14 Terrace Review — Wednesday, October 22, 1986 To the editor, All the interest in the Provincial election has overshadowed the Municipal election due to start with Nomination ’ Day Monday, Oct, 27. To prevent” the municipal issues from being overshadowed by the depression or euphoria of Oct. 22, let me review one of the issues of 1986 which reflects what needs to be looked at in the °’86 municipal election. Two years ago, on a difficult four to three vote, Terrace council decided the city should build its own RCMP building. The reason for constructing our own building was a simple issue of creating jobs, with the cost being, at the very least, no greater Lette, — Municipal election than the cost of the city leasing an existing fur- niture building. Subse- quent negotiations with the RCMP resulted in annual savings to the city of $90,000 per year for the next 20 years. The discussion last February which resulted in the construction contract go- ing to an out-of-town, non-union contractor has to be viewed in this light. . What a difference two years makes. The same people who ‘were con- cerned about. saving money and giving the job to a non-union contrac- tor are some of the same who two years before were prepared to saddle the taxpayer with a much greater cost. I'd like to make some comments on the con- struction of the RCMP building. Let’s go back to when it went out to tender, What is puzzling to many taxpayers is how it was that no one coun- . cil took it upon them- selves to have input into the tendering process. Next to the decision to go ahead two years ago, going to tender was probably the most im- portant step, and coun- cil’s handling of this was a sad joke. I really can’t accept the notion that the architect was to blame. The architect unilaterally changed the tender specifications but I find it very hard to believe that no one at city hall was watching the progress of the pro- ject; not the mayor, not the administrator, not a single council member. Somebody was sitting on their hands. Even when labor trouble was pre- dicted by local experi- enced contractors, they were dismissed as trying to threaten the council. What followed was three and one-half months of labor trouble, While the workers were on strike and the con- tractor refused to sign a Letter — Apartheid To the editor, The world likes to make so much fuss about ‘‘apartheid’’ in South Africa, because they like to see South Africa become another satellite of the Soviet Union. Marxism will free the people they believe, even after 65 years of failure to bring that about, Even China is turning back to free enterprise since Mao’s “red book” did not work. One of the countries that condemns South Africa for ‘‘apartheid’’ is India. Talking about hypocrisy. The apar- theid-system in India is as old as the world. The caste system has divided the whole Indian society into separate groups, having their own status, and rights. In the Hindu caste system, Shudra or Hari- jans are considered under-privileged. There- fore, people belonging to higher castes look down upon the Shudra and avoid all kinds of association with them. They are considered to EYEWEAR EXCITEMENT FROM IBenson OPTICAL 4623-2 Lakelse * Phone Terrace, B.C. 638-0341 convey pollution. A -Shudra cannot even touch an individual of a higher caste, The untouchables (the lowest) are not allowed to use such public places like village wells, ponds, temples, hospitals and public roads, Generally, untouchables are forbid- den to reside in these areas where the residen- tial places of higher castes are situated. The Harijans are restricted from having land or businesses of their own. The caste system pre- vents them from entering into the various types of pane enterprises. They are compelled to work for a landlord with very insuf- ficient renumeration. . This situation is changing slowly. But so is the situation in South Africa. The Marxists are sweeping this under the rug, because when South Africa does away with “‘apartheid’’, the com- munists can no longer take advantage of the situation. They would love to have an excuse to take the important Cape. Never mind the Blacks. It is the land they are after, making good money by io ANNUAL GENERAL ‘MEETING ea eve pg OCTOBER 27, 1986 IN LIBRARY ARTS RM 730 P.M. PHONE 638 8704 FOR MORE INFO ———————_TT"_ The Blacks are working for the whites. Their standard of living is the highest in all of Africa. What about sanctions against India for instance? And what about: the Soviets, who build a huge wall, the iron cur- tain, to keep us out. Isn’t that ‘‘apartheid’’? If one takes the troub- le to check it out, one will find “‘apartheid’’ the world over. What about Indian Reserves? So much for objectivity and honesty. Bill Homburg, Terrace, B.C, contract with his laborers, the city claimed it was making extra money. It is. standard practice when borrowing large sums from the Municipal Finance Authority that if the money is paid out gradually as construction proceeds, then what is left is invested. This in- vestment interest is not extra money;. it is com- monly used to lessen the impact of the first pay-. ment. In our case in Ter- race, the first payment on the police building will come next year. The investment interest is taxpayers’ money, not a windfall profit as sug- gested by council. It Should not have been used to try to cover an earlier council blunder. The contractor was no doubt worried that he might not be able to finish the project without losing money. The dispute with the unions had to be costing him and it had to be set- tled. It should have been settled at his cost. If the costs wee too high for him and he had de- faulted on the project, the bonding company would have hired some- one to complete the con- struction at no extra price to the taxpayer. As it is, Terrace has paid an extra $20,000 to an outside contractor. Whether that covers the additional cost of having to pay decent wages we don’t know, but it cer- tainly minimized his loss or increased his profit. Christmas just came ear- ly to the contractor. We also paid $8,000 in legal fees for this fiasco, but we’re not hearing.much about that either. ' T hope we get an ex- planation next year when the first payment is due. Helmut Giesbrecht, Terrace, B.C. Directory of A\ Terrace 4\ Churches Sacred Heart Catholic Church Masa times Saturday: 7:30 p.m. : Sunday: 8:30, 10:00 and 11:30 a.m. Pastor: Allan F. Noonan, O.M.I. 4830 Straume Ave. 635-2313 St. Matthew's Anglican/ Episcopal Church 4726 Lazeile Ave., Terrace Rector Rev. L. Stephens — 635-5855 Sunday services: 9:00 a.m. and 11:00 a.m. Phone 635-9019 Phone 635-5520 Sunday School and Aduit Class _, 9:45 a.m. HRIST | UTHERAN “ HURCH Sunday Worship - 11:00 a.m. 3228 Sparks Street, Terrace _ Rev. Michael R. Bergman Terrace Seventh-day Adventist Church 3306 Griffiths — 635-3232 Saturday — Sabbath School — 9:30 a.m. — Divine Service — 11:00 a.m. Wednesdays — Prayer meeting — 7:00 p.m. - Pastor Ed Sukow — 635-7642 EVANGELICAL FREE CHURCH 3302 Sparks Street, Terrace, B.C. PH: 635-5115 Pastors Jim Westman and Bob Shatford Sunday School for all ages — 9:45 a.m. ervices — 11:00 a.m. and 6:30 p.m. Prayer Meeting — Wednesdays — 7:00 p.m. Sunday KNOX UNITED CHURCH 4907 Lazelle Ave, Phone: 635-6014 Sunday Moming Worship 10:30 AM Sunday School 10:30 AM Youth Group 6:30 PM Adult study throughout the week. Call Church office for details. Minister: Stan Balley You are welcome! Terrace Pentecostal Assembly Phone: 635-2434 3511 Eby Streat 9:45 AM = Sunday School 11:00 AM Morning Service 7:00 PM = Evening Service John Caplin — Pastor Len Frosse — Assoc. Pastor 4