| A4- The Terrace Standard, Wednesday, February 25, 2004.

STANDARD

_ ESTABLISHED APRIL 27; 1988

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- Bowser boom.

ONE REASON, why provincial, finance. minister
Gary Collins was happy-in ‘delivering his budget |
last, week rests: in the. northeastern Part of the
province, a

He’s benefiting, just a as: his NDP ‘predecessors:
| did, . from: ‘bountiful “oil ; and | gas~ revenues.
- sufficient ‘enough’ ‘to. ease: those: lost: from the
troubled forest industiy : and’ to. compensate” ‘for:

the premise’ that those : tax cuts of. 2001 would, ;

_ pay for themselves:~.

The ifisatiable. demand for oil and g: gas; bolstered.
by continuing | ‘uncertainty in. the - Middle: East;
makes for. solid expectations that the: money. tap.
won’ tbe’ turned off anytime soon.)

“And that Jeads.to‘the: promise of an offshore oil.

“and gas ‘industry: It was givén.a boost last: week |
by a body. ‘called - the’ ‘Royal. Society, Of: ‘Canada “|:

~ which basically. said a federal: moratorium: could

be lifted td determine if ‘what scientists think j is.

~ under: the ocean. floor is actually there.”

‘The moratorium’: ‘was: ‘placed’ in ‘the. 1970s. ime
owing ‘to-the threat of environmental ‘catastrophe
, should anything £0. wrong. It’s now. tegarded asa.

‘impediment.to energy: industry. interest.:.

‘bonanza actually. exists.

Indeed, the -Royal; Sobiety Ras Iaido out, a. 16. z

a

"year: timetable before. production. could even.

“begin, a ‘chaney’ anid’ ‘expensive proposition. - |

. ~ Which i is ‘why ‘the: provincial. government has
beeh quietly working « onaback up plan involving: 4
the area ‘north of. here, ‘called the Bowser. Basin -|
by geologists, and: an area to the east. of us called -
__ the Nechako Basin: ‘The plan, also speaks to: ‘the... -

day when. the: northeast. won t produce, as much. :
a i. provide ‘the: promised : ‘economic:.

: : oe 7 growth: The: march. toa balaiiced :
So far the: province | has: put i in lace. incentives .

(not subsidies, ‘provincial officials hasten: to add)

3s it does now..

a plans:
Even if the moratorium. is: ‘lifted, the. society 12

points out there-i is more: than enough subsequent |
_issues to.be worried about. A strict environmental - |.
‘regulatory regime would be. needed; native land
_ claims’. need to be- addressed. and. the provincial .
and federal. governments still have. to battle ‘out...
~ how each’ would: share inthe. expected: ‘bounty, :
And all-of that. has::to: happen. beforé-there’s: a.
. determination that: the’ expected, $110, Billion

needed § services.

Ba see isdicey _

VICT ORIA — Less than : an. hour’: 7
-; to tell you something useful about * -
the shopping bag full of binders I oy

gol: in-the budget lock-up. ~

First, ° despité- some:
~ problems, I'd prefer. . this. ta.
“the .-NDP.. budgets. T: covered.

‘Ministries havé “ceme™ in “on. -: |
. ‘budget; the Boverament is on.

.. There. i is, ‘much’ to praise ‘when
“people . do’ “what they: said’ “they
: would lo. z

Second, the budieti is s balanced.
-A'lot'can go’ wrong, and: finance -
minister Gary Collins hasn’t left
his usual plump « cushion. But it’s

“la real, and Teascnable Projection, 7

without trickery, ”. :
» And third, the Liberals deseive’
-ciedit ‘for. having cut’ government...

- speriding.. in. many - ‘areas wisely".

ca and without | serious harm. us ie over the next three 4 ‘years: -

heck’ of the fire prin oy

“That's the: “good. news.

“New. Era platform - was. that™
., tax: cuts: ‘would lead. to increased
economic. “activity: which “would”
callow ° ‘government “to” provide.

The teality was‘ that. ‘tax’
“ets knocked. a: huge , whole «in*
government revenues and: didn’ te

“budget was) made’ to ‘the: tune of

T spending cuts, some damaging.

“hae: od

The bad news is that the: out - But,

has’ ‘been ‘balanced: “by? chopping: a
spending. AGt, . improving... the 5:
: province's economy. The Liberal
* vision: + clearly: set_ out. in’ the :

FROM THE CAPITAL im

PAL NIELCOCRS .

about how: much money would be~’
“flowing: to/health and: education:

election.

; Meanwhile,”

iNery tight. - ; :
‘Health: care. spending ‘across |

government. js actually. projected.

toe go down slightly: NeXt. year."

