Page 6, Whltby Free Press, Wednesday, August 14, >1996' The only Newspaper owned and operated by Whitby residents for Whitby residents! ~~1A MEMBER 0F: Canadian C=ommunity Ontario Community Newspaper Ascation Newspaper Association Whitb Whicg Busness Oshawa Drim Home Chamber of Commerce <in AtinBulders' Assoiciation The Whitby Free Press is distributed free to 99% of the homes ln Whitby, Brooldin, Ashbum & Myrtie as weII as numerous public and commercial outiets ln Whitby, Oshawa, Ajax, Pickering & Port Perry. L28,00 COPIES DELIVERED WEEKLY MAIL SUBSCRIPTIONS AVAILABLE Canada $36 + GST a Outside Canada $85 + GST ISSN#084-398X Published evey VWednesday by 677209 Ontario mc. 900 Hopkins St. /Box 206, Whitby, Ontario Li N 5S1 Phone: 668-611il Fax:. 668-0594 Doug Anderson - Pubisher Maurice Piflier - Editor Donald G. Hinton - Sales Manager Alexandra Martin- Production Manager ,Pdintèdon nwspdnt withminimuùm20% recycled content using vegetable based inks. L 0Ail wrftten mnaterlal, Illustrations and advertlslng contained herein Js protected by coprdght. ,A reprodton byan means for comme~rcial purposes without the express permission of »newspaper ls prohibied and is a violation of Canadian cpyigtaw. Reproduction for non-commnercial distribution should bear a credit lina te Whby Free Press. I -- The fa ir tax con By Peul Pagnuqelo In 1994,# nal' munloldpalties 'and sahool. boards spent $36 billon' ta providelocal' government services. 0f that amount, 58 per cent or,$21 *billion was spent by the municipal sector on things suai as policing, fire Protection, moad and sidewalk maintenance, snow remoâval, transit seMice, garbage diposai, sewers, water, parks, damc"r, wefare assistancýe, services ta fihe elderly aid public heairi confrol., The funcIng ta support local ?overnnt services cornes from edendand -provindà I grants, roprtytaxes,, user fees .nddeveloprnent charges. Mhue the pockets May De oeferem M ey am belong ta you, tie taxpayer. Proprty taxes, whlch Include municipal, re gonaUcounty and sohool bnadtaxesare collected tram every praperty owner by the local municipal govemment. Even tenants -pay property taxes aspat0te rent ciargedbylandlor ds.h Ontario currentiy Uses a marke value assessment systemn for determlnlng the amount eaci property owner pwAysadtie paesInvolVes three Stops. mTe fretstepls e si ifi veà ueeof eacprcperty phyOt% liaracterstice aid qJyl ng somne subjev »gment, work firough a complex mathmaticaformula Io arrive et vitat they ttink fie Smaketvaluewould k w«91sold. A percentage of "iema", tva"ue b fih" uised by fie miunipalty -ta cabjatewlitlà known as fie may be valjedby fie assessor- as belng-worth $180,000 but fie propety assessment miglit work out Io Ns only $3.500. budet ordeai teng fi "Ln h tax rate. Each pear, municipa coundils, county and regiona councils, and the schac boards figure out how'muaI each 0f them are.golng tc ,spend. Mfer deducting whad thuy eéxpeatota get ln. grants, fees ad charges, the amauni Msf ls whatthey have-to raise flirougli property taxes.-> The amounitota Nscollee through prprty taxesthen determfines thq ml rate wh ls based on,-ery $1,000of prtprty.asséssmem~a your faxi th a i how dlifeérent nmil rates for' the dlwnshmlp, confy/ reglonal, aid ochol board portions. 9 ïoUr propertY assessment ls $3.500 and the school board n1il ate 1, say, 560,.thet meoestli dup lo Orto f your tax bll l Iei4s-$1.96 (56 X3.5). 1 5(6 , ail 0ftfis sound confusing ta yau aid perhasx unfair, fhaV because Itls. And so, as Municipal Affairs MnIster AI Leach sets out on hîs quest ta rush firougli a new pmvlncewlde property fax systemn called actual value assessment (AVA), fihe question emey Ontarlai should be 9asking b UftIfmakes 'sense filet property taxes are based on the market value 0f fie Or5 rtY shouhd they bNs gasedr-Isead' an somne mneawumment 0f fie amount of' local govemment services dia esch pOperty recelves? iodng fie Issue b fie fucn fsocial services and educion. If -bath came off ~e tymtxesand, -were endyWby the poi thraugh Ifs general revenues, the mosrièlogiai and falrest nethod 0f assesslng how«we rhould pay- for- municipal, services wxJld'bNs-a whole lot easler for'taxpayers ta pik.