A6 - Wednesday, February 16, 1983 - North Shore News Victoria’s duty If the first duty of government is to protect the lives and property of its citizens, the latest tragedy along the Squamish highway cries out for clear, decisive thinking in Victoria. Highway Minister Alex Fraser's claim that “nothing could have been done” to prevent the deaths and destruction caused by last Friday’s Alberta Creek mudslide simply won't wash next time — and unfortunately all the indications are that there WILL be a next time. Urgent action should be taken under two headings. It’s unlikely the highway itself — with its rockfalls and many vulnerable bridges — can ey for the heavy volume of traffic inseparable from major development of the Squamish- Whistler area. The only sure answer is an alternative highway via the Capilano watershed and the vocal environmentalist lobby should not be allowed to block it. Such countries with no discernible ill effects. Firm plans for the new route should be completed without further delay. With hindsight, it’s also clear now that numerous homes adjoining the killer creeks should never have been permitted. The government, which failed to foresee the dangers, has a duty to compensate the victims of its neglect. -_Equally,--it-has—a duty to monitor the headwaters of the creeks much more during rainy seasons — and to provide an adequate warning system for downstream residents. Eleven lives lost in under 18 months and millions of dollars in damage brook no further excuses. Winning side ? North Shore school boards may be showing more realism than some of their neighbors. With B.C.'s deficit now topping $1.4 billion, they have refrained from joining the revolt led by Vancouver school board against Education Minister Vander Zalm's budget cuts. In the confrontation about to boil up we suspect North and West Van trustees have already picked the winner. $008 VOTE OF RORTH ANG WEBT VanCcoUVaN sunday news north shore news 1139 Lonsdaie Ave . North Vancouver BC V7M 2H4 Display Advertising Classified Advertising Newsroom Circulation Publisher Peter Speck Associate Publisher Robert Graham Editor -in-chiet Noel Wright Advertising Director Tim Fearne is Personnel Director Mrs Bern Hithard Circutation Director Bian A Eilis Production Oirectar Office Managar Chris Jonoson Qonna Grandy Tetry Peters North Shore News fouoded on TVA an ae dependent omega, Hew spare and quaihecd under Seheodule Hl bart Mt Harageagt Moot the base Fas Act os puitlinhed oach Wednonday and Sumaday Ty Nuoett: ttre Neco tt hore Second (lanes Mand Aeyinteation Namie: 148% Ente contents 1982 North Shore Free Prese Lid Al rights reserved Toe bee Prene 1 fd and stibuled te every Goon oe Ssolbee ripthore Moe and Wot vairre onrvern $e fre om Marten aten avaitatie oe cecnearst VERE hee A ot 4 843 Wednesday 54 093 Sunday Ley sm G THIS PAPER IS RECYCLABLE 980-0511 986-6222 9865-2131 986.1337 Photography Managear YOUNGSTERS IN TROUBLE—PART 2 Kids who must face the judge By JUDITH McINTOSH (A professional counsellor who acts as a con- sultant to the West Vancouver Family Court Committee. In the preceding article she dealt with such juvenile delinquencies as shoplifting, motor vehicle and liquor offences. MORE SERIOUS juvenile offences are com- mitted in our community. These include theft over $200, which is mainly auto theft, possession of stolen goods, mischiéf’ (vandalism), assault, breaking and entering, possession of a dangerous weapon, possession of drugs and sexual offences. These charges are not diverted. These offenders go © to court and they do so not only because of the serious nature of their delinquencies but also because going to court is the only way a probation order can be obtained. These youths must they need it.” triggers. Kids tend to “group” and because it takes a very mature individual to withstand that kind of “pack pressure” often it’s more an unwillingness to be seen as a “sissy” that propels the typical 13 os 14-year-old to shoplift. Probation officers say that breaking and entering (B & E’s) are committed for money to buy kids’ con- sumer items such as cigarettes, booze and drugs. In recessionary times, with high youth unemployment, there is a parallel increase in it may be appropriate for parents to re-negotiate allowances or payment for service jobs within the home or family business in order to minimize the need for taking money or goods illegally. Parents, of course, are the best judges of how their youngsters behave, what they're really like and what they need. It is not the in- tention of the Probation Department to usurp the rights of parents or to take on a quasi-parental responsibility. The family is __ still the r. ' Why do they need it? Why do youngsters run afoul of the law and commit juvenile delinquencies? Consensus is that for the lesser offences, peer pressure and a “dare” are the most common juvenile crimes of shop- lifting and B & E's as there is in adult criminal offences of theft and robbery. We all live in a money-consumer society. Kids need money as well as adults. In these times esponsible body and both kids and parents need to take charge of their own lives with minimal inter- ventions from the govern- ment or its agencies. By