6 - Friday, May 24, 1991 - North Shore News ROR, HOPPY MOMENT AT TORY POLLING H.Q..... LTE LER fe! SADDAM HUSSEIN. BY TWO FOS! Political parades tively offer appreciative applause to the far-sighted folk who formulated the policy that prevents aspiring politicians from marching in West Vancouver’s Community Day parade. Liberal candidate Jeremy Dalton recent- ly voiced his displeasure with West Van- couver District Council for not allowing him to participate in the parade, scheduled this year for June 1. Dalton opined that his rejection from the event made isin the latest victim of discrimination becs:se incumbent politi- cians are allowed to wave to adoring sup- porters and other members of the public from a parade float or other velticle, but those who would unseat incumbents are net alowed such honors. Thank God for such discrimination; and i QOCAL RESIDENTS should collec- pray ye all that perhaps even incumbent politicians be hounded from parade routes everywhere, or at the very feast be manacied together at the end of parade fines where they can march in penance for past political bluaders. If Dalton had his way, community parades would become another in 2 long line of political advertising venues with every municipal, provincial and federal po- litical hopeful using such celebrations as moving soapboxes from which to spout political dogma and other campaign dross. We need respite from the hucksters and the hype artists. Leave us with at least one community event that showcases community members who do not five their lives according to political agendas. Canadian system needs revamping INSIGHTS Dear Editor: Bravo to Bob Hunter for his two recent excellent columns on direct democracy! I'm a bit of a newspaper junkie, relishing arti- cles on the Canadian political scene, and my estimation of the North Shore News went up 100% after reading Bob's articles. Our dear Canada is in a sorry state these days and could do with some revamping of its political system along the lines of what Bob Hunter advocated. As he pointed out, our system is undemocratic and it is indeed amazing that we have limped along as far as we have. However, I do think that we Publisher Managing Editor Peter Speck Timothy Renshaw have arrived at a crossroads and should consider some major changes in order to fulfil! our potential as a country. The key ingredients for a more viable Canada are: initiative, referendum and recall. Since our politicians are often ignoring the messages that we send them, we ought to be able to undo some of the damage they do and even to fire them, if need be. Bringing about change would be a tough job. We would have to contend with the ‘‘status-quo” lobby groups (many are funded by the taxpayer), ‘‘status-quo’’ media, expansion-minded bureau- crats and last, but not least, our Disolay Advertising 980-0511 Reai Estate Advertising 985-6982 Distrbuton Subseripnons elected politicians, who cater to the other three to get elected and stay in power. There’s a macabre “foursome reel’’ going on here. If we don’t get some reform in this country, the ‘Macabre Four’ may well dance Canada to an ear- ly grave. As Benjamin Barber, author of “Strong Democracy,’’ said: ‘‘Lib- erty isn’t free. It’s paid for in the currency of obligation.’? In my own small way, I’m trying to br- ing reform — I’ve copied Bob Hunter's columns on direct democracy and I’m passing them around. Sylvia Rehwald North Vancouver 986-1337 986-1337 Second Class Mai! Registration Number 3655 Subscrpans North and West Vancouver, $25 per year. Mailing rates availaple on request Submissions are weicome but we Cannot accept tesponsibihty for unsolicited matenal inctuding manuscnpts and oretures wich snouid oe accompanied by 2 ftampe essed envelope V7M 2H4 4139 Lonscale Avenue. North Vancouver, B.C Enjire contents = Associate Editor .Noel Wright — Classified Advertising = 986-6222 Fax 985-3227 Advertising Director = Linda Stewart Newsroom 985-2131 Admitustration 985-2131 Compirolier Doug Foot North Shore News, founded in 1969 as an pleat Resin hodateRann bala MEMBER —— independent suburban newspaper and qualited , “ x . under Schedule 111, Paragraph Wl of the Excise shore: RE, SN’ ‘VAN Tax Act.1S published each Wednesday, Frday ane oo = 4 WAL Sunday by North Snore Free Press lta ang fh J eS aD