- Leachisleconnlng ta-pyr by seMng AVA as, a 'Pailr Tx PauPagebs a memnber1 i id n Eb ti El 0I "Confue? 'Courtesyo' ai' tdriverqs discretion Tro flue'editor: On the momlng 0f July 30, myriwfe and 13-month-old son were walting for the bus ta arrivé'ai Fencerow, and W Wln.The bus arrlved et appridmetely 10:15,a.m. with two psegr nbad , wlfe atepited ta0oar et the front_ 0f teauswhny son and his srler. She experlenced some dlfficulty Mlh Mhltasc. ibis was lier flrst attempt et uslng the public transportation system and she wanted ta see what dlfficuftles woulbelnrrediwith a yaung chlld and strler. The bus' driver sat and watched MY wtt. fumble wlth the stroler util she becamé f rusMaed and retumned ta the curbole. When- It became apparent taon le of the passengers. aboard, the bujs that the driver was not'golng ta Offer assitanceta my wife and son, the woman kIIndly ýatempted llocome tathe aid 0f my wlfe and son. Bedore tis woman W' ab ta meach the front door 0f, the bus, the bus, driver clôsed, the -doors and. proceeded along the mOute. Mywlfe and I honed WNhy Transit ta Ideaà cômplZaint aanst the driver. We were'informed'thet, k isth*rpolcy that drivers offe assistanice et their own diOscretion. I feel same assistance should have been offered ta rW Mle and .son-,In:,, this,_ situation, taking ,.into consideration thaï the bus had onW two passengers aon board. I was toldi hat a repart wauld be sento the driverrgad this situuation. We <-lnd I'f unfortunate that the driver In qestion has ll be told to show somne common Courtesy. Crogg and Sanch Kent Whltby .ToM fleodltor: Re: Terence Scheftema's letter, 'Liberals need lesson in demiocrac-y,' Free Press, Aug. 7 1 wish ta respond ta the false and mlsladlng view sùspplîed ta your readers by Mr' Sahetemna. Ouf 0f desperation, llkely Ilnked ta the'decline Refarm Party fortunes, Mr Saheftema Joins a-5mal but tboîsterous group 0f writers Who have ,lfnundated yaur paper wlth oery partisan propagandea deslgned ta tum public attention'awvay from the reason underlylng their party's political misfortunes,' and abvîaus Incompetence ln Opposition ln the House 0f Gommons. GNon the lafest decree tram Reform Nhl command, Mr. Sclieltema's opinion lb 1 a 1classlc lit and run letter whlch, Ike other partisan letters fram members 0f the local Refarm celI, refuses. ta albw th. «farts to stad inthe wayof a poutiaj opinion, Whase motive ls pitifully suspect ln the caeof hNs frst and flest letter (no doubt), he opted by wayofqsome untecfed -reporr to augest favar a no-conest process for Liberal Party nomninations. Sînce I 1e»corne -an- open nomkudgon as a function of the demnocatlc spirit 0f the Uberal Party, and cen daim that 1 am the successful produce f suai an open ani klsie proes 1 am et a b a I ndersan wly Wk. Scheltema has Aforgotten fie tact fiat Reform Party leader Preston Manning, WubeOxieflSl5lrP0wersf the1 -ocl -'Rfürm nomination here In Ontarlo, rldlng Iln 1993. Reereo Wl l rcal fiat Louis Io the Re*fom, nomination flen, but! becajse Ns vewson poai c ashed, Ã'fi IA*. Mahinçg' hi,N rmsp wa«,revoked aamwbth manv -i otier acrase Lanada, eftectively PreciudIng'ai open naminatiar Thot Fr. Schelema chose ta shameIe'ssly, Ignore the local track recrd 0f hNs cherlshed Party in favo0f suggesting, wfthout a' shred, 0f evidence, that the UNsral Party bs by contrast somehow undemoaractia, be sheer hypocrsy. t As tahlsancffuîm'nbo i 8baUthe GST, k May corne as r a surprse 46him taleam that Nsé Party and Indeed. Ns leader are on record as supporting a *harmonlzed GST., -R-naIfyW M. Sheitma reters ta a quùestIon asked, an the radi by loQai Rleform member Mne Stem. I respoded that' thlsisIsse was treated openly and abunidantiy ln the Lie election., My apposition ta the rosboratlon 0f the death penalty was known ta everyone wha reads this paper. f Mr. Sohetema b9 thedemacrat he clokmstlo Ns, he should respect the democratc wlli 