6 - Wednesday, July 21, 1999 ~ North Shore News RE is apparently no prob- lem too big or too small for BC i Ferries to spend your money on. Having run out of collective fingers and toes to count the millions wasted on the (bit) fast(er) ferry program, the ferry corp. is about to pony up $10,000 to pay for 2 Bowen Island babysitter to ride with rowdy teens. The intention is laudabie and we applaud the proactive approach vf the corporation to an annoying problem that won’t go away. BC Ferries has reportedly spent about $25,000 in the past six years repairing vandalism on the ferry between Bowen Island and Horseshoe Bay. Thirty-five incidents have been documented in the past 12 months. Approximately 250 teens ride the Howe Sound waters to two mainland north shore news VIEWPOINT rats spokeswoman, most are well-behaved. But a small group is causing problems. Fires have been set, seats have been slashed and toilets plugged. Those caught causing problems have been taken to the bridge and given a letter to take to school by the ferry captain who follows up with a call to the schoo! district superinten- dent. But now BC Ferries, the Bowen Island RCMP, the island Teen Centre and the West Vancouver school district are planning to pay for the island’s teen centre youth worker to ride with the troublesome teens on the 3:30 p.m. ferry. We’ve got a simpler solution. And while it’s tempting to suggest keel- hauling it’s simply (and cheaply) this: leave the troublemakers at home and insist their parents take responsibility. high ‘schools and, says a BC Ferzies maiibox No to neurosurgery funds raises concern Dear Editor: : As it rrue; sre we the residents of the North Shore now at risk of losing our neurosurgeons? I have followed the articles recently written in your paper and am frightened by their contents. I am particularly Fightened with the ler- est article reporting that Lions Gate Hospital has been officially denied $1.6 million for neurosurgery. How can “our government ignore our. very gifted neurosurgeons’ requests for funding to reduce the current surgical wait lists? Ts. it our government that chooses to leave patients ‘waiting and watch their tives, their work and their families ‘suffer? Four to six months is too long to wait. - ~ 0 Approximately three years ago, I experienced a serious _ back injury while returning from a trip on the west coast - of B.C. 1 was brought to Lions Gate Hospital emergency ““in serious condition and required back surgery.immedi- -ately..I ami very grateful for the care that I received. I “recovered well and returned to work cight weeks after my ‘accident. Lon, ; ::, WTeertainly have nothing to complain about but I speak ’ -today for those patients who remain on wait lists for their a sul ry. A wait time of 176 days is torture for someone in “:sach. pain:. It. would cost less on all services to. have patients return te their daily lives in much less time. What “happens to patients whose companies are unable to keep . their jobs for them or are at risk of losing their homes --because: their mortgage can not be met? My accounting business could not have survived a six-month absence. My ‘family would fave been exhausted and so would my spir- its “5: When it comes to health care our government should listen: to, the doctors. and the people who require. their cate, insteed of financial advisers trying to cut corners in ‘the budget. Fast ferries should be built with excess funds not money that could go to health care. Margit Colvin: Margit@axionet.com’ - Worth Shesa News, founded in 1969 2s an, lndepender: suburban newspaper and qualified under Scheduée (11, Paragraph °11 of the Excise Tax Act, is published eactt Wednesday, Friday and Sunday by North Shore Free Press Ud. and distribeted tp airy door on the North Shore. Canada Post Catadian Publications Mail Sates Product Agreement No. 0087238. Mating rates available on request, Distribution Manager £96-1337 (128) Crestive Services Director 965-2131 (127) 61,582 (average ciroulasn, Wednesday, Friday & Sunday} ‘The Worth Shore Mews (s published by North Shoré Free Press Ltd., Publisher Poster Speck, from 1138 Loasdzie Avenu Why tax cuts mean | ARE Canada’s punitive taxes causing a dangerous “brain drain” to the U.S.? As the demand for tax cuts swells to 2 Canada-wide