axes are invesiments

Dear Editor:

T always knew that Fraser Institute gimmick
about Tax Freedom Day was not to be trusted,
but it tovk Timothy Renshaw’s detailed col-
umn (July 5) co tell me how and why.

The things Renshaw fists as “taxes” are in
fact investments.

The auto, fuel and motor vehicle licence
taxes probably do not begin to cover road

rand roadbuilding or provide us with law
enforcement on the highway, but presumably
they do partially cover those services.

The property taxes do fund street repair,
lighting, inspections, regulation, and all the
other municipal services that we regard as our
right without thinking of where the moncy is
coming from.

We need more, not fewer natural resource
levies, considering the way our environment is
deteriorating through lack of sane, enforced

regulations

Sociat security, pension, medical and hospi-
tal taxes all pay for services for the poor as well
as the rich. No wonder we are regarded as the
best country to live in!

H we withdrew all those services, we'd have
Tax Freedom Day much sooner, and we'd be
living primitively, with higher infant: death
rates, more disease, fewer educational benefits.

Pam quite prepared to beheve that some of
our tax Money is Miss-spent.

{ miss-spend seme of my own money, and
Md rather do it than have the government do it
for me.

But f would also like 4 litde more honesty
from both the Fraser Institute and the North
Shore News.

D. Stewart
North Vancouver
gordon_stewart@be.sympatico.ca

Bell off-track on 4X4 tax push

Dear Editor:

Re: Gas guzzler tax position of North
Vancouver District Mayor Don Bell.

Ihave driven several 4x4 vehicles that, when
tested by AirCare, passed with merely a whiff
of contaminants. As for being gas-guzzlers, the
vehicle(s) costs a bit more per year to operate
but the hidden taxes within a cost-per-litre of
gas contributed a bit to the provincial coffers,
B.C.’s Buy-More-Gas-Pay-More-Tax Plan.

Someone please ring the mayor’s bell to
politely agree with him that, yes, we continue
to have a pollution problem apparent to all
when no cleansing rain falls after just a week,
but do pay attention to the worst polluters on
the roads. Anyone driving behind a dump
truck, semi-trailer, cement truck or diesel bus,
ete, can’t ignore the amount of smoke and
exhaust spewing from their muffler stacks.

Street racing

Such a fuming experience is a choking and
compelling reason to immediately impose strict
AirCare compulsory, not voluntary, testing to
get these excessive polluters cither literally off
the road or in line with the rest of the car, 4x4,
SUV and minivan driving public.

It is absurd and not just unfair that I must
spend the few dollars on a compulsory annual
AirCare test in a one-year-old auto that barely
registers on any AirCare pollutant scales while
we all observe these diesel industrial vehicles
befouling our air.

Mayor Bell should address the issue of
industrial truck emissions as an immediate
solution towards cleaning up the Lower
Mainland air quality before taxing the infinite-
ly cleaner 4x4 SUV vehicles.

Gene Ramsbottom
North Vancouver

is not a drag

Dear Editor:

Re: July 3 issuc, page 30,
Frances = Thomas’ = 1976
Camaro. The caption:
Recently a young man pull

de her and asked her if
wanted to drag race ...

I presume the sentence
refers cto an invitation to
attend Mission Raceway and
compete ina sanctioned, legal
drag race. If the reference is to
an illegal street race, then its
incorrect to refer to it as a
“Drag Race.”

You may feel this to be a
small point, but unfortunately
the media (all forms) continuc

to refer to Street Racing as
Drag Racing far too often

To legitimate drag racers it
is just one more barrier to the
acceptance we need from the
general public for our motor-
sport. (Not to mention the
corporate acceptance required
to gather sponsorship help tor
serious drag racing ventures).
For a look at what real drag
racing is all about, please visit
my website: http://www,
mortimer.com/northern-
thunder

And in future please don’t
refer to street racing as drag
racing.

Bob Wilson
North Vancouver
a1a82424@bce.sympatico.ca

in our 66-38 Super
Wednesday flyer, Anolon
hard anodized non-stick open
stock cookware on back
cover should have read “Our
reg. 59.98 to 219.98. Super
Wednesday Prices 29.99 to
109.99 each”

Sorry for any inconvenience
a this may have caused.

Member
was missed

Dear Editor:

One winning team
merpber was lett out of vaur
June 124 5 artide enutled
“Young Minds Win Odyssey
Gold" Mankn Adams is
missing trom the team photo.
In addition, her name has
been left out of the artik
where team members are fest
ed. Since alb members ot anv
tea are important to come
nuon results, we wish to meke
you aware of this situation,
Louise Adams
West Vancouver

718 - 2601
Westview Drive
North Vancouvei

980-6565

Now featuring the

Call 3Q Plan

including: 30 calis free every m
{any length of time}
FREE weekends
30¢ min after 30 calls

Receive a free phone*

“With new pamary activations
Uumited to the first 30 customers
(Regular price $49.90)

BCTEL

_ 4 Mobility ©

Entire $

A

‘,

KOZ Bz

Summer In

hii fide / ee bL A ° ¢ fav fe /

Seige fede laaiy! OAs
four .

SHARON,

Los &

BRAM

it y.ra want your children to be healthy, protect them from disease
Lemunizauon can keep tham safe from many serious illnesses.

smeniber
ren anced to complet: ther full schedule of shots to be protected.

So boost thew chances fer health.
imownue your culdren, On tme, every une.

ff you have quesuons about shots or wnmumnzauon schedules.
contact your doctor or public fealth unit

Canadian
Medical
Association

Canadian
Public
Health
Atioc anion

Canadian
Paediatric
Sacrety

meme

Shannon Humphreys: every Friday on
page seven in your North Shore News.

°Cellular

NANDCO
°PCS

” & SD | *Satellite

a *Paging
eLong Distance
Now Presenting

the new Motorola Digita!
Plans from $20° month

Receive FREE a leather case
+ car charger

(vatue of $80)

With every new digita! activation
Limited to the first 30 customers

Y

Authorized Dealer:

EY

0 > 7
;

N
\

ventory*

oN,

a ; ; ,
“Exception - take an additional O° off last sale price

Adidas, Champion, Starter, Fila, Tominy

KIDZ

~ an

Lynn Valley
- Centre

bal FY