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PAGE 6 THE CANADIAN STATESMAN, NOVEMBER 14, 2001 Editorial&Opinions FOR 146 YEARS, OUR FIRST CONCERN HAS BEEN OUR COMMUNITY Publisher - Tim Whittaker Editor-in-Chief - Joanne Burgharclt Managing Editor - Judi Bobbitt Advertising Manager - Brian G. Purdy Advertising - Laverne Morrison, Christian-Ann Goulet Office - Junia Hodge, Nancy Pleasance-Sturman Editorial - Brad Kelly, Jennifer Stone, Jacquie Melnnes Elje Cmmbtait ibtatesiman Former Publishers and Partners Rev. John M. Climie and W.R. Cliinie 1854-1878 M.A. James 1878-1935 • Norman S.B. James 1919-1929 G. Elena James, 1929-1947 • Dr. George W. James 1919-1957 John M. James, 1957-1999 Produced by Mctroland Printing, Publishing & Distributing Ltd. Also Publishers of CLaIuNGTON THIS WEEK P.O. Box 190,62 King St. W„ Bowmanville, Ontario L1C 3K9 TEL: 905-623-3303 FAX: 905-623-6161 HOURS: Monday to Friday 9:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.M. E-mail: ncwsroom@durhamrcgion.com Publications Mail Registration No. 07637 EDITORIAL e-mail letters to newsnwnt&durluiniiviiion.com Race for premier won't be in Durham Despite initial potential, it wasn't meant to be For a short while, at least, it looked as if Durham Region Region had three solid contenders to offer up as rivals for the leadership of the provincial Conservatives and the province. Alas, Pickcring-Ajax-Uxbridgc MPP and Education Minister Janet Eckcr has instead opted to help the returning returning Ernie Eves find his path to glory. She has been joined by Victoria-Haliburton-Brock MPP and Minister of Municipal Affairs Chris Hodgson, who also feels Mr. Eves is the right man to replace outgoing Premier Mike Harris. Durham still has an able contender in Jim Flaherty, of course, who replaced Mr. Eves as finance minister when the latter left government service to earn real money on Bay Street. The Whitby-Ajax MPP's biggest barrier now, of course, is the fact lie replaced the man who now wants to replace Mr. Harris. It will be hard for Mr. Flaherty to run on Mr. Evcs's record of economic prosperity if Mr. Eves is already running running on his own five years of accomplishment as the money man behind the Common Sense Revolution. And it hasn't helped Mr. Flaherty's cause that 2001 has been a miserable economic year that only got worse after the Sept. 11 terrorist disaster in the United States. In spite of long odds, the finance minister has shown a determination to do the job and, while the odds are seriously seriously stacked against him in a battle with Mr. Eves, he will no doubt put up a good fight. Whether or not you support the Conservatives and their single-minded obsession with fiscal prudence, it's encouraging to note Durham Region has produced two high-profile cabinet members who helped lead successive successive initiatives of the Harris government's Common Sense Revolution. Mr. Flaherty has done an admirable job as finance «minister; Ms. Ecker has been, inspiring in her quiet and determined approach to finding common ground in the education ministry in these last two tumultuous years; Mr. Hodgson has sparkled in northern development, as chair of management board and especially lately, with the Oak Ridges Moraine deal, in his role as municipal affairs affairs minister. Any of the trio could serve Ontario ably as premier, and all three can bring their considerable experience and knowledge to a future government in any role. Too bad Mr. Eves had to go and mess things up for us here at home. This was the race that never was. dcllgluncoi LOOKING BACK WITH THE STATESMAN 75 YEARS AGO Nov. 11,1926 The Boys' Training School had hydro lines put into the machine shop to supply power for the machinery and light for the building. 50 YEARS AGO Nov. 15,1951 Unseasonably heavy snowfall the week previous caused about $700 damage to the roof of the $23,500 Christian Reformed Reformed Church on Scugog Street, which was under construction. construction. Volunteer workers from the 300-strong congregation congregation "devoted their leisure hours to repairing the damage, some working until 2 a.m. Saturday morning." 