Gov't ‘union busting’ at health clinic By DAN KEETON A Vancouver Health department decision to cut a $250,000 personal care program in the Downtown Eastside has been condemned as an attack on the community by com- munity leaders and as union busting by health care workers. At stake is the. Vancouver Downtown Community Health Society’s personal care program which provides needed services to invalids and chronic alcoholics in the area. The Society learned January 2 from provincial govern- ment manager of the Long Term Care Program Michael Sorochan that the program would be ter- minated and replaced by a program under the direct supervision of the city’s health department. Although no concrete reasons were offered, Sorochan cited unspecified ‘‘com- plaints’’ from unnamed community people and agencies and an un- favorable government report . But Community Health Society board member David Lane says that the real reason for the funding cut is the election of a new com- munity board and an application by health care workers to certify with the Vancouver Municipal .and Regional Employees Union. Lane called the decision ‘‘a direct attack on’the board and the people who elected it — the government does not want to see people in the community take control over their own lives.”’ The second consideration for the -government’s move on the Health Society was the pending union cer- __tification, which the Labor Rela- tions Board granted this week. Spokesmen for the health workers say that city health director Gerald Bonham had threatened to cut the Society’s funding if the workers unionized. Employees have filed grievances with the LRB claiming that the funding decision was in- tended to smash the certification. The other political reason for the cut, Lane said, is the Socreds’ desire to cut funds drasticaliy in spending for social services. The creation of the Long Term Care Program was itself designed to justify cuts in hospital spending. ~ WELL, AT LEAST YOURE out OF THE WOODS. Notice of motion on wards placed The Committee of Progressive Electors opened its campaign to force Vancouver city council to im- plement the 51.7 percent victory of the plebiscite on the ward system with a notice of motion by COPE alderman Harry Rankin. Rankin’s motion cites the majori- ty vote, and a majority in 96 of 135 polling districts, and calls on the ci- ty to ‘‘formally ask the provincial government to enact legislation amending the Vancouver city charter in such a way as to require that from 1980 onwards Vancouver citizens will elect members of coun- cil under a full ward system, the precise details to be left for council’s decision.”’ A second part of the motion calls on the city to establish a “full ward implementation commission whose sole purpose will be to hold public hearings in all of Vancouver’s com- munities to obtain the views of the citizens of Vancouver on the number of wards, their boundaries and the number of aldermen per . general purpose commission to COI ward, in line with the 1977-78 cou! cil’s advertisement on _ electot reform.”’ : COPE’s proposals stand in col trast to the ‘‘commission’’ propo ed by Volrich which would ‘‘col sider’’ various aspects of electom reform, including the ‘possibility of a ward system. ‘‘What is i quired is a formal decision by cow cil asking Victoria for the necessal charter amendment, not a vag sider the principal question alreat decided by the voters,’’ COF president Bruce Yorke said in a le ter requesting to appear befol council to present COPE’s views 0) the ward issue and other matters- Rankin also placed before coul cil a notice of motion calling © mayor Volrich and alderman Hak) court, both members of the provi cial Urban Transit Authority report to city council the details ¢ any proposed contract for the ci Both notice of motions are liké to be debated at council’s regul meeting of January 16. Volrich delivers goods to private business By ALD. HARRY RANKIN Our newly elected city council and mayor were officially installed on January 3, 1979. Mayor Jack Volrich didn’t lose any time in announcing his intentions and believe me they were anything but decent, politically, that is. It was wholly a case of goodies for private business interests and austerity and cutbacks for the ordinary man or woman who works for a living. In pursuance of his policy of **conservative and _ fiscally- responsible budgeting attitudes,’’ he told citizens that they could expect cuts in services, that there should be no improvement in the bus service, that there will be cuts in civic staff, that there will be no ward system, and that if there is any light rapid transit line built, priority should be given to the Arbutus corridor leading to Richmond. But for private business interests there will be neither austerity nor PEOPLE AND ISSUES: cutbacks. He told them that the business tax will be reduced, that the city will build a new industrial park for them in southwest Van- couver, that the city will give full support to the proposed $163 million multiplex project to be built on the PNE grounds (but he didn’t tell homeowners that it would require, a multimillion dollar subsidy from the city), and he also threw his full support behind the Trade and Convention Centre, (which, if the NPA has its way, will result in more millions of subsidies for private business right out of the city treasury.) Mayor Volrich also told big business interests that the city will establish ‘‘a visible civic govern- mental presence”’ in the downtown area. Pressed by the media to explain what the hell this meant, he admitted that it would mean moving civic departments that have to do with business to the down- town area — in effect giving business a mini-city hall all of its own. Apparently mayor Volrich feels sorry for the poor developers and other business interests who have to go all the way to 12th Avenue and Cambie when they have business with the city. Now he will move these departments right to their doorsteps in downtown Vancouver. It will have an added advantage — it will take lobbying of city officials out of the atmosphere of city hall where all people are supposed to be treated equally, and place them where business interests can extend their full hospitality — when they want concessions. If mayor Volrich is so worried about civic government being brought closer to the people it serves (the business interests) why doesn’t he show the same interest when it comes to a ward system which would result in an alder- man’s office in each ward and bring civic government a lot closer to the people than it is now. more things without the consent council or the citizens. The commission will also di with the question of qualificatiol) for candidates (make it mo difficult for some candidates | qualify, of