6 - The Canadian Champion, Tuesday, Marcis 2, 2004 *Comment fo Police budget shows funding needs fixing The 2004 Halton Regional Police budget recently approved by the police services board appears to be illuminating a need for other rev- enue sources toi help regional taxpayers. Police Chief Ean Algar said the $69.8 million budget was the most challenging to date. There's no reason not to believe him. The majority of the police budget addresses salaries and that will always be an issue, which gets us to this point. Since policing is such an essential service, it's unlikely anyone would lobby to cut safety-related. programs simply to save money. So we urge politicians and the public to keep pressing their local MP or MPP to get their respective govemments to provide other furiding sources to accommodate budgets. Gas taxes and income taxes have been suggested as possible funding avenues. We must beat this drum. To ask taxpayers to shell out more of their hard-earned dollars year after year to keep budgets afloat is a losing baîrle. Municipalities need funding alternatives flot today, flot lomnorrow but yesterday. *Our Readers,.*,; Write Reader says we should be.ware of thieves Man says thanks for fire fighters' actions Dear Editor:. My wife, wiso's an avid user of tise Milton Leiture Centre, heard a womtan's wallet was stolen from, a locker while se was swimming. Her answer was to lock ber wallet in the car. Recently after a fltness class, she went to, the bank snd noticed a credit card was mrissing. Sise lter diacovered dia five carda were mJisting, as well as $100. Fortunately, we had made a liat of phone nuxubers of tise credit card compia- nies snd ase called tise companies before noon. In thiat tine, $1,800 was charged to each of two carda, and $3,000 was cisarged to another. There was n sign of forced ennry to tise car, so tise satut wasn't activated. How lisat isappened we can ouly apecu- late. These auto devices for Iocking sud uutocking aren't infallible. Tisere'a no noise if you accidentally unlock your car, wisicis is easy to do. Maybe ase grabbed tise keya witis ber bag sud thse door unlocked, or mayise tbere was someone inside wiso took tise keys and opened tise veisicle. 1 think it'a a good posaîisility tisai someone was watcising tise parking lot. Millonians beware. Bias Flower Milton *The Canadian Champion Box 248, 191 Main St. E., Milton, Oui. L9T 4N9 (905) 878-2341 Editorial Fax: 905-878-4943 Advertising Fax: 905-876-2364 Classified: 905-875-3300 Circulation: 905-878-5947 Ian Oliver Publisher Neil Oliver Associate Publisher Jili Davis Editor-in-Chief Karen Smith Managing Editor Weady McNab Adcertising Director Tim Coles Production Manager Charlene Hall Distribution Manager Teri Casas Office Manager The Canadian Champiain, publishîd every tuisday and Friday an e9t Main St E. Mlter, Ont. 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Aduidising is accepted on thi condition that in thi event et a typo- trapsical enron that portion et the adointîsieg stiaci occupîed by the erno- eeous item, togitier with a riasenabe attance ton signature, alt rot be chanîed te,, but the balance et thi aduedîisiment aii be piid tor at thi appli- cabte tati. Thi pablîshet risîrsis the rittit te categnize advînîisements or dectini. Plie Milan Canaiean Champ«e as a Reeyetabti Prodae Dear Editor: 1 wisb to iisank tise 60 firefigisters wbo recently attended tise tire ai 808 Somerville Tenrace. Tiseir professional work and ded- ication saved our farnily borne fromt buming. Than-ks should aiso go out to our excellent neigihbours across tise street, wiso opened ibeir borne 10 US. We waicised as wave after wave of firefigisters passed us isy. witb faces covered witis masks entering the thick black smoke and tisen exit- ing exhausted. Ail of us sbould be proud of our tire departmen. So when you sec tise flasising red or green liglits. pull over. stop'and wisb ihem a safe return. Norman Mclwaine Somerville Terrace Rural garbage pick-up a good thing says reader Dear Edilor: service long overdue - and now in place - ansd bave Aller aIl tise negative letters about garisage pick-up our elected representatives speud tiseir lime and erier- in rural Milton, I wanted lo go on record 10 say tisat I'm gy on improvmng our waste management. deligbied not to bave to, iaul my garbage to tise dump If a city like Guelphs eau diveri so mucs waste from myself anymore. its landfill. wby can't Milton? I participated in tise survey tisat was isanded out and Let's get on witb improving bow we recycle. was pleased altie outeome. Carol Werner lits my opinion tisat we sisould stop fussmng about a Milton Reader says there's no need for rural garbage collection Dear Edilor: T'Mis letter is in response to tise January 20 letter isy Bois Boyente, wbo says co-operation is needed to find iseter solutions 10 thse rural garisage situation. Tise situation worked jusi fine as il was. Tisere waa defmnitely no need 10 start rural garisage collec- tion. If il works, dou'i fix il. Besides, rural garisage pick-up will ouly creste more garbage and otiser problemts. Joe Wagner Milton E-mail your letters tai the editor tai miftoned@haltonsearch.com. PUd by Steve Nease MMK PARi4TICS? SYER KNEWtNU' N BOUT DAT! 0Mý_