eS nereey distributed to every door on the North Shore BUnDan WIDNESDAY - peIDaY : ee] SDA DIVISION Veeanasdi, Fray & Sundiss 61,582 ¢aserage crculabor 1993 North Shore Free Press itd All mshts reserved For an opinion j about budgets ask in Ontario OUTRAGE, SCORN and condemnation greet ALL gov- ernment budgets as surely as night follows day —- and with good reason. The budget forces us to look the enemy in the face. And though we shun the mir- ror, we can’t escape the truth, The enemy is us. We want the lot and we want it now. Anyone running his personal affairs on that principle can even- tually look forward to a visit from the bailiffs to pick up the car, the fridge and the living room fur- niture. Exactly the same principle applies to governments. Nevertheless, the anguished screams over Finance Minister John Jansen’s $16.5 billion budget ran true to form again. All because the poor man has only so much money (ail of it ours) and this year not enough. Sharing his plight are recession- battered British Columbians. So the task is how to divide the kitty without sinking to our ears in the glue. That’s understood, you say. It’s the priorities that are all wrong. Agreed — but then they're ALWAYS wrong for some groups. Top priority for the poor is always higher welfare payments. For the sick, always more health care money. For teachers and parents, always extra school funds. Homeowners always want big- ger grants. Corporations always moan about their burden. Sinners always rage over booze and JOHN JANSEN... not at all bad after two weeks on the job. tobacco levies. And everyone always demands lower taxes. That’s why every budget also has a political aim: to placate as many voters --- and infuriate as few — as possible. The ultimate bottom line is to avoid having more than 49% of them (and preferably many less) mad at you. On this basis Jansen hasn’t done at all badly after only two weeks on the job. Health, educa- tion and social services get 11% more overall, helped a bit by higher medicare premiums. Cor- porations and $80,000 incomes are hit mildly — smokers savagely. But these don’t add up to many enemies. There ARE, of course, two alternatives. One is to make everyone happy, go broke within years and join the Third World. The other — once fashionable in eastern Europe — is for the state to look after everyone by ap- propriating their real earnings and doling out a little poeket money in fieu. oe HITHER AND YON ne A SA Neel Meanwhile, much hot air is ris- ing ovcr Jansen’s use of the former BS (Budget Stabilization) Fund balance to keep his $395 million deficit lower by $839 mil- lion than the $1.23 billion it would otherwise be. The BSF never had any cash in it but showed loans to Crown corpora- tions as assets. True, assets are not income. But one day you presumably realize on them. So a one-time use of the residual BSF paper to tidy up the current deficit seems a fairly ir- relevant item of creative accoun- ting —- always provided the prom- ise of eliminating the deficit com- pletely by 1995-96 is kept. Whether that goal is likelier to be met by the Socreds or the NDP will be a gut election question. If stumped by it, you could always ask someone in Ontario for an option. POSTSCRIPTS: Guest speaker next Tuesday, May 28, at the agm of the Reform Party of Canada’s North Van constituency — 7:30 p.m, in Lynn Valiey Community Centre — is Dou Sherling, a founding member of the RPC and Lower Mainland rep on its Con- stitutional Review Committee. Everyone welcome, though only members may vote for the incom- ing 1991-92 slate ... While roam- ing around the Festival of the Arts, look in on the excellent display of mono-type prints featuring the environment by elementary students at the Court- house and North Van District Hall. The kids did them during a busy three-day workshop with ar- tist Gordon Smith and four North Van art teachers ... And congrats to well-known journalism instruc- tor Gerry Porter, a five-year member and already past presi- dent of the North Shore Toastmasters Club, on recently receiving his Able Toastmasters Award. [f you’re interested in public speaking, call Doug Bower, 987-5232, for more info. ose WRIGHT OR WRONG: When college grads get out in the world, they're often amazed by how much uneducated people know. LAAT RRR