Winnipeg Free Press

Winnipeg Free Press (Newspaper) - April 15, 1981, Winnipeg, Manitoba 6 Winnipeg free press wednesday april 15, 1981 Winnipeg free press Freedom of Trade Equality of civil rights Liberty of religion published and printed six Days a week Al 300 Carlton Street. Winnipeg r3c 3c1 by Canadian newspapers company limited Telephone 943-9331 second class mail registration number 0286 Donald Nicol publisher John Dafoe editorial Page editor Murray bur1 managing Oil of editorials the inescapable deficit the first provincial budget introduced by finance minister Brian Ransom represents with its million deficit a significant reversal of conservative thinking about just where deficits fit into fiscal responsibility. Although there were no major tax increases a device earlier described by the tories As the proper approach to fiscal responsibility in times when expenditures outstripped revenues neither were Here any significant tax cuts or other vote buying moves that could be interpreted As indications of an Early election. It was a budget that signalled the government s intention to use deficit financing to gain the time it needs to get one or More of its Economy stimulating so called Mega projects into operation. Or. Ransom stressed that the budget represented fair estimates of revenues and expenditures without any of the expected major projects but his description of this year s deficit As a temporary step towards the government s goal of a balanced budget gave the impression that the deficit was an unwelcome but necessary tool at this time. Or. Ransom sought to leave the impression that this year s deficit was a deliberate tool of economic management. We Are using the deficit concept in exactly the manner that responsible economists suggest that it should be he declared. In fact of course the deficit occurred not because the government had undergone a miraculous conversion to keynesian economics but because with a sluggish Economy producing sluggish revenues it simply had no Choice politically or economically. Or. Ransom May discover that just As Manitoban were not greatly impressed by the avowed need for fiscal responsibility if it meant too much restraint they will not be As worried As the Premier has been in the past about the largest declared deficit estimate in Manitoba s history. Or. Ransom was obviously uncomfortable with the budget. He was unable to explain How a deficit of More than million this year could be called manageable while a deficit of million in the year 1977-78 represented a fiscal policy that was out of or. Ransom will also have to explain How a government of fiscal responsibility can run a deficit of this size while the previous government when it did so was worthy of being called fiscal arsonists in office to Lay rampage to the Public tax by Premier Sterling Lyon in 1979. In fact neither the Premier nor his finance minister had much Choice in the matter. While an election May not be called this year it must be next. Back in March 1978, Premier Lyon put Forward the alternatives to deficit financing. The first alternative was to Cut the programs to the disadvantaged and disabled. Premier Lyon has enough trouble with his Public image without doing this. The second alternative was to raise taxes. But to do this As the Premier then said would necessitate standing up and telling the people so. If a Meg project or two is around the Corner there is no need for such a risky political manoeuvre. The third alternative which the Premier said was lacking before the fall of 1977, was to get a Dollar s Worth of value for a Dollar s Worth of taxes. Since the Premier is convinced that this is being done now the Only alternative left is to budget for a deficit. This the Lyon administration has done and it May be surprised that Manitoban do not Rise up and demand its head for so doing. Deficits by themselves need not be irresponsible. Raising taxes at this time would merely have created additional drag in an Economy which is already growing too slowly. By budgeting for a sizeable deficit the Only thing the govern ment has done is to severely restrict its ability to criticize the action in the future. When the Premier examines what he has done he May find that the few goodies contained in the budget the increase in maximum property tax credits the change in the calculation of the cos of living tax credit for married couples and the moves toward the reduction of corporation capital tax will outweigh in Public opinion the increases in the sin taxes that most people have come to expect. An involuntary subscriber Columbia s dazzling flight the flawless return to Earth of the space shuttle Columbia does much to restore flagging Faith in the High technology skills of the United states. It goes a Long Way towards countering the bad news generated in the past by the shuttle program itself news that created doubts that there still remained the High Standard of scientific and technical ability that could keep the United states at the forefront of this swiftly changing Field. Leading reasons for the growth of doubt were chronic problems with the main engine and with the insulating tiles that protect the Craft from the fierce temperatures generated on its exterior during re entry to the Earth s atmosphere from outer space. The engine was a worry until the last minute. Friday s launch had to be postponed because of a still obscure difficulty related to the programming of the Back up com Puter that controls engine firing commands. The heat shield tiles also provided unsought drama in the closing minutes of the shuttle s return to Earth. During construction of the Craft