OPINION WEDNESDAY, April Lon. The Ci eet igen Sun by Sterling a1 065 Coumbia Ave. Castlegar, B.C. VIN 1G8. Oe Oneteqnt Gun tapaltionly etypenters and a member of the Sterling News Service, c Newspapers Assocation, meta 8C. Press Council. Established 28, 1990. 10420, PUBLISHER MARILYN STRONG SHARLENE IMHOFF CHRISTINE MOYER EDITOR PRODUCTION JOHN VAN PUTTEN SPORTS REPORTER/PHOTOGRAPHER editorial comment It’s about time! Waking up Monday moming was tough. All of us who had to awaken with the alarm clock knew that even if our clocks said 6 a.m. it was really only 5 a.m.. The time might have changed, but our intemal clock told us different. Struggling to open our eyes an hour earlier than we usually do we couldn't stop wondering just who the heck devised Daylight Savings Time. While it might have made sense years ago, it no now stuck with a mid-century way of thinking. Let’s look a little closer at what it really means to “spring forward”. First of all there is the actual financial cost, or staff time, that is accrued when someone at a place of business has to take time to change the clocks, alarm systems, computers, fax machines, tele- phones, office clocks, computerized day organiz- ers. There is also the inconvenience of having to set the correct timé‘on your stove,’ microwave, cof- fee pot, grandfather clock, wrist watch, and so on. You get the idea. Then there is the silly (or is it?) thing the Department of Highways has to do out near Cre- ston. They’ve solved the problem—all they do is move the time change road sign from one side of Creston to the other. In effect they stay at the same time all year round. Besides the obvious financial costs of maintain- ing an archaic way of thinking there are other problems associated with time change. What happens to shift workers? Somebody has to account for the time change. And what about those individuals who need to take their medica- tions at a specific time of day—such as diabetics? And at feeding time do babies really care that the time has ch d? Somebody explain that to them. What about airline schedules? Or Sunday ser- vices? And the Sunday after the change who really feels like eating hunch at 11 a.m.? Doesn’t it bug you when you have to program the time on your VCRs, in your vehicles, and any other digital device? It takes an hour just to figure out how to do it. And to think that we’re just going to have to do it all over again in the fall can be awfully frightening. Time to get out your manuals! The worst part about it is just when you think you have it all under contro! you look over and there, staring you right in the eye, is a clock which you forgot to set! Seriously though, don’t you agree that it’s about time we did away with all of this foolishness and just stayed with one time throughout the year? If our government officials want to continue with time changes that’s fine. Let them live in their own little world, and live their life according to their schedule. That’s what’s happening now any- way. But leave us average citizens alone. Don’t ask us to “spring forward” or to “fall back”. We're tired of doing that dance. Please—can’t we stop this foolishness? As for programming the VCR—do what most of us do—let it blink at 12. By the way—does ANYBODY have the correct time? 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 |, whether approval. Contracts must be completed withi date. No contingent orders accepted. Printed in the U.S A longer holds true, and the people of the 90s are. TEMAS CAST EKAR ROMP STEP LP speEO-Limcr eAsTee. QvoPNONOvT DBRWK ME NDP banks on budget to garner votes With one cye on the prevailing political mood of the public, and the other on the next election, the tive, the budget pushes all the right buttons to qualify as the NDP’s first pre-election budget which will, no doubt, be followed by an even friendlier one next year. Some of the major comp Before you start dancing in the street because the projected deficit is under a billion dollars, and Finance Minister Elizabeth Cull by about $2.1 billion, That's because a lot of the debt been laid off on the Crown corporations. It’s an old trick, invented and of the budget have. of course, been released in dribs and drabs during the past few weeks. That includes the three-year freeze on all taxes and bringing the project- ed deficit down to less than SI billion, ‘Ehe actual figure is $898 million. The tax freeze applies to everything from personal and income tax, capital tax, sales tax, provincial rural proper- ty tax, fuel tax, hotel room tax and, surprise, tobacco tax. A little more closely guarded secant was the restoration of the for aut bites, which should make the car dealers happy, not to mention the folks who buy cars and trucks. The budget projects total expenditures during the 1994-95 fiscal year at $19.63 billion, while are d to ped to perfection by W.A.C. Bennett. He used to claim that British Columbia was debt-free. while the crown corporations went deeper and deeper into the red. There's some justification for this practice, since debts racked up by Crown, corporations repre- sént long-term investments in infrastructure projects such as the acquisition of new vessels by B.C. Ferries or the construction of new highways. More troubling is the debt incurred by day-to-day spcnd- ing, and in that department, the NDP has things under pretty good control The five-per-cent pay cut for the premier and cabinet ministers continues, and salaries for MLAs and senior public-servants remain frozen at their present levels. To pay off some of the accu- generate $18. 