1139 Lonsdale Avenue Morth Vancouver, B.C. VIM 24 PETER SPECK Publisher 985-2131 (101) oo For 908-181 1 is) os 2151 (168 (165) Biaphay & Rect Bstato Fen. ¢ bemegen Pax Canaifind, Aescuntiny 8 Rain Otten Pax _. Meith Bhorw Baws, Counded in 1949 as an Sales, Fioduct Agreement No, 0087238, Mailing mtes available on request. _ Entire contents » ©1996 North Shore Frea Press Ltd. - All rights reserved. Give US MONEY OR RITA DOES FUNDING THE CBG: PLAN B quotes of the “We're no longer a d' breed. We're a cold dying breed.” Smoker Claude Saint-Amour, on being forced outdoors to smoke at the Kap 100 building in West Vancouver. (From a Feb. 9 News ' Story.) “Now we're taxing the dead. Who's there to defend them?” ' North Vancouver City Coun. . Stella Jo Dean, expressing reserva- tions about a 37% increase in grave _site maintenance fees at the city ‘cemetery. (From a Feb. 2 News Story.) oeoe “The funny thing is that the longer you remain an indepen- deut, the more independent you become.” West Vancouver Independent MLA David Mitchell, announcing tax tales THE FEDERAL government spends immense sums of our tax dollars to promote official multiculturalism in Canada. The original idea of multicuftur- /alism was to transform Canada into “a “mosaic” of diverse and tolerant ‘. cultural groups The result Por official multicultur- alism, however, has been to enhance differences and divisions, as well as foster. resentment between ~ Canadians of diffezing backgrounds. . Consider the following multicul- tural handouts: news viewpoint week that he won’t seek re-election, on being an independent MI_A. (From a Feb. 9 News story.) “(The Metropolitan Board of Health) soid the farm and let the hospitality industry get their way.” North Vancouver City Coun. Darrell Mussatto, cailing for tougher anti-smoking regulations than those drafted by the Greater Vancouver Regional | District. (From a Feb, 9 News Story.) eee “It’s not just for the geeks and nerds. The demographics (of Internet users) are all across the board.” North Vancouver-based retail consultant Tim Rhodes, on the use of the Internet. (From a Feb. 4 News Inside story.) $24,000 for a film entitled Indians of Czechoslovakia — interaction of indigenous people with Mother Earth. (Five taxpayer years.) $115,805 for advice from consul- tants on how to portray minorities in advertising. (24 taxpayer years.) @ $28,000 for a video tracing the history of Chilean poets in Montreal. (Six taxpayer years.) @ $5,000 for the retelling of Hindu myths. (One taxpayer year.) ._ == From Tales from the Tax Trough Ill, a National Citizens’ Coalition publication. Kindly turn up the volume at municipal hall! Noel a Wright KNOCK-’EM-DOWN, drag- *em-out shenanigans in Surrey council chamber of late have the media and - “respectable” civic leaders like most of our North Shore council members tut-tutting and shaking their heads. — That sort of hooliganism, they warn, is best left to the House of Commons and the provincial Legislature. Municipal councils are a cut above such behavior. Their job is to be havens of deco- rum, consensus and complacency, with nary an angry word nor per- sonal jibe. By and large our North Shore councils do it so well that it’s a municipal election for the history books when more than about 25% of the eligible voters bother to casi their ballots at all. Indeed, without probing mavericks like Erie Crist at District and Stella Jo Dean at City the general North Van public might often be hardly aware their elected representatives were still breathing. West Van council — “where _ never is heard a discouraging word” — is the saintliest of all. Were it not for public gallery activists like Lionel Lewis and _ former mayor Derrick Humphreys, heaven alone knows what might happen before anyone outside municipal hall tumbled to it. . a Indeed, without Humphreys’ recent private-citizen intervention the whole ScaWaik might by now have been dug up on the misguid- ed whim of GVRD bureaucrats and their allies in West Van Parks Department. In the‘absence of a ward’ sys: tem (itself a very mixed blessing) the trouble with many councils under a strong: and/or persuasive | mayor is that they quickly degen- / erate into 4 municipal “cabinet”: rather than the democratic forum -; of elected representatives — each primarily and individually... ;- answerable to the electors — that they're intended to be. / As well, all governments; depend heavily on their buregu- cracies for facts, figures and” advice. Governing at the miunici- pal level is only a part-time job for many, councillors and even | mayors. Moreover, council has limited sitting time and no format rer vnemarcrasemainn ma areata} neteesetne Hote cane eta Ae ETE “opposition” element. In such circumstances it’s :.., - inevitable that staff recommenda- tions sometimes offer — with™”. minimal scrutiny or debate — the quick and easy solution'to over crowded Monday, night agendas.’ Thus, compromise and co sus can all too easily become goals in themselves. The stu! born, rivisy clash of concepts and ah ate — the lifeblood wrong at municipal would be in Victo: “Every elected council " personal duty to hold the feet of the mayor and any: colleagues: ’ the fire, ith he/stie believes the ; ing us that civic-le | too, calls for conv assion — and,’ sath } To ensure healthy: local goverr “! ment kindly turn'UP the, at municipal hall! ’ Kemble Ey ad bl i .tels, acrylics and photo collage’ are on display at West Van Library until March 30 ... An many happy returns of today, Fet Il, to North Nan’ 8 Doug Horner. ‘ WRIGHT OR WRONG: M often casts too much. arrows or never? SNAP readers quiz: which will arrive first: a third crossing of Burrard Inlet cr the Second Coming? Give up? So does the rest of the North Shore. After three years, eight studies and innumerable meetings, even the most optimistic souls begin to lose hope. The latest word on the fate of the upgrade or replacement of the Lions Gate Bridge is that there is no word. - All those surprised raise their hands. The NDP government, whose ione achievement on the North Shore thus far during the 1990s has been to finally get the ball rolling on the long overdue highway interchange at Westview Drive, has no intention of making a decision on ‘the challenging First Narrows crossing issue. Decisions require backbone. And backbone is in precious short supply in Victoria. ‘The Lions Gate Bridge issue has been on a political Mobius Strip since early 1993. Committees have beer. siruck, local meetings held, deep thinkers consulted. And nothing has happened. - Meanwhile, comniuters continue to queue at the north ard south ends of the aging span for longer und longer periods of time. The. question on each driver's mind: . how many more years will this’ bridge which supports 25. million ‘vehicle trip each year, remain standing?. When:wil the North Shore be given: the that will allow local planning for'a new ~. or upgraded crossing ard its Supporting “ transportation links? o Don’t expect any answers from the : current band of socialists in. Victoria.” : They are far too busy ‘adding’ ‘te: the: ranks of the civil service to care eo For any real solutions ‘to’ the ‘Lions Gate issue look to new leadership f from a new government. we