\ OPINION Castlégar News PAGE A4, SATURDAY, AUGUST 11, 1990 nil MEMBER OF THE B.C. PRESS COUNCIL ESTABLISHED AUGUST 7, 1947 TWICE WEEKLY MAY 4, 1980 THE MIO-WEEK 2, LV. CAMPBELL — PUBLISHER, AUGUST 7, 1947.FEBRUARY 15, 1973 PUBLISHER — Burt Campbell EDITOR — Simon Birch PLANT FOREMAN — Peter Harvey MANAGER — Wayne Stolz OFFICE MANAGER — Linda Kositsin CIRCULATION MANAGER — Heather Hadley EDITORIAL West can lead in solving debt crisis This country’s national debt is $360 billion (with interest alone this year of $40 billion!) and this debt will likely double by the end of this century if left unchecked. With such a galloping fiscal crisis, all of Canada’s social programs are at risk: security for our seniors, health care and assistan- ce to those in need; educational funding for future generations. Our children and generations beyond them face crushing indebtedness, hyper inflation, devalued currency, and higher and higher interest rates. Some serious concerns, and some proposed answers, were raised in the B.C. legislature recently by former cabinet minister Grace Mc- Carthy. Unfortunately for British Columbians, the Bud Smith tapes affair broke in the legislature on the same day and her remarks did not receive the widespread discussion they deserve. In what can only be described as an understatement, the private member for Vancouver-Little Mountain described our nation’s fiscal picture as ‘‘dismally poor.”’ There appears to be no strategy, she remarked, and — worse still — there is “‘no to save of Canadi from crushing indebtedness, inflation and a devalued currency.’’ This massive debt, she added, ‘‘saps our ‘ability to sustain the social programs that not only are Canadians proud of, but programs which Canadians have come to expect and which are a part of our lifestyle in B.C. and across the nation. . . security for old age, health and assistance to those in need.”’ The legacy of the present federal administration’s runaway national debt policy is likely to be a doubling of the federal deficit within 10 years. Calling for a provincial war on this debt, Mrs. McCarthy made some. y, but likely » pr She said every provincial government — but especially the ones in the West — should offer a list of items to the federal government which the feds have offered ‘‘and which each jurisdiction must now realize we cannot afford.”’ Capital projects, she said, should be re-examined and some even put on hold for five years. They should then be evaluated at the end of that time ‘‘in relation to the debt position of the country . . . . The Provinces of Canada (should) co-operate by offering savings on promised capital projects as well as some services.’” In another understatement, the longtime politician said the federal government should cut its expenses dramatically. ‘‘The people of Canada should be spared further inflationary policies that could be halted, specifically the goods and services tax.’’ The MLA suggested all Canadians pay two per cent on their in- come tax as a ‘‘debt reduction levy.’’ The surcharge, she said, would be in place of the GST ‘‘which is only earmarked for further gover- nment spending.’’ She said the revulsion in this province against the GST is not because British Columbians don’t want to help carry the load, but because they know the GST is overly bureaucratic and \doesn’t address the debt materially in any way. Charging the federal government ‘‘has no capacity to solve our economic problems today or tomorrow,’’ Mrs. McCarthy said the solution has to come from provincial jurisdictions. Emphasizing federal debt reduction as ‘‘the single most impor- tant issue facing Canada,”’ sherightfullysaid a national effort has to begin immediately to deal with the crisis. Such an effort must start, she concluded emotionally, ‘‘if we are to fulfill Canada’s promise; to fulfill British Columbia’s promise; to fulfill a promise for a new generation of British Columbians.’’ The responsibility, truthfully, belongs to all Canadians. And the opportunity exists for the western provinces to lead the way. CEEOL THEY Dre U% LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Article outdated I was surprised to open the Castlegar News of July 28, Section C1, and find an outdated article copied from the Washington Post under the headine, ‘‘Dioxin threat may be overestimated.’” Dioxins — there is a large family of these chemicals, as well as a large number of related chemicals only slightly milder in effect — are the most dangerous toxins known. My surprise comes for several reasons. First, we again must suffer the arms-length values of statisticians: where only a handful of in uals may actually suffer from a risk, the risk is deemed ‘‘acceptable.’’ But those who suffer and die do not do so according to some tiny fraction: each one is 100 per cent sick or 100 per cent dead. A really close examination of the text makes it clear that there is no change in risks — only in the assignment of lesions as carcinogenic or ‘‘benign.”” But can we rest cheerfully knowing that the sores and growths have less odds of proving malignant? Who needs lesions anyway? Secondly, the evidence cited in the article is obsolete and corrupt. The article touts outdated standards presently under revision in Canada and elsewhere. If ‘respected epidemiological studies . - failed to show that dioxin has the same effect on humans as it does on laboratory animals,”’ as is claimed halfway through the article, why are none identified, if they are reliable? I understand to the contrary: that current evidence shows that dioxin exposure of workers in Nitro, W. Va., resulted in a 243 per cent increase over the norm in lung cancer deaths, 208 per cent in genitourinary cancer deaths, 909 per cent in lymphatic cancer deaths and 137 per cent for heart disease deaths. Do you want more cheerful figures? Of the people exposed to dioxins in Zone A of Seveso, Italy, men died of cancers other than lung at a rage of 1596 per cent over the norm; women died of gallbladder and biliary cancers at a rate of 1207 per cent and a staggering increase of 2758 per cent deaths from rheumatic heart disease. These are the human data, and they don’t exactly contradict the animal data. The article made the statement that ‘‘Dioxin is not a mutagen. . . it triggers a significant but reversible change in the biological functions of cells.’" And who is going to reverse the change? This is whole lot more like VIEWPOINT Change wanted after scandals By MIKE HARCOURT New Democratic Party Leader The long legislative session has en- ded in Victoria. Marked from begin- claims and bring peace to our embat- tled forests, set out a strong platform for governing. On the second promise,” New ning to end by of Socred abuse of public office, I believe the 17 weeks of sittings has made the coming election choice for British Colum- De did our job as the official Opposition and exposed the Vander Zalm government's failure to provide B.C. with open, honest government. There was the Bill Reid lottery scandal; Carol Gran’s dial-a-j bians clearer than ever. Entering the session, New Democrats made two promises: to put wishful thinking than objective fact. In your accompanying well-balanced and thoughtful editorial, you justly add the criticism that dioxins are bioaccumulative (a point the Post article ignores). I have to conclude that you chose to publish this material because it appears relevant to our local debate over the expansion of an industry that is a known polluter, a known source of dioxins; and that you assumed that Washington Post material would be the highest quality. I believe the article itself is part of the news. Below the Post’s usual quality, it thus indicates that one of the most powerful and independent news organizations in North America is snatching at straws while it Parties will drowns in the rising tide of evidence of ecological disaster. Who benefits from false propaganda designed only to smooth over people’s justified fears? Mark Mealing Castlegar Story propaganda I must complain about the article (UI claimants hurt by political war, says MP) you carried on page 2 of your paper Wednesday, July 25. This is nothing more than political ‘‘cannon fodder’’ from Mr. (Lyle) Kristiansen, whois using this so-called war to try and portray himself and his party as the only ones who care about unemployed Canadians. Nothing could be farther from the truth. The Liberal majority in the Senate is attempting to stop the passage of the Conservatives’ Unemployment Amendment Bill C-21 because if it is passed into law, tens of thousands of people in every province will lose their eligibility for UI it will become much worse than the present squeeze that the Conservative government thas put on UI claimants. The Liberal party is trying to protect the degredation of one of the many social programs that the Liberals have brought to Canadians over the last 40 years. The Conservatives are trying to dismantle them, and (NDP) Mr. Kristiansen as a member of an ineffectual third party is merely generating hot air as he and his party can do nothing constructive. Garry Jenkins Federal Liberal party candidate Concern over pits I am writing to express concern and heighten awareness regarding the parcel of land located in the downtown area of Castlegar which extends from the B.C. Gas ball field to Zuckerberg Island. This area is commonly known to citizens of Castlegar as ‘‘The Pits” and more so as a dumping ground for debris. I find it rather disgraceful that such a beautiful piece of land, located in our close proximity, is being so badly abused by our own citizens. 