A6 - Wednesday, February 23, 1983 - North Shore News EERE editorial page i Sunset challenge The housing shortage looming. within the next 10 years for senior citizens in West Vancouver raises fundamental questions about the kind of society we are — or wish to be. West Van's situation is particularly acute because of its high proportion of elderly residents. By 1992 the over-65s are expected to comprise 20% of the municipality's population. But to only a somewhat lesser degree the same problem faces other municipalities. At this point in history we are an aging population. Most urgently needed over the next housing units suited to the needs of the elderly who wish to live out their remaining years in the community of which they have long been part. The key, of course,is cheap developable land, because land prices, as distinct from actual building costs, are presently the main obstacle. This poses the question of how far the community should subsidize the sunset years of those who built it. Low-cost land for af- fordable seniors’ housing means allocation of municipally owned land at well below the going market price — or, alternatively, expropriation of other land at a_ similar financial loss. Such losses would have to be met by present and future taxpayers. Otherwise, many seniors may, in effect, have to be told that we can no longer afford to have them amongst us. It has been said that a civilization is judged by how it cares for its elderly. That's the nature of the challenge ahead. Befuddled The Tory Party executive has accepted Joe Clark’s resignation and then promptly prevailed upon him to stay on as a sort of half-leader until the June leadership con- vention — because they forgot to read their own constitution. The mind boggles at the thought of Joe's befuddled opponents running the country. If he wins again in June, he should chop them — PRONTO. ‘sunday news Display Advertising 980-0511 Yelehiilin-maeeee ~Classitied Advertising 986-6222 news Newsroom 985-2131 Circulation 986-1337 1139 Lonsdaie Ave North Vancouver BC V7M 2H4 Publisher Peter Speck Associate Publisher Hobert G4rahbam Editor -in-chiet Noet Wright Advertising Director Tam fF rancts Personne! Director Mrs therrrsr bAetheear ct Circulation Director Bian A Fibs Production Otrector Office Manager (Paes poobarysseoes Photography Manager Ononveres Caranvdy lomry Poters North Shore News fouided ie FO as ae degen © crn moty eo ep enprere canoe) pe seaboard carrcdecr Awd Soe Prexcdy ater UE Peer) TH bene enggeangets (cot the pu®liphed eat: Wednesduy and Snunchay bry Nao tte Prreas tte Now tt bon tee lye tec bese aed denteitoterdd tor eves y char cn thre Meee Se ort (tans Mail He giateation Number dh Entice contents 1062 North Shore Froe Proes Lid Al rights reserved atone riptioom Nort and West Vane ouver &.0% gree years Maat, faten avatiatie an cagrent "y oo hat! ap etacet my Cr Oe ruveatare cal ve Matfer, at ' 1 , , re . ertagoe ot VE OUP TE Coe that UN AL HON 594 543 Wednesday %4 093 Sunday LS sm & THIS PAPER IS RECYCLABLE MAINSTREAM CANADA By W. ROGER WORTH THERE IS_ some pressure on the federal government to support proposals that would allow an extra §$5- billion or more _ for aii | ) s of spending on make- work projects, thus driving this year’s federal government deficit to about $35- billion. Furthermore, some reports claim that business in Ni suppor: this view. Nothing could be farther from the truth. It is true that Canadian —->™ Pacific executive Ian Sin- clair has suggested as much, but this view is not backed by all of big business. For example, the Business Council on National Issues, which represents 150 chief executive officers of the nation’s largest companies, s adamantly opposed to such government spending. In fact, the high-powered group suggests some family benefits will have to be cut if Ottawa wants to dramatically expand politically popular make- work programs. -_ At the other end of the business scale, the Canadian Federation of Independent Business, which represents 65,000 smalier firms, is just as forceful in its con- demnation such proposals. Naturally, there is a very good reason both groups have warned Finance Minister Marc Lalonde the country should not over- spend. of While business expresses concern for the 1.6 million unemployed, the real issue is the fear that an excessvic deficit will result in cither higher imterest rates, or at least a diminution in the downward trend. For businesses large and all, of course, interest rates are all-important. With low rates, Canadians will borrow to purchase every- thing from consumer goods to houses. Businesses will also borrow to expand, and at the same time create jobs. If, on the other hand, interest rates rise, the op- posite happens. Normally successful firms will be forced to cut even more staff, there will be little expansion or new ployment and the “make