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Wednesday October 20, 1999 THE OAKVILLE BEAVER A7 COMMENT Big Okay, think quick: what's the differ ence between the two best bets for the next president of the United States, Democratic vice-president A1 Gore and Republican Texas senator George W. Bush? Both are tall, dark-haired and want nothing at all to do with Bill Clinton. But what else is there? Not a lot. Well, they're earnest to be sure. And rich. Although Elizabeth Dole may feel she has a chance with her paltry million dollars, she hasn't a hope. Nope, not in today's mega-elections where $1 million is considered petty cash. The pockets of the top runners are far deeper than hers and, in any election campaign, money counts. Both men, too, are at the cautious stage. No one wants to take a false step, one that will put them out of the running before the election even begins. Bush, for instance, is even being criticized for avoiding debates at this early stage. No one wants to make a mistake. But what really does it matter anyway? Policies may alter, but you can bet that when the next election comes around, all the Clinton-fatigued American public will want is a decent guy who won't, as my mother says, "run around." That, to my mind, is Gore's biggest and most formidable political challenge: the shadow of Clinton. In his comments in last weekend's Washington Post, he's even gone so far as to say he may not want the help of the current president on the campaign trail. No surprise there, folks. How many candidates would like the just-folks Clinton along for the ride, b u d g e t s b , i g egos in American p 1 D IA NE HART shaking all the hands of the public tired of listening to him make his phony apologies. Hillary they like; but Bill? Toast, the man is toast. No, they want rid of him. It will be, most assuredly, another ABC election: Anyone But Clinton. And everyone will breathe a big sigh of relief that the scan dal-ridden Clinton years are finally at an end. And so, any candidate is going to make sure he or she doesn't follow in his beleaguered steps; that any whiff of scan dal is to be squelched immediately. We are about to see a squeaky clean slate of candidates south of the border, evereager to rhapsodize talk about family values and the importance of commit ment. Democrat candidates will be sure to distance themselves from the Clinton years; Republicans will love nothing bet ter than to refresh the minds of the American public. But I have to confess a certain weak ness: I would love nothing better than to watch a true political poseur in action New York developer, gambling czar and all round ego Donald Tramp. Just for entertainment value, he would be great. But now that he's announced he would love his running mate to be talk show host and American icon Oprah, the stage would be set for a truly surreal take on American politics. The Donald and Oprah out on the campaign trail. Can you imagine? It's such an incongruous note on what will surely be a family-values oriented take on the next presidential candidacy; it has all the ingredients for a truly bizarre election. Bizarre but never boring. The Donald and Oprah get the keys to the White House. I love it. Think about getting through those dreary winter months listening to Tramp expound on the virtues of foreign policy from the lav ish lobbies of Tramp hotels or surround ed by the 6.5 million gamblers that have reportedly walked through the doors of his casinos. Think about him talking of the value of thinking big, no matter what the cost, with Oprah at his side. Or listen as he ponders the great questions of state: should he splash his name on the side or the front of the White House? This is, after all, a man who prides himself on "thinking big." And he has no problem at all doing it, as long as what ever it is has to do with him. He's the guy persuaded by Reform Party governor of Minnesota, former wrestler Jesse "The Body" Ventura to think about a ran at presidency. (The two men met when when Ventura wrestled in one of the Tramp hotels back in 1988). The Donald, his flamboyant lifestyle and Oprah on the campaign trail: put that beside the sorry old sordid tale of Clinton and his White House antics. Instead of Hollywood faces visiting the White House we'd get Ventura and rap artist Sean "Puffy" Combs, and all the big haired, big-chested models hanging onto his arms. I can hardly wait. American politics doesn't get any better than this. Society needs to focus more on family needs This society's gravestone might read: Content with trivia, they ignored Letters