e@ natives are HOUSTON — JUST a few hundred yards from the George R. Brown Convention Centre, where, just months ago, the Republican party started its ill-fated drive (o save ‘President George Bush and stop the Bill Clinton jugger- naut, a Canadian firm is making an interesting statement. Jt reflects the not-so-subtle changes taking place in America. The growing luxury world of Toronto’s Isadore Sharp operates a 20-storey Four Seasons hotel within a five-minute walk of the convention centre. When a guest steps aboard one of the hotel’s carpeted, wood- panelled elevators, he stares di- rectly at 26 engraved brass ‘‘No smoking”’ signs, with red circles appropriately inset. Thirteen of these are on each side of the elevator door, clearly marking the 13 floors of the hotel dedicated to non-smoking. Last week, a major report was released in Washington in which second-hand cigarette smoke was irrefutably tinked with cancer among non-smokers. This was followed by demands from a leading non-smokers’ group for a $2-per-pack tax on cigarettes. Years ago, this com- ment would have been buried in the back of the newspapers, space reserved for kooks of all descrip- tions, At the outset of 1993, the story received page one dominance, ft led every radio and television newscast. And, remarkably, despite the harrumphing from the tobacco industry, the Clinton transition team said it would be taking a hard look at the recom- mendation. One senator said that health- care costs directly attributable to cigarette smoking have now: reached $65 billion per year. Nat long aga, the American passion for personal freedom ap- _ peared to doom the anti-smoking movement. Canadian heatth ad- vocates built a commanding lead. Today, there appear to be. few hotels or restaurants that don't offer a smoke-free environment. And the smoking sections con- tinue to proportionately shrink. Many establishments proudly assert that their entire dining , rooms are smoke-free. .- The Canadian firm Four Seasons is a renowned luxtiry leader throughout the United States. Its policies frequently: establish industry standards, This trip has taken us over 4,000 road miles through Loui- siana, Arkansas, Missouri, Kan- sas, Oklahotna and, predominant- _ ly, Texas. | The natives are restless. There “are signs of change everywhere. As we suggested in last week’s column, gascline represents an, untapped source of extraordinary revenue to the new president. Subsequent to that report, we For more information, please call J Tho North Shore's only fuil Service Investment} firm OPEN LINES have heard the same thing from many Americans, And we heard some interesting numbers. One official said that a 20¢- per-gallon gas tax (still leaving petroleum products less than half the price in most parts of the world) would raise $15 billion per year. Last week, we suggested that a “gas tax could create hundreds of thousands of road-building jobs. if we used $25,000 per year as an average wage for workers (the norm in the U.S.), this tax would - create 600,000 permanent jobs. Most of the American debate, as Bill Clinton assumes the presidency, is focused on medicare. Many medicare advocates cite Canada as a model to be follow. ed, Crazy things are being said by. doctors, trying to denigrate the Canadian approach, _ Itis so wrong it is amusing. They babble on about socialism, bankruptcy, doctor shortages and other fantastic slanders, Hawaii is held forth as an American example, In that state, all employers are required by law to pay for the medical insurance of their employees. Unfortunately, the state has to look after everyone else. Throughout Texas, a visitor is. ‘confronted by both radio ads and billboards urging: STOP LAWSUIT ABUSE... Obviously well-financed by in- surance companies and other vic- tims of multi-million-dollar court verdicts in medica! matters, this restless state-wide campaign is omnipre- sent. In Brownsville, on the Texas Gulf coast, the wife of an in- surance executive told us that the medical and legal aspects of health costs have become ‘‘a monumen- ’ tal insanity." Juries — all Mexican in the south and all black and Hispanic in the cities — simply pick the wildest number they can think of in court decisions. The lawyers swim in contingen- cy fee settlements. Doctors, who face six- and seven-figure in- surunce premiums, have to recover the costs from patients. We have met hundreds of indi- viduals of all ages during this trip. As U write this, f can’t think of one unfriendly encounter. Every hotel and restaurant ‘employee, gas station attendant, police officer, store clerk and mdn-on-the-street we met was unfailingly cheerful and helpful. It has been said by many that Canadians are far too lethargic and dour and, without doubt, it has been refreshing to deal with people who genuinely seem to ap- preciate the ousiness. My guess is that electoral change has provided an injection af hope for people who are in- stinctively optimistic, but fre- quently depressed by personal economic circumstances and social decay. The country expects Bill Clinton to perform miracles. But a Dallas cynic editorialized this week that the highest priority in Washington these ditys seems to be efforts to convince Americans that the deficit is far. far worse than the Democrats had imagined, and that reforms may have to progress slowly. Sound familiar? ” What are old, dependable friends? “| C. 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