OPINION WEDNESDAY, February 3, 1993 A Wednesday, February 3, 1993 The Castlegar Sun Page 7A Letters to the Editor ) ax x The Castiégar Sun -~ IS PUBLISHER MARILYN STRONG SHARLENE IMHOFF CATHERINE ROSS EDITOR ADVERTISING REP. MARGE LALONDE NICOLE BEETSTRA CIRCULATION MANAGER PRODUC TION/OF FICE JOHN VAN PUTTEN LINDA ANDERSON SPORTS REPORTER/PHOTOGRAPHE A PRODUC TION MANAGER: KAREN KERKHOFF CHRISTINE MOYER REPORTER ART DIRECTOR MELODY SEMENOFF ADVERTISING REP. Direct Department Phones General Otfice 365-5266 Circulation... 365-5266 Classified Ads 365-7848 Display Advertising 365-2278 Newsroom 365-5579 Fax 365-7762 editorial comment Celebrate Information Rights Week—read your newspaper Have you ever wondered what it would be like if the media's freedom to investigate and gather infor- mation did not exist? What if newspapers such as The Castlegar Sun, or any other media agencies, were suppressed to the point of releasing only what was ‘cleared* by gov- emment, or any other legislative body? Well, if that was the case, a newspaper would no longer act as a vehicle driving the democratic pro- cess through the everyday course of time. Instead, it would be reduced to that of a state-run newspaper, which simply dictated policy to the people, disguised as fact. There would be no questidns asked; no edito- Fials to criticize the supposed-wisdom of govern- ment spending; and no ore to counter policy with a few poignant arguments of their own Eloquently- written accounts of what goes on behind closed doors would also be a no-no.” Editors and publishers who defied the state policy of printing ‘only what the public should know’ and pressed for a greater freedom to gather and publish all the facts in the search for tnith—would likely be arrested This,might be an unlikely situation in Canada (at least to that degree), but in some countries, this is exactly the way things work This week marks Information Rights Week in British Columbia. It sets aside a time to reflect on the necessities of free and open comment, as well as the media's job to provide the public with the facts in an unbiased fashion Even today, searching for facts is the hardest part of any reporter's job Getting the goods carrentail hours of pouring through technical documents, tedious phone calls to abrasive and cautious people, who, much of the time, will refuse to go on record for a variety of rea- sons. Reasons that might include embarrassment, or fear of retribution Joumalists already have a credibility problem with the public. Some opinion polls rank us slightly 3 3 eS It's the snowball I know we Canadians in the Kootenays need winter's bountiful accumulation of snow to meet our obligations for local water storage, flood con- trol and adequate water flows downstream. Following the ratification of the Columbia River Treaty in 1964, Canadian workers, many from the Quebec, pushed our economy into dou- ble-digit inflation; with escalating labour strife and the attendant costs, while building infrastruc- ture in “mega projects”, one of which we have in our own backyard at Keenleyside Dam Our southern neighbours paid handsomely for the infrastructure, half of its operating costs, and for downstream power benefits for 30 years, but there were conditions, of Course. Water storage and certain regulated flows are guaranteed down- stream, in return for which we are assured we will never again see flood conditions as severe as 1948, even though we had extreme conditions in 1972 and again in 1974 So, we need the “snow pack” if the rest of the continent is to enjoy the lakes and streams next summer. Surely we have fnough snow to fulfill our contractual obligations. If we have another dry spring and early summer, people might just be motivated to get involved in_ the Canadian/American water needs/consumption issues that will be surfacing as parts of the Treaty expire and are open to ren¢gotiation over the next few years. We might start by learning facts and understanding issues, rather than stating opinions based solely on what we might think is a sneaky American plot to grab Canadian assets. We do not need another gunfight at the O. K. Corral! Other Treaties expire in this decade. The British Mandate in Hong Kong expires in 1997 Perhaps that is the year we will gain our final contingent of Asian entrepreneurs, while some of our basic natural resources slide southwards. Will it be a fair exchange? We should be gearing up now for serious negotiations on both fronts Enterprising citizens from Southeast Asia have - come to Canada, made good their con- lingency plans should their home lands fall into disarray, and have retumed to take advantage of the opportunities that exist in the last days of the British presence. We should be learning our lessons from these very canny people and apply ing them to our own Canadian situations and experiences, ? As a walker, I am not happy withthe quantities of snow and slush underfoot, ror the amount of snow we must toss up onto our high snow banks. Nor am_Lhappy with-the increasing depth of snow packed on our roofs, though I am constant ly assured, by those who ought to know. that the Canadian National Building Code ensures that conforming roof structures should withstand most of what nature will thrust upon us. Is this amount of snow the most of what roofs will usually with- stand? Some neighbours have decided to err on the side of discretion and have been seen shovel. ling in the rain! One neighbour declared he only shovelled the show off his roof because he likes the view from up there! He now has the distinc- tion of being the first to have the foresight to take care of thé problem, before it could become a Elma Maund season! 8 problem! The children especially are enjoying the weather. I see children so bundled up that they resemble little visitors from outer space. These poor, brightly clad creatures are so stuffed and padded, their little arms stick straight out at the sides like little “stick” kids, Their boots are so big and heavy they can hardly lift one foot before the ¢ other so that they can barely walk, let alone carry. their enormous school bags, which are mostly dragged along behind them. Some of these colourful bags are actually larger than the chil- dren themselves. Just what are they carrying in those bags, anyway? A complete change of cloth- ing, plus books and lunch for the week? Their computer, calculator, and entire Nintendo/refer- ence library? A complete set of Encyclopedia Britannica? Money to buy lunch? I have to smother a smile when I see them. My morning walks take me on a circuitous route past many school bus stops, at which are gathered children of varying shapes, sizes and temperaments. On fresh snowy mornings, there are tense moments as I approach. They quickly divide into “sides” on the street, each staking out their own quickly assembled arsenal. The missiles fly fast and furiou: and as I approach I am aware this is a ticklish situation. I have slipped past, sidled through, and even walked brazenly by, unscathed. Then I discovered the best approach I simply give the universally recognized symbol of “teed” hands, call out “Coming through, Ladies and Gentlemen! Time out!” and make it safely through the gauntlet without an incident! Phew! Please, Let it pass quickly, this season for snowballs! Dear Editor: On Oct. 18, 1992, oy 16-year old son, Jesse, was stabbed to death as he and two friends walked home from a bus stop. One week later, six-year old Dawn iw was sexually assaulted and murdered in Courtenay, BC. In December, 12-year old Aaron Best spent a month in hospital after being stabbed in a school yard in Burnaby. In early Jan- uary 1993, 13-year old Daniel Burlet was beaten and stabbed in Surrey. ‘The common thread running through these incidents is the fact that, in each case, the alleged attackers are young (ie. under 18) offenders, 16, 16, 13, and 14 years olds respectively. At least two other attacks by young teens on adults were reported in December in the Greater Van- couver area. We have been in contact with people all across the country and are assured that similar incidents are occurring everywhere It doesn't take a genius to conclude that our judicial system appears to be seriously flawed in the way that it deals with young criminals. Most people agree that the major problem is the Young Offenders Act which provided little, if any, deterrent to youth violence. The. maxi- mum sentence for any crime, including murder, under the act, is three years closed custody (detention) followed by two years less-a-day open custody (supervised group home, etc.). The final two years can be changed to detention but this requires a special application. by the Crown as the three year detention period comes to an end (rarely, if ever, done). The Act also provides for a young offender to be tried as an adult but this is also rarely done as the courts appear to place the Tougher laws needed for young offenders interests and rehabilitation of the offender ahead of the protection of society and FAIR justice for the victim(s). A small group of dedicated individuals has therefore decided to press for revision of the Act such that any young offender charged with a violent crime, from aggravated assault on up, be automatically tried as an adult. There are other issues to be addressed, but this is the main focus for now, This group has adopted the name CRY, an Letters to the Editor are welcome on any topic of local or general interest. Letters-should be double-spaced, typewritten, or legibly hand- written, and no more than two pages if possible. Letters will be edited in the interests of brevity or taste if necessary, All letters must be signed, with address and telephone number, although names may be witheld from publication for valid reason by the approval of the editor. Send let- ters to; The Castlegar Sun, 465 Columbia Ave.; Castlegar, 8 °., VIN 1G8, or drop them off at the office. Poetry will NOT be put —ed. * Letters Policy acronym for Crime, Responsibility and Youth. Similar groups already exist in other parts of Canada and CRY intends to become part of a national .network dedicated to making violent youth fully accountable for their crimes. CRY would like to know how much suppon in principle there is in the community of Castlegar. Any . ¥ or just a vote of confidence would be greatly appreciated. Concerned individuals are also encouraged to write to their Member of Parlia- ment as 1993 is an election year. Please send any correspondence to: Crime, Responsibility and Youth c/o Chuck or Dona Cadman 14556 Kingston PI. Surrey, BC V3S SE6 Thank you The Cadman family “Good thing came to an end, thanks to ‘Castlegar Samaritan’ , But all good things must come to an end, thanks to a good Samaritan from Castlegar, Dear Editor: Do you have, in your fair town, people who Mainland. Had Linda Black said she had a degree are homeless? I am sure you must —She is now ii a from a university and was trying out survival We had, until a couple of days ago,-a lady living in a tarpaulin shelter on our-local bypass, she got lots of media attention because of the location of her home. Yet this woman asked for nothing, except to be left alone, and to live as she had for the past four years or so. She was surviving very well, and our local RCMP checked on her daily, as did the work- ers at the nearby industrial area. never get out. ed in a local general hospital. The next step will be the psychiatric hospital—maybe this poor lady will never walk ona street again, since sometimes, once you are inside, you gear, Mr. Barrass would not have bothered. I obviously do not know Mr. Barrass but wonder how many lonely lost folks has he opened his house to and fed them when they were hungry? Perhaps Mr. Barrass can make a few more phone calls and get the other thousands of homeless people in, this province some shel- ter? We have lots of them in the Lower Yours sincerely, K. Sheridam Port Coquitlam Anxious fire protectors in Blueberry should find some other hobby Dear Editor: Re: The letter from Wayne Nedjelski. “Blueberry Creek Fire Hall A Complete Waste of Money”. I am in complete agreement with his comments and observa- tions. And it's refreshing to find someone else who is concerned about high cost beyond our means. It was our understanding there would be no action taken without government grants. Evidently we have a group of zealots deter- mined to go ahead with a fire hall etc. regardless of cost The Regional District & Diret®or_are. only too-happy to acccomodate us. They are always happy to try and justify their exis- tence In regards to the Castlegar Fire Department supplying us with our breath waiting for fire protec- tion from Castlegar. I'm told fire- men have a very long memory, and I am sure they did not appre- ciate the reception they received here the last time. In the mean time, buy a couple of smoke detectors and a fire Dear Editor: Well, it’s finally official. Mike Harcourt and the NDP has finally confirmed that he will raise both the provincial income and sales tax in-order to attempt to solve his government's financial woes. While most people would readily agree that the last thing they need is more taxes, most times they can take at least partiatcomfon in that the additional funds collected extinguisher, and practice fire safety habits. Also a word to the zealots. It will cost aproximately $1,000 for each firemen’s gear. And a Scot pack costs about $500 each, and is required by W.C.B. every ten to fifteen years. There are many other expences too numerous to mention. I would suggest that our group of anxious fire protectors find some other hobby. Sincerely, W.H. (Bill) Gattrell Blueberry Creek Tax increases not conducive to economic recovery will be returned to them in the form of better services or an improved economy. This, howev- er, is not one of firose times. Despite