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2 - Orono-Weekly Times Wednesday. February 16, 2005 Weekly Times Subscriptions $29.91 + $2.09 GST = $32.00 per year. Publications Mail Registration No. 09301 • Agreement No. 40012366 Publishing 48 issues annually at the office of publication. "We acknowledge the financial support of the Government of Canada through the Publications Assistance Program (PAP) toward our mailing costs." CanadS A ocna ORONO WEEKLY TIMES - 5310 Main St., P.O. Box 209, Orono, ON LOB 1M0 v Email: oronotimes@rogers.com or Phone/Fax 905-983-5301 , f ~ il t - | i !' • ■ " } ■ 'i f -, ' i \ ' ' ' " Publisher/Editor Margaret Zwart Sports and Display Advertising - Donna Wood Front Office and Classified Advertising - Rosey Bateman Hie Orono Weekly Times welcomes letters to the editor on subjects of i rttaœtto ^ unîuifëb^v^îfnot bï" æknowledg^d « ret'umed We reime toSuTedit'for length Ibel and slander. Ifyour retail 5S^?aTaSearel S r n to et>r musl be given before the next issue goes to print. The Orono Weekly Times will not be responsible for the loss or damage of such Hems. ^ No more excuses for bad pictures An item in the Tuesday's Toronto Star business section caught our attention. (You know we're desperate for editorial editorial comment when we're reading the business section.) In the article titled 'Digital-camera sales soar while film fades,' Star technology reporter Tyler Hamilton, states 'Sales of traditional cameras and film in Canada have gone the way of turntables and vinyl records.' Digital cameras accounted for 87 per cent of cameia sales last year, and outsold film cameras by nearly seven to one. Digital cameras were well established before we gave them a second look, but once we did, we never looked back. Digital photo technology has made our job a whole lot simpler. Gone are the days we would have to run our weekly supply of film into Bowmanville and wait the hour till it was developed. This was always a very tense hour because, never having really adapted to the 35 mm single reflex camera, I was never sure what, if any, of the pictures pictures on the rolls would turn out. There were weeks when we were lucky to get even one decent picture in the paper a week. Then of course there was the time we didn't have the film in the camera properly, so there were no pictures in the paper that week. We never fell for Roy Forrester s old trick of not putting film in the camera, but that was only because anytime I showed up to take a picture someone would ask if I had film in the camera. Going digital has given us a lot more-freedom. You can take as many pictures as you need to, till the batteries run out, or you're sure you have a good shot. For those fast- breaking stories--we can take pictures right up to deadline. In fact we now have no excuse for printing bad pictures. pictures. Staying in Touch MPP John O'Toole Healthcare issues to dominate dominate legislature this spring When the Ontario Legislature Legislature resumes February 15, Ontario's Official Opposition will be making healthcare our number one priority. The job action by some Ontario anesthetists anesthetists last Friday, February 11, is further proof that the provincial government is out of touch with healthcare professionals professionals and patients. It is this government's job to cooperate cooperate with physicians and reach an agreement that treats doctors with fairness and respect. As a member of the Legislature's all-party committee committee on Finance and Economic Affairs, I've been listening to pre-budget input that confirms what Durham Riding constituents arc also saying, Ontarians were promised promised that the McGuinty government government would fix healthcare. Instead, we are simply paying more for less. There has been little progress towards reduced waiting times or increasing the number of doctors.Mean- while, we have' seen OHIP funding eliminated for chiropractic chiropractic care and some eye exams and physiotherapy. It was during the finance committee committee hearings that we learned many Ontario hospitals hospitals must lay off frontline healthcare workers to balance budgets. Given the extra three billion dollars available for healthcare, it is clear to most observers that not enough money is reaching frontline healthcare. This is yet another broken Liberal election promise promise In the upcoming months, the Legislature will also focus on the greenbelt legislation, changes in laws to improve accessibility for persons with disabilities, and the pit-bull ban. A provincial budget this spring will set the stage for the McGuinty government's priorities priorities throughout 2005. Increases in hydro rates and support for agriculture ought to be the subject of further debate in the legislature. As always, my priority is Durham Riding. I look forward forward to hearing from you in the months ahead whenever you have questions, comments, comments, concerns or suggestions suggestions about provincial legislation legislation or any provincial government government matters. Thank you for keeping in touch. Constituency office assists with birth certificates Our Constituency Office can help in expediting new or replacement birth certificates needed urgently for reasons such as travel or employment. The Office of the Registrar General requires proof of urgency. (Such as plane tickets or hotel reservations.) Regular processing of birth certificates currently takes several months. Since each person's request is unique, it is best that we respond to inquiries individually. individually. If you have questions about replacing your certificate certificate or applying to receive one, please call the Constituency Office at (905) 697-1501 The toll-free number number is: 1-800-661-2433. If you wish to send an e-mail inquiry, we can be reached at john_otoole@ontla.ola.org. Bill 137 gives tax break to transit users This week, in the Ontario, Legislature, I will be introducing introducing for second reading my private private member's bill on public transit tax incentives. If passed, Bill 137 would amend the Income Tax Act to permit taxpayers to obtain a non- refimdable income tax credit for expenses they incur when using public transit. The amount of the public transit expense tax credit would be 50 per cent of the public transit transit expenses that an individual incurs during the taxation year. With this legislation, I am confident we can reach out to Ontario taxpayers and encourage encourage them to use public transit. A recent study by the Ontario College of Family Physicians highlighted several benefits of choosing public transit as a safe alternative for daily commuting. commuting. These benefits included: included: a decrease in stress levels, and anxiety, including more time to snend with family and friends. The tax credit would increase ridership on public transit, help ease gridlock on Ontario's roads and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. A six-car subway train replaces 900 cars and the subway removes 53,000 cars per hour off the road. This is a non-partisan bill. The legislation is intended to send the message to commuters commuters that taking public tran- sit is as good for our environment environment as it is for our finances. Ontario considers seasonal Hydro pricing Ontario's Energy Board offered a brief glimpse of its new hydro price strategy when the board unveiled its draft policy on regulated power prices last week. Costs will be based on the season of the year. The plan announced last week for public comment would give Ontarians a lower price for the first 1,000 kilowatt kilowatt hours of electricity in the winter months. During the summer, the price break would only cover the first 600 kilowatt hours. Winter prices would apply from November 1 to April 30 and summer prices would be in effect May O'TOOLE «w peg# 4