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6- The Oakville Beaver, Wednesday December 31, 2008 www.oakvillebeaver.com OPINION & LETTERS The Oakville Beaver 467 Speers Rd., Oakville Ont. L6K 3S4 (905) 845-3824 Fax: 337-5567 Classified Advertising: 845-3824, ext. 224 Circulation: 845-9742 Editorial and advertising content of the Oakville Beaver is protected by copyright. Unauthorized use is prohibited. THE OAKVILLE BEAVER IS PROUD OFFICIAL MEDIA SPONSOR FOR: NEIL OLIVER Vice ­ President and Group Publisher of Metroland West The Oakville Beaver is a division of Media Group Ltd. DAVID HARVEY General Manager JILL DAVIS Editor in Chief ROD JERRED Managing Editor DANIEL BAIRD Advertising Director RIZIERO VERTOLLI Photography Director SANDY PARE Business Manager MARK DILLS Director of Production MANUEL GARCIA Production Manager CHARLENE HALL Director of Distribution SARAH MCSWEENEY Circ. Manager Ring in the new year, please It has been a rough year, hasn't it? There are probably not too many of us who won't be sorry to bid adieu to 2008, in fact we will probably show it the door. From massive job losses, especially here in Ontario, to a federal government that is as dysfunctional as the Hatfields and the McCoys, to a stock market crash that left baby boomers wondering if they will ever be able to retire -- those are just a couple of highlights of 2008. Oh, and don't forget the listeria outbreak causing some to wonder if they will be able to enjoy a deli sandwich again. In addition to the country's economic woes, Canada continues to lose proud soldiers in Afghanistan, with December proving to be one of the bloodiest months recorded so far in this difficult conflict. On the political side, Canadians returned from their summer holidays only to be subjected to a fall election that few wanted. Shortly afterwards Parliament was suspended by Governor General Michaelle Jean when the Liberals and NDP agreed to form a coalition government with the support of the Bloc Québecois. The fate of Stephen Harper's Conservative government will be decided in a few weeks. The new year, no doubt, will get off to a rocky start with job losses and bleak prospects putting a strain on our over-burdened social services network and other relief agencies. Town and regional councils will be looking at creative ways to adopt operating budgets that don't prove -- pardon the pun -- so taxing on some of its citizens that they will no longer be able to afford to call Halton their home. So, as we ring in 2009 tonight, perhaps we need to make a few extra resolutions. Let's work toward being a more compassionate society; assist those who need a hand up, not a handout, in order for them to retain their dignity. Show kindness to the frail and the elderly. Help take care of the sick and volunteer your time whenever possible. Together we can all make 2009 a kinder and gentler year than the one we have just seen. The Oakville Beaver welcomes letters from its readers. Letters will be edited for clarity, length, legal considerations and grammar. In order to be published all letters must contain the name, address and phone number of the author. Letters should be addressed to The Editor, Oakville Beaver, 467 Speers Rd., Oakville, ON, L6K 3S4, or via e-mail to editor@oakvillebeaver.com. The Beaver reserves the right to refuse to publish a letter. LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Re: Bus fare still a bargain, Oakville Beaver, Dec. 26 As appalled as R. Adams was to read a letter about the price of Oakville Transit going up, I was equally appalled the writer felt public transit is a waste of taxpayers' dollars because it is subsidized whether one uses it or not. The argument about subsidizing a transit system one does not use makes no sense. The same argument can be made for any kind of public service. I could jump up and down, ranting and raving about my tax dollars going to cancer treatment for smokers even though I don't smoke, but I don't because it's part of the health care system, a system I gladly pay for. I paid taxes towards public schools long before I had children, but education is part of a better society, so I gladly pay for it. Public transit is for the good of our environment. Isn't that something we should be gladly paying for as well. We all have to pay something in order to have a better society. We don't, nor should we, get to pick and choose what services we subsidize. As for the few passengers the writer may see, it depends on a number of factors, the Subsidizing transit reaps future dividends route itself and the time of day it is being used. Some routes are busier than others and some routes have heavier traffic times than others. In addition, if you are comparing passenger flow to, say a system like Toronto, then you are comparing apples and oranges. Toronto Transit carries many more passengers than Oakville, so you are not going to see throngs of bodies packed liked sardines in an Oakville Transit bus, which is actually kind of nice after having gone through that experience in Toronto. Perhaps that is why I find the new fare rather disheartening. While we don't receive the same level of service in Toronto -- with buses every 15 minutes -- we still pay the same rate. That is my complaint about the new rates. I understand that costs go up, but with the economy it would have been nice if Oakville Transit could have waited to implement the increase or at least freeze rates for the time being. Oakville Transit has improved over the years since I've moved here, but it is far from perfect. Waiting for a bus can take 30 minutes or more. This deters a lot of people who need to get somewhere and fast, particularly if they are a parent. From what I've gathered, Oakville Transit is trying to improve, but improvements take time. I am a rare bird in this town -- I don't have a car -- so I'm glad Oakville Transit does exist, even if it is not perfect. I'd rather have an imperfect transit system than endure the nightmare of not having one at all. Sandra MacKay Thanks for Christmas ad I wanted to take a few moments to praise The Oakville Beaver, as well as Christopher Invidiata and family, for the inclusion of the full page ad (Oakville Beaver, Dec. 23), which clearly and poignantly emphasizes the true meaning of Christmas. In a time of gross commercialism and "political correctness" in which we have censored virtually all faith values out of society, it is beautiful to see a member of the community stand up and speak out in a very public way the truth in the celebration of Christmas. Merry Christmas and God Bless! KIMBERLEY WATT This week's poll This week's question is: Do you think Health Canada is doing enough to ensure the safety of patients taking prescription drugs? · Yes · No To vote, visit oakvillebeaver.com Last week's poll: Is the Town of Oakville doing a good job of plowing the streets during the winter? · Yes 16.07% · No 83.93% Total votes: 56 The Oakville Beaver is a member of the Ontario Press Council.The council is located at 80 Gould St., Suite 206,Toronto, Ont., M5B 2M7. Phone 416-340-1981. Advertising is accepted on the condition that, in the event of a typographical error, that portion of advertising space occupied by the erroneous item, together with a reasonable allowance for signature, will not be charged for, but the balance of the advertisement will be paid for at the applicable rate.The publisher reserves the right to categorize advertisements or decline. Municipal transit should be free A 15 per cent increase in the GO with Gus pass is an affront to the citizens of this town. Instead of increasing fares and reducing pollution, as well as road congestion, Oakville's Transit service should be free. Council should display some leadership and creativity; not just raise rates time and time again. I am very disappointed in Oakville Transit's and Council's actions in this regard. PETER BATEK