scores of election promises, our quality of social care has steadily declined since reform. Yet, despite all the previ- ous diatribe, one of the first things this new government did was to ignite a crisis concerning health care by capping doctor's See TAXES 8A Ini To register call 365-6222 Perm Spe 0 All perms BOOK NOW! 00 ONLY for the month of February. BEAUTY CENTRE 620 - 18th St., Castlegar (Castleaird Plaza) 365-6000 BECINNER FLOWER ARRANGING 5 classes weekly Feb. 10 - Mar. 10 © 7-10 p.m. $25 plus supplies Feb. 9 - Mens night Be unforgetable - make your gift from the heart Children's classes - Saturday Starting Feb. 13 ¢ 9 am - 12 pm dividual Classes $10 - supplies extra Swag - Victorian Feb. 16 Country Feb. 23 Wreath - Victorian March 2 Country - March 4 Heart - March 11 the NDP came to power. Take for example our health care sys- tem, which, as the New Democrats have so often pointed out, was-and is in dire need of HERE'S YOUR CHA protection, they offered us pro- tection several years ago. A com- mittee of humble firemen met with rate payers of Blueberry The meeting was held in Blueber- ry Creek school. A member of our District opposed their offer. This member seemed to have all the answers. Our water lines were not adequate. Our fire insurance rates would not be reduced. He practically shouted the fire men, out of the meeting Collective Agreement. 1 blaene myselt for not speak Castlegar & District Home Support ing up in favor of their offer. I ‘ae HELP WANTED Castlegar Home Support will receive applications for trained HSW11's, (or equivalent certificate), for it's seven day per week operation. Wages as per Please Contact: DID YOU DO TIME FOR CHARITY LAST YEAR? "Now Here's Your Chance To Get Even...” with your Employees — or Best Friend — oy Mother-In-Law ... Anyorté you would like to see behind bars for a few hours or a day. Get together as a group and pool your money to have ‘em arrested on above politicians and used-care salesmen, dnd just below lawyers But the public still relies on us to tell them what's going on out there—whether ‘out there’ is inside a must have been confused along Services Association with everyone else that was pre- sent. 1464 COLUMBIA AVE., CASTLEGAR, B.C. V1N 3K3 At any rate we better not hold OFFICE 365-2148 Canadians about to get a taste of election advertising DALTON CAMP the public trust. expression did not exist your local newspaper. The So celebrate Information Rights Week court room, council chambers or at the scene of an accident. It's an onerous responsibility, but an important one, and we pride ourselves on serving Our abilities to serve the public and maintain that sense of trust would be nil if freedom of information, freedom of the press and freedom of read wily gar Sun AIS 1S POLITICALLY INDEPENDENT AND A MEMBER OF THE STERLING NEWS SERVICE Established November 28, 1990 Published by The Castlegar Sun Weekly on Wednesdays Member of Canadian Community Newspapers Association B.C. Community Newspapers Association and B.C, Press Council 465 Columbia Ave., Castlegar, B.C. VIN 1G8 paid for such advertisement accepted ERRORS: The advertiser agrees that the publisher shall not be liable for damages arising out of errors in any advertisement beyond the amount paid for the space actually occupied by that portion of the advertisement in which the error oacurred, whether such error is due to the negligence of its servants or otherwise liability for non-insertion of any advertisement beyond the amount and there shall be no All advertising subject to publisher's approval. Contracts must be completed within one year from contract date. No contingent orders It may be of less than riveting interest that Parliament is about to deal with the vexing problem of so-called “third-party advertising in general election campaigns Third-party’ does not mean the NDP once considered the generic third party of Canada nor even the Reform party; for the Purposes of the proposed legisla- tion, it means non-political organi- zations, special interest groups, or ~ even parties-of-one, which Parlia- ment henceforth would limit from advertising their opinions in feder- al election campaigns to an amount of not more than $1,000 The general public, no doubt, will’ Wave little interest in this since most people claim they are unmoved by political advertising directed at them during election campaigns and, indeed, go to great lengths to avoid it *Little do they know. The politi cal parties devoutly believe advertising is an essential part of modern-day campaigning and that i is an effective instrument in influencing and mobilizing public