0f the pea0ple 0f the cornmunity, not the fanclful dictates 0f- those who have a flar for the tiy;otheticaL Moreover, f yau belleve the Retorm Party lias a manopoly on demoucral*ltue, you might ln, your next latter wlsh' ta explain-ta your readerswhy Preston Manning chose ta Ignore 72 per cent 0f the wIshes 0f Ns constItuents when liewoted egainsthfe Gun In fie'innth leading up ta the next election, consitent of Ontaio rlding can Ns certain that 1IwIl continue fa stand up for what le riglit regardiess 0f the conseqlumens. iRle a style for whlci I was eledted and viii conftinueo serva., As for fuiture letters generaed from the dek ops 0fpartlisanpundifs suai asr. .Scheftema, I vil continue ta expose>,fie frufl aboufflim as longasfey are i guess 1 shouldn't have been surprIsed, but on a walk one cay i happenéd upon fie new C.E Broughtof, Sahool aid coukint beleve miy eyes. thousands of dollars Warth 0f frees, shrubbery and flowersl, Not only- were . herem the' usu"iugly scub plnes that the Durham Board 0f Education loves ta plant, but lmot0f very nice matum maple, free , and hundreds 0f faise -,spims cottoneasters, day gle and euonymous. Since when does our board of education have al this money ta spend on Iandscaplng? I wouhd love ta se te ie Nfor tfis, The nurser Involved rmust Ns rubbIngflelr hands together wtjglç. ls enough ta, make avenay arnaeur gardeners slialte r heade ln dW»beef. Bath types of spimea aid euoymaus are Zianted between 12'and 18 nes spart aid fie cottoneasters, aid day. lies paited six ainces apart. Mabe fie board là laning on a50 per cent die-Idue té lack 0f water aid'belng1 mass planted In fie heat '0f.mnd- summer. ,Dld I mentio'n a thé. sod? Wonder whos> going,,fa pqyt »ý.keep ItR, aave and flourlshIng 1fImrugli thoee ot dry monfis?,Parts 0f t'are Where wiII youth go for heil Bi Slstem NOW la sakenod to say that we havq juet reoolved officiai notice fron théUrUyofHousirg-tmou pragram lias ceased. For nîne y.ars, our pragram has been provldlng houslng assistance in Durham« Reglon ta young people aged 14 ta 21. Our worker arranged and ptovlded transportation to vlew units, acted as* an admvcae wtth landiords on behalf of youth, made. referrals to other servlces youth mlght have needed (cnslng educadion, legai services, etc.), and ppmvided valuable Inforato on Independent living aucli as coolcng and" budget sidîls. - One can only, wonder where aur youth onaur strets MI now go .sk fore., If any organIzation supports this"pragramand can offer flnanlal ssstane continue it, oei 725-9300 Big Slses NOW AlfIa forHug R.FLttr 'Fasatolen,' Frae Preos, July,31, Tis lateris ta HugiG Ma ld ta hu f W h b : S r miakes nme truly ,skk Io thlnk sameonestol.your flegs.. 1.WcxuldlkeIo offer ya Canadian, flag. f yuwll me uplwllMAd ly-bdliga on&. 'm proud ta Ns Canaian and tis WlI N s -My way 0f saylng thank'you ta a veteran. l'm ln the.phone book. J1ackRohson Whltby building of this sahooî was sualu flat I honestly thought that the Durliam *.okardi 0f Education >uldtalc.'a low-- k.y apoaci henit came ta the flnlshIng touches on'C. E Braughton. Slfy mel We ail know aur board 0f- education dloes fothîng In a smail way I aertainly hope fiat parents ln Durham Region, keep a close wafch on what happens wlthln their own schools ln the upcoml'ng, year. --hen there are naf-enougli textbaoks for every chid ln -a cdassroom, when claseroom maximums méaffha p'oint 0f averarowdling, wien> more programs are' cancelled, when there, lsn't even enough, paper to lms 10 months, when fier. lsn't any moneyfoâbulid anewhld for the cildrenin aillthenew1 bull subdivisions ta the north remember C.E.- Brougion. Remember C.E Brouglion for MidtR, le - a waste 0f millio f the taxpaers' lhard eamned dollar for a two-year experiment ln. fie' modlfed saliool pora, In:,.a- showplece 0frabulding, In a matur aie not needing anothier -sw-hoo, an aschoal < fihe public dd not want brtI Remeborln 1he next ele= i ake fie Durhiam B3oard 0 - Euatn Hyprocrisy Lan dscapi.ng,, bil? To the edftor:ý To the- edhor: lro the edltor: