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MLA Deacon answers reader on party 3 regional policy lo the tune OI $IUU,UUU or 1:) percent OI ll"? bul'dllct, uulal 1U llCallll Luau: uu\,\. ullv Pluylu‘ru at u“. “HA,” “Jun. lIIIII|IIIlIIIIIIlIllIIIlIIlllIIllIIlllIIIllllIIIIIllIIlllllllllllIIIl|IIlllllll|IllIlll|llIll||Ill||l|lIllllllllllllllllllllllll|lllllllllllll||lllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllI||Illllllllllllllllllllllllllllll|IIIIIIIIllllllllllllllll|IllllllllllllllllIlIlllIll|llllIllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII||Illlnllllllll||||||||Il|ll|llllllllllllll||Ill|||||IlllIlllIIIIIIIIIllllll|Illlll|||llllllllllllllll|IIIIllIIIIIIIIIIII|llllllllllll||Il|ll||l|lllIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII||IIIIIIIIIIllIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII I keep meeting people in the region who express surprise to find I am not what they expect. It seems my public image in some quarters is not flattering. :- Be that as it may, whatever other function I have as an elected representative, I see it as my main responsibility to render a j’udgment on those matters which come before me and to vote according to my conscience. This is further to my letter appearing in last week's Liberal which questioned the need for a regional form of government, and criticized irresponsible actions of elected school board representatives. Dear Mr. Editor The letter was also ad- dressed to Donald Deacon. MLA, York Centre. and asked what measures the Ontario Liberals might take in correcting the situation if elected to govern the province later this year. 7 Views of course, are a reflection of my life's experience and knowledge of govern- menl machinery. The question of public funding for family life centres in York Region has been the subject of much debate in the last two years. We have arrived at a point where the province has refused to share the cost of the privately operated centres equally with the region. dCLIUIID UI board representatives. The letter was also ad- dressed to Donald Deacon, MLA, York Centre. and asked what measures the Ontario Liberals might take in correcting the situation if elected to govern the province later this year. I attach herewith, for publication, Mr. Deacon's response: “Thank you for your open letter regarding the position of the Ontario CICLLcu ayuvv- of local municipalities and have supported the granting of powers to them for that purpose. “However, we question the value of transferring the responsibilities for police protection to a regional level, particularly when there are great distances from one end of a region to another with little common interest between the communities and municipalities involved. such responsibilities should be examined carefully by the public and the representatives. “In future the Liberal Party intends to give the people in each region the opportunity to transfer responsibilities back to the local community where. a study indicates this is ad- visable. “The reason our party emphasizes the granting of maximum responsibility to “What people want in Fort Erie, can be very different from what they would like to have in Grimsby and similar situations unâ€" doubtedly exist in the Region of York. “Our party also intends to give much greater discretion as to how provincial grant funds are to be spent so locally elected councils are not told by the province how to spend the money. Little late to pio us/y pro claim H/‘l/ should grow from core out Dear Mr. Editor: In the February 5 edition of The Liberal, a report is given on the January 28 planning committee meeting. Regional Counâ€" cillor Hancey is quoted as saying that “we should plan from the core out. I don’t agree with putting in sub- divisions here, there and all over". :l‘he pressure has now been turned on the region by the operators to fund the operation to the tune of 8100.000 or 75 percent of the A simple, one-rink arena was planned to be built in Thornhill in 1972. I wish to make the following comments on your front page article of February 5 concerning the Thornhill Community Center. Eighteen months of en- thusiasm. planning and dedication resulted in the superb complex opening next month. A determined effort by the Thornhill Lions Club con- vinced the town of the greater need for a complete community center. 18 months of enthusiasm, planning, dedication resulted in superb Thorn/till community centre Dear Mr. Editor: enjoy . the same opâ€" interest received from the center, its staff and policies, I wish to make the portpnities, rates and ac- people in Thornhill. confirm the benefits that followmgcommentson your twlties. Our pledge of $250,000 will be available to all from page article of Memberships are, and a c c o m p a n y_i.n'g ‘ he people in the community for For 25 years all residents of Thornhill have enjoyed equal opportunity for swimming. tennis, baseball, hockey and library facilities The unique character and needs of the Thornhill community was a guiding principle in planning for the center. Thank you from St. John's Church Dear Mr. Editor On behalf of the minister and members of St. John’s Baptist Church, I Would like to thank The Liberal for the excellent news coverage our church has received over the past year. MRS. RUTH CLARKE, Church Clerk, 75 Oxfogd Street, Richmond Hill. Ont. That principle has been continued at the new center. Every resident of the Thornhill community will We feel it is important that people be aware of what the churches are doing in the community. and your paper gives us the op- portunity to do this. Thank you again. Family life centre questions bfie‘g answers By Evelyn Buck Mayor ofAurora “Generally, we believe regional government is admirably suited to co- ordinate planning and capital borrowing functions of local municipalities and have