6 ~ Wednesday, June 22, | i "eae | 1993 ~ North Shore News | MUST HAVE DONE SOMETHING REALLY TERRIBLE... FIN THE ONLY PERSON IN OTTAWA THAT HASNT RECENED A PATRONAGE APPOINTIIENT oug the devil HE PARTY of pleasantness is set to sacrifice one of the cornerstones of democracy to rid the world of North Shore News columnist Doug Col- lins. Its latest and most serious assauli on every B.C. resident’s right to freedom of expression is ostensibly aimed at removing hatred, contempt and other unpleasantness from the rough-and-tumbie world of public discussion. in doing so, the New Democrats for Pleasantness and their Bill 33 would remove from provincial law the right of auy British Columbian to express his or ‘her opinion freely in speech or in writing. But the reali target, as the debate last week in the provincial tegisiature showed, is Mr. Collins. He must be removed, fuzzy ‘NDP heads agree, because he is unpleasant and rude. He also contradicts focal MLAs and has « habit of speaking his mind on subjects that many people would prefer remained locked securely in dark closets. North Vancouver-Lonsdale MLA David Schreck told the legislature last Thursday that the bill was not an attempt to stifle free expression but a way for the victims of hate to seek redress. There was no discussion, however, of what constitutes hate or who is to determine its victims or hew anyone is to define ‘‘an intention to discriminate’ or how a statement is ‘‘likely to 2xpose’? someone or some group to h:ared as outlined in the legislation. For Bill 33, like its authors and the par- ty it represents, is all about vague ideas and foggy liberal thoughts better suited to discussion in a university philosophy class than in the real world. LETTER OF THE DAY NVD: why not congratulate Collins? Open letter to Mayor. Loucks, Ci- remarks. Perhaps that will be rectified by ty of North Vancouver: I was disappointed to witness the cavalier treatment of Doug Collins by Your Worship and some of council. ’ T refer to the June 7 appearance of Collins as a guest before you to speak on the medal matter. As you knew, Collins was, in contrast to his denouncer Lionel! Kenner, roundly applauded by the audience at the conclusion of his Publisher. Managing Editor Associate Editor. . Peter Speck Timothy Renshaw Noel Wright You objected to this in an almost hysterical fashion, threatening us all with dire conse- quences‘should we not immediate- ly sit on our hands. Did you fear the vox populi might desecrate the sanctity of your austere chambers? Or do you just plain fear the popular Col- lins? : How far out of step and antag- onistic you are with the very pro- ple you should represent. Display Advertising 980-0511 Real Estate Advertising 985-6982 Classilied Advertising 986-6222 Distribution Subscriptions 986-1337 fe Fax Administration 985-2131 § ballot in due course. But one point above all: why the omission to properly thank Collins, to congratulate a fine cit- izen so honored by your own con- stituents? Grace of manner, sir, is to be prized. All are not born to it. But it is a happy and enviable state to which we all might aspire. Wildred Blair Surrey ea 7 This newspapet contains recycled fibre 986-1337 fa 985-3227 B Sales & Marketing Director Linda Stewart Comptroller Doug Foot North Shore News, founded in 1969 as an independent suburban newspaper and qualified undet Schedule 111, Paragraph iif ot the Excise Tax Act, is published each Wednesday, Friday and Sunday by Nofth Shore Free Press Lid and distributed to every door on the North Shore Canada Post Canadian Publications Mail Sales Product Agreement No. 0087238. Mailing rates available on requesi. Subrusstons are welcome Dut we Cannel secept responsibilty for unsohoied matenal including manuscripts and pictures which should be accompanied by a siamped, addressed envelope. Newsroom V7IA 2H4 The YORE OF HONTTH ava WET WANCOUN SUNDAYS WEDNESEAS 1139 Lonsdale Avenue, North Vancouver, B.C. 985-2131 North Snore managed MEMBER pay SDA DIVISION 61,582 (average circulalion, Wednesday, Friday & Sunday) Entire contents © 1993 North Shore Free Press Ltd. All rights reserved. Says soodbye to MISERY LOVES ‘ee func! company, so what better