Wednesday, June 24, 1998 — North Shore News — 9

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Psycho film choice is feeble

Sermon from ‘Saini’
Lautens misses mark

Dear Editor:

Re: New WV ree centre 2 taxing affair.

T remember in the heat of the last municipal
election campaign a concerted effort by the
western recreation centre advocates to lobby
prospective councillors for their support of this
long overdue facility.

As one of those people lobbied, it seemed
like a “no-brainer”: the project had been kick-
ing around city hall for some time and given
the dearth of recreational facilities in our com-
munity, particularly in the western portion of
_ West Van, it seemed to make eminent sense.

;_ So does the upgrade of the existing central
site.

‘Now your columnist Trev Lautens — a self-

Oo: confessed West Van “westerner’ -- has taken it
“-tipon himself to challenge the merits of the

project, risking faux martyrdom in the process.
Trev’s points?
Too expensive to build; too expensive to

~) operate; too big (perhaps an unnecessary

|. duplication of facilities that belong on the cen-
_ tral site), wrong site. Pretty damning -stut?.
Stirs the por nicely.
Up front, I have to side with Sr. Lautens (in
“princi le at least) on the subject of cost; origi-
nally forecast at around $6 million and change,
“the “official” cost has escalated to $8.6 million

- : and projected by sone as high as $11 million

: double your pleasure, double your fun for

on double the’ cost?! Somebody (council please!)

oS ~ Beta erp. :
Seta budget limit and work within it!
Regarding operating costs: ! would pre-

Suit 2a 1433 Lonsdale Ave. N. Van

sume that city hall (ic. staff and council)
understood and budgeted for the costs of run-
ning an expanded recreation facilities network.

Did IT miss something?

Aware of the vicissitudes of municipal bud-
geting, do the fiscal impacts of provincial
“down-loading” mean thar the western reere-
ation centre is a non-starter?

The public has a right to know. Perhaps
another point for Trev “wreeck-the-rec-centre™
Lautens. (Sumo wrestlers have nothing on this
guy.)

Ts the proposed centre too big? Sorry, too
late. The program brief issued in September
96 has remained unchallenged as far as |
know, and there has been ample time for pub-
lic input.

Two centres in West Van are OK with most
of us. There you have it, democracy in action.

Wrong location?

The Gleneagles site has always been the site
of choice. Contrary to the belief of some,
golfers can co-exist, with other recreational
users and it might even be good for them.
(And Iam one of “them.”)

So there you have it.

On one side, according to Lautens, a poten-
tially expensive and redundant recreation facil-
ity ‘that crowds a revenue-producing golf
course.

On the other side (mine), an opportunity to

_ enhance accessible and affordable recreational

opportunities for everyone in our community.
Peter Lambur
West Vancouver

980-8004

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Dear Editor:

Two questions: First, if the novel
American Psycho was banned in Canada
because of its 100% focus on the violent plea-
sures of raping, torturing, mutilating and
murdering women, how is it that it’s “being
made by Lions Gate Films, a Canadian busi-
ness? (Lions Gate Lands DiCaprio Thriller,
May 20 News.)

Second: If) instead of the hideous mis-
treatment of women, the movie had as its
theme the rape, torture and murder of Jews,
or black Americans, or East Indians, or
homosexuals, would iz still be accepted as
mere entertainment, or would it be consid-
cred hate propaganda aimed at an identifi-

ted white, m.p.

able, vulnerable group? I think we knew the
answer to that one already.

I wonder what effect films like this have
on teenagers who are struggling ro under-
stand their sexuality and place in the world?

Amnesty International once had as its
fogo a depiction of a man’s bound hands
hanging from the ceiling. Strange that the
depiction of a bound man is considered tor-
ture, but that the depiction. of a bound
woman is considered erotic.

