6 - North Shore News — Wednesday, May 17, 2000

FTE recent 0% budget battle in
North Vancouver District has
ended in a saw-off. On the face
of it-North Vancouver District tax-
payers have won a minor victory.
Pushed by councillors Doug
MacKay-Dunn, Bill Denault, Heather
Dunsford and Ernie Crist, the 0% tax
increase budget with no cuts to dis-
“trict. service has replaced the 4.3%
‘ increase proposed in the municipali-
ty’s original draft budget.
"The Gang of Four said no to tax
“increases. Staff originally came back
. with a revised budget that included a
; smaller tax increase, but the four said
"no again. Their push was grounded in
os the belief. that savings ‘could be made,
‘the . operating | budget
without affecting

This is tO express outrage at West Vancouver District’
wth forest on. Gheneapies ‘golf.

Pp pristine old -

grow
COUTSE, to, allow Matine’ Drive to be: moved to enal
to sell ‘public forested land to > Private

} build townhouses.

majestic and’ ‘Natural urban environments in the.
§ years of foreign’ service and travel to many
of the world’s most scenic places, we decided to settle here
Of the 6th tee of the’ Gleneagles olf course because of the

VIEW POINT:

wise. Bureaucracies don’t cut bureau-
cracies. Like most forms of fife they
are dedicated to increasing their num-

_ bers.

Their bluff called, however, dis
trict hall management came back with
the 0% budget increase.

But the win for the taxpayer is
tempered by the fact that the 0%
increase was achieved in large part by
again drawing funds out of the ever-
more depleted district Heritage
Fund.

The impact from this year’ s budget
will reduce that fund to approximate-
ly $5 million, thereby gutting its
original mandate: to finance from its
interest district capital projects.

Meanwhile precious little has been
done to reduce or re-evaluate the
operating budget side of district hall
operations.

viewpoints — but »
- few more so than a
recent letter from a
31-year-old man.
- who’s lived all his.
‘life i in North Van.

We'll call him Ken
(not his real name) and -
he describes himself as

le West!

beauty; and because the surtounding
has been left virtually ntouched iby.

ery fortunate community, have : a fesponsibil” ;
pont SuCKSSsOrS in West,

fthe world ‘

‘society who enjoys
keeping busy
i scliook: worked while
“BC volunteered ir
munity ‘and with yo
Bur for some ye
unwell in a varie
ember he was diagnosed with

i ates (piel activities

hil ing’ ¢ 3

IN AGAIN, NO!
by

(I have worked since I was -”

en t increasing
f ways: einai last:

PLAYING

SWEAT. SHOP

NO. DOR T

EXHAusTeD, | CAN'T
TAKE IT ANYMORE
DONT MAKE ME WORK

ANOTHER SHIFT. .

: "volunesring.
. interesting and sometimes sad

At times he cate move and needs °
temporary, assistance around his apart- ~

‘ment. Unable to cope,
his wife left him a +
month ago. - :
Luckily, he has a mother

“and grandmother nearby-

_ who help with meal. -
: 2 ae during, his

But, his biggest Worry...
: tight now is money. ©.
¢’s been turned down :
for extended work dis-
ability benefits.
His EI disability benefits:
f be qualifies:

eh the Canada:

~ needs. ;
“How,” asks Ken, ‘am 7 supposed to
- afford to continue to exist (not even live)

iff am uate to afford sheiter, food;

he store and d

dgainst others end up in prison, seated for
around the clock.

> “Inmates get shelter, food, ‘com
“medical coverage, phones, cable
recreation facilities and other privileges - _

“all solve a de by us the taxpa rae who

ve a dé and honest li

w THE EDITOR must inctude ‘your
‘name, full address: and : telephone number.

: Subeait via email te: trenshaw@ncnews. cont

like I do now, Do you see anything
‘wrong with this picture?”
.Good question. Why a system that
. pampers jailbirds with all their materi
«needs but casts aside someone leading
honorable life contributing to society, :
who is suddenly struck down with‘a
incurable ilinese and left facing homel
__ hess, hunger and terminal despair ‘added:
“to his physical pain? The question itself is

. simple enough. The answer, if any, is
1 far from simples» -:

Who do YOu think should be:
brother’s keeper in sad cases like: this
“which are ‘not entirely tincommon?

. Who should pay at-least $1,700 7
month for the basic necessities Ke Ow.
needs simply to survive? Family or
‘friends, if financially capable?: charities?
Tanpayent? Or just: “let him’ rot)”

. E-mail or snail-mail

¢

1139 Lonsdal