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PAGE 6, WEfl'BY FREE PRESS, WEDNESDAY, JUNE 20, 1990 Published every Wednesdlay Maurice Pif her By.677209 Ontario Imc. Editor Phone: e668-6111 Larry Cook Toronto Une Advertising Manager 427-1834 Doug Anderson Alexandra Simonl Publisher Production Manager 131 Brook Street North, VOCEOFTH OUTYTO NP.O. Box 206, Whitby, Ont. 2ld ClamsPOetaJ The only Whitby newspaper independently owned and operated by LUN 581RSlrtln155 ___________________ Whitby residents for Whitby residents. Maybe the Ontarlo Municipal Board wIll se. It differently. With council approval of the Coscan waterfront residential plan ikeiy next weok, and a group of local citizens threatening to take the decision to the 0MB, that may be the forum in which full consideration is given to public access to the waterfront. The original Coscan plan lncluded public access to the waterfront edgo of the entire property, but with four hlgh-rise apartment buildings. Much preterred Is the Good plan gonýe bad revlsed plan for three i5-story buildings. But the revsionis also Include cuttlng off accesto about 300 mtres of the waterfront. Counicillors themaGIlves proposed the access change, clting possible labiltty problerm - problems that somne- how don't apply to the Town's other waterfront proper- ties. The Town had an opportunlty to extend public access along the waterfront - what could b., ln future,*a prime recreational area as ln othor lakefront conimuni- ties - but lnstead gave away that opportunity. Maybe an O0MB forum wlll b. more responsîve to arguments of-local cRizens, such as merrbers of Save Our Shores (SOS), who have a greater appreclatIon of the "public" potential of Whltby's waterfront. Hi gh taxs, 'uncontrolled growth' What went wrong?. To the editair During the aset town lection a year and a haif ago for the mayor's seat, the two contenders, mysef and Bob Attersley, sqaed off over property taxes.I had a plan, Bob had none, and as a resuit I reoeived a tremendous vote of support - 47 per cent. There is no doubt in my mind, as then, that a strong mesage was being sent to Town hall. Eighteen nionths later we bave By Terry O'S/aughnessy Troubied Canadians seem to be facing an uncharted future. .The June 23rd deadline for ratifi- cation of the Meech Lake Accord is fast approaching. We are caught in the downward spiral of a deepening eco- nomic slump. We are outraged that the federai government is forcing on us perhaps the most seriously fiawed tax change this country has ever seen. With so many people talking and s0 few people listening, the crystal bail is cloudy indeed. As John Bulloch, president of the Canadian Federation of Independent Business puts it: "We seern to be melting the glue that holds our nation together. " 0f course, it's difficuit to talk, let alone think, of any issue other than the constitutional crisis created by the Meech Lake Accord. And the emotional hemorrhage that accompanied recent everits has taken precedence, as it should, over another major issue on the nation's table-the been sent whopping high tai bils. What went wrong? Sound fiscal restrint je wbat's needed during t1hese uncertain times, not the record of this council. Let's review what the inayor'e leadership has provided so far. Each month the majore report on Whitby's growth trends fr-om new developnient puts us ini good financial shape. Vieil, foks, I have news for you - it caste us dearly. Then we hRve council'e GSI) rather than waiting a year in order to harmonize the new 7 per cent tax with nine provincial retail sales tax systems (Alberta being the exception). In these difficult timnes, adds Bullocli, the impact of the GST wili be devastating. "Quite aside from the enormous problemrs created by the unharmonized GST, the tax is siated to be implemented during a very difficuit tiine economi- cally. Interest rates are skyrocketing and wage settiements are trying to keep pace with inflation. But above ail else, we have a constitutional crisis raging from coast to coast. This is surely not the time to implement a wide-ranging, yet terribiy fiawed, tax change." Bulloch proposes that the GSI be sheived for a year, giving rnuch-needed time for governments at both the fedleial and provincial le vels to work towards some initiai hrmnonization and to ailow the Bank of Canada to bring inflation and interest rates federai governrent's proposed 7 per under control. cent Goods and Services Tax. If any-' "Without a more simple harmno- thing, it seems even more essentiai nizec sales tax systeir in place, '" says tliat the inîplenientation of a major Bulloch, "the government would be initiative suclh as the GST be deiayed imposing hardship and serious in order to allow for a period of damnage to the country by holding to calm within which to mnodify the its Jan. 1, 1991 deadline. many problenîs inherent in this "We will work, no matter howilong badly constructed and extremely it takes, towards a more sim-ple and fair complex legisiation. federal/provincial unified sales tax to -Smali businesses and consumners, replace the GSI. With an extende'! Bulloch says, are being poorly served deadline, there's an opportunity to at by the governmcnt's policy of holding least address one major problem-the to its Jan. 1, 1991 deadline (for the GST-"before i t becomnes naine." t ~ ~ t~... - ' -OFIS 4%8b»~*e owni pay increaseL ladt year a 29 per cent pay increase, this year a 6.5 per cent increase L,31 next year, already done by secrt vote, an automatic 6.5 per cent pay increase (total 42 percoent). It would appear t1hat the mayor and coundil have covered themselves well for their own tax increases. Also 42 per cent je about 10 times more than the average adary increase for us poor taxpayers. A program of uncontrolled growth at any cost, againet mine of controlled growth, wil, sure, be up for review in coing monthe. Yeurs truly Cery Emn Just returned fLrom Liberation oeremonies To the eitor: My wife Margaret and myseif are both veterane of World War IL. It was a surprise to read in the Whitby Pme Press 'Yesterdays' column, June 6 issue, that ten years ago I 'had just returned fromnRlland where I had taken part in the Liberation celebrations. The reason why we were surprised was that once again we «had just returned from Holland after taking part i the 45th anm:versary of the Liberation cereinonies. We conibined the seven days of celebrations with an extended vacation in which we visited six Of the 12 provinces. Although the Netherlande is smnaller than southern Ontario, it is a marvellous country of friendly pope and very beautiful scenery, both natural and marnade. le in the Netherlandesowme friends of ours made a videotape of the highlights of our tour. The Europesui video systemn is not compatible with North American TV sets. 1 needed someone here in Canada who could convert the videotape for us. Ini the same issue of The Free Press in which you recalled my 1980 visit to the Liberation ceremonies in Hofland I found the right people in their advertisment ini your clasified column. So I wish te thank The Free Press for its contribution toward adding to ourý wonderful 1990 vacation. Tom Douoette Whitby Listen to your children, elected 'Father' To the èdfitoqr Sorry, Mr. Mayor, we bothered you with our proteste over what we consider excessive taxation. We thought. you might be mnterested in our frustrations with the poor financial management townwise, educationwise and regionwise. As the elected 'fathei> of thie town, listening te your cbildren je part of your job. We hope, like a good father should, you would stand Up for your town fanily at ail levels of goverrmnent. Iàke a good father, you wifl be pleased we feit- conifortable enough te bring "ail" our troubles to mou. Re member, from those elected much je expecwted. A. fRoy Nethercot Your overtaxed, but stili wifling to suppý-G yoe SoS (townw») the A stitch in time would save nine