LAST week's news of a balanced provincial budget — the first in a decade — was not met with much appiause. While Premier Ujjal Dosanjh tried to con- vince the province that it was “the beginning of a new fiscal tre..d in British Columbia,” he’s got a long way to go. First, he has to take on the legacy of former premier Glen Clark, who made two pre- election announcements of balanced budgets. Soon after returning to power, the truth came out that the government had a deficit. Voters are not likely to give Dosanjh a third chance. He also has to take on the popular public perception that the NDP likes to focus on grander things than the details of the accounting book. The fasr ferries. the enduring symbol of his government's fiscal ways, are likely to mow him down. inquiring reporter NORTH SHORE DEMOGRAPHICS YES cf 73%. 82% 712% 19% OV SNo& 74% 73% Horseshoe Bay 7% Dundarave/Ambleside 6% British Properties 2% Norgate/Pemberton Heights 13% Capilano/Delbrook Highlands 1% Lower Lonsdale 0% Central and Upper Lonsdale 7% Lynn Valley 0% 6% 4% NO DO NO OPINION KNOW 10% 13% 17% 21% 10% 14% 10% 6% 13% 4% 197% 21% 9% 13% Gloria Haxton North Van Are vou kidding? It’s one thing to say they've got a sur- plus budget but they've still got a debt. When are they going to clean that up? When they can say ‘we've got no debr,” Vl have confidence in them. Yorth Van No. They really haven't shown any strength with respect to economic issues and the fast ferries is a good example. And I believe the Liberals are going to be even worse. I'm one of those disgruntled voters — who am I going to vote for? Maurice Whitfield North Van I never lost it. I've been voting for the NDP ever. since Tommy Douglas. You just look in the paper and they do something - it was no good. But you never see them say, ‘Goh, that was very good work.’ You think taxes are bad Blueridge/Deep Co 27% 33% 20%. V% COMBINED AVERAGE (BO YOU HAVE A QUESTION FOR THE INQUIRING REPORTER? | great local shopping very best you can . 7% 68% 13% 12% THE following people have appeared in North Vancouver provincial court: Before Judge Reginald Grandison on March 28: Christopher Nicholas Molinuex, 33, of Bowen Island, received 12 months’ probation after he was found guiliv of possessing a stolen insurance decal on Dee. 21, 1999 in West Vancouver. Molinuex was required to do 30 hours of comniunity work. Before Judge Reginald Grandison on March 22: Jerko Runje, 29, of North Vancouver, was fined $300 and had his driver’s licence suspended for three months after he pleaded nor guilty to impaired driving, but instead pleaded guilty to the lesser or included offence of driving without due care and atten- tion. The original charge stemmed from a Jan. 21, 1999 incident in West Vancouver. % Tg ten : a FRE vEee IF you"are: serious abou afford then you must Call:tor 2 pERCRRAELEEE Qh now? You just wait undl the Liberals get in. E-mail your comments or question ideas to: mmillerchip@nsnews.com Youth programs get cash injection TWO community programs will help youth thanks to grants totalling $85,000 from a joint program of the federal and provincial govern- ments. The Dukes Youth Healing Centre will use its $50,000 grant to develop crime-prevention stta s for aboriginal youth and their com- munities, The program aims to create a holistic healing model. A working document will be made available for communities and organizations working with aboriginal youth and their families. The North Vancouver Restorative Justice Society will use its $35,000 grant to develop a training program for mentors who help young offenders rejoin society as productive mem- bers. They will also produce a training manual to share with other communities. Under the community mobilization pro- gram, in partnership with the province, the National Crime Prevention Centre has provid- ed $1.2 million this to help fund $2 crime prevention projects in British Columbia.