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www.oakvillebeaver.com · OAKVILLE BEAVER Friday, November 20, 2009 · 6 OPINION & LETTERS The Oakville Beaver 467 Speers Rd., Oakville Ont. L6K 3S4 (905) 845-3824 Fax: 337-5571 Classified Advertising: 632-4440 Circulation: 845-9742 --Open 9-5 weekdays, 5-7 for calls only Wed. to Friday, Closed weekends 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 Regional 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 Hands off when you're driving It's now illegal for Ontario drivers to talk, text, type, dial or e-mail using a hand-held electronic device or cell phone while driving. And while drivers will likely get a warning instead of a ticket for the first three months, this law is long overdue. We've all seen the driver who is an accident just waiting to happen. You know the one -- busily punching away at the keys on his Blackberry while periodically glancing at the road ahead. Or the one who sits at a stoplight so engrossed in a phone conversation she doesn't notice -- or care -- that the light has turned green. Bad drivers come in all ages and both genders, but the recent advancements in technology have allowed bad drivers to become worse drivers. Driving requires skill and an awareness of what's going on around you. Losing focus, even for a split second, can have disastrous consequences. Transport Canada says that drivers who use cell phones are four times as likely to be in a crash and that driver distraction is a factor in 20 per cent of all accidents. An Ontario Medical Association report on cell phone use while driving also found that the use of a cell phone while driving leads to dangerous changes in drivers' behaviour including: · Change in average driving speed · Slower brake reaction time · Slower response times to traffic light changes · Reduced visual monitoring of mirrors and instruments, with some drivers abandoning them entirely The new "distracted driver" law may prove difficult for officers to enforce -- much the same way seatbelt legislation was when it was brought in decades ago -- but it's definitely a step toward getting drivers to pay more attention to what they're doing. 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. Letter to the editor Retailers face extra costs with HST Am I wrong? As a property manager of a shopping centre, I'm concerned about the HST and wondering why no one is saying anything about the actual cost that the HST will bring to retailers and ultimately consumers. All costs in operating a property, commercial or retail, are passed on to the tenants by way of CAM (Common Area Maintenance) and Taxes or TMI (Taxes, Maintenance and Insurance). These costs include everything from audits to snow removal and garbage pickup. The majority of our expenses are service related so subject to GST only. Today, most tenants pay a base rent amount, operating costs and property taxes plus GST. As of July 1, 2010 not only will these charges increase by eight per cent, but so will the costs associated with running the property, but retailers won't be getting any additional revenue because they already charge PST and GST. The increased expenses that retailers will experience will have to be translated into increased prices for consumers, I don't see any other way around it. So while that cup of coffee won't be subject to HST, the rent that the franchisee is paying, including the costs of running the store, will increase eight per cent. Isn't there an increase in the price of coffee every time minimum wage goes up? MEGAN RICHARDSON UPPER OAKVILLE SHOPPING CENTRE Letters to the editor 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 email to editor@oakvillebeaver.com. The Beaver reserves the right to refuse to publish a letter. Seniors can't afford HST As a senior now living in a subsidized apartment in Oakville, it is difficult finding a way to work with the monies we get from our pensions. Now we are expected, even on such small sums, to pick up the tab of the deficit that we didn't cause. The best of times I have $20 left before payday on the last Wednesday of the month. Other seniors in my apartment have even less than that. It is difficult to make ends meet all the time and now McGuinty wants us to pick up even an larger load. When do the seniors get a helping hand? JEAN GUNN BY STEVE NEASE neasecartoons@gmail.com Pud