G6 — Wednesday. November 25. 1998 - North Shore News No Ne Ws VIEWPOINT debate HIS is not a debate. North Vancouver City Mayor Jack Loucks emphasized that point several times at the Nov. 17 Nisga’a treaty presentation at city hall. Unfortunately, the elder statesman of local North Vancouver City politics hit the nail on the head: it is not a debate. It is a sales job that the residents of B.C. have been forced to buy even though they can’t afford ik. The deal is done and while there are extremely unsettling aspects to it — such as its overall cost in land and resources, the establishment of a third level of government in B.C. with pow- ers that exceed in some aspects those of the province and the establishment of non-Nisga’a population will not be heard on the issue. Lawyer Norman Welland made a good point at the November presenta- tion when he was warned by Mayor Loucks not to “beat your own drum.” Said Welland, “My drum is democ- racy, sir.” Democracy is being ill-served on what is an extremely important issue. Nisga’a president emeritus Frank Calder made an impassioned speech to conclude the presentation. His points were well taken. There is much in the treaty that is good, but there is much that is not. The people who will have to pay for it need their say in the matter. At this point they are not getting a racially exclusive government restricted to participation from Nisga’a citizens — the voice of B.C.’s Dear Editor: Re: “Women say NV men chase stereotypes” (Nov, 18 News). Dear Tina and Wendy: Now hang on a minute you can’t be serious. Painting all the men with the same brush, ic. looking for the perfect “10” and “very interested in the phys- ical.” All the good men, “with confidence, selfesteem and a sense of humour...snapped up.” Good news! There is a lid for every pot. Mind vou, some singles prefer to stay as woks. With over 300,000 single raales in the Lower Mainland, (330,000 single females), vou both have a great opportunity to meet plenty of male friends and maybe a Prince Charming. A few years back I was at a singles dinner, sitting next to a young Jady (about your ages). “Look at char hunk, that’s my kind of guy,” she com- mented. I inquired curiously: “Just what do you find attractive in a man?” She replied: “Well I like them bald and abour 20 to 30 pounds heavier than normal.” “What a relief,” I thought, “there is hope for me regard- less of size, shape and thinning hair.” The conversation around the table proved very interesting to everyone, especially the ladies after a number of the men expressed a preference for larger women. Sit and watch the Passing parade, couples arm in arm ~ tall, short, thin or heavy -— most are nor in the “beautiful people” category, but they love one another regardless. They are beautiful ro each other. That's what matters. You both look like pretty neat ladies to me, a little less whining and playing the “victim game” and you would both scrub up fine. The men would be waiting in Jinc. As the organizer of events for singles on the North Shore, - (over 500 events every year) it’s clear that you as a woman want the same as the men: a safe, ftiendly nurturing environ- ment where you can mect singles as friends, cnjoy the experi- ence and maybe find that special person. If you think that you are, “looking for love in the wrong places,” you probably are. Len Macht TGIF Singles North Vancouver Nath Shore News. founged at 1869s an independent suburban newspaper and qualtes under Schedule 111. Paragrapt 111 of the Excise Tax Act, 1S published each Wednesday. Friday and Sunday by North Shore Free Press, Ltd and detnbuted to every door on the tiorth Shore Canada Post Canadian Publications Maik ‘Sales Product Agreement No 9087238 Maing rates available on request &% a eae onary Peyoea here Distribution Manager 986-1337 (124) the opportunity. And that is bad for the entire province -—- native and non- native alike. f 1 WSS Gawe To DO4 aKlo0n «30UT iit -~ GOING TO SE SAYIN: “WE ALMOST 4Ave CONTRO ~ ALt WE HAVE To DO iS KEEP GETING RID OF THE MopeRATes" AND THEN ONE OF THEM WAS Sik XTREMISTS. “HEY |] GOING To PHONE INDIA AND ASK IF HE COULD BORROW THEIR | | po THIS CARTOON NUCLEAR DEvIce BUT THEey | STARTED To GET Worried AgouT DEATA THREATS AND PECIDED To Curing smoking the humane way NOBODY could ever accuse this column of being a mouthpiece for Glen Clark and his NDP stormtroopers. But in the sole matter of their anti- smoking battle ’'m with them all the way. First, however, a per- sonal contession. Having