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6 - The Canadian Champion, Friday, February 25, 2005 o mmen t AMINORflY *The Canadian Champion (9)05) 8 E alîuît ai F (lts lit Ian Oliver Neil Oliver Jitl Davis Karein Smith Wendy McNab Tim Coaies Charlene Hall Ti Caas 11) I MainsSt. tL, The Cariadian Champion. publhined eery Ti. li, and Braday al 191 Oni. 1-9t14N9 Mai SI E Mitoi Ont , LUT 4N9 (BLIr 248) ias ana o ithe Metrolaino Pl!lndPL )hiing & Bîsiaaaing ia Id gluaisuirbaiiaiiaiaille sila i ld AaixPikeinq Nrevis Bîlrerise Bltoa HefiliiCiliaie( Baniý 7~~~-2341 ic Boiter Entarprise Bî P .aa lli Bn i n)IP Pos BidIioin StLinaevs Cty Parait Cityo ilik Garraii Coila îI)1ýitBaq,l linEas or irror FîiiBa AvnlI uiir, Hoqai Etiaa, ax 0-S84143 Flia i)(lLt Hcie,- Foee Ytaî,îca alarm aur raa 1"!IlA, !,l, F qil ..,,' x 0l(l5S76~~3<i4 n ii Tl -aiiilaa i, :aas V.Taaaaàk UitanaýF(u 1 cd 9(î5-S"S-31)l a. i. i ia i0tta. h tut: 905-878-59471 tB'iJt riiiih aiai Ma il 'Bto 1iaakaa Sincîapoaaniaejl JIIaaaas fiw. N Bn,, 'l'O1 , 1 Ii, Pitblisher- tJt a lli WhIîtt'a iaîaa njI Piii B,(, :îa 1ý Ba nB iaa i. Weea PatI iaa 01 iaBaa L o(Jita 1(I Fiaai IaahtIlai 1 ý 1 iiaV .,adaig.lafi i',I a 1ýî iaa i il'iilat PiflPîîBaî PMiîBr ra aiyfeahaidang Tiaa ne Iitit(BtI Aaviasaag la a cptndl an tire cndtionaa Bat il fi leni i a tyla gaIcaaa nrar talai paorationo trie iivrisaig spanca cpaad Baille alla .'iIrltlB'il g Fdi/t li enis ai riatngethei watt riasna Ba alaînanca toi sigriatoe ia l anti adeh Ado rti i n chi ii iain tor bai tha balance BfthBe adana tasaaîant raill ha parti air al leapai- captato- bl rata iTae pahiahheî neseaaaa Bhe ragiat ta catagarian adaetinasi idtB ai Plî)i.iliiîi allageohi' de lana Edtrtîaia adadeasarg auntant of Tuae Canadian Chamion as nintteid Disributirîona W5-iiiai hy copyight Bnaaathond ase as priatilti OJfiîîi' Manager e iltionCanadienChamapaîionr cab~le Paduc 5$ Waiting, anticipating Pitting areas of the comnîunity against each other doesnit svork. We're glad 10 sec the Liberal goverrnment apparenaly agrees. W'bile sve'Il have to wait to see if the provincial goverfment's new plan for scbool funding works, we welcome any move to scrap wbat has been the scbool funding formula. The old formula pitted east against wesî. new against establisbed, and communities agaanst one another in the compeaitaon for new school construction. IL often pitted even neighbour against neighbour. And il just didn't work. In order to gel new scbools buiît. existing schools had 10 be closed. Those scbool dlo- sures led to lengaby. emotional and bitter poliaical figbas that often ended up delaying new sebool construction an commountiies that desperately needed a sebool. ILt left new communities waiting years and years for their scbool and students bus- ing 10 other neigbbourbooids and attending classes in portables sometimes tbrougb their entire sebool careers. Under tbe old system. if residents organized enougb opposition to discourage tbe politicians fromn following tbrougb on school closure decisions, scbool boards backed away and mess scbools dadn't gel huaIt. At the sanie lime. the need 10 close scbools an order 10 build those new ones otten sacrificed those valuable communiîy institutions an existing neighbourhooids and stirred beairtache and grief for the resadenas in tbose establisheri communities. While flot full 10 capacity, the scbools bad earned tbeir rightful place in the neigb- bourbood, in the hearts of residenîs. Tbey often functioned walbin the communiîy, flot just during regular scbool bours but as an enîity in tbe local landscape. The new rules have politicians promising an end 10 the compelilive. confrontational sysîemn of old. 1-osever details on just bnîw tbe new sysîemn will work remain sketchy aI Ibis point in lime. There is. of course. the danger abat an the future, sebools abat should be closed will remain open for the wrong reasons. Hopefully safeguards wall be in place 10 ensure abat the business of sebool closure and construction remaans in tbe best inter- est of studenas and their communities. We'll await the deîaals of tbe Liberals' new plan t0 see exacaly bow il will svork, but frankly, il couldn't be mucb svorse tban tbe scenaLrio tbat did exist. * Our Readers Write Town 's finances need a lot more attention Dear Editor: Once again Malton property taxes are going up. Despite slots revenue and increased revenues from botb resi- dential and commercial grosvab, Milton counicil approved a budget abat not only increcases property taxes