GREATER VANCOUVER COPE. Harcourt forces united in ’84 campaign Continued from page 1 city an equal opportunity employer “pre- pared to negotiate women’s rights.” The jobs issue is furthered in a broad policy statement on economic development which stresses the establishment of manu- facturing industries and “key social and economic services” within Vancouver's boundaries. That section also calls for the expansion of the city’s property endowment fund, valued at about $400 million. The interest from the fund, accrued through the sale of city properties, was used by the progressive majority to maintain jobs and services in 1983 and 1984. Major tax reforms are the third plank in COPE’s platform. Last year the provincial government introduced the variable mill rate, long a demand of municipalities desir- ing relief for small property owners. But by placing ceilings on the amount local governments could tax commercial and large business properties, the amendment was rendered meaningless. COPE’s solutions include using property tax revenue only for direct services to homeowners and tenants..Additional poli- cies call for the city to receive a share of all income, liquor and gas taxes collected in Vancouver, and a negotiated revenue- sharing agreement with the province. (Dur- ing the last three years the province’s $31 million revenue grant to Vancouver has been reduced to $16 million.) - Two policy areas deal with the ongoing battle against developers and their mega- project visions that would see the down- town core engulfed in skyscrapers and affordable housing all but vanish from the city. COPE calls for planning at the neighbor- hood and the regional level (planning power was taken from regional districts by provin- cial legislation two years ago), and proposes several policies regarding the B.C. Place and Expo 86 megaprojects, commiting COPE aldermen to: e Ensure that B.C. Place is not over- crowded with unnecessary office space; e Ensure that at least 50 per cent of all housing constructed in Vancouver is affor- dable family and low-income housing; ®@ Work for a provincial guarantee that Vancouver will not be saddled with debts _ from Expo. Key among the housing policies is one calling for the establishment of provincial rent controls, including a possible city-run “fair rent review tenants’ rights board.” Pol- icies also demand the province allow the city to amend its charter to prevent the demoli- tion of older, useful housing and support tenants’ rights services. Citing Victoria’s refusual to allow charter amendments which would grant Vancouver the ward system approved by citizens in two plebiscites, COPE calls for greater auto- nomy for the city from the provincial government, and promises a campaign around the issue of civic democracy. The members also reiterated COPE’s commitment to world peace, with pledges to promote peace as a central theme during the 1986 centennial celebrations, and to work for stronger links with Vancouver’s sister cities and other Canadian cities for the advancement of peace. COPE members ratified policy state- ments on transit, including commitments that COPE councillors would pressure Vic- toria for full compensation for victims of the advanced light rapid transit construc- tion, and oppose all fare hikes and bus ser- vice cutbacks. They also backed the demand for a full, WES KNAPP, JEAN SWANSON. . public inquiry into the management and financing of transit, as demanded by the Independent Canadian Transit Union, whose president, Colin Kelly, received a standing ovation when he gave a brief address to the meeting. — Kelly said the union would do everything “to make sure you’re extremely successful . in the upcoming November elections.” For the separately-elected seven-member parks bodrd, COPE set several policies around the theme of ending the increased -commercialization and big-dollars tourism approaches practised by the current board, dominated by the right-wing Civic Non- Partisan Association~ Policies include the acquisition of park land for neglected neighborhoods, a freeze on and in some cases, removal of, user fees for park services, and the “democratization” of the board. The nine candidates for school board have united around the theme and slogan of “save our schools.” They call. for the resto- ration of funding for programs such as Eng- lish as a Second Language, improved class sizes, increased consultation with commun- ities, improved relationships with employees The Real Estate Board of Greater Van- couver sent city council a letter asking us to proclaim the week of Sept. 30 through Oct. 2 as “Private Property Week.” The real estate board in Vancouver and elsewhere represents the big real estate speculators and developers across the country. The biggest among them — Daon, Genstar and Cadillac Fairview — are affiliated to the Fraser Institute. They make their hefty profits by buying and selling land and property. They do not create any wealth or any values. They area parasitic growth on the economy. We need them like a dog needs fleas. Why do they suddenly want city council to proclaim a private property week? The reason they cite is that the new Canadian Constitution “expressed protec- tion for all the fundamental rights and freedoms to which our citizens are entitled, except the right to private property.” In the first place, that statement is untrue. The constitution does not guaran- tee the rights of citizens to some of the most basic rights of all — the right to a job, the right to an education, the right to decent housing. And the real estate board doesn’t seem to be worrying about these nights. Second, the real estate board makes no distinction between the private property of the ordinary citizen and the private prop- erty of big business. The private property of the individual citizen consists