never fails. A week or two after a municipal decision to put up a uilding or put in a road, our phone and fax lines begin lighting up with howls of protests from locals who, typically, complain that the first _ they heard of the new construction was when they actually saw a tree coming down. And so it was on the heels of North Vancouver District council’s recent approval of a three-rink arena on Mount Seymour Parkway. on their favorite walk they came across a chainlink fence strung across their path. Further investigation revealed Signs stating a new ice rink facility was pending construction at the site. “What!” they protested. “We weren’t even asked about it!” mailbox Dear Editor: | editor). where citizens can dispo: zen’s point of view. _telations? To store more e-mail —~ from whom? more than alittle confused. a 4 discount: \ a Alex Jung ret North Vancouver Mailbox policy number, HEE MNCIMESEEZACS erat | Ska um Distribution Manager 986-1337 (124) @ — Friday, March 13, 1998 — North Shore News One couple wrote that while out” Lunacy not limited s oN. Van District Re: More district lunacy (Feb. 27 News letter to the Garbage lunacy is not limited to the (North Vancouver) district — it’s flourishing in the city as well. Obviously, neither municipality can be labeled “advanced” se of unwanted articles twice a year. But why pollute parks? Wouldn't it be far more effec- -», tive-to_ get councillors” attention if people dumped old ovals. ‘TVs, fridges ... right at the doorsteps of the district/city hall? That'd force them to think “garbage” from the citi- Re: NV City goes for pricey laptops (Feb. 20 News story). I was unaware, that I, one of the taxpayers, am obligated to pick up the tab of $37,800 for the notebook computers for the councillors. And the purpose is what? To serve us better? To “improve” on non-existent public T;. the taxpayer, have already contributed generously ’- towards the ‘construction of the expensive cafeteria and board rooms. And the idea behind this was — wha? [’'m I wonder what the future holds for all of us. It seems, they. all would be still there, business “as usual.” I just hope that when the time for Depends comes, they’d at last show some consideration to taxpayers and go for a bulk LETTERS to the editor must be legible (preferably type- written) and include your name, full address and telephone Worth Shore News. founded in 1969 as an independent suburban newspaper wader Schedule 111, Paragraph 111 of the Excise Tax Act, is gubkshed each Wednesday. Friday; and Sunday by Horth Shore Free Press Ltd. and distributed to every door on the North ‘Shore. Canada Post Canadian Pybtcations Mat ‘Sales Product Agreement io, 0087238. Mailing rates avartabie on eequest. 61.582 (average crmtatron, Weanesdty Fray 4 Sunday) north shere news Truth is, they were. The nine-year process to make a new ice rink in the district a reality was played out at numerous public and council meet- ings, advertised through dozens of ads in this newspaper, and announced on large bilfboards placed in areas near the proposed facility. It’s possible these folks don’t pay attention to council meetings, don’t read their community newspaper and don’t pay any mind to large bill- boards filled with development codes and colored maps. ‘Nobody says they have to do any of those things. However, to raise a fuss after, in the case of the arena, an exhaustive public input process, does nothing but needlessly inflame a community. It’s called participatory democracy for a reason. VIEWPOINT Get in the game ASIAN FLU Ole INGE Schamborzki obviously was a problem. But she wasn’t the ultimate problem. bers that chose Schamborzki — and then, bullheadedly and arro- gantly and stupidly renewed her contract while the evidence of months of deadlock between her and doctors and unionized staff at Lions Gate Hospital was right before their eyes — were a problem. But even they weren’t the ultimate problem. The New Democratic Party govern- ment that institutionalized “closer to hore” (i.¢., “closer to chaos” in the lem. What really gor the New Dems” tum- tum when they looked at the previous system was, [’d wager, that they were determined to get rid of local control of hospitals run by “conservative” boards that prohibited abortions. (If vou know of a current board mem- ber anywhere in B.C. who has publicly expressed antipathy to abortion, please get in touch. I'd like to have that men- ber stuffed and put in my collection of hens’ teeth and dodos.) Under the former system most hospi- tals were directed by boards chosen by a few hundred people who bothered to belong to the society that ran them. That was scant democracy. So the NDP — whose middle name is and quaitind Jonathan Bell Ci Services Manager Ph hy Classified Manat Creative Sera jotography Managet lassiti ger, 985-2131 (127} 985-2131 (160) 996-6222 (202) The North Shore Health Board mem- North Shore health region) was the prob- Entire contents @ 1997 North Shore Free Press tid. All nights teserved “Democratic” — triumphantly solved the problem of this low democratic participa- tion. Ir made the boards entirely undemoc- ratic. Nota single member of any board in this province is currently elected. They are ail appointees. (Elections will come — some day. In 1996 the government backed off its commit- ment to hold them.) The present boards have no democratic legitimacy at all. With typical NDP ~ faux democracy, they're volunteers who eagerly stepped forward and from whom the government made its appaintments. Of the 20 NSHB members in 1996, one was a retired doctor who’d move on to administration, and one was a lab tech- nologist. The others were administrators, sacial workers, former union execs, etc. (there were a lot of “formers”). Later there was a doctor’s and a health care worker's rep — both of whom resigned last September when, as Dr. Peter Richards said, “The current depth of antipathy between the [hospital] medical staff and the board is unprecedented.” These people directed a $160 million- a-year budget. High on the fashionable but fuzzy “preventive medicine” kick as some, | can attest, were, they appor- tioned $100 million to Lions Gate Hospital and $60 million or more to other care facilities and programs. Was that the right ratio? 1 don'r know. What’s certain is that anecdotal com- thy Renshaw Managing Editor 985-2131 (116) LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Letters must include your name, full address & telephone number. VIA e-mail: trenshaw @ direct.ca lnternet- http//wrew.nsnews.cam NDP at the root of health problems plaints about the hospital and from sav- | agely stressed staff have soared. And that both doctors and union staff found Schamborzki intolerable and broke off all relations wich her. _ Bur, no matter how well-meaning the board was, it builheadedly, arrogantly, stupidly — I repcat — refused to back down or back up. Inge was their gal. ‘The board was Inge’s people. Unbelievably, board members renewed her contract fora further pvo years while deep in this dead- lock. Where the hell was their ordinary common sense? " In the end Schamborzki and the board went down in flames together. The real. power — the health minister and ministr — stepped in and the charade. of local control and board independence col- : lapsed. : mo So much for Amateur Night at the Bijou. The lesson comes across in big let- « ters: No one can handle medical matters ~ as well as the pros — the doctors, the |. front-line troops who in a litigious age have to make critical decisions minute by © minute about patients pleading for, . demanding, restoration to pertect heaith © at Biblical speed. : Think of that the next time the dema- gogues of the NDP and the too-often- complicit media portray doctors as greedy, golfplaying fat cats. Shame!’ Does . that describe your own doctor? , Q090 It may be the first and last time that the placeline “North Vancouver, B.C.” appears on the front page of the presti-. gious Wall Street Journal. But there it’: was in last Monday’s edition, ina story’ about the five-storey mausoleum being ~~” built near Capilano College. : Michael Becker - News Editor Trixi Agrics Oisclay Manager Promotions Manager Genera! Oftice Manager - 985-2131 (114) 980-0511 (166) 985-2131 (218) 965-2131 (105) Andrew McCredie - Sports/Contmunity Exfitar 985-2131 (147)