1 am writing in the hopes of attracting the attention of citizens in our area to view the potential of this property. In our own backyard we have this incredible wealth and many people are choosing to use it as a garbage dump. I am aware that a project is currently under way to clean-up this area and that a crew of men have worked to rid the area of as much debris as possible to this point. However, their labours will be in vain if people continue to dump there, which is inevitable if this cycle is not stopped now! l invite you to take a walk along the hiking trails that have been established over the years. You may be slightly disheartened to view some of the garbage in the area but all of this could stop if some of us were aware of what we have, and if the rest of us just took a little pride and drove the few miles to the ‘‘real’’ garbage dump. Come on Castlegar, show your pride. Become involved and tell people where the ‘‘garbage dump” really is! Let’s be concerned about what is in our backyard. Wanda Remfert Castlegar Volunteers needed In the area along the river encompassed by Zuckerberg Island, the old gravel pits and the Second Avenue/Third Street intersection, people are dumping household garbage, scrap building materials, old furniture and the like. This is in spite of acity ordinance clearly posted informing all citizens that dumping of refuse is prohibited. A group of summer workers hired by the development board, with some city help, is endeavouring to clean up the garbage eyesore in this area, but all their work is being undone by thoughtless or careless citizens unloading garbage. The cleanup crew and those of us who care are discouraged. I suggest that to overcome this impasse we form a group of volunteers who would help the city enforce the bylaw. All it would entail is the witnessing and reporting of any person dumping garbage so that charges can be laid. Castlegar does need to become a cleaner and more hospitable place, and the public can do something about it. The development board has agreed to accept the names and telephone numbers of any citizens interested in becoming a volunteer to stop dumping Colin Pryce Castlegar Please address all letters to the editor to: Letters to the Editor, Castlegar News, P.O. Box 3007, Castlegar, B.C. VIN 3H4, or deliver them our office at 197 Columbia Ave. in Castlegar. Letters should be typewritten, double- spaced and not longer than 300 words. Letters MUST be signed and include the writer's first and last names, address and a telephone number at which the writer can be reached between 9.a.m. and 5 p.m. The writer's name and city or town of residence only will be published. Only in exceptional cases will letters be published without the writer's name. Nevertheless, the name, address and telephone number of the writer MUST be disclosed to the editor. The Castlegar News reserves the right to edit letters for brevity, clarity, legality, grammar and taste. August 11,1990 Castlegar News As Gulf crisis may help Higher oil prices could lead to exploration By WARREN CARAGATA OTTAWA (CP) — Consumers may pay a bit more for gasoline and home heating but the crisis in the Persian Gulf may help Canada weather a recession, an oil industry analyst said. The volatility in the Middle East means no one can make accurate predictions because no one knows how Iraqi President Saddam Hussein will react to international-pressure to withdraw from Kuwait, energy exper- ts said. For now, the world can manage without crude oil from Iraq and Kuwait. But if Saudi Arabia is drawn into “the conflict all bets are off, they said. “If the Iraqis start blowing up Saudi facilities, then we're in deep troubl analyst Robert Robinson said. Robinson is vice-president of Scotia McLeod and the company’s senior energy analyst. With a recession brewing, higher crude oil prices caused by the Gulf crisis may carry a silvér lining for Canada even though it would mean Private control touted MONTREAL (CP) — A Canadian forestry expert says the country’s vast but diminishing forests would be bet- ter preserved if