6 — Wednesday, March 17, 1999 — North Shore News if s Spent fc PENT it may be, but thar hasn’t stopped it from spending. B.C.’s NDP government continues to reel trom controversy to controversy. The casino uproar currently embroi- ing Premier Glen Clark is but the latest act in our provincial political cheatre of the absurd. But buried amidst the casino cover- age and attendant uproar is another story documenting the fiscal incompe- tence of the Clark government. It reports that the provincial gov- ernment has already run out of cash and has been forced to issue $170 mil- lion in special spending warranis to cover overspending in health care and services for children. The emergency funding is tapped without the legislature’s approval. It means that the government has north shore news EWPOINT ‘Ge budget before its March 31] fiscal year- end, From the government spin facto- ry, the fiscal mismanagement that has the province on track for a $100 mil- lion deficit results from “higher than- budgeted costs.” Finance Minister Joy MacPhail applauds the miscalculation as part of her government’s commitment to health services as illustrated by her government’s “increased health-care spending seven years in a row ...” Maybe some budgetary thought should be given to that relentless increase in light of the cold hard math- ematics of the situation. But numbers are jus one aspect of the NDP government that doesn’t add up. This is a government in way over its head. The trouble is it’s dragging the rest of this once great province down with it. already burned up its $20 billion-pius mailbox District dances with democracy Dear Editor: Hypocrisy defeated democracy on a 4-3 vore by North Vancouver District council on March 8. Faced with the opportunity to demonstrate enlight- ened leadership — and faith that the citizens of NVD are responsible encugh to decide whether or not to have direct democracy — Mayor Bell cast the killer vote. Bell teamed up with councillors Carolan, Deering- Robb, and Harris to preserve council’s unehatlengeable power — while paying lip service to democracy. In a blatant conflict of interest, these four guardians of our local democracy limbo danced below the bar of pub- lic trust while sanctimoniously spouting rhetoric to ratio- nalize their bizarre belief that they represent the people’s interest better than the people could do for themselves! Bell, Carolan, Deering-Robb and Harris would have us believe that they are committed to democracy vet arc obliged by their responsibility to save the peaple from hypothetical abuses which might arise if citizens had the power to initiate referendums and directly vore on major issucs. Such elitist arrogance makes one wonder juse how grateful NVD citizens may be for their paternalistic pro- tection. Whether or not. direct democracy is a good idea, or whether or not the people of NVD would choose to have it, these four politicians, by their anti-democratic power play, have abused their public trust, and thereby disquali- ied themselves from further service as our elected repre- sentatives. All citizens whe care about democracy, 21d honour the sacrifices our forefathers made to win it for us, should stand up and be counted in the upcoming elections — by voting to defeat these four hypacrites. P, Jeffery Jewell North Vancouver north share: Worth Shore News. founded in 1969 a3 ac; independent sdurbaa Newspaget and Quilted < uncer Schedule 111, Paragraph 173 of he on Evceye Tan Act. 16 published sach Wednesday. ~ Feaday ant Scanday by Murtn Shore Free Press Utd and datndutrd to eve:y door on the North Shore Conada Post Cananan Pubbcavons Mart Sales Product Agreement fio 0067234 res) Jonathon Bell Creatine Services Manager 985-2131 (127) 61 582 (average crctaticn, Wesresday Friday § Suncay; Distripution Manager 986-1337 (124) FORGIVE ME FATHER, FOR | Am ENING THE HECK OUT OF SAS POLE ET We Mb ok, Una tacinberECi00n com Sheila’s cultural line in the sand THE ugly face of “globaliza- tion” is in the news right now, as the U.S. tries to bully Ottawa into killing its magazine adver- tising Bill C-55 — due to go to the Senate this week. Just to refresh your memory, this is the bill drafted by Heritage Minister Sheila Copps that would make it a criminal offence fas Canadian advertisers to buy space in splic-run American magazines. The leteer are periodicals containing 90% or more of their original editorial content, tarted up with a few pages of se-called “Canadian content” costing the U.S. publisher peanuts. With virtual: ue entire production cost covered by the U.S. domestic mar- ket, such split-rutis ~an sell space to Canadian advertisezs at tire sale rates, thus draining vital advertising revenuc from competing Canadian publications. A handful of major Canadian magazines like Maclean's and Chatelaine, while suf- fering, would doubiless survive, but among our hundreds of smaller special- ized periodicals — iet alone any new ones striving to start up — the slaughter would be brutal. Meanwhile, the U.S. insists Bill C-55 contravenes World Trade Organization rules and threatens highly damaging trade reprisals against $1 billion (U.S.) in imports of Canadian steel, textiles, cloth- ing, plastics and wood products unless PETER SPECK Publisher 985-2131 (101) Terry Peters; Pnotograbny Manager Crassities Manager 995-2131 (160) $84-6222 (202) Entire contents © 1997 Nurtn Suore Free Pre 985-2131 (133) the bill is withdrawn or virtually gutted. Tough talks aimed at a compromise are proceeding — though so far on a “wha blinks first?” basis. Bur ar stake here is much more than the end result of a trade spat between two North American neigh- bours. The real ques- tion raised is how far national cultures — other than the one emanating from New York and Hollywood — can survive ina globalized economy. For Americans, culture is like oil or bananas: a straight business proposition. If another country’s culture suffers as a result of global trade, tough luck --- they'd better concentrate on some other commodity. In the global marketplace, as the US sees it, the advan- tages of a single common culture are obvious. So why confuse matters when a monocultural world is so much better for business? Especially when that monocultural world is already increasingly dominated by the images of America's “Coca Cola Colonization” — the golden arches of McDonald's , Burger Ring, Pizza Hur, CNN, the Hyatt, Hilton and Marriott Hoiels — in every major city throughout five continents. Conversely, it can be bad for business when markets cling to their own cul- tures, which may not always be receptive to what big transnational cerporations — many U.S.-based — want to sell them, So any fostering of iadependent cul- tural values that can interfere with global trade is to be discouraged on principle — including Sheila Copps’ plea to the Conimons last week. “The point of all our efforts,” she said, “... 8 to guarantee that in the glob- al world we continue to have shelf space for our own stories. Bill C-55 is about acting in support of cultural sovercign- “ Not if it eats into the profits of American companies, retorts Washington, waving its big stick. Thus we now face a cultural “high noon” shoot-out with our big trading partner to the south — the irony being that its own TV, magazine and movie culture alzeady dominates much of Canadian fife. So far, so good, says Sheila — but on split-cun magazine piracy here’s our line in the sand. If the maple leaf still means anything to you, let her know it’s YOUR line in the sand too! eee . BRIDGE NEWS (no, not Lions Gate, silly!): For 10 days from tomorrow Vancouver Trade & Convention Centre hosts some 5,000 contract bridge fans from all over the world for the 1999 Spring North American Bridge Championships. For full info call Doug Cowan, 921-7787 or 922-0555 .. . And wish happy birthday Friday, Mar.19, co West Van's Sybil Hunden, still enjoying life at 82 by swimming 40 lengths daily! eee WRIGHT OR WRONG: Never be irreplaceable. If you are, how can you ever move up? LETTERS T0 THE EDITOR Letters must include your name, full adress & telephone number. VIA e-mail: trenshaw @ ditect.ca Dosg met —* Comptroller Managing Editor 985-2139 (116) Trixl Agrios Promotions Manage 988-2131 (216) 35 Ltd. 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