25 YEARS AGO Nov. 10,1976 Nine Bowmanville residents split a jackpot of $500 after winning with a ticket in a recent Provincial lottery. Information taken from the archive.v of The Canadian Statesman www.dolighan.com LETTERS TO THE EDITOR e-mail tetters to newsmam@dwtmmregum.com Please sign your organ donor cards To the editor: In the days following the tragic event that took place in the United States on Sept. 11, people from all over flocked to Canadian Blood Services to donate donate blood. Those donations saved hundreds and possibly thousands of lives. Before this event, blood banks have always been set up for volunteers to donate their blood. These donations of blood saved my dad's life for 19 emotional, roller-coaster hours. That was long enough to transport him to Toronto General General Hospital and long enough for 24 members of his family and friends to be there with him when he took his last breath on Sept. 23. In his 52nd year, he left us at ;2:30 p.m. with a. strong fight. My father had liver disease and was on the waiting list for a transplant. Ontario alone has the lowest number of donors in North America. He wanted that second chance so desperately. His heart, lungs, brain and all other organs were working fine; all he needed to survive was a donor's liver. Up until Sept. 22, everyone had hope. We thought we had a fighting chance and he was doing and feeling much better than he had in a very long time. Sadly, this event came too soon, without warning and too unexpectedly. On behalf of my father and all others who died, and those currently waiting for an organ, I'm asking you to sign your donor cards; and tell a- family member of your wishes to donate donate once you've passed on. If you haven't done so due to religious religious beliefs, I respect that. But please don't do this out of fear, ignorance or negligence. Thousands Thousands of people are waiting for the gift of an extended life. In honour of my father, Kenneth Kenneth Stephen Kruitz, the funniest, funniest, most intelligent man I knew, please pass this message on to offer the miraculous gift of life. Kristine, Kathryn and Lynda Kruitz He has talent, he has style But does Ernie Eves really want to be premier? Ernie Eves has most of the equipment needed to be premier -- but does he have the heart? This has to be a dilemma for Progressive Conservatives choosing a successor to Premier Mike Harris. The former deputy premier and finance minister, until he quit nine months ago to make money in the private sector, always loomed as potentially the strongest starter in the race to succeed Mr. Harris. That is, if he could ever make up his mind to run. Mr. Eves had been the premier's premier's closest political friend, unquestionably competent in managing his ministry and a polished, polished, smooth and well-informed spokesman for his party in the legislature. Part of his job was substituting substituting for Mr. Harris in answering questions during the premier's absences and, particularly in the government's early years before Mr. Harris began to acquire some rough-and-tumble debating abilities abilities of his own, some wondered whether the Tories chose the wrong leader. One difference between the two, however, is that while they became MPPs together, Mr. Harris Harris was the one who itched to lead although the Tories had no early chance of winning. He sought policies that suited the mood of the voters, went anywhere anywhere to promote them and eventually won with them. Mr. Eves has the record as the minister who announced the tax cuts and eventually balanced budgets that still are the Harris Tories' greatest pride, although he mainly followed an agenda written by Mr. Harris. Mr. Eves reminds them of Eric Dowd At Oiteen s Park their glory days, which they will look back on proudly and will not be as common now that the economy is close to recession and the Province will have no money for more tax cuts. But Mr. Eves also has liabilities liabilities that should make Tories ponder. ponder. After a couple of years as deputy premier and finance minister, minister, he was seen less and less in the legislature and his office. He was no longer there much to field questions for Mr. Harris or himself, but escaped censure because Mr. Harris also was away often and the opposition parties and news media naturally focused more on the premier's disappearances. This is a contrast to Jim Flaherty, Flaherty, who succeeded Mr. Eves in his posts and is now a rival for leader. He is virtually always in the legislature to speak for the government and answer questions questions when Mr. Harris is absent. Mr. Eves also was not seen as much in the finance minister's traditional office across the road from the legislature and claimed he did most of his work in a second second office in the legislature building, but somehow he rarely found time to walk up a floor to the chamber. Tory backbenchers who wanted a minister with public appeal appeal to speak in their ridings often found Mr. Eves could not make it. One suspicion is that with his skills, he felt so much on top of his two jobs and in so little trouble in them there was no need for him to be around. Mr. Eves hesitated a long time over running again in the 1999 election and agreed to reluctantly only a few weeks before it. After winning again he showed some unwillingness to buckle down to the job. When media in his riding complained he did not visit it enough, he retorted curtly that anyone