i would suggest that Roman holidays did
not end with the Romans, Apparently they
are being given fresh lite by Lions Gate Films.
Janis M. Andrews
West Vancouver

advertorial, June 24/1998

THE MEMBER’S OFFICE BUDGET

in the spirit of openness and
accountability, it has been mv custom
since 1993 to publish an annua!
summary of my office budge. as soon
as possible after The House of
Commons reaches its March 31st
financial year end. i received the
1997/98 figures for North Vancouver in
late May. and | am sharing them with
you in this week’s report.
UTILIZATION AND CARRY-OVER
in my five years as an MP, | have
always come in under budget on
Constituency Office Expenses. The
1997/98 year was no exception. | utilized
just 88.9% of my assigned $152,260 for
the period since the 1997 election,
allowing me to carry over into 1998/99 the
sum of $7,613 (representing 5% of the
total), while the balance of the $16,841
surplus was returned to the Treasury. It is
important to note that none of this
funding forms part of my pay as a
Member of Parliament. Its purpose
is.to cover the costs of staff in
Ottawa and North Vancouver, a

-_portion of my Ottawa expenses,

and: 100% of the operating
expenses of the North Vancouver
Constituency Office.

HERE’S THE MEAT
Ottawa and North Vancouver
salaries and service contracts...
Printed material, advertising
and North Shore News Report ..$32,296
Office rent and utilities
Miscellaneous office supplies
Ottawa and constituency
travel related costs
Telephone and long distance.
Equipment purchase/upgrade
Postage and delivery
Publication subscriptions
Maintenance and repairs ..

$66,978

$5,542

. Photocopier service

It is important to note that there is no
leased equipment in my office. | have
managed the budget in a manner which
enabled me to gradually purchase every
needed piece of furniture and equipment, .
meaning that taxpavers like you, and
not a finance company, own the
photocopier, computers, furniture, desks,
shredder, and so on.

OTTAWA OFFICE COSTS

The costs associated with my flights to
and from Ottawa, as wei! as for my office
expenses in Ottawa, are covered by a
central budget of the House of Commons.
However, all MPs are provided with
regular reports detailing their individual
charges against the central budget. These

‘reports compare the accumulated total

with the averages for alt other MPs, as

well as with other MPs from the same
province.

It goes without saying ‘that the air travel
costs of Western MPs like myself tend to
be higher than the $34,157 average for all
MPs, most of whom only have to fly to a
location somewhere in Ontario or Quebec.
However, my air travel costs for the past:
year, at $50,832, were 14.6% below the
BC average of $59,505.

When it comes to general. office
expenses in Ottawa, which include | _
telephone, office furniture and ecJipment, -[
printing, and mailing, my expenditures are. | -
well below both the average for my_
province and the average for all MF’s. The. |
provincial average for the year was
$25,564, the countrywide average was
$25,796, and my charges were $7,377,°]/
mainly because | do not produce and mail. f
“householders” to every. house in the J.
Riding each quarter, choosing instead to
communicate, with you ‘via this fegular
North Shore News Report...”

My total travel and. Ottawa office costs
for the. year, at $58,209, are slightly lower
than the $59,953 average for ali MPs, and
well below the $85,069 provincial average.

OTHER PEOPLE’S MONEY

Like many of my colleagues, |'do my

best to manage my budget allocation as, : a

carefully as possible, always’ keeping : in |:
mind that the money came from taxpayers Ben
-- that it is other peopie’s money. What a -[F

shame that such an approach, designed to. ; a

end the year with a reasonable surplus, is.”
not embraced by the Government itself.

Just take a look at the latest issue of
the John Williams MP Waste Report to see
the usual extensive. list of questionable
“research projects”, subsidized conter-
ences, and bad “investments”: which
received your money recently in the form
of government grants. The ‘individual
amounts in the following examples may
seem small, but collectively. billions _ of
dollars a year flow out from federal coffers
in the form of grants and subsidies.

A study of women's dress in 19th
century Istanbul - $28,000; S2xual
dissidence, genre, and historical
context - $23,371; Northern
Malagasy constructions. of . self,
society and history - $33,700; The
situation of lesbian: households. in
Canada - $44,962; Critical
Editions of Spanish Golden Age
plays ~ $41,562; Canadian Society
for the Study of Names. - $3,979;
Dathousie Law Journal - $28,080;
Rent of $15,Q00USD per month in
Shanghai for the Canadian
Consul’s apartment; Canadian
Association for frish . Studies -
$8,762.

ed White, M.P. ,.#302-1200 ) Lynn: Valley. Road,:N North: Vancouver, B.Cz:
Tel.: ‘666-0585; ‘Fax? 666-0509; Internets: "https//www.reform.ca/white-