Ad - The Terrace Standard, Wednesday, December 04, 2002 TERRACE

STANDARD

ESTABLISHED APRIL 27, [988

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What's up?

WITH THE municipal elections now over, it’s time for city council to tackle the one large project councillors love to talk about but which doesn’t seem to appear on a priority list — a multiplex.

It’s been the subject of two referenda over the last decade in combination with the rural area immediately surrounding Terrace. The last time, in 1999, borrowing money for construc- tion was passed by city taxpayers by a slim 55 per cent margin but was turned down by rural voters.

And just this past summer, the federal and provincial governments committed $2 million to the project - money which isn’t sitting in a city bank account but which is languishing someplace in Ottawa and Victoria waiting for a local plan to take shape.

That $2 million commitment is locked in for

approximately the next four years and repre- ‘sents one-quarter of the $7.6 million borrowing authorization sought in the 1999 referendum. : There are some very good reasons to forge ahead. Construction would provide a financial ‘boost, although it should be noted that public ‘sector mega-projects don’t generally enjoy a ‘good reputation nowadays. A multiplex would provide a psychological boost to the city and area in a time when good news is lacking. A ‘new ice surface, gym and meeting rooms would also cement the city’s reputation as the central gathering and meeting area of the northwest.

The challenge, as always, remains money. ‘Various city councillors have optimistically said

corporate sponsorships could‘ cut or:reduce tax+"|

‘payer expenditures. It’s a case of ‘what comes first — a solid plan which would then attract pri- vate money or lining up private money to then “attract taxpayer support.

But it’s also a matter of politics and that

means the rural area. Rural voters generally ‘object to any moves tying themselves to what they regard as city projects or ideas. But they do support, through specific tax levies, city- based facilities such as the library and arena. ' A way must be found to extend that level of co-operation to a multiplex if it has any chance of succeeding. A joint city/rural initiative, backed up by a new referendum, would also make it easier to line up private support.

When the $2 million senior government grant

was announced this past June, Mayor Jack Tal- stra predicted “shovels in the ground in the ‘spring. ” That isn’t going to happen. : The $2 million does represent a bit of a cush- ‘ion which could ease taxpayer worry about the final borrowing amount they’d be asked to au- ‘thorize. But unless a new plan is put together ‘soon and is tested in a referendum, time and ithat money will slip away.

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2002 WINNER

Special thanks to att our contributors and correspondents for their time and talents

Jcvance the ‘idea of acself-ii: ‘ posed duty. ‘And: this time;*I-~

WS on BOWANG ‘ SSN LOTION

QW ERAN CRE

Let's Tax the wood by ourselves

VICTORIA — Back in 1986, when the U.S. Coalition for Fair Lumber Imports launched its second claim that Cana- dian tumber was unfairly sub- sidized by low stumpage rates, ] argued in favour of a tempor- ary self-imposed duty to head off a countervailing duty im- posed by the U.S.

For my efforts, I was ac- cused by some B.C. forestry officiais of trying to “destroy the industry.” Sometime later, however, the federal govern- ment did, indeed, voluntarily levy a 15-per-cent tariff on softwood lumber exported to the United States.

The levy was cancelled when the two countries reached a “memorandum of understanding.”

Sixteen years later, it’s déja vu all over again. This time, the U.S. has imposed a crippling 27-per-cent duty on Canadian softwood lumber im- ports,

Again, I would like. .to.

am not alone in wanting to “destroy the industry,” to quote my detractors from the 1980s.

None other than forestry giant Weyerhaeuser Co. has called for the replacement of the U.S.-imposed lumber du- ties with a border tax as high as 25 per cent. Weyerhaeuser, an international forestry giant,

aay ay

‘FROM. THE,CAPITAL. HUBERT BEYER

owns 18 sawmills in Canada.

Alas, Pierre Pettigrew, our federal international trade minister, wants nothing to do with the idea.

“It goes against everything that has been part of the con- sensus that we have built the past three years,” he said. It would be tantamount to im- posing the same border mea- sures on ourselves that the Americans have imposed. Mike de; Jong, British Co- ~lumbia’s” forests’ minister, isn’t exactly jumping "for joy either over the proposal.

“Tam not particularly crazy about their proposal for struc- turing a border tax. It is prefer- able to try to negoliate a mu- tually agreeable long-term deal,” de Jong said.

He’s absolutely right, provi- ded the other side wants the same thing.

’

Past experience shows that is not the case.

This is the fourth time the coalition has launched com- plaints against Canada and three times the WTO said Ca- nada was not subsidizing its lumber exports. Even if the WTO decides in Canada’s fa- vour a fourth time, there will be a fifth time, as sure as God made little green apples.

The Washington-based Coalition for Fair Lumber .Im- ports represents 260 U.S. mills and lumber companies. It says the 27-per-cent duty imposed on Canadian lumber imports by the U.S. Commerce Depart- ment is necessary to protect 700,000 forestry-related jobs .

