AG - Wednesday, August 10, 1983 - North Shore News SM editorial page No more Benguet The future of Cypress Bowl, which the government proposes to “privatize”, is of very real concern to those whose memories stretch back a dozen years. The last experiment in private sector dev- elopment of the area by the Philippines- based Benguet Corporation in the early 1970s came close to being an ecological disaster. After submitting elaborate plans for building ski resort facilities and condomin- iums, the company scarred the bow! with ex- tensive logging and then ran out of money. Further environmental rape was averted only when the government tossed out Benguet and established the present provincial park. Given today’s urgent need for government cost-cutting, it makes sense to divest the day- to-day operation of Cypress Bowls facilities to private entrepreneurs — with provision for the upgrading of those facilities by the new operators as and when that becomes economically viable. But this time, “privatization” must be strictly controlled to avoid any repetition of the Benguet fiasco. The best course would he retain the bow!l's provincial park status, with the leasing of its existing facilities safeguarded by firm covenants regarding future development. Special attention should be paid to West Vancouver's urgent concerns about creek runoffs, and the costs of police and possible future fire protection for the bowl. . Victoria is understood to be already think- ing along these lines. It should be given every encouragement to adhere to them in its final plan. Even one Benguet misadventure in a lifetime is one too many. News or glamor? Beware, TV anchorwomen. Viewers aren't yet ready for female Walter Cronkites. If you begin to age on the screen, you risk the fate of Christine Craft, fired at 38 as anchorwoman of a Kansas City TV station because she'd become “too old and unattrac- tive”. But maybe that says more about the quality of TV news and audiences than about hristine - who's meanwhile been consoled with a $500,000 damages award against the station. Ween WENCH Ov OM TE Alem WERT VANCOUVER sunday news north shore new 1139 Lonsdale Ave., North Vancouver,8.C. V7M 2H4 ‘ Display Advertising Classified Advertising Newsroom ' Circulation 980-0511 986-6222 085-2131 986-1337 Publisher Peter Speck Associate Publisher Robert Graham Editor-in-chief Noel Wright Advertising Director Tim Francis Personnet Director Classified Director Mrs Beri Hilliard Isabelle Jennings Circulation Otrector Brian A Ellts Production Director Office Manager Photography Manager Chris Johnson Donna Grandy Terry Peters North Shore News, founded in 1968 aa an independent Community newspaper and quaiitied under Schedule Ih Part il Paragraph tl of the Excise Tax Act is published oach Wednesday and Sunday by North Snore Free Press Lid and distributed to every door on the North Shore Second Class Mail Registration Number 3865 Entire contents ‘ 1982 North Shore Free Prese Ltd All rights reserved Subscriptions, North and Weat Vancouver ratos available on request $260 por year Mailing No responsibility accepted for unsolicited maternal inching manuacipts and pictures which ahoutd be accompanted by a atamypou aduressed envelope 64,700 (avarago Wednoaday & Sunday) SDA OVISION THIS PAPER IS RECYCLABLE By W. ROGER WORTH The government in West Germany has tightened reg- ulations on the program that provides benefits to the un- employed. So has the socialist government in ~ France that has nationalized most of the country’s banks. In the United States, the national average of benefits Strategy _ nothing to MAINST REAM CANADA Time to tame Ul monster to the unemployed has been held to about $125 per week. Many countries, it seems, are either tightening up on unemployment payouts, or at least holding the line. But that’s not so in Canada. Here, the maximum week- ly payout under Unemploy- ment Insurance rules is $231 per week, and the average payment is $145 per week, ANXIOUS to get to the bottom of B.C. govern- ment strategy amid the current uproar over its restraint program, I finally tracked down Dr. Michael Spectella, top consultant to the premier. Still in his mid-thirties, Dr. Spectella was imported 12 months ago from Ontario where he had been one of the whiz kids in Premier Davis's Big Blue Machinc. Puffing on his pipe as we sipped black coffee in his modest 40 ft. office next to the cabinet room, he promised frank answers to all questions — provided they were the right questions: ME: Dr. Spectella, why did you introduce 28 separate restraint bilis — covering everything from civil service firings to the abolition of the Rentalsman -— all at once on the af- ternoon of July 77 S.: The first step is always to knock the enemy off balance. This legislative broadside was so heavy, it initially threw the govern- ment’s opponents into complete disarray. We didn't hear a single squeak from them for 72 hours while they tried to figure out what had hit them ME: 1 sce. But were there any other reasons? S.s Certainly The battle principle of “divide and conquer” Por example. the civil servants we're firing don't really give a hoot for the problems of rental tenants -- unless they old happen to rent themselves, of course — and vice versa. The human rights crowd