course), whether # parks board should continue as elected board, and the use plebiscites (such as proposition | in California). There is absolutely no need f such a commission. The majority! people have indicated their views ® the ward system. City council ¢ and should, .after public heari decide the other questions bell referred to this commission. _ The commission is just anoth stall, but it is also, in my opini0l; aimed at abrogating democracy |, the civic level and centralizil authority still more in the mayol hands. q As you can see from these announcements made by the mayt (and no doubt with the agreemé of his NPA partners), the citiz of Vancouver have a long Mifficult road ahead for 1979. t is not often that a politician puts himself on trial for crimes against the people, but that is just what Socred minister Bill Vander Zalm has done with his precedent-setting libel suit against Victoria Times cartoonist Bob Bierman, editor Barbara McLintock, and former publisher Stuart Underhill. t’s often been said that justice moves slowly but for Hamish McKay, its progress has been just slightly less than imperceptible. Although it has been pressed for nearly 20 years to allow Hamish to return to the U.S. and his children and grandchildren, the U.S. administration has only come so far as to grant him visitor’s permits of two-weeks duration — and those And the mayor had something to say about the ward system too. Informing the media that the majority vote for a ward system wasn’t big enough to suit him, he announced that he will not institute Council confi business bias Vander Zalm’s suit and malicious.’’ The cartoon is indeed explicit, but in defence of itself, the Times is maintaining that Vander Zalm’s policies as minister of human resources were indeed “cruel and malicious,’’ or at least perceived to be by enough people to make the cartoon fair political comment. To defend itself the Times is calling witnesses to back up that contention. One of the first witnesses. it called on Tuesday was an obliging Downtown Eastside - Residents’ Association president Bruce Eriksen. Eriksen could hardly wait to take the stand to assess Vander Zalm’s three years as minister of human resources, although he told the court nothing he hadn’t been saying about the minister for the entire three years. ‘‘This man has made a political career out of persecuting the poor, and if that isn’t cruel and malicious, I don’t know what is,’? Bruce said as he headed off for Victoria. Monday, Vander Zalm himself was forced to admit under cross examination that many people considered his actions cruel, which likely influenced the premier to remove him from the human resources portfolio. Considering the trap that the minister set for himself in trying to put the clamp on his critics, it places in question some of Vander Zalm’s other faculties — or lack of them. — the first ever libel suit in Canada involving a cartoon — claims that Bierman’s depiction of him gleefully plucking the wings from a helpless fly which was run by the Times last June has damaged his reputation by portraying him as ‘‘cruel limited to two in 1979. Readers may recall that Hamish, who had lived: in the U.S. for 36 years, was deported to his native Canada in 1960 for activity in an alleged ‘“‘Com- munist-front’’ organization. Since that time, he has rights. sought the right to return to Portland, Oregon, where, most of his family, including children and grand- children, still live. But although another man, Bill Mackie, who was deported to Finland at the same time, has been allowed to return, the U.S. government still hasn’t relented in Hamish’s case. - Still, he has captured international attention and support in his quest, and we had a glimpse of just how extensive that support has become when we saw the December newsletter of the Methodist Federation for Social Action in the U.S. Newsletter editor Jim Bradshaw wrote in part, ‘‘The case of Hamish McKay has remained an unredressed ~ injustice. The refusal of five administrations to correct the injustice is a disappointment to those who believed our country would live up to its commitment to human ‘Most disappointing of all has been the persistent refusal of the Carter administration to address this issue, even in the midst of its human rights campaign. Countless letters to President Carter, and a resolution from the central committee of the Democratic Party of Oregon, have not yet gotten any direct response.’’ Bradshaw added, ‘‘I hope that in 1979 we will again find the strength to continue working for justice for Hamish McKay. Justice for one much mistreated man will be part of the picture of justice for all.”’ a ward system as instructed by the voters and as promised to the voters; instead he will set up a commission to study the question. The commission will be named by him. It will not include any aldermen. It will be composed entirely of citizens selected by Volrich. And he had the gall to say that such a commission appointed by him would give the matter ‘‘ob- jective consideration.”’ Now everyone knows that all government commissions, no matter at what level, are selected to bring in the kind of report that the government involved wants. This is elementary political practice. This commission to study governmental reform at the civic level will be no different. Mayor Jack Volrich is opposed to the ward system so he will ap- point a majority of like-minded people to the commission. Mayor Jack Volrich apparently wants the length of term of office of the aldermen and mayor lengthened, so the commission will bring in this recommendation too. And the mayor said the commission will also bring in recommendations for increasing the authority and power of the mayor, so that he can do Confirming the pro busif direction of the new NEP dominated city council, the meeting of the new council Tues! voted to reverse two _previl decisions in favor of business and at public expense. All seven NPA backed cé didates elected to the new co’ joined to outvote the remain thrée — alderman Rankin was present — to rescind last yed decision to study various sites ! the proposed PNE multip Stadium. . Earlier, council went in ca nl to reverse its decision on the and convention centre. The ¢ now has agreed to own, operate i pay the deficit of the centre, and centre which will serve downto business interests will be exer from all city taxes. . Council’s decision to endorse t PNE as the site for the multiple without any study of the issue | base its decision on gives PI president Erwin Swangard a bla cheque to proceed with the 60,0 seat, $200 million project. It is € pected that Swangard will be ba at city hall in the near future to @ for a subsidy by the city towal capital costs, and further subsi¢ in the form of tax breaks.