Times Advocate, 1998-03-18, Page 4MINI. 4 Times -Advocate, March 18, 1998
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Ontario gets tough with young offenders
he Ontario government has -
•
come out with a tough new set of -rules
for young offenders.
.Among the new rules announced re-
c;ently is one requiring young offenders
in correctional facilities to get up early.
The new regulations also require the •
youngsters to continue their education
or trades training. And all the video
games are to he given away to charity.
•Video games in jail? Arc they seri-
ous?
One supposes the youngsters must he
given soriiething to occupy their time,
to keep them from amusing themselves
by setting tires, making weapons out of
kitchen spoons, and heating up other in-
mates. Video `games can certainly pro •
-
vide -hour s o1 harmless. not to mention
mindless, entertainment. And they are
cheaper than psychological counselling :•
and educational programs. •
But the very thought of inmates in
correctional facilities playing -video
games all -day is -enough to make -.one
scream for reforms: Most correctional
facilities arc equipped -with classrooms,
gymnasiums and libraries., if the in
-mates choose to fisc them. Why can't
these youngsters he doing something
constructive with their time?
The answer is not that simple. The
kids i i places like Bluewater are not
the ones who; faced with two hours of -
free -time. choose to get-together with
friends for a game of hockey or base -
hall. or'visit the library, -or practise gut-.
tar. They do:not take it into -their -minds
to shovel_ the neighbor's sidewalk. just
because they are bored and it snowed
last night.
No, these are the -kids 'whoconsistent-
ly make poor choices about -a Iot-of
things. The way our legal system is set
up. by the time a young person ends up
•in a correctional facility,' he usually has
a long history of skipping school, get •
-
ting into tights. and getting arrested for
Published Each Wednesday Morning at 424 Main St.,
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Fog THE HUNDREDTH TIME,
'THE ANSWER is ABSOL IT LYY
Pbsrn E Y, DEFINITELY
vandalisrk theft and drugs. He is no
stranger to the courts and usually has a
string of warnings, fines, community
service and suspended sentences.
People tend to stick to what they do
best. -The kids who land in jail may not
be much good at school, and are pretty
hopeless at finding useful, socially ac-
ceptable things to do. But they are very
good and highly experienced at getting
into trouble. So we give them -video
games to play and hope they -do not trash
the building.
Warehousing inmates virtually guaran-
tees most of them will reoffend. We
have been doing a disservice to young
offenders, and their victims, for too long
by making no effort to stop youth crime.
However, bringing intough, new rules
for places like Bluewater is taking a
very narrow view of the problem.
We need the tough new rules inside
correctional facilities. But this should be
a final effort at getting through to young
offenders, not a one-shot attempt very
late in the game.
The get tough approach has to start
much sooner. A young teenager int trou-
hle •with the law should face real conse- •
quences for a second or third offense, -
not a "naughty, naughty, promise not to
do that.again," time after time after time:
We need to increase funding to coun-
selling programs for children who are.
not in trouble with the law yet but who
soon will tie if nothing is done.
Too many counselling programs have
had their funding cut in recent years. We
need to make sure children and families
wanting help can get it and are not
placed on lengthy waiting lists. ;
And we need to support in whatever
way we can the efforts of special people
- police officers, teachers, clergy, youth
group volunteers and caring neighbors -
who take that extra bit of time to help
kids stay out -of places like Bluewater.
JEAN CHAREST REMAINS
Vp43uIE oN THE
QUEsTIoN OF HIS
LEADING THE
QUEBEC LLiBBERAL
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A View from Queen's Park
By Eric Dowd
TORONTO. --- The shortage of Progressive
Conservatives in Ontario with enough stature to
run for the leadership of their federal party in a
vacancy has been underlined by the two names
being promoted.
These are provincial Finance Minister Ernie
laves; who would he a weak and handicapped
candidate. and Hugh Segal. a back -room boy in
the federal party but better known at the Onta-
rio legislature, whose candidacy would be
laughable.
Premier Mike Harris has gone so far as to say
Eves "would be the finest prime minister the
country could have." Harris. of course, has
the standing to be a candidate. But he is still
only part-way through his first term and an am-
bitious. • unresolved program of cutting costs
here. -
He also would be held back because he has
little feel for Quebec or image of compassion
as exemplified when he had to be forced t0
give fair -help to the surviving Dionne quintup
lets.
The advocacy of Eves and Segal contrast
5
Kate's takes
By Kate Monk
Time to confess
It's time forme to confess. -.
I've been living with mixed
emotions all winter but it's time
for me to comeclean.-
- i love snow and 1 love winter.
I know it's not the most -
popular opinion in the world,
not even in Canada where we
..,generally have anabundance of
winter.
It all goes back to my
childhdod, growing up in Grey
County where winter lasts from
Remembrance/Day to Easter:
When I was in Grade 4, dad
bought our first snowmobile. He -
said we needed a skidoo in case
the cattle got out in the winter
- and we needed to round them
up.
