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PORT PERRY STAR -- Tuesday, Janvary 24, 1989 -- 7 by John B. OUT OF CONTROL? | don't know how you feel, but | get a bit con- cemed when | open my moming paper and a head- line tells me that emergency departments in Toron- to hospitals are being shut because of over- crowding. At some hospitals in Toronto, according to the story under the alarming headline, even the most serious emergency cases had to be turned away because there were not enough beds, equipment or physicians to give them proper treatment. That is pretty scarey; something one might ex- pectin a strugg ing Third World country. But in To- ronto, the wealthiest city in the wealthiest province in one of the wealthiest countries on the planat? But that's just part of it. There have been\horror stories lately of critically ill patients having to wait weeks, even months for surgery. The reason? A shortage of nurses for the operarting rooms and critical care recovery. Nurses in Ontario, it seems are leaving their pro- fession in droves, especially those who work in op- erating rooms and intensive care units. They cite the constant stress, the long hours, the salaries . and a general lack of recognition for their profes- sionalism. Doctors in Ontario are squabbling again with the government over their fee structure. Hospitals have been told to "balance the books, or else." You almost start to wonder if the health care sys- tem in Ontario isn't getting out of control. It scares the heck out of me. It might be me who needs Viewpoint MeClslans emergency treatment, or a serious operation. It might be my father or a member of my family who hears "sorry, we're full up at the moment. Come 'back i a couple of months and we might be able to fit you in." Health care in Ontario now costs some $16 bil- lion annually. Why the massive problems? Why does it appear to the outsider looking in that the System Is breaking down, and could be soon out of control? ; But it's not just health care. School boards are screaming for money. Schools that need to be built are not being built; there are shortages of funda- mental supplies, like text-books. Teachers are go- ing on strike or threatening to go on strike. Day care in some areas is seriously under- funded. The Red Cross Homemaker Service is in a crisis over money (or lack of it) The giant Darlington nuclear plant is behind schedule and the delays are costing $5 million per week. The project is to cost $700 million more that the estiamte a year ago. Final price tag and count- ing is $11.5 million, double the original estimate. This is Ontario, remember. Ontario, good old Ontari-ari-ari-o. The heartland of the nation, home of some seven million hard-working people. Onta- rio. Prosperous, small-c conservative, reliable, slightly staid (though changing) but always ever-so- solid, a corner-stone of Confederation, a province settled by men and women of hardy stock who first scratched a living from the land, the forests and the lakes, enduring incredible hardships so that future generations (that's us) would enjoy a life filled with prosperity. And in many ways, Ontario was just that: pros- perous for those who worked. Up until a few years ago, one never heard of "crisis in health care." One never read headlines stating that emergency rooms can't handle the flow, or expectant mothers had to be transferred hundreds of miles to give birth be- cause there wasn't a bed available, or people died waiting for surgery. One never heard of teachers or police officers going on strike because of wages or working condi- tions. Maybe in Quebec they did, but never in On- tario, no never in Ontario the good. One never heard of a shortage of classroom space, or operating room nurses. Maybe these things did happen a few years ago. Maybe they just didn't get reported. But these days, does it not seem that Ontario is lurching from one major crisis to another, be it hos- pitals, schools, universities, police forces, road re- pairs, day care or just about anything else that comes under the public sector? It seems that way to me and ql frankly, | don't understand what has happened. The politicians like to tell us that our expectations are too high. And | suspect there is more than a grain of truth in that. But surely the rising expectations that come with prosperity have not led to the crisis we face in sO many critical areas. I don't like what appears to be happening in my - home province. | don't like it one dam bit, and | won- der just who the heck is in charge of good old Onta- rio, these days. Remember When? 70 YEARS AGO Thursday, January 30, 1919 Overland cars always have been designed and built to meet the taste and needs of substantial people. The good thing owners say cause the steadily increasing demand for Model 90 cars. There probably will not be enough to meet the demand of this season. AF. e-Local Dealer. Sale of Washgoods including Ginghams, Cotton Challie, 35¢. Clearing price 15¢c. yard. - F.W. McIntyre. The young people of the Presbyterian and Methodist Chur- ches are arranging a series of twelve talent entertainments. It is ted that a fee of 10c. will be charged for adults and 5c. for children at each entertainment. Proceeds to go to start a fund for building a skating rink or for some similar object. 