6 - The Canadian Champion, Tuesday September 29, 1998 *COMMENT TH AADA HAPO Miltoin. Ont. L9 F 4N9 (905) 878-2341 Fax: 878-4943 Classified: 875-3300 Ian Oliver Publisher Neil Oliver As.ot-iiiie Puhlirher Bill Begin Genèral Manager Rob Kelly Edir Karen Cross Circulation Manaiger Teri Casas O/liïc-e Manager Tim Cotes Predu tion Manager St Miiûii (iii DLT 4N9 rJ,î248d> iolie 01 Fe Mi'iî an P minti Pnblisting & Distributing Lin. grouneo suburban compae nies mmichincludes: Ajax / Pickering News Advertisen. Alliston Heraid/Courier Barrie Advance. Banngs Bay This Weeii, Bolto Enterprise, Brampton Suardian, Bulinton Shopping News, Burlingon Pot, City Parent, Colingwnod / Wasaga Cornection. East Yrki Mirror, Erie AdncaenCnuntry Routes, Ettbicoke Suaniian, Flambernugir Pot. Georgetown ndrprndentl Acter ree Pess, Kringt Ths Week. Lidsay This Wek. Markham tconomist & Sun, Mdand / Penetangoîsirene Mitron, Missssauga News, Newmarket I Ruenna Era Baemet Nrthumberland News. Noth Yrk Minent SOakville Braver, Oakile Siropping News, drilla Tndep. Oshraaa I Wtittiy / Claington Ths Wrek, Peterboroughr This Weeir, Ricirmond AHil1/Thorohili I Vaghan Lbrrl. Scarborough irMror. Ubbinge / Stouitunle Tribune, Today's Seniors, City ni Yerk Soardiiat. Adoerlisinq is accnptrd or tie condition tiret. rntire evet ot a typograpical ernon. bhat potinofuthtie aderising space oceu pied by tire eroneous item. togettiet wth e easonable aiownrce tut signaen, iii rot e chergeit to, but the balance ufthrie advendîse- ment wit ie perd for attire applicable rate.Tire publîsirer resenues tire rtht te catedonîne adetsements or declîre. Province dithers a, union plays politi( Congratulations to Jim Sherlock, the chair of Catholic school board, for chastising both sîdes in t! dispute that riddles Ontarios school system. Mr. Sherlock is right to take the provincial govermmc for listless leadership. At the same time, he forthrigh the teaching unions for political posturing dressed ui found concern over student welfare. Joe Pece, one of the point men on the labour side iî pute, alleges that the board is probably bargaining in1 without any real intention of reaching a settlement. Perhaps, but what exactly is it that Mr. Pece's consti doing as well? Teachers are in essence ignoring pro) Bill 160, which like it or not is the law, albeit an omni of legislation in which components are lurching throuý legal scrutiny. Politics of ail sorts and stripes are being played ii across Ontario at present, somewhat shamelessly. The Mike Harris government bas looked indecisive fused in implementing its educational reforms of late, agenuine disservice to the electorate that put Mr. p ower. This especially in view of the fact that most people in the school system are fed up with the current state Area MPPs and Premier Harris would do well to attention to the questions posed by Mr. Sherlock anc their recent letter to the premier. Increasingly, representatives of frustrated and U school boards are looking like the only voices of rea: Octob imas er n stestainsad o Iismps e n stestainsad o are increasingly acrimonious, there are no after-schr ties at either the elementary or secondary levels, and following the required teaching time allotments as set provincial government. If this was a high school course, Mr. Harris would looking at getting help after school, since he would1 ger of failing. But then again ... that help wouldnt be would it? OUR READERS WRITE ýgfurtner Mega jaîl wi!! affect health care in schools in more ways than one Dear Editor: and con- A huge health care burden is about to be dropped on whc sMilton and the surrounding communities if the Tories have wHrris i their way. H Tiin In 1996, Solicitor General Bob Runcirnan announced that many jails and correctional facilities will close t0 strearnline with kids operations. of affairs. Milton will get one of three planned 'megajails'. It will pay close replace haîf a dozen or so facilities that now service south- western Ontario. An additional 1, 10010o 1,200 inmates will J others in be calling Milton home. These extra bodies will make Maplehurst the largest cor- hamnstrung rectional facility in Canada, with more than 1,800 inrnates. son in the These new neighbours will arrive within two years if things go according 10 the Tory plan. Inrnate populations harbour a much higher disease inci- v, teachers dence than other sectors of society, including serious ilI- ool activi- nesses iike tuberculosis, hepatitis, and AIDS. They will be nobody is using the health care services in the Milton area. out by the Typica1ly, people with these ailments need more than ogigmedication; hywl require hospitalization and outpatient services. This may well make it much harder for already be lôcal residents 10 ichedule their medical appointments. be in dan- They will tind that an inrnate bas beaten thern to the doc- available, tor's office. The Maplehurat mega jail will have a 24-hour nursing sta- tion on site. Although this will assist in placing a bandage Rob Kelly on a inger or in handing out medication, the vast number of ailments and needs will be serviced by the Milton and area health care system. The addition of these 1,200 inmates will put an entirely new spin on getting an appointment with your doctor in the near future. With so many doctors leaving rural Ontario for the bright lights of the metropolis in Canada and abroad, the hystem ise stretched dangerously close to the breaking point. For the govemnment to download provincial responsibilities tee an already burdened public ib criminal in spirit and irhould not go unnoticed. Michael Foley Milton Booing at Harris in bad taste Dear Editor: 1 have a question. Where do nearly 40,000 people under the age of 12 leam discourteous and disrespectful behav- iour? 1 arn referring to the event hnsting Nelson Mandela ai the Skydome on Friday, Sept. 25. When Premier Mike Harris rnade his address to the crowd, the boos and chatter wcrc so loud that Premier Harris could not be heard in the dome. In my opinion, at this moment, the look on Mr. Mandelas face was one of bewilderment and perhaps silight apprehien- sion. Also in my opinion, 1 believe it s in bad taite 1(0 pub- licly disrespect a leader of our province in front of an incredibly honorable member of society. For this reason, 1 ask the question, "Whcre do ncarly 40,000 people under the age of 12 leam diircourteous and disrespectful behaviour?" Diane Chesia Milton Making a difference Pud F£MGIA by Steve Nease Despite the tensions that prevail today between the provincial AIN.. £UNIAY J4WR-r 1REMvEMBER < government and Ontario's teachers, it's instructive to remember MORIN$,, ATE ABuY <,. what a profound influence a good teacher can be for so many WEn students. Milton's Ann Galioto, featured elsewhere in today's fA- paper, is undoubtedly just such an individual. In time the institutional wrangling between govemment and. z- a teaching unions will pass, but hopefully the passion for excel- lence that makes an outstanding mentor will not. There are more of these people in the system than many critics may think. R. K>