to the Editor grave. Credit NHL officials for finally admitting last week what we've known since we began forking over $100 to visit the ACC, namely that hockey is no longer a sport played for the love of the game but a business depending for sur vival on the balance sheet. Once upon a time, it was all we could do to grow enough food to keep body and soul together. Welfare, El and a multitude of social agencies offered no safety net; we laboured from dawn to dusk or perished; it was that simple. We've come light years from "those dark ages" to the point where wind shield sensors activate wipers at the first drop and cattle luxuriate on water beds to cut their aches and pains and provide what mattered. If it isn't the beanie babies going out of production in December, it's an American researcher about to take a snipet of the evening cloak of Mrs. Abraham Lincoln to analyze a blood splatter for DNA that may confirm a long-held suspicion that her giant of a husband suffered from a rare disease. Neither of the above matters an iota to our existence and yet we care about them, a fact well understood by the business community that milks trivia until our pocketbooks are dry. De LaHoya and Trinidad duke it out and we eagerly hand over $49.95 to bring it into our livingroom s -- an outrageous amount when you consider a dollar a day saves a starving child from the us with better cuts. And yet, despite an abundance of leisure time, we have turned our atten tion not to critical areas like our children and service to others but to having fun on distant beaches, driving leased cars, and living in ridiculously-large houses. In fact, we have less time for the kids and others as we scratch to make monthly mortgage and credit card pay ments. Slaves to our stuff, we let day care, well-meaning community pro grams and television raise our children. We look around for someone or something to blame for the horrendous massacres in our churches and schools when all we have to do is look in the mirror and ask: Am I willing to sacrifice the trivia of life for what really counts, my family? Jim Newton O A K V ILLE OAKVILLE HYDRO CORPORATION Through passage of the Energy Competition Act, the Ontario government is introducing competition and consumer choice into Ontario's electrical energy industry. With Ontario Hydro's restructuring in place, attention now turns to the municipal level. Oakville's Council has elected to create a dynamic, "for profit" corporation to be operated for the benefit of the citizens of Oakville. W e have been retained to assist in the recruitment and selection of seven outstanding individuals to act as the new Oakville Hydro Corporation's inaugural: 8 4 5 -6 6 0 1 M e e t in g s C o u n c il & S t a n d i n g C o m m i t t e e Monday, October25,1999 Planning & Development Council Council Chambers 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, November 3,1999 2000 Budget Committee Oakville Room 6:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. OAKVI LLE Tuesday, October26,1999 Community Services Committee 7:30 p.m. - Oakville Room Administrative Services Comm. 7:30 p.m. - Bronte Room Saturday, November 6,1999 2000 Budget Committee Oakville Room 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. BOARD OF DIRECTORS The Board will play a significant role in guiding Oakville Hydro's evolution from a hydro electric commission to an independent, commercially oriented energy company. In addition to maturity, judgment and integrity, ideal candidates will possess significant private sector business experience, demonstrated leadership abilities, corporate board experience and an awareness of public policy issues related to the business of the Corporation. Collectively, the ideal slate of Directors will represent a broad store of knowledge and expertise across a variety of relevant industries and functional capabilities. Qualified individuals should contact us in writing at: Metzler & Company, BCE Place, 161 Bay Street, Suite 1320, Toronto, Ontario, M5J 2 S 1 , Attention: Mr. Gary McCracken, by fax at: (416) 955-0418, or by e-mail at: gmccracken@metzler-co.com While w e thank all interested parties for their submissions, w e regret only selected candidates will be contacted. IfETZLER C o u n c il & C o m m it t e e T o u c h t o n e P h o n e L in e 815-5959 Town of O akville N O TICE O F PU BLIC M EETIN G Reconstruction of B ronte Road - Sovereign Street to Speers Road and the Construction of Rebecca Street - B ronte Road to M ississaga Street The Town of Oakville has commenced the engineering for reconstruction