers that all of us can understand. The time has come for us, the taxpayers, to start questioning the wisdom of the NDP government pursuing the present co-op ousing poicy. A way has to be found to get the private sector back into the apartment business. That is not going to be accomplished by passing legislation based entirely on the NDP government ideological beliefs, without taking consequences of such decisions into account. Let us hope that common sense wili prevail. Robert Rembosz Oshawa By Robert Hamilton On Sept. 19 i had occasion to attend provincial court in Whitby. Upon entering the courtroom I was. for the first time in m life ashamed to be part cf what is happening to our society, to our heritage, to our families and to our country as a whole. Firstly, it was a new courtroom, in operation only a few months. To me, the judge and the crown attorney should not be representing me under these conditions. The room consisted of brand new furniture, all recording devices possible, but on the walls were two exit signs over the doors, required by law, and on the south wall was a clock. My question is to the Legion, Mr. Rae, the judge, the crown To the Editor: An open letter to Transit, disabled and resldents of Whitby Oshawa. GO older and Go Transit's trick or treat? Once a week, I make my way to Whitby from Union Station in Toronto. Sm'retimfles I ride the 4:13. p.m., sometimes the 4:33 p.m. or 453 p.m. If i go ta downtcwn Whitby or Oshawa, I am able to #%-tfh he ennnt-ii H-à 2 b1 To the Editor: medical officer of health. His caicn iLI UIIIIm iVV>V. Copy of a letter to the manager commerts concerning the effects That was until Oct. 31 when I hfacilities, Greg Scott, Town of ofusecond-handsmake on *our finayemerged from the bunker Whitbyyoungsters is very eniightenîng, under the tracks after climbing and especially the fact that after descending many steps on the Dear Mr. Scott, exercise the children absorb up to labyrinth of stairways, I saw the As a resident of Whitby and 10 times more carbon monoxide Hwy. 2 bus leaving. patron of Whitby recreational than.at rest. My walking is not what it used facilities, I wish to discuss the After playing hockey for an to be. I get by with a cane and problem of smoking in the Iroquois hour, the children must pass some tongue-biting. i am disabled Park and Brooklin arenas. Our through the smoke-filled lobby, in the mobility department. family is actively involved in while still breathing heavily after My inquiry at the GO traffic van hockey and we find it their game. It is not healthy for revealed that they had received uncomfortable entering these them, nor for everyone in general. many complaints from riders that facilities through'a cloud of smoke Our schools have banned they had to wait five minutes to reach the dressing rooms and smoking, as have the Oshawa sitting in the warm bus until rinks. Civic arena, Soccer City, Heron scheduled departure time. GO had With the adverse publicity Park arena and many places of decided just this week to let this against smoking, government work and business. Recreational bus leave five minutes earlier. I had regulations against smoking in the facilities are for promoting proper to wait 15 to 20 minutes for the work place, and positive evidence conditioning through exercise, and next one. that secondary smoke is a health should set an example by not Again, it appears that GO hazard, h cannot understand why allowing smoking, or by at least Transit is not concerned about these recreational facilities allow setting aside a smoking area away old(er) and disabled persons. Have smoking. from the general public. you noticed the sticker on the Last year, I questioned Soccer -In the interest of clean air and glass near the first seats? These City about smoking in their facility the health of our children, I hope are small seats, children size. wrote a letter to the Whitby you will give serious consideration Adults with leg problems, using 2M&»nçqrojM atter.- - to this problemrn- --canes-or crutcheshave no-roon f lrmr BActingRWhItby1gP 1Usi IRr f rom Dr. Steven Gold, B acting Whitby Tn thew alkW. attorney and or whatever body is responsible for this inexcusable oversight -- or just ignorance of our society? Do we have to pass laws to make it manditory to have the Queen's picture, the Coat of Arms, the provincial flag plus a Canadian flag present in any building of this stature? As a matter of fact there is not flag or pole in front of this building representing the fact it is a provincial building maintained for public use. I hesitate to mention I am a war veteran, 20-year member of the police force, six years service for King and Country (now Queen and country), and put in five years of service to the Ontario government in the correctional services. Have you noticed the lack of elevators/escalators at Whitby? Does it require real brains to figure out that ground level access from Whitby's north side can easily be made available, as only GO's own tracks have to be crossed. GO cont rols these. Have you noticed that at Union, Station only one escalator per track is available and that no apparent work is in progress to make GO Transit accessible to all Ontario residents -- healthy, in wheelchairs, with, canes or crutches, aid or yaung? The boys in the van said, We will keep an eye out for you if you use the bus regularly and hold it till you arrive." i thought this over but My feeling upon entering this building was one of disgust, and shame to admit being a Canadian. I have to silently issue a prayer for relatives, family and thousands of military persons who lost their lives in world wars plus all the other conflicts·we have fought for the right to salute, respect,. and carry our flag in highest esteem, never to let it fall or falter. Ladies and gentlemen we are faltering. I have seen dictatorships where this courtroorn would serve its purpose. All it lacked were guards armed With guns at the exits. These dictators include Hilter, Castro and Stalin and many more. SEEPAGE16 must decline. What about other people who move slower than the younger generation, those who are in wheelchairs, who accompany small children? Let these suffer the same fate, just because they cannot run? i know that my letter will not make a differénce unless more people write or phone GO Transit. Persons of the older generation, people belonging to the disabled group, do not let GO Transit come down on you again. Take action now. Demand a solution. Turn the Oct. 31 trick into a treat for years to come. Bert Mondria RR1 Norwood (formerly of Port Whitby) Taxi bylaws urged To the Editor: It would be nice to see council pass a few bylaws for the taxi industry -- drivers not to smoke while the customer is engaged (only if given permission by the customer); a uniform, not in the real sense, but a white shirt, black pants, maybe a tie, decent looking shoes; no- eating while the customer is in the car. A bylaw officer should do a, regular check on the cars. Drivers jhould be required to pass a test the shortest route to their destination. London, England has the best system in the world. Their test is known as 'The Knowledge.' If you are really good, you might get it in a year, but most take longer, and then some, never. Toronto has a test, but nowhere does it compare. I'm hoping to.see a change in the cab industry in Whitby. Show the people that the industry can be first class now that Whitby is growing. Alfred BalIey aerWpoOintt We are forgettin o th edior.s GO action wanted Problem of smoking k«M«