but also substanaially ancreas- es user tees. In my opinion, tbere's no justafa- cation for thas tax grab. lFil bet members of counicil will say tbat tbe increases are necessary 10 cover the increased costs due 10 tbe growtb Milton is experiencing. However tbese would be tbe same councillors who promised us abat growab would bave no impact on property taxes, that growtb would pay for ilself. I don't belteve the problem is growtb. but rather tbe mismanage- ment and poor administration of Ibis Town's finances. The blaire for abat, as I see at. rests squarely on tbe sboulders of tbe mayor and anem- bers of counicil. One clear example of tbis mas- management. in my opinion. involved Milton Hydro. a profitable pravate company of wbicb tbe Town of Milton is tbe sole sharebolder. To date, Milton bas failed 10 col- lect any dividends from, Milton Hydro. Compare abat 10 otber regaonal municipaliaies Halton Hilîs and Oakville, wbicb bave eacb received approximaîely $1.5 million from Ibeir respective bydros. svbile Burlington bas collected a wbop- pang $8 million from its bydro com- pany. A I per cent tax increase amnounts te approximately $120.000 in rev- enue for tbe Town. Had Milton collected even $1 million from Milton H-ydro, tbe 3 per cent tax increase and the itahrease in user fées wouldn't bave been necessary In faca. we could bave even low- ered taxes witbout cutling services. Maybe the mayor and members of counicil sbould spend less lime woarying about wbaî tbe appropri- ate lengab of a dog lear.b sbould be and more aime waacbing over tbe Town's finances. Rick Malboeut Milton Plenty of action waiting for me when I get back la*s day Oive of my vacation and as promised 10 miyself as svell as others -I've managed 10 stay away. Tbaî's easier said Iban done for your local sports scribe. especially aI Ibis aime of year. Nosv, as il stands. l'Il probably only miss one lceHawks game. witb tbe Western Conference's fanal four getaing a bit of a break before startang round lwnr. Bail aben there's also a Halton 'AN senior bas- keabaîl cbampionsbip today aI Sberidan College involving eiîber Bisbop Reding or Milton District a wbo squared off Wednesday. afier Ibis colun ssas svriaaenl. as well as OMHA quarterfinal play pitling Milton's AA minor atoms agaînsa tbe Orangeville Flyers. So svbile 1mr no douba relaxing and baving fun tbis week, a small part of me is envying my reg- ular replacement -Halton sports reporter Jon Kuiperij svbho svisely iook bis vacatioîn at the end of January. jusa before the playoffs. You sec ssheîî your ssork and primary interest are so closely linked, you svanî lia be abere for every inmportant game -no mnalter xx bai tbe sport or level. Novo before you go jumping bo conclusions, wanting 10 coser every important game isnlt about feéelingi indispensable. l'm flot delusional enougb 10 tbink Ibis operation canat sursis-e witb- out me for a week. No. il's more about baving made a certain invesîmena an folIo, ing a teani or indivadual atb- lete and wanaing 10 sec abeir season tbrougb. Then abere's tbe sselcomed tamiliarity of tbings like being greeted by a number of leamr members and super fans uapon entering tbe arena eacb nigbt and eagerly anticipating the opening puck drop during tIhe national antbem. Up front 1 suppose that's wbat*s --lot many NHL tollow- ers so rnifted these days. the indefitaite inîerrup- tion of their beloved weekly ritual. One could certainly make the suggestion that 1 simply go to tbese games as a fan rather than a reporter during my time off, but that's probably not a smara move. 1 already know what would happen. I'd get fave or 10 minutes into a period and slari înaling sniting, motions or nientlly tink nap lbings 10 say abrout the action. And if I did abat. I migba as svell be working. And as objective as t consider myselftb be. one tbang l'm flot corne playoff lime as unemotanînal. Milton's tîrst-eser NHLer. Eînio Sclasiriai. rince bold me taa bie doesnit lîke svatcbing games any- more belore hie gels too rated up. I remnember gel- aing a good cbuckle out if ibis aI OirsI. unail I con- sîdered iny oss n cinnîtional aîîacbmenî lia our loucal teams and atbletes. So svben you figure abat tbe whole point of vacations is 10 take a break from svork a nclud- ang everytbiug il involves -il's probably better taa I simpty stay away Ibis week. Better 10 recharge the old battery and pick things up next week. Fortunaîely enougb. I've got plenty of action 10 come back to - unlike poor NHL-starved fans across Canada.