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There’s a beer company whose slogan is This Bud’s for You. That might be the view of York Region residents alter Finance Minister Jim Fla- herty’s latest financial blueprint: This Bud- gets for You. Financial prudence, paying down the debt, a new tax shelter for people whohavethemoneytosockawayareall meant to appeal to voters in York Region and other communities on the edges of Atthesametimewearebeingcourted by efiorts to help cities replace decaying infiastrucmre, which also is a growing con- cern around here, one the mayors have been speaking out on for many years And there’s money to improve transit, another issue that hits home for those of us trapped inourcarsandmissingtimewithourfamiâ€" lies All in all, it is a small-c conservative, responsible approach most households can Our national debt, accumulated over decades, is in the $450-billion Iange Ottawa is running a small budget surplus, by comâ€" parison, and is suggesting that money go to pay down this debt, a debt-teduction pro- gram that was started under the Liberals As the debt drops, the country/s credit rating goes up, the interest it pays on debt drops and the fiscal future for ourselves and our children gets brighter. Should the Liberal Opposition have taken down the govemment over these pro- posals? Absolutely not There’s little appetite for an election and there is little wrong with the government’s budget pmposals In many ways, we are benefiting from this minority government situation. The Opposition has had real influence over the Afghanistan mission and this budget. The ruling patty did not propose anything ladi- cal. There’s been some real debate over the issues between the liberals and Conserva- tives (with the NDP and Bloc, at no risk of forming a government, free to make what- ever claims and promises they please). And we are avoiding a federal election campaign that most of us do not want. In a province where we have lived through Rae days â€"- under former NDP Premier Bob Rae, who spent to avoid reces- sion only to leave the province saddled with debt and the decimation of the NDP at the polls in the mid-’QOs â€"â€" it is notable the fed- eral gowemment is resisting calls to ramp up spending to head off a possible economic downtum linked to problems in the United States Threats this week by US. Democratic frontrunners to change the North American Free Trade Agreement. perhaps not real- izing it has allowed us. companies and brands (such as Budweiser beer) to pen- etrate Canadian markets and a US. slump in general are reasons to worry. Getting our finances in order to deal with possible troubles ahead is the best approach. lETTERS POLICY than 400 words and must include a daytime telephone number. name and address. The Sun-Tribune reserves the right to publish or not publish and to edit for clarity and space. The Sun-Tribune welcomes your letters. All submissions must be leg Budget brewed for average voter Mflvflle sun-Tribune. Rb. 28, 2(XI8 lmoson.yrmg.com Letters to the Edlton mo Sun-Tribune 6290 Main St. StoufMllo. GM LM I67 Editorial INTERACTIVE MEDIA Marketing 8: Advertising Millage! Dawna Andrews dandmusOyrmg.mm EnrmmAL Editor lim Mason jmasoné‘yrmg. mm Honour Pat Madigan’s memory by paying his kindness forward My brother was indeed a wonderful man, funny. realistic, involved and caring and we will miss him terribly. Suan'bune editor Jim Mason has captured the best of Pat and has expressed so beautifully what we all feel in his column and stories. Re:A fond farewell for Mr. Hockey. Feb. 14 Thank you for the coverage you have printed on Pat Madigan. What a wonder it is to me to see the many expressions of concern and caring; the meals deliv- ered to the door, flowers, visits, sponsorships, fund- raisers and too many phone calls to return in a lifetime. Please accept the thanks of the Madigan and Wllcock families. We are blessed to have your sup- port as we were blessed to have had Pat's love and support. And this Stouffville community of friends, neighbours and the Spirit Jr. A hockey team? Emerson said it best: “To share often and much to know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived; this is to have succeeded." My dear brother was that success and the best way we can honor his memory and your generos- ity is to pay his life forward with an act of random kindness. Life is not all about us; it is about whom we become when we give to others as Pat did. Thank you all so much. L .