Page 6, Whitby Free Press, Wednesday, April 17, 1996 The only Newspaper owned and operated by Whîtby residents for Whitby resîdents! MEMBER 0F: CANADIAN ONTARIO COMMUNITY COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER NEWSPAPER ASOCATON ISSN#0844-398X ASSOCIATION PTlihed ibyee r e.s sdnsedy by67799%otajo mcsi 900 eria H opk tin itBx2, hAjPityrOng tar i N5 Phone: 668-611il Out of town: 1-800-668-0322 Fax: 668-0594 Doug Anderson - Publisher Maurice Pither - Editor Donald G. Hinton - Sales Manager Alexandra Martin - Production Manager T______________________ Agendla was alreadly set Printed on newsprint with minirbum 20% recycled content using vegetable based inks. «I Ail written material, illustrations and advertising contained 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 copyright law. Reproduction for non-commercial distribution should bear a credif mie to the Whitby Free Press. ONTARIO HYDRO What's the real story? To the edItor: Every aitcan, bureaucret and unlon nomd as a different vlew ai the sale ai retentian ai Ontario Hydro, the Iargest power generating utirty in Canada. W il rates et the user level go up 30 per cent? Or -Mi they decline by 30 per cent? What Is the true benefit ta the taxpayer by privatizatian? Why do the unions want Ontario Hydro ta romain a public ulity whlle the management -and gavernment want ta privatize It? Daes the union expec t tamaintein' extravagant contract wlth job security unkawn ln private firms? Does management want to bofreeaofthe shaWls ofa provincial gavemment and lms Impediemnent ta aperating the business? Daes the gavernment want ta dispense wth the msie debt af Ontauio Hydro, malnlycaused by over-runs an nuclear plants thet went aut ai contraI? It wauld appear thet the Interests ai the taxpayer are not belng served by aur elocted gavermment. The management af Onterla Hydraris long. been -beyand the contrai af anyoWie The union has no Ioyalty ta their employer or the taxpayer.WMI putting Ontario 14dmo Into the private soctar change thet? lait botter ta b. held ta ransam by a government utliIty rather than a privete enterprise? SWe can expoct the union ta b. maliveted by greed lnstilied ln its members. We are not advlsed by management and government (paliticlans and bureaucrats) whEt their agenda is. Unlil we aie advtsed, the privatizatlan ai any public corporations should b. deterred. I the management or govemment have any Information thet vwlIl assist us in decdlng what w. want done wlith Ontario 14dmo (or the LCO, etc.), thon they must make ful disclasure. We expect ful aoeuntability tram people in aur employ. Othorwlse, we, the taxpayers thet fund lhem, must demand aur rlght ta replace them Immedlately. Don Young Ajax HELPING HANDS A registered charity To the editor: People of Whkny, you have always been vory generaus and klnd la aur Helping Handa Food Bank, in Caurtice, for which we are very thankfuî. Theretare, 1 would Ike ta respond ta "Dislurbing letterm (totter, Apuil 10, Fiee Press) in aider ta clear up samo misconceptions. 1. Hoiping Handa Fond Bank is a registered charfty wïith a togai charitable number. 2. Oui board af diroctors consists of a mignister, priest, teacher, rotirod business persan and volunteer wth exten sepe ence In sevoral arganizations. 3. The people we serve are reterred la us by social services, the haspital, lamiiy services and churches allen because their need Is great and they can't meet the cther fond banka criterla aI that timo. 4. Myseff, Sharon îles, the co- ardinator, starled this tond bank in 1992 with a vow to God to keep ft a privaIs fond bank. i base my, style af operating on theo Bible verse - Matthew chapter 6, verses 1-4. If yau would care ta meet wlth me or the board. dan'l hesilate ta celt we cen easlly s«t up an appaintment. Sharon il». To the edîtor: Is; anyone surpnised by the repai af the implementatIan -planni commttee of the acute care study, The agenda was set' a very long tîme ago and the health council continuee an its -in escapable quest that paye only Up service to community input, Cansider this excerpt tram Rome Sootens' loUter af respanse ta, myseli, dated March 14, 1996. Ivwld suggest that If you committee has suggestions foi Inplening the recommendatlons of the awute care study, that It wouk Too much duplication To the editor: 1 have recenty read and campleted the survey whlch contalned three questions dlrected toward Jalnlng a greater reglanai gavemment. Whie erppears tobeaonly ane way ta repand ta the Issue, i faund the Information package and survey ta b. of a blased nature since same af thase maost threatened by such a change are canducting thîs survey.' They could alsa have canducted the survey wlth just twa questions: %Status; Qua ar Join a Greator Taronto Cauncil." Neither of these alternatives shauid be acceptable. Bath the federal and pravincial gavernments have and continue to address the question Of avergavernlng, and I have seon no similar attempt ta address the Issue wlthln the Rogbon ai Durham and the Town af Whltby - and we questian why such aftempts ta consalidate are affensive. There are na visible signs ai