A6 - Wednesday, June 30, 1982 - North Shore News EE editorial page HE Score one for the public Would it fly? Opposition leader Dave Barrett has revived a question he has asked numerous times in the past — one that Premier Bennett might be well advised to answer, quickly and convincingly. Whatever happened to the B.C. Savings and Trust Corporation Act? The act has been gathering dust ever since the former NDP government passed it in 1975 because their Socred successors have declined to promulgate it. The purpose of the act, according to Mr. Barrett, is to utilize the large revolving bank deposits which the government has at any given time to reduce home mortgage rates and stimulate housing construction. Those deposits (which currently, says Mr. Barrett, average over a billion dollars) would be transferred to credit unions and ear- marked for 12%-13% mortgages to qualifying British Columbians. In return, the government would accept a correspondingly reduced rate of interest frpm the credit unions. The opposition leader claims that every $200 million used in this way would spur construction of about 2,700 dwellings — thereby giving a major boost to the economy by putting thousands back to work and thousands into their own homes. There would be no new taxes or borrowings, and the cost to government, he says, would be only about $6 million per $100 million in lost annual interest. The way Mr. Barrett tells it, the scheme smacks of pure motherhood. If, on the other hand, it is too good to be true, Mr. Bennett would do both us and himself a service by explaining just why it wouldn't fly. Voter mystery Where have the North Shore voters gone? This year’s provincial enumeration shows 16,670 have disappeared since the 1979 provincial election — a drop of 15.7% or almost ome in six. North Van-Capilano is down nearly 15%, North Van-Seymour 18% and West Van over 14%. By comparison, the overall B.C. voter count is down less than 6%. Are North Shore citizens fleeing to cheaper areas — or did the local enumerator nod? sunday oe | a AF vispiey Agvertising 980-0511 Olam alle: ees Classified Advertising 986-6222 news Newsroom 985-2131 m Circulation 966-1337 1139 Lonsdale Ave North Vancouver: 8 (© V/M 2H4 Publisher Peter oped k Assuictato Publisher Hotoernt Caratiann Edttor -in Chiet Advertising Dtr ox tor Noel Wright Tarts § centoe as General Manager Administration & Personnel Mrs) Berri bth Circ utation Director Production Otrec tor tSruans At ths bare bh ptm ses North Shore News founded i TO an an madependent «onenunity vet sg venga careed cgsaeastifies) varvcdarr So Prechulo Ul bart IN bare ageing 1 orl thee tone ime San Act os published oact Wednesday and Sunday by Nortt “ohecore boceve bres Ltd aed Dnteitated to every oe on thee Mort? Ure Second ¢ lass Matt Hoyistrastion Numte: 166° Entire contents 1982 North Shore Free Prese Lid All righte everved eater. yeti North and Wael Vancouver b.tt: prar yer Masthny, eters ry cgabent be: oo eve erat re eg ee eet ebtt ee arg etendd thee catytee phe Steved ry venbave veal Ce Le SeeW ee gl weed gree Vie ern wtste Fo opP ears abel Foe cane coerappearueevcd bey a ntemerag rered Tk Oe ae Re CT vi fae ee ch ATOR FS) POS Wedneeday 53 484 Sunday G>- SN’ THIS PAPER IS HEC YCLABLE By W. ROGER WORTH Finally, at least one federal bureaucrat has been put in his place, but not before exhibiting to the country the colossal TOMORROW . gall and arrogance that exists in the ranks of the nation’s mandanins. The story goes like this: As part of a decen- tralization program about three years ago, Revenue Canada moved its” 17- TOMORROW employee Ontario regional tax office from Ottawa to London, Ontario. The scheme was successful, the employees were happy, and everyone concerned complimented the cabinet minister involved on a wise decision. About a month ago, Jack Morrison, the man who headed up the office, decided to resign. Don Brooks, Director of the department's Verification department spokesman at the time. Strange indeed. Following a _ spate of publicity, Revenue Minister William Rompkey stepped in to veto the change. Score one for the public. What's important is not that Brooks wasn't allowed to move the office, although Rompkey’s decision un- doubtedly saved Canadians at least $100,000 in em- ployee moving expenses. What's really significant is Mainstream Canada and Collection Division in Ottawa was about to get the job. So far, it’s a fairly simple tale. For bureaucrat Brooks, though, the decision was not all simple. He wanted the promotion, but he apparently didn't want to move to Loadoa because of a “family commitment” in Ottewa. The solution for Brooks: move the Ontario regional office and its employees back to Ottawa. The plan was well under