supported the granting of powers to them fOr that purpose. Liberal Party with regard to regional government in Ontario. “However, we question the value of transferring the responsibilities for police protection to a regional level, particularly when there are great distances from one end of a region to another with little common interest between the communities and municipalities involved. This is a completely new tune she is singing now. In 1970, when the Rich- mond Hill Town Council had an appeal before the OMB to block the BAIF develop- ment because it would create an entirely new community with a projected population of almost 15,000 and would harm the storekeepers of the core Dear Mr. Editor I cannot support the stand taken by Mayor Evelyn Buck of Aurora at the regional council meeting January 23 regarding the financing of Family Service Memberships are, and have always been accepted at the community center on that basis. E/ka Waldenga was first runner-up Thornhili Lions are most appreciative of the intense Bayview’s Buzz Heh! heh! heh! We've got a first runnerup at our school. Elka Woldenga was the first runnerup in the Winter Carnival Snow Queen Contest. She represented Bayview’s year 5. Yea, Elka? Wednesday of last week we had a super ski trip up to the Blue Mountains at Collingwood. Everything worked out really well. except for four minor in- juries. We picked up the injured at the hospital on the way back. We left poor ole Jim Wood in Barrie, thanks to a friendly bus driver. Dance Saturday night Saturday night is the big night to boogie. Ian Thomas and the “Incredible Greaseball Boogie Band" will be here to entertain. Hope to see everyone here. Tickets are $3 with student card and $3.50 without. Doors open at eight. Champion ice sculpture The annual winter carnival came off really well for Bayview. Year 3 won for their ice sculpture in their division and lots of people went out to participate. A lot of thanks goes to everyone who went out and participated to help make this winter carnival lots of super fun for ,everyone. Our German exchange students played the Bayview girls and held them to a scoreless tie. By Susan Powell Bayview Secondary School correspondent Telephone 884-8584 Evelyn Buck's family services position rapped I Titer region has only one source of tax revenue â€" the property tax. Basically, this tax is meant to provide services to property. projected 19757budget‘ Though many social services including education are administered at the regional level. they are mainly regulated by the province. Average cost-sharing is between 70 to 80 percent provincial and the rest local. Yet even the provincial payment for the programs are not wholly met from provincial coffers. Federal payments are also substantially reflected in cost-sharing arrangements. Needless to say, the higher levels of government have a myriad source of tax revenues; namely. income tax, sales tax, customs and excise tax, death taxes, royalties from natural resources and a few more besides that most of us don’t know a thing about. hElllen at that, the senior levels do not at- tempt to finance social services through taxation alone. “u... u» unluu‘ “n. .y..... ._ __ h tempt to finance SOCial seFViCes through It has been stated on several occasions the taxation alone. purpose of regional government is to permit canada PenSiony Unemployment 111- a greater range of social services to be surance, Ontario Health Insurance and provided at the local level. “The same is true of health and social services and other municipal serâ€" vices which we feel should be controlled on a more local level. “In any event, the cost and benefits of assigning such responsibilities should be examined carefully by the public and the representatives. “In future the Liberal Party intends to give the people in each region the opportunity to transfer responsibilities back to the local community where, a study indicates this is ad- visable. ' area w-ith its proposed shopping center, she voted to withdraw the appeal. Our pledge of $250,000 accompanying the presentation which led to the community center, was based on our confidence in that support. The facilities at the new She also veryvstrongly supported the BAIF Developers and did her best to have the council agree to move the town hall from the core and into the BAIF area. Now the BAIF develop- ment is a ‘fait accompli’, and the residents in both Centres here in York Region. Her remarks suggested a lack of awareness and sensitivity to people‘s needs, that I found most disturbing in a person of her position local municipalities is so there is much closer contact between elected representatives and the public and therefore greater room for variations in the manner in which service is provided. Workmen‘s Compensation are funded in the main from contributions from employees‘ earnings. Need I emphasize the sizable hole that makes in a weekly wage packet. BAIF and the core can do nothing about the population density, the high rise apartments and the shop- ping center, it seems a little late to piously proclaim we need a community identity and should grow from the core out. ERIC GEORGE, 413 North Taylor Mills, Richmond Hill, Ont. center, its staff and policies, confirm the benefits that will be available to all people in the community for years to come. York County Board of Education has approved a motion leading to area advisory committees possibly being re-organized on a family-ofâ€"schools basis. I strongly suggest the region and the province get behind the centres finan- cially â€"â€" without delay!! ( M R S . ) D A P H N E McNEILL, 44 Kirk Drive, Thornhill, Ont. and influence. Family service is not an extra. It is a basic necessity! Many people are in great emotional need. Family of schools plan The motion, which was made by Trustee Douglas Allen of Richmond