they had persistently refused to stay on. Several thousand fell off while the shuttle was being transported from the California factory to the Florida launch ramp contributing to a two year delay in the launch while they were re designed and laboriously stuck on again. Soon after sunday s launch it became known that a Small number had become detached raising the spectre of a general peeling off during re entry. Mission control assertions that most of the tiles Proba Bly had stayed in place were not made any More reassuring by the news that a prior decision had been made not to include a tile repair kit that the two astronauts could have used in a space walk. It took no scientific training to divine what would happen to the astronauts if More tiles came off during re entry exposing the framework and the Interior to extremely High friction generated temperatures. While the shuttle was passing through the atmosphere at feet per second or nine times the Speed of sound the millions watching on television must have been willing the tiles to stay on until the Mark was reached at which the astronauts would be Able to eject and Parachute to safety if necessary. Columbia s tiles stayed on and the whole world saw the huge Craft Glide gracefully into a classic runway Landing. As it rolled to a halt Columbia vindicated the years of Effort by the administrators scientists and technicians of the National aeronautics and space administration an Agency whose continued existence had Hung in the balance. Success quells the doubting Thomases in Congress who have been challenging the Wisdom of spending the Large funds needed for the space program. It soothes the Savage breast of David Stockman president Reagan s Gimlet eyed budget director who had been quietly sharpening his knife to pare fiscal allocations for Nasa. It gives the Reagan administration reason to climb Down off the Fence on which it has been sitting about the decision on whether Nasa is to continue operations. In superpower terms Columbia a Success provides a striking counter to the steady advances of the soviet Union which has been launching manned space flights in an almost routine fashion for some years now. So routine have they become that the soviets have been Able to offer rides to nationals of their subject or Allied countries. Columbia however is As uniquely Superior to these soviet flights As was the 1969 . Achievement of Landing a Man on the Moon. The russians were first in space with a Man late Yuri Gagarin but they have never yet placed a human being on the Moon. Their developing skills in manned Orbital flights have now been trumped by the launch orbit and return of Columbia. In an Ideal world such a Point would be irrelevant for astronauts and cosmonauts share a common bravery that enhances the stature of All Mankind. Someday perhaps collective sanity will prevail and allow Mankind to unite in the exciting Battle to conquer the obstacles to manned flight to the stars. A the Wiles the guile stratagems persistence and ingenuity of Magazine circulation departments in the past few months i have been unilaterally enrolled As a subscriber to a number of magazines. Did these magazines pour into my Home unsolicited As a tactic by the Crafty publishers hoping to entice a new Reader or was it a prank by someone who filled out those ubiquitous bothersome subscription forms cluttering magazines and sent them off in my name no postage required i do not know. When i suddenly received the first Batch of periodicals i wrote to enquire How i became an instant subscriber. I told them to cease and desist. I received no replies but i did get a barrage of Dunning letters. I already subscribe to a number of magazines so i was not in the Market for More. But in they poured Fortune Newsweek time discover Canadian consumer and the financial Post the latter positively assuring me i would laugh All the Way to the Bank if i extended the subscription for another 156 issues at even though i had not paid the which i had been billed for my unsolicited subscription. That is the Way periodicals work. Once they Are in the door there is an immediate sales pitch to pay another hefty sum to obtain the Magazine for another 67 years at a fantastic saving. The circulation and credit depart ments play it both Tough and gentle. They plead cajole play on one s Van Ity ostensibly display great frankness and concern. They also try to shame you. Discover Magazine lets the postman know that i am unreliable delinquent and irresponsible. One envelope from discover has this revelation in Large Block letters fifth underneath is the command immediate reply gun legislation in reply to Jeff Nelson s letter entitled gun free press april 8 i would like to enlighten him on a few facts that he does not seem to be aware of. Or. Nelson does not seen to know thai we have gun controls in Canada today. When a Bill on gun controls was introduced in the House of commons Many responsible organizations such As the game and fish associations gun clubs gun collectors and others alike fought to defeat the original legis lation without Success. The legislation As it is written requires that everyone wishing to Purchase a firearm must first obtain a firearms acquisition certificate to qualify for an acquisition certificate you must fill out an application which is checked out by the police department. If the applicant has a record of a violent would not be Given the acquisition certificate. Those who do have a fac must present it to the store from which the firearm was purchased and the fac number serial number and name and address of the purchaser is recorded. Hunters the owner is