Page 6, Whitby Free Press, Wecinesday, June 29,1094 The only Newspaper owned and operated by Whitby residents for Whltby resîdents! MEMBER 0F: ONTARIO CANADIAN COMMUNITY eACOMMUNITY NEWSPAPER + N NEWSPAPER ASSOCIATION C f ASSOC IATION ~rn CANADIAN CNA DIVISION AUDIT BOARD ISSN#0844-398X 26,500 COPIES DELIVERED WEEKLY Published every Wednesday by 677209 Ontario mec. Box 206, 131 Brock St. N., Whitby, Ontario Li N 5S1 Phone: 668-6111 Toronto Line: 427-1834 Fax: 668-0594 Doug Anderson - Publisher Maurice Pifher - Editor Aexandra Martin - Production Manager Printed on newsprint with minimum 20% 49 recycîed content using vegetable based inks.t4 (D Ail wrtten material, illustrations and advertisinig ontained herein is protected by copyright. Any reproduction by any means for commercial purposes without the express permission of the newspaper is prohibited and is a violation of Canadian CoPyrightaw. Reproduction for non-commercial distribution should bear a credît lune to te Witby Free Press. Replacing the GST By Dan UcToague Since lits inception in 1991. the goods and services tax (GST) has been a regressive tax, fair too costîy to administer and a night mare for businesses ta collect. Widespread opposition to the GST has aso fueîîed the development of a significant underground ecanomy in Canada. As a repacement for the manufacturers' sales tax (MVST), the GST was designed ta bring in equivalent revenues. In f act, the GST is 90 ineff cient that in 199V92, 3,96() public servants were needed ta administer and collect this tax, alilat a cast of $2885 million. ln the Iast year of the former federal sales tax, administration costs were only $85.8 million. Net revenue for the aid MST was $17.7 billion while net revenue for the GST was $152 billion. Thus, wth the GST, Canadians paid more in tax but the government took in Iess. Not ail the costs of the GST shawed in gavernment accounits. In 192, according ta, the« Canadian Federation of Independent Business, business on average, spent 25 cents ta, coîiect every dollar of GST -- ranging from a high of 87 cents for every dollar, for businesses with annuai saes under $100,000 ta a low of 15 cents for every dollar, for firms with annual sales of $5 million or more. The governiment is commftted ta reducing this burden so that businesses can get on with creating jobs and economic growth for Canada. The al-party Finance Committee of the House of Cammons has been mandated ta consuit with Canadians and the provinces and investigate and repart on possible alternatives ta the GST. The govemnment has also taken immediate action ta increase fairness by dropping a measure proposed by the previous government which would have reduced the frequency of GST rebate payments ta those with bow incarnes from four times a year ta tvm. Between February and April 1994, the Finance Committee In last week's edition, a letter, 'The health f acts,' by public health nursing supervisors, should have stated that it was a myth that after 20 years of explicit sex education, teen pregnancles and the number of sexually transmitted diseases had skyrocketed. It was incorrectly stated in the letter that the myth was that such pregnancies and diseases had not lncreased. The Free Press wishes ta apo- logize for the error and any con- fusion whlich may have resulted. To teeior. Where is the tolerance? To the edîtor: I want ta salute Lewis F. Chaw, World War Il veteran, Branch 12, Whitby, mainly because he is a veteran, anid also for the very informative letter he submitted ('The other side of the stary,' Free Press, June 15). I want ta assure yau, Mr. Chow, that the tears that were shed in this house while watching and listening ta the D-Day Remembrance services in France, Ottawa and Toronto were not crocodile tears, and the praises vaiced for ail the Canà dian and Ailied Forces are not pseudo praises. They were ail from deep in the heart. My father served from the beginning ta the end of World War Il in the Royal Navy from 1939 ta 1941, and in the Royal Canadian Navy f rom 1941 until the war was Show respect To the editor: 1 hope that the Royal Canadian Legion in Whitby will consider carefulîy its stand on allawing relig ious headwear in the Legion Hall. Sikhs and Jews, who were among those groups who faught in World War Il for freedom and justice, should bu welcome with their religiaus headwear throughaut Canadian society. What butter way ta show respect for the soldiers who died, than ta show respect for the