The coalition charges that Canada sells its lumber at up to 75 per cent below cost, a practice that, it says, has al- teady led to the closure of 40 mills in the U.S.

Bill Corbin, Weyerhaeu- ser’s executive in charge of

wood products, says he plans to” begin talking to industry”

counterparts and customers to

“garner support for the self-im-

posed tariff proposal. “Customers are being affec-

ted now as much as the com-

panies that are doing the pro-

ducing. Customers are willing .

to find a solution,” he said. Steven Rogel, chief exec- utive of Weyerhaeuser, says the U.S. duties are not working as the U.S. government inten-

ded. “They have backfired. The lumber industry in both the United States and Canada is suffering unintended conse- quences.”

British Columbia is feeling the impact of the U.S. duty more than any other province. Eight of the province’s leading producers posted combined third-quarter losses of $86 mil- lion Can., compared with earn- ings of $39 million in the same period last year.

Craig Campbell, a partner with PricewaterhouseCoopers, says the impact of the duties is

felt much more in the West be- |

cause of ils dependence on lumber and pulp, while compa- nies based in Eastern Canada are more diversified, producing substantial quantities of value- added paper preducts that fare better in the market.

I hope Weyerhaeuser’ suc- ceeds in winning the key play- ers over to its proposal for a border tax. It makes sense.

As it is, the Americans, col-

‘lect the. money. Under, a, self:

imposed duty scheme, the money would stay in Canada and could be returned to the companies if the dispute, now before the World Trade Organi- zation, is resolved in Canada,s favour, as has been the case in three previous rulings.

Beyer can be reached at: E-mail: hubert@coolcom.com, Tel (250) 381-6900; Web ditip:/fwww.hubertbeyer.com

Let’s hear it for

BRITISH COLUMBIA’S school boards should follow the style of seniors in curbing Premier Campbell's hell bent for leather cutbacks.

Seniors pick their targets, stand together, and show up en masse to peacefully to rein- force their objections to his malevolent plans.

Last Tuesday about 2000 lower mainland seniors rode 28 chartered busses to Victoria to disembark on the govern- ment’s doorstep.

So polite they obeyed Keep Off the Grass signs, they ne- vertheless delivered a “Goodbye, Charlie Brown” message lo Campbell and his caucus.

Seniors disclosed their pro- test plans at least 10 days in advance, over CBC Radio. No secret moves for them, unlike the government.

Tipped off, Campbell saw fit to postpone, before they ar- tived, the plece of legislation seniors were incensed about. It is now on hold for at least three months.

This isn’t the first time Grey Power forced the premier

EORGE ORW ELL

» igi THE. WORD

DoUBLETHINK ”

THROUGH BIFOCALS. CLAUDETTE SANDECKI

to backpedal faster than Wile E, Coyote on the edge of a cliff overhang. Seniors pushed him to abandon taking away their free bus passes. They

- also persuaded him to shelve a

34 page questionnaire inten- ded to requalify every disable person receiving support fund- ing.

‘Now this: Campbell has de- layed at least until March his intention to assess the income of anyone applying for Phar- macare,

The NDP’s Joy McPhail at-

YEAH! AND THEY [ee-4e ] ALWAYS HAVE. SOME CLEVER...

those seniors

tributes the seniors power to MLAs discomfort when they dodge along Main Street in their home ridings and meet flak for the government’s dras- lic, indiscriminate cuts to edu- cation, health and social pro- grams.

McPhail’s analysis is cor- rect. In a poll last week, the NDP were only eleven points behind the Liberals. But so far only MLA Paul Nettleton, Omineca-Prince George, has had the honesty to admit his discomfiture. He was expelled from the Liberal caucus.

Seniors are a triple vote threat. Upset them and the government loses the votes of their children and grandchil- dren who might have to pay the slack of reduced support funding.

School boards should stand up to be counted. If the B.C. School Trustees Association had protested last March as one resounding voice, Terrace wouldn’t be considering clo- sure of Thornhill Funior Sec- ondary School in favour of bussing junior highs to Skeena Junior Secondary School for a

Be fe

COR THE ABILITY 7 TO BELIEVE IN SOMETHING...

BL

SCHEME OP THEIR } SLEEVES To TRY AND TRICK US”?

dollar saving.

Had trustees objected un- equivocally, education minister Christy Clark would have had to fund teacher’s raises, rather than download the legislated cost on to local school districts - who have no taxing powers.

Instead, trustees wimped out. Some didn't want to ap- pear confrontational. Some agreed with Christy Clark's cuts, even closing fully atten- ded schools,

Some were reluctant to risk’ replacement by a government appointee.

Fortunately, seniors are willing to risk to gain what they want or need.

If school boards, given spine by newly-elected trustees, think more about the needs of Students and less about their

awn pay cheques and free trips -

to Vancouver, they can still unite to deliver an unequivocal ‘Stop’ order to Clark, Camp- bell, and his silent sheep — no

more cuts to education. Victor-..

ia awarded the teachers raises; let Victoria fund them

What works for seniors can work for trustees.

f OPPOSITE AT SE Same Tine