~Even in the direct’ health ministry *-
“patients” will -be “squeezed “by sa
“ budget’ that: is currently: virtually

frozen, Within” ‘the. next wo

‘months: about.$130 million: in’:
“new federal’ ‘money. will. be added, -:
/ but that's still Woniy. a. L. S percent,”

increase.” As

; _ with. rising costs. and- “population
» growth..

a ‘education | is increasing ‘by . ‘Jess.
an ‘than’'o one: ‘per ‘cent ‘next: year,’ and,
~ while public school: enrolments.
: are falling, theres huge: demand o

"for post-secondary training. .

The Liberals previewed their the need. -
“election campaign’. with.

budget ‘It talked a “great deal “education: - “B.C. had. “provided. i

“about: $30- million: in, “prants. to:

this |” a
_the nodge: around post-secondary.

. needy. students. «

art iy flow” iuntil. the end of the”

* three-year, plan: = after; thie: next aie “with,

budgets cut to offset the’inérease.-
things ‘ill te Throne Speech’ ‘about increasing. .
: postsecondary places, the budget

budget cut and major unicértainty.
“Another $70. million i8 \to™ be...
‘lopped. fron ‘spending this year,
“almost entirely from ‘support. for "
: abused and neglected children.“

And the ve budgent reveals that the i os

te would. take. at. ‘east. ‘three
times: that “amount -to ‘keep: pace.

The. health |

The. ‘money: vavailable : for

_ Costs"and demand ‘are- going: ™

up, sand: the. government: isn’t:

- providing enough money’ to ‘meet...

In Fact: the Liberals tghiened

But. ropa government “Hed “

‘their * te ene

Despite all.-the talk: inthe: -

increased. by-one. dollar: :
The ® children: ‘and families we

: ministry, also: faces -both-a’ tough *:

‘to po‘to the: voters and convince —-
“them that- he’s: ready: to-- “make cos
: their lives better, when he gels theo
" chance. ae ae

“lyou’ re out-of the. picture: ‘This:
_ forthe coming year has not been: *
") an“awareness. of. the Problems of.

: “Shift ton new. regional authorities
.='which former minister ‘Gordon
on Hoge tiought.could startin 2003
-, may be delayed until 2007:
ao “authorities of
cot already ‘on the edge— are. going

to havea: desperate. struggle 10,
~mainlain'services. ° «’

~ Finance minister Gary: Collis

. “said the: budget, was: “a, turning

point?”
I don’ t buy’ that. The. ‘turning

* -point will’ Gome when the. B.C.
“economy becomes one. of. ‘the

strongest in’ ‘Canada’ and: throws a
off. enoligh government, revenue

‘to.allow. creative investments, i
ce our. long-term: futures

~The: problem: -with “focus: On:
cost-cutting.” : "for ‘governmenit :
or business '+ a is that’ ‘you can cut

your: way-to‘disaster, A‘ ‘company
sthat: doesnt - invest ‘in' its new

products, a province. that doesn’ t
invest..in: the: next. eneration

both: ‘are. foolish... .
"Politically, the. ‘challenge may
e° trust.;Gordon Camptell has

Tt’ $a torigh: sell.
Footncie: Sorry. J eartlands,
budget offered: Tittle: to.indicate.,

the province's regions.
‘'A.- small’ amount. “for. pine

“beetle and® fire. ‘harvest, some

nioney for offshore oil work, ‘but:

“much more for the Olympics and
Tio ‘time: ‘conimitment on ‘forest
oS Tenure: reform, |.

lotsa aie ca. ;

~ which are to encourage companies to venture out, | —_—

from the safe northeastern aréa.. And: they: and : )
the federal. government. have even‘ come up with J. #

several. million dollars to: spur Seismic: testing. as dt
» |: many years the Coast Mountains 7 ms
: school board has been brought'up ~~.
short: for” ‘decision mhade- without:

a start to determine actual deposits. °, peeira

~ Theoretical Teserves. don't. match: those’ said
to. be. offshore. but. the : ‘tisk ‘of. 4- calamitous |‘

2

environmental sea-borne disaster: doesn
either. |

| gamble.

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NEWSPAPERS |.
COMPETITION. we :

Bert: Husband'& Debbie ‘Simons. ; ne, i
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t. exist :

. Native land elaims must be addressed. but there:
are plenty of: ‘precedents set elsewhere: to give.

everybody, comfort that. deals can be made... areas (ree

— All’ in’ all it s” a safer, bet than. an. nt offshore

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Serdng tha Terraca and Tho area, Published on Wecliesdlay d each wake at a2t0 Clinton Stas, Teraca,
Srlish Columbia, VaG SA2,

Stories, photographs,’ tlustations, designs £ and typbstyles: in the Terace Standard are the property af the copy
right holdets, including Cariboo Prass (1968) Ltd, Its tlustration tépro- setvices and attvartsing agencies.
Reproduction In whole or tn par, ‘without written perimisslon; {a'specifically ptohibited.

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“Special thanks to: all our contributors and correspondents
for thelr: time’ and talents.’ ;

a Biliteh ite ate anf Pobee |

\FOR THE second time j in as

observing due process, -

giving. parents 60 days ' notice as

| “reqilired by law. The B:C. School: q
Trustees, Association. ‘ordered the.
-board: to-begin ‘the ‘process from -

scratch and do it right.’

‘Then ‘on: Feb...
Supreme - “Court: ~ judge ©
: Vancouver: “detérinined |

“board's”: “move : tO. a ‘foiir-day

° week: -also ‘cut corners. curtailing :

citizen "sinvolvement. He ordered:

“them? to re-do’ their’ decision, OF
:| resume a five day.week..’

“You could-argue that: the 2003 :
| board’ ‘had- some- inexperienced -
- trustees: But “it- -alsa: had-“‘many.
“Jong * term: trustees. “Yair: could **.
Jo .ever’ suggest, :the, board: “may:

have ‘goiter bad ‘advice. ‘from its

. procedural lapses i in'succession..

In the first inigance, the board: ok
closed: ‘several « schools’: without™ -

"13, BC.

‘the pe

| THROUGH BIFOCALS im

" -CLAUDETTE SANDECKI_-

.” process and “public.

‘Bad ‘advice was blitidly- followed, *

“be fo excuse. “Trustees. should:
“be -. literate... Each one. ‘should:
administrative. staff; ‘or ignored .~h
- good-‘advice. ‘That is“.a‘‘kind: :

| :: explanation ~ ‘for. two. ‘profound - districts, ‘It’s ‘up to each trustee. ta:

» know the law.and its regulation. te mother negotiating with, cranky
I choose. to blame-two lapses.“
n a. row on-arrogance, arrogance,

: : . demonstrated by disrespect for.

‘Whether. -
good! .advice-was’ spurned, or

artogance-overrode both. ;
Realistically, poor. ‘advice can:

have ‘his: own. copy of. the, legal
rules running ‘schools boards and’:

“Neither ©. décisidn .." would:

have. beén “improperly. arrived: -* .
correctly, the board’ can. keep. the -

2 four-day week | if. ney merely 20.

at if: ‘trustees. chad. ‘done. their

iy Ba bane 2,

Your Tarn

ae a ora

are servants, not masters, © 0"

has siphoned more money from’
_ : classrooms. ‘The Supieme. court:
_ judge, ordered the board to’ pay”

7 specialty. - lawyers” (I'd bet, the’
_». board (had ‘not-one’ “lawyer” but a:
ho team of lawyers i in court over the

-” Iwo day‘trial)..

- funded’
~ trustees;. and twa -adininistiators..

week’ was bad- énough: Add. the"
fact ¢ even the board acknowled Bes
“lt isn't saving substantial Costs. :

“parents were ‘subjected 10 last:fall”.
“under the guise of reconfiguration
meetings and you temper: begins «..
Mo oil. Tike’. a - sleep: -deprived- -
“procedural - guidelines” for. the...
_eboard. :1- hope™’he- uses’ small

“homework and feinembered vi they

~The. board’s . foolhardiness

the . challenging parent's. court” ;
costs, Add ‘pay for: the. board's.

- No. doubt. ‘the board - 1 ateo:
-travel ” for ~ the”. three,

who looked in on. the: trial. Plus.
their meals; taxis, ‘maybe. hotel".
TOOTS for.a night. or-iwo. . o

~The “turmoil of a ‘four-day aa

“Recall. ‘the ¢ ditzy .. process ©

triplets,” : ere,
Afi ‘understand ‘media: ‘reporis o

ois’ paying an. expert. “$10, (000: to
- assemble a ‘survey. questionnaire
“to ask’ if the four day= -week: is
-benefiting | students.

“week is a disaster” ‘academically, x
a “fiscally, and. socially, [wouldn't
‘expect this board to. listen: to its
“results. .: :

_ compiled, ; t a
“results. evaluated its: findings, will :
“come too: late“to inform any Te-
“evaluation, of the. year before a:
“proper. decision is made i in: ‘time.
for next fall.

‘Rindergartner” and | includes “the ©
;_-Word “respect” several times.

“rough the | process. ‘once’ more,

- correctly. The board doesn’thave’ *" »"

to. meaningfully: consult, or even”:

". pretend to pay attention to what 02° E
© parents. might say, A repeat of-a 0+ 4
“meéting in Kitimat two years: ago.
when § school:closures were-on the.
_agenda:-The board went: through
2 thé “motions but paid 1 ho: a heed’ to
“parents’, views, . "

on the: meantime ‘the: ‘board

‘Even if |
the: Survey. proves | “the fou day.

olf the: survey his ‘yet \0."be :

: Wisely, . the: judge. is writing:

words easily: understood “by ‘a