Switching gears could
regulate wider service

Dear Editor:

I refer to the recent B.C. Tel
‘‘Mailbox”’ letter trying to justify
its CRTC application for a 49%
increase in the cost of basic tele-
phone service on the North Shore,
from its present $12.05 per month
to an outrageous and = uncons-
cionable $17.95 per month.

This’ monopoly, with its princely
after-tax return on its capital and
coirespondingly high dividends
paid, wishes to raise its residential
rates despite these bulging profits.

Without true free-market com-
petition with the consumer free to
choose from, whatever supplier of-
fers the best deal, there should be
a cap on excessive monopoly prof-
its earned.

TV offers every subscriber the

choice of either a limited non-
cable service or a wide cable/pay
TV service. This offer is controll-
ed and supplied by sophisticated
switching gear.

There is no technical reason
whatsoever why B.C. Tel is unable
to offer subscribers cither the
present limited $12.05 per month
service, or the wider toll-free
$17.95 per month service, at the
sole choice of the subscriber.

In these stringent financial times
with many seniors on fixed: in-
comes subject to ever-rising costs,
this small consideration, which it
can very easily and well afford,
should be made by B.C. Tel.
Lionel Lewis
West Vancouver

BEL MS a JONES

THE NORTH Shore's two
schol districts face cuts to
stefl and programs due to
slashed 1893-94 school year
budgets.

The total 1992-93 funding allocation
for North Vancouver School District
44 is $88,902,957. There will be an
estimated 16,784 students enrolled
in the school district by September.

West Vancouver School District 45
feceives a total funding allocation of
$31,810,690 to seive a projected
enrolment of 5,696 students in
September.

In a weekly random survey of more
than 50 North Shore residents, the
North Shore News survey team
asked the people if they thought that
the provincial government provides
enough funding for public schools.

Ot those who responded, 37.2%
said No, 26.8% said Yes, 18.2% hac
no opinion, and 14.8% said they
didn't know,

Shaughnessy
closure most
irresponsible

An open letter to health
minister Elizabeth Cull:

The announced closure of
Shaughnessy Hospital by you
is the most irresponsible deci-
sion that the NDP govern-
ment has made so far.

It is totally ridiculous to
close a much-needed hospital
after spending $13 million on
renovations.

Don't blame this on the
previous government.

The NDP has been in of-
fice long enough to have
discontinued plans to reno-
vate Shaughnessy Hospital a
jong time ago before all of
this money was spent.

You stated in your an-
nouncement
prove that population in the
city is declining so this hospi-
tal won’t be needed.

Have you counted all the
people who will be living and
working in the Expo devel-
opment area once it is com-
pleted?

Why don’t you start a hos-
pital lottery? People will cer-
tainly support it because it
has been proven that the
public buy lottery tickets, and
what better way to fund our
hospitals and doctors without
raising taxes?

Harcourt states that the
NDP government is for the
people. Why not prove it by
allowing Shaughnessy to con-
tinue providing quality health
care and by settling with the
doctors so that they can con-
tinue to practise their profes-
sion for the benefit of their
natients?

C. Partridge
North Vancouver

that studies

Sunday, March 14, 1993 - North Shore News - 7

ARDAGH HUNTER TURNER

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