ITISH COLUMBIA The fringe finds favor in Cove BY IAN NOBLE News Reporter FRINGE parties are mak- ing an impact on Deep Cove residents. Two weeks after Premier Glen Clark cailed the May 28 election, the Rhinos and Greeris have found favor with disgruntled voters in the quiet waterfront community. Generally speaking, the NDP is out, but the party enjoys staunch support from one overtaxed resident. Mike Pokar, 33, said he likes Glen Clark because he’s been up-front and sticking to the issues. And Clark has the best plan to reduce the tax burden of average working people like him, said the Agriculture Canada employec. Pokar said Liberal leader Gordon Campbell has also pledged to reduce taxes but the important question i is where the reductions are going to come m. Pokar believes the Liberals represent businesses and well-heeled people. In the Liberals tax-reduc- tion plans “I don’t think there wil] be much empha- sis on the everyday working stiff’ said Pokar while doing his Jaundry. “Glen Clark is going to cut where I want him to But Catherine Noest won’t be ticking the same box on her form come election day. Noest doesn’t like any major party or the emphasis she‘ sees being placed on personalities and what people are wearing during the campaign. ““No one’s paying any attention to the crooked- ness of the NDP.” she said. “I don’t like the whole ‘class warfare thing that they are trying to bring to the forefront. “¥’m a woman eaming practically minimum ie ONE of the key election issues for North Shore voters is unfor- tunately a lot like the weather: all of our politicians talk about the need for a new First Narrows crossing, but they don’t seem able to do anything about it. Frustrated commuters know that the aging Lions Gate Bridge is coming to the end of its useful existence. For almost 60 years this splendid structure has served us well and has become an important part of our heritage. It lights up our nighttime skyline and is a strong local identifier. A proud landmark. However, the three-lane me also repre- sents one of We ccf ; ee fic bottlenecks b LF ae e ot) a at in British Oba baat ie Columbia. — The rickety requires some serious upgrading and is in desperate need of modification. Will an enhanced crossing consist of an expanded bridge? An entirely new structure? A tunnel? icd and studied again. The interminable delays in arriving at an answer are ineacus- able and can be explained only as a tack of political will. the worst traf- span over Burrard Inlet’s First Narrows now These questions have been studied, stud- While the NDP government deserves NEWS photo Mike Wakofietd — DEEP COVE residents Zoe Norcross and Chili feel hounded by the NDP’s spending binge, but ara also dogged by a lack of suitabie alternatives. wage. I should be voting for the NDP. But ! will not” Instead, Ncest plans to vote for the Green Party, just to make a point. She added the environmeat is the most important issue. “Without the environ- ment we haven't got anything else,” said Noest, a Kuddle Muddle employee. Twenty-two- year-old Zoe Norcross also wants the NDP out, although she hasn’t decided where her sup- port will go. The Simon Fraser University student is a recipi- ent of Clark's largesse. But she calls a tuition rate freeze offered ‘by Clark and the NDP “ridiculous.” Norcioss said she’s willing to pay extra now if it goes toward reducing the deficit. “The country is going to go broke pretty soon if we don’t do something about it. We are all going to have to do something about it so we might as well start now,” said the geography student. On the fiscal front, B.C. Reform comes closest to her point of view, but she doesn’t like the party's take on other issues. “You don't seem to get any honesty from any- body. That's the trouble,” said Norcross. She believes the NDP will prevail, as ‘the remainder of the parties split the vote. “T wish there was another option,” she said. Gerald Fox says he doesn’t think much of the election so far. “Not much at all. They're all crooks anyhow." But he tips his cap to Richard the Troll, saying he will vote for Richard if he runs once more for the Rhino Party. “They're the only ones that make any sense,” said Fox. Unfortunately, Fox will have to find anew home for his vote. The Troll, also known as Richard Schaller, is a four-time Rhino candidate who's not going to be Tunning in the upcoming election. (See page 13 for more on Schaller} Rosine Ryan-Lewis won’t vote and doesn't care much for politics. “Ie doesn't matter to me,” she said. Arturo Alvarez said it doesn’t matter how you vote because few changes will be made. “You get tired of voting for nothing.” he said. THE NORTH Shore News. “wants your input in the current election campaign.’ vet The,newspaper has set up a, "special. Election ‘96 hotline to. fied out what North Shore resi-. dents think are the real i issues: facing British Columbiasis.: Cail 985-2131 and select tt - political hotline option..Then “tell us. what issue is of mos! “importance to you in the current. flection campaign. Be as brief as possible, an leave your name, phone’ num) _ber, age and area of residence. “Also leave us a: question .: “you'd like asked of the various .,Nozth Shore’ andidates.- We'll tions will ‘also be posed ai News j joins Shaw Cable to: cover the’ election. some credit for moving for- ward with construction on the Westview exchange along the Upper Levels Highway, it can- not be forgiven for the lack of any sense of urgency with respect to the Lions Gate cross- ing. Surprisingly, in the spate of pre-election announcements by Premier Glen Clark there was no news about a long-awaited final decision on this vital North Shore issue. In spite of the fact that there has been plenty of public consultation and the techni- cal work on all of the proposed options has been completed, the First Narrows crossing is conspicuously absent from the list of NDP election promises. Instead, we are told that the next step is a call for proposals for a private Sector partner- ship. That likely means motorists will be paying a toll every time they drive across the new crossing, whichever option is chosen. Could the fear of a backlash against tolls be holding the NDP back from addressing such an important matter during an election campaign? Trying to determine where the Liberals stand is even more perplexing. As a former mayor of Vancouver, Liberal leader Gerdon Campbell has never seemed overly sympa- thetic to North Shore issues. In the past, whenever the future of the Lions Gate Bridge was raised. Campbell David cey el Mitchell __ eth would dodge and bob and weave, saying it could only be addressed as part of the Lower Mainland’s overall transporta- tion network — whatever that means. Now, Campbell says a Liberal government would wash its hands of the issue, giving it to a new Greater Vancouver regional transporta- tion authority. He appears to have great confidence in the kind of bloated and expensive local bureau- cracies he once built up as head of the Greater Vancouver Regional District. But Campbell's new position points in only one direction: more unnecessary delays on a First Narrows crossing. It's interesting to note, however, that at least one local Liberal is at odds with his teader. West Vancouver-Capilano MLA Jeremy Dalton recently issued a news release committing his party to making a a crossing decision in its first year in office. Since all of the background studies on the various options have been long completed, this is a relatively easy promise to make — except that it flies in the face of Campbell's pledge to take the decision-making out of Victoria and hand it over to some newfangled local suthority. Nevertheless, Dalton says the project will be funded by private enterprise and may be based upon tolls. Given that we're in the middle of an elec- iOm ISS tion campaign, it will come as no shock that some North Shore politicians have jumped all over Dalton and stomped on his news release. Ted Shandro, the Reform B.C. candidate in West Vancouver-Capilano says: “I am opposed to a tol] because it is a selective lax on North Shore residents and on tourism.” According te Skandro, a Reform govern- ment would set 2 10-month deadline on what form the new crossing would take. Meanwhile, Jim Mercier, the Reform B. C. candidate in West Vancouver-Garibaldi, doesn’t mince his words: “It surprises me that Mr. Dalton, ‘who has sat in the House for: five years, and has not been heard from until now, seizes this moment to make the discov- ery that we need a new crossing. “He makes no comment as to where the money will come from to finance this facili- ty, other than from tolls. It does not surprise me that the Liberals are making’ more open- end promises. | see no practical way to put tolls on one bridge, without including the others.” Thank goodness the issue is at least being addressed during this election campaign. The challenge for exasperated voters will be to ensure that candidates and their parties are held accountable for their various positions on this North Shore priority. , Once the election is over, we can hopeful- ly stop talking about the Lions Gate crossing project and instead see some action. Finally.