Letters to the editor: Not all Vehicle Licence Offices are bad

Dear editor, It was unfortunate to see our local paper follow in the same footsteps taken by the Toronto papers regard-ing the Auditors' Report and the Ministry of Transportation's Private Issuers (Dec. 14 editorial). With one broad stroke of the brush, all of the Vehicle Licence Offices were branded as incompetent and full of illegal activity, even though the report itself clearly identifies that only nine of the offices (out of 280) account for most of the missing and/or stolen valuable documents. As an operator of several offices throughout Ontario since 1994 (Thornhill, Burlington, Kanata, Woodstock) it has been my pleasure to serve the public in a professional, courteous, and above all, legal manner. All of my employees have been required to provide current police checks and are trained to use the MTO database to ensure that every piece of stock issued to them is accounted for at all times. Steps are taken to ensure that our stock as well as all documents received from the public are secure at all times. My offices have become part of the communities in which they serve. They sponsor hockey teams,soccer teams, have helped collect toys for underprivileged children at Christmas time and have even offered rewards to have people come forward with information regarding certain crimes. This year we were pleased to be a major sponsor, along with the Toronto Raptors' Foundation, of the first annual Ruth's Chris Steakhouse Golf Tournament in support of the Peel Children's Aid Society. Earlier in the year we were a sponsor at the Kieran Thompson Charity Golf Tournament, which supports urology research at Sick Kids'. Not all offices are bad. Some even contribute to their communities while still adhering to all MTO policies and procedures. In addition, I, and scores more private issuers, have let the Ministry know through our association, OMVLIA, that we completely support the Ministry's efforts to shut down any rogue offices. It's unfortunate that, like everything else, a few bad apples are the ones that get the most attention. Alex Soler, Georgetown