« @«fWHEETEKJ'Os su~~msw£ Classified Manager Ann Campbell aramplwllemm Anvmmsmc Retail Manager Stacey Allen 50 I len @Vrmg. mm Siwii’zi'i'fi'ibune PUBLISHER Ian Proudfoot 6290 Main St. Stouflville, 0N. L4A 167 www.yorkregion.oom Letters to the Editor SUSAN MADIGAN BURLINGTON Assistant Classified Manager Bonnie Rondeau hmndmufi’yrmg. mm PRODUCTION Team Leader Sherry Day IN HIS OPINION THERE LS A SHORTAGE ~ HE’S LOOKING FOR A SYMPA‘I'HETIC OVERWEIGHT DOCT OR WHO SMOKES. Hockey updates on yorkregion.com amazing, prompt and excellent Aurora was playing at Newmarket and Stouffville was hosting Huntsville. (Vaughan and Markham are playing in another series.) I said to my son, “Let me Check out the York Region Media Group’s websitef’ Sure enough, you had an amazing story with all the details from both games at yorkregion.com We just wanted to thank you for your excellent and prompt reporting and posting. Keep up the great work. Ours is a big hockey family and we wanted to find out the update on Sunday's Jr. A playoff action involving our York Region teams. Would you like to comment on a letter, story, editorial or column in The Sun-Tribune? Do you want to share your thoughts on another local issue? We love letters to the editor eâ€"mailjmason@yrmg.com Arqudllfi Busmnss MANAGER Robert Lazurko Emma m Cum Debora Kelly ADVERTISING 905-640-2612 (Ilamifird: Fax: 905-640-8778 DISTRIBUTION 905-640-2612 RX 905-640-2612 x: 905â€"640-8778 EDITORIAI Duuwmn 1mm; MEDIA a Tncnuowcv john Futhey JACKIE COUSINS RICHMOND HILL A York Region Media (‘rmup community newspaper The Sun-Tribune, published every Thursday and Saturday. is a division of the Metrbiand Media Group Ltd, a wholiy~owned subsidiary of Torstar Corporation. Metroiand is comprised of 100 community publications across Ontario. The York Region Newspaper Group inciudesThe Uberal, sewing Richmond Hill and Thomhiil, Vaughan Citizen, The Era-Banner (Newmarket/ Aurora). Markham Economist Sun, Georgina Amocate,York Region Business Times. North of the City, wrirregioncom and York Region Printing. Duuacmn, CIRCULATION Svsmus Lynn Pashko DIIIBCI‘OII, ADVERTISING You REGION PRINTING a DISTRIBUTION GENERAL MANAGER Barry Black Bob Dean If George Costanza can pretend to be an architect on Seinfeld, why can't an editor dabble in town planning? It can’t be that challenging, can it? For starters, don't put a fire hall near a nursing home. The sirens and flashing lights don't sit well with folks who need their rest. Sorry, too late. The new Stoufi‘ville fire station is in the same hood as Parkview Home and its neighbouring seniors vil- lage. On the flip side, the ambulance in the hall will be very Close by, when needed. You build schools near the students that will attend them. You put a mix of housing types, from bungalows and towns to two-storeys, in the same development. Kudos to this town for doing such. There are too many streets of all vintages in too many municipalities lined with cookie cutter houses. ' If we want residents to walk or cycle to the barber or the florist, we put shops in residential areas. Stouffville once worked so well in this regard. You could stroll downtown in the 1970s from every comer of the then smaller town and get groceries, hardware. clothes or flowers. The place grew and downtown became more service oriented. Now. so many of the retailers are in the west end, on or near Main Street. The problem for my fellow eastâ€" enders is the lack of retail in our neigh- bourhood. Success Square is the excepâ€" tion and now includes a pharmacy and walk-in clinic, to go with the pizza take- out, varietv store, laundromat and oth- CI‘S It's not enough. The northeast corner of Main Street and 10th Line was advertised for decades as the future home or a plaza. The land still sits vacant. The growing network of walking paths is a step forward. The new parks appear welcoming and useful. But, a better spread of retail and ser‘ vices would make for an even more liv able Stouffville. lim Mason is editor of The Sun (SW-Tribune Making this a more livable home town Off The Top with Jim Mason