way before someone biew the whistle, creating a furore in London. “On the surface, it does look strange,” said a MacEachen runs out o THE PARADOX of budget night: pitiable Allan MacEachen standing nervously among the ruins as he uttered — almost certainly too late — the only words of sense we've heard from him in years. The “‘six-five” theme in his budget is nght on, even though it now promises even greater economic chaos. The central gimmick of the budget is six per cent this year, five per cent next year, for almost everything you can think of Indexing of income tax exemptions is to be himited to SIK per cent. starting next month, and to five per cent in 1983-84 Ditto with the indeaing of public sector family allowances age security Ditto with pay hikes for pohtcians, bureaucrats and crown pensions. and old Corporation cm ployees Plus oo call fer the provinces and the private sector to chimb on the sis five bandwagon Nothing Over SIX per cent this year nothing over five per cent neat year Thats et From all these ccoononnes Ms Mac kiaachen aims to save around $3 billaon to be most of 1 used to stimulate the housing industhy and to provide some interest rate tehef for home buyers farmers fishermen and stoall business people EAPEKOTLATIONS With a foreeayt Eb per cent patlathon rate threcagt [oN your hon neeal “ proc bet carbo ubatorn tee figure crt the sonene date effect oan Verna t pres hc Ube oh In the matter of wage increases you're being in vied to fall five per cent behind the cost of living In the matter of income tax exemptions = and also uf youre Canada's SOO OOO public servants you re not even being invited, you're being given no choice Phe same apphes to family allowances one of federal and old age securly this point Mr Mackachen ss ergy tc is faultless af we accept the proposition that inflation us the Number One enemy Inflation Up to continues and grows precisely because everyone beheves it will and her personal caper tations accordingly sets his of Obviously the only way to reverse the process ts to start beheving that inflabon wall decline That means per sonal capes tations must again lead the way only this tine downward tnatead of upward The dramate bursting of the 1980 AI real cstlate bruitbebe demonsti ates that this can happen Once home buyers decided housing prices had nowhere lo go bul down thats crocthy what prrmwes dd tn on oenscdive that has hart thousands buat created a auch healthocs Prec steape market toot the fartiure Noel Wright The trouble, of course. ts the pain, just ike having o bad tooth catracted for the geod oof one's health [caving the bad tooth un its eventually going to hart much more $19.6 BILLION GLUE That said, there arc two reasons why M: Macktcachecos belated last stand will probably end the same (,eneral way AN Custer s barst the feaders of organized labor have sworn to fight has putoba restraints see toot wage with every weapon up to and including on yroasible general strike that Brooks’ attitudes and mind-set are similar to those of many other bureaucrats, all supposedly servants of the public. The fact is, many of our mandarins see themselves as mini-Gods, making decisions that please their own fancy and convenience. rather than using common sense and protecting tax- as sabrorr scheme was shot down by s_ politician. Perhaps its time more cabinet ministers followed Rompkey’s example. (Roger Worth is a feature writer for the Canadian Federation of Independent Business.) time Compared to Allan's “six- five” formula, B.C.'s mild eight to 14 per cent restraints cast Premier Bennett almost in the role of Santa Claus. “You got us into this mess,” the umon bosses tell Ottawa with considerable justification “You get us out of wu” Their message to the helpless Trudeau gang 1s tantamount to telling a noo swimmer he was stupid cnough to fall in. so hed better climb out Secondly, the reason why the present Lubcral government ts incapable of saving self or anyone cise by this stage hes in the horrendous $19 6 9 bilhon deficit which Mr MacKachen sprang on a shocked nathon Monday might almost double the $10 5S bifhon shortfall he predicted oo mere seven months ago and propor tronately SO per cent higher than President US defeat Ieven the “sin five” savings would that defaen virtually untouched How we ever get oul from under tt is anyone s Reagan s leave Bucss Mr Macteachen has listless boss and inept colleagues have clearty out of run gucases long ago As the world s moncy meno who determine the valuc of dollar recoil from that terrnfying $19 6 billkon pot of yluc cue aod as the ( anadhan Labor Congress Crumpcts sound for the attack geet ready for a bong hot) sus mee Pity Allan that your one scooume aden never made iota fliame