CORRESPONDENCE FOR THE TERRACE STANDARD

The Mail Ba

i El reductions affect
those who need it

..Dear Sir:

Most of the information released by
Statistics Canada boggles the mind. In
the years between 1990 and 2001, the lat-
est year available, the number of unem-

~ployed workers receiving benefits has de-
clined drastically. Worst hit are young
' workers 15 ~ 24 years of age. In this group
~-only 20 per cent of men and 11 per cent
- of -women qualifies and receives E] bene-
fits. :
~~ Overall in British Columbia, 34 per
cent of men and 28 per cent of women
-are.receiving EI benefits when unem-
~ ployed, Considering that almost all work-
“ers and their employers are paying into
'..the system while so few are receiving
benefits, it is no mystery that there is an
--BI budget surplus approaching $45 billion
_ even though billions have been redirected
into general revenues every year and al
least one billion get lost somewhere.

As this letter is being written Mr, Paul
Martin, the proficient tax evader, is being
‘anointed. as Canada’s next Prime Min-
ister. Will the Panamanian flag be flying
on Parliament Hill? He is being touted as

the new Messiah who will save educa-
tion, health, military and the decaying in-
frastructure. —
“Ts he not the one that crippled all those
- institutions: when he was Minister of
Finance? ;
" You may ask did he not bring down
Canada's deficit? The way I see it the
- workers and the employers who paid into
the BI trust fund, which is not a tax and
who were robbed of benefits when unem-
ployed are the people who paid down the
deficit, not someone in Ottawa.

Be proud all of you who is denied EI.

‘You saved this country’s good name and

enabled Mr.
Paul Martin
to become
Prime Min-
ister.

To all those
of you that
are students,
part time,
and seascnal
workers who
will never
qualify for
benefits un-
der existing
tules but are

. j fa ‘“aael paying any-
way, il’s like
John Jensen paying man-

datory auto
insurance. Even though you do not drive
or own a car, we, the taxpayers thank
you.
If a private person or corporation cal-
lects money under false pretences and
use it for their own illegitimate gain, they
will be investigated and sued. Should this
not apply to the government?

To the small business person, who may
well believe that-all of this is of no con-
cern think about this. The statistics pro-
ject an estimated loss of EI benefits for
Skeena workers of about $30.5 million
annually.

Circulation of that kind of money
could easily amount to $60 million of
economic activity. This would make a big
difference in our communities, not only
for the unemployed, but also for the com-
munities at large. oe

John Jensen,
Terrace, B.C.

The Terrace Standard, Wednesday, November 26, 2003 - A7

Log exports
hurt us all

Dear Sir:

Ii Jooks like Skeena MLA Roger Harris is still
on the side of the Americans, and nol on the side
of his town and constituents.

Logs exported from here: go into the USA, where
they cut them to fill orders that escape the 27 per
cent illegal duty,

- As long as we support the USA logging and
milling by doing this, they will never pay any at-
lention to us.

I have spoken to forests minister Mike De Jong
four times to encourage him to pul.a 27 per cent
export tax on our round logs. Look, Roger, fair is
fair. Why should the USA get our logs for nothing
while we pay. 27 per cent. And Mr. De Jong refus-
es, so we have lost.27 per cent from all the round
logs shipped for the past two years.

Roger, I thought you said your government
needs money. That 27 per cent is a very good
source of income and you give it-all away.

I like loggers, cause [ was one once. I like the
mill guys as well, because I was there, too. You
like loggers, but you don’t like mill guys.

If you did you would support them. I can give
you a list of those who are losing their houses —
perhaps you could have them over for lunch some-
time.

When you have the mill guys over, you might
invite Dan Veniez, too. Tell him why you turned
down the Mercer bid of $30 million, and took his
affer of $6 million, sotry $8 million, You could tell
us too.

Then ask him why the mill isn’t running. Ask
him why this mill, with a 30 per cent wage de-
crease, and a more efficient mill than Kitwanga,
does not run, but Kitwanga can. Ten thousand pco-
ple want to know.

Then ask him what he intends to do with the
mills in light of the new action by Prince Rupert
and Terrace. You know, and I know, if he is al-
lowed to keep the TFL (new forest act) this new
action may give him an excuse to walk away from
the mills, get contractors to log the TFL, make a
lot of money and see this town reduced to a half a
town.

None of this was in W.A.C. Bennett's mind
when he formed the Tree Farm Licences.

Finally, Roger, if you still support export as is,
you should resign your seat and run for the senate
in Washington state. ;

Les Watmough,
Terrace B.C.

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