35 YEARS AGO Thursday, January 28, 1954 ] Ontario County Council has passed a by-law making three grants to district hospitals. This marks the second occasion in recent meetings wherein grants for capital construction costs of hospitals have been made by the council. In December the made a grant of $10,000. to the Port Perry Hospital. The annual meeting of the Port Perry, Reach and 0g Agricultural Society was held in the Public Library, January 25. The big job done on the fair grounds during the year was repair- Ing the grandstand and putting a new roof on it. This had cost : heme ding of the mee Manchester, Myrtle and Prospect Young People was held in the Myrtle Church, January 18 with Presi- dent Wesley Johnson in charge. It was decided that the Young People go to Toronto to hear Billy Graham on Sunday, January 30 YEARS AGO Thursday, January 29, 1959 The first from Port Perry to be chosen as Page Boy was Dow Edenborough. Doug is an honour student at Port Perry School. . Two old pictures which once hung in the fire hall have come to light . Mr. Guy Raines, Fire Chief of the Port Perry Fire Brigade brought the old pictures into the Star Office. The pic- tures show the Darktown Brigade in action. They are bright coloured and cartoon styled and were sent out by the Gutta Publishing and Rubber Manufacturing Co. in 1884. The pictures were sent out in much the same manner as calendars are sent out today. } Port Perry's Council for 1959 were Reeve J.J. Gibson, Art Cox, T.J. Harris, I.A. Boyd and Frank Godley. (Turn to page 10) Cashmerette and White Middy Cloth. Regular values 25¢c. and Letters A laurel for To The Editor: ~ RE: Response from Tom Hansen, Jan. 17, 1989 Port Perry Star - Regarding "Heart Of Ice." I too am not concerned what credentials Cathy Olliffe possesses as a journalist. I find the "Chatterbox" variously heart- warming, enlightening, humourous and always down right honest. Cathy set herself up for criticism because she actual- ly had the nerve to put in print, for the general public to read (goodness gracious) a feeling that many people would never admit. "Heart of Ice" column Cathy showed her sensitivity in the fact that this particular inci- dent has never been forgotten and obviously it continues to haunt her. . I never doubted the fact that Cathy hadn't used a real name or' that she was airing the plight of a "poor family." I empathized with Cathy's article as it brought a memory of mine to the surface of when I was a youngster and 1 found that if I screamed in a very high pitch, my dear little friend would repeatedly run home cry- ing broken heartedly (probably in pain). Too harsh on Ben To The Editor: I am writing in response to January 4th CHATTERBOX topic of the Best and Worst of 1988 by Cathy Olliffe. I tend to disagree with the harsh statements Ms. Olliffe made about Ben Johnson as the Worst of 1988. It was an un- fortunate incident in Seoul, and it made myself and others furious at the time but you have to look at everything in perspective. Mr. Johnson is naturally good and if he put everything at risk by taking steroids we have to remember the pressure he was put under. With the world record already in his hand he had to face the Olympics and run against arch-rival Carl Lewis. Anyone human would no doubt be in- fluenced by fame, money, con- tract deals, their own family and the biggest of all pleasing Canadians, Yes, we who wanted a hero, who watched his health progress before Seoul and who cheered him on in our homes when he ran the final and won. WE got our gold medal we so desperately wanted. Then the positive steroid test ap- peared and we lost our hero. We were s0 wound up in the loss of the medal we verbally attacked Ben; Ben the immortal who could do no (Turn to page 8) My daughter's topic for her speech in school this year con- cerns the dastardly and cruel things that children must suffer, dished out thoughtlessly by their peers. She was proud to have read Cathy's article "Heart Of Ice" which gave my daughter a boost of confidence because; if a colum- nist thought it was important enough to write about then she can certainly talk about it. If more folks would recall the meaness inflicted in childhood and attempted to teach their own children some consideration of others and to be a more caring and sensitive person, maybe, just maybe as adults they wouldn't be as quick to be critical and to con- tinue their putdowns as they did as children. You out there...open your mind and your heart!! Cathy Olliffe, turn your hurt back to pride. A laurel for you this day. A Concerned Mom, Valerie Harbour, Seagrave to the editor. Letters to the Editor ... our policy It has always been the policy of this newpspaper to encourage our readers to make use of the letters to the editor column. Our readers have a right to freely express their opinions and view- points on just about any subject, and we feel that a lively letters column helps make a better community newspaper. We insist, however, that a letter writer sign his or her name. On rare occasions, we will agree to with-hold publication of a letter writer's name, if we feel there are very good reasons to do so. Under no circumstances will this paper print an anonymous letter While we enjoy receiving letters from our readers, we must con- tinue to insist on knowing the identity of the writer.