‘BRITISH COLUMBIA

Labor-endorsed candidates mount
strong challenge to tax policies

In virtually every Lower Main-
land municipality, labor-endorsed
and progressive candidates are
mounting a strong challenge to
spokesmen for real estate, insur-
ance and other business interests
that dominate most councils and
school boards.

That challenge extends to many
Vancouver Island centres, al-
though only in a few places has it
been carried into the Interior of the
province.

Common to all programs is sup-
port for the homeowners’ revolt
against high taxes compounded by
the provincial government’s finan-
cial contortions to reduce its share
of education costs, assessment in-
equities which heavily favor indus-
try and business, and in particular
the provincial government’s con-
tinual unloading of additional
taxes on to homeowners.

Only last week the Greater Van-
couver Regional District warned
that revenues from gas taxes and
utilities surcharges, already in ef-
fect before construction has even
begun, will probably be inadequate
to finance rapid transit and a transit
levy on property may have to be
imposed.

Steve Gidora, mayoralty candi-
date for Surrey Alternative Move-
ment who has the endorsation of
New Westminster Labor Council,
states in his program:

“The provincial government has

been heaping more and more costs’

on. the individual homeowner.
SAM pledges to fight this trend. In-

dustry must be made to pay its

share.”’

Choice of option for taxation
purposes is an issue in several mu-
nicipalities, notably North Van-
couver City and District, and on
the island, in Comox.

In North Vancouver City, where
newcomers Richard Blackburn
and Greg Richmond are contesting
council seats with the endorsation
of Vancouver Labor Council, to-
gether with Dana Taylor and in-
cumbent Gary Payne, choice of
Option D gave Burrard Shipyards a
tax reduction of more than
$800,000.

Similarly, in North Vancouver
District, choice of Option D gave a
tax reduction to the municipality’s
most unpopular industry, Hooker
Chemical.

There Betty Griffin, who earlier
this year challenged Hooker’s as-
sessment — at $2.82 a square foot

grossly disproportionate to the $31.

a square foot assessment rate on
homes — is contesting a council
seat. Both she and incumbent al-
derman Ernie Crist have the endor-

. endorsed
by laber for Surrey mayoralty.

PACIFIC TRIBUNE—OCT. 30, 1981—Page 2

STEVE GIDORA .

aon of Vancouver Labor Coun-

In Comox, UFAWU general ex-
ecutive board member Fred Pear-
son also is making the choice of
Option A over the present Option
Damajor issue in his campaign for
council, contending that Option D

has enabled business to pay less.

than half the taxes it otherwise
would have paid.

RICHARD BLACKBURN
civic democracy an issue for
North Vancouver City alder-
manic candidate.

GREG RICHMOND ... renters’
champion contests North Van-
couver City council seat.

Interest in the Lower Mainland
is centred on Burnaby, where the
Burnaby Citizens Association is
fielding a full slate, headed by
mayoralty candidate Lee Rankin,
for council and school board.

Vancouver’s COPE, at its an-
nual meeting Oct. 25, pledged the
support of its elected aldermen and
school trustees to the BCA in its
campaign andis calling on its mem-
bers to join BCA election workers

in a municipality wide distribution —

of election materials Nov. 14.

In Surrey, the contest is compli-
cated by the fact that Surrey Mu-
nicipal Electors, which now holds
the mayoralty and a majority on

council, includes some NDP mem- -

be

VISWANN...
seat on Surrey School Board.

campaigning for

bers and unionists, although none
of its candidates is endorsed by
New Westminster Labor Council.

The council is supporting Gor-
don Adamson, Charan Gill, Betty
McClurg and Joan Smallwood, the
aldermanic candidates of Citizens
for a Better Surrey, as well as the
two candidates of Surrey Alterna-
tive Movement, Steve Gidora for
mayor and Vi Swann for school
trustee.

A similar accommodation has

been reached in Richmond, where
the Independent NDP is fielding a
slate for council, but only three
candidates for the five school
board vacancies. The remaining
two vacancies are being contested
by incumbent Lorraine Hocking
and Fred Pawluk of the Richmond
Electors Action League. All have
the endorsation of Vancouver La-
bor Council.
-- In Coquitlam, a strong cam-
paign is being mounted by a trio of
candidates well known in the labor
and progressive movement. Con-
testing council seats with the endor-
sation of New Westminster Labor
Council are former Telecommuni-
cations Workers Union president
Bob Donnelly, Gloria Levi, wife of
New Democratic MLA Norman
Levi, and Eunice Parker, now
chairperson of Coquitlam school
board.

On Vancouver Island, consider-
able interest is focused on Port Al-
berni, hard hit by layoffs in the
woodworking industry. There vet-
eran labor alderman George Mc-
Knight is contesting the mayoralty

against three other candidates. He .

and three aldermanic candidates,
Lenart Nelson and Clement Rous-
seau, running for two-year terms,
and Elaine Baird, running for a one
year term, have been endorsed by

_ Port Alberni Labor Council.

