The Hat Soars Bes beled Shore Five Press Utd., Peder ete Speck, / from 1139 Leasdale Aveane Publisher .: 985-2131 (101) Sd (GEE ~ Human Resources Manager - 986-2131 (177) Dlapiay & Rec’ Estate Fax ‘ earreen Fax Cisasified, Roccunting & Wcia Office Fox Herts Skere News, founded in 1969 as an independent suburban newspaper and qualified under Schedule 113, Pangrigh LU of the Excise Tax Act, is published each Wednesday, Feige Sunday iby Nowy Store Fem ree Lid. and distributed to every door on the Nerth Shore. Cansda Fost Canadian Publications Mail Sales Product Agreement No. 0087238, Mailing rates svailable on, request. Entire contents *) © 199t North Shore ° & ~ Free Press Ltd. tasvewbaet ” All rights reserved, "a ed "tives at the Crown corpo: HB noe ia 3 is My on CANADIAN SECURITY . INTELLIGENCE GERVICE > THE RUSSIANS EMPLOYE D > INDETERMINATE MAM THE WATCHFUL. quotes of tie “J can tell you that the only - people who believe in the viabili- ty of BC Ferries’ car-carrying catamarans are the premier of. this province and the top execu- ration . and their gaggle of highly paid ’ Jackeys hired to agree with them.” -. :,: Marine engineer Robert Ward, on the fast-ferry project. (From an _ April 3 News story.) nao “This is just thrilling. We've . been in a dark tunnel for so isany years and to finally see the ~ light at the end of it is just great.” Bob Eaton, president of Marine and Shipbuilders Union Local tax tales OF ALL the examples of govern- ment . squandering, nothing has angered Canadians more than the gold-plated pension plan our Members of Parliament enjoy — mostly at our expense. To give you an idea of how rich the MP pension plan remains, hold on to your seat and take a look at excerpts from the National Citizens Coalition's “Top 25 MP Pension Porkers.” Here is what the following MPs | .. would receive if they were to retire in 1996 (the first number is the ini- tial annual pension payable imme- diately upon retirement; the sec- ond number. is the total payout to age 75): AN OL Trick To SLIP AN BER OF MOLES PAST Eves ar StS wreelc 506, on Premier Glen Clark's announcement that $45 million in fast-ferry contracts would go to North Shore shipyards. (From an April 3 News story.) — ; O00 “T think it’s easy to under- stand that the events of this _ week have forced me to re-evalu- ate whether or not the institu- tion of Parliament needs the | strain that my nomination would have on the job.” West Vancouver-Garibaldi - _MLA David Mitchell, after being appointed then dropped as B.C.’s conflict-of-interest commissioner, on being considered again for the post. (From a March 31 News | story.) @ Bob Speller (Lib): $22, 540; $1,870,219 Nelson Riis (NDP): $51, 906; "$1,812,422 W Lioyd Axworthy (Lib): $64, 593; $1,807,307 ‘Mac Harb (Lib): $23, 570; $1,745,743 #4 Ron ‘MacDonald (Lib): $22,540, $1,741,146 8 Jim Karygiannis (Lib): $22,540; } $1,741,146 $22,540; @ Bob Nault (Lib): $1,741,146 @ Jean Chretién (Lib): $95,827; $1,697,384. — From Tales from. the Tax Trough Ill, a National Citizens Coalition publication. mews viewpoint “{ HAVE often Lad to eat my own words,” wrote Winston Churchill, “and I have found them a wholesome dict.” That puts your humble scribe right up . in Churchill's class in the matter of the fired North Van School Board. In a col- umn a couple of weeks ‘ago on school district amalgamations I wrote that the board — $5:million in the glue and headed for a further $4 million deficit in the coming year — had been “fired by the education minister for gross financial incompetence.” This comment deeply hurt fired school board chairman Guy Heyw who insisted the main problem was provincial underfunding. However,’ local bungling was the way then-minister Art Charbonneau told it reportedly advised by North Van NDP MLA David Schreck. Seems one’ can never trust these guys, even once in a while, to get it right. So now Mr. Heywood and his board have been declared “not. guilty’ by none other than the caretaker trustee appointed to replace them. ,, Former Lions Gate Hospital administrator Bob Smith's meticul detailed report, submitted to Victoria last week, demonstrates amonig i mass of statistical research that North Van School District has indeed b ‘Mainland school districts: ; j Last year North Van's ‘per-student funding, q third lowest in all of B.C., was $141, per si For the 17, 166 students that amounted to of $2.4 million. This year the equivalent s f will be $2.8 million. "That's the good news | for Mr: yw ; ‘fired colleagues. It suggests that the le The bad news is that Smith's pee calling. on Rasisey to kick in‘an ext DISTRICT | school board chair.’ would be no additional funding. So he ha man Guy to recommend nasty medicine to eliminate oe “HOt gui year’s looming $4-million shortfall if Victoria har Y tough — including personnel cuts equivalent t - Wachers, 24 support staff. and five administrators, plus $5 ‘increases, / That's 1996-97. The existing ‘accuniulated $5 million in red ink, Smith says, will have to be paid off out of annual operating funds over a od “of as long as 10 years. Meanwhile, Mr. Heywood notes a big cost-cuiting for school districts is: government control of collective bargaini whi h can impose agreements that a board may be unable to afford. ”, Today, however, he and his fellow-trustees can at least hold their heads high once more —~ and as spring blossoms, maybe contemplate the hsppy possibility of more competent new masters soon in Victoria IN WEST VAN send happy birthday wishes this Easter Stinda pril 7 to Martha Brueckel; ditto tomorrow, April 8, to Peter Black; and more of the same Tuesday, April 9, to Joannz Disher. Se WRIGHT OR WRONG: Pick a job you love and you'll live happit without ever doing a day's work. Suite resolution Council long age exhausted its excuses for inaction in resolving the municipality’s decade-long battle over secondary suites. The issue, which has been on and off district agendas since 1986, returned for another round in the ‘interminable debate at the March 25 council session. But there could be light at the end of the illegal suite tunnel. As astute Ne VANCOUVER District - - Counciller Ernie Crist stated: “I can’t think of any other studies that we could possibly do. We’ve delayed and delayed on this issue until we have run cut of excuses.” Amen. District council's ili-conceived and impractical five-year phase-out of illegal suites coupled with the legalization of in-law suites launched in 1987 succeed- ed in punishing honest landlords and squandering district resources to defend itself against citizen challenges to the whole mess in B.C. Supreme Court. Secondary suites have been and will continue to be a valuable component of local affordable rental stock and a viial source of income for homeowners seek- ing to pay off mortgages. The cost and logistics of any municipality attempting to police illegal suites and ‘prosecute ' their landlords are overwiielming. “ itisa municipal mug’s game," |) The price tag for registering th 28 suites of the landlords, who eventually. stepped forward under the district five-year phase-out plan and the costs of the program itself run close.to $200,000. involvement in the secondary. suite: : issue by the district, as with any munic- " ipality, should be restricted to maintain-. ing basic building code and safety stan- — dards for suites and responding to spe- ‘; cific written complaints about suites.°. Anything more is unnecessary and . unworkable government intervention in the free market system.