A6- the Terrace standard, Wednesday May 26, 2004

CORRESPONDENCE FOR THE TERRACE STANDARD _

‘he Mail Ba

Gov't should look at a | teres
map to understand north, ===

. which administers, an’ area. :
“of, over: 80, 000: square ‘kilo.
as: compared td, a.
district: with Justia fraction :
“of the same. area, “How-.".
the - Fanding formula

An open letter tot.
education’ minister ’
Tom Christensen: :

our school: lrustees;- ‘admin-.
isttators,- and: communilies

forced to chart’ the future.
“many rifts: in thé commu
ity; and ‘too ‘many relation- ,
“will shay

of “education. in ‘School

District ‘82 based on fund-" i
ing levels:and funding. for-:*. _
provide the. education. that

' mulas -that do. not: feflect:

the. true cost” of education ;
-in-our, northern’ communi~

lies.
~ This ‘year. we: ‘are. - took

ing. al. retaining. the: four-.
day school week-and pos-: :
sibly closing: schools, or
reverting. back to .a- five-,
; day school’ week, and:clos="

ing at least six’ of.0 our: 23 fewer. and _fewer:

zs ‘students, —

‘In. case: this, docs: ot,
mean much to: you, . fet me
try to briefly” explain the. «
reality of the -extremely: »
difficult educational issues

schools..

we face. -
School -
four-day. school’, weeks -are

monumental decisions: that.
come about through pas-

sionate debate” that.
cludes the: entire coiniin

ity, our: ‘teachers, and’ our’,

No more.

of Martin

: Dear Sirs.

Paul Martin’s® ‘legacy. as
"finance: minister is that he ~ - fF:
eliminated féderal budget? * -
deficits, But Martin did.it ~
mainly by cutting. transfer.
_ payments to.the provinces: "' .
for health ‘and. education=:

and services and. programs.

He frequently talked about -*:
the need for: everyone 0,

share. ih the struggle:

_. The: effect of: the “cuits o
are well known and ‘every ©:

province struggled ‘withthe

impacts during: the’ 1990s: “
and still do today.: ‘These:
days we hear. ‘Ottawa: must =

restore health: care. funding.

Paul Martin ‘boasted ‘in: :
his. *95~ Budget speech, aye

which: ‘launched © ‘a kind of.

“five- “year ‘plan; that he. *
chop. program:
spending by. $12. billion, 2°.

He got his deficit: under...
“control and well before the” -
five years. were up: but he ©
kept on ‘cutting’ “spending. ny

Federal-program. spending
by-the end of 1997 was, ~
lower’ as & percent of GDP: .

would

than any time since: 1950. .

Martin then launched a a

- range. of. | tax: ‘cuts’

- “reward” Canadians” fot :
the “sicrifices"* ‘made. His.
loyalty. to the tax-cut mait-<
tra is ‘hardly ‘surprising;-He-
did it-to appease the Re:
formers in- Parliament: ‘and .

keep them in ‘Opposition.

‘but ‘it “also ‘satisfied . the.
. pro- -corporate ,
- agenda.’ The. ‘measures all.
hurt! Canada’s. social safety. a
“net. ‘Maybe that ‘was’ the:

“ Liberals’ .

plan alt along? --

closures and :

administration.

of” this Bovernmient: are

ships.strained as :we try to

ws Ite is. ‘obvious
“that the ‘northern.
‘districts are left to |.
- manage: the ‘fixed.

.

our children deserve. eat

“This: government is’. sige-
noring ‘the true cost of edu =
“ cation,; and ” ignoring” the ~
reality ‘of | providing. an.
equal: opportunity’ ‘for edu-\-"
cation“in all Communities ~
throughout this ‘province, oe
Simply: ‘ook. ata’map. It
-is easy to-sce:that the.cost »
‘of: providing » -bussing and -¢
other forms: of. transporta-.-
tion: can not possibly bee.

the: same" in “a district

OF paramount: impor-
-‘tanice ‘ig the ‘education of .
our, children. ‘The: policies a
"Again. this year: we. find .
“tearing Our? “community °
> apart: ‘There’ have:been: too
"many: sleepless nights, 100 =
“phic location. It is easy. to .
seé- that: northern: districts
increased. snow...
cheating »
” costs, . and ‘eommunication .
“costs, However, : the fund- :

metres, a

‘ever;
‘ig,the: sare.”
“Take. a Took

removal / Costs; :

ing: formula:i is ihe: ‘same:

tion, Tt is: bvidus. thatthe

providing - ‘éducation® with

mula: i 1S: the: same,.

