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6 - The Canadian Champion, Fniday, January 16, 2004 *Comment * The Canadian Champion Box 248, 191 Main Si. E. The Carnaien Champion, pubishent evenu Tuesday and rday at 19 Milton, Ont. L9T 4N9 Mare, St E.. Milton Ont. L9T 4N9 (Box 248), ru une of Tire Merroland Printrng, Publising & sriiuing Ltd. giuup oi suirurban cumpanies wich ~ 341 rcludes Ajar/Pickering News Adueriser, Allirson Herald/Counrer, Barrie (905)8 78 -23 4 Aduance. Buiren Ennrrse, Brampton Guardian, Burirngtn Pust, Burirugrun Shropping News. City Purent, Ciry of York Guandian, Cnilingwuudrwasaga Canneciue, Easr York Mineur, Erre Aduucate/Cuunmry Routes, Eiobrcuke Editorial Fax: 905-878-4943 Guandran, Piambnroagr Beure, Enreuer Young, Georgeton Advetisng ax: 05-76-364 indepenaeerrnnucn Free Press, Hymtn Business nimes, Hurunra Business Advetisng ax: 05-76-364 Times. Lindsay Tis Week, Markham Ecnnmrst & Sue, Midisnd/Pereiaeg. Clasifed 90-85-300 ursirenMirrorMiton Shopping News, Missussauga Business Times, Circulation: 905-878-5947 Ena-Banner, Norunmberlard News, North York Mineur, Oakville Beauer, Sakurlie Shoupping News, Sidimers Hockey News, Orlid Txday, Ian Oliver Publisher Ssiruwar/WhlhryiCiariegton/Pxor Penny This Week, Peterboroughr This Week, Pîctor Couniy Garde. Ricirmond Brllifhorninli/Vaughar Liserai, Scarborougr Neil Oliver Annua mae PubBlsher Mînnor, Stxuiiuille/dabridge Tribune. daersrrg ru uccepird or nhe condition rhar. rn tire ruent ni a typo- Jill Davis Ediuur-ier Chief geapiricai err rira poumion ni rire aduertisixg space occupird Sp rire erro- Karen Smith Mapiaaging Editor neous item, togenirer waur a neasorubie ailoxarce fon signatre. wiii ext Se cirarged ion, Sur rire balance of rire uduertîsemerr xiii Se pard lirai rire appli- Wendy McNab A-dverrr uîîm Diemr caSle rate. Tire publisher neserues tire rigiri ix cuiegorite aduereisemenis or Tim Cotes Producionu Manîagee- declire Charlene Hall Dinstrtin Manager Teri Casas Office Maliager The Milone Caeadiae Chnamioner na Becixlable Pnxduci I1 There could be catch ILC If7l Gronnd';", What's tbc catch? Who knew aIl Canada needed was a new prime miiter to improve its tenuous rela- tionship with the United States? Canadians who watched the evening news Tuesday night, or opened up a nation- al newspaper Wednesday momning were met with a message that Paul Martin had scemmngly accomplished more in a 20- minute meeting with George W. Bush than Jean Chrétien had in ail his dealings wiBb the U.S. president. Suddenly Canada is back on a short-list of nations invited bo bid on potentially bit- lionB of dollars worth of rebuilding con- tracts in Iraq. Our neighbours to, thc south have also apparently agreed to consult our govemn- ment before deporting any Canadians to other countries - hopcfully preventmng a repeat of the bad blood created when Canadian citizen Maher Arar was tortured after bcing deported from Bbc U.S. to Syria. Closer inspection of what Martin called a "breakthroughn meeting with Bush sug- gests Bbc agreements aren't exactly a rever- ment of their intent to do so. Mcanwhile, Canadian businesses will actually be bidding on a secondary wave of contracts to reconstruet Iraq's decimnatcd infrastructure. Neither of these agreements provide a guarantec that Canada or Canadians will be any better off than befote the meeting bctween the two leaders in Monterrey, Mexico. StiUl, the positive "vibes" coming out of Martin and Bush's first meeting make one wondcr if a recent souring of Canada/U.S. relations had more to, do with a general dis- damn for Chrétien than Canada's refusai to joint in Bbc military attack on Iraq. l-Iistory suggests our powerful neigh- bours don't cut deals with countries - longtime allies or not - without expccting some level of quid pro quo. Does this mean Martin han unwittingly set himself up for a future U.S. offer he can't refuse? What might Canada have to offer our gcographically-closest allies in retum for this sudden capitulation on Bbe Iraq rebuilding front? sai of American policy. Should our country again refuse to back 'he U.S. hasn't relinquishcd its right to the