6 -— Friday, July 12, 1991 - North Shore News INSIGHTS ee OCPTEAIBER: QUIEK-FROZEN FOR genet alm NEWS VIEWPOINT Political. footballs ORTH VANCOUVER District Council’s inability to do the job it was elected to do should be a grow- ing concern for the whole municipality. Last week council dithering boiled over into heated public debate after council members failed to agree on how to irmple- ment a district housing strategy. The strat- egy was based on recommendations from a community task force and district social planning staff. And it was hardly con- troversial stuff: Identify suitable sites for assisted hous- ing deveicpment; identify private land that might be acquired by the district for af- fordable housing; prepare specific recom- mendations on providing housing for all income groups; etc. The report of the community task force was approved by council last December; the strategies contained in the report were put together over a two-year period and appear to contain excellent common-sense guidelines for the future development of housing in North Vancouver District. But political posturing and _ personal vendettas within the new district council have hobbled its ability to deal with im- poriant municipal business. Residents sltiould heed Ald. Paul Turner’s suggestion to attend council meetings to find out for themselves what is, or is not, going on. He promised that it would be better than Monday night foot- bail. It would certainly feature more missed tackles, more lonz bombs and more Hail Mary passes; and it might also inspire calls ftom the sidelines for a new coach and 2 whole new team. LETTER OF THE DAY Seniors selfish about school taxes Dear Editor: I was surprised at the pain and anguish expressed by certain seniors at the recent reduction in school taxes received by the average North Vancouver home- owner. For many years the North Van- couver homeowner has paid the highest taxes in the province, despite prolonged correspondence with the various ministers of education by the North Vancouver School Board, the two North Publisher Managing Editor Associate Editor Advertising Director Comptroller North Shore News, founded in 1969 as an independent suburban newspaper and quaiitied under Schedule 111, Paragraph III of the Excise Peter Speck Timothy Renshaw Noe! Wright Linda Stewart Doug Foot Vancouver municipalities and the Chamber of Commerce. Last year, the government saw fit to reduce the burden on the most heavily burdened taxpayers by giving an additional grant equal to 25% of school taxes in excess of the basic grant. The average North Vancouver home- owner benefitted to the tune of $100. This year the homeowners received a grant equal to 50% of the excess school taxes, and once Display Adverttsing 980-0511 Real Estate Advertising 985-6982 Classified Advertising Newsroom 985-2131 TUE VOICE OF MOTH AHO WERT WARCOUVER Distribution Subscripticns 986-6222 Fax Administration again the North Vancouver homeowners will benefit better than the average, as those who pay most will benefit most. Eventually the government in- tends to remove school taxes from nearly ali homeowners and, when that day comes, we can expect to hear screams of anguish from the selfish seniors when they have to pay the same as every one else: nothing. Ernest Sarsfield North Vancouver Nortn Shore B managea 986-1337 986-1337 985-3227 985-2131 MEMBER Tax Act. is pubished each Wednesday, Fnday and Sunday oy North Shore Free Press Lid and distribuied to every door on the North Shore Second Class Mail Regrstration Number 3885 Subscriptions North and West Vancouver. $25 pet year. Mailing tates avaitable on fequest north shore, SUNDAY © WEONERDAY + FRIDAY ry 1139 Lonsdale Avenue, North Vancouver, B.C. + sk Wi VAN] satan: SDA OlviStON Subrmussions are welcome bul we cannot accept responsidiity fos urtedicited material including manuscripts and piclures which should be accompanied by a stamped, addressed envelope. V7M 2H4 61,582 (average circulation, Wednesday. Friday & Sunday) Entire contents 1991 North Shore Free Press Ltd. All rights reserved. Saving Canada means sticking to principles EFFICIENCY IN government is the vital need, right? Wrong, say two U of Calgary professors. Efficiency in government is dangerous. When conventional] wisdom is shot down as ruthlessly as that, one has to take a hard look at the gunmen — in this case historian David Bercuson and political scientist Barry Cooper. Writing in the Financial Post about Canada’s constitutional problems, the two attack the call nowadays from many quarters to make Confederation more ‘‘effi- cient’’ by ‘‘rationalizing”’ it. The basis of a constitution must be principles, they maintain. Mere mechanical efficiency — com- promises in the name of conve- nience — won't do. The makers of the U.S. con- stitution, unshakably dedicated to fundamental principles, deliber- ately built inefficiencies into their governments. They feared gov- ernments obsessed solely with ef- ficiency would threaten individual liberty. The result, as we all know is that Congress can seem a cumbersome, slow-moving body compared to Canada’s majority- dominated, whip-disciplined Parliament. Protected by fixed-term elec- tions, Representatives and Senators can put their constituents and home states ahead of their party. But Congress gets there in the end, and often with a far higher standard of debate on ma- jor issues than ever seen in Ot- tawa. The professors add two other telling points. If efficiency is the main goal of government, its best form is obviously ‘‘administrative despotism.’” That’s pretty close to what Canada already suffers for up to five years at a time. By the same token, there's no denying that Hitler and Stalin ran two superbly ‘‘efficient’’ governments. As to “‘efficiency’’ in day-to- day government operations, remember, too, that the things we ask government to do for us — like universal Medicare at afford- able premiums — are things the private sector can’t or won't do for us. So as long as we want the Iot and want it NOW, government can never be in the economic effi- ciency business. Where are Messrs Bercuson and Cooper leading us? Simply to this. Any revamped Canadian con- stitution must be founded on PRINCIPLES, not efficiency. Specifically, on the principles that 75-80% of all Canadians agree on, including supremacy of the te = - HITHER AND YON Charter of Rights. If that’s not “‘efficient’’ enough for Quebec’s separatist 15-20%, say the professors, tough luck — and, if inevitable, ‘‘Bon voyage!’ POSTSCRIPTS: Recipient of a golden pat on the back is the Capilano Sportsmens Club with a $4,875 cheque just presented to it by West Van-Howe Sound MLA John Reynolds, who cited the Club’s ‘‘important services”’ in hunter training, gun safety and promotion of sport for the dis- abled, The cheque was one half of a $9,750 GO B.C. Lottery Grant to upgrade clubhouse facilities ... If a garden in your neighborhood is a joy to all passers-by, nominate it for the North Shore Block Beautiful Awards, a North Shore Gardens Contest project coordinated by Rete (‘I thought I'd retired’") McKay. Judging for the Gold, Silver and Bronze will be in early August with the nominations deadline July 31 — call 986-9141 ... And tomorrow, Saturday, preview the brains-’n- beauty entrants in Gertie Todd's 40th Miss North Shore Pageant, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Chevron car wash, 23rd and Lonsdale. WRIGHT OR WRONG — Mahatma Gandhi when asked once what he thought of Western civilization: ‘‘I think it would be a good idea,’’ he said. Photo submitted SPORTSMEN’S CLUB president Mark (left) with gift-bearer John Reynolds, MLA.