August 15, 1993, carnegie newsletter by Carnegie Newsletter

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EASTWARD HO! A caravan i s making i t ' s way t o t h e Canada Games i n Kamloops, B.C. on Thursday, August 1 2 , 1993.

The Native Sharing Group of Carnegie Community Centre has been i n v i t e d t o p a r t i c i p a t e a t t h e i n v i t a t i o n of t h e Kamloops Indian Band. Demonstration of Drum-makimg, Bead work, and o t h r c r a f t s w i l l be on d i s p l a y i n t h e Native Pavilion, What an opportunity t o share t h e many t a l e n t s of those involved, and from t h i s area!

b!e w i l l be camping out on t h e reserve w i with T i p i and t e n t s and taking p q r t i n o o t h e r c u l t u r a l events, such a s t r a d i t i o n a l dancing and singing. I hope t o r e t u r n WE with photos and more news of t h i s ijondgrful opportunity. B, Gray

VULTURES ON HASTINGS" Everyday a s I gaze out my f i l t h y window of my run-down roach-infested abode, $ s e e t h e scum of t h e c t t y s t r o l l , s t e a l , l i e , connive, looking,: . f o r e v e r looking, searching f o r t h e i r next prey.

They a r e t h e v u l t u r e s looking t o f e a s t o dead carrion. But unfortunately t h e pre they seek a r e not dead, only h e l p l e s s , drunks, h e l p l e s s game f o r t h e v u l t u r e s t o prey on. Yes, even now t h e r e a r e . f o u r t o s i x c a r r i o n - e a t e r s perched on t h e i r skinny asses, looking t o waylay some innocent unknowing poor s l o b of a drunk. So beware, you drunks, when you s e e one of those vultmres, p r o t e c t yours e l f from robbery. Simple, c a r r y no valuables, no money, give them s h i t t o e a t instead. G. M i l i t a n t

THE ELDERS1'

X was very f o r t u n a t e t o p a r t i c i p a t e a t '93 Elders gathering a t Duncan on August 3, t o t h e 6. I t ' s an experience I s h a l l not soon f o r g e t nor l i k e l y t o f o r g e t . I ' m happy I d i d n ' t change my mind t o attend. The people t h e r e made you f e e l welcome even though they knew you were strangers. When it comes t o feeding time they make. t h e Salvation Army look l i k e paupers. They s u r e have respect f o r t h e i r Elders,' e s p i c i a l l y the9:very much c a r e f o r t h e i r f u t u r e generation - t h e i r children. Those same young children w i l l be a b l e t o c a r r y on t h e i r f i g h t and t r a d i t i o n and customs f o r t h e Cowichan Tribes t h a t a r e s o v i t a l f o r tAeir surviyal. A s a Cree from Northern Alberta, I had my eyes opened and now w i l l always r e s p e c t and admire those g r e a t people, who managed t o pexserve t h e i r Native Culture, I say more power t o them. Cowichan Tribes, I s a l u t e you. A friend A1 Milton

PNE tries to dump Carnegie Every year, Carnegie members look forward t o t h e PNE. I t has been a long-standing p r a c t i c e of t h e PNE t o o f f e r f r e e t i c k e t s t o Carnegie so our low-income members could g e t t o enjoy t h e f a i r . But not t h i s year! A new scrooge mentality has descended on t h e midway. Carnegie was cut o f f , with no warning. What was e s p e c i a l l y g a l l i n g was when we learned t h a t t h e PNE gave away 240 f r e e t i c k e t s t o customers of t h e i r Bingo so they could attend t h e PNE f o r f r e e . The Carnegie Association protested (see our l e t t e r below), and now we have been t o l d by t h e PNE t h a t we can have 30 t i c k e t s f o r t h i s year. But t h e t r i c k i s t h a t t o g e t a t i c k e t your a r e going t o have t o specify your physical o r mental d i s a b i l i t y and present yourself a t t h e " W i l l Cdll" window. This type of arrangement i s a throwback t o t h e bad old days when t h e poor were divided i n t o two categories - t h e deserving and t h e undeserving - and made t o stand hat i n hand, a demeaning process. Hardly b e f i t t i n g an NDP government t h a t i s supposed t o c a r e about human dignity. We w i l l be p r o t e s t i n g t h i s decision. But i n t h e meantime, check with t h e volunteer coordinator i f you a r e interested i n a ticket f o r t h i s year.

J i m Kempling General Manager P a c i f i c National Exhibition

Dear Mr. Kempling, I am t h e Chairperson of t h e Carnegie Community Centre Association Community Relations Committee and 1 am writing t h i s i n response t o a decision by PNE s t a f f t h a t impacts heavily on t h e 3000 members of our association. Let me explain;

Two weeks ago our Association was informed by PNE s t a f f t h a t t h e Carnegie Centre was no longer e l i g i b l e t o receive our customary allotment of 150 PNE passes t h a t we d i s t r i b u t e t o r e s i d e n t s i n need of such a s s i s t a n c e t o attend t h e annual PNE f a i r . The reasons given were ; 1. That i n f a c t we never haye been e l i g i b l e as these passes a r e t o go only t o people with physical and mental d i s a b i l i t i e s . Therefore s i n c e t h e r e a r e fewer passes a v a i l a b l e our organization was taken off of t h e e l i g i b l e l i s t .

2. That t h e PNE had received r e p o r t s

t h a t a fewsof t h e passes given t o our organization were i n f a c t sold by c e r t a f n individuals possessing them. With regard t o our e l i g i b i l i t y given i n t h e f i r s t reason t h e Carnegie Community Centre serves primarily t h e Downtown Eastside neighbourhood which a s l l m s u r e you a r e aware i s t h e poorest . .naighbourhood i n Canada accoxding t o t h e r e c e n t census data. A l a r g e number of our patrons a r e s e n i o r s on f i x e d income and many of our patrons a r e indeed mentally o r physically disabled. Over 1500 people p e r day . . . come i n t o t h e Carnegie Centre many of whom I ' m s u r e meet your c r i t e r i a f o r e l i g i b i l i t y f o r a PNE pass. *

As ,for t h e 2nd xeason given; t h a t PNE

passes were sold by people who obtagned them a t t h e Carnegie Centre, th$s i s the f i r s t we have heard of t h i s , a l l e g a t i o n while we a r e being denied any f r e e passes t o t h i s years f a i r . If t h i s i s a pfoblem I am s u r e we can put systems i n 5

place which w i l l address t h i s i s s u e . The PNE has expressed a good d e a l of i n t e r e s t i n developing a r e l a t i o n s h i p with t h e l o c a l community and has made great e f f o r t s t o include t h e community i n discussions regarding the f u t u r e of t h e s i t e including a l l o c a t i n g resources t o a community o f f i c e and public meetings. We a t Carnegie f e e l t h a t it i s very u n f a i r of those a t t h e PNE t o deny access t o our organization f o r PNE passes and indeed i s not i n t h e s p i r i t of community p a r t i c i p a t i o n t h a t people a t t h e PNE have been speaking about. The PNE f a i r i s well supported by t h e members of t h i s community. I t i s an event t h a t i s close t o t h e community and represents an important a c t i v i t y f o r people who o f t e n don't have the luxury of attending o t h e r events t h a t

c o s t money o r t h a t r e q u i r e expensive t r a n s p o r t a t i o n t o g e t i t o . The Carnegi Community Centre Board of Directors on behalf of our 3000 members asks you t o reconsider t h e decision t o not i s s u any passes t o our organization. Sincerely, Lorelie Hawkins f o r Margaret Prevost Chair. Community Relations Committee ~ a r n e g i ecommunity Centce Board of Directors

Who knows? Longers of girldom I ' v e long s i n c e Gridirons of S t a l i n a r e sunk i n t h e mire Languine b e t r p y a l i s my long way through Symptoms of h e a r t l o s s a r e given t o you La l i e l o l u t h e Kentucky blue I n s t a n t reminders of murdering you Land i s submerging and feeding t h e s e a The c a p t a i n of my love is waiting f o r me. Longing f o r s k i e s t o freedom my s o u l Yearning from one r i v e r t o reach t h e canal I promised you once Itno m a t t e r what" I d i d n ' t know you wanted me The c o a l i n t h e f i r e is t u r n i n g t o ash my h e a r t i s broken i n smithereens My love l a y s dying on beds of g r a s s .