who felt a deputy premier premier and finance minister could get to his riding as often as an ordinary ordinary MPP does, was not living in the real world. Other ministers did as much or more work than Mr. Eves, but managed to get to their ridings often enough and never suggested suggested they were too busy to visit the folks who elected them back home. Mr. Eves, in effect, admitted he was not getting to his riding enough by refusing to provide local media with the itineraries that would have showed how rarely he was there. When Mr. Harris announced he was leaving, Mr. Eves first insisted insisted running to succeed him was the furthest thing from his mind. It was only after several ministers ministers urged him to run and supporters supporters produced a couple of polls they claimed showed he could beat all others that Mr. Eves warmed to the idea. Mr, Eves wanted the job only if it could be handed to him on a platter. platter. But being premier takes huge enthusiasm, energy and effort. No one has ever doubted Mr. Eves has talent -- but has this guy got the commitment? Jacquie Melnnes Staff Writer \jmcinncs(ft tlurhaituvgion. com Word games While scanning the weekend newspapers, newspapers, a story caught my eye claiming people whose last names end with a letter letter from A-M arc more likely to be successful successful in public life than those unfortunate unfortunate souls with last names beginning with a letter from N-Z. Now, given my last name is just under the wire to qualify me for future successes in public life, ! was compelled compelled to read on. The article offered up the fact that Canada's premiers all have names beginning beginning with an A-M letter. That made me think about Durham's politicians and sure enough with the exception of Uxbridge's Geiri-Lynn O'Connor, all of the Durham mayors prove the theory. Heck, even Regional Chairman Roger Anderson, not technically an elected official, official, follows suit. Of course all this really proves is these guys have better umm, people skills. Yeah, that's the ticket. While the region's municipal top spots are dominated by the A-Ms, here in Clarington, councillors such as Jim Schell, Jane Rowe, Pat Pinglc, Gord Robinson and Charlie Trim well outnumber outnumber Councillor Don MacArthur, which just goes to prove eveiy theory has a foil. But we in the newspaper business aren't the only ones with word game savvy. The politicians too have proven to be skilled wordsmiths on many occasions. occasions. Why just last week our own Mayor John Mutton, despite an extremely busy schedule, managed to find time for a word play of his own. Speaking at a Durham finance committee meeting, the mayor gleefully dubbed the proposed proposed new Regional headquarters 'Rog Mahal,' in honour of the regional chairman. chairman. Disgruntled Durham taxpayers and parents long ago nicknamed the Durham Board of Education headquarters headquarters on Taunton Road in Whitby Taj Mahal' in reference to what they see as a similarity between the headquarters and the opulent Indian palace. But the mayor insists the 'Rog Mahal' reference is all in fun. He says he may actually support the right proposal proposal for a new headquarters because it will make financial sense given the poor state of repair at many of the Region's current facilities and the cost for necessary necessary improvements at the mish-mash of offices scattered throughout Durham. Add to that mounting rental costs and the fact there is no equity to show for rental payments. The number-crunching number-crunching mayor suggests owning the headquarters headquarters could be a savvy investment if the price is right. Osliawa Mayor Nancy Diamond disagrees and she has her own words to describe a possible new headquarters. Try a large pale animal you can't get rid of. (Answer: white elephant.) With any luck, word games at the Region might catch on. As they ponder the 2002 budget, maybe councillors can try their hand at this one: nine-letter word for 'happy constituents.' (Answer: taxfreeze). Let the games begin. THE CANADIAN STATESMAN is one of the Metroland Printing, Publishing Publishing and Distributing group of newspapers. The Statesman is a member of the Bowmanville Clarington Clarington Board ofTrade, the Greater Osliawa Chamber of Commerce, Ontario Ontario Community Newspaper Assoc., Canadian Community Newspaper Assoc., Canadian Circulations Audit Board and the Ontario Press Council. Council. The publisher reserves the right to classify or refuse any advertisement. advertisement. Credit for advertisement limited limited to space price error occupies. Editorial Editorial and Advertising content of the Canadian Statesman is copyrighted. copyrighted. Unauthorized reproduction is prohibited. 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