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Feature Article February 12

Feature Article February 12, 2004

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Leona where are you when we need you?

Leona Dombrowsky made her name as an MPP by travelling the riding, accepting invitations to disparate events, and making herself available to constituents. When it came time for her second election, she was easily re-elected. When she was named a senior cabinet Minister, some hoped that would give our eastern Ontario riding more clout with the province, that it might turn into some successful grant applications, for instance. We have been hearing about millions of dollars in grant money going to long standing Tory Minister Bob Runciman over the years, and people in Hastings Frontenac Lennox & Addington have been hoping for a similar boon. This may or may not be forthcoming.

In the meantime, what has happened is Leona Dombrowsky has become less available. That is understandable, given the responsibilities of the Ministry of the Environment.

Still, it was a disappointment when her office notified the township of North Frontenac that the Minister would not be available for a meeting between Campground owners and the Municipal Property Assessment Corporation (MPAC) this coming Friday in Cloyne. Some of the campground owners have received large supplemental tax bills for the value of trailers they rent space for on their properties. Only the provincial government has the authority to change the rules MPAC imposes on the campground owners. No one expected Dombrowsky to come to Cloyne and announce a change in government policy that would affect the entire province, but the angry campground owners need to know they have an MPP that will bring their message to the government. The township has asked that Dombrowsky send a representative from her office to bring the constituents concerns back to her, and there will be officials from the Ministry of Municipal Affairs at the meeting. However, the campground owners, facing huge tax increases, expect and deserve their elected representative - but that is not going to happen.

On the advice of Ms. Dombrowskys staff, the Cloyne meeting was scheduled for a Friday morning, because that was the best opportunity she would have to attend. This was not convenient for all the campground owners.

Minister Dombrowsky was available to attend a pre-budget town hall meeting on behalf of the government on Monday night, however. This meeting had nothing to do with Ministry of the Environment business, being more of a publicity event for the McGuinty government than anything else.

From the point of view of the people in her riding, we didnt need her in Kingston on Monday night; we need her in Cloyne on Friday morning.

Hopefully therell be some grant money coming forward to the riding some time soon, to smooth out some of the feathers that are starting to be ruffled.

With the participation of the Government of Canada