Saturday, February 6, 1993 @

TheFARSIDE

By Gary Larson

+

“You're not fooling me, Ned. ... Taking a long walk

on the beach sounds romantic, but | know you're
just looking for crustaceans.”

Selkirk, PPWC inch
closer to new pact

Corinne Jackson
NEWS REPORTER

Selkirk College’s Pulp, Pa-
per and Woodworkers of
Canada members may soon
have a new contract, Barry
Jackson says.

“We didn’t make much
progress last week, but we're
getting things narrowed
down,” the board’s negotiator
said Thursday.

Both sides sat down at the
bargaining table yesterday to
hammer out a new three-year
deal. Deadline for The News
precluded reporting the re-
sults of the meeting.

However, Jackson said he
felt there would be a settle-
ment in the next couple of
meetings.

“The atmosphere is good.
We're getting down to what

are the really important is-
sues,” he said, identifying
wages and benefits.

As for the union’s concern
over contracting out, Jackson
said, “I’m 99 per cent sure...
this is not an outstanding is-
sue.

“We agreed to keep with the
current collective agreement
in regard to contracting out,”
he said.

Local 26 president John
Chernenkoff agreed that a set-
tlement was close, but de-
clined to comment further.

“There’s still movement on
both sides (and yesterday’s
meeting was a step in the
right direction),” he said.

The PPWC’s 122 members
have been without a contract
since their three-year deal ex-
pired Dec. 31, 1992.

COMMUNITY

ROYAL CANADIAN LEGION
Ladies Auxiliary to the Royal Canadian Legion, Castlegar-Robson Branch
No. 170 will be holding a golden anniversary coffee party and bake sale,
Feb. 13, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Legion Hall. Tickets are $1.00. Everyone

welcome.

ait

Coming events of Castlegar and District non-profit organizations may be
listed ‘here. The first 12 words are $4 and additional words are 30¢ each.
Boldfaced words (which must be used for headings) count as two words.
There is no extra charge for a second insertion while the third and each
consecutive insertion is half-price. Minimum charge is $4 (whether ad is
for one, two or three times). Deadlines are 5 p.m. Wednesdays for

Saturday's paper and 5 p.m. M

for Wednesday's paper.

should be brought to the Castlegar News at 197 Columbia Ave.

COMMUNITY

Bulletin Board

All Our Best From

CASTLEGAR FOODS

635 Columbia Ave. ¢ 365-5755

February 4 to Wed

com :
CAMPFIRE
BACON

500 g pkg.

February 10

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12 roll pkg. © limit 1

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Reg. ¢ Fine ¢ Ex. Fine
1.1 kg. ¢ Limit 1

99

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VE RESERVE THE RIGHT TO LIM UANTITIES
HOURS: Mon.-Thurs., Sat. 9-6; Fri. 9-8
OPEN SUNDAYS 10 a.m.-5 p.m.

@ Saturday, February 6, 1993

3a

dThe News

SecondFRONT

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NEWS

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HOURS

The News is
located at 197
Columbia Ave. Our
office hours are
Monday to Friday,
8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Closed on
weekends and
statutory holidays.

SUB
RATES

The News is
published by Castle
News Ltd. for
Canwest
Publishers Ltd. Mail
subscription rate to
The News is
$37.50 per year.
The price on
newsstands is 75¢
for each edition.
The price delivered

Province will prioritize spending

Scott David Harrison
EDITOR

Glen Clark wants British Columbians to
bite the financial bullet.

The provincial Finance Minister told a
Castlegar audience Thursday that prudent
planning and thrifty spending are the only
ways British Columbia can tackle its
mounting deficit.

“Some of our choices aren’t going to be
popular,” Clark told some 60 onlookers.
“More taxes is never a popular choice, but
we're not in a popularity contest.”

Projecting a provincial deficit of $2.3
billion this fiscal year, Clark told the
Sandman Inn crowd that government
spending is exceeding revenues. He said the
province has experienced a three per cent
growth in revenues versus an eight per cent
increase in spending.

“I think we have done one of the best jobs
in Canada to control the deficit,” Clark
said, pointing to a mid-year budget trim of
$316 million, “but the deficit is still

owing.”