work jobs created through deficit spending will not be enough to offset those employment losses. The key to the equation of jobs versus excessive public spending is interest rates, which are irrevocably tied to federal government deficits. Most Canadians understand only too well that if Ottawa spends more than it gets from taxpayers, the net result is that taxes go up, or that the next generation winds up paying the bill, plus interest. The unempleyed surely need work, but higher government borrowing, spending and deficits will not resolve the problem. Such moves can only make a bad situation worse. CFIB Feature Service The pitfalls of ‘public input’ “PUBLIC INPUT" is the all-important buzz word around the council chamber these days. voice of the people — vox popult The , aS our erudite ancestors called it — 1s what mayors and alder- men are constantly straining their ears to catch. Despite modern communication technology, it isn’t as easy as you might think. Municipal councils (like their big brothers, provincial and federal governments) yearn for public input which, hopefulty, wilt tett them the popular things to do and the unpopular things to avoid Domg what the people want, they reason, is the surest way to be re elected There's no problem about gelting public input of sorts on every topic under the sun The problem lies in geting enough of it on any one tssuc to make it worth a damn For cxample, council gets weekly input from the public dunng the penmod allowed for questions from the public gallery The flattens os cupants may number all of 10 to SO citizens to the ana hockey pame on IV maybe 30,000 voters At public according weather the out of heartngs on mayor issues Council may listen to as many as oa dozen speakers out of an audhence of up ote HOO TE the op poncats of whatever as being proposed are voouaul and cotorful coough they Ho be headhned meat day as a publke outcry regardless of the views of the 29 DOO Other ventory wher healit bother to show Aap Phe same goes for the special-interest pressure groups that relentlessly (wist council’s arm ratepayer organizations with “man dates” from a handful of neighborhood residents scattered over a couple of blocks. chambers of commerce, tenant associations, service clubs, trade environmen talasts, semior citizens, sport leagues and Concerned Ciuzens galore each with its Own “mandate” dreamed up by a select) board of directors and endorsed by anyone else who happened to be around al the time No disrespect intended All such groups consist: of worthy individual citizens with stncerely held viewpoints wheh they have a right and duty to promote Butiin terms of numbers the unions, truth os that none represents more than a fractional percentage oof a councils total Constituency Another truth is evident ain all) these forms of public rerpreat The Comes acif direct input alemest always predominantly from those opposed to ow given proposal of situation — Phose who are satiusticd the proposal or situation In Mont with Stlent tarely stand up After all eases the Ma porily tobe Counted why Noel Wright REAR should they take the trouble? As semor governments discovered long ago, a better (though stall imperfect) method of listening to the voice of the people 1s) the (sallup style poll, Don't wast for tiny spectal antercst groups to tell you im public that your policy stinks Go forth yourself and ask the natives in gcnacral what they think about at PROVEN ACCURACY Onc hmitation of polls ts that some folk will answers belore they ve thought at all Again. what) people think today they won't accessarily think tomorrow Also polls normally include a sizcable percentage of “don’t know” or “none of your business” responses. Nevertheless, scien- tifically conducted polls have the great advantage of reaching the Silent Majonty as well as the vociferous protesters. Moreover, e¢x- penence has proven that their accuracy can, to a4 certain extent, be mathematically determined & balanced sample -of 400- S00 respondents chosen at random gives nine chances out of 10 that the data will be correct to within four percent either way. At least its a whole lot better than shaping policy affecting an entire municipality on the basis of a noisy public hearing domtin ated by o one-per-cent pres sure group) And it certainly scoms to pay off ino con tented West Vancouver the only North Shore municipality so far to use regular polls as a guide to estoblishing Ppmortlics Not that polls should cver be allowed to replace the fun and human heated council interest of viewpoints air ed oiin the councal chamber tact! But) polls do provide a healthy balance to well meaning citizens whose lungs may be bigger than the support: Uhey command tn the community Aside course , from which wf the truce voice of the people is heard only cvery couple of years and op clectton day ut late to listen may be tow