6 - Friday. October 2, 1998 ~ North Shore News north shore news VIEWPOINT Recycled logic 'W deposit. New return. Two days ago British Columbians began living under a new bot- tle deposit program, signalling the next step in the province’s recycling evolu- tion. With the inclusion of virtually all drink containers into the deposit- refund program (milk and cardboard cartons being the exceptions), the province has continued a tradition started nearly 30 years ago when B.C. became the first province or state on the continent to introduce a mandato- ry deposit-refund program. But is Wednesday’s new regulation too much of a good thing? Here on the North Shore we have an active Blue Box curbside recycling pro- gram that is used by chousands of resi- dents each week. And while newsprint and metal cans are part of that mix, so too are wine, liquor and plastic bottles. Under the new program, however, consumers will pay a deposit on wine, liquor and plastic bottles. They will therefore feel compelled to return these containers to the stores from which they were purchased. Which means more vehicle emissions and traffic on North Shore streets — an apparent contradiction of the spirit behind recycling’s clean environment message. And those residents who decide not to return their bottles and continue putting them in their Blue Box will likely have people picking those return- ables out of the curbside boxes to return for cold hard cash. In which case, the deposit paid on each container is nothing more than a luxury tax. WE HONOUR THE WHALE WHEN WE KILL f OnRicess Lights interrupting Cap Road traffic flow Dear Editor: Open letter to Norm Nikkel, Transportation Operations, North Vancouver District and Sue Kaffka, Capilano Suspension Bridge Re; New traffic lights — Capilano Road Tam writing to comment on the traffic disruption caused by the pedestrian crossing on Capilano Road at the suspen- sion bridge, which has not been alleviated by the installation of the new traffic lights. Capilano Road is an arterial highway for the residential areas of Upper Capilano and Grouse Woods. Given that there are no convenient alternative routes past any bottle- neck on this road, every effort should be made to keep traf- fic moving smoothly, unimpeded and at a reasonable speed. Contrary to the recent press statements, the new traffic lights on Capilano Road have noticeably slowed down traf- fic. There are now lengthy lineups duc to pedestrians cross- ing (which seem to be virtually continuous), holdups as far back.as the traffic lights ar the Edgemont intersection, pedestrians and bridge employces using the lights individu- ally rather than being bunched together, drivers slowing down in anticipation of light changes and tour buses cross- ing traffic to park. These delays are further compounded by the parking of cars along the street, with doors opening without consider- ation of traffic and people walking in the street around their parked cars. To permit traffic lights on a major public roadway, with the primary purpose of serving a single commercial enter- prise located in a residential district, seems unfair, inconve- nient and inconsiderate of the general public which, after all, pays for the road and its maintenance. Nor do I believe that the public has had any input into decisions regarding this pedestrian crossing. Stuart M. b North Vancouver north shore” < 5 ‘North Shore News, founded in 1969 25 an IndepENdeM suburban newspaper and quathed under Schedule 111, Paragraph 111 af me Exerse Tax Act, 1s published each Wednesday. Fray and Sunday by North Shore Free Press Utd. and distributed to every door on the North Shore. Canada Post Canadian Publications #Aaii Sales Product Agreement No 0087238. Maing rates avaiable on request. Barbara Ema Distribution Manager 586-1337 (124) Jonsthan Bail Creative Services Manager 885-2131 (127) 61,582 (average circulation, Wednesaay, Friday & Sunday) IF it isn’t scandalous, it’s incom- petence. And if Wesr Van council were a provin- cial or federal government, I'd roll out the R-word, the word that a commentator should use only with severe economy — not more than a few times in a career: Resign! Resign, the whole lot of council, and go to the peo- ple. The issue: The George Cuff & Associates report. And let cach candidate’s tect be held to the fire on what stand he/she took on the decision to inaugurate, delay, and then “edit” the report — edit is stretching the kindness of the word to the limit —~ before releasing it to the public. (Ar 25 bucks a pop, I predict it won't be a best-seller, and