Clark offered no specifics on what
increases lie ahead for taxpayers. Instead,
he said the province will prioritize its
spending.

Clark said the government’s No. 1
objective is to get British Columbians
working. He said the welfare system is
being stretched to the limit. Clark said the

‘We’re looking for the co-operation and input from
as many people as we can. We want to make this as public
as possible in order to help explain how tough
the decisions we’re facing really are.’

— Finance Minister Glen Clark

programs, specific to regional needs in
order to reduce the burden on the welfare
system.

The No. 2 priority, according to Clark, is
the maintenance of cost-effective health,
education and social services. He said the
province must embrace a new direction in
health care, referring to decentralized
services as introduced by Health Minister
Elizabeth Cull Tuesday.

Clark said the province has been forced
to make tough decisions with health
spending because the federal government
has pulled out of a cost-sharing program
which saw it contribute 50 cents on every
dollar spent by the provinces.

“The current system is sustainable,”
Clark said, “but you can’t have a federal
government telling provinces what to do
(through the Canada Health Act) when it is
not supplying any money into maintaining
the system.”

Clark said the government has taken
necessary steps to ensure a high-standard

including the dismissal of user fees.

Clark gave little hope for increased
funding to post-secondary institutions.
While admitting that the province “is not
doing enough,” he said B.C.’s hands are
tied. He said until the deficit is brought
under control, post-secondary spending
would continue to lag behind other
provinces.

That theme was repeated several times
during the one-hour public gathering.

Clark said his No. 3 priority would be to
cap spending to reduce the provincial
deficit. He said that entails a total
examination of the way government. does
business.

“We have to rethink the way government
works to find out if we are functioning as
effective as we should. If we’re not, than we
have to takes steps to ensure that we are.

“We’re looking for the co-operation and
input from as many people as we can,”
Clark said. “We want to make this as public
as possible in order to help explain how

province must introduce job creation of health care for all British Columbians, tough the decisions we're facing really are.”

News photo by Jonathan Green
Stanley Humphries’ David Pereverzoff goes airborne in action against
Mt. Sentinel Monday. After returning to earth, Pereverzoff was a big

part of the junior Rockers 47-38 win over their South Slocan rival.

Assessments won't
define rural taxation

Whopping property value increases won’t mean whopping tax
hikes for rural homeowners according to Glen Clark.

The Finance Minister said Thursday that he intends to lower
rural tax rates in response to hefty B.C. Assessment Authority
increases which saw rural property values jump by some 33 per
cent province-wide.

“I can tell you this, we will be reducing the mill rate to take
account of the increased assessments,” Clark said.

However, Clark would not say whether the reduced tax rate
would equal the increased assessment, something that the Union
of British Columbia Municipalities is pushing for.

“We'll be making a decision on the tax rate as part of the budget
process,” he said. “I want (people) to know that we will not seek an
increase in the tax rate as a result of the assessment increases.

“I guess what I’m really saying is we will be reducing the mill
rate entirely taking into account the assessment authority. But
then in the budget process, we'll review rural property taxes the
same way we would any other property tax.” — Harrison

No relief for Cominco?

Cominco can expect no favors from the provincial government.

Finance Minister Glen Clark said the financially-troubled
company will not get any handouts from B.C. He said the Trail
operation will be expected to pay its water fees like any other
corporate citizen.

“You don’t want to start using the tax system to subsidize one
industry,” Clark said. “If we were to provide relief for Cominco,
we'd have to provide relief for everyone and that is something the
government is not prepared to do.”

Cominco is seeking a reduction in its annual water charges,
which totalled $12 million in 1992. That reduction is the final part
of a four-stage process which has seen Trail and the Regional
District of Kootenay Boundary provide tax breaks and Cominco
reduce costs through layoffs and cutbacks. The four-stage process
was recommended by a B.C. Job Protection Commission Sane,
which was originally dismissed by Economic Development
Minister David Zirnhelt.

“We didn’t accept all the recommendations in the report... but
we’re committed to working through some of the problems.”

B.C. and Cominco are currently in negotiations aimed at
ensuring the long-term viability of the Trail operation. Neither
side will comment on the progress of the meetings. — Harrison