Hill, will be studied by each area committee at its next meeting. The area committees were formed in 1969 so teachers. trustees and administrators could meet on an informal basis and exchange information. However, as some of the board‘s four areas are in- dependent of municipal areas, some trustees then took in two or three of the committees. Only a small number of teachers, on the other hand, became in- volved with the committees. Under the family-of- schools method. higher levels of local autonomy are established. One or more high schools and their feeder elementary schools are combined into a single. or family-of-schools unit. DEREK GILES President, Thornhill Lions. Box 400, Thornhill. “But they and their residents will be told by the province how the money was spent and the value that was received in comparison with the value received in {a w mWZ .1 ‘ I I I A , I KEELE ST., MAPLE l l / CADILLAC l That is not my interpretation. It is some time since I tried to absorb the four volume Report of the Ontario Committee on Taxation It was published in 1967, after four years of study, and resulted in the recom- mendation for regional units of government. The object of the study. 1 believe. was to unscramble the incredible mish-mash of government financing and to find a way to relieve the homeowner of the ever in- creasing burden of social services. The aim was to do this without removing local determination of what programs are needed and have public support. 7 There is no argument that people on the local level are better qualified to assess needs and determine the degree of public support for particular programs. With regérd to faniily life centres. a number of questions beg answersz‘ I Is there a need? Do the centres fulfill the need? Does the general public support the need? If they do, what are the costs likely to be next year and the year after and the year after that? Is therea need? Do the centres fulfill the Frontier, Walnut, Maple. Alpine Ash. Embossed Pecan MORE AND MORE PANELS CHOOSE FROM. Sandstone Koa Mahogany '59 Sienna Pl ST FORMED |< tchen Tops SPECIAL MEDICINE CABINET Bamboo Chestnut Ivory >ECIAL” ' . ‘ TUB ENCLOSURE noons Reg. ‘ $44.95 2 THEY LAST . ' I 0 CI other municipalities “In this way we believe local councils can be much more responsive and responsible than they are under the present system of Also Custom Made in any Site 5500 H. $3.50 m PREFINISHED Y] I PANELING ' GREGG VANITIES 36” VANITY 30” VANITY 24” VANITY To $6 .95 Your choice of color foo (Includes Counter Top) (Includes Counter Top) Taps and sink are ex'ra (Includes Counter Top) Pre-Oinished‘ single door with mirror Per Panel Per Panel Reg. $27.95 4’ x 8’ FORMICA 8. ARBORITE 8 to 10 colors to choose from Reg. $27.95 If the region undertakes full responsibility for this service. how many other special interest groups will take it upon themselves to develop social programs and demand the full brunt of the cost fall upon the homeowner? need? Does the general public support the need? Are they prepared to accept the full burden of property taxes? If they do, what are the costs liker to be next year and the year after that and the year after that? What are the costs relative to the benefits? Is anyone entitled to avail themselves of the service at public expense without qualification? Never Before Special Prefinished Real Plywood 4’ _x 8’ x 1/2” Thicj What about other organizations which provide a service now through voluntary contributions â€" will they also abandonrtheir fund raising endeavors and demand public funding for their service? How much public money is presently being spent on counselling services? How effective have they proven to be? Do parents and students have less problems as a result of school psychologists and guidance counsellors? “We believe the same principle should be; applied regional government em- phasis which removes them too far from direct voter influence. 1 0" CHAIN SAW $74.95 Rx . $49.95 - $54.95 - $59.95 (North of Maple Sideroad on Keele Siree!) Do-It-Yourself ELECTRICAL Opinion to our educational struc- tures where we believe we shall have the added ad- vantage of a much closer involvement once again between parents, teachers, $19.95 Model 171‘ THE LIBERAL. Wednesday. Feb. 12. 1975 â€" 5 Letters CEILING TILES How many privately governed institutions like Blue Hills Academy do we have? (I understand there are 36 staff members and 19 residents who go off to school every day and home at the weekends.) How much are they costing us? How effective are they? How effective are the outreach progréms from the two hospitals in York Region? How much do they cost? Last week I discovered fa min counselling is covered under the Ontario Health In- surance Plan. with fees substantially less than the lee established for the privately run family counselling service. Are the professional services by doctors and psychiatrists effective or not? If not, why are we paying for them through our OHIP contributions? These are just a few of the questions I have about why the homeowner should be asked to pay for additional counselling services in York Region. Phone 889-4973 And before I‘ll be persuaded to dip by hand into another'man's pocket for_lhe funds. there will have to be some clear and concise answers. CEDAR All VARIETIES FRONT DOORS 1%” Thick 32” x 80” or 34" x 82" STORE HOURS 8:30 am to 5:30 pm Fri. 8:30 a.m. to 9p.m Saf.8:30a.m.fo$p.m. students and the elected representatives in the provision of education.” ERIC CHAPMAN. 6 Stancroft Drive, Richmond Hill. Ont. 12" x 11‘ Self Stick ARBORITE HANDY PANELS Large Variety of Panerns . TOBOGGAN Aiufiifium me'al red enamel heater BULLETIN BOARD Large Variety of Patterns 2x4’ ONLY CORK PANELING USE YOUR CHARGEX AND MASTER CHARGE VINYL FRAMED Decdfi'nvis x 16” x 24 x 24" x 12 SHOP and SAVE 12” x 12“ Non Stick $7.95 l'NTlL THEY LAST