The only, Whitby Newspaper owned and operateci, by Whitby residents for Whitby residents! Published every Wednesday by 677209 Ontario Imc. at 131 Brook St.N.., Whitby, Ontario Il N 5S1 Phone 668-6111 Toronto Line 427-1834 Doug Anderson - P ublisher Maurice, Pither -, Editor Alexandra Martin - Production -Manager 2nd Class Postal ýRegistratio.ri #05351 'Leap of illogi' By Dennis R. Timbreli Prosident,, Ontarlo Hospital Amsociation Accadin to every major opinion poiI, the vast majority of Ontarians are happy with the way their hospitals are run. Communities ses their hospitals as local'resources af which thsy are J.ustlfiabiy proud. are Independent, non-profit consultationsthis suer, anboad pi lantizntroduce a ew ublic boarstais Actate r terear. ProvInsttia s H ueai Miiter Frpanc e aii ensi thate isneeded.f "hir ont yesatsf thact ws haeiene haw toh Invivempioylda eres of pnguici adnstativesdeis fi-mraknds tha hspitals c ecame moth ye re sa vicalld.h iise Weneeded lamt d is te boards withavdegned directo frale m sakede rs.au lyn aspinitativAssociion prmatss tii. tactbltyihwa hospitals* eo mr ae gened ta dy.sth btoarsuggh es thatetheose is om aehow dem ocraican rerma, bthxtkng sle 0 ilioic. oe.Th nai tizatorallssmcatins is- esthe pcotizatn ofthe yhospial ButStem. h eathe lsstaf lnsrsomeh thecrati, n d0 e atherrli eve fopaid pu lsee and heinthrunathe rovianciale gave3wrnet in ht lmocal diion-mraing. n i- h apitals il.lof eometa atleofs forppolitcsonriif Queen's Park insists on pursuing this dangeaus course.-' The existing systemn may not b. perfect but Rt is 'certalnly' better- than siections or qovernment app ointmsnts ta haspîtal, boards. Y__mors than 4,000 men, aid women who naw donats their time, snergy and expertise as hosp5ital trustees do so because they cars about their cammunities -- not because thsy- represent a- special interesf, a political party, or a particular idsology. Replacîng these volunteers with eliced off icials wauld 'certainiy necessitate costs. Taxpayers wouid have to pay for the salaries, staff and off ices of eiected trustees <as they do for schooi board trustees). Eiected boards couid seek local tax-raising authority. And the hundreds af millions of dollars raised evsry year through the community efforts of, voiuntesrs would have ta bs found _ corne under the contrai of speciai intsrest. groups (such as unions, pro-choice . r anti-abortian advocatss, and other. single issue arganizations) in- the event of direct 'elections. Rather than patient cars being, the paramaunit concern, the narrow interests of varlous constituents would take precedence. Is this -the klnd of hospital systemn we want .-- where heath care takes a back seat to palitical opportunisrn? Govemnment-appointed boards would be littie more than- adjuncts of Queen's Park. Their existing autonomy wouid b. undermined and trustees would awe allegiance not to their communities but to the provincial government of the day. ln this scenario, who would take a stand against the Ministry of Health over Issues Important to the delivery of local haspital services? The, provincial Health Minister appears to- have rejected the steering committes report, titled 'Inta the 2lst Century, whlch reameded,,after almost three years of study, that the valuntary system 0 f hospital governance b. preserved. lnstead, she seems convinced'that existing boards are neither adequateiy representative of, nor sufficiently accaunitable ta, their communities. 1 suspect that most Ontaians. wouid disagres with this view. The many valunteers' acrass the province, who selftessly give aof their time, wha helpi with Important fundraising efforts and provide leadership ta their hospitals have earned the support and respect of their communities. Wauid siected- or appainted- baards perform as weII? Opinions expretsed are those of the author. To the editor: Re: CRTC authorlzed cabie rate increases 1. as 1 arn sure most people have in Durham Refion, just received notification in the. mail of a cabie TV rate increase of 26 per cent. According to the notification, this rate adjustment is not a resuit, of increased costs to operate the cabie service but the result of increased operating costs for CBC Newsworid, YTV and the Wealher Network; two of these stations are cammercial operations. ln these times of ecanomic hardship 'and uncertainty, where wage cuts and plant closures are the norm, an increase of 26 pr cent is flot oniy excessive bu crirninal. These are commercial ventures, and as such they shouid live or dis on their own morts. if these organizations cannot contrai their costsand make a * "~No, air, there 1$flO 'ab'cmite 'Yes'to what? To the Editor: Can, somneane please help me? i arn confussd. 1 was of the understanding that the -referendum was ta as k the people, of Canada if they agreed with the proposed changes to theV constitution, as agreed by the First Ministers during their meetings ln Charlottetown. i was being . asked ta say 'Ys' if 1 agreed that, in a country where -everyane was equai, 1 was willing ta make the people of. Quebec and aboriginals more, equal -than the rest of Canadians. 