mid-week tonic for you, dear reader, (han to forget Canada’s woes fora moment or (wo and contemplate those of Germany? Yes, Germany, where the 80 million citizens of the world’s third largest economy — the powerhouse of Europe, the Japan of the west — have at last been overtaken by the global recession and are now facing troubles un- thinkable even 12 months ago. Unemployment in West Ger- many, which has over three: quarters of the population, has risen to 8% from 6.5% a year ago. After adding the double-digit rate in formerly communist East Germany, the reunified country’s total jobless is now reportedly some 3.5 million and expected to head towards five million next year. Behind the mounting layoffs are the familiar stories. Industrial output down over 10% in the past year, with forecasts of a further 7% drop this year. Automotive production ex- pected to plummet 20% in 1993. Retail sales down 9% from a year ago. For the first quarter of this year a MINUS growth rate of - 3.7%, What happened to the German economic miracle? Part of the an- HELMUT KOHL... asking Ger- mans to bite the bullet. swer lies in the reunification of East and West Germany, which initially brought a big jump in public spending and unleashed a pent-up surge of consumer de- mand from East Germans for western goods. For two years these cushioned the economy against the worldwide downturn. Now the economic chickens are coming home to roost — hatched by the massive borrowing Chancellor Helmut Kohl's gov- ernment had to undertake to fi- nance reunification. The 1993 federal deficit is put at the equivalent of $54 billion. By next year the reunification debt will total the equivalent of $465 billion. The inevitable results are al- ready looming — calls for finan- cial sacrifice from all segments of society, including cuts in UI and welfare payments, family allow- ances and industrial subsidies; rumors of public sector layoffs; and down the road, planned tax increases. Add to the gloomy outlook ris- ing inflation (currently 4.3%), wage demands by increasingly militant unions and (shades of Canada!) the refugee burden, The country now contains 6.2 million foreigners, a proportion of them invited in during earlier Noel Wright HITHER! AND YON post-war years to provide the labor for economic expansion. But the end of the Cold War has added a growing torrent of asylum seekers — 450,000 during 1992 and a further 160,000 during the first four months of 1993, with the annual cost fo the gov- ernment running at the equivalent of almost $5 billion. Many signs, however, point to a niore fundamental problem Ger- many now shares with other western industrialized nations. Its wages and social benefits have simply become too high to be competitive in a'world of cheap but increasingly skilled labor in Asia and eastern Europe (where wage costs can be a mere 10% of ° the German level). Nor are Poles and Koreans the _ only competitors. In 1991 German labor costs per ' unit of production were 36% higher than in Britain and Japan, and 45% higher than in France. The strong mark has also damp- ened German exports. Meanwhile,’ Mercedes and BMW are reported- ly both planning te open plants in : the U.S. In short, even in once “‘reces- sion-proof’? Germany the eco- nomic dynamos are creaking and _ the free lunch is no more. Nice to be able to share our own woes with such distinguishable company at last! soe SCRATCHPAD: Calling all unregistered fans of singer John Gary — if you’d like to make it official, contact Kenneth Wood, president of Chapter 96 of the John Gary Fan Club at 985-5086 (evenings) or 922-7449 (week- days). ... Browse-*n-buy 10 a.m. to 4p.m. Saturday and Sunday, June 26-27, in the West Van Ice Arena at the fundraising Book and Record Sale sponsored by Friends of West Van Memorial Library. ... Many happy returns of today, June 23, to Mt. Seymour Lions birthday-boy nresident Bob Griffin. ... And congrats to North Van’s Eimer and Adelaide Scott — training for the Diamond in three years’ time! — who tomorrow, June 24, cele- brate their 57th anniversary. ove WRIGHT OR WRONG: One reason why folks miss out on op- portunities is that they often come disguised as hard work.