private companies were allowed to control them, rather than governments as is now the case. Peter Pearse said that under the current system of public ownership and private exploitation, companies are not motivated to restock the forests they cut because they fear they won’t be able to benefit when the trees grow to maturity. In Canada, most forested land belongs to provincial governments. Lumber and pulp-and-paper com- panies_lease the land and pay rent as they cut the trees. In the United States, by comparison, 75 per cent of the forest is owned outright by private interests. Under most arrangements com- panies are required to reforest, but Pearse said companies, insecure with the arrangement, do the minimum required by contract. “It’s hardly surprising they don’t want to invest,’’ said Pearse, a professor in the forestry faculty at the University of British Columbia. “Provincial governments repeatedly revoked theif licences, through legislation. The effect is that companies just don’t have the con fidence that their rights be honored for as long as it takes to grow a@tree.”” Pearse, in an intervigw after a Presentation to an international forestry conference, said that in British Columbia, forest companies spend on average four times as much in management of the few private woodlots that exist as they do on Crown land they lease. higher prices at the gas station, he Sai Higher prices mean more incentive and more money for the oil industry to search for more oil and that could mean a boom for Western Canada. If a crude oil increase of $3 to $4 US can stick, and Robinson thinks it can, it will mean more than $1 billion a year in increased cash flow for the Canadian oil industry. Over time, that money will be spent finding new supplies and developing existing fields that were not economical at lower prices. Higher prices mean that projects like the Cold Lake heavy oil and the OSLO oil sands developments in nor- thern Alberta and the Hibernia field off the Newfoundland coast will start to make economic sense. Robinson said a surge of activity in the oil patch could ease the effects of a i which some believe has already started. At a news conference, Minister Brian Prime Kuwait. \Canada boycot “But if things turn nasty in the Gulf, you could still see $40 (a barrel) before you see $20 again,"’ said Steve Turner, an analyst with Smith New supports the the short-term effects of the current crisis on Canada’s inflation rate, saying rising oil prices boost the Canadian dollar and therefore could ease interest rates. While there are some predictions that gasoline prices could soar, Robinson and a senior official at the federal Energy Department were more optimistic, pointing out that retail prices rise less than one cent for every $1 US rise in crude prices. Crude traders said the market now is less fearful Iraq will invade Saudi Arabia and hopes the Saudis, their- security bolstered by U.S. troops and airpower, may raise production to of- fset the effect of boycotting Iraq and Energy Research Associates. “Emotion and politics are making oil prices now." Robinson expects motorists could see prices rise to about 60 cents a litre but said pump prices are set more by supply and demand than they are by crude prices. Canadian consumers will have some respite ‘from generally higher * prices, as about two months worth of cheaper crude is still working through the system. But Canada’s two biggest gas retailers, Imperial Oil and gover- nment-owned Petro-Canada, have announced a wholesale price increase of two cents a litre. GST will make high tax bill worse, group says VANCOUVER (CP) — The amount of taxes the average Canadian family must pay this ygar has risen more than 13-fold since 1961, far faster than the increase in The consumer price index rose by about 393 per cent. The figures are contained in the seventh annual edition of Tax Facts, the conservative think tank’s con- demnation of the growing weight of income or the cost of living, says a vi ic research group. And the tax bill can only get worse when the federal government imposes its seven-per-cent goods and services tax next year, says the Fraser In- the average Canadian family earned $5,000 and paid out 33.5 per cent or $1,675 in taxes. The average income has risen to $49,500 this year, out of which $24,569 wen\, to pay taxes, about 49.6 per cent. When the increases in income and taxes are converted into an index using 100 in 1961 as a base, says the institute, taxes rose by 1,366 per cent while income rose by 911 ‘per cent. on the average ” The product