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6.-The Canadian Champion, Tuesday. January 27,1998 SCOMMENT Box 248, 191 Main St E. Mlton, Ont. L9T 4N9 (905) 878-2341 Fax: 878-4943 Classified: 875-3300 Ian Oiver Publisher Neil Oliver As.ociate Publsher David Bos General Manager Rob Kelly Editor Karen HuLsman Circulation Manager Ted Casas Office Manager Tint Coles Production Manager Un .Cnaien Champion, published twice weefry at 191 Main S. E., Mon, Ont., 19T 4N9 (Box 248). is ont of Th Metrnianrt Pritng, Puhishmng & Distrbuing LM. group o suhorinan cempa- nies wh(h incluSes. Aax / Pickering News Aduertiser. Baine Adance, Brampton Guadian, Bulînuten Post. City Parent, Clingwood 1 Wasaga Cnnrnction, ast Yorknir Menr, Etohcoke Guardian, Georgetnwn Indepetdentf Actnn Fret Press, Kinston This Wèee, Lindsay This Week, Marhham connnmist & Sun, Midtand I Penetanguishene Mirror, Mississauga News, Newmathet 1 Aurora tri Banner, Nrthumberland News, Noth York Mirrnr, Oakinrie Ouner, Onila Tday, Oshawal1 Whithy I CarinttnnThis theni, Peter- brnagh This heele. Richmond Hlili/IThnmhili I Vaughan Liberai, Scarttornngh Minnor, Unhlge I Stottvile Tiune, Tdays Seninrs. Adveetsing s accepteS nn th condition tha. in tht vent of a typo- graphicai error. that prtionnnt tht adeertising space occupied y the erronnos iem, tegether with a reasnnahie alinsance for signature. sf11 nt e charged tr, but the baance nf the adertrement wili e paid for athe applicable rate. The publisher reseres the right ta Ct- egnize advertisennients or decline. M- Enough is enough -- let's get tough on drunk divers The festive season is long over and we're well into 1998. The stepped-up police spot checks aimed at deterrmng drinking and driving and educatmng the public about the crime's disastrous potential have simmered down. Still, the problem continues 365 days a year. Issue after issue of The Champion, which reports on events in a modest-sized town of only about 35,000 people, contains news of inipaired driving charges. Many of them resuit from single-vehicle accidents that eas- ily could have involved other cars or pedestrians and the injury of innocent people. Drunk driving continues. Accidents continue. Deaths con- tinue. The suspects are of ail ages and from different walks of life. We agree with Ontario Solicitor General Bob Runciman, who recently said that a year in jail for motorists convicted of impaired driving for the first time may be the answer to reducing the problem. And, the solicitor general said, the time in jail would progress with the number of convictions. Mr. Runciman was responding to an increased number of impaired drivers caught in the Greater Toronto Area. Over an eight-day period recently, 146 drivers were charged with alcohol-related offences across the province - 26 per cent more than the year prior during the same period. Mr. Runcirnan said it and he said it well. Forcing offenders to serve Urne may be the only way some will get the message. He noted part of the problem now is that when jail sen- tences are handed out, many of those convicted get to serve their time on weekends. Echoing his comments, we've got to look at the protection of society and curbing measures such as ailowing drunk dri- vers to serve Urne when it's convenient for themn. A year in jail for first-tirne offenders would mirror some of the drunk-driving laws now in Europe. Penalties for Canadians caught for the first tirne now start at a $350 fine and a one-year licence suspension. In June, the Ontario legisiature passed tough drunk-driving legisiation that slapped a lifetime licence ban on repeat impaired drivers. Let's go one step further and foilow Mr. Runciman's sug- gestion. Let's do whatever it takes to stop the senseless injuries, deaths and heartache that this crime creates -- cour- tesy of irresponsible drinkers -- every year. Karen Smith Homemaking services a big pri- oity, says MPP Cam Jackson Dear Editor: This letter is regarding homemnaking services. Through 10 years as an opposition MPP, 1 constantly alerted past gov- emments to the fact that Halton was flot receiving its fair share of health care dollars, particularly for home care. These services cover a range of prôgrams, from visiting nurses to housekeeping, which shlow frail seniors, disabled individuals and those recovering from surgery to live inde- pendently at home. Since the last election, Halton has ftnaily been getting its fair share. Funding for community-based, long-term care services has been increased by $170 million. We made sure this money is going into previousiy underfunded areas like Haiton. About $3.5 million of this new money is being spent in Halton to shlow our Community Care Access Centre, Halton Region Aduit Day Services, Tele-Touch, VON and Meals on Wheels (among others) to expand their pmograms. Clearly our govemment sees these as valued services. That context is important to people who saw the Dec. 31 article on service levels. My comments about vacuuming services came in response to a question from Dr. Tony Pracsovics, who had previously admitted to the media that he was keeping patients in hospital longer only because of a waiting list for housekeeping services. At that time there was no waiting list for nursing services, Meals on Wheels or assistance with bathing for his patients. With tiiese services in place, a delay in housekeeping should flot be the issue that determines if a patient can be diseharged from our hospitals, which is experiencing îts own grow!h pressures. Homemaking services are essential to maintaining the quality of life for thousarads of frail seniors and disabled individuals across Ontario and it was neyer my intention to suggest otherwise. The province currently spends $526 mil- lion on nursing care and therapy at home, $327 million on homemaking and $338 million on community support ser- vices, for a total of $1.2 billion. The greatest threat to homemaking services is that with- out regular re-evaluations, many clients, particularly ihose who have recovered from surgery, continue to reccive ser- vices after they are no longer necessaty. Our govemnment recognizes this probleru and is working with our new Community Care Access centres to fix it. Increased demand for home care is an important reason why our govemment is moving to modemnize and restruc- ture Ontario's health care systemn. One of our goals is to ftnd new efficiencies elsewhere in the system. I have been appmoached by 10 centres in other regions to undertake a management review of increased demand and projected deficits and I have been working closely with them. The Halton centre has made no such request to me, either as the minister or as the local MPP. In coming days, I look forward to having an opportunity to discuss its policy decisions and its budget to ensure that Halton citizens receive the appmopriate level of health ser- vices they need, when they need it and for as long as they need it. Cam Jackson, MPP Burlingion South Pud by Steve Nease OUR READERS WRITE