couldn’t care less about those who want cheap government vehicle testing. And so on. That way we have more than 20 separate interest groups, cach mad at us for a_ different little reason. That’s a whole lot easier to handle than having everyone mad at us for the same big reason. ME: But what = about QOpcration Solidarity and these huge protest rallics? S.1 They, too, are part of the government's master plan. We aimed dectiberately to provoke the other side into overreacting so that they would blow off most of their steam during the summer dog days, when all sensible British Columbians are holidaying. ME: What other ways are they overreacting? S.: With that stupid “Solidarity” theme itself, of course — just a cheap Polish joke invented by Art Kube to make the B.C. Fed look busy during the silly season. And those childish com- mercials paraphrasing Pastor Nicmoller, the anti- Nazi You know: “First they came for the Jews, but | wasn'ta Jew so 1 dida't speak oul “ etcetera, ctcetera Heavens above, we're slashing) government so about $20 higher than that in the U.S. The point, of course, is_ that with weakened eco nomies and the number of jobless at high Ievels (in Canada the unemployment rate is more than 12 percent of the work force), other countries are tightening the rules to ensure that only those who really need sup port get.it. In Canada, on the other hand, life at the Unemploy- ment Insurance Commission seems to go on much as before, even though payouts are phenomenally higher. In 1981, for imstance, our Unemployment Insurance system cost employees, em- ployers and the federal treasury about $4.8-billion. The total 1982 outlay was $8.6-billion, and in 1983, Unemployment Insurance is expected to cost a staggering $11.6-billion. that’s a whop- ping $100 per month for every working Canadian. While there is a very real requirement to remain com- passionate to the un- employed, particularly in troubled times, the rocketing costs of the system have gotten out of hand. Contributions by employers and employees, for example, - were increased by 50 percent in January, and another large hike ts expected at year-end. These facts, among others, were stressed by John Bulloch, President of the Canadian Federation of Independent Business, at a by Noel Wright much that by this time ncxt year wo'll have aobody Iecft tocome for anybody, cven if we wanted to. ME: But) aren't you worried by these latest polls showing that a majority of peapie think the government being too tough? 5.3: Not in the least. Tho polls simply reflect the fact that the media have been giving top billing so far to the protesters — cxactly as we planned As soon as they begin to run out of steam, we'll come on strong with our own story. ME; Will you make any concessions? S.1 You bett Why. Jim recent meeting with Finance Minister Marc Lalonde. The organization is spearheading a drive to convince Ottawa to omit the anticipated year- end increase in contribu- tions. For smaller firms, such payroll tax increases are a near disaster because they must be paid, no matter if the firm is making or losing money. There is a very real disincentive to expand and create new jobs, and, in fact, Ottawa seems to be pushing entrepreneurs to lay off employees to save payroll costs, as well as the taxes in- volved. Few argue that the Unem- ployment Insurance rules are loose, for benefits are based on previous work ex- perience and wages, rather than on whether or not the individual really needs the money. Under the present system, an unemployed per- son qualifies, even if he or she has just won a million doliar lottery prize! What's needed is a com- plete overhaul of the system. Regulations should be tightened, thus saving cash for employees and employers, as weli as other taxpayers. As it stands, another ma- jor increase in contributions by employers will have a dampening effect on the ability of the job creators, particularly those in the small business sector, to pro- vide the employment we so badly need. (CFIB Feature Service) beat it! Chabot has already tidied up that “fire without cause” para in Bill 3. There'll be similar little adjustments to other bills. ME: Why didn't you clean them up before you in- troduced them? S.3: Because that would have left us with our backs to the wall. This way we en- courage the opposition to dissipate their cnergies fast — then we carn Brownic points as a truly responsive government that listens to the voice of the people. ME: But if the changes are only cosmetic, will they be cnough? S.1 Of course they will. Don’t forget, the polls also show that 76 per cent of the people are solidly behind the principle of restraint and smaliter government. Aill they want is to be reassured that the restraining is being done by nice, rcasonablc ys. ME: Onc final question, Dr. Spectella. How can you be so sure tho opposition will soon run out of steam? $.1 Firstly, because they can't read polls and election results. Secondly, because the same gamc plan has worked time and time again in Ontario. Never known it to fail... ME: Anything cise? $.1 Well, yes — secing as you ask The opposition groups don't have me to run their campaign If they did. of course, it would be a very different story We'd have this government thrown out by the year cnd!