The North Shore News is published by Herth Shere Froa Press Ltd,, Publisher Petsr Speck, , froma 1138 Lonsdale Avenue Herth Vanceaver, 6.C., V750 214 Wheel Bockor fers Editor 965-2135 (114) 005-2131 (1471 © 1997 North Shure Free Press Ltd. soa DETER EERE TAS JuST THINK 0 US AS LIVING OFF THe AVAILS OF PROSECUTION ANDREW PETER ON: WAY THE PROVINCIAL PHOTO RADAR REVENUE 100/0 WITH THE MUNICIPALITIES. news vievipaint Cc, FRA ene ae eRe REL RET ARERR nb ROE AYER 8 Rt Rete 8 Bae ONAN, ooo ie nag ae Burning matters - OUNCILLOR Ernie Crist, the man GOVERNMENT SPLITS places or wood stoves during periods of poor air z Get ‘real’ about jobs, councillors Dear Editor: I would like to agree with the position A. John Lakes is taking regarding the increases in wages for the members of North Vancouver District Council. Maybe the members of council should get in: touch with the “real world” and real- ize thar unemployment .: is” becoming the biggest. and most serious issue this country - is facing. fo There are many of us who are actively and in some cases, desperately either looking for’ work or are afraid we will lose’: what work we have now. . There are also those of us. who would rather die. than go on. welfare (I realize our.sum- . bers are depressingly low) and ° because we are unable to find’: full-time work, we are trying to balance at ‘east two. part- time jobs, and may do other . things such as housecleaning,’ baby-sitting, and if there is. room, taking in. foreign stu-+ ’ dents. . oS Does council have any idea how much time and work that type of survival takes? «0 = - Perhaps council should also with motions, has ignited some burn- ing issues in his time, Now he wants to outlaw something that » many of us consider a basic enjoyment, 2 wood fire in a fireplace. ' This recommendation didn’t go down in ” flames. North Vancouver District staff ran with ‘the stick after council carried Crist’s motion when it surfaced in August last year. . The issue returns for council consideration next Monday. Options outlined in a report from the district’s environmental protection . manager range from the heavy-handed to sim- .-ply doing. nothing. The municipality could cheose to ban the use of existing fireplaces and _ wood stoves completely; sponsor a public eda- cation program on how to build “a proper fire”; quality; deal with overly smoky fires on a com- piaint basis; ban the construction of new wood- burning fireplaces; ban the re-installation of older wood stoves; take the issue to the Greater Vancouver Regional District (GVRD) level. - Crist’s lungs are in the right place. GVRD studies and UBC department of medicine. research confirm that carcinogenic particulate emissions from wood-burning stoves and wood stoves are a major cause of smog in the region. and pose significant health risks. But a ban? If we're so concerned about health why not take a really brave step and push to ban the infernal combustion engine?. Not likely. In the meantime that warm snap, crackle and pop emanating from your wood-burning, fireplace may soon be a distant memory if you : live in North Vancouver District. look at how much _part-tim jobs are paying lately... 2 Coun. Pat Munroe men- tioned they were only getting. council ba most of as would give anything for. a: full-tim job that pays $19,000,:;. = Forget schoel board. Nex! time I’m going for ‘district: council, and [’ll.do the job for- $10 per hour! Sue Cook . North Vancouver, advise residents not to use wood-burning fire- Fake democracy looms once aga ~ €LOOMING?” describes precisely the upcoming federal clection — and all others, federal and provincial, under - our present parliamentary system. _ That system, in ‘essence handed down from 18th- century Britain, Jets democracy operate for just 12 hours every four or five years. From then until the next elec- tion we are ruled by a benign dicta- torship, imposed by the party whips of a vircual- ly omnipotent prime minister. Once his elected followers form a firm major- ity in the House, they cease — except in the most superficial sense — to represent us. Instead they become the PM’s docile servants. The result almost guarantees we end up embittered and disillusioned with every government we choose: . No wonder elections promising merely more of the same always “loom”. Only a fundamental reform of the system can change this situation. The three most vital changes needed derive from the U.S. system, which — warts and all — is still basically more democratic than our own: and yon 1. The prime minister and cabinet (the latter possibly including non-elected members) should function as the government’s executive arm — with a separate, independent legislature as its law-making body. 2. All votes in the House must be free of any disciplinary coercion by the executive. MPs should vote according to their personal judg- ment and/or their constituents’ wishes. Conversely, a defeat of the PM and cabinet on any issue should not require the government to resign, but should merely send it back to the drawing board. . 3. Fixed elections every four years. The prime minister has no right to enjoy the “strate- gic” advantage of setting election dates. These are the most vital changes needed to replace Canada’s 12-hour, twice-in-a-decade ver- sion of democracy with a genuine four-year model. But ewo other reforms could also help the process, viz: : 4, Modify our first-past-the-post clection for- mula with an element of proportional represen- tation. It has worked well: for years in Germany and was successfully introduced last year in New Zealand. It reflects the public will far more accurately than our own vote-wasting system. 5. An elected 100-seat Senate—nine members per province, five for cach territory —- with its assent needed for all laws. In a huge, diverse country this is a vital counterbalance to a popu- larly elected Commons. pe eather We won't achieve true democracy this tin round. Maybe not even the time after. But-on « thing is certain. Grits and Tories will never give it us — they’ve done far too weil for 130 years with the present sham. ao : That feaves only the party whose name spells what Canadians most urgently need in Ottawa. And whether Reform can eventually deliver is "still very much up in the air. But if not the Reformers, who else is there to - rescue us, sooner or later, from fake, election- -’ day-only “democracy”? . O00 oe “}TERE AND THERE, Then And Now” is the theme of West Van artist Forrest Johnson’s ° . new show (watercolors and a few oils), 1l-a.m.-_-. 10 p.m. daily at the Dundarave Cafe, 2427 : Marine, until Feb. 28. You might still catch the opening wine-’n-cheese today, Feb. 5, from 5 to 6 p.m. ... Many happy returns of Friday, Feb. 7, to West Van Kiwanian Larry Coles ... More of the same to West Van’s Saturday, Feb. 8, birth- day boys Willy Brueckel and Hugh Addison. oo0 WRIGHT OR WRONG: IF you turn green with envy, you’re ripe for trouble. - ~—— The North Shore, News believes strongly in freedom of speech and the right of all sides in-a. . debate to be heard. The columnists published in the» News present differing points of view, but those; nie are not necessarily those of the newspaper: itself. Dey Petba kaa a bs bav acc edo bat es eu tt bee pa haws