Dear Editor:
Please find enclosed my letter of concern in present day Fordland.
Let us begin with a little game show and work on the premise that we have a rather large pot of money on the table at Queen’s Park. To be specific, that pot holds $6 billion.
I am asking your readers how they would prefer to see the spending of the money in that pot:
a) $6 billion to be shared by taxpayers to the benefit of the majority?: or
b) $6 billion to be used for one highway and a bypass to the benefit of a few?
Two issues currently facing Ontarians are huge cuts to public education as in $1.6 billion. These cuts are estimated to eliminate thousands of jobs for principals, teachers, early childhood educators and custodians.
Secondly the ongoing negotians with Ontario optometrists and the Ford government are not being addressed. Anyone receiving OHIP payments for eye care in Ontario are not eligible for care as of Sept. 1, 2021.
The people affected are seniors and children. If any service is covered by OHIP the government will not allow service providers to charge extra to cover their costs of offering service.
Currently, Ontario optometrists have been making up the difference between OHIP coverage and cost of service by about $40 to $50 dollars per visit. In any business that is not sustainable.
Well in Fordland we are going to build a Highway 413 at the estimated cost of $6 billion as well as the Bradford Bypass.
In Premier Doug Ford’s own words, “It is very simple, We are going to build the highway.”
These highways will cause environmental destruction and degradation of water source for millions of animals and people.
The Bradford Bypass will destroy some of the most fertile soil, 27 waterways and 39 hectares of wildlife habitat (Leadnow).
I have had people say to me this week, “The government is broke so people just have to pay out of pocket for services needed.”
Seems that in Fordland, at this moment in time, that applies only to those individuals who need eye care and quality education for our future generations, but not to building of highways for a few to save a few minutes or seconds on a commute regardless of the damage to environment and continued disregard for climate change.
My vote is for option “a”.
Burna R. Wilton,
Elora