6 — Sunday, December 22, 1996 — North Shore News north shore The Korth Store News is published by Wocth Shore Free Press Ltd., Publisher Peter Speck, Publisher 985-2131 (101) Paierda, rill Saas eis) Becka-News 985-2131 (114) MecCrodia-Sperts/Commenity 995-2131 (147) LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Letters must Include your name, full address telephone number. VIA Intamet: trenshaw @ direct.ca COMPUTER BBS - 980-8027 User ID:malibox * Password:letters ietormet: ltty://werw.nenaws.com North Shore News, funda! in 1060 an an mukpendte bute and qpaldied: under Schedule HUT, Parggaph 111 of de Bacie Tax Ack, ws jublohal each ‘Wodlncadoy, Fraigy and Sunday by North Shore Five free Lad and donbusod tn every hoy on the North Shure. Canata fie Casvahan Publicaties Mail Saks Prockat Agrosmed No. R78. Margrave en ropa Entire contents © 1996 North Shore Free Press Ltd. All rights reserved. Comptrolier ‘Humen Resources Manager isiribution Manager Creative Services Manager Ctgnsified, Accounting iccab-| S) WANT A MINUTE! WHERE'D You The do- -gooders fwho wage war GASPAR SUSPECIS BALTHAZAR OF A BLATANT ATTEMPT To CURRY FAVOUR quotes of the t paid slightly less than I woul have 1 eee McDonald’s, but it was a lot more fun.” Former Wes: Vancouver Coun. Andy Danyliu, on his councillor’s salary. (From a Dec. 20 News story.) 000 “They were the kind of people who said, ‘People have certain responsibilities. There are chil- dren here who need homes. They should have homes.’ I don’t think it was ary more complicat- ed than thar.’ ” Sean Steele, on his sister-in-law Meredith Fielding and her husband Graham Powell, after the two were killed in a road accident in Siberia on their way to adopt two Russian children. (From a Dee. 20 News story.) Qo00 “The nicest place in the world is Horseshoe Bay.” . Horseshoe Ray restaurateur Gary Troll, after winning $13.8 million in the 6/49 lottery, dismiss- ing the need to travel to exotic locations on the proceeds from his wits. (From a Dee. 18 News story.) Qo00 “The problem we have is the word raise. What do you really pet after the federal government finished with you? That’s what counss.” North Vancouver District Coun. Ernie Crist, on supporting a 50% raise for North Vancouver District councillors. (From a Dee. 18 News story.) oo0 ae EEE Wed CRA BAPRE week Seanad “I came to the conclusion that by not doing something about it I was contributing to neglect.” : Dr. Leslie Glass, on introducing a motion that will forbid smoking on the upper floor of the Seymour golf and country club. (From a Dee. ° 18 News story.) QQ “We are a branch plant town and at any time General Motors can shut us down.” Tom Crowe, B.C. Film Commission manager of communi- ty affairs, on the relationship of the local film industry to Hollywood. (From a Dee. 15 News story.) aoa “Content will not change as a resule of this motion. Content es based on what people oate and what advertisers pay. We will start The Sound of Music tomorrow if that is what they (the netyr.ris) decide people want to sec.” Crawtord Hawiins, chairman of the B.C. District Council of the Directors Guild of Canada, on North Vancouver District Coun. Ernie Crist’s motion to restrict the filming of violence in local film industry facilities. (From a Dec. 15 News story.) 000 “All one has to do is substi- tute the words ‘bail-out’ for amal ation to better under- stand the district’s position.” North Vancouver City Coun. Darrell Mussatto, on amalgamation. (From a Dee. 15 News story.) iment enh ence aS arteh lan Metron, on the family THIS season purports, among other § things, to honor traditional family life — an institution suffering sever- al black eyes in recent weeks. All, of course, from the most politically correct of assailants. First came the resolution passed by the outgoing North Van District council urging Ottawa to remove Section 43 of the Criminal Code, which protects the right of parents to use reasonable physical punish-" ment as a legitimate form of child discipline. This was quickly endorsed by City Mayor Jack Loucks (himself once a strap-wielding school principal) and the new city council, which Passed : a similar resolution of its own. Both resolutions, of course, completely ignore recent Canada-wide palls indicating that a solid majority of par arents totally oppose any government, interference in the way they