73 billion. lated debt, the g will go on a bit of a selling spree. Beyer Beware Hubert Beyer Government Air Services, with its fleet of five jets, will be put on the auction block. The fleet's main function — ber this year. Whatever else the council did will be taken over by the energy ministry. Also on the chopping bloc is the B.C. Petroleum ion, formed in 1973 to buy and resell all natural gas produced in British Columbia. Since the industry was deregulated in 1985, and most of the corpora- tion’s gas purchase contracts transferred to CanWest Gas Sup- ply in 1990, the corporation has oasis providing air services for remote areas — will be con- tracted out to the private sector. The B.C. Endowment Fund. established in 1992 with an initial investment of $500 million will be wound down. Invesiments made by the fund have produced hand- some returns. bringing the total value of the fund to $700 million. most of which will be used to pay down accumulated debt Liquidation of the fund includes the sale of the govern- ment’s shares in McMillan Bloedel. The B.C. Energy Council, formed in 1992 to develop recom- mendations for a long-term energy plan, and to conduct a review of electricity exports through public itt Other budget breaks include raising the ceiling for eligibility for the home owner grant to homes worth $450,000, up from $400,000, and shelling out $4 million in tax, breaks for 500 cooperatives and family farm operations. There's a lot riding on this budget for the NDP. In spite of a buoyant economy, the NDP has been unable to translate what has been a good stewardship of the province's coffers into public recognition and support. In every poll, the NDP has been trailing the Liberals. This budget is clearly meant to change the government's for- tunes and give it boost in public polls. We'll have to will The review was completed in 1993, and the energy plan is expected to be ready by Septem- wait until the next poll to see whether it works. For what it's worth, I think it just might. Wednesday, April 6, 1994 The Castlegar Sun Letters to the Editor Dalton requesting WCB study Dear Editor: This letter is in reply to the tet- ter of Richard Woloshen, manag- er, public affairs, Workers’ Compensation Board (WCB), published in The Castlegar Sun March 16, 1994. Mr. Woloshen's letter appears to simply reflect the many years of WCB's ion to treat WCB personnel signed and made evn a written petition stating volumes and complexity make it impossible to meet the board's promises of service time- liness, quality rehabilitation, and fair compensation.” In the March 2, 1994 issue of WCB news, James Dorsey, the chairman of the Board of Gover- nors and interim president of WCB said, “We are a board that took a look at the surplus that was built up in the mid-80s and from there, made a deliberate decision to bring in less money through The Castlegar Sun, Bill their perception of WCB as reali- ty, to solve problems by denying their existence, and to use the general principle of workers’ compensation to defend princi- ples and practices that are mani- festly unfair and unjust. This is, I believe, what Mr. Jus- tice Tysoe meant when he said in his 1966 Royal Commission “The Workmens’ Compensation Board is no different from other admin- istrative bodies which are pos- sessed of more or less absolute power, unless someone is con- stantly looking over its shoulder, it will tend to lapse into a laissez faire attitude and to be content with things as they are.” Mr. Woloshen's letter does not teflect the fact that in February, 1994, 500 adjudicators and other i of the Comp i Employee’ 's Union whose mem- bers signed the petition was quot- ed as saying, “There simply aren't enough resources and people in place to address injured workers.” Many of the other points Mr. Woloshen makes have been dealt with in_other contexts and will not be dealt with again in this letter, however, there are two final points. First, the 1993 WCB unfunded liability is projected to be $400 million. This represent approxi- mately 10 per cent of the WCB's $4.161 billion in assets, disclosed in its 1992 financial statement. This is erosion of equity at a greater rate in its earlier years than that which eventually caused the Teachers’ Investment Hous- ing Co-op to completely fail. In the 1993/94 fall/winter and to operate at an annual deficit.” Interesting eco- nomic concept! I believe any reliable economist could have advised the WCB that the mid-80s surpluses were being created by a historic rise in interest iates and the ten- dency to over-inflate asset values. Both, and particularly interest rates, would almost certainly adjust dramatically downwards. The WCB did not even have to seek economic advice, Like the chipmunk, the WCB could have simply tried to save some nuts for the winter. Second, Mr. Woloshen’s letter failed to account for the fact that in Ontario, a group of leading business and labour leaders, the Commission to Study the WCB. The f ig was the Saturday, March 12, 1994 issue of The Globe and Mail. “This sys- tem is slowly tipping over the edge of the cliff,” said Fred Telmer, Chairman of Stelco Inc.. He said the WCB's finances are so weak that if it were a pri- vate company, “this organization would have to declare bankrupt- cy.” He likened the group's study of the WCB to “unpeeling an onion. The closer we got to the core, the more problems we saw.” For the reasons expressed in this letter and Harry Killough’s letter published in The Castlegar Sun March 16, 1994, I ask all readers of our letters to join Harry and I in asking for an immediate appointment of a Royal Commis- sion to study WCB in British Columbia. Sincerely yours, Terry Dalton A good budget for ordinary people. Deficit down. Jobs up. Taxes frozen. For your copy of the 1994 BC budget please contact: Ed CONROY, M1A Rossland Trail 619 Columbia Avenue Castlegar, B.C. VIN 169 Phone 365-7500 attempt to cross