puffed like a chimney niyself for more than half 2 century before some as yer unexplained miracle enabled me to quit “cold turkey,” [have nothing bur sympathy for smok- ers, They've yet to enjoy the pleasures of my own five weed-free years — never having to worry again about where I°m allowed to light up; rediscovering how good food can taste, and buying all kinds of little luxuries with the $250 3 month I used to donate to Ortawa, Victoria and Imperial Tobacco. So T was more than a little saddened by recent newspaper editorials dumping all over the BC. government’s financial atrack on Canada’s big three cigarette manufacturers. Victoria is demanding a new licensing fee costing the weed-inak- ers $20 million a year with a ban on any price increases, and is also launching a $1.3 billion lawsuit against the industry to recover health-related costs. Sheer hypocrisy, thundered the opin- jon-page pundits. B.C. already takes in nearly halfa billion a year in tobacco taxes and that’s more than plenty to look PETER SPECK Publisher 985-2131 (101) Human Resources Manager 985-2131 (177) donathan Bell Creatve Services Manager 965-2131 (127) 63.582 faverage cireuiadon, Wedesday, Fisay & Suncay) Classified Manager Photography Manager 986-5222 (202) 985-2137 (160) "Dogg Foat 985-2131 (133) Entire contents © 1997 North Shore Free Press Lt. All rights reserved. iter all the provinee’s annual lung can- cer, throat cancer and heart disease vie- tims of what, incidentally, remains a per- tectly legal product. Excuse me, but the pundits in ques- tion seem more than a licde conttsed. [f the ultimate goal — as most respectable news- Papers appear to agree — is to eliminate smok- ing, there's surely noth- ing wrong about mek- ing lite rough right now for the merchants of death. Sure, B.C. may not imoediateiy need that extra $1.3 billion for tubacco- related health costs. Bur as cigarette sales steadily drop, the province will certainly need it over time to replace its current yeariy half-billion in tobacco taxes. In B.C., smokers are already down to around 21% of the overall population, although about one in three teenagers still indulge. So haw to claw the figures down still lower, especially among the kids? Making cigarettes illegal is a non- starter, as prohibition and the current hard drugs scene have long ago proved — costing society untold millions in crime, broken lives and policing that never comes close to halting the under- ground trade. Nor are still higher B.C, taxes a practical option. They wouid sim- ply increase smuggling from provinces like Ontario, where taxes are only half as high. Aside from ongoing education mod- and you LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Letters must include your name, full address & telephone number. VIA e-mail: trenshaw @ direct.ca Managing Editor Comptroller 885-2131 (116) We Trixt Agrios Promotions Manager S8S-2431 (218) "80-0511 (307) intemet- https’ Gall Snelgrove «°".§ Display Manager General Office Manager 985-2131 (165) elled on the suceessfal Counter Attack campaign against drunk driving, the most effective approach is to take a cue treat the aiclines by making it increasingly ditti- cult to find ANYWHERE to smoke. The first step would be to bring the law on smoking in public places under provincial — rather than municipal ~ jurisdiction. This would end the gross unfairness to certain busingsses brought about by differing rules in neighbouring municipalities. Smoking would simply become illegal in any restaurant, pub, store, mall, workplace, transit vehicle or place of public assembiy anywhere in B.C. Pediod. Since house tires and vehicie accidents involve public costs, the province should also work with all insurance companies on a premium discount scheme for the homes and vehicles of non-smokers — with the policy invalidated for cheats. And even hefty fines for discarding ciga- rette butts on city streets could be worth exploring — after all, it works like a charm in Singapore. The beauty of these perfeetly humane measures is that none of them deny the constitutional right of individuals to smoke — provided they drive to some deserted out-of-town field co do it, That might just persuade more and more smokers to seriously consider the even more humane alternative! QG3 WISH HAPPY 58th birthday tomorrow, Nov, 26, to Mount Seymour Lion Bryan Martin. . aa0 : WRIGHT OR WRONG: The road to success has too many tempting parking — places. 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