A4- The Terrace Standard, Wednesday, March 13, 1996 ‘TERRACE | STANDARD ESTABLISHED APRIL 27, [988 ADDRESS: 3210 Clinton Street Terrace, B.C. * V8G 5R2 TELEPHONE: (604) 638-7283 ¢ FAX: (604) 638-8432 MODEM: (604) 638-7247 -What’s next? IS THAT IT? One public meeting to talk about the Nisga’a land claim agreement in principle? No. There will be more bul the provincial government, which staged the March 7 session, will soon have to hand out more details on how iL expects lo give us a chance to comment further on the agreement. And change it if there is over- whelming public opinion about a specific portion of the tentative deal. Much the same goes for the federal government which so far has taken a rather passive approach to explaining its position in relation to the agree- ment in principle. The feds are saying they are looking for another avenue to explain themselves. They aren’t exact- ly thrilled with the provincial approach of having politicians chair information meetings with ne- gotiators supplying answers to questions. And, judging by some of the reaction coming out of the Nass Valley, the Nisga’a Tribal Coun- cil — despite its claim to an overwhelming vote of support for the agreement — has more than a couple of brush fires to put out among its own people. Some of the problems now beginning to emerge with what comes next is the timetable the politi- cal masters have given their negotiators. There’s to be a big time official signing ceremony of the agreement in principle March 22 in New Atyansh. Several thousand people are expected to attend the occasion. Even Prime Minister Jean Chretien is getting an invitation. While that’ll gift wrap the agreement in princi- ple in nice paper and put a cute bow on top it won’t do much for the public. That’s because the negotiators will head back to the table once more —-this time to” put the “meat and’ bones on the agreement skeletal structure. Will those meetings be open? Will each clause be debated in the public — its words examined and the measure of public support taken? Or will that process be submerged in the murky. depths of secrecy which plagued the agreement in prin- ciple stage. Too typical BEST LINE of last week came froma U.S. Con- gressman who said, ‘‘friends don’t do this sort of thing to friends.”’ The Congressman was referring to the Cana- dian policy of putting a fee on American fish boats who go through Canadian waters between Vancouver Island and the mainland on their way to Alaska. The American Congress then passed legislation saying American boats had the right to do so under international law. This reaction from the Congressman is pretty typical. The Yanks feel they have the right to make the rules on how our two countries relate. Perhaps the Americans have forgotten the War of 1812 when British and Canadian forces in- vaded and burned Washington D.C. We’re not suggesting this should happen again but it would get somebody’s attention. Jeepers, a lot of Amer- icans would probably go along with the idea. Gin A PUBLISHER/EDITOR: Rod Link ADVERTISING MANAGER: Mike L. Hamm PRODUCTION MANAGER: Edouard Credgeur NEWS Jef Nagel * NEWS SPORTS: Kathleen Brandsma COMMUNITY: Cris Leykauf OFFICE MANAGER: Audra Creck ADVERTISING CONSULTANTS: Sam Collier, Janet Viveiros, Tracey Tomas ADVERTISING ASSISTANT: Emma Law, Kelly Jean DARKROOM: Susan Credgeur CIRCULATION SUPERVISOR: Karen Brunette MEMBER OF 6.0, PRESS COUNCIL Serving the Terrace and Thornhill area. Published on Wednesday of each waek by Cariboo Prass (1969) Lid, af 3210 Clintes Street, Terrace, British Columbla, V8G 5RP. Stories, photographs, illustrations, designs and typestyles in the Terrace Standard aro the property of the copyright holders, including Cariboa Press (1966) Ltd., Its illustration repro services and advertising agencies, Reproduction in whole of in part, without written pemnission, is specifically prohibited. Authorized as second-class mail pending the Pest Office Deparment, far payment of postage in cash. COWFAMILEE Spectal thanks to all our contributors and correspondents for their time and talents +e, Watch for those alligators VICTORIA — When the next [ election is called, the campaign will be fought with the same old and tired slogans. The New Democratic Party, desperately secking Te- election, will have presented us with an ostensibly balanced budget, promise to protect Medicare and education, and | save us from the greed of banks, multinationals and other assorted lecches that threaten ta suck sociely dry. The Liberals secking to wrest power from the NDP will promise to bring order into what they claim is a fiscal house in disarray, and eliminate, once and for all, the habit of goveming parties to favour friends and insiders. The Reformers, meanwhile, will be grazing the lush fields of sacicly’s general anger and cynicism, and try to-lure us with promises to make welfare bums work for the scraps that fall off the tables of those lucky cnough to have jobs, In other words, the election will be fought on platforms that may have held validity 30 years ago, but arc hopelessly ouldated today. And while yet another party will get enough votes to form a government, it will incxorably slide toward defeat another desperately J FROM THE CAPITAL HUBERT BEYER four years down the road. The problem that seemingly eludes all parties is that the economic model on which we have built socicly is crumbling, The model worked as long as unemployment hovered around the five-per-cent mark with in- terest rales to match. Those who worked