at the intersection ping will. alone. I have filed a complaint How ‘your donations to. Cancer Society is spent Dear Editor: The sale of daffodils in March heralded the April campaign of the Canadian Cancer Socicty. The 15 d for their 10 or 15 years of dedication will be among the many others calling at your door during this month If you are wondering how your donation is spent, the following is a break down: Research and national programs-57.5 per cent Patient Services and lodging-18.7 per cent dren have attended Camp Goodtimes. You can see progress in cancer control over the past 30 plus years: * Childhood leukemia survival rates have risen from 4 per cent to 68 per cent. + Hodgkins disease survival rates have risen from 30 per cent to 85 per cent * Testicular cancer survival rates have risen from 57 per cent to 94 per cent + With earlier through fallers/ouckers complete the training by June 30, 1994. All trainees must have a minimum of one year logging or forestry related experience. April 9, 10, Sat. & ‘Sun. 8 am - 4 pm. $125. for fitness is their current. Pri, Anal 2, and 10. For moe inforseation exll Danian a 365.1261. Residential Landscape Design: This course is designed to assist the homeowner in creating and drafting a landscape plan. Topics covered: identifying site characteristics, defining plant design characteristics, and describing the aesthetic plants 23, 9 am - 3 pm. $36 plus GST. Traffic Control Flagging: Sat., April 9 or 23, 9 am - 3 pm. $42. Please be prepared to be outside for most of this course. Log Scaling and Grading: Students receive training that is appropriate to the vocation as well as to provide them with the skills to perform the jobs and to challenge the examination. Mon. « Pri., April 25 - May 6, 9 am - 4 pm. (10 sessions) $400. Classes are held at Selkirk College and Atco Lumber. Residue and Waste Management: Mon., May 16 - 20. 8:30 - 4:30 pm. $225. The manual is an additional $25, This ¢ Must be a licensed log scaler. ‘oourse will be held at Selkitk. College and designated field locations. CASTLEGAR CAMPUS 365-1208 Selkirk, College It’s criminal Everyday I am constantly amazed at how many parents, grandparents, etc. don’t properly buckle up their children. As a mother, I can't even begin to understand why these people can’t take a few extra minutes to safely buckle up their children. Just the other day I saw by appeared to be ing with their grandchild. whet caught my eye was the grand- child (who appeared to be about two years-old) sitting on the grandmother's knee. I was so angered I almost got out of my car to ask just how much they loved that child. I saw them get back into their truck and drive away, the astonishing thing I saw was the grandmother put a seatbelt on herself then set the grandchild on her lap. Amazing!. Are people just ignorant to child safety or do they really believe it can't happen to them? It can and it will. I think anyone with common sense can put two and two together. If a child is on a lap, a vehicle only has to be going 20 miles per hour for that child to be crushed by the force of the per- son's body. If that isn’t enough, if a child is loose in a vehicle they become a flying object, and that puts every- one else in the vehicle in danger. Driving is dangerous enough without taking anymore risks. I wouldn't be able to live with myself knowing I may have been able to save a child's life by sim- ply potting them in 2 car seat or seat be: I've ‘heard all the excuses why people don't put a seatbelt on their child or don"t make them sit in their car seat. Incredibly enough stupid things like: the child doesn’t like it; they cry or they can’t afford a seat; etc., etc. If cost is the problem, the hos- pital has information for renting car seats. to NOT do it Parents—put up with all your child fussing it’s worth it. My three-year-old daughter has been taught since the begin- ning that a seat belt is the only way she can ride in a vehicle. Now if someone is in my car and doesn’t put on a seatbelt she tells them to. Maybe I've had to instill a bit of fear in her so that she would I believe her life is worth it. When an adult isn’t wearing a seatbelt it’s illegal. In my when an adult chooses not to safely secure their child they should be charged with oe An adult is capable of making the choice to wear or not to wear their seatbelt, but a child can't make the correct choice for themselves. I'm sure we would all like to an eae cries again if we had to L to the silence when it’s all over. For your child's sake take a few extra minutes to explain the dangers and buckle them up, they deserve it. Nicole Beetstra is a Castlegar Sun employee who is active in many sports. Public education-11.1 per cent + Fundraising-7.5 per cent. Community services-2.9 per cent + Administration-2.3 per cent. To date $73,082 has been spent in the Kootenays to assist 89 patients with and breast self-examination, breast cancer is starting to yield more hope for longer-term survival. The five-year survival rate for breast cancer (1984) was 74 per cent. ‘was not tion and drugs. One hundred and twenty-nine patients have received emotional support as well as 184 have stayed in the Vancouver Lodge and six chil- The recent research which produced false figures d by the Canadian Cancer Society. Ruby Marsh Castlegar Unit, Canadian Cancer Society 10 CUBI REFRIGERATOR White * Almond Do you have an opinion you would like to let our readers know about? If so, the My Turn column is designed to mmodate your needs. lf you are interested in being our columnist please call 365-5579. 10 “Custon ner Appreciati tion 5 riday, Abril 8 off your total Grocery bill! “Minimum $20.00 purchase excluding tobacco. 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