U.S. on the intemnational stage, mad deport Canadian residents to third-party cows could becomne thc lcast of our wor- countries -only to inform our govcmn- ries. * Our Readers Write Outlook for affordable housing situation doesn -'t seem too promising, says reader Dear Editor: t believe that I'm safe in assuming that Ward 4 Councillor Wendy Sehau's letter entitled 'Milton has shortage of housing for Bbose with low 80 moderate incomes' in Bbc January 6 Champion was written 10 foster public suppont for construc- tion of Bbese needed accommoda- tions. During the 1950s and 1960s, thousands of geared-îo-income houses were being constructed ail across Bbc province. The costs were jointly sharcd by the federal, provincial and municipal govemn- ments. Since Bbc I1970s, our federal gov- emrment has embarked on a series of pie-in-Bbe-sky social engineering escapades that suck up expenditures white producing noBbing but down- loaded mental aggravation, higher taxes, and abominations like Bbc Hwy. 40)7. As no level of govemnment now has money to spare to fulfill Ms Schau's dreams, the only solution is another round of tax increases. And one consequence of that would sec people who are hanging onto their bouses by the skin of their fixed incomtes default on their mortgages or be forced t0 put thcmri up for sale and place Bbeir namies on a waiting list for one of Ms Sehau's as not yct built shelter units. Ron Bezant Harrison Road You can have your eay with a letter ta the editor Fax letters ta (905)l 878-4943, or e-mail ta miltoned@halton search.com. Seniors aren't the ones most suckered byfrauds Think senior citizens are Bbc ones who moist often fall for frauds? Not so, according to PhoneBusters - a part- nership of the RCMP and OPP - which is fight- ing much more Bban telephone scarus Bbese dayB. Research by PhoneBusters shows most fraud victims are bctween Bbc ages of 30 and 40 ycars. One of the current scamns, according to a PhoneBusters press relcase, ix bcing attcmpted Bbrough computers in Ontario. It's calcd Bbc advanced fee letter fraud. Letters are being sent out asking for your bank account information so that money can be deposited int your account, or requesting an advance fee t0 show your good faith. T1hese letters; are commonly rcfcrrcd to as Nigerian letter scamis or West African fraud lct- tcrs, and wc'vc rccivcd thcmn here at the office via fax and e-mail for years. I'm sure you can gueas what happens to Bbose who comply. And now there's a new variant of the scaru that cheats people who legitimately seIl goods on- line, wamrs PhoneBusters. ts cailed the ovcrpay- ment fraud. Here's how it works. T'he seller (victim) receives a canhier's cheque for goods sold. The amount of thc cheque is in excens of what is owed. The seller is Bben asked 10 deposit the cheque and wire the balance of excess fonds inîmediate- ly back to the "purchaxer." But the depositcd cheque us subsequcntly retumcd as counatertéit and charged back 10 the seller's account. Last week I received a letter on a Champion e- mail addrcss fromt somneonte claiming 10 bc a "legal practitioner," who holds "business portfo- lios for somne investors.' Il reads, 1 have been given a mandate and a letter of authority by one of my clients t0 source for a viable business opportunity whcre he can invesî these funda. 1I got your contact amongsî others fromr a scarch mbt Bbc Intemnet and was inspired 10 seck your co-oiperation. However, 1 intend 80 make contact with a few oBbers on the same subject tc0 enable me (10) determine the most suitable investor. 'Should you be interested and capable t0 invesî and manage the above funds, kindly respond ait once so that I can fumnish you wiBb more inifor- mation." I have forwardcd the strange c-mail toi PhoneBusters. New scams are bcing invented every day. tf you have received a suspicious e-mail, fax or lt- Ber that asks for moncy, you can help bust the fraudstcrs by scnding copies of the correspon- dence t0 PhoneBusters via fax 10 (888) 654-9426 or by c-mail 10 wafl@phonebusters.com. Fraud artisîs will say anything 80 part you from your hard-camced moncy. Don't fait for il. MmIcq