of a year’s research, the analysis involves study of .26 di ferent tax categories, 21 different in- come sources and the taxing and spending habits of three levels of goverriment. Michael Walker, the institute’s executive director, said one can’t sim- ply consider income taxes when figuring out the chunk claimed by government these days. “‘While most Canadians consider income taxes the most significant taxes they pay, the fact is that other taxes account for a larger fraction of the total tax bill,’’ he said. “‘In 1990 for example, the average family will pay income taxes of $9,131. Other taxes, ranging from oil and motor vehicle taxes to amusement and property taxes, will amount to a total of $15,437. “In other words, taxes other than those levied on income account for nearly 63 per cent of the total tax bill of the average Canadian family.” The economic research group also calculated that the average family would have paid $406 more in taxes this year if the Goods and Services Tax had been imposed this year. That’s slightly higher than the $365 the federal government estimates the average family will pay next year. Walker said the institute used the federal government’s revenue estimate of $4.5 billion to calculate how much the average family would pay in 1990 had the tax been in- troduced this year. Crestbrook numbers down Prompted primarily by pressure on pulp volumes and price, sales and earnings for Crestbrook Forest In- dustries Ltd. during the second quar- ter and first six months of 1990 were both down when compared to the same period of 1989. And, the second Shareholders for the thtee-month and six-month periods ending June 30, 1990, Sakae Hosaka, chairman of the board and chief executive officer, and fight over city i+ Canadian Radio-television and Relief from the distribution of a CBC CRTC public documents couver (604) 666-2111 Telecommunications Commission Conseil de la radiodittusion et des telecommunications canadiennes. DECISIONS Decision 90.0681. Kootenay Cable Limited, Elktord; Fernie. etc owned and satellite service on the basic band of each undertaking documents in the ‘Canada Gazette’ part 1 librariers; and at the licensee's offices during normal business hours. To obtain contact the CRTC at Halifax (902) 426-7997; Montreal (514) 282-6607; Winnipeg (204) 983-6306; Van. Canada CKIC 8.C. approved operated French-language You may read CRTC at CRIC offices: at reference Ottawa-Hull (819) 997-2429 eal °Estate WITH BARRY BROWN BE INFORMED BEFORE YOU BuY! forward positive alternatives‘on issue important to British Columbians, and to continue to expose this gover- nment’s failure to work in the public interest. Political observers who cover the legislature every day report we delivered on both counts. Between April and August, New Democrat MLAs introduced a total of 46 private members’ bills which in- dicate the direction we'll take as government. They included: new steps to strengthen our forest economy, sweeping laws to stop pollution and ensure healthy forests, action to provide equality for women, affordable housing initiatives, and strong laws to provide open and honest government. The bills, along with our *proposed environment and jobs accord to settle native land Dueck’s free European trip paid for by a major medical equipment sup- plier; and Bud Smith’s tampering with the justice system, among others. Ironically, the last act of the last session of what I believe will be the last Socred government was a botched attempt on-their part to cover their tracks with a widely-condemned con- flict-of-interest bill. The bill was revealed to be a Socred scandal cover- up bill and showed the current gover- nment will go\to any length to sup- Press exposure Of its scandals. il 9, in my response to ‘h, I said this session the choice for British ‘ed government and a Democrat alternative By SCOTT EDMONDS Winnipeg was the battleground as the opening shots were fired this week in Manitoba’s 35-day summer elec- tion campaign. And if Premier Gary Filmon hopes to parlay his 24-seat minority gover- nment into a majority Tuesday, Sept 11, he'll have to concentrate his forces in the city where Progressive Conser- vatives have yet to make major inroads. This year, more than ever before, Winnipeg is the key to power in Manitoba. Redistribution has changed the boundaries of virtually every riding in the province, giving the city two more seats and taking one from the NDP- nominated north and one from the Tory south With two-thirds of Manitoba’a 730,000 votes, Winnipeg now controls 31 of 57 