WNtby Free Press;Wednesday,'November 9; 1994 1Page 39- Remembering councillors' past performance To the editor: At this time of year, we pause and remember those fallen heroes who gave their lives that we might live in peace and freedom. Being a senior who clearly recalls the sacrifices made during the last world war, I am increasingly concerned with what I see happening today. Special interest groups and those advocating political correctness have taken control of the minds of politicians in all our considerable levels of government, rendering them incapable of reasoned decisions. They even believe controlling, or outright banning of legally held and registered guns and ammunition will stop the use of these items by criminals, and will reduce or eliminate the number of murders committed annually. I see the loss of the very freedoms that our heroes gave their lives for, and I truly believe that soon their deaths will have been in vain. This is also an election year, and time to remember the past performance of our elected officers. I remember the outrageous development of this area, and the resultant congestion of traffic and people. I remember the monolithic schools and school board built by our taxes to accommodate the increase of population. I remember the weekend trips, at taxpayers' expense, by the mayor and Town council, in order to get away from Whitby. I remember the apparent initial inaction and unconcern of the mayor over the proposed link between the 401 and the 407 which, if allowed to happen, will destroy the quality of life in Otter Creek, West Lynde, Queens Common, Macedonian Village and Almond Village. I also remember councillor Drumm, and the role he played in approving subsidized co-operative townhouses instead of freehold townhouses .on McQuay Boulevard, and particularly the callous and arrogant manner by which he brushed aside the arguments and objections of the residents of Otter Creek in favour of the developer. Finally, who can forget the proposed destruction of Lynde Creek marsh, and the probable loss of Whitby General Hospital, and the green corridor between Whitby and Ajax. What backroom politics are at play? Are taxpayers and residents completely incapable of any control over the make and mix of their respective communities? Is this just another basic freedom we have lost to backroom politics, indifference and greed? Because I remember, it is perhaps needless to say which incumbents I will not vote for in the coming election. Rob Burgess Whitby Give the 'old boys' credit To the editor: I have served this community as the councillor for the west ward since November of 1991. I am greatly honoured by the acclamation afforded me this election and have pledged to continue to work in an open, responsive and fiscally responsible fashion. Over the past three years this council has taken a team approach to decision-making and problem-solving, and together we served this community to the best of our ability. At the regional level, Edwards, Batten, Brunelle and Drumm have ensured that Whitby's interests have always been addressed and they have accomplished this by working together in the best interests of this community. At the local level, these "old boys," as one wannabe candidate called them, have joined together to bring about operational reductions, including a downsizing and reorganization of all departments with the exception of the fire department, resulting in more than $3.4 million of reduced budget requirements. Tax increases in 1992 were zero and in 1994 your municipal tax was reduced a further 1.2 per cent. At the same time, over 790,000 square feet of vacant industrial space has been leased or sold in 'tby, 46 new industries have located in Whitby (the City of Markham boasts a total of 50 over the same period) and more than 880 new industrial jobs were gained. The planning of capital projects has been ongoing. From day one, this council was determined to find a solution to allow the seniors' centre to remain in the downtown core where the seniors wanted it and, as such, began to secure the necessary land. When the infrastructure plan was announced, because of the very effective long-range planning that has been taking place over these past years, this council was the first community in Ontario to respond. Much has been suggested by current council • hopefùls with respect to senior sector involvement with future ice facilities. I can tell you that, to date, our experience has been less than satisfactory. Parks and recreation have had ongoing negotiations with no less than eight different proponents -- each proposal would result in greatly increased costs to both the ice user and the taxpaying public. Nevertheless, remain ready and ,willing to investigate any cost-effective proposal. This council is currently working with the library board in preparation for the future expansion of the main branch library in the present location. We are determined to bring a rejuvenation to our downtown and as such are looking forward to close working relations with a soon-to-be-elected DBIA board of directors. As a council we have been involved in ongonig negotiations with all three provincial parties at Queen's Park to secure a commitment to retain 24-hour emergency, and acute care services at Whitby General Hospital. We have taken a proactive approach since day one and to suggest otherwise is unjustified and self-serving. Similar work is being done to Not the tim< To the editor: Dear voters: The more involved I get, the more I learn how people feel about the issues facing us and how many important ones there are. This election is not a shoo-in for anyone, so make your vote count. The sensible mnd has to prevail here. Now is not the time for change. New, inexperienced people will not help. Many people don't realize the legalities etc. that council runs up against. Please note. that new ice protect Whitby's interests with respect to the proposed 407/401 interconnect. This council has a record (too extensive to fully chronicle here) to be proud of. Please give the "old boys" the credit they deserve. Each member of this council has earned the right to serve. Judi Longield Councillor West Ward PS: Mrs. Perkins might be interested in knôwing that there were no expenditures associated with that 