‘ Dirty tricks inference challenged Dear Editor: This is with reference to Mr. Ron Kantor’s letter In the Nov. 10 North Shore News, “Attack on mayor mean spirited.” Mr. Kantor’s letter is right on. I also feel that this is totally out of char- acter with the residents of Lions Bay. T am concerned, how- ever, as Tami the only may- oralty candidate running against mayor Brenda Broughton, that an infer- ence could be made of me being involved in “politi- cal dirty tricks.” Nothing is further from the truth. After read- ing the October letter I also attempted to locate “Victoria. Smith,” but could find no one by that name. I spoke to Mr. Kantor _today who graciously : apologized that the infer- ence was made. It was def- initely not intended, as he was more concerned with the aspersions cast on all residents of the communi-, ty. An explanation I fully accept and appreciate. Michael Reigh ©” 8 - Friday, November 15, 1996 — North Shore News WTA pushing own elect Dear Editor: ; It was with interest that I read the Nov.L0 North Shore News. It is no surprise the teachers union is once again involved in influencing their choice of an employer. Having run for school trustee election and having been a runner-up four times (losing by 300 votes to 600 votes each time, in a process that requires about 4,000 to 6,000 to win), the chances of winning with- out the employees’ endorsement is slim, particularly in North Vancouver District. The teachers are not allowed to participate in the election process, but then no one polices the process. The News has exposed this process by printing the union’s preferred candidates. CUPE, the school staff union, participate in the election process even more actively by helping print and distribute pam- phlets and help put up road signs, as well as fund campaigns. : Teachers grading system fails Dear Editor: Re: NVTA Questionnaire to. School The grading was simple. The high marks went to those candidates who A LDALO ACTA TDN LI MALE ON ECON Lr ade I should know, 1 was interviewed by them once but refused to sign their favored slate contract. The former school trustee slate’s election slogan reads “putting, kids first!" Did they? While the appointed trustee Bob Smith was cutting student programs, teachers and thus the administrators, whose salary is tied to teacher contracts, were given a 1% retroactive pay raise signed by their favored slate! Ic was the same trustees who would not support par- ent volunteers who would be taking jobs away from the CUPE members who were paid four times the minimum wage and four-hour minimum call-out period for being a crossing guard. Former NVTA president Keith Denley is given the lucrative handshake contract by the favored slate and promoted to deputy superintendent. The gross salary and retroactive pay of $84,511.84 as reported in the News for the teacher union president Chuck Dixon is a comparatively minimal payout. But the favored slate senior administrators. I believe this questionnaire did an says “the administrative contracts were considered standard in many places” and thus signed two more in 1995, These contracts don’t exist in West Van! So what's the choice? In the city a clear slate that, as per Tan Noble's article, are poorly rated are: Deborah Kitson, Joanne Stephenson and probably the youngest candidate in North Vancouver ever, Tim Morrison. The choice in the district is not so clear, we have the union’s pet past trustee slate, who can easily get elected needing only a third of the vote. So it’s a hand full of parents truly concerned and looking for getting the most out of their education buck. We need to know which candidates have kids and are not tied in any union and those are the ones that got the worse grades: a C- for Ed Barnes and Garth cSween. Salim Kaderali North Vancouver MAILBOX POLICY LETTERS to the editor must be legible (prefer- ably typewritten) and include your name, full Trustee Candidates : All candidates for the position of school trustee in the North Vancouver Teachers Association filled out a ques- dionnaire consisting of their personal history and three sentences explaining _ their platform, as well as 17 yes/no questions. All questions related to fund- “ing and the issues. From this simple form the candidates were graded and those and grades were mailed to the . NVTA members. supported the fired board in its stance that our budget problems were duc sole- ly to the underfunding. The low marks went to those candidates who cited both underfunding and mismanagement of funds on the part of the fired school board. So the NVTA has asked their teach- ers to support only those candidates who did not scrutinize employee con- tracts which eat up 92% of the budget and who support lucrative payouts to injustice to the teachers in our district by assuming they only teach for money. Most teachers, by far, put the stu- dents’ interests before their own. Teaching for them is more than a job, ir’s a life-long contribution to society. Maybe questions concerning education- al issues instead of employment. issues would help build the partnership and strengthen the education system. Joanne Stephenson North Vancouver address and telephone number. Due to space constraints the North Shore News cannot pub- lish all Jetters. 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