‘isthe. same... :
© When will: this: govern
ment: recognize” ‘that exist-

ing! funding: Jevels,’ and"
“funding: formulas are ‘nol J
adequate: tO. -provide: an:
“equal “opportunity for edu-) of
cation dn_all communities :

“ across, s this s province? ae
Alan Harrison a
~- Hazelton. B, < Coe

a ntersections can be danger * *
ous places to drive. In BCin
2002,.43 per cent of all

sion location. There were |
- 7,957 injuries. ‘and 84. fatalitie
-# that occurred -in. intersections
around: the province, =

Tr injures and mrseati oat me . policeattended collisions i in’
‘P -occurred In intersections,.: °. 2:
ee Terra ein. 2002, ‘there wer
: miaking. it. the. Jeading coli we ‘ ° 7.

7 coast t Mounrans ScHOOL DISTRICT 8. yea

School District 82 intends to apply lime
“149 its grounds /properties during.the spring
y “onthe and fertilizer throughout the-season..
This program runs from May-- Oct. 15. .

. Areas. affected ares
. Ferree; Kitimat, Hazelton, Stewart and.
includes playing: fields and all grassed areas:

20: A716 azelle ‘Avenue:
‘Térraca,BC V8G 172,
2 Phone -. “6308705 : [> -
““damers. associates @telus.nat | «
www Gemergandassoc|ater, bec capo:

“Take a:look ‘at popula--:-

northern, districts are’ ‘left. lo...

costs of providing “ manage* ‘the: fixed. costs-of |”

‘education with “fewer -and fewer students. -

‘However, : ‘the: funding. for- i -

ee Take a look’ at the ine
: -frastructure. and. amenities.
"that. are - not: available to
“northern - districts. “How:
ever,. “the” funding. forniula .

: Calgary :
Fort St join.

Fort, Nelson

ee Central Mountain Air

“cally your t ie agent LQ. af :

Many collisions resiilt from .
. nat ‘maintaining a ‘safe dis.
_ tance between vehicles. In--

. incidents‘ and 4 injured vic’
tims’ attributed to following:

‘Always be extra catitiouis

_ following passes the object,
begin counting. If it takes Jess ~
__ than four seconds'for.the ..

.front.of your vehicle, to reach -
_ the benchmark,-you jneed: to.
adjust your speed so you. are

"advises Dave Dickson; ICBC: and six seconds for highway _
‘:. Loss Prevention Manager. for. : - driving is considered a: agood
“the North Central region... : tule’ we oo
a Maintain a safé following dis °

“tance from: the vehicle ahead;
= and allow. more’ time to teach:
_ your destination, particularly.
in: adverse conditions,” he”
ys. "A: following « distance of
ur. econds for city driving “

To determing: your r following
se, distance; choose: a stationary .

: 1 affic.s sign or a tree.
: s your, benchinark = oa when”
the re tear of the hicie you are

“the top 5 three in injury: inci-
dent locations i in Terrace ares:
oe Kalum. Street and. 2

-Tax-cut ‘henefits always , a

~ seem to’ favour. ‘ie Folks at"

the top.” ‘Just! ‘liké Liberal. °~
lax cuts in'B.C., 70 per=
-cont. of: Martin’ § tax-cut
benefit went:to' the top 30...
_per cent of Canadians’ with =.
the highest’ income.’ The."
-bottor: 70 per, cent’ of. Ca- |
nadians shared: the: remain: ;

ing 30 per. cent.of. benefit.

. That is not the end: of it:
and’ ‘during’ ‘PaulMartin’s :

‘reign as finance., ministe
> and continuing: “today. th

_ Corporate tax rdte-has been |
--reduced. from 28 per cent:

to 21 per.ceni, Guess who

picks up ‘the slack in: the. _
interests of. trying.to be.

more like: Uncle. Sam? :

eos

. 1

J a %& &@ Ft @

Bio aL 32 aa da ts

is 7 1a 49 20 31 32

2324 94 36 29 te 2D
“yo
*

‘Now when: ‘Paul ‘Marta: a

: talks like he has’ become As
_moderate.and says: he ‘will’
*. do: things’ differently. and.
. save us all frotn.suin, Fame:
skeptical. He’ '§,-promising -
‘to. undo some ofthe dam-:
“age he ‘created. If his’ past;
is an indication, he will do:
- good things for his. buddies.

“awash WEBSITE:

| 4 isker com.

ee No purchase requiied Total combined valle ol the 216 pices | Is apriroxtiatey $34, 060. Must bia ape Tosident to ual i Selected. ent nist mu anew?
and egree to a driving, fecord check: Chances at wining: depend on the pomber ol entiias received Contest ‘cldgea May 27,2004

bis monchy rhere will bes a *

Keith; Avenue. ,

’ Keith Ayeriue and:
Kenny Street -

Keith Avent ue iad
Tetrantt Street

in support of the :.
Cominunity Crash:
Reduction Challenge, :
this week, local police Er

MAY 2004

tions with additional °
enforcerhent nas

hiadk the’ traffic: :
fight ahead. Unless i it ‘
hagjust-turned:':° °°.
green, be prepared to: feo
stop. Slow. down well n
in advance of a red:
ar ‘yellow. light.

Ifthe Ae ak .
saute lit or, “flash-- aL

Complete c lest les