The following text may have been generated by Optical Character Recognition, with varying degrees of accuracy. Reader beware!

2‘ «15!? iii!!! 33).; Bic-[3.3 tearing; sig ‘S'pii; 3“in :1 81988:. . 13358! 531503 iii-n... I."- no." i: Elu 3:030:19...- . Wm W’fi-MU- It”: In 905 M“ 87;” H’HURMI AUYUIHVFW. W5W~Ihll 'uluhni [â€"800 74 1485* Mt N5 MO 8773 NION @W-Tribune 6290ManSt. SW.M.LM 10] m Warn Puausnan Ian Proudfa mama WWW WWd Macaw damn-IIle- “Sunburn. Mmm MW mun “MM Gloume sumo!" lEI’IEIS POLICY... DISTRIBUTION WS-Z‘N-UZH A‘W'tRNVNh WSW-2612 Md' I-HXL 745- 3355 n W5-640~877U Inn Manon ow that the province has ended the practice of teachers banking sick days and cashing them in at retirement. it's time to do the‘same for other public sector employees. Budgets are being slashed almost everywhere and there are only so many places to make cuts. [his is one of those places. And the best pan is the cuts. can be made without impacting service levels. Teachers fought against the move and there's no doubt police oflirors and firefighters rwill follow that lead. For example. many firefighters and York Regional Police employees benefit from bankable sick days. We understand their members fought for the perk and. no doubt. feel they've earned it. but the reality is we can't afford it. ' Bankable sick days actually provides a cost savings because it encourages firefighters to come to work when they're not feeling 100 per cent. thereby avoiding the need to pay overtime to otth staffers. he explains ' Bankable sick days are not the No. l prized possession of firefighters. but they're important. Richmond Hill Professional Fire Fighters Associa- tion president Greg Horton said. York Regional Police Association" president John Miskjw agrees. noting the policy can help change ofl‘ncers' mindsets. from ening on the side of staying home to one of "toughing it out”. ' But do we (cally want emergency services personnel on the job when they're battling a bug? ' es people to stay home when they're sick to avoid transmitting whatever they have to (It-workers and causing an outbreak. We're not saying take away sick days. but bankablc sick days are a perk from better economic times. And there is a local precedent. More than 20 years ago. the issue was dealt with in Newmarkot. when firefighters had their banked sick days bought out. Not only an: police officers and firef ters in contact with co-work- ers, t ey also come face-to-face with the public. And. sure. some will argue lhv people rallying against bankahle sick days are the same people who dnn'! have the pctk. But the issue isn't banhble sick days. N's bankahle sick days for pub- lic sector workers. Don’t lose momentum, stop bankable sick days Every municipal health unit advisâ€" Editorial We look out for each other through taxes In a min] denmacy. we all look outforcachml‘mandlhcwaywedo [Me is through our taxes If we follow the letter writer's then'we all shouldget some sort of reduction on DUI tam lhardlyusethcheahhsystem.so why should I pay ‘the same amount as Re: Seniors should get him]: on school (axes. letter to the editor by V (iodfrt-y: lramly use the m-scnes of high- waysthtmldlmtexponamducuon in my mad taxes? ' I was educated in Ontario and am grateful for the excellent public educaâ€" tion I waived from the taxmyers of th'm province. l. mo. am retired and I am very happy to have my taxes pay it forward to other young Ontarians That's the price I'm willing to pay for a civilized Pedestrian not always wrong in accidents lust because the polk‘o lay charges mains! drivers only 32 pct cent of the time not mean pedestrians wen- atfauhfiBperoemofmctime. I disagree with IoWering Zed-loo! ltmcuumepohoemunsumwhal MARIANNE BAHUEDA N} WMA RK!‘ 7 Letters to the Editor Don’t let staff members grade themselves 1heregiongtadesitsefl? Noinputissought from residents? lkrwrdevamismatreponcard? Whatifstaflsaywemfaflingflim Mngwilltm-y have their job? Maybe [he high-paid bureaucrats should drive Yong: Suva [mm Davis lhwtoGteenlnmona weekendand seehmwellthemficflws happemdanddonmbelievemeycan laychargesmalwillslandupmcoun wudenheciruunstanoes. Reflusnuwdmamdamnd Wrunylwa [have been 3 Richmond "illusi- dent for many years and originally I am fmm lithuania. 'lhe transit problem in Uthuania was rewlwd by giving licences to ordi- nary people with vans todriveothers. Passengus are happy and driven let van drivers act as bmes peoplewhohadnflxfivam This is one big self-sewing report ll created 3 I0! 0! mu time jobs for 6290 Ham 5!. Dim Plooucnm Rob!" lazuriu sum. 0N. LM 167 lathe Smart ' GARY MACDONALD NICK BIRD RICHMOND HILL RICHMOND HILL AL 'RORA Dim Ola-anon: (luau-unlit“; Lynn (mum Human Iohn Wt!an Emu. w (lulu Debora Krlly In the cult classic Slap Shot, one of the minor league hockey playen. lohnny Upton. utters the line upon hearing, the yearn might fold. “...Chrysler plant. here I come.” says No. 12 of the Charleston Chiefs in the 1977 flick that's still often played on hockey bus trips and quoted on sports shows. And that high Canadian dollar that looks so good when you're booking the annual junket to Vegas isn't as sweet if you're sell- ing goods south of the border. A new study showing nearly half of working adults in the GTA have unstable employment with- out benefits .or pensions shouldn't have been that big an eye-opener. As fictitious as the story is. that was reality in Ontario of the '705. You could "land a high-paying union job in a factory without train- ing or experience. Buy a sports car anan starter home and you were set for life. Or so it seemed. Many a Stouffville resident worked the GM production lines in Oshawa or factories of Scar- borough back in that day. They'd commute with their neighbours and relatives Now? Not so much. Blame it on that high pay and benefits or whatever. but many of those jobs are toast. Talk to the sobn-tolbe but of work crew at Southwire Canada on Main Street. Look down your own street or inside your family and you're cer- tain to see this so-called “precari- ous” employment. Unemployable universny grads. Trained teachers stocking shelves at Walmart. Young adults living with the“ parents longer than either party would prefer. This insetute wer has increased by 50 per cem during the past 20 years across the UIA. Charlestbwn was fiction. ()ur personal mst belt isn't. Iim Mason is editor of The Sunâ€" Mbune. End of the line for old-time Ontario Off The Top with Iim Mason l):me 0! [luau-u Mum-mums Tanya Padmo Debra Weller