1 was belng asked ta say 'Ves' if i agreed that the Canadian Senate was ta b. elected, except ln Quebec (I alsa do hot understan how Bob Ras can g uarantee that 50 per cent of Ontario senatars wili b. womfen if they are being eelected by the people af Ontario). 1 was b.ng asked ta say 'Yes' if. i agreed that, in a country. where p ariiamentary representation i18 based on population, the province of Queb.c wili b. guaranteed 25 pr cent of -the seats in the House afCommans,, regardless. of their population. 1 was b.ing asked ta Say 'Yes' ta these 'and other proposed changes. The 'Ves' campaign is now. 'te9ling me that a 'Yes' vote means ecnmcrecovery and. stability and theý creation of jobs, and that 'No' meanis the financial ruin of Canada and-the migration of jobs south of the bordèr. Thsy -ares concentrating, on the economy- and avoiding the> reai Issues' Even mother nature doesn't 'dump this much * snw on us during the winter. Nf Canadians truly vote based on these -reasons, -then ,the government wili not b. getting a, true, pict ure of how. the people. feel about the constitutional changes. What arn1Isupposed 'ta ýb. saying Yes'ao? Arn i saying 'Yes" becausei agree with the-praposed, constitutioinalchang'es, or because 1 want ta see ýecanomic recovery SU PAGE 9 Canadla neeëds our help' To the Editor: Open letter to ail members of the Greater Toronto Home Bulidoes'Association. -Canada, our home, needs aur heip., The Charlottetown' Accord - otherwise known as the Consensus Report-on the Constitution -- is in danger of ' becoming the Charlottetown Discord. We 'cannot afford ta let that happen., On Oct. 26, you wll b. asked ta mark efther 'yes' or 'no' an the referendum ballot. As presidentof the Greater Toronto Home Builders' Association, i urge yau to vote '$yes.' 1 This is not -abolut the leadership >of the, country. Leaders corne and 1go. This is about the survval of the country. The warid Is watching- nsrvausly as w. decide aur own fate. Through piolitical and economic, strife we have endured. Canadian peacekeepers arle second ta none as they perform admirabir for the UnitedeNations -- a stable nation helpingta restare stabiiity ta ans traubled region or anothraod the world. *hraon We are confident experts at solving otWer countries' problems, yet we seem ta b. bumbling novicesat deaiing with diiemmas An aur own backyard. Make national unity your business, because your, business. dspends on Rt. A 'yss' vate on national unity wili restore a good. measure of confidence -ta Canadians, -a confidence that will heip spur the economy. A 'no' vote will, f.usi confusion, double and insecurity. The Charlottetown Accord is not perfect ' but i1 *b.lieveIt represents a sound ,baiancing of the variaus interests af ali participants.,. h 'ýdeserves 'aur support, and encouragement.:', l's timie to write the, Accord inta the history books so aôur gavern mente can focus on the. nubrone -concern forý most Canadians -- restoring a healthy economy to this great. country. iff yau egres with>this stance, ý st this letter on your -bulletin ards for your empioyees to read. Astonishingiy,, there are âtili morse than 1 100,000 - unemployed construction .,workers in ôntariol. Many analJysts say. a 'no'-,vats wauid cause f urther lasses. Odiaudlo Ci 'napri Prosident, Greater Tooronto <Home Buliders Association' Police deserve ,res 1p ect. To the Editor: My heait j ust ache d whenI recently Saw' an television a woman laying a wreath in memo ry- of her husband, a police officer, shot in coid biood a year ago. He was a victim. of thc cruelest of deeds. 1My husband and i are the parents of two sons, ans a police officer and. the other working his heart outtrying ta becomsaone. They are both good, caring people* who want to b. In a profession that wiil i enabisethem tai heip others. i4 Tharea. '.nêm tn< hw a e sme dslight in tiying to bring the pouice down and, when subected'to'their views, rm l eft. absoltsiy coid. Why they, think this way I'don't know, but I'wiiling ta bot, theoreý'not- ans of thsm with the courage to risk his or her awn >Ifs on a daiiy basis-to protect membersof their com 'munity. i shudder, ta thlnk of' the devastatifig state af iawlessness we'd find ourselves in wilhout -aur wonderful -poIce 'farces. They .deserve our utmast respect and co-aoperation. should b. aliowed ta go the way of the dodo bird. The cable. company is not responsible for'this rate increase, this 1i*ncrease'is the responsibility af aur elected government in Ottawa and- their appointed comrmissioners. 1 recomrmend that ail the people of Durhamî Region write, their Member of Parliament and badger him on this subject. t's'about time aur. members- start working an ways ta reduce aur casts and save our tax dollars. 0f course, the idea of less taxes and less costs* may .b. diff icuit ta understand by a person who receives an excellent wage with- tax-fres benefits, and a fuliy indexed pension after oniy six years in office. How q ickly they forget the difficuity of living in the real world. Perhaps after the nextelection i wili ail corne back ta themr. Government to -blame