opinion. This being so, the parties have agreed to ~limit™* their campaign advertising spend ing so that it does not appear, ina democratic society, that God is w merely on the side of the biggest public spared exposure to politi- cal advertising wars of intergalac- tic dimension The dispensation was hot with- out price. The parties were to be limited not by their true financial means, but by Parliament Further, all campaign expendi- tures were.to be accounted for; indeed, so were the names of these who contributed money to the campaigns, not only who gave but how much. The laws of the land, however much reformed, left a loophole As a result of an Alberta court decision in 1984, “third parties” were allowed to advertise in feder- al campaigns without spending limits, accountability, or disclo- sure. While the public had a right to know where a political party’s money was coming from, the pub- lic had no right to know where third parties got their money Today's issue, according to third-party interests, is free speech: Anyone with money has a right to be heard in an election campaign One of the aggrieved "third par ties,” the National Citizens* Coali tion, has been quick to cry foul According to the NCC, the pro. posed bill is a "gag law,” and the $1,000 limit will stifle free speech. "You won't make yourself heard with $1,000."" it argues Parties" will be spending millions. One would need a heart of stone not to hear that anguished cry But the issue is not one of free speech, but of the limitations put upon it To allow unrestricted third- Party advertising in campaigns Tuns the risk of encouraging collu- sion between "third parties" and the parties themselves. The result would make mockery of the cur- rent reforms which require spend- ing limits, accountability and disclosure. These risks became palpable during the most recent federal election when the corpo- rate community weighed into the campaign with its "third party” advertising in support of free trade. The Conservatives, who Spent up to the allowed campaign limits extolling the merits of free trade, received further support, ting $5 million, from an “independent” third-party corpo- rate campaign It should not be imagined that the-corporate free trade campaign in the 1988 election was run with out the knowledge and approval of the Tory campaign managers. In elections past, the National Citi- zens* Coalition had submitted NCC-campaign advertisements to Tory of(jecials, if not for their approval at least. for their com ments. I know this because I was NCC’s up-to-the-eyes involvement in theTory general meeting in Win- nipeg, in 1983, when it produced its somewhat dubious "polls" to persuade delegates to support Brian Mulroney and dump Joe Clark. Although the organization solicits funds with the declaration that it is "independent of all politi- cal parties,”’ the claim is not entirely consistent with its history. Notwithstanding any of the above, the NCC is a lively organi- zation and much of:the time its heart is pure and its purposes commendable. The founder, Colin Brown, was an old friend and amusing company; his successors appear to be bright and interesting people who are often on the mark in their attacks upon the political “establishment.” But if we have to choose between the NCC and the public interest which requires rigorous enforcement, of campaign spend- ing restrictions and party account- ability, I have no difficulty choosing the latter. There is little to be lost in going through an election campaign without the admonitory asides and exhorta- tions of the NCC, or other inter- ested (and self-interested) ~third Parties.’’ With Grits, Tories, socialists, separatists and reform- ers, enough already. _} STUFFED SOLE ¢ BEEF WELLINGTON ¢ SCALLOPS * ESCARGOT Quality Gourmet and Convenience Foods Individual Portions or Case Lots Flash Frozen APPETIZERS ENTREES WIDE VARIETY OF FISH AND SEAFO Watch for our OPENING SPECIALS!! Frozen Meats ¢ Poultry ¢ Seafood 630 - 17th St., Castlegar 365-3411 Mid Town Plaza (behind Hi Arrow) Service and Quality Guaranteed BACK RIBS * VEAL SCALLOPINE ¢ PIZZA FINGERS * ORANGE ROUGHY « SHRIMP Friday, February 12 12 p.m. - Hi Arrow Hotel Jail Fee: §£20” per Hour—ie: 3 hours - *60® - All day #100” Note: Once in jail, the captive may post their own bail after the first hour by matching the contribution. All Proceeds Donated to ww VARIETY CLUB 5 p.m. Charged With Sentence (time in jail) Contact Person(s) — Drop off at the Hi Arrow Hotel front desk on or before Feb. 12, 1993 Cash or Cheques accepted Live repofts on CKQR Sponsored by: Wy ne i, Ww = ATS ___ Total $ _ _ Phone