Garden, Your Despite your Desert, your To c r e a t u r e s

delight is slight contrite nature hot sand i s home I ' v e never r e a l l y known

A r c t i c , your i c e is unending and never i s lawful amending Black Sea, your waters a r e But Asia was home one time f o r me. Tropics, Your holiday i s holy t o me, save me from t h i s h a t r e d f r e e z e Elizabeth Thorpe

ASHES IN THE WIND ~f I s t i l l smoked, t h e ashes would probably be p i l e d up t o t h e l e v e l of a 20-storey highrise! Over t h e years, I ' v e turned by hand i n t o a b i t of gardening and used t o wonder i f t h e c i g a r e t t e a s ashes would do good f o r t h e p l a n t s . I ' v e seen crushed egg s h e l l s and t e a leaves sprinkled on p l a n t e r s , acting a s f e r t i l i z e r .

There's a t r a d i t i o n a l statement a t f u n e r a l chapel s e r v i c e s and it says, Ashes t o Ashes and Dust t o Dust. Sometimes t h e cremated remains of t h e deceased a r e sprinkled over a r i v e r , ocean o r park. Some sprinklings t a k e place near t h e b i r t h p l a c e - of t h e deceased. Maybe c i g a r e t t e ashes have a concrete pupose o r s p e c i a l significance,but a l l t h e ashes consumed from l1chainI1 smokers only make one ask about c i g a r e t t e smoking : Does it enhance o r prolong l i f e ? Does it give a look of d i s t i n c t i o n ? Does it add o r s u b t r a c t good clean a i r t o t h e smokerl.s lungs? Does it a f f e c t those who don't smoke? Does it ease s t r e s s , considering t h e ever-rising cost of tobacco? What does it take t o convince "hooked" smokers who inhale them, . cough u n t i l t h e y ' r e blue i n t h e f a c e and then have t h e audacity t o complain about too much p o l l u t i o n i n t h e a i r due t o an over-population of c a r s , t h a t giving up smoking i s t h e only cure.

Regardless of c o s t s , appearances, mild blends,, and b e t t e r t a s t e s , a person with t h e nerve-racking addiction must f i r s t l i g h t up and puff away with d r i e d t r e a t e d leaves encompassed by llspecialll paper t h a t sometimes has t o be lit several times before it can be smoked. And now; one l a s t word regarding fancy.named f i l t e r s o r cork t i p s . Even i f you don't puff a t these tailor-made c i g a r e t t e s continuously, they s i t so e l e g a n t l y i n an ashtray, i n a passive mood, with smoke s p i r a l l i n g l a z i l y upwards and onwards i n t o a nothingness u n t i l only t h e ashes remain. VERNA M. JOHNSTON

PERSONAL POWER WeJve a l l known individuals who seem t o have nothing but bad luck, who j u s t c a n ' t seem t o come out ahead a t anything. Commonly, t h e reason wliy things always go badly f o r such persons i s t h a t they lack Personal Power. Whether we l i k e it o r not, except f o r t h e very old o r infirm, we a r e every one of us engaged i n a very complex game of Power, a l l of i t c a r r i e d out on a sub, conscious l e v e l . Whether we l i k e it o r not, every person we encounter, we subconsciously appraise them, estimating t h e l e v e l of t h e i r Personal Power, comparing it t o our own and judging them i n t h e l i g h t of what they a r e l i k e l y t o do with t h a t Power, whether good f o r us o r not. There a r e no random events among human beings. Human minds l i n k together i n t o f o r c e s and these f o r c e s v i e with each o t h e r f o r advantage. En d i r e c t i n g and even manipulating these f o r c e s , stronger i n d i v i d u a l s can p l a y an astonishing ole. Back i n t h e '701s, I g o t hooked on t h e horse races. While l i v i n g very c o r r e c t l y f o r s e v e r a l weeks T read books on handicapping, kept records of race ~ e s u l t s , figured odds f o r endless hours. The c o r r e c t l i v i n g gave me Personal Power; t h e i n t e r e s t i n racing d i r e c t e d it. When I f i n a l l y ventured o f f t o t h e taack, I found it didn't matter what t h e heck I b e t on, t h a t horse whould win. I s t a r t e d with t e n d o l l a r s and i n s h o r t order ran it up i n t o thousands, b e t t i n g small. I j u s t couldn't l o s e u n t i l 1 got so giddy with it a l l , I took t o s i t t i n g i n t h e bar a t t h e t r a c k , drinking and b e t t i n g from t h e r e . Then I l o s t t h e money a s f a s t a s I ' d gained it because I j u s t couldn't win. I had thrown away a l l my Power.

How cqn one b u i l d up Personal Power so t h e i r l i v e s w i l l be B e t t e r ? There a r e two main r u l e s : C1) DonFt do things f o r enjoyment o r pleasure. (2) Do t h i n g s you don't l i k e t o do but should do. I ,

There a r e a few subsidiary r u l e s , l i k e ; Don't f e e l s o r r y f o r yourself; DonFt g r i e v e o r f e e l shame about t h e p a s t plan b e t t e r f u t u r e ; Don't do t h l n g s th7 would cause you embarrassment i f widely known. Don't m i s t r e a t others. J u s t be "firm and correct" i n a l l your behaviour. ("Firm and Correct'' i s how t h e Ancient Chinese described proper behaviour )

There a r e a few r a t h e r arcane t r i c k s aimed a t gathering power r a t h e r than c r e a t i n g i t . I d o n ' t know why they work o r how they work but work they do. I was taught them i n dreams; On a windy day, f a c e i n t o t h e wind. Extend your r i g h t hand, palm down, f i s t closed. Whirl your arm i n a clockwise motion a s i f you were winding t h e wind's Power l i k e a s t r i n g , around your arm. O r do t h e same, t h i s time pointing your arm a t f l y i n g planes, taking care t o not do it above a 45 degree angle. Another t r i c k i s t o e s t a b l i s h a r o u t e where you can walk i n a big loop every day, always going counter-clockwise and always conscious t h a t you a r e not j u s t out s t r o l l i n g , you a r e Power Walking, walking t h i s r o u t e i n t h i s way t o g a t h e r Power. Power gathered by t h e s e methods i s not e f f e c t i v e immediately. You have t o s l e e p f i r s t .

I ' m going t o need a l l of t h e Personal Power I can e i t h e r c r e a t e o r gather i n t h e next few days and weeks. I have smoked f o r 47 years. This morning a t 6:15 I smoked t h e l a s t c i g a r e t t e i n my dwelling and I said: "Thats i t . I won won't buy more. I ' m going t o be a non-smoker."

I hqve t o g e t t h i s down t o Carnegie t h i s morning. The buses a r e comfy and convenient and I have a pass. But I w i l l choose t o walk and gain a b i t of Power by t h a t means. E R I C ERICKSON

HOW TO WRITE A LETTER OF COMPLAINT

TO THE POLICE

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What .v--------counts a s a complaint? Tf you t h i n k you s a v e a compIaint aKout any a c t i o n s of an RCMP o r municipal p o l i c e o f f i c e r , t h e n you do. The P o l i c e Act & t h e RCMP Act set o u t your r i g h t t o complain, & your r i g h t t o an adequate response,

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A complaint could i n c l u d e an2 of t h e s e : , --.A---------------r u a e o r a i s r e g p e c t f u l behaviour , a r r e s t , d e t e n t i o n , o r s e a r c h without r e a s o n a b l e grounds, r e l e a s e of c o n f i d e n t i a l informat i o n , n e g l e c t of duty, e x c e s s i v e f o r c e .