discipline their offspring. Do- -good-ing must never be distracted by facts, let alone democracy. . The second blow came from the doctors ofe Ontario who are vigorously fighting a private member’s bill in the legislature whici: would force them :: to notify parents before treating tcenagers aged 12 to 16. ‘ If you're now feeling a little confused yourself, join the thousands of. Ontario parents who — it emerges — have so far been totally unaware their kid under 16 could get medical weatment of any kind without them” ever knowing about it. The new bill, which the docs are hellbent on killing, doesn’t really . .; change much. The parents would still be powerless to stop any treatment . young Johnny or Joan wanted — birth contro! pills, an abortion, sexually transmitted disease therapy or whatever. They would merely be told what their kids are (or have been) up to, which is more than happens now. “*. Thirdly there’s Judge Kevin Chang in Honolulu who has just ruled Hawaii must issue marriage licences to same-sex couples. : Still subject to appeal before the Hawaii Supreme Court, his hinged on the question of whether same-sex couples made gi and dads. He pronounced them to be as competent at ‘the as as hetero- sexual couples. In short, the judge decided children are just as well off —- if not better.” — with two moms and no dad, or with two dads and no mom, as are chil dren raised in the normal way by the mom and dad who produced them: In today’s world, I guess, anything is ible. But the traditional family of father, mother and children — the bui ding-block of Christian civiliza tion for 2,009 years — is now battling problems never dreamed of ever three decades a8. Yet millions of such families still struggle to preserve the best of that civilization for future gencrations. It’s sad, therefore, that — deliberately or otherwise — so-called leaders of society like North Van's nwo councils, the Ontario College of Physici and Surgeons, and the Judge Changs of the world nowadays so often see bent on destroying the traditional family by undermining its key child-rais-; ing role and depicting it as no longer really needed. Whether chese politically correct guardians of the new morality. any: longer grasp the Christian concept of family that we celebrate, again on Wednesday appears highly doubtful. : Or maybe, one suspects, they simply no longer give a damn! Qog0Q0 WRIGHT OR WRONG (according to former British prime minister” Margaret Thatcher): Being powerful is like being a lady. If you have to el ~ people you are, you aren’t. — 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 vicw, but those vicws are not necessarily. those of the newspaper itself. ARO aE ne AOR ENNELY UGA RL RNG OL IR ARNON MAUR AC NL RA NR: MOR The gift of getting HRISTMAS came early for six happy little North Vancouver District councillors this year. Coun. Ernie Crist hung up the empty stockings Monday night and before coun- cil-watchers could say “Season’s Meetings” the corporation’s new directors had voted themselves a $9,905 pay hike. Crist argued Joud and long that by the time the councillors had paid their taxes there would be no 50% pay increase to worry about. Doubtless CUPE union members are looking forward to making the same je during the upcoming bargain- ing sessions. Make no mistake, whatever the Christmas bandits end up with in thcir net stockings, the gross amount will be com- ing out of taxpayer pockets. And since this is a gift that keeps on giving, the cost to the district’s over-stretched operating budget will total $180,000 by the next municipal election. There are two issues here. The first is whether the councillors are paid cnough. The job is never-ending. Councillors’ phones are tied up by their constituents all day every day. There is no car allowance. Crist says he puts in 60 to 80 hours a week on the job. Perhaps $30,000 is a justifiable wage for the time commitment. But a council - that was committed to public input on the hustings did not take the time Monday to ask any of its community associations what . they thought a fair wage might be. Indeed, it rejected out of hand a “no raise” recom- mendation from its own task force. “I think the people of the district are being robbed by not having more money being put towards buying our time,” said og Coun. Pat Munroe. His first 10 words are worth $10,000.