6 -— Wednesday, June 24, 1992 - SSS “Wier “| Glen and Len ~ MLA malarkey ; ORTH VANCOUVER-Lonsdale MLA David Schreck has of late- been investing much valuable time in the proviaciai legislature berating the Shore News and News columuist . North Deug Collins. Voters might argue that his time could be better spent raising issues cf more im- portance to the community, like getting a highway overpass built at Westview Drive. Schreck's June 12 speech in the legislature appears to have been inspired by the response he received from North Shore residents after his initial. cali for Collins’ head. Those reponses told Schreck that a lot of people agree with Collins and agree with the News’ right to publish his views. That Collins may be right sometimes or that readers might have the common wit to make up their own minds about his opi- nions were apparently not LETTER town. possibilities by Schreck. In the world ac- cording to the NDP, a right-wing scribe like Collins would be given until sundown to become more pleasant or get out of Schreck also told fellow MLAs _ that to some, but considered OF THE DAY because the News reaches every door on the North Shore it should have a different set of criteria for what it publishes than newspapers that don’t reach every door. Comprehensive coverage, somehow brings with it a responsiblity to be more gentle. Well, regardless of whether it rezches every door on the North Shore, the News is a newspaper and thereby a vehicle for different views and different voices. . Some of those voices may be upsetting he argued, it is not yet law that colum- nists are prohibited from writing about issues that upset people. W. Van Council’s junket ‘repulsive’ Open letter to West Vancouver Mayor Mark Sager: Iam extremely upset that West Vancouver councillors, who recently attended a convention of Canadian municipalities in Mon- treal, had voted themselves ap- proval to take their spouses with them at taxpayers’ expense. Our taxes have increased (as far as municipal expenses are involv- - ed) by some 7%, a figure vastly in excess of the 2.3% rate of infla- tion. New home construction fur- ther increased total tax income by 1.2% and it is more than doubtful whether there should have been any further load put on the tax- payer who was already hit by the ridiculous increases in school costs. We now find out that Aldermen Danyliu, Hutchinson and Boname were not-only given permission to attend this convention, but were also allowed to take their respec- tive spouses at the expense of the taxpayer and that two of them took advantage of this gratuitous offer. I find it utterly repulsive that in times of great economic restraint, you as the leader of council year. Mailing rates available on request. Submissions are weicome but we cannot accep! responsibility for unsolicited material including manuscripts and pictures which should be accompanied by a stamped, addressed envelope. Publisher.......... ....Peter Speck — Dispiay Advertising 980-0511 Distribution 986-4337 €2 Managing Editor... Timoihy Renshaw Real Estate Advertising 985-8982 Subscriptions 986-1337 Privted on Assceciate Editor... .. _.Noel Wright Classified Advertising 986-6222 Fax 985-3227 10% recycled Advertising Director ...Linda Stewart Newsroom 985-2131 Administration 985-2131 : newsorint Comptrolter............. Doug Foot . North Shore managed North Shore News, founded in 1969 as ane MEMBER independent suburban news| fa litied Sheen aA under Schedule 111. Paragraph it of the Excise rth'shore’ Sr. . Tax Act, is published each Wednesday, Friday and A. CY VAN: Sunday by North Shore Free Press Lid. and ; . TF Teen FN distributed to every door on the North Shore. iiinmasfitedTieell = Sores ees Second Class Mail Registration Number 3885. = e naa Subscriptions North and West Vancouver, $25 pet 1139 Lonsdale Avenue, ~ SDA GiViSION North Vancouver, B.C. V7M 2H4 Entire contents © 1992 North Shore Free Press Ltd. Alt rights reserved. 61,582 (average circulation, Wednesday, Friday & Sunday) should spearhead a vote last April to finance a trip for up to‘ five councilors and their spouses to Montreal at taxpayers’ expense. Your municipal clerk pointed out that it was a ‘‘democratic vote.’’ That is tantamount to a statement that everybody voted into their own pockets. It is also worth mentioning that the figure of $7,000 for this joy- tide bears no relation to factual costs of flying and accommoda- tion at today’s prices. Ernest J. Kingsley West Vancouver : The bill for wall-to-wall meters join Alice-In- Parking-Land AS IF the overtaxed, parking-starved mojorist isn’t already. harassed enough, along comes NDP Finance Minister Glen Clark with a bill that allows every public parking space in Greater Vancouver to be taxed. : It’s needed, says Port Co- quitlam Mayor Len Traboulzy, Vancouver regional transit com- mission chairman, to mop up the $29 million pool of red ink SkyTrain will spill this year. So punish the wicked car drivers for transit’s failure to offer them an adequate alternative. Have any of them thought this thing through for even 20 se- conds? Sot The tax bill will goto the - OWNERS of all public parking spaces, including those now free, in the 15 Lower Mainland municipalities. The total is of- ficially given as about 52,000. As we'll shortly see, that figure may be many thousands too low. But sticking with it for the mo- ment and dividing it into $29 mil- lion comes to an annual $558 tax per space — about $1.50 per day, or six cents an hour. At street parking meters and commercial lots that six cents tax will inevitably quadruple at the very least, because adjustable meters and mechanical ticket dispensers haye never learned to count in anything tess than quarters — thus assuring city hall and parking lot operators of a neat little 19 cents bonus per . car-hour. It’s at the shopping malls and in the still meter-less suburbs, how- ever, that the nightmare will un- fold. Park Royal with over 2,000 stalls, for example, will get a year- ly bill of well over $1.1 million from Commissar Traboulay. Solu- tion? Spend at least $2 million in- stalling 2,000 parking meters and add that capital cost to the six- cents-an-hour on the meter rate. Or else simply dump the million- plus tax bill on store tenants — who'll either pass it on to custom- ers or close down and appiy for Ui. . Elsewhere in the suburbs the picture will become pure Alice- in-Wonderland and, incidentally, make a joke of that 52,000-spaces estimate for the Lower Mainland. Every mile of pavement with parking both sides can accommo- date 400 cars and most municipalities have several hun- dred miles of the stuff. All of it taxable — until the ‘‘No Parking”’ signs go up along every sleepy res- idential avenue, that is. Which they'll obviously have to. a en Noel Wright _ HITHER AND YON merely in the community's business district will be bad enough. NP signs come cheaper, though the tab for the extra thou- sands of them needed won't be peanuts either. Who pays it all? Naturally, local property tax- payers with hourly assists from Joe and Jane Motorist. Please, Gier: and Len, wake up and tell us you were only kidding! SIGN-OFF: Outdoor opening cer- emony Friday at West Van Museum’s new home in Gertrude Lawson House by Mayor Mark Sager and Gertrude Wilson ended swiftly. As the mayor speke, the heavens opened and the crowd of 400 scuttled for shelter amid the archives inside ... Cap Cotlege Singers conducted by Lars Kaario, with Mary McKianey, piano, hold their secorid fundraiser concert Friday, June 26, at 8 p/m. in St. Andrew's United Church, North Van (tickets $8 — students, seniors and children $5) ... From the Better Late Dept. many happy returns of Sunday, June 21 -—~ her 90th birthday — to longtime North Shore resident Laltie Parnell ... And tomorrow, June 25, happy birthday to Mt. Seymour Lion David Mynott, together with West Van Kiwanians David Morgans and Ron Sidaway. ee0 WRIGHT OR WRONG: Nothing kills a pei theory as quickly as a lit- tle experience. - SHARING OVER $15,000 for their good causes from Lions Gate Rotary recently were (left to right) Eric Bond (Salvation Army), Melanie Mahiman (LGH), Barbara Kroon (North Shore Support Services), Jim McKinnon (Disabled Skiers Asscciation), Danita Kwong (North Shore Association for the Physically Handicapped) and Dick Anderson (North Shore Stroke Club).