NEWS VIEWPOINT

Democratic meddling

HE NDP has obviously caly just begun to meddle with B.C.’s demo- cratic processes.

Some of the legistation contsined in Hii 84, the proposed new Labor Relations Code, should be enough to make voters’ hair stand on end.

Not only does it remove workers’ rights of a secret bafiot by automatically certify- ing a bargaining unit if more than 55% of a company’s employees sigm anion cords, but it also allows for clauses withie a union contract that could prevent a com- pany from dealing with zon-anion com- panies or individuals.

That could require the government, through the B.C. Government Exaployees Union, to deal only with usionized com- panies.

Small busiwesses, the backbone of the province’s economy, would therefore be

om of tack, as would the B.C. economy Hself.

And now the NDP is proposing chang- img the Municipal Act to prevent property owners who do sot live permazently in a commenity froc: votieg ia municipal clec- tions where their second home is located.

The change would 2ffect thoasends of North Shere residents who own szcond homes suck communities as Whistler and Bowes Isiand.

Iastead, the NIDP proposes that people of no fixed address living in a community be allowed fo vote.

Anotker proposal states that ‘‘those who have shown a blatant disregard for civic rights or the democratic process be dis- quakified from voting.’”

That would disqualify most of the pres- ent NDP government.

Need campaign against dangers of drugs

Dear Editor:

the decision to fire for the protec-

emotions and energies into a

I] am writing out of concern over the reports in the media on the inquest into the death of Danie! Possee.

I cannot understand why there should be such a deliberate at- tempt to condemn the actions of a police officer who, upon entering an apattment on an authorized drug raid, finds a man pointing what appears to be a shotgun at the head of a fellow officer who had entered first and who did not have his gun drawn.

He had a split-second to make

Publisher Manag Associate Editor

ing Editor... Timothy Renshaw . Noel Wright

tion of the fe of that officer.

It turned oat to be 2 tragic mistake — but who, in that split-second, would have consid- ered that this man might, at home at Hi "clock at night, be target shooting with a pellet rifle at a kitty litter box?

And who, also in that split- second, would question why this man was pointing his gun three feet from the officer’s face? This scenario was unique.

One would hope that the Possee family would put their frustrated

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campaign to educate young people about the dangers, not only of drug taking, but also of associating with those who are in- volved in drugs.

Mr. Possee is obviously able to generate publicity and would get the attention of young people. Thus, he and his family could have 2 positive influence for good ia our community, and, in the process, would find healing and peace for themselves.

Sthetta Carrothers

966-1337 986-1337 985-3227

-Start the

economy - using paper-pushers!

NEVER ACCUSE your scribe of playing safe. Today's target is roughly every sixth adult under 65 you pass at Georgia and Burrard during lunch hour. And thry can make one’s life miserable if they wish.

They are Canada’s 2.7 million public cmployces, to whom tax- payers last year shelled out a cool $94 billion in wages, or an overall average of $34,815 for each one of them.

They work for all three levels of government — federal, provincial and municipal — and the Crown corporations.

And let's be fair. Two-thirds, bless "em, de important practical jobs we NEED io have done: policing, firefighting, bus-driving, ferry-crewing, air traffic controll- ing, road-mending, garbage disposal and scores of others.

But that still leaves around a million bureaucrats — nearly half of them federat civil servants — whose contribution to the economy consists solely of pushing paper, telling us what's good for us and punishing us if we differ. Their wage bill: $35 billion, equivalent to almost $1,300 from every man, woman and child in Canada.

Aside from top mandarins (fre- quently replaced by new govern- ments with advisers of their own color) most bureaucrats enjoy vir- tual life tenure. Pius what Henry Kissinger calls ‘‘the aphrudisiac of power,” the daily high produced by power over the rest of us.

True, politicians may need a few swivel-chair types to help them ‘‘serve’’ us — though our present unholy mess suggests most of today’s governing hordes, elected and non-elected, are over- due for a career change. At the root of the trouble lie their sheer numbers.

Group strength, az Churchill noted, constantly tempts bureau- crats to lapse into becoming ‘‘no longer servants, no longer civil.”’

To pretend 39 cabinet ministers and their ever-growing legions of deskbound memo-shufflers are needed to keep 27 million Cana- dians in order —when the U.S. Jooks after 10 times our popula- tion with a cabinet of about 12 — is midsummer madness.

To pay almost a tenth of the country’s workforce 35 billion tax dollars a year for producing not a single cent’s worth of value-added work vital for saving the nation from bankruptcy is economic Iu- nacy. Especially when their activi- ties so often hinder and frustrate the very people whose productive

Noel Wright

efforts ARE fighting the reces- sion.

Don't get me wrong. Most in- dividual bureaucrats, I’m sure, are admirable charscters. I'd never oppose my daughter marrying one.

But we simply can’t afford these million non-paying passen- gers.

Cutting them by two-thirds, along with their political bosses -—~— and retraining the surplus 700,000-odd for wealth-creating work in the real world — could kick-start the economy with a

REAL bang! eae

TAHLPIECES: At Dundarave Pier a life-size Nativity scene by renowned North Van wood sculptor Frank Caries aad 50 Christmas trees donated by loca’ businesses lit up at dusk Sunday outside Peppi’s, launching the heritage restaurant’s second an- nual Fesitival cf Lights with Mayor Mink Sager, former MLA Grace McCarthy and the Canucks’ Arthur Griffiths doing the honors. Salute Peppi’s owners Klaas Fuerniss, Sleowsa and Joba Withers for adding such a spec- tacular ornament to West Van's Christmas. ... Meanwhile, Lacy Collings’ *‘Qut and About with Oil and Watercolors’’ show con- tinues until Dec. 15 at West Van Library. ... And welcome to the local business scene Deborah Casey, new Bank of Montreal veepee for the North Shore and Sunshine Coast.

Saies & Marketing Director. Linda Stewart Comptroller ...Doug Foot

North Shoro News, founded m 1969 as an independent suburban newspaper and quahfied under Schedule 4411, Paragraph Mi of the Excse ‘ax Act, is published each Wednesday, Friday and Sunday oy North Shore Free Treas tid. and distsibuted to every door on the North Shore. Second Class Mail Registration Nurnder 3885 Subscriptions North and West Vancouver, $25 per year. Mailing rates avaitable on request Submissions are welcome but we cannot accept responsibility for unsoficited matenal nclucdng manuscapts and pictures which stould be accompanied by a stamped, addressed envelcpe

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WATER, ANYONE? ... City councillors Stella Jo Dean (lefij and Barbara Perrault tend fire chief Tom Cumming a hand with the city’s new 3,000-gallon-a-minute fireboat.

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