6 Terrace Review — Wednesday; December 2, 1987

Three of several trees donated and
were destroyed by vandals In a “senseless act" on Friday,
ty of the vandals is asked to contact Caledonia Vice-Prin

planted by past graduating classes of Caledonia Senlor Secondary School
Nav. 20, Anyone having any information as to the identi-
cipal Hugh MacKinnon at 635-6531,

Road maintenance for re
“a risky business venture” -

Fo the Editor;

In the month that has follow.
ed the Premier’s announcement
that he intends to privatize the
delivery of public services with
the intent to reduce the deficit, a
wave of uncertainty and specula-
tion has swept the public, the
press and the employees -of- the

government. So well-hidden was:
the. privatization program that -

the Social Credit caucus was not
informed of the Premier’s intent
until it was announced at the
Social Credit party convention;
a sad ‘commentary on Vander
Zalm’s promise of consultation.

On Nov. 14 the manager ‘of.

the Smithers Highways District
called the workers together to
propose that they form a com-
pany with him to buy the
highways maintenance opera-
tion with the intent to run it for
profit. The employees were
given one week to decide to in-
vest’ an initial one thousand
dollars to assure themselves the

- right to participate further in the
proposed company.

This is not the appropriate
place to discuss the difficulties
that this. plan generates. with
regard to the relations between
the workers’ union andthe
government. However, let us
take a look at what the impact
might be to the community if the
present staff or anyone else were

to take over the maintenance of .

local highways.

First let us look at the cost
factor. There is no way that any
private contractor could expect
to provide the service that we
presently receive from the
Ministry of Highways at a cost
even close to the amount that is

Letter

presently spent by the. govern

ment.

A’ private contractor would :
have to pay market value. for
parts, fuel and equipment. He:
would have to pay for the use of
yards, offices and gravel - pits
which are presently provided
free or at low cost by the-crown.
A private contractor-would have

‘to buy liability insurance where

the government now pays noth-
ing since it is ‘self-insured’,

Taking these factors into ac-

count, the Smithers Highways
Manager informed me that the
costs could be twice to two anda
half times what they are now,

even if the operation were taken —

over by the present staff. Are the
people of the Smithers area
prepared to accept this price? -

Second there is the safety and”

service factor, If the mainten-
ance of the public roads were to
be undertaken on a ‘for profit’
basis, the level of service would
be determined by the company’s
ability to make a profit from the.
operation. Under these - cir-
cumstances it is-unlikely that the
current level of service could be

maintained during those periods’ I

of greatest need; namely times
of heavy snowfall or floods. -

The safety of the travelling
public, which’ includes

commercial users, ambulances
and others, would be dependent
on the profitability of the road
maintenance operation. This is
an unacceptable risk for the peo-
ple of this or any other com-

Home owner grants
to apply this year

The B.C. Ministry of
Municipal Affairs announced
recently that’ recent Home
Owner Grant provisions will be
amended to be retroactive for
land subdivided after August,
1986,
- The provisions, enacted in the

last sitting of the legislature,
made the grants available to
homeowners on properties sub-
divided. after August of the
previous year.

The new legislation was not
proclaimed until July 31, 1987,
however — too late to apply this
year, Further amendments ap-
proved in Cabinet will enable
eligible property taxpayers to

take full advantage of the grants |

for 1987.

Further information on the.

new grant provisions is available
from the Terrace Government

Agent office. -

-the
general public, school children,

munity. :
Road maintenance for profit
is a stupid and dangerous pro-

‘position, not’to mention a risky

business venture at best.
- The’ people of our com-
‘munities should be looking into

these matters carefully and

without: delay. Don’t just take
my word for it. Check it out for
yourself. Ask the question: - Is
privatization worth it in terms of

safety or of cost?
It’s your public: service.: Act

now to preserve it,
Ian Carnie, Chairperson

BCGEU Local 1012

The
STORK |

REPORT

Is the stork |
about to. visit you?

Let everyone know about the happy ¢ event by having it printed
in the Terrace Review. Forms are available at the hospital. -

~ Loss of. mass age 7

“therapy: will: cost.
health system.

Letter ~

To the Editor: ;
I am writing to acquaint your

“readers with another “‘cost cut-

ting measure” enacted by our
government in British Columbia
which will make health care
costs even more ‘expensive for

‘the average citizen. (They have

already enacted a user fee that
you have to pay each time you
go to a chiropractor or physio-
therapist). Effective January
Ist, treatments by massage
therapists will no: longer be
covered under the B.C. Medical
Plan. Currently, when referred
by your doctor, you are entitled
to ten treatments in a year,

Massage therapy treats -speci-:

_fic medical problems on a. doc-
tor’s referral and it helps a lot of
people (100,000 patients this
year). It costs $35 to $55. per
average patient’s course of treat-
ment, with an 87 percent effec-
tiveness rate, It also saves the
province money: if all massage
therapy patients went to private
physiotherapists, it would in-

crease health care costs by $1.25 ©

million (using M.S.P. stats.) If

they went to hospital physio-
therapy. departments, it would’. |,
‘increase health care costs by

over $2.5 million.

_ Federal studies in Canada
have argued for. preventative
medical treatments, such ‘as
massage therapy, as a way of
reducing health care costs. Also,

it. is. an “alterriative to drugs.

which can create side-effects.
such as stomach problems or ad-
diction. If. the government is.
serious about cutting health care.
costs, a. wide-ranging public in-

_ quiry into the cost effectiveness

of all parts of the medical system
should be undertaken, instead of
using political criteria to make
cuts. It seems to me that the

government is just looking at

dollar signs and not at people.

The most valuable resource in
this province -isn’t lumber - or
minerals or fish: — our greatest
resource in British Columbia is
the physical and mental health

Of its citizens!

If you are concerned, write to

:The Honourable Peter Dueck,

Health: Minister, Parliament
Buildings, Victoria,’ B.C,. V8V
1X4, and ‘tell him that you think. -

massage. therapy should. be on

the medical plan. .
Betty Ruksys
. Terrace

oa. in ign.

_ June Halpin 695.7385 '
Alma Joachim 636-1204
Diane Moroskat 635-4375

'HAYSEY. — Ryan is now a big brother: to Jason Grant
born Saturday, November 21, 1987, weighing 8 Ibs: 4 oz.
Proud parents are Robin and Heather of Stewart.

‘STEWART — Keane Stewart is proud to be a big brother
of Zachary Gerald Samuel Tait Stewart, born Saturday,
November 21, 1987,: weighing 9 Ibs. 14 oz.

RYDER. _ Skyler Louis -was born at 7:06 a.m. on
November 22, 1987, weighing in at 7 Ibs. 3 ozs. Proud
parents a are Rick and Candace from Stewart. |

FLOWERS _
Al LA CAR

Mombor of AFS Wira Sarvice

(24-hour: Phone
(604)635-4080

Skoona Mall