paid enough taxes to assure a relatively decent Slandard of living for those who didu't. Sky-rocketting interest rates in the 70s were to combat in- flation. They did, but they also caused the national debt ta go through the roof. More and more lax money was needed to pay the interest on the debt, leaving less and less money for ihe programs society had come to depend on. The onslaught of technology - did the rest. Silicon chips look over the jobs done by people. Unemployment in Canada | stands at anywhere from 10 per cent in the west to 25 per cent in the Maritimes. That’s without counting those on wel- fare. If we are to successfully overcome the present hurdle, society ‘must reinvent ‘itself. The eld mode! must be traded in for a new one. And that takes more than Cro-Magnon electionecring slogans. The first thing that needs redefining is the concept of work, With an average of 13- per-cent unemployment, ils is ludicrous to train people: ‘for jobs that aren’t there. The American Jeremy Rifkin predicts that “destined for virtual extinc- tion,” are blue-collar workers, secretaries, clerical workers, sales clerks, bank tellers, li- brarians, wholesalers and most middle-class managers. Yet, our colleges train thousands of people for these jobs. Today’s technological and information’ revolution — has made obsolete not cnly the old Solutions to the old problems, but the very model those solu- tions once addressed. economist - Any redefinition of work must involve wark-sharing and a_reduction. of work hours, along with a reduction in wages and, therefore, a reduc- tion in the standard of living. If we could reduce’ the com- bined pay packet of the entire work force by an average of 15 per cent, the money we freed would enable us to give vir- tually every unemployed per- son who wants lo work a job. And those who can’t or don’t want to work, could then per- haps be compelled to do volunteer work. Such a drastic social engineering job won’t be easy. Few people will relish a 15- _ per-cent reduction in wages, even “if it comes with fewer hours of work. ' ; 7 Unions will scream blue murder, companies will try not {o hire additional! staff, even if their existing staff contingent lakes a 15-per-cent cut in pay. But when youre up to your butt in alligators, you don't have too many oplions, — We riced more from those who would Icad- us than slogans of yesteryear. Reyer can be reached at: Tet:(604) 920-9300; Fax:(604) 381- 6922;E-Mail: hbeyer@direct,ca Her fingers do the tinkling HOW YOU choose a piano depends upon your priorities. A David Foster lifts every hinged piece, pecking un- demeath for a crack-iree sounding board and felt ham- mers that haven’t been on a mouse menu, To check for tone he sits down at the key- board and plays through a few movements of Mozart, , Martha Stewarts,-most con- cemed with a wood cabinet in a finish that matches their oak or mahogany coffee’ tables, squint for splinters, scuffed carers and checking. Then they measure dinensions for exacl fit between a protruding witdowsill and a door frame, The Jane Fondas want a piano with floor clearance to Wedge their toes for sit ups. Investors hire a piano tuner: fo diagnose the: instrument’s health and give a Prognosis of ils (future vatue. 7 Snobs go for brand name, Not me. Pm a reereational AMAZING ?l! THROUGH BIFOCALS | CLAUDETTE SANDECKI MOST OF WincHEesTEeR's CLASS HAVE BIRTHDAYS wae IN SEPTEMBER AND eyes OCTOBER! (sy'7 THAT, pianist. L play for the joy of if. Co-ordinaled furnishings are lower on my List of priorities than: January’s temperatures. And manufacturers’ names dow mean -that much. since Heintzman sold out lo. Beijing, I choose a piano for the square footage and height of its top. uo Sure, | walk. around as though examining the cabinel for dings and play a few tunes NOT REALLY! WHEN YOU REALIZE THAT DECEMBER ANP JANUARY ARE ++ while counting chips in the ivories. But I'm really calculat- ing how many tiers of family photos I could display, Covering the piano top with a cloth runner — especially a runner of the right colour and fabric weave, and large enough to go right to the edge or hang over — camouflages dust for weeks. It also gives photos a grip to stand upright. The downside of a runner is everything must be removed from the piano before the clath can be laundered. Still; a run- ner beats a doily or a bare top where you can dust between pictures like a fanner plowing around granarics. Top height is critical to housekeeping. On eye level tops, dust doesn’t wave. ta catch the attention of casual observers; lower pianus don’t have lo. : Being. ponderous piéces of furniture, pianos area haven for delicate artifacts such as THE COLDEST AND DARKEST MONTAS. blown glass swans, holding them beyond the arc of a vaeu- um cleaner operated without due care and attention, Any- thing on a piano is well above the burly burly and inquisitive: handling of rambunctious chil dren. Posilioned in a corner with hwo walls to keep things from failing off, a sturdy piano can - support # tower of National Geographies or overdue library books. For storage space alone, a piano is well worth the price even for folk who don’t know aC from a B flat. My family always loaded the piano with precious stuff. My first piano, bought when I was 12, held a coal oil reading lamp with a tall glass chimney aid a milk vlass- shade, silver “eandlesticks, and a set of horschead bookends carved by my older brother. ' I love to play a beautiful, mellow piano .... beneath a gal- lery of family photos. 9563 |