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Maorth Shove Hows, fainded in 1909 os an independes
sadusben newspaper and qualified tnder Scheckile 11,

61,582 faveage i

GORDON CAMPBELL

news viewpoint

GORDON CAMPBELLS

eminem See A et A RR A

_ Rescue required

“HE helpers need some help. On the
".. Waterfront, the North Shore Lifeboat
«Society (NSLS) is in dire need of a new

_ rescue boat.
., Last week’s incident in Deep Cove height-

“ens the sense of urgency. A pleasure boat
“struck ice in the northern reaches of Indian
An NSLS crew responded from Deep Cove
but. was curtailed by the ice. A single-bull

': Hourston pleasure craft just doesn’t cut it in

extreme conditions.

It’s time to support these worthy non-
profit organizations.
In both cases the men and women who

volunteer their efforts in aid of those of us in .

trouble in local waters and wilderness areas
give of themselves freely and often.

In many cases these volunteers juggle fam-

ily, career and rescue work.

They often find themselves on call 2%
hours a day.

They also tend to find themselves in Jife-

Most can’t
afford to be
a councillor

Dear Editor:

I have disagreed with
Corrie Kost on occasion in the
past, but I think he is absolute-
ly right about the foolishness
of giving local councillors
chicken feed.

When we elect councillors,
we are in effect hiring them to
run a fairly large organization
with a multi-million dollar
budget, a sizable work force,
considerable invested capital
and real estate, and thousands
of demanding shareholders
{i.e., we the voters).

I do not see the logic
behind paying them an

amount that is more appropri- .

ate for a half-time shelf-stacker
down in the loading bay.
Actually, the half-time
shelf-stacker is better off than a
councillor, because the coun-
cillor is usually employed else-
where, and so loses about 53%
of his or her council pay to the
marginal cax rate. Not only
that, but the shelf stacker’s

work hours are fairly strictly ~ .

limited. Personally, I believe:
that I am one of
or thousands of people living
here who could be well-quali-

fied to seek the honor of serv--

ing on district council. 4

I have 15 years of manage- :
ment experience, an MBA spe-..
cializing in’ public policy. eco-:.

nomics, and. an internation
reputation in the telecommat

. ing field. I keep my hat on'm
head and out of the ring, how-

ever. Given’ what’ councillors

are paid today, I. could certain-:,

ly run — but T couldn't afford.

to wir.

¢ hundreds «= f*

- is: "Dhe’ society

“minum rescue boats.

_ vehicle. The existing one is worn out.

nearly 60% of voters anti-Liberal _
means it’s time to get blunt about the
opposition leadership.
Specifically, that
of the Progressive
Conservatives and
Reform. A merger,
of whatever kind, of
their two powerful
voting blocs is vital
if Canada is to be
rescued from per-
manent Chretien-
style dictatorship.

. The combined Tory-Reform vote is capable
of sweeping the west from Vancouver to
Winnipeg. Recent Tory gains in the polls
promise it solid —- possibly dramatic — advances
in Ontario. It could steal some Atlantic Liberal
seats. And in Quebec it at least has nowhere to
go but up.

Such a merger offers the only possibility for

- the foreseeable future of an alternative majority

government. Moreover, a coalition of the two
basically similar right-wing parties might just
conceivably succeed in ousting the stumbling
Grits in this year’s expected election. _

But it can never happen, of course, with the
two present, stubbornly antagonistic party lead-
ers—at daggers drawn politically in the bitter turf

is attempting to raise about
-, $200,000 to replace-vessels in Deep Cove and
Fisherman’s Cove with double-hulled alu-

‘s On land, the North Shore Rescue Team is
cin immediate need of a new search and rescue

as rescuets.

job done is a travesty.

port.

war they are fighting at the expense of Canadian
democracy. ‘

One says this with sorrow. Both Jean Charest
and Preston Manning, as individuals, command
considerable respect and admiration.

The latter’s achievement in building the
Reform party from scratch to over 50 Commons
seats in under 10 years has been a spectacular
feat. Charest’s quiet nursing back to health of
the Tory party after its 1993 near-death experi-
ence speaks volumes for his character and dedica-
tion.

But neither, alas, seems to grasp what the
electorate most urgently needs: a majority-gov-
ernment option to replace the increasingly inept
Chretien-ites. Neither can offer that with his
own party alone — indeed, by splitting the right-
wing vote they guarantee Liberal victorics.

Moreover, both have personal hang-ups in
the matter of voter appeal. In an age where TV
dominates elections Manning’s cold, logical style
of presentation simply doesn’t sell. The person-
able Charest’s albatross is his Quebec base — for
28 years (aside from nine months of Joe Clark
and 11 weeks of John Turner) Canada has had
Quebec prime ministers. Can the country stand
yet another?

Canada does, however, have one political
leader eminent capable of the badly necded
merger job taat Charest and Manning blindly
reject.

The name is Ralph Klein, Conservative pre-

threatening situations as they play their roles:
To not have reliable equipment to get the
They deserve the best and deserve our sup-

Contact the North Shore Rescue Team at.
985-3713. Reach the NSLS at 926-0367.

I Suspect thi ; he vi
majority of people whom we
might consider: well-qualified
to be councillors have reache
the same.conclusion..
Stephen Finlay:

North Vancouver

nity.

call by Reform and Tory voters aching for better
answers to our problems than those of the fum-
bling, stumbling, arrogant Chretien gang?

Those voters will never know unless the
launch a “Draft Klein” movement — and if they
aspire ever to choose the government again, time
is running out fast. Or do they have any better
ideas?

200
MANY HAPPY RETURNS of today, Jan. 22,
to West Van Kiwanian Lionel Lewis ... The same
again Saturday, Jan.25, to North Van Kiwanian
jim Reavill.

O09
WRIGHT OR WRONG: Killing time murders
opportunities.

— The North Shore News believes strongly in
freedom of specch and the right of ail sides in a
debate to be heard. The columnists published in the
News present differing points of view, but those
pa are not necessarily those of the newspaper
itself.

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