required by the Legisla Tion to keep the firearm securely stored. In the event of theft of the firearm if it is used in a crime the onus is on the owner. There Are a few Hundred thousand responsible gun owners across Canada besides myself who take offence at or. Nelson s comments. Even though we do have gun controls an d even if they were stricter if someone wanted to commit a crime they would have no problem obtaining a firearm on the Black Market. When All else has failed and guns Are outlawed Only outlaws will have guns. Harold Deneka Winnipeg a Basic Freedom a proposal has been made Legisla Tion would tie designers to Institute free press March 25 that the govern ment legislate Interior designers in Manitoba to be members of the Interior design Institute of Manitoba. It is unnecessary for the government to re strict those who wish to do business in the Field of Interior design. The Trade has always been Well serviced with extremely talented trades men who have Learned their Craft in a competitive manner. In addition the University has a course and people who Are Able to qualify Are honoured with a degree which Only they May display. People choose their design and Dis play person according to their taste. Now the University trained group wish to control the Industry. Many artists Are not interested in a University Edu cation and devote themselves entirely to their talents. The University group wish to squeeze out the non formally educated group or those who will not join their group. This is wrong. Governments cannot legislate Art. Art is an expression of the artist and is judged entirely in the Eye of the beholder. My Best artists have been those who would never qualify for University or for membership of an elite group. At present any talented person can sell his talents to the Public unrestricted. This is a Basic Freedom of the individual and should remain so. J c. Fosh Winnipeg letters the Winnipeg free press welcomes letters from readers. Writers must give their name and address. The author s name will to used and letters Are subject to editing. Winnipeg Beach Winnipeg Beach Council has Given first Reading to a bylaw to raise for enlargement of the sewage Lagoon from the present two cells to four cells. This is to be paid by a special Levy on rateable property in the town of Winnipeg Beach. We protested the Money bylaw through a letter to town Council. This protest is based on the fact that the sewage Lagoon is used Only by residents who have sewer and water. As to the remaining residents of Winnipeg Beach who have septic tanks and Jiffies their waste is disposed of in a sanitary Slough on Park Street. A municipal Board hearing was held january 20 Al which we appeared As witnesses for the Winnipeg Beach residents association. Our concern was due to the fact that a Large subdivision of the Golf course is in the planning stage and cannot receive a building permit until an expanded la Goon is in operation. At a meeting february 18, Council second and third Reading of the bylaw. The Developer will now receive his building permit at the Cost of the taxpayers of Winnipeg Beach. We recommend that the dumping pit on Park Street be enlarged and up graded. The present Lagoon will be sufficient and the Developer should pay the Cost of adding to it. As soon As the extra four cells Are in operation the Council could give third and final Reading to rezoning the Golf course to residential land. Then the Developer handler and company can proceed with its development and be allowed to Hook on to the sewer and water system without any Cost. The mayor and most of the town Council have not represented the tax payers who elected them. Councillors Cowan and diner promised in their election material the following re the proposed development of old course. Please note that does not own the Golf course it is privately owned and this land has been offered for Sale Many times in the past few years As it has not been a viable operation for the owner. At present a Developer is interested and figures indicate that if allowed this development will on completion practically double our tax base without costing you the taxpayer anything. The Developer will pay All costs enlargement of sewer Lagoon construction of Access roads sidewalks etc., even Legal fees or. Handler at the municipal Board hearing in december 1979, promised that he would pay for his own sewage Lagoon. We have tried to change the minds of Council members Over the re zoning of the Golf course but these councillors and the mayor appear to Back the Developer rather than abide by the wishes of the residents. Sara Tregubow representing Winnipeg Beach residents Assoc. Ruth Stern Winnipeg Beach Man. Wasted Energy in the last few months we have had a propaganda Campaign As great As some mounted by or. Joseph Goebbels during the second world War. In just three Days last week the headlines were the hard sell of Marc Lalonde Lougheed issues Oil Gas warn ing a new push for an Oil Accord and Shell blasts Ottawa. Not one report or editorial in ten tells the other Side of the Story. Canada still leads the world in wast ing 35 to 40 per cent of All Energy consumed with the United states close behind. All we need to do to reduce this waste by one and pne half per cent every two years is through Industrial modernization and proper insulation. By the year 2000 we will not consume one bit More Energy than in 1980. Kenneth Emberley Winnipeg Val Werier it is known that magazines buy lists of potential subscribers from agencies set up for that business. Magazines also sell their subscriber lists to other firms. Newsweek wants to make it Clear that it is