of Bronte Road between Sovereign Street and Speers Road, the construction of Rebecca Street between Bronte Road and Mississaga Street and the Rebecca Street Bridge crossing of the Bronte Creek. It is anticipated that this construction will occur in 2000 and 2001. The design of Rebecca Street and Bronte Road north of Rebecca Street is in accordance with the Environmental Study Report prepared in 1994. This Environmental Study Report established the need and justification for the project. A Public Information Centre has been arranged to receive public input regarding the preliminary design for the roads and bridge structure, construction staging, and landscaping. Interested persons are encouraged to attend and comment on the presentation drawings. COMPANY YOU CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE Oakville Town Council invites you to volunteer your skills to assist it in its decision-making. Every year, Council appoints people to various committees, boards and commissions that make decisions on issues effecting Oakville. If you apply, you could be selected to share your ideas on matters like heritage buildings, public facilities, or community services. ft is Town policy that a citizen can only serve on one committee at a time. If you apply and are accepted to serve on a second committee, you must resign from the committee you are currently serving on. WHO IS ELIGIBLE? All Oakville residents are invited to get involved. To reflect the diverse nature of the Town's population, women, people with disabilities, native peoples, and racial and ethnic minorities are especially encouraged to participate. HOW TO APPLY Anyone interested in applying, other than incumbents, must do the following: · Fill out an application form and return it to the Town Clerk's Department by 4:30 p.m. Friday, October 29,1999. SELECTION PROCESS Town Council will appoint qualified candidates for the positions based on the recommendations of the Administrative Services Committee. All appointments are for a three year term commencing January 1, 2000 unless otherwise stated. REMEMBER · Only RESIDENTS of the Town of Oakville are eligible. QUESTIONS? For more information, call Pat McPherson @ 845-6601, ext. 3136. Receipt of applications will be acknowledged after the appointment process has been completed in mid-December 1999, at which time each applicant will be notified by mail. Advisory Board, Committee or Authority Bronte District Advisory Committee Number of Vacancies 1 Meeting Schedule 3rd Thursday, monthly (as required), in the evening (Applicants must reside in Ward One (the area bounded by the centre line of Burtoak Drive, Lake Ontario, the centre line of Third Line and the centre line of the Q.E.W.)) Citizen Transit Advisory Committee Hatton Region Conservation Authority 4 1 1 4th Wednesday, monthly (as required), in the evening Meets every Thursday in the evening 3rd Monday, monthly, in the evening (Term commences February 12, 2000) Halton Region Safety Council Date: Time: Location W ednesday, O ctober 27,1999 6:30 p. m. Queen Elizabeth P a rk Secondary School 2301 Yolanda Drive. (Appointee is also required to serve on the Traffic Advisory Committee) Local Architectural Conservation Advisory Committee (1 year appointment) Oakville Centre Board of Directors Oakville Harbours Development Authority Oakville Museum Advisory Board Old Oakville Heritage Review Committee (1 year appointment) Parks, Culture & Recreation Advisory Committee Property Standards Committee Seniors Advisory Committee 4 6 5 1 1 1 1 4 1 (except July, August and December) 1st Wednesday, monthly, in the evening 4th Wednesday, monthly, in the morning 4th Wednesday, monthly, in the evening 3rd Wednesday, monthly, in the evening All of the comments received from this meeting will be reviewed as part of the detailed design. A second Public Information Centre will be held early in 2000 to review the final design drawings prior to Council's final approval of the project. If you are unable to attend the meeting, questions, comments or concerns may be forwarded to: L. D. McLeod, P, Eng., Assistant Director - Engineering and Construction Department of Public Works Town of Oakville 2274 Trafalgar Road P. O Box 310 Oakville, Ontario, L6J 5A6 Telephone: (905)845-6601 ext. 3315 Fax: (905)338-4159 (except July & August) As required 2nd Wednesday, monthly, on the evening As required 4th Wednesday in January, March, May, September & November, in the afternoon 2nd Tuesday, monthly, in the morning (Applicants must be over the age of 50 years) Special Committee Against Impaired Driving