restructurlng wlthln these twa levels ta address change. Simpycontractlng aut and cutting services are nat the anly answers ta maintain, ar heaven farbid, ta reduce taxes. The Regbn and municipalities, with warker representatives, need ta sit together and look for alteratives that will enchance aur qualty and standards ai Iiving in the area - not take away fram them. The Town of Whitby recently publshed that they were maintaining the curont level of taxes by elmlnating same administrative jobs. This is; quite admirable, and may b. a start, but It stilI doesn't address, the question of aiea duplications. The Town ai Ajax et toast appears ta bo inwardly laaking at ways ai daing business botter. But even that doesn't go faai enough. Any review should Include major public bodies such as education, public utilties, etc. - why do we need two ai everythlng? IR 1s na wandeî that suggestions fram autside aur aiea may look attactive. EsrI Goodmn be extreme4' helpful i you could submlt them ta the IPC as soon as possible.'w Mr. Saetens made R very clear thet unless we agreed wth the recommendations ln the repart, aur Input wasn't needed. Athaugh I1flnd the.. DHCs disiegard for aur conceins disturblng, I find whet has accuiiod ln Whitby ta be aven maresa. ln Whltby we flnd the peaple who have been entrustod with the pawer'ta pratect aur interests, .actually suppartlng, aven encouraging the demisof aagenorai haspitaiaifferlng 24-haur care ta the grawlng Whltby population. This ln tho name of savlng jobs. *Whoso jobs?n To th. editor: t's okay ta litter. Pollution is not damaging ta the environment. Wo dont neod ta reduce, reuse, and recycle. This is the message thet the Durham Board ai Education seems ta be imparting ta aur childien wlth its propased axing af the autdaor educatian program. In lorder ta trlmn $24 million tram the, upcaming schooi yeai budget, ta Côpe with the provincial govemment funding cuts, the board committe. stated el an open meeting an Aprl 9 thet it was looklng an q41 non- mandatary programs as a means af culîing out thîs amaunt. Our public school board has done very wel lin the past el curbing , unnecossary, spendIng ln comparison wlth othor schaal boards in thé pravince. Thoy may naw b. unfaiuly penaiized for having dons so,, as thore may b. less waste avellable lo go under the axe. What I and many others in attendance on April 9 have a prablom wfth ls tho boards definition of nan-mandeary programs.Why aie math, French (French Immersion as woII), English, history, etc. considerod mandatary whilo a program thet educetes aur chlldren about preserving the planet for future genorations IsnI t considerod mandatory. The Durham sohoal board hasni tatken ta their, history lessaris If they wam ta ropeat aur predocessars' errais ai ignaring tho inherent environmontal issues. f thet ls the case, thon aurs wll b. the worst error ai ail ... because Wt toast we have an Irreplaeat>le resouice such as theoautdoor oducation program that has the knowlodge and expertise 'neoded ta teach oui chikiren ta botter respect nature and Uts environs., Whiio budget cul are the focal point ai tho schooî board, maybe thoy shouki look al altomnate sources aif revenue,$uh scorporate 1iImagine that my camments cauld elcit cries of laul," "untrue" and %just trylng ta further my persanal agenda,- whatever thet Is suppased ta be. I dan't realîy care.1I knaw whet 1 see, and I certalnly knaw what my experlence has been aver the Let twa years around this Issue.' I belleve gaad health care wlithln aur cammunity is warth fighting for. I Just didn't Imagine the the flght uld be thlong ar sadrty. ShIrley Scott Is rlght. The battle -for aur haspltal.Isn' ver yot. IN yau are feeling thetlt'rs futile, Just remember «the darkest haur Is Just beoare dawn.* Say tunod for mare develapments. AoAnne Prout spansaîshipa, ln arder ta -retain ai Ieast *somo . semblanceofaithîs tvaluable iogrem. No. one can )pretend thattwîlb easy to target a 1b ùdget.wlth a drop af $24 million, but =opfuliy aur Durham public schaol board mombeis aof the $1 00,000 club wiII b. warkdng hard and wIseIy ta meet their objectives. Save the auldcor oducation praogram. Ron Park Concerned parent Mon-ey wasted To the edItor: Could anyane tll me why they want ta close R.A. Hutchîson Public School? W. have 174 young students attonding this achool. AJilaf these Young puplis ivesosuth af Dundas Street ln a very peaceful and sais communhty. Whywould anyone want ta mae these 174 puplis walk aiong Dundas wth ilts speeding liaffic ana make thomn cross aIM Andersan Stoot, the busiest Intersection in Whltby, la gel la schcol?, Aisa, why do they wangt t waste $1 .5 millon ta bulid portables when we aiready have a sale, dlean and woII run school in R.A. Hutchisan? >Busing the 174 puphls ta achool, waUld cost aven mare -mono y wastod. .Also, ail the 174 pupils atleniding Hutchisan can waik.homo salely e noan and gel a healthy hol meai which makes for botter students. Ta, the school trustees Ilay pese baeeaur achool alano. Remembor the aId saying, Yh ilain't broke, don't fix R." Rueseli M. Preiton P Save the program To the editor...