doing the subscriber a favor by placing him on the lists that Are made available to carefully screened companies and organizations whose products services or information May be of interest to disconcerting i find it disconcerting that 1 have also received pitches from magazines to which i already subscribe. Atlantic sent a letter wanting me to take the Magazine without taking account of the fact that my Atlantic subscription expires in october 1983. Too it got the genders mixed. It addressed me As is. Val Werier. This letter was from Garth Hite the publisher himself in a Man to Man talk i mean Man to is. Talk about the obstacles of getting customers to cough up More Cash for a renewal. Says or. Hite the Atlantic enjoys a subscription renewal volume that is the envy of most consumer magazines. Nonetheless four of every 10 subscribers drop out. They move. They change lifestyles. They fail to open their renew Al notices and some of them just Don t Plain like us As much at the end of their subscription year As they did at the beginning. Expiration Are a doleful fact of the Magazine business. So. We Are in the midst of our an Nual replacement drive. Poor reporting the article researcher doubts Oil firms resolve free press March 30 is unfortunately an example of poor reporting. The main thrust of Walter Davis of the Cross cultural Centre in Saskatoon presentation to the Energy for life conference at the univer sity of Winnipeg was to argue based on extensive experience with Saskatchewan s Large uranium mining Industry that uranium mining presents a serious threat to the environment occupational health hazards to workers detrimental effects on the economic and social life of native people and Large profits to foreign owned and controlled multinational corporations with Little Long term Benefit to canadians. Or. Davis pointed out that joint Ven Ture agreements Between provincial governments and these corporations seduce the governments into ignoring or Down playing environmental and occupational hazards. After the talk the reporter asked or. Davis what he thought should be done with the uranium and or. Davis answered that it should be left in the ground. The reporter then asked what use it would serve there. Somewhat taken Aback by this pointless question or. Davis jokingly answered it holds up the that the reporter would report this obviously joking remark As a factual reason for not mining uranium suggests either that the reporter is incredibly obtuse or that he intended to prejudice readers against or. Davis Well informed and intelligent presenta Tion. The free press coverage of the Energy for life conference was otherwise reasonably Good. Susan White Winnipeg education program the Lyon government in its new education support program claims to have introduced provincial sharing in lieu of Urban sharing to meet educational taxation needs. To be historically factual provincial sharing was initiated by the Roblin government through the foundation program City of Winnipeg we have screened hundreds of lists to locate our Best prospects. Funds Are limited for this kind of activity our invitations therefore must be directed to those individuals who we believe will join the six out of ten majority who read the that is the come on you Are some thing special. But once you do not pay up you Are a numbskull. I have also been a Loyal subscriber to Maclean s Magazine and was irked to get my third Bill for a subscription even though it does not expire until january 1982. Along with it came an action memo. In it t. Maiden circulation manager writes to . Pigot of the credit collection department that i had or dered a subscription months ago but have not replied to any of the Bills. Asks or. Maiden of or. Pigot what do you suggest should we try one More time to collect payment our selves or take action either Way let me know How you want this the reply from or. Pigot to dear Reader i.e., before i answer or. Maiden i wanted to Send you this note about your past due account. I m afraid your name will go into our no pay file if we Don t hear from you right away on top of that you won t get any magazines to make it authentic and emphatic or. Pigot s plea is in his handwriting in Brownish purple Ink. My reply to or. Pigot in greenish puce Ink dear or. Pigot please remove my name from your delinquent file. I m afraid your name will go into my top hate list if i do not hear from you Pronto. Act now Don t delay also please remove those subscription cards from my Maclean s Magazine. I Al ready have 237." Urban sharing was introduced by the Schreyer government during the for mation of uni City in 1971. The Lyon government while enhancing provincial sharing has in fact eliminated Urban sharing. One result of this legislation will be to guarantee broadening disparities Over time in educational Opportunity in the Urban area. The Urban disparities do not arise out of the enhanced program of provincial sharing. They arise out of the Lyon government s failure to recognize the continued need for some form of City of Winnipeg sharing and its failure to Honor the commit Lent of uni City that no student or citizen of Winnipeg would be disadvantaged when ten school Divi Sions were retained within the new City. . Marshall Winnipeg fuel efficient car whether it is plans to restrict Japa Nese imports or the elimination of safety and efficiency requirements on Domestic automobiles every time the Reagan administration makes a state ment not i not Ralph Nader but Only my Safe inexpensive fuel efficient foreign car shows appreciation. Anthony Bergen Winnipeg we have a special on Al Salvador it you Don t mind going As ;