CORRESPONDENCE FOR THE TERRACE STANDARD newspapers _ The Mail Bag Doctors need to be involved in medical decision making Dear Sir: Mr. Giesbrecht was quoted in your paper (‘Crunch time for Mills?’’, Dec. 16, 1998) stating, ‘‘the doctors are un- happy and not co-operating,’? I’d like to clarify this gener- al and somewhatambiguous statement. — _ The medical community is unhappy with and refuses to cooperate with any decisions that endanger patient safety. The Terrace and Area Health Council is currently operat- ing in violation of its by-laws. These by-laws state a physician should be a voting member of the council. There has not been a voting physician on council since ear- ly this year. The reason is that the NDP government in Victoria, has not appointed one. _If the council respected its medical community and their expertisc, I would think they would appoint someone, temporarily, until the government made a decision. Woutdu’t it be better to be in conflict of the by-laws with _. medical input than without? Does it make sense to try and - Tun a hospital without any physician contribution? This is currently what is happening. The public lambasting of Dr. Jim Dunfield for auda- ciously suggesting that Terrace be considered an alterna-- tive site for orthopedics if Prince Rupert and Kitimat are unable to attract a physician angers me. apes This suggestion was made on behalf of the entire Terrace physician community. It was based on common sense, The tiorthwest necds orthopedic services. Just recently, a young man waited nine hours before being shipped out to Prince George to have a fracture repaired. It should, by now, be obvious that we cannot maintain physicians in the north by coercion but must do it by attraction, We have a better chance of keeping orthopedics, and other speciallies, if the physicians involved are allowed a say in their location, Does it make any sense to deprive the area of an orthopad because he may wish to live and work out of Terrace? Why is this idea so threatening to Priace Rupert Health Council that they require a public apology? L. T. Alnias, M.D., Terrace, B.C. (received via email) Here’s the darker side of 1998 Dear Sir: . The year of 1998 is gone. The media is Full of the events of the year, the media versions. Let’s have some fon with the versions from the dark side. - The great west coast fish crisis, This is where Premier Glen Clark takes the position that the salmon fishing treaty between the U.S. and Canada must be signed off and everyone must respect the quotas assigned. The Americans refuse, David Anderson, federal fisheries minister, lets American fishers take B.C, coho, and then --- closes: all coho seasous in Canadian waters. Canadian _ fishers must throw back any coho they catch. The industry is devastated. : The press takes Anderson’s side and he becomes the hero. But as late as last week, reporters were casligating Clark for the lack of fishing opportunities on this coast. At the Union of B.C, Municipalities convention in Penticton, Gordon Campbell, leader of the opposition, said “Hordes of people are leaving B.C.”*. He obviously did not know how many people are in a horde, for the Pro- vince newspaper’s headline next morning was ‘'4 Million People in B.C, now. B.C, growing at 2 per cent a year,”’ . Clark, the Premier, speaking at the B.C. Federation of ' Labour, says the press is biased, and is trying to undermine : his govermment’s programs and legislation. The press cries “no way,’’ The next morning’s news was that a certain David Black, owner of 40 papers in B.C., has threatened to fire any of his editors that prints anything favourable about the recently..negotiated (and, backed, by Clark) Ni 7 in treaty. But, says.the press, no biasys t:? What’s with this new tax? Dear Sir: ‘ There’s an ugly rumour going around on a new royalty .tax on all CDs and audio tapes, It’s trae — unless public protest causes Ottawa to have second thoughts. A friend of nine who buys audio tapes to record church sermons and choirs at 50 cents each for redistribution among the congregation has just had his operating budget quadrupled. ‘” . Money taken from consumers will supposedly go to the artist whose CD you buy; but money taken from recording tapes will be split between the company and the govern- nent, Everybody waits to be a bank pirate. Some schoo! districts have banded their various music Sgaa. Rafe Mair, hot line host, takes two days a week to boost his call for a referendum on the Nisga’a treaty, and carries this on for four months. He then, on the air, takes a poll of his listeners asking, ‘do you want a referendum?’’ The answer, from the brainwashed is obvious. 70 per cent say ‘yes’, Talk about jury tampering, a legal term Mair should know. Gordon Campbell, Ieader of the opposition, constantly calls for a referendum he knows Clark can’t do, because of the ratification clause in.the Nisga’a AIP and in the Nisga’a final treaty (neither putin by Clark). Campbell says every British Columbian deserves a vote on the Nisga’a treaty, Mark my words, in the next election Campbell will describe Clark as ‘‘the man who woulda’t give you a vote on the Nisga’a trealy.’’ The press, of course, accuses Clark of using the Nisga’a treaty for polili- cal purposes, But not Campbell. The legislature resumes sitting to debate the Nisga’a agreement and the press accuses the premier of using the debates to inflate his popularity. The press, our source of information, then boycotts the house sittings that debate. the Nisga’a treaty. This, the unbiased B.C. press, The Province paper produces a poll (like Rafe Mair’s?) that puts Clark’s popularity at 11 per cent and makes the comment in an editorial, thal Clark believes that his popularity won’t go lower. The editor then says, and 1 quote, ‘‘Just watch us.”* This of course — in B.C. — is un- biased, Les. Wotmough, Terrace B.C. departments to produce school concert CDs, which only cost about $1 to produce as a fund raising charge to the consumer, Now, who gets the tax? If Herman Humpback and The Salmon River Boys produce their own album independent- ly who gets the royalty tax benefits? If you thought the GST was a headache to work out for both business and government what does this so-called royalty tax create for the only growth industry Icft in the nation — Revenue Canada? It’s a-comin’ unless Canadians get off their butts and protest. Call MP Mike Scott. Brian Gregg, Terrace, B.C, ‘GRIME! STOPPERS 635-TIP We're On The Move... | 7-11 Sparks Street e Bank of Montreal Ottawa Street & |) @ Avco \F Q Chalky’s 4664 Lakelse Avenue’ : 2 On January 18, 1999, we’re moving our Aveo branch located at 4557-A Lazelle Avenue to: . 4664 Lakelse Avenue Terrace, B.C. V8G 4R1 | “Come. and see our new office located at ; vy We're in a more convenient location with plenty of free parking. :, ‘You matter most at Avco™ Home Spun 7) “SOCK SALE Great for all winter activities JB Fields 30° Below 7 Icelandic Socks 9 0 % Kodiak off tell the local story @ona Canadian Community Newspapers Association mm oo ----3§--------, The Nisga’a Treaty I Very soon the Provincial Legislature will hold a free vote on the Nisga’a Treaty. Members of the Provincial Legislature are being freed of their AL political party ties 10 vate as they see fit. .~ | Please indicate below how you want your MLA to vote. Please let us | xnow Py noon January 15, Weill publish the results in. the January 20 errace Standard, oe . In Favour — Name: ap \ : Opposed = Phone i {For verification purposes only} Undecided 7 Fill in and mail fo “The Nisga‘a Treaty” C/O The Terrace Standard, 3210 Clinton St., Terrace, B:C. V8G SR2. I ’ Fax: 638-8432, or jy « Email: Standord@kermode.net. Or drop it off at our front counter, | S | 'TANDARD L ~~ ~ Sets of 2 fickels each will be given away Jan. 14/99. ~ ~— | Drop olf your entry at: _ The Terrace Standard, 3210 Clinton St., Terrace, B.C. l Entry deadline is Thursday Jan. 14, 1999, 5:00 p.m. Draw will be held Friday Jon. 15/99. Winners will ba notified. | NAME: | ADDRESS: — ee MISTY RIVER TACKLE & HUNTING | Year End Inventory Clearance Sale With Fantastic Savings Store Wide! | Browning Wader / -» Browning Boot Combo ‘174° $4 98s" er 31am Browning Combo 4mm Browning Combo 4 Monday - Thursday 7 am - 10 pm Friday & Saturday 7 am - 11 pm ¢ Sunday 9 am - 10pm Drop by any time for a cup of coffee.’ : Morty Bader Py 18 Wont | coe . Manager E Jo Sheern Cobioee er e a s * ° Esha Aveo | Financial Services Canada Limited i 5008 Agar Ave. Terrace 638-1369 _VAVIG - HATONY « DISILNSIOS -- HNAGVSSVEWV/VIDVD - Nav