Page 6, Whltby Free Press, Wednesday, October 11. 1995 The only Newspaper owned and operated by Whîtby resîdents for Whîtby résidents! MEMBER 0F: CANADIAN ONTARIO COMMUNITY VERF, DCOMMUNITY NEWSPAPER -.NEWSPAPER ASSOCIATION ASSOCIATION ISSN#0844-398X The Whitby Free Press is distributed free to 99% of the homes iný Whitby, Brooklin, Ashburn & Myrtie as weII as numerous public and commercial outiets in Whitby, Oshawa, Ajax, Pickering & Port Pe rry.. 27,500 COPIES DELIVERED WEEKLYJ MAIL SUBSCRIPTIONS AVAILABLE Canada $34 + GSI - Outside Canada $80 + GSI Published every Wednesday by 677209 Ontarl o Ic. Box 206, 131 Brock St. N., Whitby,. Ontario Li N 5S1 Pho*ne: 668-6111 Out of town: 1-800-668-0322 Fax: 668-0594 Doug Anderson - Publisher Maurice Pif her - Editor Alexandra Martin - Production Manager "One man's irash is another man's treasure!" - WWf ewpwr w. One sohool system Printed on newsprint with minimum 20%/ recycled content using vegetable based inks. c Ail wrltten material, illustrations and advertising contained herein is protected by copyright. Any reproduction by any means for commercial p urposes without the express permission of the newspaper is prohibited and is a violation oft Canadian copyright law. Reproduction for non-commercial- distribution should bear a credit line to the Whitby Free Press. Service gap To the editor: Re: 'Oruly the basics afler Children's Aid cutbackçs,' Free Press, Sept. 13 As group co-leaders for the moihers' group in the former sexual abuse treatment program of the, Durham Chidrens Aid Society, we want ta express aur concern regarding the large gap In service that has been creaied for clients as a resul 0f the demis. 0f this program In September. There are no longer group treatment services in Durham Region for the.clent groups: sexuaily abused children 0f todler, latency and adlolescent age; non-offending mothers 0f thes. children, and maie aduft perpetrators 0f abus.. Sexual abus. affects the victims and their familes In a profound and negative way and does not discriminate on basis of sodao- economlic status, race or culture. These people are your relatives, friends, nelghbours and colleagues. The mothers' group in this program, which operated since 1984, provided hundreds of women with peer support; education about sexual abuse and Its Impact; a place to, vent and resolve, their feelings; a vehicle*ta increase their feelings of empowerment as an Important and supportive person and parent. This group contributed ta keeping many sexually abused children safe ln their own home and reduced the number 0f chlldren who had ta be admitted to CAS care, or the length 0f their time in CAS car. We implore the Durham community, trealment agencies and local politidians ta take immediate action ta replace the sexuai abuse treatment program wihin the community, ta ensure that chiîdren, mothers and offenders Ireceive the trealment they need ta stop the cycle 0f abuse and its negative effects. It la unconscionable thae these clients elther sit on long walting las or re olv aabuse-specific servces wlthln pur community. Uf you share ourconcem, take a few minutes and write or calI your oca politidian or Chikirens Services Council ai 433- 4100 ta, advocate for sexual abuse treaiment for children and their familes. TammniKeggenhoff RegIna Turco The unexamined life To the editor: Re: 'Back ta basics approach ta education,' Free Press, Oct. 4. Thank you for printing anather letter from Ms. Switzer crtticizing the education system in Ontario. 5h. astutely points oui that students in Durham "know how ta put a condom on a banane" but they don't spell as well as other students in the country (according ta her). Perhaps the correct spelling of "oops las more preferable ta her than preventing an unwented pregnancy or contracting a communicable disease. I would contend that one does not need ta know how ta speil mignorance ta recognize it. The lnterestlng aspect of fundamentalist thlnklng Is how people can get so caught up in their own ldeology that they actuaily believe chers wilI b. persuaded ta follow their narrow point of view. These groups lobbying for changes ta, the education system have their own agenda (anti-sex education and anti-values different from their own) and are heard by sohoal board trustees with respect and civility. Obviously aur trustees Iearned ta tolerate others when they were young. In the 1990s, children need ta leam about sex and values and what makes us human in addition ta learning traditional academic subjects. Afler ail, is an unexamined and intolerent if. worth livng? Socrates would say "no". B. Sutherland Whftby By Sharon Sumrmers The Ontarto School Board* Reduction Task Force recently released its intenim report that proposes a reduction in the number of schooî boards in Ontario by about 50 per cent, by redrawlng school- board boundarles. Fewer school boards may sound Ice good news and a quick fix to the challenges facing Ontarios educallon systemn today. While public school boards recognize the need jo overbaul some aspects 0f how eduion is govemed and funded in this province, it is important that taxixayers and parents consider ail of the issues surrounding the amalgamation of schooî boards. Amalgamation refers to joining a public board with a public board, or Joinlng a Catholic board vwth a Catholic board. Confederation, on the other hand, refers ta merging public, Catholic and francophone boards, which would result in one publicty funded education system. In the long mun, the best way to save taxpayers money is by merging ail types 0f boards. In f act Ontanio's ru 1110% nhool boards are recommending that the task force's final -report, due ai the end of December, ýendorse the biog money- saver - one publicly funded education system that guarantees constitutional rlghts. Surprislngly, the lnterim report didn't state if the proposed school- board boundanies MIl save taxpayers money, whlch was the purpose of the $250,000 task force. And the task force side-stepped the" complex Issues - the reform of how education Is funded and collective bargaining - that must, be resolved before any school boards can merge. Simply put, schooî-board amalgamatons can't happen until the provincial govemment deals wth the thorny Issues of how to fund education and how lo merge the collective agreements of teachers and other education workers. WhiIe cutting education costs in ways that direct as much money as possible ta student programns and services is important, public school boards agree with Ontario Premier Mke Harrns that "the primary goal 0f reform of the governance 0f the education system is ta find ways to Increase efflclency,* . cost effedtiveness, aocurtablty *and responsivenesof ail institutions and plaers lnvood ln public education - flot Io just Nt som.e arbitrary numeric target whlch may or may not make sens. ln relation to the provincial objedlive.M Certainly Irs healthy to look at school-board boundarles. But we don't need a made-In-Oueen's-Park solution for a veoy large and diverse province. Changes to school board boundanies should b. cxnidered and agreed upon ai the communlty level ai whlch parents, taxpayers, students and Chers may participate ln decisions about their public school system. ibis approach Is consistent with recommendations of the Fgoyai Commission on Leamning. As a taçpaer or parent, iVs important to let the task force know what you thNk* about schoà l board boundanies ln your community by Oct. 31. 'The task force's toil-free telephone number is 14800-562- 6954. Sharon &irîner, a truste& on the Vxwtna County Board of Education, Is vico-posWdent of the Ontario Public School Board's Association. To theestor,, Speaking of top To the editor: Re: Letter, 'Public service targeted,' Free Press, Oct. 4. Whlle Joan Gaies makes some lnteresting points about the makeup 0f Durham's top empboyers, 1 couldn't help but notice that of the total number of 40,353, fully 60 per cent or only 24,224, are public sectar employees. Well, heres my top 10: 1. Tell the New York bond agenaies that if they won'l support aur borrowing requirements, we'll print aur own money. 2. Let's spend more tax dollars and get those inleresi rates so high that we can't afford new cars; thal get GM off the top of the list. 3. Let's blame the pnivatesector for these difficult times and make sure that only their employees suifer th. pain. 4. OnV, entrepreneurs b. allowed ta pay employees' minimum wages. 5. Ensure thel public. services are pratected from the world 0f competition and the pressures 0f business. 6. Complete the cà rcle; l'il send you my pay and you decide what I can have back. 7. For every wage reduction or lob loss ln the pnvat. sector, offset this by a wage ralse ln the public sector ta weed oui the buying power consequences. 8. Explain ta aur youth whai Is a lving wage, particularly a fninge benefit, and tell them not 10 aoeept a job without them. 9. Explain* ta aur seniors thai reduced pensions, health care, etc., equates ta income protection for six out Of 10. 10. Certain members 0 f aur society should b. prolected f rom the economic consequences of the day, regardW,*s 0f costs and the condition of the taxpayer. Truly sorry, Bob Taxpayer (Robert Blrkett> Whitby Privatization works To the editor: Re: Letter, 'Why privatize LCBO?' Free Press, Sept. 27. 1 disagreé wilh Mr. Slaughters contention that the Aberta expenence 0f privatization is *bad.w lndeed, the opposite is as follows: * 5,271 brands in the system, up 72 per cent since privatization, and 50 par cent mare brends than in current LLBO system. * Greater hours of canvenience, some stores open every day, and some until 2 a.m. * Net income ta Aberta not lms than $415 milan before privatization, asper govemment objective. S8,000 people applied for licences ta open outlets. *Alberta sti contrais licencing, warehousung, butîla malcing money aiIL With respect to alcohalism, robbenies, etc., I do not agre. that the privatization of the liquor business is the sale culprit. By the way, a six-pack of Blue bells for $7.44 ta $7.90 in Aberta, vs. $7.65 in B.C., $7.70 in Seskatchewan, $7.65 in Ontario. The local LLBO outlet is certaînly improving with greater vanety, dlisplays and personable stafl. uuî R is an eensive bureaucracy needing a new mandate, Le~: 'common sense.. B. Lennox Whftby To the editor... ic