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The idea is that if we overcharge on taxes which apparently they did for 2005 than some, not all, but some of it should be returned to the taxpayers. The Waterloo city council except for Coun. Kieswetter does not get the big picture... that they repreâ€" sent the city as a whole. Residents should share in the surplus Sylvia asked me, "If I can carry this baby for nine months and go through the experience of labour, do you think you could get your driver‘s license?" My answer was simple, "Yes, I can." Naturally, 1 wanted to be able to drive us to the hospital when it was time for the baby to arrive. It‘s difficult now to imagine not having a license. As a parent, I am especially aware of what a huge advantage it is to be able to drive. It provides me with endless possibilities of things to see and do with my daughter â€" whether it be going to the marâ€" Although my wife, Sylvia, was never critical, she would occasionally discuss the benefits of having a license, and sugâ€" gest that I consider getting mine. I knew it would be a good thing to have, but the anxiety of just signing up for lessons would make me put it off for a while longer. Years and years, in fact. After dating for nine years and being married for five, Sylvia and I decided to have a child in 2002. Still, I often felt incompetent and embarrassed when relying on friends and family for rides. In one sense, I took pride in the amount of walking I did, and how resourceful I could be without a car. Throughout my 20s, I was often pestered to justify my decision not to drive. I‘m certain that who we are today is shaped by childhood experiences and events. From the age of 16 all the way through my 20s, I avoided getting my driver‘s license. 1 was afraid to get behind the wheel. [ City Staff is to be commended I was seven years old, and vividly remember that day like it was yesterday. Now 34 years old, I am only weeks away from taking my final road test in order to complete the Ontario graduated licensing program for new drivâ€" ers. My oldest sister, Wendy, and her husband, Robert, were killed instantly when a transport truck driver fell asleep at the wheel and careened into their car. n March 24, 1979, an OPP cruiser pulled into Othe driveway of our house. I can still see my panicâ€"stricken mother opening the door as the officer stepped inside. "How bad is it?" she asked him. He sympathetically replied: "It‘s the worst." Winning the battle with fear El |TEFRS dense or reject any contribution _ 20, Waterloo, Ontario N2J 3H8. If they do not want to take notice perhaps the overâ€"taxed voters of Waterloo should elect a group that will represent the taxpayers. With such a large surplus I would agree that half of the surplus should go into reserve funds but the rest should be used to lower the next vears taxes. â€" We should all be eâ€"mailing, writâ€" ing and phoning our councillors as well as the mayor. However they should be admonâ€" ished for giving advice as well as the councillors and the mayor who did not stand up for giving the taxpayâ€" ers some relief. for saving money where they did KOMNS MARSHALL COMMENT On a typical day, the Ministry of Transportation performs more than 2,800 road tests in Ontario alone. While this upcoming road test may seem rouâ€" tine for the examiner, it will be an immensely signifâ€" icant personal victory for me. Wish me luck. Marshall Ward is a professor in the fine arts proâ€" gram at Wilfrid Laurier University. Email is welcome at mward@wlu.ca . Although driving in the city for me now is like second nature, I‘m still not thrilled with the idea of going on the j highway. To be more speciiic, I despise HALL laneâ€"weaving speed demons â€" not to RD mention 18â€"wheelers barreling up behind me. However, in the coming weeks, 1 will continue to practise driving on the expressway with the anticipation of becoming a fully licensed In 2001, I completed an excellent stateâ€"ofâ€"theâ€"art driver education program that taught me to drive defensively. Most importantly, I was aligned with a patient and supportive instructor from the proâ€" gram. 1 remember feeling like 1 was not in complete control of the car â€" and really didn‘t know what I was supposed to do. The mere thought of acceleratâ€" ing beyond 40 km/h or changing lanes was overâ€" whelming. In addition, Sylvia‘s uncle helped me practise, pushing my boundaries by teaching me techniques for driving in unfamiliar areas and varâ€" ME | jous weather conditions. In my first attempt at driving when I was 21, a wellâ€"intended brotherâ€"inâ€"law took me for a drive around the city. kets, libraries, community centres, or going on an adventure to a farâ€"away park. 1 think what scared me most about driving was my lack of knowledge. I also knew it was time for me to complete