law, parents must attend the pre-court inquiry which is routinely carried D Ip ervisca. It should be noted also that all impaired charges go to court, even though it is a violation under an Act wherein most charges get diverted. None is diverted. Impairment is a_ serious cmme. Probation supervisory orders vary. Some youngsters have to see their probation officer once or twice a week, some only once a month. Diane Atkinson of the North Vancouver Probation Office explained their philosophy as “the least interference in people's lives as possible. We do not interfere unless through the * ©6000 Boy. * Time to flatten the tax man A FLAT TAXER — That's me. Our numbers grow steadily at this time each year, as millions of Canadians grope their way labryinth of Revenue Canada’s General Tax Guide and stumble into the cunning traps lurking for them in the ten-schedule tax return form. We flat taxers start from a basic, self-evident proposition the bureaucratic lunacy) of Canada's current mcome tax system is the root cause of most of the nation’s economic woes Defenders of the system, from jolly Marc Lalonde down, dismiss us, of course, as unrealistic dreamers, in the same category as flat earthers The mind-bogghng complexities of the tax system, they argue. arc justified by the comple xines of modern society Horsefeathers. as Texans say The current system has devoloped primarily as a make work proyect to keep thousands of well paid civil servants in thetr accustomed style By the same token the system saps hundreds of thousands of Canadians of fime and cnergy could otherwise be using to generate real wealth for the Country politc lncome tara precious hey nee bevcome thongs = tike you lestrae ted by Noon Capital Losses yoru powers oof con Ccatration on such can Crue tive matters as hiring more workers (ran manufacture more aad cheaper widgets are drasuically reduced Meanwhile, the system has also spawned a huge. comptetety non-productive industry of tax consultants whose maternal contribution (tO society 1s as negative as that of the bureaucrats they battle A flat rate income tax for both individuals and = cor porations would climinate tax headaches at a stroke. It would also chminate 90 per cent of Revenue Canada's staff, all tax consultants and billions of wasted man-hours which the economy can ill afford. Under a flat rate income tax a single, uniform levy of between 10 and 20 per cent would be tmposed on. all incomes regardless of thet At the 20 for cxrample source of nature per cent rate youd pay $4,000) on (an income of $20 000 and $10, 000 on an income of $50.000 It would be os simple as that Your taa return would take al mest minules lo with ome af buts or maybe s Ihe COMESE complete pooroentage of wowks be set by the gorvcrnment ac ording lar how much revenue it nceded to talanec tis trasaget focus Noel Wright One senior government tax advisor has claimed that 109 per cent would do the inck. Another has put ft at 17) per cent. Edmonton millionaire Peter Pockhngton, who has his cyc on Joe Clark's yob as Tory leader says 20 per cent Within reasonable — limits however, the actual figure ts less important: than prin ciple Cortany ample deductrons might be allowed for crample personal cacmp fons and expenditures for the direct purpose of ac QaNring income without preyudicing the | principle But an that case the per centage rate would have to be higher than in the case of a straight tax on gross in out by the probation officer before a child goes to juvenile court. In cases where diversion is recom- mended, it is done after a pre-court inquiry and on the recommendation of the probation officer in con- junction with crown counsel. As stated earlier. probation orders vary from minimal contact to several times weekly. P.O.'s_ will help and support parents who are having difficulties supervising their children. But as Diane Atkinson of the North Vancouver Office said, “we cannot take over the parental role.” (TO BE CONTINUED) come with no deductions of any kind. Plat rate income tax, incidentally, 1s not merely a theory. It has been working excellently for 20 years on the Isle of Man, a. self- governing tsland of 66,000 off the northwest coast of Britain with a modern mixed economy and a wide range of social benefits com parable to those of Britain itsell . Individuals there get basic personal exemptions. together with deductions for mortgage and loan interest, pension plan payments and expenses incurred in carning income Corporations can also deduct capital allowances Everything that’s left 1s taxed at 20 per cent, with no capittal gains tax. In the past decade the national income has msen almost 500 per cent More than a little of that annual 50 per cent increase tn prosperity, one suspects must have come from = the ability) of the islanders to devote themselves to productive — work free from the endless frustravons, ncgative effort and lost me imposed on Canadians by our wasteful hopctessty comphcated tax machine and the costly burcaucracy it supports Eventually, if Canada iy ever to prosper again we have to get md of the idiots and devise a sancr simpicr way to pay for government Think about flac tax this month as you bromd over your }9M) retuen