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When should I complain? A s soon a s possi b l e a f t e r t h e i n c i d e n t -. w h i l e evidence i s s t i l l a v a i l a b l e & t h e memories of any w i t n e s s e s a r e s t i l l f r e s h . A f t e r 6.months a municipal can r e f u s e t o i n v e s t i g a t e your complaint.

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How do I complain? The b e s t way i s t o w r i t e a l e t t e r of complaint addressed t o t h e Chief Constable o r t o t h e Commanding O f f i c e r ( f o r a complaint a g a i n s t an RCMP o f f i c e r ) We suggest you w r i t e your l e t t e r i n f o u r p a r t s , a l l of which are,.import a n t : The l e t t e r should begin by s t a t i n g t h a t you wish t o l i d g e a complaint under t h e p b l i c e Act ( f o r a p u n i c i p a l p o l i c e o f f i c e r ) o r t h e RCMP Act ( f o r t h e RCMP).

!!?~d!?-f

-~E&~xEE_Ez-~~EP~ There ! ~ ~ ?a r e s e v e r a l ways: d e l i v e r it by hand o r m a i l it t o t h e municipal p o l i c e dept. o r RCMP d e l i v e r i t by hand o t m a i l i t t o t h e BC C i v i l Libert i e a Association & 'they w i l l submit i t f o r you The BC C i v i l L i b e r t i e s Assoc. w i l l t e l l you o t h e r ways t o d e l i v e r it (687-2919)

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What i n f o should I g i v e a b o u t ~ c o m p l a i n t /

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t h e time & l o c a t i o n of t h e i n c i d e n t t h e e v e n t s which took p l a c e i n t h e orde r in which t h e y happened t h e names and/or t h e badge numbers of t h e p o l i c e o f f i c e r s involved o r a physi c a l d e s c r i p t i o n of t h e o f f i c e r t h e names, a d d r e s s e s & t e l e p h o n e numbe r s of any w i t n e s s e s t h e name of t h e d o c t o r who examined you and/or t h e name of t h e h o s p i t a l o r c l i n i c you a t t e n d e d , i f you r e c e i v e d medic a l t r e a t m e n t a s a r e s u l t of i n c i d e n t s p r i n t s of photographs t a k e n of any inj u r i e s t o you i n t h e i n c i d e n t I n t h e t h i r d p a r t of your l e t t e r , s t a t e t h e s p e c i f i c a c t i o n s of t h e p o l i c e o f f i c e r s about which you wish t o complain. Des c r i b e & number each a c t i o n o r s e t of same I n t h e f o u r t h p a r t of t h e l e t t e r , s a y what you want t o happen because of your complaint. I f you d o n ' t know, s a y you want a " f u l l & reasonable" response. Sign your l e t t e r & i n c l u d e your name, a d d r e s s & phone number. Make 2 c o p i e s and keep them.

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What w i l l happen then? Your c o m p l a i n t ' l l most ( l i k e l y 6 e i n v e s t i g a t e d by t h e i n t e r n a l i n v e s t i g a t i o n s e c t i o n of t h e p o l i c e department o r t h e RCMP; I f the police refuse t o inbestigate your complaint, you w i l l r e c e i v e a l e t t e r s a y i n g s o . You should c o n t a c t t h e BC Civil L i b e r t i e s A s s o c i a t i o n f o r a d v i c e & ass i s t a n c e i n a p o s s i b l e appeal of r e f u s a l * It w i l l t a k e 3 o r 4 months f o r you t o r e c e i v e a formal response. B .C.

CIVIL LIBERTIES ASSOCIATION 687-2919

TEDDY COME HOME * I

...I knew it would come t o t h i s ...Some kid l o s t h i s teddy bear

and they put it on t h e f r o n t page of t h e P r ~ y i g ~ newspaper. e My grandfather used t o s e t type f o r t h e Province i n t h e days when it a c t u a l l y was a news paper r e p o r t i n g news a s s e r i o u s business. Held probably d i e a l l over again if he saw t h i s : "Teddy come home". Tia Dastmalchian, 7 years old, l e f t h i s teddy bear on t h e " S p i r i t of Vancouverw. (That's some kind of l a r g e passenger v e s s e l , no doubt.) A f u l l colour p i c t u r e of l i t t l e Kia, s i t t i n g on an expensive bedspread i n h i s bedroom, surrounded by TV & o t h e r on a c h a i r modern conveniences beside him s i t s a white teddy bear, (presumably not t h e one he l o s t ) & h i s l i t t l e 7 year old f a c e peers out from behind round g l a s s e s with a s o r t of spoiled 'pouty look on it, a s i f he i s accusing t h e whole world of s t e a l i n g h i s teddy bear.

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The f a c t is, he was s o dumb he l e f t t h e s t u p i d t h i n g on t h e boat. ..but here he i s on t h e f r o n t page i n f u l l colour, of a newspaper t h a t dumps m i l l i o n s of copies on t h e lower mainland every morning, & everyone who s i t s down t o a c*p of c o f f e e & a morning read i s confronted by h i s affluent childish face trying t o blame somebody f o r h i s own neglect. When you point t h i n g s l i k e t h i s o u t t o people, you know what they say: "it s e l l s papers. Does it r e a l l y ; o r is t h a t j u s t another i d i o t i c phrase repeated a s j u s t i f i c a t i o n f o r every t w i s t ed image o r base absurdity some well-paid n e u r o t i c e d i t o r wants t o i n f l i c t on u s i n t h e name of c u t e "human i n t e r e s t v journalism? My grandfather was a good o l d Scotsman who learned t y p e s e t t i n g when it was a d i g n i f i e d , almost intellectual skill...the old trade union thing, they dumped him 6 t h e r e s t of t h e union supporters somewhere back t h e r e , i n order t o compete i n new markets - f r o n t page s t u f f , l i k e "Teddy come home. 11 Meanwhile t h e same o l d conspira c y of s i l e n c e i n t h e media aboug t h e s e a l sQurces of sersous eyeqts t h a t a r e moving u s d a i l y towards an unknown 6 increasingly dangerous f u t u r e . Kia Dastmalchianls l i t t l e f a c e w i l l hang t h e r e forever, accusing u s a l l of s t e a l i n g h i s teddy bear, while r e a l l i f e l o s e s i t s way somewhere on a map of Disneyland. Tora

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Words - Glen Wheeler I l l u s t r a t i o n s - P e t e r Haskell CARNEGIE LIBRARY A most enjoyable time was had by those who attended a d3splay of t h e books concerning Women's Issues. This educational event took p l a c e i n t h e Carnegie Library on August 12 a t 9 a.m.

Susan t h e l i b r a r i a n d i d an e x c e l l e n t job of organizing t h i s p a r t i c u l a r event. The books covered a v a r i e t y of s u b j e c t s including s e l f esteem, improving family r e l a t i o n s h i p s , d i f f i c u l t i e s a b o r i g i n a l women have t o face, and poetry. Please f e e l f r e e t o come down and look a t t h e v a r i e t y of books and if what you m u l d l i k e i s not a v a i l a b l e Susan w i l l order it f o r you.

