6 - Wednesday, September 28, 1988 - North Shore News for voting on the FTA STOP WORRYING ABOUT FREE TRADE — or, more precisely, about not understanding it. Deciding how to vote on the issue in the upcoming election is simple, really. First, be clear about one thing. We're not going to learn a single useful new fact about the Free Trade Agreement between now and polling day. Trade Minister John Crosbie — who himself hasn't bothered to read it all — obviously came to the same con- clusion early on. Even the lawyers who drafted its 1,407 boring pages haven’t a clue what they mean in real-life, flesh-and-blood terms. So we’re left with nothing but the tor- rent of propaganda for and against. In this, the word to note is “net. Free traders promise lots of new jobs and not too many lost — so there'll be a NET employment by Canada Customs — hence a NET gain to consumers. U.S. in- vestors outnumbering Canadian investors spells a NET gain in in- vestment. The elephant feeds the good mouse, but may clobber a naughty mouse. The opposition merely reverses net gains in net LOSSES —- inean- ing the mouse gets clobbered anyhow. Meanwhile, just how “net IS ‘net’??? With the final answer 10 years away, nobody’s figures are any better than this wecek’s lotto numbers. Nervous Nellies have another query: why are those tough Yankee horse tratters so keen on the deal? Are they just biding time before trying to mess with our medicare, welfare, old age pensions, culture, Having so far been na help to you at all, your scribe — a small- time closet gambler — humbly of- fers his personal plan fer your consideration. I'll vote free trade for the same reason titat I have a weekly flutter on the 6/49, Whatever the odds, I can't win unless I enter. And the stake is small, actually, compared to the jackpot because of one other “net”? in the pact — the ultimate safety net of the six-month cancellation clause if we find those horse traders have taken us after all. But play your own numbers. They’re as good as the next on free trade lotto! REMEMBER ... you first read the forecast here in July and Monday Great Event’’ promotion cost one or two expensive Wedgwood cups along the way — no fault of balancer Ron Peters of Carter Motors but due, we're told, to a wobbly jack ... Welcome hame to North Van Kiwanian Ranjit Khosla, back from vacationing with his family in Kenya ... Kit- sitano High's Class of ‘53 also wants classmates who DIDN'T graduate at their 35th reunion bash this Friday ane Saturday, Sept. 30 and Oct. 1. If you happen to be one of them, call Judy (Boyd) Balcom, 263-3422, for info right now ... Blood is running low again, so they need you badly ai the special donor clinic sponsored by West Van Legion tomorrow, Sept. 29, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at West Van Secondary ... And happy 52nd birthday tomorrow, Sept. 29, to North Van accountant Brian McCreudie — hubby of News travel and food columnist Barbara, ke WRIGHT OR WRONG: Funny how many tourists travel to see things that are different and then beef Because they aren't t thesame! @ energy and water in the sacred if i night it happened, when name of trade equity American- Capilano-Howe Sound Liberals nominated West Van 5 John Pozer as their catididate in the upcoming election. The riding, like much of B.C., is hardly a happy hunting ground for federal Grits just now. But longtime resident Pozer has a fairiy high — and recent — profile in the community for his contribu- tions to last year’s 75th Anniver- sary celebrations and he’s been round the block a few times when it comes to promotion. How far he can eat into ‘Tory MP Mary Col- Hins’ 15,000 lead over his 1984 predecessor Dave Brousson re- mains to be seen, but he’s not quite the best news of the week for her. gain. Lower prices for imports will more than offset the higher sales tax needed to replace money lost NEWS photo Mike Wakefleid GRIT HCPEFUL COLLINS challenge. POZER, TOR > vet 15,000-vote tAG 1. . . ORY MI a 15,000-vote EASY DOES IT! ...Carter Motors service manager Ron Peters gingerly coaxes the wheel of a Rolls Royce on to a fragile Wedgwood teacup at Park Royal's ‘‘Great Britain Great Event’* promotion. SIGN-OFF: Parking the Rolls Royce on the chinaware at Park Royal’s current ‘‘Great Britain - ero DOYOU THINK | WEWILEVER | BE COMPENSATED? MAYBE, YEARS FROM NOW WHEN A GOVERNMENT 18 IN_ TROUBLE AND ABOUT TO CALL AN ELECTION... Olympian fall HEN CANADIAN sprinter Ben Johrson vanquished arch rival Carl Lewis Friday night he was super humaa. The image of unbridled power exploding down the track, the seem- ing ease of victory, the promise of grand reward for being the fastest man in the world and the perfect, sheer glory of the moment — placed him beyond the mortal realm. Consequently, Johnson’s fall, after he tested positive for an anabolic steroid, has been of Olympian propor- . ticns. i While making the announcement during a televised press conference in Seoul, Canadian chef de mission Carol Aane Letheren asked the public to remember that Johnson was a humaa being. Therein lies the crux of the matter. What happened — if the sparse thread of a tale about his sabotaged water bottle is to be discounted — was stupid and wrong. The Olympic games are dirty with drugs. Johnson simply provided a spectacular ex- ample of a problem running rampant in both amateur and professionai circies in ihe name of bigger, faster and better, Greed and ego, goaded and pushed by nationafistic fervor, conspired to push the athlete to run with the gods. In the process, the all-too-huinman Johnson stumbled and fell. We are all to blame. ——~ SS (oe OARANESE INTERN Arn axe an: iii eae 980-0511 986-6222 985-2131 986-1337 986-1337 985-3227 Display Advertising Classified Advertising Newsroom Distribution Subscriptions Publisher... .Feter Speck Managing Editor Barrett Fisher Associate Editor Noel Wright Advertising Director Linda Stewart North Shore News, tourdea in (969 as a1 nidepe erates sl suburban newspaper and qualihed ander Scr i ul of the Eacise Tan Act, ts publ 1139 Lonsdale Avenue, North Vancouver, B.C V7M 2H4 59,170 (average. 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