Ad - The Terrace Standard, Wednesday, April 5, 2000 TERRACE STANDARD ESTABLISHED APRIL 27, 1988 PUBLISHER: ROD LINK ADDRESS: 3210 Clinton Street Terrace, B.C. * V8G 5SR2 TELEPHONE: (250) 638-7283 » FAX: (250) 638-8432 EMAIL: standard@kermode.net Dangerous IF THERE’S anything that speaks to the danger al of large corporate control over the province’s for- ests, it is surely found in the current talks between forest companies and environmental groups In short, the large companies are worried about the continual campaign of environmental groups against logging in this province. By giving up wood within the so-called Great Bear Rainforest, the companies expect the greens will give up their international campaign to boycott B.C. wood. What one big industry is doing is simply strik- ing a deal with another big industry — the extre- mely well-financed environmental lobby. After all, business is business. This is not good if you are a sawmill worker, a logger or the resident of a town likely to be affec- ted by any deal cut far away from here. It was only several years ago that the northwest was held hostage to the corporate machinations of Repap, as Skeena Cellulose was then known. De- cisions made far away caused Repap to walk away from the northwest, leaving Skeena Cellu- lose with a mountain of debt and the northwest a mountain of worry. The problem then, as it is now, is that large in- dustries, be they forest companies or environ- mental groups, pay no mind to the people who live in the forests and depend on them for their li- velihood. Once again, we’re to be a spectator on decisions affecting our future. It’s a race IN ENTERING ‘the race for the Liberal nomina- tion for the Skeena riding for the next provincial election, Terrace city councillor David Hull says he doesn’t want to see a coronation. Thank heaven for that. Mr. Hull is one of the more experienced of Terrace’s city councillors, never afraid to speak his mind or to venture an opinion. It’s this quality he says he wants to bring to the Liberal nomination. Mr. Hull fears that a simple anointing of a Liberal candidate instead of a com- petition won’t establish the successful candidate’s credibility once the real election takes place. In doing so, Mr. Hull will be doing Skeena NDP MLA Helmut Giesbrecht a favour. Because Mr. Hull will drag the Liberal nomination race out into the open, Mr. Giesbrecht and his suppor- ters will be able to gauge the extent of Liberal support in this riding and examine its policies in preparation for the real race when the provincial election is finally called. There’s nothing like hav- ing the goods on your opponent. And that’ll be healthy for Skeena voters as well. Political office should be earned, not as- sumed. The key phrase in the provincial election will be openness and transparency. Anything to help that is welcomed. PUBLISHER/EDITOR: Rod Link |. ADVERTISING MANAGER: Brian Lindenbach PRODUCTION MANAGER: Edouard Credgeur NEWS Jeff Nagel « NEWS/SPORTS: Christiana Wiens NEWS/COMMUNITY: Alex Hamilton FRONT OFFICE: Darlene Keeping CIRCULATION SUPERVISOR: Carole Kirkaldy ADVERTISING CONSULTANTS: Sam Bedford, Mark Beaupre & Stacy Swetlikoff TELEMARKETER: Stacy Swetlikoff DARKROOM/COMPOSING: Susan Credgeur AD ASSISTANT: Kulwant Kandola SUBSCRIPTION RATES BY MAIL: $57.30 per year; Seniors $50,75; Out of Province $64.39 Outside of Canada (6 months) $158.25 {ALL PRICES INCLUDE GST) MEMBER OF B.C, AND YUKON COMMUNITY NEWSPAPERS ASSOCIATION. CANADIAN COMMUNITY NEWSPAPERS ASSOCIATION G CNA geet AND B.C, PRESS COUNCIL Serving the Terface and Thomhill area, Published on Wednesday of each waek at 3210 Clinton Street, Jerace, Brilish Columbia, VG 52. Stories, pholagraphs, illustrations, dasigns and typestyles In the “Terrace Standard are the proparty of tha copyaght holders, Including Cariboo Press (1969) Lid., Its ilkistralion repro services and acvellising agencias. Reproduction in whole or ‘in part, withaul writtan parmission, is specifically prohibited. Authorized as second-class mail panding the Post Ofce Department, for payment of pastage in cash. Special thanks to all our contributors and correspondents for thelr time and talents eee DON'T LIKE THES MARTIN. HE'S SNEAKY... SAYING ONE THING MEANING ANOTHER... MAKES PHONEY PROMISES AND ALL AROUND MAKES A WEAK IMPRESSION. .... SOUNDS LIKE EXCELLENT BM. MATERIAL, «« Budget doesn’t cut the mustard VICTORIA -- Sa we're going into the hole to the tune of an- other $1.2 billion, but the gov- ernment is honest and forth- coming about it. I suppose one should be grateful for small mercies, al- though I find the idea of a government trying to make me admire the fact that it has pro- mised to lie to me no more somewhat ludicrous. Stripping the budget of the thetoric, two figures leap out: One, the projected deficit. is $1.2 billion. Two, the total provincial debt stands at $34 billion. When Ontario's Mike Harris and Alberta's Ralph Klein began to implement their right-wing agenda, [ was con- vinced that their slash-and- burn tactics ‘would lead"to s6- cial disaster. ] was wrong. Those two pro- vinces have enjoyed balanced budgets and debt repayment for years. In the meantime most other provinces have fol- lowed suit. Even Bernard Lord's New Brunswick govern- . ment has just introduced a. budget with a modest surplus, while increasing spending for health and education. The NDP, too, will spend more on health and education, CUPE holds ch LAST MONDAY on CBC Radio a teacher explained why he and other B.C. Tea- chers’ Federation members wouldn’t cross CUPE picket lines. By supporting