British Columbia We are facing the abyss. had to face. Tribune. out of the picture will win. have. decreased, Tribune — is evident. We've traversed a few rocky valleys before, but this one is the deepest we’ve To shed the metaphor, we’re talking about the $10,000 gulf that separates the total on this year’s drive from the amount achieved in 1988. With less than two weeks to go before the end of the drive on June 24, we’ve collected just over half of the target of $82,000. Unless our supporters can close the gap, we'll be forced to make cuts to the We knew when the provincial government banned our traditional contest last year that we'd be facing the worst effects this year, after much of the anger and determination — that saw donations come in from complete strangers, along with our regular supporters — had abated somewhat. But without your continued determination, the forces that want the Tribune We're aware that several other causes — worthy causes — compete for readers’ dollars and tax their strained budgets. But we must note that without the Tribune around, those causes would suffer the loss of one of the best voices they One must ask: Is a paper like the Tribune still viable? Has the need for a journal dedicated to the struggle of the community, women, labour, peace, the environment and liberation around the world ended? For answer, contemplate the fact that the daily media outlets, whether through cutbacks to public broadcasting or the drift by private news outlets towards business-oriented coverage, are less likely to carry the message of those groups. In such circumstances, the validity of a Tribune — an expanded, rather than Yet cutbacks is what we face if we don’t make the target by June 24. Help us avoid the unthinkable. Make that extra effort, and we'll show those forces trying to sink a 54-year tradition that we can’t be beaten. The abyss beckons without that $82,000 Cuts to VIA Rail On April 27 federal Finance Minister Michael Wilson announced a $500 million cut in funding for VIA Rail. There is every reason to believe that this is just the first step in completely dismantling the whole pas- senger train service in this country. Wilson’s drastic cut was opposed by VIA Rail president Denis de Belleval. He was fired. The new appointee is Ron Lawless, president of Canadian National Railways. Transport Minister Benoit Bouchard or- dered the new president and VIA Rail board to report by June 15 on the future of the passenger service and made clear what we wants them to do. “They could cut lines,” he said. “They could increase the fares, they could bring in third parties.” He went on to say that the “third parties” included private enterprise. This was followed by a news item in the Financial Post, the voice of corporate Can- ada, stating that Canadian International Airlines was interested in buying up the profitable sections of VIA Rail that take tourists to popular tourist resorts such as Jasper and Banff. The $500-million cut was one more example of Prime Minister Brian Mulro- ney’s hidden agenda and one more example of broken promises. On Jan. 15, 1985, Don Mazankowski, then minister of transport, assured Canadians that VIA would be maintained and expanded. “It is now time to turn VIA into a strong system that is cost 2 « Pacific Tribune, June 12, 1989 adds to long list effective, national in scope and one which Canadians can be proud of,” he said then. There is absolutely no justification for this cut and even less for destroying rail ‘passenger service in Canada. Rail passenger service is part of the glue that holds Canadians together. SURE nn nner apr ERasT eee ‘VIA Rail is being made the scapegoat for mismanagement and is being run into the hole just to give the government an excuse to privatize it. This is the same tactic that is being used with the post office.’ 2 Ln) A public opinion poll taken on April 13 showed that 87 per cent of Canadians favour retention of VIA Rail, and 54 per ~ cent want the service expanded, not cut. That VIA Rail must begin to show a profit or be closed down is not a valid argument for at least two reasons: og a [Se See talking privatization. @ Other forms of transportation are sub- sidized. The bus lines get the use of our roads free of charge. The air lines don’t even begin to pay the cost of airports, air safety regulations, weather reports and all the other services that are provided for them. Ships using Canadian port facilities are sub- sidized with services supplied by taxpayers. @ VIA’scosts may be inflated. An inves- ' tigation is needed to find out if the CNR and Canadian Pacific are compelling VIA Rail to pay excessive charges for use of their rail lines, and are actually using the passenger subsidy to add to the profits of their freight operations. It seems to me that VIA Rail is being made the scapegoat for mismanagement and is being run into the hole just to give the government an excuse to privatize it. This is More people are taking the train these days, but Ottawa’s Tories are making cuts and the same tactic that is being used with the post office. The VIA Rail lines running out of Van- couver are being used to full capacity. In 1988 some 186,000 passengers used this service. It is so popular that by last month the summer runs for 1989 had already been completely sold out. If VIA Rail services are cut or abolished B.C. will be adversely affected. Of the 7,000 people on the VIA Rail payroll, some 510 are in B.C. The bulk of them are in the Greater Vancouver area, in customer services and in the just-opened $21-million maintenance centre. Others are in Kamloops, Prince George and Prince Rupert. The campaign being waged by the Save the VIA Rail Committee deserves the sup- port of all Canadians.