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www.oakvillebeaver.com · OAKVILLE BEAVER Wednesday, May 12, 2010 · 6 OPINION & LETTERS The Oakville Beaver 467 Speers Rd., Oakville Ont. L6K 3S4 (905) 845-3824 Fax: 337-5571 Classified Advertising: 632-4440 Circulation: 845-9742 --Open 9-5 weekdays, 5-7 for calls only Wed. to Friday, Closed weekends Editorial and advertising content of the Oakville Beaver is protected by copyright. Unauthorized use is prohibited. THE OAKVILLE BEAVER IS PROUD OFFICIAL MEDIA SPONSOR FOR: Canadian Circulation Audit Board Member THE OAKVILLE BEAVER IS PROUD OFFICIAL MEDIA SPONSOR FOR: Recognized for Excellence by Ontario Community Newspapers Association Suburban Newspapers of America Canadian Community Newspapers Association ATHENA Award NEIL OLIVER Vice ­ President and Group Publisher of Metroland West The Oakville Beaver is a division of Media Group Ltd. DAVID HARVEY Regional General Manager JILL DAVIS Editor in Chief ROD JERRED Managing Editor DANIEL BAIRD Advertising Director RIZIERO VERTOLLI Photography Director SANDY PARE Business Manager MARK DILLS Director of Production MANUEL GARCIA Production Manager CHARLENE HALL Director of Distribution SARAH MCSWEENEY Circ. Manager Thumbs up for Presto We support anything that makes riding Oakville Transit buses easier and has the potential to increase ridership. For that reason we are encouraged by the introduction of the new Presto electronic farecard. For just $6 Oakville Transit users can purchase a Presto farecard, put a balance on the card and ride anywhere within and between existing transit systems. Presto is now in effect on Oakville Transit, Burlington Transit, GO Transit's Lakeshore West GO rail line and the TTC's Bloor/Yonge, College, Dundas, Queen's Park, St. George and St. Patrick subway stations. As long as the balance is kept high enough commuters can use that card to pay when getting on a bus, or transferring or moving to a different type of transit system, like the GO train. Gone are the days of fumbling around multiple tickets or passes to get from destination to destination. While there is an expense for implementing the system, much of it has been covered through gas tax revenues from the Province of Ontario. Hopefully, this added convenience is translated into more users of the Oakville Transit system. We support subsidizing Oakville Transit to encourage widespread usage. In fact, we wish the subsidy was larger to reduce the transit fares and, hopefully, encourage more usage. One of the largest chunks of Oakville's annual operating budget is spent on maintaining and improving Oakville's road systems. It's a costly and expensive system to maintain and expand. Quite frankly, it's a lot cheaper to buy a new bus than it is to build a new road. Encouraging more usage of the Oakville Transit system is a win-win system for everyone. With more riders, we reduce the transit system's operating deficit. We also reduce the number of motorists on the road. This reduces the wear and tear on the existing road system and the air pollution generated by vehicles on the road. The Presto farecard is a step in the right direction towards encouraging more people to get out of their cars and onto a bus or GO Train. What's next, an App for a smart phone that provides the time of arrival of the next bus at your bus stop? The Oakville Beaver is a member of the Ontario Press Council. The council is located at 80 Gould St., Suite 206, Toronto, Ont., M5B 2M7. Phone 416-340-1981. Advertising is accepted on the condition that, in the event of a typographical error, that portion of advertising space occupied by the erroneous item, together with a reasonable allowance for signature, will not be charged for, but the balance of the advertisement will be paid for at the applicable rate. The publisher reserves the right to categorize advertisements or decline. Letter to the editor Time to speak up Re: Did Flynn weaken Oakville's opposition to power plant?, Oakville Beaver, May 5 In 2003, the Liberal government took away the right of municipalities to determine zoning (Greenbelt legislation). Thousands of rural property owners and their property values were affected, but we said nothing because it did not affect us. Then the Liberal government took away the right of municipalities to control growth (Places to Grow legislation). We said nothing because the growth is all going to be north of Dundas Street, so it did not affect us except through municipal taxes to pay for all the additional services that the Town must now provide. In 2006, the Liberal government, particularly Oakville MPP Kevin Flynn, took away the right of municipalities to control power plants. This very much affects us, our health and property values. It is time the people of Oakville said something. I only have one voice/vote, but will use it next year in 2011. GORD MACKENZIE, OAKVILLE Letters to the editor The Oakville Beaver welcomes letters from its readers. Letters will be edited for clarity, length, legal considerations and grammar. In order to be published all letters must contain the name, address and phone number of the author. Letters should be addressed to The Editor, Oakville Beaver, 467 Speers Rd., Oakville, ON, L6K 3S4, or via email to editor@oakvillebeaver.com. The Beaver reserves the right to refuse to publish a letter. This is Oakville, we love our transit system Re: `This is suburbia, we enjoy our car', Oakville Beaver, April 30. As a single mother, I moved to Oakville many years ago and, due to reasons beyond my control, I've never been able to afford a car. I'm very thankful and grateful to Oakville Transit to expanding its services over the past years. I have used the transit system to get my daughter to many places for her activities. I have used the service to get to work. I don't know what I would do without it. The letter left me with the feeling of NIMBYism, that people like myself and my daughter are not entitled to live in the wonderful Town of Oakville because we are not on the same economic level as those who have the means to own one or even two cars. It is unfair to tell us to `move.' We have as much right to live here as anyone, car or no car. A public transit system is as much of a part of a civil society as hospitals, schools and libraries. As James Ede mentioned there is a real danger in withdrawing or limiting where taxes should go. The government is not here to cater to the majority, or to cater to those in the upper middle class, they represent all of us. Even those of us who have to use public transit to get around. Jim Ede (Transit system assures access for all, Oakville Beaver, May 5) mentioned the service is used by seniors and the disabled. Believe it or not, the service is also used by lower income families. That's right. They do exist. Do you know who they are? They're the people who look after your children. They're the people who work in the local coffee shops. They're the people who work at retail outlets in and about Oakville. They might even be the ones who are working in the long-term care facilities. How do you expect them to get to work? I also concur with Ede when he mentions about cuts undermining programs that `promote social cohesion.' Unfortunately, it's becoming more of a reality as programs that help the less fortunate are being scaled back or eliminated. I'm not sure what kind of society the letter writer visualizes, but it obviously doesn't include those of us who are dependent on the transit system SANDRA MACKAY, OAKVILLE