PAGE 6, IWHITY FPMEPRESS, WEDNESDAY, APIL 17, 1991 May 4 is Earth Day at Anderson By Edie Goille ime out from the promieed continuation of xny last column (MTarch ... Nutrition Month, RememberV') te give well-deeerved space te young* environmentalists at Anderson CVL Anderson's envirernmental group, Environmental Watch, had or iginally planned m a Eh Day event for the end of thisi week, but because of space constraints theirEarth Day mini-conference will be held Saturday, May 4. The day's events will begin at 10:30 a.m., and will conclude; at 4 p.în. with a march te Sctt's Pond <acrose from à icks!f Pond) in Whitby and a subeequent creek dlean-up. Speakers, both local and from eut of tcawn, will addrees the audience at Andereon. Oshawa's Earth Dance boolcshop, an excellent local resource for envirommental and related materiale will be represented. Bll Barrett, from the Guelph International Resource Centre, will speak and show lides about the rainforest. There will be other speakers, a member of Environment Watch informed me, including yours truly. I feel honoured te have been invited. What I find particularly inspiring about this event je that the two young women in charge of Andersons Environment Watch are juniors -- grade 10 students VanessaWingrove and Becky Ferris. They were selected from among other interested and dedicated etudents by Andereon's science department, whose head, Mr. Hutchinson, has been a very valuable staff advieor, according to Vanessa - Tis April 22 will mark the 21st anniversary of Earth Day. Change,'as always, tâkes time: true, the prophetic voices were Mrigi the wilderness decades ago;b ut the good thing is that environniental concerne have finally becomne mainstreamn. But before we become- too complacent about the increased citizen involvement, we must remember that much remnains te be done, locally, nationally, globally. But I think we can breathe a little more easily knowing that the young are carrying the torch that bas been held- out to them. b mature yet aging hands, that they are ready to, light, the way with the renewed energy that is se essential if disèster is yet te be averted. So, let's support Anderson' efforts on May 4! And while the adulte partake of presentatione, there will be games for the children, Vanessa maye. See you at Anderson May 41 Let's hope the sun shines on that day! And, yen, lunch. bring a garbagelees Frustrated with'over* government' To the. Editm'. Durham Centre Mm'! Drurnmoud Whites commenta on fast-tracldng the PCBe frocm the PEI ferry in Whitb~y harbour make me sick. Hie commente (note: net actions) are what make more and more of us tetally frustrated with politicians aud over-government - three levele of government, with four yeare of buck-paseing. Both White aud Whitby mayor Bob Attersley (from what I have read) are the problem, not the -solution. Rend Soetens, Outario riding MP, bas at least transferred ownership of the harbour iu an effort to, facilitate a solution. Mr. White, where have you been for the last six mouths?. I challenge you to, do more than ta]k. Take ownerehip of this problem. Get, down te Queeu'e Park with 'Bailout Bob" 1ýae and Ruth Grier, now. Talk je cheap, actions .speak, louder than words. April 19 je coming quickly... tick,,ý tick, tick. As for Attereley, hie negative commente. outhie matter make Gerry Emmlook more-attractive ail the time. ýAud this from somene who b as alwaye voted for Attersley mi thepa. There je tee ucgoývernment duplication of effoete and responsébility. We, the taxpayers, dret stuck with paying for these *ýýcatios.Enough ineneough. 0f th 1tr plticiasonly Mr. Seetene has eaedusÈtaxpayere any money by reducmng gevern- ment speding. It'- ls eomething ta ponder on election: day(s) (preuigMr. White lests pat Arl1) Ted Genll Whftlby Restoring the publi*c trust IBy Du cd White Durham Centge hMPP While attencling the Citizen's Forum and eeeing the summaiy of previous publiceumissons, it beaeoviaus to me that many people in our country, and indeed in Ontario, bave lest trust ini their publicly lected reprsntatives. The recent Vander Zalm scandai inB.C. undutelUy caueed further uncertainty. I feel that restoring that trust ie an essential step for the geverament i Ontario. In Ontario, Premier Bob Ras bas implemented new conflict-of-interest guidelines that are the toughest ini the country. The ind of scandai that bas rocked the government of British Columbia would not be possible under these guidelines. As a condition of being in the provincial cabinet or even being a parliarnentary assstant to an Ontario Minieter, any elected members would have te diveet themeelves of any investments that could place them in aziy possible conffict of interest before assuming office. Many may consider this remedy te be overly harsh and rigorous -- politicians are ebligated to give up their private interests and may sufer some disadvantage on returning to private life. On the othier band, they can still invest in T-bills or savings certificates -- they are not compelled to give away their monies. The premier feels that the public should have an absolute certainty that pliticians are involved in public life te serve their province 'and their constituents, not te enhance their pereonal wealth as the B.C. Premier did. The public trust is too important te be squandered for private greed. As well, public appointments which have traditionally been given te, political friends in pork barrel style are now open ta scrutiny. Where previously these jobs were given in secrecy to cronies, now they are open to anyone's application and lista will soon be available te aIl in every comniunity. Every senior appointment will not be scrutinized through interview by a legisiative committee which is in fact chaired by an opposition Conservative. These candidates will only be finally recommended after that comniittee is satisfied that they are fully qualified for that job. ]Là kewise, this je a level of epenness and public access that bas neyer previously been available. The government je committed to ensuring that the public can again trust in the quality and public-mindedness of its officiais. Our actions are a clear indication that this government's agenda will not include the ind of scandais that have rocked the public's confidence. More will need to be done as we have an unfortunate legacy and I welcome your vews an~d insigrhts into this trust-buildinLrocess. 'Wel.B8si,_lokslike we won't be getting a TV!" Published every Wednesday By 677209 Ontario Imc. Phone: Maurice Pifther r .668-6111 Editor 427-1834 Alexandra Martin Doug Anderson Production Manager Publisher ,.AON COM.,,VIC FTECGNYTW 131 Brook Street North, WOC O HEiCOby OWNP.O. Box 206, Whitby, Ont. 2ldisPstai0 4AThe ol hibinewsaper idpnétyowned adoperated yU5S Whitby residents for Whtby residents. Any tax. Inomease. is unwelcome, but Town counciliors 1 Whlle keeping the Reglon. portion of the tax bill to a and Durham Board of Education trustees have presen-1 ea o a I minimum Increase. ted ratepayers wth llmted Increases that are reasonable Des na l urIng the current recession, a zero tax Increase, and necessary. such as, was approved by Scarborough council, may Whether respondlng to an overwhelmlng demand by rerninded us, the budget process wasn't easy. hava beýn preferred by many.. Buts without adequate ratepayers fo r somne tax relief, havlng regard. for faîl For both Town and sohool staff and elected represen- reservesI a zero Increase now may'iead to a whopping, elections, or a combination of both, our eiected repre- tatives, the budget process lrsciuded some severe catch-up tax Increase mn future budgets. sentatives at the Town and public school level should be cost-cutting moasures and postponement of projects. We suggest, insteqad, that tax increases 0f just under commended for keeplng tax -increases mnlinn whlle Even more drastic may be the budget siashes by Region or just over f Ive per 'Cent be rementbered as the maintaining necessary services. And as councillors councimmors forced to contend wlth soarlng welfare costs maximum allowabie ln future, non-election years. t_- - - - -1