Coffee, cinnamon buns and baking powder b i s c u i t s with homemade jam topped o f f t h e event. We would love t o s e e more people come t o t h e l i b r a r y committee meetings. The next one is scheduled f o r September 14 a t 3:00 P.M. IRENE SCHMIDT

LITTLE STAR Wayne Wayne L i t t l e S t a r , How I wonder what your are! Underneath t h a t mop of h a i r , T e l l me-are you r e a l l y t h e r e ? IRENE SCHMIDT

11' you but p l e a s e f e e l f r e e t o drop i n and enjoy t h e Coffee Carnegie Cabaret where t h e back-ground music of my songs w i l l somehow may-be have a b i t of t h i s C e l t i c music i n t h e back-ground. Somehow t h e p l u s an a ~ t i s g t e t s i n attending such afternoon type musical f e s t i v a l s i s found not only i n t h e seeds of one's own expression but i n t h e universal sound of a p e t a l by p e t a l movement of constant c u l t u r a l growth.

ENTERTAINMENT PLUS

On Sunday, J u l y 25th, 1993, a group of members and musicians from t h e Carnegie Centre,with lunch and a t t e n t i v e i n t e r e s t attended t h e Mission Folk Music F e s t i v a l . The d i v e r s e music and d i v e r s e d i r e c t i o n s t h a t was o f f e r e d and taken by our group found myself l i s t e n ing with a r a p t e a r t o v i o l i n o r f i d d l e music p e r se. The music was C e l t i c and apparently from t h e o r i g i n a l type seed from t h e o r i g i n a l type area, C e l t i c , t h a t is.

Diane Claire

IIELP

The a r t i s t , who i s well-respected i n Canadian music apprecidtive audiences and c i r c l e s was t h e one and only Ashley Reed, born i n Gateshead, England. My own f a t h e r , a musician, was t h e son of parents from t h a t same area. So some-. how t h e vibes and beat a s well a s t h e recurring s t r a i n s of a lament heqrd i n t h e s t r i n g s brought l y ~ i c sand almost house-wife t a l e s of i n s t i n c t i v e phrases t o my memory. H i s co-heart i n t h e B.C. representation of C e l t i c music was Daniel Lapp: born i n Prfnce George, B .C. who t r a v e l l e d , through-out B ,C. c o l l e c t i n g over 200 o r i g i n a l tunes of c e l t i c o r i g i n . He plans t o do a t a p e i n t h e f a l l . Most of h i s own compositions of l y r i c s and music r e l a t e t o personal experiences. A t one time he played and studied C l a s s i c a l trumpet.

LEAWERS CONFERENCE PLANNING COMMITTEE Meets Every Other Monday AUGUST 23 SEPTEMBER 7 (Tues) SEPTEMBER 20

We need h e l p PLANNING Food, Workshops, Decorations, P u b l i c i t y . A l l Learners and Students from t h e Downtown E a s t s i d e Welcome

The Learners' Conference i s f o r a l l l e a r n e r s t o t a k e p a r t i n . GET INVOLVED! Become a member of t h e e x e c u t i v e of t h e conference & t a k e p a r t i n t h e program. It w i l l happen on September 23i-d. So f a r , t h e t e n t a t i v e program is loam I n t r o d u c t i o n , ( c o f f e e & mu•’•’ i n s ) llam-12 noon: Workshop i n t h e T h e a t r e . lpm Lunch 2pm-3pm: Open Forum 4pm Karaoke Theatre

The amazing t h i n g was my keen i n t e r e s t i n t h e o r i g i n a l seed-celtic-music so I ' l l now get back t o my interview with Ashley Reed. It seems l i k e f ' m being not so f a i r i n feigning i n t e r e s t with l o c a l o r s t r e s s - r e l a t e d settlement of c e l t 3 c music and expression of B.C. o r Canadian, East o r West but somehow I got j o l t e d back t o an a r e a my b e a t s o r connective musical t h ~ e a d swere somehow not only threaded but knotted. Well, basics, please, do l i s t e n t o t h e two t a p e s I have access t o by phoning 681-8621 and asking Dianne C l a i r e o r leaving your number and I ' l l b e t back t o

Tables w i l l be s e t up. Chairs w i l l be placed around t h e room. Brochures may be l a i d o u t . Advertisements may b e presented. Learners can a l s o get involved doing o t h e r t h i n g s a t t h e , C a r n e g i e . Read s i g n s i n t h e c e n t r e , f i n d out what i n t e r e s t s , you and become an a c t i v e p a r t i c i p a n t . I

Is Canada's debt crisis really a revenue crisis? BY MURRAY DOBBIN Saskatoon

FTER absorbing thousands of body-blows from the Big Debt Bully, the Canadian public has been judged softened up enough to be takcn out with a few killer punches. 'The C. D. Howe Institute and now The Globe and Mail (in a March 8 editorial) have joined Tories, neo-conservative NDP governments and the Business Council on National Issues in one deafening call for huge cuts to government spending. While the calls aren't explicitly aimed at social programs, this budget item is so large that %y talk of "deep cuts" must inevitably include them. No onc denies the dcbt is a problem. ljut to suggcst, as The Globc docs, that thc only solution is to "cut spending and cut deeply" is misleading. And it just happens to serve thc interests of the very people who put us into debt in the first place: the wealthiest Canadians and the largest corporations whose tax breaks and loopholes have created Canada's fiscal problems. The critical fact left out of the debt debate is just where the debt came from. Politicians and commentators alike now openly express doubts that we can afford our social programs. As a result, the public is left to assume that these have been financed by irresponsible borrowing -that we have been living, and spending, beyond obr means. This is simply false. As a raft of studies, beginning with the Tories' Nielsen Task Force on Program Review in the mid1980s, have shown, Canada's debt, and many of the provinces' debts, are a function notbf program spending but of tax expenditu1;es. This type of government "spending" - tax deferments, fast write-offs of capital.

costs, depletion allowances, RRSPs, special provisions for family trusts, capital gains exemptions, and scores of others - grew enormously throughout the 1970s and'80s. A 1991 statistics Canada study (eventually published in a revised version) rev~aled the consequences: Fifty per cent of our then-$400-billion debt was due to the failure of revenue collection to keep up with gross domestic product. Forty-four per cent of the debt was due to interest charges on the accumulated deficit. Just 6 per cent was due to increases in "spending" relative to GDP. And that was all spending. Social spending accounted, at most, for a third of that - in other words, for about 2 per ccnt of the total federal debt. To suggest, as the editorial did, that indcbtedness "has not - repeat not - been for lack of taxcs" is just dead wrong. Ottawa researcher Kirk Falconer, in a study of corporate tax expenditurcs published in Canadian Review of Social Policy, revealed that rcvenue lost to this dubious spcnding increascd rapidly from 1980 to 1987: from $10-billion in untaxcd corporate profits in 1980 to $27-billion in 1987.

1HE

Nielsen r&on estimated that between $20-billion and $25-billion in revenue was sacrificed each year through tax expenditures. Even after the tax reforms of 1987, which closed many tax loopholes, the government admits that upward of 60,000 profitable corporations will pay no taxes for the 1992 year. Even the rcvenue we gained by closirig loopholes we lost by decreasing the corporate tax rate to 28 per cent from 36. Wealthy individuals in Canada face among the lowest taxes of any country in the Organization for Economic Co-opera-

tion and Development. One result of this regressive system is Canada's dubious distinction of having the highest number of billionaires per capita in the world. Only two industrialized countries have no estate tax: Canada and Australia. Half the countries in Europe also have a net wealth tax. The indexing of personal income-tax rates in the seventies and the gradual reduction of the number of tax brackcts has lbst and continues to lose billions each year. Osgoode Hall professor Neil Brooks calculates that just by increasing the three current rates by four, three and two percentage points (starting with the highest bracket), we would raise an additional'$l8-billion. Lest it be thought these generous tax giveaways serve some usef6l policy purpose, four major studies done in Canada - including one by Douglas May of Memorial University -- suggcst just thc opposite. These studies of the cfkctivcncss ol' tax breaks i n promoting investment concluded that every dollar "spent" netted very little in ncw investment - on average, 21 cents. Another study revealed that, as a way of increasing competitiveness, tax brcaks were an cven greater failure: On average, they reduced unit costs by half of 1 per cent. These enormous giveaways not only failed to create the investment hoped for, but went to the largest corporations and led to the elimination of tens of thousands of jobs. The first major round of such brcaks was implemented by Liberal Finance Min. h e r John lkrner. Instead of creating a quarter of a million new manufacturing jobs by 1979 as predicted, they resulted in a net decrease. The reason was simple: Most of the breaks, such as accelerated capital cost depreciation, interiened in the price competition between labour and capital to make

capital relatively cheaper. The $2.8-billion in tax breaks accorded the already profitable big five banks between 1981 and 1985 facilitated the laying off of 11,119 bank employees in that samc period. H A R w m economic lecturer Robert Reich, now President Bill Clinton's Labour Secretary, has written and spoken eloquently about the U.S.phenomenon of the "secession of the successful." In pan he is referring to the removal of the wealthy from "the revenue stream." Low taxes on upperincome earners has starved government services for others, while the wealthy move increasingly into privately financed "gated cities." Indeed, it is this analysis by Mr. Ilcich that promptcd Mr. Clinton's proposal to incrcase taxcs on corporations and thc wealthy. Canada nccds to have a debate about the dcbt and how to.manage it. Besides fairer taxcs, we nced to debate the wisdom of the high-interest-rate crusade against inflation. As well, we should use the Bank of Canada's mone7:creating authority to manage more of the debt. Until the mid-1970s, the Bank created enough new money to absorb up to 30 per cent of the federal government deficit. That figure is now down to 7.5 per cent. (This move would be no more inflationary than having private banks create the money supply, as they now do.) Our debt is a function of all thes.e factors. Those who insist there are no alternatives to "deep cuts" d o a disservice to the countiy and may fairly be suspected of not wanting a debate.

Murray Dobbin is a Saskatoon author and . journalist.

Monday

Intro Math 11 CL20201 7:oo 9:OO

English 11 CL20101 5:oo - 7:oo

Grammar Can Be Fun CL22202 1:OO - 3:OO

11:OO - 1 9 0

ESL Literacv

Creative Writing CL23202 7:oo - 9:Oo

Social 11 CUO301 5:OO - 7:OO

Bridge to English. CL22302

Women Speak Out CL22702 1 l:3O - 1:OO

Welfare ~dvocac; CL22.502 10:OO - 1l:3O

Literacy Theme Units I 9:oo -1o:oo

9:Oo -1o:oo

. Literacy Theme Units I

Wednesday

, Tuesday

Grammar Can Be Fun CL22202 12:OO - 2:oo

CL22102 10:oo - 12:oo

ESL Literacy

Literacy Theme Units I 9:oo - 1o:OO

Thursday

English 11 CL20101 5:30 - 7:30

Secondary Upgrading CL22802 4:OO 5 3 0

Literacy Theme Units 11

S$T Pued Counts Math Uppnding C U l m EmimSc'igca 10CUOdOl Chemircr). 11 c m 1 Math 10 CL2QIK)l Ma& 11 CLU1701

Intro. to Letters CL23202 3:OO - 6:OO

Advanced Writing 2:oo -3:oo

Bridge to English CL22302 11:oo - 2:oo

Friday

Start Date September 7, durafion I 3 weeks.' Call us.for info 665-3013

Social 11 CL20301 5:30 - 8:30

Secondary Upgrading CL.22802 4:OO - 5:30

Literacy Theme Units I1 CL23 102 2:oo - 4:oo

Native Issues Forum CL22902 12:30 - 2:OO

Welfare Advocacy CL22502 1 1:OO - 12:30

Literacy heme Units f CL23002 9:OO - 11:OO

Carnegie Adult Learning Centre Fall "3 Course Schedule

BY MUGGS SIGURGEIRSON A s many of you know, Paul Taylor, our Newsletter E d i t o r , i s v i s i t i n g Nicaragua, a country long under a t t a c k by t h e United S t a t e s . I ' v e j u s t r e t u r n e d from a two-week v i s i t and saw many d i s t u r b i n g t h i n g s a s a r e s u l t of American i n f l u e n c e , including t h e f a c t t h a t a r e now 25,000 children living i n the s t r e e t s of Managua, a c i t y t h e s i z e of Greater Vancouver. When Paul g e t s back, he w i l l have a l o t of informatiom on t h e s i t u a t i o n a s p a r t of h i s Tools For Peace t o u r . Meantime, h e r e ' s some sad background information on how Latin American g o t t o where it i s today.

1903: US t r o o p s invade Dominican Republic 1903: US t r o o p s invade Panama. 1904: US t r o o p s invade Dominican Republic. 1904: US t r o o p s invade Panama. 1907: US t r o o p s invade Honduras. 19PO: US t r o o p s invade Nicaragua. 1911: US t r o o p s invade Honduras. 1912: US t r o o p s invade Cuba. 1913: US t r o o p s invade Mexico, 1914: US t r o o p s invade H a i t i . 1915: US t r o o p s invade H a i t i . 1919: US t r o o p s invade Honduras. 1920: US t r o o p s invade Guatemala. 1924: US t r o o p s invade Honduras. 1925: US t r o o p s invade Honduras. 1925: US t r o o p s invade Panama. 1926: US t r o o p s invade Nicaragua. 1928: 1,000 s t r i k i n g banana workers s l a u g h t e r e d i n Colombia a t US-owned United F r u i t . 1932: 30,000 Salvadoran p e a s a n t s k i l l e d i n u p r i s i n g , a s US Canadian warships s t a n d by. 1954: CTA overthrows Arbenz government i n Guatemala, 1961: Bay of Pigs invasion i n Cuba. 1962: )US blockade of Cuba. 1964: US t r o o p s k i l l s t u d e n t prot e s t o r s i n Panama Canal Zone. 1965: US invades Dominican Republic 1973: CIA-sponsored coup i n Chile.

1823: Monroe Doctrine claims L a t i n America a s US w p r o t e c t o r a t e . ' l 1833: US t r o o p s invade Nicaragua. 1835: US t r o o p s invade Peru. 1854: US t r o o p s invade Nicaragua. 1855: US t r o o p s invade Uruguay. 1856: US t r o o p s invade Panama. 1858: US t r o o p s invade Uruguay. 1865: US t r o o p s invade Panama. 1868: US t r o o p s invade Uruguay. 1868: US t r o o p s invade Columbia. 1873: US t r o o p s invade Columbia. 1885: US t r o o p s invade Panama. 1888: US t r o o p s invade H a i t i . 1891: US t r o o p s invade C h i l e . 1894: US t r o o p s invade Nicaragua. 1895: US t r o o p s invade Colombia. 1896: US t r o o p s invade Honduras. 1896: US t r o o p s invade Nicarague. 1898: US s t a r t s Spanish-American war a f t e r b a t t l e s h i p Marine sunk. 1898: US " l i b e r a t e s u Puerto Rico. 1899: US t r o o p s invade Nicaragua. 1901: US t r o o p s invade Colombia. 1902: US t r o o p s invade Colombia.

1983: US invades Grenada. 1983: US mines Nicaragua's

harbours. US f i n a n c e s and d i r e c t s c o n t r a war. 1988: US invades Panama. 1983-87:

-. ADVENTURE WALKS

~t is time t o catch up on w r i t i n g about our summer walks. We had some very i n t e r e s t i n g ones during t h e month of July.

F i r s t we explored t h e Downtown Eastside, Chinatown and then toured t h e Expo Lands where we saw where they plan t o put Poison Park and t h e new hockey rink.

Next we walked along Second Avenue t o Cambie S t r e e t which i s t h e i n d u s t r i a l area. We explored both s i d e s of F a l s e Creek. The South s i d e of F a l s e Creek was well planned, b e a u t i f u l l y arranged and r e l a x i n g . I n sharp c o n t r a s t t h e North s i d e promises t o be a m i l l i o n a i r e ' s g h e t t o with poor planning and appears t o be c l u t t e r e d , congested and t h e b u i l d i n g s a r e t o o high. We had a very n i c e lunch on t h e south s i d e i n a b e a u t i f u l park. The Canada geese were extremely aggressive and i n v i t e d themselves t o lunch when Vickey stood up. The geese t r i e d t o snatch pieces of lunch from our hands.

We walked around'Granville I'sland before boarding t h e f e r r y t o t h e North s i d e . We went o f f t h e f e r r y a t t h e Hornby S t r e e t entrance and ex explored t h e Downtown Granville South a r e a before being t r e a t e d t o c o f f e e and birthday cake a t t h e New Continental. We would have l i k e d t o s e e Dianne McKenzie but she wasn't i n here o f f i c e t h a t p a r t i c u l a r day.

On our way back t o Carnegie we stopped by t h e D e l ~ a rHotel. This residence i i s most i n t e r e s t i n g because t h e owner r e s i s t e d s e l l i n g out t o B,C. Hydro and kept t h e premises f o r low income people. J ~ n l ywish t h a t more c i t i z e n s would take a stand a g a i n s t huge corporations, Our l a s t important s t o p before r e t u r n -

ing to Carnegie was the old tram a t - ~ a r r a l l a i d Hastings. That p a r t i c u l a r building reminds one of a museum a s it has a g r e a t number of p i c t u r e s from t h e e a r l y days.

We a r r i v e d back a t Carnegie t i r e d , but f u l l of wonder a t t h e wealth of h i s t o r y such a s h o r t d i s t a n c e form our community c e n t r e . Bob and Marty were our f e a r l e s s leaders during t h e e n t i ~ eadventure, Narty has l e f t us f o r a four month leave and we r e a l l y miss her. IRENE SCHMIDT

Steve Rose brought h i s l i t t l e daughter Kyia along and t h e r e a r e some cute p i c t u r e s of her chasing t h e geese. A wonderful s e n i o r was v i s i t i n g from Chicago and she came along on t h e walk. Maria was o r i g i n a l l y from Switzerland and we found h e r t o be most i n t e r e s t i n g , This f a s c i n a t i n g lady s a i d she always l i k e s t o a s s o c i a t e with low income people when she t r a v e l s Because they a r e f a r more i n t e r e s t i n g and .. .. informative.

116:30 Wed.

NmA AND THE PUBLIC SECTOR

ing" our public s e c t o r 7 s o c i a l programs with those of our major t r a d i n g partners, p a r t i c u l a r l y the united s t a t e s . But the Americans, t h e Mexicans, and other countrEes c e r t a r n l y a r e n ' t m i s i n g t h e i r standards t o match ours. Tory Ilharmonizationtt r e a l l y means lowering our standards t o match t h e lowest standards elsewhere. The Toriest chief wrecking t o o l has been t h e Canada-US f r e e t ~ a d eagreement (FTA), t h e one-sided deal they E t h e i r corporate a l l i e s f o i s t e d on us i n 1989. I t ' s a deal t h a t was designed t o benefit t h e big transnational corporations, who view our superior public s e r v i c e s as Wnf a i r ~ u b s i d i e s&~our ~ public $ n s t i t u t l o n s a s t a r g e t s f o r p r i v a t i z a t i o n E ' f a t corp'. Canada' s public i n s t i t u t i o n s & services, o r a t e p r o f i t s . Acting on behalf of these big corporatalong with bur s o c i a l pbograms, have presions, t h e Torles have been using t h e FTA erved our national i d e n t i t y & enriched our a s an excuse t o systematically dismantle q u a l i t y of l i f e . But f o r t h e past 8 years,. since t h e Mul- t h e Canadian public s e c t o r t h a t was painstakingly constructed over t h e past 125 rone)r gov't came t o power, our public agencies G services have been under constant attack. Over 20 Crown Corporations, established t o provide important transportation, communication & other services t o Canadians, have been privatized, and others a r e on t h e verge of b e i n g ~ u t o n c t h d a u c t f b ~ i b l o c k H e ~ ea r e some of t h e things t h e Tories Repeated cutbacks have ravaged our soc- have done a s they've pursued t h a t objecti a l programs, and g r e a t l y increased t h e ive. They've-number of unemployed workers & people de:ut off a l l f e d e r a l funding f o r unemppendent on s o c i a l assistance 4 food banks Our communities have become l e s s l i v e able 4 m a n y q r e i n a s t a t e o f p h y s i c a l d i s r e pair. More than $5 b i l l i o n of f e d e r a l gov't work i s being contracted-out every year t o t h e p r i v a t e sector. In short, our d i s t i n c t Canadian s o c i e t y i s being americanized.

PUBLIC SECTOR -

The Tories would never admit t h a t they a r e t e a r i n g down Canadian society, They p r e f e r t o say they a r e merely 'harmoniz-

loyment insurance $ d r a s t i c a l l y reduced

both coverage 4 b e n e f i t s , with t h e ultima t e goal of dragging our UT down t o t h e much lower l e v e r s p r e v a i l i n g i n t h e U.S. * stea,dily c u t f e d e r d funding f o r both Medicare 4 p o s t - t e c o n d a ~ yeducatfon, with t h e aim of e v e r t u a l l y t ~ a n s f e r r i n g s i g n i f i c a n t p o r t i o n s of both of t h e s e serv i c e s from t h e p u b l i c t o t h e p r i v a t e sec. * s t a r t e d phasing out f e d e r a l - p r o v i n c i a l cost-sharing f o r s o c i a l a s s i s t a n c e even though t h e demand f o r s o c i a l a s s i s t a n c e programs has d r a m a t i c a l l y increased a s a r e s u l t of Tory economic programs/policiea * forced t h e CBC t o reduce regional programming, thereby c u r t a i l i n g o r even e l iminating t h e coverage of t h e l o c a l eve n t s t h a t t i e communities together. * refused t o address t h e urgent c a l l by c i t y mayors f o r municipal i n f r a s t r u c t u r e investment, something t h a t would h a l t t h e unacceptable d e t e r i o r a t i o n of such v i t a l p u b l i c s t r u c t u r e s a s roads, highways, h o s p i t a l s , water mains, bridges & schoolsc * deregulated t h e t r a n s p o r t a t i o n i n d u s t r y , r e s u i t i n g i n higher a i r f a r e s with fewer choices of r o u t e s & d e p a r t u r e s & begun t h e deregulation of telecommunications, somet h i n g t h a t could put t h e c o s t of b a s i c telephone s e r v i c e s beyond t h e reach of many. * shut down more than 200 small-town&rura1 post o f f i c e s , t o t h e detriment of t h e many r u r a l communities, a s a prelude t o p r i v a t i z i n g t h e e n t i r e Canadian Post Offi c e ; and * persuaded many p r o v i n c i a l governments t o impose p u b l i c s e c t o r wage c o n t r o l s , f r o zen t h e wages of f e d e r a l gov't employees & eliminated t e n s of thousands of p u b l i c s e e t o r jobs. Actions t h a t have had a s e r i o u s negative impact on s e r v i c e q u a l i t y as workers s t r u g g l e t o cope with v a s t l y increased workloads & fewer resources -, a s well a s l o c a l communities dependent on p u b l i c s e c t o r jobs. hat's an awful l o t of damage t h e Tories have a l r e a d y done t o Canada's p u b l i c s e c t o r . And t h e y ' r e f a r from f i n i s h e d . In t h e l a s t few months of t h e i r mandate, t h e y ' r e planning t o i n f l i c t a g r e a t d e a l more damage, using an even more d e s t r u c t i v e weapon than t h e f r e e t r a d e agreement.

NAFTA t h e North American which w i l l extend Free Trade Agreemeat f r e e t r a d e t o include Mexico, i f i t ' s r a t i f i e d & p u t i n t o e f f e c t a s scheduled 1/94. If you thought t h a t harmonizing our soci a l & economic standards with those i n t h e US was t e r r i b l e , wait till t h e Tories and t h e i r corporate c r o n i e s s t a r t harmonizing them with those i n Mexico and once NAFTA g e t s through with o t h e r c o u n t r i e s i n t h e Southern Hemisphere. Considering t h a t t h e average wage i n Me* i c o i s 62 c e n t s an hour & i t s public servi c e s a p a l e shadow of ours, we're facing a f a r worse d e c l i n e i n our l i v i n g conditions than we could ever imagine. And a l l because t h e m u l t i n a t i o n a l compan i e s regard our wage l e v e l s , labour r i g h t s h e a l t h 4 s a f e t y r u l e s , pay equity, Medica r e & o t h e r s o c i a l programs a s %nproductivell 6 "uncompetitive." They don't add any t h i n g t o corporate p r o f i t s - so t h e y have t o be discarded, no matter how much people and communities g e t h u r t , I n t h e process, of course, Canada i t s e l f a t l e a s t t h e Canada we know & love w i l l a l s o be destroyed. Our n a t i o n a l p u b l i c ent e ~ p r i s e swere t h e building blocks of our country. Given our small population, v a s t d i s t a n c e s , severe climate & high transport a t i o n c o s t s , we had t o have a s t r o n g and a c t i v e central gov't t o provide the easte s t links that held us together. The a l t eniative was t o give up on Canada & join the United States. This, of course, i s what the Tories

want. They ' r e committed t o weakening t h e r o l e of gov't&making i t f a r more supgorti v e of a market-based economy. I s s u e s t h a t f a i l t h e market t e s t , such a s environmenta l protection, would have a low p r i o r i t y i n t h i s scheme of things. I n sum, t h e corporations. & i n t e r n a t i o n a l money speculators a r e n ' t i n t e r e s t e d i n building or maintaining nations. That's why Canada always needed a strong & extensive public sector - t o ensure nati o n a l standards from coast t o coast t o c o a s t , t o - reduce t h e d i s p a r i t i e s between d i f f e r e n t regions, t o build s a f e , secure & productive towns & c i t i e s & t o make our economy a s f a i r & e f f e c t i v e a s it could possibly be on t h e global stage. The Mulroney/Campbell/Tory gov't has abandoned t h a t e s s e n t i a l role. Instead of governing i n t h e i n t e r e s t s of a l l Canadians, it has opted, time & again, t o be a p o l i t i c a l nation wrecker f o r Big Business. WIELDING THE NAFTA AXE NAFTA w i l l d e l i v e r a number of s h a t t e r ing t o our public sector. F i r s t of a l l it w i l l d r i v e many more thousands of p l a n t s out of Canada, forcing our unemployment even higher & draining more tax revenue out of g o v l t coffers. The 600,000 jobs l o s t under t h e CanadaUS f r e e t r a d e agreement have already s e r i ously undermined t h e revenue base of t h e public sector. The l o s s of j u s t one manufacturing job t h a t paid $35,000 c o s t s the federal gov't approximately $4600 a ' y e a r i n l o s t income-tax alone. The combined annual f e d e ~ a lincome t a x l o s s from t h e FTA has been i n excess of $2.7 b i l l i o n . Add l o s t income t a x t o t h e provinces (another $1.5 b i l l i o n ) , plus l o s t s a l e s t a x revenue, plus increased unemployment insurance & s o c i a l assistance paymentj plus lower corporate taxes, & the dimensions of t h e f r e e trade-induced revenue shortf a l l become staggering. Under NAFTA the employment & revenue losses w i l l worsen. That i n t&n w i l l inf l a t e t h e d e f i c i t & give conservative poli t i c i a n s a convenient excuse f o r curring more public s e c t o r s t a f f and services. Secondly, NAFTA w i l l continue the FTA

process of removing & reducing consumer protection i n c r u c i a l areas such a s food inspection, a l l modes of transportation, and even a i r & water q u a l i t y . One obvious example i s meat inspection, which now can be done by t h e companies r a t h e r than fede r a l meat inspectors. The f r e e t r a d e m o t t o seems t o be lCaveatemptor' - l e t t h e buyer beware ! Thirdly, the NAFTA t e x t contains severa l s p e c i f i c anti-public-sector provisions t h a t w i l l lead t o t h e erosion o r p r i v a t i zation of s o c i a l programs. For example:'

The 'protection" of Medicare l i s t e d i n t h e agreement doesn't cover support s e p vices, so we can expect more h o s p i t a l s & o t h e r h e a l t h care i n s t i t u t i o n s t o turn t h e i r food, laundry & j a n i t o r i a l work ove r t o p r i v a t e contractors, whose p r o f i t f i g u r e s depend on the v a s t l y educed wage 5 b e n e f i t s they pay t h e workers who actua l l y provide those services. In a s i m i l a r vein, we can a l s o expect p r i v a t e laborato r i e s 4 c l i n i c s t o spring up everywhere. * Nore g w l t funding w i l l be diverted from public agencies t a t h e i r commercia l rivals. Already, millions of our t a x d o l l ~ r sAre being df spensed in, grants and i n t e r e s t - f r e e l ~ m tso help foreign drug 4 b i o t e c h n ~ l o g yfirms g e t established here. * NAFTA w i l l guarantee these foreign companies "national treatment They'll have t o be t r e a t e d t h e same a s Canadian public s e c t o r agencies, who w i l l be forced t o compete with them i n bids t o provide health c a r e 6 other services. Nbmatter how much t h i s "bare bones11 approach diminishes t h e q u a l i t y o r a c c e s s i b i l i t y of t h e services they c u r r e n t l y provide t o Canadian c i t i z e n s , the lowest b i d ' l l win. * Unlike t h e PT4, which (on paper, a t l e a s t ) exempted public services from b e ing considered %unfair subsidies" 4;called f o r a negotiated d e f i n i t i o n of such subsi d i e s with 7 years, NAFTA leaves t h i s v i t a l question i n limbo, Look f o r incxeas$~ngpressure from t h e Americans Cand the ~ e x i c a n s )t o keep f'harmonizingtl (downgrad*n!3) our ProtVams* * N4PT4 r e i n f o r c e s t h e FTA provf sion t h a t would force a Canadian gov't t o compens a t e foreign companies f o r any profits

t h e y might . l o s e from t h e i n t r o d u c t i o n of a new publxc program, such a s c h i l d c a r e , p u b l i c a u t ~insurance, o r an extension of ~ ~ d f c a tr oe covex drugs, The ?mount of compepsqtion would be d e t e m i n e d by an i n t e r n a t i o n a l a r b i t x a t f o n t r i b u n a l n o t accountable t o Canadians. * NAFTA w i l l r e q u i r e Cx~wnCorporations such a s Canada Post t o p r i c e t h e i r monopoly products i n t h e same way a s commerci a l c o r p o r a t i o n s i n t h e same s e c t o r . This w i l l prevent gov't-owned Crown Corporation from using t h e i r p r i c i n g s t r u c t u r e t o promote p u b l i c p o l i c y . This, d e s p i t e t h e f a c t t h a t promotion o f p u b l i c p o l i c y is t h e primary r o l e of Crown Corporations. In add i t i o n t h e NAFTA w i l l prevefit f e d e r a l Crown Corporations from c r o s s - s u b s i d i s i n g v a r i o u s operations. * While t h e FTA gave t h e s e & o t h e r advantages t o f o r e i g n corporations, NAFTA1s % a t i o n a l t r e a t m e n t f f enforcement mechanism a s it r e l a t e s t o Crown Corporations, gou ernment procurement p r a c t i c e s & o t h e r key p o l i c y a r e a s - w i l l have more d i r e consequences f o r p r o v i n c i a l & municipal governments. Corporations r e s i d e n t i n t h e US a r e t o be given g r e a t e r leverage t o i n t r u d e i n the public services a t a l l l e v e l s of government, even where t h i s r e s u l t s i n a d e c l i n e i n t h e q u a l i t y of s e r v i c e t h o s e governments o f f e r , o r where it r e s u l t s i n Canadian jobs being l o s t .

ENOUGH When t h e T o r i e s enacted t h e f i r s t f r e e t r a d e d e a l , t h e y openly admitted t h a t i t

The f i r s t such p r i o r i t y was c l e a r l y t o u s e t h e FTA a s both a weapon & an excuse t o s l a s h p u b l i c s e r v i c e s 6 s o c i a l programs, l a y o f f thousands o f p u b l i c employees Ego on a rampage of d e r e g u l a t i o n E p r i v a t i z a t h NAFTA w i l l arm them with even more deadl y t o o l s t o continue dismantling our publ i c sector. I t i s no exaggeration t o p r e d i c t t h a t d' what happens i n 1993 with NAFTAGthe next f e d e r a l e l e c t i o n w i l l decide t h e f a t e of t h e p u b l i c sector, G i n d e e d o f c a n a d a i t s e l f . P u b l i c employees, l i k e a l l o t h e r Canadians, have a s t a k e i n t h e outcome. I t behooves every one o f u s t o g e t a c t i v e i n t h e c r u c i a l dampaign t o g e t r i d o f t h e FTA $ NAFTA- 6 t h e g o v ' t t h a t spawned them:

YOU CAN DO:

* Become more informed about NAFTA & f r e e t r a d e . The tion, Vhe e n t source written i n

Action Canada Network publicaAction D o ~ s i e r , ' i~s an e x c e l l of r e l e v a n t f a c t s & f i g u r e s , a non-technical, ~ e a d a b l es t y l e

* Talk it up with your f e l l o w workers, neighbours & f r i e n d s . I t ' s important t h a t a l l Canadians know how deadly t h e ToryNAFTA t h r e a t r e a l l y is.

* I f you're not a l r e a d y a c t i v e i n your union l o c a l , i n t h e Action Canada Network, o r i n some o t h e r o r g a n i s a t i o n committed t o preserving our p u b l i c s e c t o r & s e r v i c e s , g e t a c t i v e a s soon a s you can. IVorking'tog e t h e r , we have a good chance t o wtn'our

Editor, RE: Need f o r Downtown E a s t s i d e Grocery Delivery ,Service I chuckled as I read Elizabeth Aird's column. 1.had j u s t arranged t o have organi c , pesticide-â&#x20AC;˘â&#x20AC;&#x2122; r e e l o c a l b l u e b e r r i e s d e l ivered t o my co-op from C i r c l i n g Dawn. C i r c l i n g Dawn i s run by a group of young people who l i v e & work communally a s Vege t a r i a n s o p e r a t i n g a produce/deli/restaur a n t b u s i n e s s on Commercial Drive near B r i t a n n i a . They s e l l only organic p e s t i c i d e - f r e e produce & a r e t r y i n g t o expand t h e i r s a l e s by o f f e r i n g d e l i v e r y l o c a l l y . I agree completely with Aird's comments about t h e need f o r some kind of grocery d e l i v e r y s e r v i c e h e r e i n t h e Downtown E a s t s i d e a r e a . Some members of my co-op, p a r t i c u l a r l y young mothers on a t i g h t budg e t , c a n ' t a f f o r d organic produce. A l l of u s r e a l l y m i s s having a good supermarket with t h e v a r i e t y of items t h a t w e were a b l e t o buy a t t h e I G A when Woodwards closed its downtown s t o r e . Because of t r a f f i c niidlock. manv of u s want t o shop l o c a l l y . Even a 4 - l i t i e jug of milk i s heavy & awkward t o c a r r y , especialljr f o r a young mother t r y i n g t o manage g r o c e r i e s & a t o d d l e r as well, In my co-op, f o r i n s t n a c e , we have about 70 c h i l d r e n r e s i d e n t h e r e . A s w e l l we have many s e n i o r s l i v i n g independently who'd l i k e t o have t h e i r g r o c e r i e s d e l i v e r e d ins t e a d of having t o always go out & shop every day because they can only c a r r y a small amount. Also, f o r your information, t h e r e a r e about 800 people l i v i n g in t h e v i c i n i t y of -in & Powel1,as permanent r e s i d e n t s i n " s o c i a l housing" complexes. We need b o t h a permanent grocery d e l i v e r y s e r v i c e & a new supermarket.

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F a i r i e t a l e s of love 1 learned Seek% one who could not t u r n Her f a c e 80 anger i n t h e end Love's r u l e i s s t r o n g and s h a l l not bend Y Q U ~n a t u r e r u l e 1 would have taken This c o n t h e n t hW been forsaken L Q V ~l i e s not i n time of mourning Your h e a r t t r a n s g r e s s e s your love l i e s never cannot make It well is more{'than hearing b e l l I take t o h e a r t This is a place to s t a r t . E l i z a b e t h Thorpe

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POUTback 3n t h e environment what we've taken sweat f o r what you know i s r i g h t Elizabeth Thorpe

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Race i s only colour deep L i f e is not f o r you t o r e a p Love is f a r r e x f o r t o s e e I n t h e end i t ' s only we Who was h e r e first seeing s t r a i g h t Who i s h e r e now missing of l a t e not t h e r a c e Conquer racism Conquer sexism not t h e sex Race of l i v e s your s t r u g g l e i s mine I can never make you sublime I f you l e t up on t h e h a t r e d You begin t o s e e your maker If you t h i n k you have t h e power Love s h a l l conquer your l a s t hour Love i s not t o keep

Elizabeth Thorpe

1993 - - - - DONATIONS S t u a r t M.-$50 K e t t l e F.s.-$16 Bert T -$lo Etienne S .-$SO L i s a E.-$10 Matt -$20 Keith C,-$20 Abby K.-$10 -

Eleanor K.-$25 Adbusters -$SO Wayne H.-$2.50 ~ e g a Aid l -$SO Mary C.-$25 Paula R.-$20 Steve T.-$15 E r i c E,-$10 Anonymous -$70

Ueadliue NCX'I' ISSUE

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i h e Downtown E a s t s i d e S o c i a l Services -$lo00 Vancouver Health Dept -$I1 Employment & Immigration -$a00 P.L.U.R.A. -$lo00

NEED HELP ? The Downtown Eas t s l d e R e s i d e n t s ' A s s o c l a t I o n can h e l p you wltlr: ,

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any w e l f a r e problem lnformatloa on l e g a l r l g l l t s d i s p q t e s wltlr l a n d l o r d e unsafe l l v l n g coltdlt lons lncome t a x UIC problems f lndlrrg l w u s i n g opening a bank account

Come i n t o t h e DEM o f f l c e a t 9 East llnst l n g s S t o r phone u s a t 682-0931. DEMts General Menhership meeting i s on the l a s t Friday of e starf ing at 10:3(1 am. - every month- in C a r ~ ~ e g iTheatre,

DERA HAS BEEN SERVING THE DOWNTOWN EASTSIDE FOR 20 YEARS.