'luxury" bus. Zero. Trent Wager provided the vehicle free of charge so that we might be able to accurately determine its maneuverability around any contemplated traffic calming devices we were viewing. She and some of the other hopefuls might wish to review the facts more carefully in the future. for change surfaces, an updated library, finishing the senior project and finding the correct solutions for problems facing us now are just a few items that are on the incumbents' agenda for this term. Let experience carry us to more stable and prosperous times. The people that have lived here for years and plan to stay are the ones who truly care about our town. These are the people who will do the best job they can for us because they are us. Vote for the best people but most importantly, please get out and vote. Lee Cassidy A 20-year Whitby veteran 'Issues dominating the agenda' To the editor: Just in case you thought Canadians had worked out al of their anxiety by kicking Brian Mulroney's Tories out of office a year ago, think again. Right here in Whitby there remains a high level of frustration with the status quo and the Nov. 14 municipal election has served to crystallize public opinion. On a variety of issues, groups of Whitby residents have been remarkably effective in capturing the imagination of the community. They want control over the decision-making process that affects their lives and their community, and their discontent has produced several compelling campaigns for municipal office. The group that formed to preserve acute care and emergency services at Whitby General Hospital collected 30,000 signatures to counter a controversial consultant's report. That's equivalent to nearly half the population of Whitby. This issue is a provincial matter, but this group alleges that Town councillors, who represent the community on both the hospital board and the district health council, failed to act effectively. While the councillors freel they acted in Whitby's best interests, the results compelled the community to act and leave Town council behind. The 30,000-signature petition was recently presented at Queen's Park and it represents a powerful symbol of community dissent. The lesson here is that politicians who are quick to take credit for success must also shoulder the responsibility for their failure to act. In politics, the public's perception of how their representatives act is more important than the decision-making process. On the development front, a motivated group of citizens have fought Town council's decision to allow developers to build a subdivision beside Lynde Marsh. Recently, despite the fact our local council voted in favour of the project, Durham regional council referred the matter to the Ontario Municipal Board (OMB). Remarkably, council bas defended the process through which private developers, together with both the Region of Durham and the province, have earned the right to develop their land. While council bas rightly articulated the property rights of the land owners, their reliance on environmental reports, paid for by the property developers, may prove to be their undoing at the OMB. The potential conflict of interest arising from one provincial ministry waiving an environmental assessment, thus permitting another provincial ministry to develop the land, will be a glaring, perhaps insurmountable, factor affecting the outcome. After a long battle with the Town-appointed Downtown Business Improvement Area board of management, a majority of downtown business owners were successful in gaining the right to elect their own representatives. Yet our mayor insists that this group was, in fact, an annoying minority that has caused far more harm than good. The three long years of conflict sapped the board of management's credibility, hurt the reputation of Whitby's downtown and produced a Town-initiated decision to develop a strategic plan for the downtown just a few weeks before the election. While long overdue and fundamentally critical for the long-term interests of Whitby, it is ill-timed and the Town failed to adequately consult the very stakeholders it aims to help. So what is going on in Whitby? Well, it's populist politics and it is energizing residents. The level of activism in Whftby proves a couple of things. First, people care about their community and second, they are taking effective steps to change it. In case you hadn't noticed, there are at least five candidates challenging incumbents based on their participation in the issue-based groups. They face an uphill battle against, in a majority of situations, multiple-tern incumbents. Recently, an incumbent expressed frustration because while he wanted to talk about his past performance, residents kept asking about the issues raised by these groups. This is a very good sign. If issues are dominating the agenda, then it is the residents who will be the winners and the common good of ihe community will be served. There is a perception in Whitby that the Town's business is not conducted in the open and that our local politicians are neither accountable or approachable. There are very few people who doubt the personal attributes and integrity of our councillors. However, there is a measure of discontent concerning their behavià ur. Public life is very difficult and politics is a very rough business. Furthermore, government, whether local or national, is complex. While parts of it can be run like a business, most of it cannot and it requires intelligence, compassion and fortitude. The widest possible consultation produces the best political decisions. Local issues afibct our ]ives directly, yet the public is often apathetic on municipal election day as less than a majority of residents go to the polls. At the all-candidates' debates this past week, we just saw how messy, rude and rambunctious democracy can be. But we also witnessed a grace, intelligence and passion. The residents of Whitby have some very clear choices to make on Nov. 14 and I am extremely confident they . will make the right decision. There is no doubt that this election is a turning point for our community and we all must do our part by voting in numbers not seen in Whitby in a long time. Don't waste your chance to guide the Town of Whitby's future. Joe Butson Whitby e