A scattering of progressive can-
didates contesting council seats in
Interior municipalities includes
Bert Nilsson in Vernon, Doug Mc-
Kimmon in Castlegar, Stan Grill in
Nelson and Kevin Neish in Fernie.

Following is a list of labor and
progressive candidates, compiled
by the Tribune at close of nomina-
tions Oct. 26. A star preceding a
name indicates the candidate is en-
dorsed by the area labor council
and a name in bold type denotes an
incumbent.

LOWER MAINLAND

BURNABY

Mayor: *Lee Rankin. Council:
*Paul Bjarnason, *Derek Corri-
gan, *Elsie Dean, *Doug Drum-
mond, *Gayle Gavin, *Tom La-
londe, *John Motiuk, *Gordon
Smith. School Board: *Anne Bail-
ey, *Frank Boden, *Linda Chobo-
tuck, *Barry Jones, *Maurits
Mann, *Anne Smith, *Pam
Turner. All are BCA candidates.

COQUITLAM

Council: *Bob Donnelly,
*Gloria Levi, *Eunice Parker.
School Board: *Lorna Morford
(acclamation). All are ACE candi-

’ dates.

DELTA

Mayor: *Emest Burnett. Coun-
cil: *Edward Brewer, *Gwen Bur-

nett, *Beth Johnson, *Inger Kam,

*Norman Lortie, *Karl Moser.

School Board: *Josephine Booker,

*William Burnett, * Victor Eaton,
*Jean Gillespie, *Diana Jesperson,
*Daniel Peebles, *William War-
ren.

Council: *Bernie Gehring,
*Marjorie Houghton. School
Board: Alex Kucher.

NEW WESTMINSTER

Council: *Geraldine Mercer.
School Board: *Michael Ewen,
*Anita Hagen.
NORTH VANCOUVER CITY

Council: *Richard Blackburn,
Gary Payne, *Greg Richmond,
Dana Taylor. School Board: Roy
Dungey, Margaret Jessup, Phillip
Joe, all NOVVA candidates and
elected by acclamation.

ERNIE CRIST .
term on North Vancouver Dis-
trict council.

BERT NILSSON .. . conducting
strong aldermanic campaign in
Vernon.

NORTH VANCOUVER
DISTRICT
Council: *Ermie Crist, *Betty
Griffin. School Board: Verna Sme-
lovski, Frank Warburton, both
NOVVA candidates and elected by
acclamation.

PORT COQUITLAM

Mayor: *John Keryluk. Coun-

cil: *Michael Gates.
PORT MOODY

School Board: *Jonathan Tay-

lor.
RICHMOND

Council: *Alan Hall, *Greg

Halsey-Brandt, *Bob McMath,

LORRAINE HOCKING .... in-
cumbent Richmond school
trustee has proven her ability in
office.

. . seeks second

GEORGE McKNIGHT .. . veter-
an labor alderman bids for Port
Alberni mayoralty.

*Ernie Novakowski, *Harold
Steves. School Board: *Brian Col-

lins, *Shane Dyson, *Lorraine—

Hocking, *Anne Hutchison, *Fred
Pawluk. Hocking and Pawluk are

REAL candidates. All others are

Independent NDP.
SURREY

Mayor: *Steve Gidora. Council:

*Gordon Adamson, *Charan Gill,
*Betty McClurg, *Joan Small
wood. School Board:

SAM candidates. Others are CBS
candidates.
WHITE ROCK
Council: Jim Ormerod.

VANCOUVER ISLAND
ALERT BAY
Mayor: Gil Popovich. Council:
Norman Sumner.
COMOX
Council: *Fred Pearson.

COURTENAY
Council: *Erik Eriksson (one

year term). School Board (Rural

Area C): *Wayne Bradley. Re
gional District: *Bill Bremner.
DUNCAN
Council: *Dan Clements.
NANAIMO
School Board: *Wilf Brodrick,

_ *Joe Lychak.

PORT ALBERNI

Mayor: *George McKnight.
Council: *Lenart Nelson, *Clem-
ent Rousseau (two year term),

*Elaine Baird (one-year term).

School Board: *Gary Swann. Re
gional District: *Mark Mosher.
INTERIOR
CASTLEGAR
Council: Doug McKimmon
(two-year term).
FERNIE
Council: Kevin Neish (two-year
term).
NELSON
Council: *Stan Grill (two-year
term).
TRAIL
School Board: Bob Cacchione.

VERNON

Council: Bert Nilsson (two-year
term).

FRED PAWLUK ..
to meet modern needs is aim of ©

Richmond School Board candi-
date.

. @ducation

*Viola —
Swann. Gidora and Swann are -