6 ~ Wednesday, March 10, 1999 — North Shore News north shore news VIEWPOINT Taxing times AMILIES need to start making some noise in this country. Too many other squeaky wheels are getting the grease, and the tradition- al family is getting short-changed. Again. Lord knows we don’t need any more complaining in this land of complainers and special interest agen- das. But there should be a how! from sea to shining sea over the tax burden currently being dragged by Canadian families. A recently released study from the C.D. Howe Institute confirms what you already know: government is soaking you beyond a reasonable measure, That applies to everyone across this overtaxed land, but it applies espe- cially to families with children. According to the institute’s study, middle-income, single-earner families are now being taxed as heavily as fam- ilies without children. That is a taxa- tion torpedo to the traditional solar plexus of Canadian society. Meanwhile, a study from the Vanier Institute of the Family reports that the income tax burden for famti- lies has doubled over the past three decades. And income tax is only one tax that Canadian families and all Canadians have to pay. There is sales tax, there is the GST; there are hidden costs and taxes at every turn. Taxation and its proliferation in Canada have become key issues in eroding the quality of life and the vitality of initiative across this once great land. Families have been too quiet about its impact for too long. maibe x imported holy wars are not needed here Dear Editor: Re: Mailbox: Reader takes issue with article on Iran (Feb.3). Whoa! Hold da phone! Ifthe current regime in Jran were busily going around, just doing the work of Allah, harmless- ly spreading the word, in non-violent ways, then I have only one question: Why are there about 20,000 Iranians over here presumably trying to stay as far away as possible from their troubled homeland? May we please have an esse" or. that one? I’ve never been to Iran. Bur P've get neighbours here who have lived there for a major part of their lives. The sto- ries they have told me about the present government there coincide nicely with your original article. And I believe ’ them. One neighbour had to make two trips back there, and + the last time, it took him 18 months to get his property sold _ and the money out of the country. This man is not in Our own government is enough of a challenge without : taking on anyone else's. And as for the revolution over there, thar was then, and this is now. Let’s look toward tomorrow, . and not the pasr. Ray Sutton North Vancouver Sort Shore Mews, founded m 1969 23 an INMependeTt suburl an newspaper and quathed unde; Schedule 111. Paragraph 111 of the Exerse Tax Act, is pubintnd each Wedrn day, Friday ang Sunday by Witte Shore Free Press Utd and dtnbuted ty evtey door on the North ‘Shore. Canada Post Canagan Pubkcabans Mod ‘Sales Proguct Agreement Na, 0087238 - Barbara Emo Distribution Manager 906-1337 (124) Jonathan Ball Creative Services Manager 98S-2131 (127) 61, S82 (average circulation, Wednesday, Friday & Sunday) JEEZ...UHAT A DAY! MORE. FAST FERRY DISASTERS, THE DEFICIT IS GUT OF CONTROL $0.G000 To BE HOME, SS EY‘ ween 8 TE oer Ad 40 BLO Ore Pa A sure way to fall for anyii THE busybodies dedicated to erasing every last trace of Canada’s original Christian cul- ture have dreamed up yet anoth- er target — the time-honoured courtroom oath. No more swearing on the Bible to “tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing bur the truth, so help you God” — at least, not if Brosi Nutting, chief judee of the Saskatchewan provincial court, has his way. Judge Nutting, who is spearheading the drive to kick God and His book out of Canada’s halls of justice, wants to substitute “a simple promise to tell the truth” — and I*m sure you've guessed why. “The reason for uhis,” he wrote in a letter to the federal Justice Department, “js che dramatic change in the fabric of Canadian society, which refleets the mul- ticultural character of Canada.” In short, what the good judge and the growing army of his politically correct soulmates are saying is that one more remaining shred of this country’s historic traditions must be junked in order to avoid any risk of upsetting some Vietnamese or Pakistani crack cocaine pedlar summoned to the witness box. Despite the torrent of immigrants of radically different cultures since the late 1970s the core culture of Canada — like the U.S. — remains that of western Christianity. Truc, only 3 modest percent- PETER SPECK Publisher 985-2131 (101) Herman Resources Manager 985-2135 (177) Valerie Stephensos Classified Manages 986-6222 (202) Terry Photography Manages 285-2131 (160) 985-2131 (121 Entire contents © 1997 North Shore Free Press Ltd. All tights reserved. age of Canadians now regularly attend church. But many more still instinctively turn to it at life’s most joyous and most solemn milestones: our marriages, the baptizing of our kids and the funerals of loved ones. Evolving over 2,000 years, Christian Europe is still the primary source of our national values, our concepts of justice, government, caring, tolerance and respect for the individ- ual. Far from perfect we may yet be. But Canada’s Christian cul- ture in itself is hardly something to be ashamed of. Without its welcome to the world’s less fortunate, multicult citizens might still be few and far between. As it is, people from the ends of the earth Hock here to find a better lite. No Christian Canadian (churchgoing or oth- erwise) would deny these latterday mil- lions the right to continue their own tra- ditions and nurture the culture of their own birthplace in their private and com- munity lives among us. Such diversity can enrich all of us. Conversely, if | emigrated to Saudi Arabia, I'd hope for the same right to cel- ebrate Christmas and Easter with fellow expatriates, and even form my own Christian church, How far they'd allow it is, of course, a very different question. But in any event, the last thing I'd ever seck or expect would be for the Saudis to change onc iota of their Islamic traditions simply to avoid the risk of offending ME. Wantonly discarding the historic visi- and yon ble and verbal symbols of a code of behaviour — in our own case, the her- itage of Christian civilization that makes Canada such a tolerant and envied coun- try -— is a dangerous road to tread. At its end lies the black hole of a complete moral and ethical vacuum. So please, Judge Nutting, stop mess- ing around with important things you clearly don’t understand too well — like the symbolic importance, in our Christian culture, of the age-old courtroom cath. As B.C.’s late premier W.A.C. Bennett warned: “If you stand for nothing, you'll fall for anything!” 000 LIONS GATE BRIDGE rehab — what does it mean to you? Project develop- meat director Geoff Freer explains at the West Van Chamber of Commerce spe- cial 7:30 a.m. (S7) breakfast meeting in Hollyburn Country Club this Friday, March 12. Call 926-661- right now — or at very latest by 9 a.m. Thursday — to reserve ... Many happy returns of today, March 10, to West Van's Eve Kemble and North Van's Marion Waine .... Ditto tomorrow, March 11, to West Van Kiwanian Peggy Secord ... Say that again Friday, March 12, to Capilano Kiwanis chairman Reg Gillingham celebrating his 80th ... Same wishes once more Saturday, Mar.13, to North Van’s Michael Conway Baker... . And Golden Anniversary congrats Friday, March 12, to North Van's Denis and Sue Rogers. Qo0a WRIGHT OR WRONG: Lots of peo- ple aim at nothing — and hit it with remarkable precision. LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Letters must include your name, full address & telephone number. VIA e-mail: treashaw @ direct.ca Comptratier Managing Edior ‘985-2731 (116) Acting Display Manager Genera! Office Manages 985-2138 (105) tnternat- http-//feww.asaews.com 985-2181 (218) 080-0511 (307) Michael Becker - News Editor 985-2138 (114) Andrew McCredie - Sports/Community Editor 985-2331 (147)