seats. Liberals held 20 of those when the legislature dissolved Tuesday and four were held by the NDP. In April 1988, Tories held on by their fingernails in many of their five Winnipeg seats, including Filmon’s Liberal university professor Jasper McKee came within 125 votes of claiming the wealthy Winnipeg riding of Tuxedo. Filmon has fought diligently since 1983 to overcome the image of a party run by farmers and rednecks. His selection as leader, rather than Morris farmer Clayton Manness, was supposed to help build much-needed urban strength. The likeable former city councillor and businessman has a temper so even it takes a magnifying glass to find frown lines on his face. Politcally, he rarely strays from the middle of the road. Liberal Leader Sharon Carstairs has had a tough time finding any ground to the left of Filmon She must content herself with con- striking distance. NDP power bases remain the nor- th, where the native vote is a major stantly reminding voters that Filmon belongs to the party of Prime Minister Brian Mulroney, perhaps even less popular in Manitoba than he is elsewhere in Canada at the moment The third man in the legislature, NDP Leader Gary Doer, at 42 the youngest of the three leaders, doesn’t have trouble moving to the left of the premier. But his strength in Winnipeg was sapped badly by the whipping the NDP took from the Liberals in 1988, The NDP fell to 12 seats and the Liberals shot from one — Carstairs’ — to 20, gaining another when Tory Gilles Roch jumped ship. While the margins weren't as slim as in some Tory seats, many NDP bastions, including Doer’s own Con- cordia, saw Liberals move within factor, and the few Winnipeg seats where average incomes arelow. The Liberals aren’t without their own problems. They haven’t held any of their seats long enough to stake much of a claim. And despite insisting for weeks they were ready and eager to get the cam- Paign started, the Liberals were fum- bling this week to get their machine in gear Although, she's only 48, the Halifax-born® former schoolteacher said she was so disturbed by the bitter fight over the Meech Lake accord she was considering an end to her political career. “Maybe I'm too Politics,"* June idealistic for she said in an interview in There is great joy in owning o home of your own puttering in the basement, tending the garden. jamming your own tront only natural that once you ided to buy a home you ll get storfed os soon as selta home is worth considerable tint effort. Remember, happy house hun. ting is informed house hun Many questions should be consider your own lifestyle. Ma list of what is important to you. N Prioritize the fist into thr categories Things | must hove — Desired extras and would tikes Would like, but not essential You will also want to look around the neighbourhood you hove in mind ‘and find out how fer you would be from schools, churches. shop, focilities, recreational opportuni ‘ond from work? Does the neighbourhood hove proper police and fire protection. os well as full facilities for dispose! of Utilities like water, gos and ef tricity installed ond pard tor? Are the sewage plants adequate? Do zoning laws safeguard the residential 2 above con be quickly answered by a putoble real estate agent. A er will thoroughly investigate needs, quality you for a ‘able to show you be aware of mortgage availability ond will assist you in making your financial and legal arrangements When you buy @ home, you buy better way of lite and make o sound financial investment at the same teme. Good luck and happy house hunting. 3 NATIONAL REAL ESTATE SERVICE Agonsiog ted. 1695 Columbie A; Phone 365-2111 or 345-2787 Stuart A. Lang, president and chief operating officer, said, ‘‘Sales and earnings for the second quarter of 1990 weré both down substantially when compared to the same period of 1989. Net sales for the second quarter of 1990 were $56,709,000 and net ear- nings were $3,523,000. Earnings per share for this period were $0.46. This compares to 1989 second quarter net sales of $68,810,000 and net earnings of $9,086,000 or $1.19 per share." Action Ad Phone Number is 365-2212 TRIM GLOSS SALE ENDS SOON! remom ALKYO SEMLGLOSS ENAMEL wert. 72610 at @ ALKYD SEMI-GLOSS \TEX FLAT LATEX FLAI @ LATEX EGGSHELL @ LATEX SEMI-GLOSS ’ ) Fitness Periour — S8PONTIAC || memBERSHIP . SPECIAL Buy now and SAVE os prices will in- 1, 901 We Build Excitement! ‘83 FORD MUSTANG 6-Cylinder, 4-Speed, Automatic, Sunroof ; Only 52,000 kms. New Wheels & Tires Tourism is going places. 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