at et cgiiieneed : a) VANCOUVER Rankin pledges peace, jobs Politics in Vancouver is not just a matter of “looking down a municipal drainpipe,” Harry Rankin told some 400 supporters Saturday night. “Tf I'd thought that’s all there was to it, I wouldn’t have lasted 20 years on council,” Vancouver’s senior alderman and the may- oral contender for the Committee of Pro- gressive Electors told a cheering crowd at the West End community centre. “‘What we need to do is be a part of the vast struggle that changes and transforms this universe. (We need) a broader vision than the local vision,” said Rankin to the banquet launching his electoral campaign on behalf of the 18-year old, labor backed civic alliance. Rankin, in a speech that followed an evening of well-wishes from noted civic reformers and several musical performan- ces, asserted that COPE was the organiza- tion of “the old, the young, the single parent, the small business people and trade unionists.” Interrupted several times by applause, the working class World War II veteran who became one of B.C.’s most noteworthy lawyers and civil rights advocates called for council initiatives on job creation, housing and disarmament. “You can’t:establish job creation at the municipal level alone, but you can help to,” he said, calling for an infusion of municipal, provincial and federal funds to engage in upgrading municipal infrastructure. ““We know we have thousands of men and women that could work in that tomor- row if the money was put together. That’s a practical question we can deal with,” Ran- kin asserted. Rankin said the city will face the queston of what becomes of the lands on which Expo 86 stands once the world’s fair has ended, and called for the creation of hous- ing “for those who need it, at a cost they can afford.” Vancouver city council has taken numerous peace initiatives, and in the future must continue to make nuclear dis- armament a top priority, said Rankin. “We intend to show people that peace is not a federal issue. . that peace is the job of ordinary people at the civic level. If we leave it to those geniuses in Ottawa, we’re done for,” he said. “We have shown them that 100,000 peo- ple marching for peace in Vancouver is no mean part.of the overall movement for peace in the world,” he contended. Rankin warned that the upcoming civic Labor fest to be aired Folks who missed out on the sunshine, sports and famous barbecued salmon at the Burke Mountain Labor Festival can still pick up on the music — albeit in a slightly edited form — thanks to the people at Cable 10 television. In fact, those who missed the festivities — or those who simply want to relive them — have at least five chances to pick up on the 1986 version of the 10th annual festival for the Pacific Tribune’s annual press drive. Cable 10 — which can be reached by cable subscribers on Channel 10 in Van- couver, Richmond and Burnaby — will broadcast an hour-long version of the music portion of the festival on Wednesday, June 22, at 9 p.m. for Vancouver and Burnaby viewers. Showings available to all viewers are on Friday, June 27, 2 p.m., Saturday, June 28 5 p.m., and Monday June 30, 6 p.m. — The program first airs on June 22 at 6 p.m., but Richmond viewers will only see a half hour of the show before local pro- gramming kicks in at 6:30 p.m. 2 e PACIFIC TRIBUNE, JUNE 18, 1986 ~ DAN KEETON TRIBUNE PHOTO Coad en 1 Running for mayor on the COPE-Unity ticket, Ald. Harry Rankin gestures during speech June 14 that stressed job creatl through municipal works, peace initiatives and housing. election race will be a “tough campaign” for COPE and the Unity forces. Noting recent comments by press colum- nists such as Doug Collins and Denny Boyd, he predicted the campaign would have its share of red-baiting by an opposi- tion of businessmen who will portray them- selves as a “new group.” But, warned Rankin, while its leaders and mayoral candidate may be younger than the former front-runners in the Non-Partisan Association, they are still “sharks” waiting to “gobble up” the city’s resources. “They want to erect their buidings with- out regard for planning or otherwise and take our resources, and provincially they'll do the same,” he said, calling the right-wing civic group a “grooming stable” for the provincial Social Credit. Rankin praised the role of trade unions in building and supporting COPE, calling them “a bulwark, as far as democracy is. concerned, and if you attack (the trade union movement) and smash it, you smash the front line of democracy.” Vancouver and District Labor Council secretary Frank Kennedy stresed that point, saying that organized labor has a “special interest” in ensuring a progressive council is elected. In reference to a recent motion before council from NPA alderman and mayoral contender Gordon Campbell to contract out more city-run services, Kennedy told the banquet: “The labor movement is going to have to take a very serious look at that motion. . .and consider what would happen if other people were in control of city coun- cil. “Nothing is safe when they start talking about contracting out,” said Kennedy, urg- ing the election of “‘a progressive majority on city council with Harry Rankin as mayor.” Full unity to elect Rankin and the pro- gressive majority was also urged by an alderman and former alderman associated with outgoing mayor Mike Harcourt, Bill Yee and Darlene Mazarri. Yee told the audience that progressives would ensure that council’s policy of balancing the budget with fiscal reserves to keep taxes down and maintain city jobs and services is continued. Yee was greeted with shouts of “run, run” when he said he was uncertain whether he’d be seeking a third term as alderman. He told the audience that Vancouver’s “visible minorities” would favor Rankin over “the other declared candidate” for mayor. _-- i E | ‘ y : : 9 C Since 1983 the Social Credit govern- ment of B.C., and since 1984 the Tory government in Ottawa, have been telling us that governments at all levels must practise restraint, that government must be downsized, government employees must be laid off, social services must be cut, business must be helped out by tax concessions and increased subsidies, and the average citizen must be prepared to pay far higher taxes on everything. That is the only way to balance the budget and reduce deficits, they say. = In Vancouver the labor-backed major- ity on city council has taken the stand that such an approach is all wrong, that this policy takes more money from ordi- nary people, creates more hardship and increases unemployment. We have the proof to show that we are right. In Vancouver we have had no cuts in Harry Rankin service for four years. Civic staff has not been cut back. Tax increases on property have been kept below the rate of infla- tion. How did we do-it? We used two basic methods: 1. We didn’t fritter away civic funds by giving concessions to developers or other corporate business interests. : 2. We used some of the annual profits from the property endowment fund to make up shortfalls in the budget. This fund was established by The Electors Action Movement (TEAM) when it had a majority on council in the early 70s. Its purpose was to provide a fund from which the city could draw on in difficult economic times, such as the present. It was a good move and had my support in council at that time. It was one of the few good things that TEAM did. Our property endowment fund to $460,452,062 at the end of 1985. It been going up every year. Last year the profits from th ment came to $14,748,126. We ¥ tions and transferred $7,027,445 int operating budget to maintain set and keep down property taxes. remaining $5,191,822 was added to © existing property endowment fund. Had we not transferred this $10.5 # lion from the property endowment to the operating budget, property would have increased twice as muc services and staff would have beet This was not done without a batt city council. The Non-Partisan Ass tion and TEAM aldermen _ bitl@ accused us of bleeding the fund. demanded cuts in services and stall While pretending they were 4! increases in property taxes, they Op the only steps that would prevent § increases. thal In spite of all their crocodile teats s the Committee of Progressive Bec and the labor-backed majority WO" ruin the city financially, Vancouvet © tinues to enjoy a AAA credit ratill higher than the Social Credit gover ment which the NPA and TEAM if§ we must follow. Need more be said? is I’ve been chairman of city coun? ft finance committee for six years 9° F From this vantage point I.can tell uch ‘e that, thanks to the COPE and labor backed majority, the city’s finances been well managed. A COPE majonty “se the November civic elections will ens™ that this will continue to be the — te T l g talle j $2,213,859 of that amount for palXt sites, another $315,000 for park acd¥ as se * S* D ae — a — A ~ A — oe ae — Po a — 2 — 2 oe — a — ed