6 - Sunday, October 17, i8 one “4 se va $3 -- North Shore News oe Ee errs. ‘NEWS VIEWPOINT efor {HE WEIGHTY Reform party jug- ‘gernaut is rolling through the hearts of decided North Shore voters. . Recent News polls show a political upset in the making if the indicated trend holds. _. As may be expected by the lackluster ‘performance of their national Audiey : ‘McLaughiin, .the local NDP ‘can- gated to minuscule didates have been. reieg support levels... The ‘resuits of a poll conducied: this week, involving the participation of more than .400 North Shore residents, shows Reform. Party support among decided voters at about 36%. party. leader storm Conservative support stands a distant se- cond in the 11% range. The poll indicates 13% decided voter support for the Liberal It has long been speculated that voters are cranky and upset with the status quo represented hy the established parties. The poll numbers show emotions hard- ening in terms of concrete voter intention. The numbers are a sign of protest. placent. They augur change. They are a heaithy indication that this time voters are neither apathetic nor com- Interesting times are ahead. NEWS QUOTES OF THE WEEK “Setentific. studies show that tran- scendental meditation, yogic flying and our group for government program are proven solutions to dealing with the deficit and the debt.” North Vancouver Natural Law Party of Canada candidate Brad- ford Cooke, on how his party would deal with the federal debt. (From an Oct. 10 News election ’ feature.) “We adopt the position that taxa- Publisher ; Managing Editor . Associate Editor .. . Peter Speck Timothy Renshaw .Noel Wright tion is theft.”’ Capilano-Howe Sound Liber- tarian Party candidate Biil Tomlinson, on taxation. (From an Oct. 10 News election feature.) “Iv’s better to be thought of as a fool by this generation than the next.”” North Vancouver District Coun. Ernie Crist, on why he changed his mind about supporting a district plan for a $5 million District Walk, (From an Oct. 17 Display Advertising Classified Advertising 9866222 Fax 980-0511 Distribution Real Estate Advertising 985-6982 Subscriptions 986-1327 News story.) “H's the ‘90s. If you've got it, flaunt it. Don’t you think?”’ North Vancouver District Fire Services (NVDFS) firefighter Dary! Chvala — who is Mr. June in the new Greater Vancouver Firefighters Hall of Flame calen- dari — on participating in the fundraising effort. (From"an Oct. 17 North Shore News lifestyles feature.) \, 986-1357 & This newspaper 985.3227 contains WITH ONLY one week more of hustings hysteria, distor- tions, smears and meaningless rhetoric from politicians, {t's time to plance for a moment at other ‘‘villains’’ in the po- litical process to date. Maybe you'll find one staring at you in the bathroom mirror. Volumes have been written and spoken in recent wecks about the total disillusionment of voters with politicians of every stripe — how we're in a foul, cantankerous mood about the whole system and the frightening mess in which our elected leaders have landed us, But are we ourselves totally blameless? After all, it’s we who hire them every four years or so. Truc, we don’t have DIRECT control of them between elections. But with the help of our ever cager media, we can have a powerful lot of in- direct control over thm, if we just have the energy tr get of f our butts. Like the seniors did.in 1989 when Mulroney propos.d to de- index old age pensions ~~ only to drop the idea like a hot brick in face of the roars of protest from Grey Power. How many of us have ever demanded of a candidate a WRITTEN pledge to vote in Parliament the way WE want, not the way his or her party boss dic- tates? How many of us regularly attend constituency meetings to check at first hand what our MP is doing and whether we approve? And as election day approaches, how many of us allow ourselves to be conned by facile, tempting promises —- lots of jobs, tio more taxes, expanded social services — ‘without making any effort to check whether the promises can realistically be kept? And who pays? And how much? Threw in the hundreds of special-interest groups — all the way from the labor unions to the Status of Women radicals and Gay Pride — which sell their votes to the highest bidder and it’s small wonder that Canada today is staring bankruptcy in the face. Until the preser:: crisis of con- fidence in our institutions arose, maybe we never really expected politicians to LEVEL with us — but only to promise us what we demanded, regardless of the. eventual cost. Maybe that’s why all three mainline parties are still playing the same old con game that always worked before. But this election may be shaping up as a long overdue learning ex- perience on both sides. Voters this time show signs of at last realizing that a vote solely in order to Noel Wright HITHER AND YON : “eet” their individual wants can...” wind up getting theni into an unholy mess instead — and that the only politicians to trust are those who tell it like itis, ~ : So remember that wise old say- — ing: If they bamboozle you ence, - | shame on them. If they bamboozle you twice, shame on YOu! i foe TAWPiIECES: In concert next Saturday, Oct. 23, at 8 p. m. in Gleneagles Elenientary School,’ 6350 Marine Dr., West. Van, is the popular Vancouver Welsh Men’s. . Choir, sponsored by St. Monica's * Church, Horseshoe Bay — tickets $12 (seniors, children $10) from.” Vancouver Ticket Centfe, 280- 4444, or at the door. ..! A big” thank-you from the North Shore -- Stroke Recovery Clab' for recent ;; grants from North Van District: ($1,750) and North Van City °° ($1,000). As of November the =: - .Club will meet Tuesdays and - Thursdays, 10:30.a.m. to 2 p. m., at 105 West 12th'St. ... Capilano-Howe ‘Sound all-can- didates meetieg hosted by West Van Chamber of Commerce takes place Tuesday, Oct. 19, at 7:30 p.m, in West Van Secondary : School Auditorium. ... And many happy returns today, Oct. 17, to West Van Kiwanis birthday boy, Tom Little. : WRIGHT OR WRONG: Beware of half-truths. You may wind up with the wrong haif. recycled fibre. 985-2131 Administration 985-2131 Pre North Shore managed ee ee SR Seer ae see eames Sales & Marketing Director Linda Stewart Newsroom Comptrottsr . .Doug Foot North Shere News, founded in 1969 as an independent suburban newspaper and qualified under Schedule 111, Paragraph iil of the Excise Tax Act, is published ‘each Wednesday, Friday and Sunday oy Nasth Shore Free Press Ltd. and distributed to every door on the North Shore. Canada Post Caradian Publications Mail Sales Product Agreement No. 0087238. Mailing rates available on request. Subsnissions are welcome but we cannot accept responsibility tor unsolicited material including manuscripts and pictures which should be accompanied . by a Stamped, self- addréssed envelope. \ TNE VORCE OF ONTO AMO WET WANC OLIVER NEWS pitoto Noll Lucente THE FIRS sT special-needs piayground on the North Shore was. opened recently at Seymour Heights elementary school by (ieft to right) principal Cam Shields, former student | Hugo Faragher and PTA president Leanne Lebel, - borer rtd : 1139 Lonsdale Avenue, SOA DIVISION North Vancouver, B.C. V7M 2H4 61,562 (average circulation, Wednesday, Friday & Sunday) Entire contents © 1993 North Shore Free Press Ltd. All rights reserved. |