living? Sheila Smyth Whltby Citizen vote To the edîtor: The Durham Regional Labour Council has written the Region 0f Durham urgng it ta take ail the nocessary legal steps that would allow for the election of the Durham rogional chair by the citizens of the regian at large. Delegates ta council supported the recommendation unanimously at the counicil meeting held June 14. Wayne R. Shred Secretary- Treasurer Durham Reglonal Labour Council over in 1945. His service time was spent in the North Atlantic. He returned home alter the war a very unwell man and died just seven years later, still a young man in his forties. I was born just as war was declared so there was only a brief time that 1 knew him. He had so much ta pass on ta the f ive children who survived hlm, and the many grandchildren whom he neyer saw. My family anid myself have the deepest respect and gratitude for ail thase wha servd. We ail must remember that these young men and women took on and defeated the Third Reich. Most of the younig feilows who fought for the freedom of Europe and East Asia had not even reached their 21th birthday and others wha were a littie aider had wives and children at home, but they stood fast. Otherwise, today we could be living under Nazi standards, by Nazi rules. Alter treedom was won and peace was declared, many of the people who had been in captive counitries were able ta make a new start in a new country. There must have been something special that some saw that made them choose Canada. When they arrived they were not asked ta sacrifice their reîigious practices, traditions or native dress. Most cultures have bro ug ht ail their fundamental beliefs and traditions and practice them every day of every year wit haut restict ions. There was a Canada priar ta Warld War il, a proud country, not sa densely populated as today, but occupied by many f irst, second, third, fourth and sa-on generations of Canadians. There were many traditions that had been enjoyed and handed down by each generation. However, as the country grew and the population became more diverse, many of the aId traditions were no langer considered politically correct sa t hey were cast aside. Last December we might remember that Christmas was the Iatest target. 1 ask the new Canadians, Sikhs, Jews and any others concerned with this issue, where is the tolerance for other peoples' traditions that you have demanded for yourselves? Why is it so important ta you ta break down one of the Iast remaining traditions of the people wha built and fought for the country you chose ta bu your home? Why should the Royal Canadian Legion, a selff-supporting, non-profit, charitable arganization, have ta give up their traditions so that they remain politicaily correct. As explained by Mr. Chow in his letter, this is not a human rights issue. The Leg ion men and women have already given enough. They joined forces wth you in the fight for freedomn, but this does nat mean they have ta sacrifice their traditions ta you.. You are not requested ta sacrifice your traditions in your sacred places. The Leg ion is entitled ta the samne reverence In the sacred areas pi their club as Jews would yequest in their synagogues r Sikhs wouid request in their tEèples. Toierance is a two-way street. The Rayai Canadian Leg ion veterans have rights, tao, don't they? Otherwise, why did they sacrifice so much? Mr&. S. ILIttie (Mitchell) Whltby Daughter of the late OPO Victor Joseph Mitchell R.C.N.V.R. Lynde trail suggested To the Editor: ln response ta being asked by a council membur ta submit an application for the Lynde Shores monitoring committee, I realized the Town of Whitby doesn't know whai it has. A monitoring committee should take in flot just Lynde Shores, but ail of Lynde Creek. I suggest that the lanids (so-calied hazard lands) which naturally link the conservation areas of Lynde Shores and Heber Down bu incorporated into Central Lake Ontario Conservation Authority jurisdiction ta form a perfectiy wonderful trail for winter or sum imer. Maint ained by CLOCA or individuals, these vital connections ta w(iiderness areas are exactly what Whitby needs. As efforts of the Crombie Commission extend an ecosystemn approach ta develapment with the waterfront trail, it's time for Whitby ta become aware of the importance of open space ta balance aur crowded urban centres. 1 intend ta continue the monitoring of these areas with or witht the approval 0f politicians. Margaret Cornfot, W hltby ---. 1