roar, we're hearing con- flicting stories. Is it true we're losing our brightest and bess — especially Canadian grads in science and medicine — to Uncle Sam, who on average takes only about 36% of their income in federal, state, payrolland municipal taxes compared to 45% in Canada? The Canadian Association of University Teachers, which has a vested interest in high taxation as a major source of university funding, says no. The alleged “brain drain,” CAUT - says, is simply a bogeyman used by big business in its ongaing war on taxes, The net flow of workers headirig south, the association argues, is modest and no cause for alarm, because the exodus is more than balanced by new immigrants to Canada.” , Even if the claim weve true, it totally ignores, of course, the quality of the indi- viduals in both groups. It assumes, for example, chat the loss to Canada of, say, a Peter Jennings (ABC News anchor) is fully counterbaianced by the admission of a family-class bride from Bangladesh. It takes no account of the drastic 1998 slump in all immigration to the lowest figure since 1988, including a 35% shortfall in. last year’s target for business "PETER Speen . Publisher: 855-2151 (10%) 4 a coe et ag Seen eeenecccevecseccsscassoeees * Classified ianaget 296-6222 (202) Entira contents @ 1999 North Shore Free Psess Lid. All rights reserved. immigrants —- wealthy investors and proven entrepreneurs. Moreover, statistics of Canadian immi- ration to the U.S. are completely ntis- leading. This is because many Canadian graduates spend their most productive work- ing years below the border on temporary renewable visas, with- out ever having official- ly emigrated. , Even CAUT admits Canadians fleein; da so primarily for the higher salaries. But these combined with | the lower taxes are obviously 4 double incentive. Today, for example, an American family of four with a $61,000 US income (about $80,060 Cdn) pays just 15% federal income tax. A proposed new tax cut would keep them at 15% right up to $71,000 US (nearly $95,600. So just why are U.S. salaries so much higher? Basically, because lower taxes _ boost economic activity and create jobs — which in turn actually increase overall tax revenue from a larger pool of free- spending individual taxpayers: US.’ unemployment currently hovers between one-third and one-haif of the Canadian figure. You don’t collect much tax from the jobless or welfare recipients. ; t the same time, employers with a reduced tax burden can afford higher wages and salaries to attract the most productive workers. Finally, such a boom- ing economic scene lures global investors." keen to have a piece of the action, which south | . medicare, education and social servi in turn keeps the currency riding high, - By contrast, our loonie limps along at 67-68 cents US, investment in Canada: dwindles, firms taxed to the max skimp’. ~ on jobs and wages, and unemployment sticks around 7-8% —-- largely thanks to waste and incompetence by arrogant bureaucrats who con transient political = | bosses into accepting their screwed . ; spending priorities, paid from a bottom- less public purse, as “the public interest.” Recently, the National Citizens . :.; Coalition identified $7 billion of our tax moncy thrown away by Ottawa in a sin- gle a heel on things of no value whatsoever _ to citizen — including hun: ¢ avera dreds of millions to prop up dicey busi-. ‘ ness vensures (soon to be joined by hock- ey teams), phony EI claiins and promo- tion of m endless tidbits like $3.3 million for -.: Montreal’s Museurn of Humour and $400,000 to promote World Hot Air Balloon Championships in Quebec. . «; . Eliminate such reckless waste of our tax doltars and Canada would bave culty in cutting taxes significantly. AFTER fully funding our precious MANY HAPPY RETURNS of today, July 21, to North Van birthday girl Jean Bain ... More of the same Friday, July 23, to West Van Kiwanian Gordon - Qo00 © WRIGHT OR WRONG: People who never make mistakes will never make thing else. ee es — iswright® LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Lotters must includs your name, _ full address & telephone number. _ Vid e-mall: irenshvaw @ direct.ca David Whitman Qisplay Advertising Manager 980-0511 g1) Horth. Vancoaver, B. ticulturalism. Not to mention * iving better.