the final road test of the graduated licensing process, which includes an expresswayâ€"driving comâ€" ponent. With four years of driving experiâ€" ence under my belt, I recently received a notice stating that my license was soon to expire. How about you Mayor Epp and councillors? Are you strong enough and secure enough in your position to admit that perhaps Coun. Kieswetter is right and the overâ€" taxed residents of Waterloo deserve to share in some of the surplus tax dollars? The federal Conservatives saw fit to return some of the surplus it accumulated. The City of Kitchener council was smart enough to reâ€"open their budget and go with no increase. ICL] David A. Norster Waterloo Sean Strickland has served as a public school trustee, city and regional councilior. He hosts a public affairs show on Rogers Cable 20 Thursday nights at 7 p.m. sean@seanstrickâ€" While I‘m sure Kitchener residents will be pleased with the zero increase, you have to wonder why this sort of prudent fisâ€" cal management always seems to engulf some councillors in Kudos also goes to Kitchener city counciliors who changed their minds on their budget and reduced the previously announced tax increase to zero. Yes, you read that right, a big fat zero. Well done, well sort of, to Kitchener council. The affected landowners have an opportunity to appeal the decision to the Ontario Municipal Board, but with the provinâ€" cial government‘s commitment to the greenbelt legislation and penchant for respecting the decisions of local councils, I doubt the landowners will have much success. Despite a lastâ€"minute push from some area landowners who would have liked to see some development on the land, regional councillors held firm and stuck to their principles and the Official Plan. This land includes the headwaters for the Laurel Creek, and is a significant recharge area for the region‘s water supply. _ Increased military spending on improved equipment is something I can support; increased pay cheques for Armed Forces personnel is something else 1 can support. However, increased military action abroad and increased military presâ€" ence in our cities and towns is certainly something that I, and I‘m sure many other Canadians in general, will have a difficult time coping with. This is hopefully not a sign of things to come. Sixteen roses for 16 regional councillors who got it right and unanimously endorsed the designation of the northwest lands in Waterloo as environmentally sensitive. Obviously a minor inconvenience but 1 couldn‘t help but wonder what that soldier would have looked like if his vehicle was under real attack and he couldn‘t get out because the door was jammed. One would hope the equipment in Afghanistan is in better shape. If it isn‘t, the recently announced funding for military equipment looks like it could be put to very good use. It seemed that a platoon was disâ€" SEAN patched to patrol the village of St. | STRICKLAND Agatha, and as they pulled up to the church one soldier struggled with the door on his vehicle for what seemed like an eternity. He evenâ€" tually wound his window down, reached out through the now open window and opened the door from the outside. Canadians take our freedom and peacefulness for granted, and unforâ€" tunately it is much too common for citizens from other parts of the world to see armed soldiers on a regular basis. In fact on any trip to some of the greatest cities in the world â€" Paris, London, Madrid for example â€" you would be hardâ€"pressed not to find armed forces or police carrying a machine gun outside train stations and airports. Thankfully 1 quickly remembered that approximately 700 reservists were doing military "exercises" throughout Wilmot Township. Obviously we did not become too alarmed nor did the other cars on the road; but my military week certainly did drive home a couple of | points. 1 <STRICKTIV After pondering the significance of this experience in Ottawa, I had no sooner returned home when, on a weekend drive to New Hamburg, our family surprised to cross paths with armed personnel carriers and soldiers with guns wearing battle fatigues. _ Our support of the military has always been strong, although the Canadian public does often question the wisdom of some of our missions. First, while in Ottawa on business, many people in our group commented on the fact that they couldn‘t remember seeing so many Armed Forces personnel out and about and around the town. Don‘t get me wrong â€" 1 have been and will remain a strong supporter of our men and women in uniform. But as Canadiâ€" ans we are just not very accustomed to actually seeing military personnel, even in Ottawa. I'm not sure if it was my lucky week or not bu(I sure did expeâ€" rience more rubbing of shoulders with our Canadian military than I have in my entire life. CGuns and roses