Union ques ¢ ET OUT 3 your. wallets folks: is Big g- Union payoff time again for the NDP ee government and you will be footing the bill. - First on the list of payoffs is: the new Vancouver Island Highway ‘project’ negotiat- ed by Employment and Investment Minister Glen Clark, who made sure the $1 billion project went to unionized labor, which is no surprise if you anderstand the NDP’s skewed : - socialist vision of the marketplace. a «The real’ socialist stinker in the ‘whole ° affair, however, is the revelation from Liberal © '. Opposition members that part'of.the con- - tract negotiated by Clark provides for direct ~ taxpayer ‘payments: to’ various, union - “advancement” - “administration” ‘and - “iaprovement” funds, . ‘For example, 15 cents ‘per hour per -employee willl, be funneled into the funds of MEWS QUOTES ~ *Y can’t think of anybody that hasn’t been mad at the North Shore News at one time or anoth- er.” News publisher Peter Speck, on complaints from multicultural rep- Tesentatives about the News. (From a May 8 News special report on malticulturalisin.) “It’s absurd. It’s stupid. All we’re saying is when people News Associate alism.) Publisher Managing Edita Associate Editor. . Noel Wright Sales & Marketing Directo .Linda Stewart Comptroller... ceceeesseee ...Daug Foot North Shore News, founded in 1969 as an independent suburban newspaper and qualified under Schedule 1t1, Paragraph 111 of the Excise . Tax Act, is published each Wednesday, Friday and Sunday by North Shore Free Press Ltd. and distributed ta every door on the North Shore. Canada Post Canadian Publications Mail Sales Product Agroement No. 0087238. Mailing rates available on request. Submissions are welcome but we cannot accept responsibility for unsolicited material including manuscripts_ and pictures which should be accompanied by a stamped, addressed lope. Peter Speck imothy Renshaw Display Advertising Newsroom tT eunuare 1 139 Lonsdale V7M 2H4 . immigrate ... they have some obligation to absorb themselves into the country and the customs — of that country. And if that’s racist, then, yes, I’m a racist.” Wright, responding to charges from multicultural spokesmen that his column is racist. (From a May 8 | News special report on multicultur- Real Estate Advertising 985-6982 Classified Advertising North Vancouver 8.C, North Shore Managed each union involved, except the Steelworkers’ Union, which will get 25 cents per employee hour. The scandalous and blatant payoff will help the NDP consolidate future Big Union votes and will add an estimated $2 million to the Island Highway project. But that’s chump change when compared ‘with the more broad-based NDP Skills Development and Fair Wage Act, which ‘entrenches union-scale wages on construc- . tion projects funded by the government. - A report released last year Dy a trio of uni- - versity professors estimated that the fair . wage policy: of the NDP government would cost B.C. taxpayers an extra ‘$100 million per year. nothing fair about socialism. — It is an expensive and incestuous business. OF THE WEEK “I’m as old as the hills, my carcass aches, but from time to time my brain still engages and I’m able to tap out a few words some people find amusing or informative and, on good days, both together.” News sports columnist Jim Kearney, on producing his column for the North Shore News. (Fre ‘on a May 1] News story.) Editor Noel 980-0511 986-1337 986-1337 985-3227 965-2131 Oistribution Subscriptions Fax Administration 986-6222 985-2131 this newspaper contains recycled fibre MEMBER SD4 OIVISION 61,582 (average circulation, Wednesday, Friday & Sunday) Entire contents © 1994 North Shore Free Press Ltd. All rights reserved. There is ‘nothing fair aboiit the policy and 200 to en up as Las Vegas THE LAST thing Greater Vancouver needs is a three- quarter ofa billion-dollar casino develapment on its eastside harborfront. Coming fron a diehard gambler Q havent ance missed my Wwice- weekly 6/49 flatter in 10 years), (his blunt rejection of Las Vegas’ giftto mankind, promoter Stephen Wynn, may seem a little cruel, But after pondering the mater for 30 seconds or less, one realizes the kindest thing would be to tell him to stay back home on The Strip. No point, surely, in keeping Mr. Wynn banging on hopefully, when a referendum would almost certain- ly turn his Vancouver scheme down flat, and when there are so many sound reasons why Vancouver vot- ers should give thumbs down to oue of bis mammoth gambling ghetios, . First, the city's tourism industry is perfectly able to prosper. without it. Lus Vegas was originaliy desert, and Atlantic City, a seedy New Jersey resort. Both would have remitined unloved and unwanted without the lift that big-time gam- ing brought them. By contrast, Vancouver is a: jewel created by nature — ranking with San Francisco, Sydney, Capetown, Rio de Janeiro and - Singapore as one of the world’s six most beautiful cities. ; Non-gambling tourists will con- tinue to flock here for that reason alone, together with all the other attractions the city and its surround. - ings offer. Second, Vancouver shops, ; restaurants, hotels and other tourist amenities outside the casino com- plex would gain virtually nothing. Visiting gamblers would arrive solely in order to pour cash into the black hole of the complex itself — the gaming tables, slot machines, “ bars, accommodation and eateries: After their money ran out, 90% of them would head straight back home, never having glimpsed ~ Stanley Park, Robsonstrasse or . Granville Island Market. ' Third, of course, the lure for local gamblers of a harborside Las Vegas would deal a potentially lethal blow to B.C.’s charity casi- nos, on which many of the ‘ province’s good causes heavily depend. When widespread hotel gam- bling was introduced in the north- ern Manitoba town of Thompson, the income of charity groups reportedly plummeted by 50%. In Greater Vancouver such groups would stand to lose many millions annually. One other outcome of the Thompson experiment speaks for : itself. The provincial government collected all of the revenue and returned only a token amount. For the small community, the bottom line was an annual net LOSS of $1.2 million when com- pared with the pre-gambling era. Sadly, however, opponents of big-time profil gambling in Vancouver are ot yet out of the woods, despite their strong case. Mike Harcourt and his merry men are currently conducting a six- month review of the province's gaming laws which could, the pre- mier has hinted, result in their “pos- sible expansion.” Such an easing of the legislation HITHER AND YON. would be needed before the : Vancouver casino project could go | ahead. Moreover, if it eventually did get the nod, Victoria could look — forward to raking in a badly needed ; $250 million a year, or more, in new revenue. : we And that, alas, remains a mighty. powerful argument for ramming Las Vegas North down Vancouver's throat —- like it or. lump it! SCRATCHPAD: There’s a second :, special reason for North Van : Chamber of Commerce members .and guests to book (987-4488) by . noon Tuesday for the Thursday, «.. May 19, “Take’A Police Officer To’ Lunch” meeting, 11:30 a.m. for.12~: noon, at the North Shore Winter - Club — guest speaker is Steve.“ --: Tambellini, media and PR voice of: “the high-flying Vancouver Canucks. . Joining president-elect Ian. . : : Andrews, West Van Kiwanis Club’s new 1994-1995 slate of officers are past prez Gerry * McDowell, veepees Bill Davidson - and Cor Stéenken, secretary ‘Ted " ‘Schootman and treasurer Steve. ‘Knight’... Proceeds of the North * Van Kiwanis Clnb’s Mother’s Day plant sale last weekend went very appropriately to Deep Cove’s Badger family, whose two young . children are stricken with'a rare neurological disease ... And many :: happy returns of today, May 15, to . Mount Seymour Lions birthday boy = - Jamie Innes. : WRIGHT OR WRONG soe _ Phyllis Diller’s advice: Never go to _ bed mad. sty up and fi ight ; MIKE HARCOURT we tempter. tion beckons. :