CUPE’s strike, students’ education would improve, said the tea- cher. And how does CUPE hope to better education for our stu- dents? Take a look at three of CUPE's more ambitious de- mands. Firs, CUPE demands em- ployee benefits continue to be paid for laid-off employees for a minimum of 24 months ...: with the employer paying 100 per cent. Can you grasp how paying a janitor benefits for two years after he’s left your employ will keep your school clean? It will, of course, give stu- dents an incentive - when . they become adults they, too, can join CUPE and pet paid 7 FROM THE CAPITAL HUBERT BEYER but al the expense of a $1.2 billion deficit. Mind you, they're honest about it. What exacerbates the pro- blem is that the NDP hasn't advanced one intelligent plan how to get rid of the debt, in- could build a lot of hospital beds: . Well, there was the “debt management plan” of 1995, which became the “revised debt management plan,” which became the “financial management plan,” which be- came the “modified financial plan,” which became the “five-year fiscal planning fra- mework.” Sounds vaguely fa- miliar? Does the Soviet Union ting a bell? And it isn't just the termi- THROUGH BIFOCALS: CLAUDETTE SANDECKI for not working. And why not. The practice of paying a laid-off CEO has become the norm. Up to as long as 18 months afler they clear their desks, we're stil] paying some of them. So why not school secretaries, school board office clerical workers and maintenance. staff? Second, CUPE demands full protection for any loss in wapes, benefits or working OOSE... STEAKS... COOKING »- FOOD... « STORES... SHOPPING.- "GROCERY LIST: EGGS « COFFEE! | BREAD, CREAM, SUGAR nology that is reminiscent of the former Soviet Union's fa- mous five year plans, but also the spectacular lack of success in achieving their stated aims. Finance minister Paul Ramsey's budget speech was peppered with references, some more oblique than others, to the former premier's leadership. He did everything good taste allowed to distance the Dosanjh government from that of Glen Clark. But then he dishes out the same old deficit budget, citing the need for increased health and education spending as rea- sons for the cursed deficit. The fact is that this budget didn't differ one iota from that thase brought down under Clark, Ramsey's is the ninth “terest* payments on-»which ° consecutive deficit budget under the. NDP. That's 4 pathe-" tic record. . ’ In fairness it should be mentioned that the federal government is still in worse shape than B.C., at least in terms of interest paid on debt. About 27 cents of every fed- eral tax dollar goes to debt servicing. In B.C. it's less than nine cents. But at least, Otta- wa has balanced its budgets, while B.C. 5 going deeper into debt. lldren nh conditions due to amalgama- tion of a school district. Now that really improves education. Kitimat and Terrace school districts amalgamated, we were told, to trim costs. So far I’ve seen no proof the aim was met. But if CUPE had its way, school districts would be hog tied. No way could they reduce duplicate or superfluous staff, Often [ feel unions see edu- cation as there to provide them with a job, not CUPE staff there to support education, Third, CUPE demands vo- lunteers be prohibited unless the union gives express con- sent for their presence in the schools. In other words, CUPE wanls to be boss ,... without any of the responsibilities. Please, CUPE, explain haw barring volunteers in schools will improve childrens’ educa- tion. - CUPE’s greed knows no bounds, as these strikes have shown, CUPE, and other un- MOOSE «HUNTING. - BOOM | SKINNING. © “MEAT. RIBS +. + F(RE ... POT. “OPS. COFFEE! pee ~- Nothing, of course, is black and white. So say that British Columbia has nothing to show for the last nine years of NDP. . government than the doubling of the pravincial debt would be unfair. The NDP doubled the park land and pratected areas from six to 12 per cent, for which fu- ture generations will be grate- ful. It introduced the Forest Practices Code, the intent of which was nat only good but’ supported by the forest industry. The cade was, in fact, based on models developed by the in- dustry. Subsequent problems were not with the code itself but its . rigid and often mindless imple- mentation by bureaucrats too big f for their britches, Under’ Mike Harcourt, the NDP began the long-overdue treaty negotiations which un- fortunately all but stalled under the premiership of Glen Clark. But on its fiscal record, the : NDP deserves to and will lose - the next election. And all the . transparency in budgeting won't . save it from that fate. - Beyer can be reached at: E- mail hubert@coalcom.com; Tel * Web - (250) 381-6900; Atip:/iwww.hubert beyer.com , ostage. ions, have long since deman- ded pay and benefits beyond their importance. When unions began, they protected workers from the vagaries of bosses’ who cut corners on safety, ex- pected extra work free and fired on a whim, Teday’s unions want to run the show, as CUPE’s demands ° prove. Many, including the B.C. Liberals, believe education should be legislated an essen- tial service. The idea gains merit —- and urgency - - with each school strike, No longer is school merely a necessity for our children. | School has become an integral , support service for working par-, ents. Having schools on: strike . disrupts far more than CUPE’s . demands warrant. At least CUPE shouldn’t in- : sult our intelligence by claim-: ing their demands will enhance : education. crop FoR \] MAN! 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