of his or her personal pos- sessions, perhaps even a house or a car, a farm or a small business. This type of private property is being lost right and left today by people who can’t keep up their payments and mortgages. What about the right to a job? The real estate board is not proposing that laws be passed protecting the individ- ual against evictions and foreclosures due to his or her inability to meet payments. That’s due to the state of the economy, for which big business and government, not the people of this country, are to blame. Let me provide another example, related in detail in the Vancouver Sun, Sept. 14. The ALRT line is cutting across the home of a couple on Stainsbury Avenue. The use value of their property has been completely destroyed; it has been rendered unlivable. The couple are. only asking that B.C. Transit relocate them so they can enjoy Harry Rankin — their retirement. B.C. Transit, which is run by Grace McCarthy, the minister of (in)human resources, takes the stand that in building the ALRT there are some los- ers and some winners. If somebody’s house happens to be on the right of way selected by B.C. Transit, it’s just too bad. “Everybody can’t win,’ says the head of B.C. Transit. The fact is, though, that wherever real estate sharks or developers had a big piece of property, they did win to the tune of millions of dollars. B.C. Transit compen- sates them well. The same doesn’t apply to homeowners. I haven’t seen the real estate board jumping to the defence of this couple, des- pite its pronouncements about the sanctity of private property. The real estate people, in boosting their proposition that private property rights be included in the constitution, are speaking for the banks and big corporations. What they are after is laws which will abolish all existing public property (they want every- thing privatized) and guarantees that no industries or banks will be placed under public ownership. What these people are proposing is a direct threat to the rights and powers of municipal councils in Canada. These would be abolished if they had their way. Vancouver city council considered this question some months ago. We tabled the matter, which is another way of turning it down. The mayor laid it on the line when he replied to the real estate board. “We have been advised,” he said, “that enshrining property rights could have a profound effect on our powers respecting zoning and land use, property acquisition as well as building and maintenance pow- ers. In fact, virtually all fundamental municipal powers could be affected.” If property rights are enshrined in the constitution, the next thing that the real estate interests and developers will go after is the power of the city respecting building. Spokesmen for the Fraser [Institue are already speaking out for the repeal of all zoning bylaws, and against the building code. The developers want the unfettered right to build anything they like, wherever they like regardless of how it affects the city or the community. Private property already has far more rights in law than people. It should be the other way around. : 2 e PACIFIC TRIBUNE, SEPTEMBER 26, 1984 \ join COPE incumbents on city council slate. _ Onstad and two new faces: community threat to park weeks — and “fair and equitable evaluation pro- cedures.” As predicted earlier, this year’s election will see little, if any, division among right- wing forces. The COPE-and-Harcourt unity slate will be matched this year as the NPA — which was to nominate its candi- dates Monday night — had already declared — it was leaving two aldermanic spots open for the centre-right incumbent aldermen from The Electors Action Movement, May Brown and Marguerite Ford. Members also ratified a revised list of candidates for council, school and parks boards. They dropped three names from the aldermanic slate, including Sol Jackson, Carmela Allevato and Jim Quail, and added incumbent school trustee Wes Knapp. ‘In addition to Knapp, aldermanic con- tenders include incumbents Harry Rankin, Libby Davies, Bruce Eriksen and Bruce Yorke, and Solidarity staff member Jeap | Swanson. They will comprise COPE’s contribulgail | to the unity slate, filled out by Harcourt’s | | team of Ron Johnson, Reva Dexter, Carole Walker and incumbent Bill Yee. ] Allevato and Quail have moved to the school slate, joining incumbents Pauline | Weinstein and Phil Rankin, as well as Chris Allnutt, John Church, former trustee Gary activist Bill Darnell and Charles Ungerliter, a member of the school consultative committee.. The park slate remained untouched, with — incumbent Pat Wilson runaing with Sue Harris, Connie Fogal, Mike Chrunik, Tim Louis, Joe Arnaud and former school trus- tee Mike O’Neill. Aquarium plan COPE candidates for Vancouver’s parks board are urging everyone concerned about the future of Stanley Park to attend a special » meeting on a proposed expansion of the - Vancouver Aquarium, Sept. 27. | The meeting, held by the parks board at the insistence of the city’s development — permit board, continues a meeting last week in which forces pro and con the proposed - extension lined up at the microphones. Incumbent COPE parks commissioner Pat Wilson tied the issue with the practice of - the parks board, dominated by the right-_ wing Non-Partisan Association, to “com- mercialize and privatize” Vancouver's public park space. COPE parks candidate, Sue Harris said the Stanley Park citizen’s advisory committee of which she is a member is angry at the board’s ready acceptance of the aquariums | proposal without recourse to public meetings. _ The development permit board will decide on the issue within about six — possibly after the Nov. 17 elections — or it may turn the case over to ag | council. Thursday’s PesGARE takes place at the: Robson Square Media Centre, at 7:30 = a =