Oprah won't plug it.) Throw into the mix a phone call on the eve of the Cuff study’s release to a reporter urging her to be careful about what she printed, and purporting to be concerned about the reporter's well-being. They’ve now smoothed it over. The reporter was rattled. And con- vineed that the motive for the call was less about her well-being than it was an attempt to intimidate and influence her. Repeat: Either we're looking at parish- pump scandal and cover-up, or stunning incompetence. Or possibly a scandalous cover-up by the incompetent? The baftling thing is that not a single person at town hall, from clerk to mayor, has ever struck me as either faintly crooked PETER SPECK Publisher 985-2131 (101) Terry Paters Photography Manager S8S-2131 (160) Stephenson Ciassified Manager 986-6222 {202} Doug Foot Comptroller 985-2131 (133) Entire contents © 1997 North Shore Free Press Ltd. Alt tights reserved. or demonstrably lacking in ability. They are such decent, clean people. But, if we assume that municipal lawyers are on strong legal ground in justi- fying (and probably participating in) the three: or four-month delay in releasing the report while parts of it were being whited out, the question looms: Why did council blow $60,000 on the report at afl? That’s the incompetence thing. The News’ Robert Galster quotes Mayor Pat Boname as protesting: “I thought he (Cuff) was going to do an audit of haw we do business at the hall. It’s (the report) not as structurc-oriented, : more personality-oriented.” Well, somebody is badly informed. Could be me. Burt I heard strongly trom within the hall — from people almost rub- bing their hands in anticipation — that George Cuff had a reputation fer fingering exacdy where and with whom municipal troubles lie. And that he didn’t mess around with slo-pitch ball. He threw hard. It was plain that there were — and are — smoldering resentments, factionalism and unexpressed personal criticisms around town hall. It’s politics. [t's government. And not much ditterent from any office or business. Is the mayor so unworldly that she did- n't pick up on this feeling when the coun- cil-driven Cuff report was commissioned? And, anyway, can she explain how “struc- ture-oriented” can be divorced from “per- sonality-oriented”? WASN'T THAT 0.3. SIMPSON'S EXCUSE? ~~ Incompetence at core of Cuff issue Look, Ive only been 45 years in the media business, and { grant my apprentice- ship isn’t over. But [I've never seen a strac- tural change in my office that didn’t hurt some “personalities” and clevare others. If rown hall's structure simply called for some intelligent tinkering, Cul¥ shouldn't have been necded. Council, municipal manager Doug Allan and the department managers around them surely have — cer- tainly should have — the experience and the ability to undertake such changes, But once Cuff was hired, why didn't our municipal leaders have the confidence to let him plunge on unimpeded? Instead it’s clear they nesvously fussed over his report for months, blanking out ’ words and paragraphs in accordance with their lawyers’ advice that it had to conform to provincial freedom of information and proiection of privacy legislation. If they're on firm ground, it’s inexplica- ble that Cuff, author of 200 such reports, isn’t perfectly savvy with those require- ments. Cuff disowned the report as edited. West Van council has some strange oversights. I’m still waiting for someone to notice that, as I reported last year, mayoral candidates Patricia Boname and Jim Hogan each received $1,000 campaign donations in the 1996 elections from “4061 Investments Ltd.” That sounds like a provincially registered numbered compa- ny. It isn’t. T invited both Boname and Hogan tu identity what, or who, “4061 Investments Ltd.” is. Neither did. I don’t imply wrongdoing. But should- n’t councillors themselves demand to know? How does “4061” differ from an anonymous contzibution by God knows who? LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Letters must include your name, tull address & telephone number. VIA e-mail: trenshaw @ direct.ca Timothy Renshaw Managing Editor 985-2131 (816) Aren Evers 980-0511 (307) Gall Srelgeove Acting Display Manager General Office Manager 985-2134 (105) internet- http://wrww.nsnews.com Ctassified, Accounting & Main Office Fax Michael Becker - News Editor 985-2131 (114) Andrew McCredie - Sports/Community Editor 985-2134 (147) , The North Shore Hows is published by Worth Shore Free Press Ltd., Publisher Peter Speck, from 1139 Lonsdale Avenue North Vancouver, B.C., V7M 244