With good neighborhood
relationships and a major
snowmobile trail running
through our farm, it was a big
playground
There's no flat land in
Bentinck Township, so.
tobogganing was the major
winter past -time for kids. Yard
hockey was another popular
activity. No need to move•for
cars. definitely not streetcars,
just the occasional tractor: In
high school I learned
cross-country skiing, which
added another winter sport to
the list.
But what do people love most
about winter? Snow days. Not
much in life can compare with
the exhilaration of bus
cancellations or the phone call
from your boss saying the office
is closed.
Some people complain about
winter driving but until 1 was
old enough to know better. i
was undaunted by the weekend
drives between Exeter and
Hanover.
But something about turning
30 took the funout of
whiteouts and snow drift's.]
made two decisions. First, 1 -
bought a four-wheel drive sport
utility vehicle. Four paws are
better than two. But then I
discovered not everyone else
has the same kind of control so I
wasn't much safer.
My second decision was not to
travel north of Highway 8
during the winter. it has worked
well so far. (Knock on wood.)
Winter has another bonus: no
surprise visits from my
relatives. They all live at least
two hours away but hear reports
about closed highways and '
blizzard conditions along Lake
Huron's snowhelt areas.
None of them will drive to
Exeter in the winter. 1 like my
family a lot but they're perfect
cooks and housekeepers and
throw me into a Martha Stewart
frenzy as soon as 1 know they're
coming. Winter is much more
relaxing knowing I won't get a
Sunday morning prone call
announcing.thcy'll be.here for
dinner.
But this.winter has been
different for me. 1 confess -I was_
too weak to withstand the
pressure of the effects of El
Nino. The weather has led down
a path I'm not very proud of.
I've -been toying with the idea
of selling the 4Runner. I didn't
buy new snow hoots. I put away
my skis. Leven stored away my.
snow scoop. I've beencarefully
watching the progress of the .
spring bulbs in my flowerheds..
I also ventured out of Huron
County from time to time
although my fancily hasn't come
to visit.
The last straw was doing the •
Crossroads feature on-ElNino
last week- What happened as the
paper reached the news stands?
Winter returned with cold
temperatures, wild winds and
lots of snow.
i had abandoned by holief that
w inter had to he white. l joined .
the ranks of people who were
enjoying our green winter. And -
now we're paying forit.
If snow offends you, I
apologize. if you love snow. 1
accept your thanks for tempting
fate.
Regardless of my personal
tastes. winter is on its last legs.
But until the first day of spring.
just let me enjoy or at least wish
for a little more snow.
with the talent available to past Tories. A decade
or so . ago, the provincial Tories suggestion
would have included the durable; popular pre-
mier William Davis and attorney -general (now a
chief justice) Roy McMurtry, whose rugged
looks, lazy charm with words and sharp elbows
got him on TV almost as much as the premier.
The federal Tories could have -chosen from
their Ontario caucus such heavyweights as Mi-
chael Wilson, David Crombie and Flora Mac-
Donald.' Their Ontario caucus now has only one
member, who is virtually unknown.
Few in Harris's cabinet have made a mark with
the public. Harris totally dominates it. His Com-
mon Sense Revolution platform, which swept
the province in 1995, is recognized as the brain-
child of Harris and unelected advisers, and min-
isters are seen largely as carrying it out and not
as great originators.
The most highly thought of is Dave Johnson,
now education minister, who handles crises but
would not be seen as a potential federal leader
because he has as much color as Saran wrap.
Eves would have to his credit that as finance
Shortage is underlined
minister he helped cut the provincial deficit
from $10 to $5 billion in three years, but the
roadmap was given him in the Common Sense
Revolution.
• In opposition, he also was sharp enough
asking questions when standing in for Harris
that. some wondered whether the Tories chose
the wrong leader.
But Eves now carries some baggage for slash-
ing valued services to cut taxes for the better -
off, although he could say he was only obeying
orders.
His word is not felt to mean Hutch, because he
once attacked . gambling but as treasurer has
pushed it on the public to help balance his
books.
He has shown a nasty temper and would lack
key support in Toronto, where he is forcing
higher property taxes on business and making
residents downtown pay twice as much tax as
they would for the same house in the suburbs,
and even one Tory MPP complained that he is
"goddamned confrontational."
Eves also is absent from the legislature and
his office.so often he must either have a second
job or has lot heart for it. Segal was around.
the legislature in the 1970s and 1980s in jobs
including principal secretary to Davis; and his
main claims to fame were always having an an-
swer -- which. unfortunately, often was wrong-
- and writing the pretentious Charter for Onta-
rio which helped prevent the Tories regaining
a majority.
He then went on to help run an advertising
.and public relations conglomerate that benefit-
ted from huge contracts given it by the Davis
government and federal governrnent once the
Tories took power in Ottawa.
Segal has twice run in elections but failed and
is one of that band of backroom manipulators,
like Dalton Camp and Liberal Jim Coutts,
whom the public sees through and will not vote
for.
The one thing the chatty Segal has been con-
sistently good at is persuading journalists to
promote him.a$ ha has done it again. But his
candidacy for federal leader could not stand up
to scrutiny.
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