Winnipeg Free Press

Winnipeg Free Press (Newspaper) - July 11, 1997, Winnipeg, Manitoba Brian Cole 6977044 focus Winnipeg free press it 4 4 july h i i Antin Afta crusader Cardenas benefited by pact free Trade sent wind of change by Harry Sterling special to the free press must be the irony of ironies a politician who strongly opposed the free Trade agreement Naftal Between the and Mexico May have been elected partially because of that Man is Cuauhtemoc during the july 6 con ression elections in Mexico became the first directly elected governor of the Federal com prising the capital the second most important Power base in mexi Cardenas is the Reform minded politician Many believe was defrauded of the presidency in the controversial 1988 election ostensibly won by the now discredited Carlos Salinas de Gottari of Mexico Partido Rev Olu Cionario institutional which has ruled nonstop for 68 years since the irony is that Cardenas undoubtedly owes some of his electoral sup port to the devastating economic turbulence engulfing Mexico after joining Naftal in it was an agreement Cardenas opposed when Leader of the left leaning Partido Rev of Lucinario democratic even visiting Canada at the invitation of Canadian Antin Afta groups to voice his although Naftal simply exacerbated already existing deficiencies and structural weaknesses within the mexican the Economys near meltdown in 199495 dramatically undermined the ruling party remaining while Cardenas clearly benefited from Public Wrath against the there obviously were other factors explaining his unprecedented Victo oddly he is regarded As a link Between the past and the to he symbolizes the once positive face of the ruling party to which he belonged until it was a party which welcomed Rich or poor into the revolutionary Fame but which Over the years turned increasingly complacent and intent on retaining Power at whatever including intimidation and electoral Cardenas is seen by others As a politician Unbe Holden to the country powerful prepared to Champion the aspirations of those in search of new particularly Low income earners whose tenuous Standard of living has plummeted because of the recent Many thus see Cardenas As both symbolic of better Days from mexi cos but also offering Hope for a new beginning for the Federal districts 25 million com prising a Quarter of Mexico Cardenas also has history working for he is named after the last Aztec Defeated by Hernan Cortes conquistadors in and his general Lazaro is still revered by mexi particularly impoverished Campesino who received land Grants during reforms carried out by presi Dent Cardenas in the Cardenas is also respected for daring to nation Alize the Oil Industry in defying its British and North american but the Pri once led by general Cardenas is now Only a hollow Shell of its former riddled with scan dals and out of touch with average particularly the roughly 40 per cent living in Pover Cuauhtemoc Cardenas has become the rallying Point for those favouring socioeconomic an Engineer by is the Antithesis of the stereotype image of mexican being consid ered neither particularly charismatic nor a great crowd his Rea soned speeches Lack the bombast beloved of Macho canadians diplomats who know Cardenas find him open minded and possessing a even self deprecatory sense of for a Cardenas appears ill tease in the limelight this despite countless years of Active political including a stint As governor of Michoacan interest women in Michoacan remember him most fondly for his efforts to reduce excessive alcohol in a nation where corruption is endemic among Cardenas remains remarkably considering the Shock Waves confronted by Mexico lately with one political scandal or assassination after another including the Case of former president Salinas accused of murdering his own Broth Cardenas irony at work Erin Law and receiving massive kick backs of More than million and segments of the military and judiciary implicated in illicit activities or Cardenas stands out As a Beacon of Cardenas was not elected simply because of nostalgia for the but rather Hope for the voters want him to resolve a myriad of Complex problems from High widespread inadequate dangerous pol and Lack of essential not to mention ubiquitous like Canadas Jean is Likely to also discover that in an increasingly globalized carefully implemented free Trade does have its in Cardenas attitude towards free Trade has already evolved and despite the1 economic turmoil attributed to it did have the unintended effect of focusing closer scrutiny on Mexico political system and its Gross ultimately weakening the stranglehold of Pri and emboldening opposition in by pushing his country into exp resident Salinas unwittingly doomed the Pri to per Mit what it previously blocked the development of authentic political pluralism and respect for the Rule of Law reforms which current president Ernesto Zedillo has chosen to facilitate despite negative consequences for his own party that has now lost control of Mexico chamber of deputies for the first a historical breakthrough for democracy in that among the beneficiaries of the winds of change unintentionally unleashed by free Trade is Cuauhtemoc now poised on a convenient launching pad for the presidency in Harry Sterling is a freelance writer living in he was formerly a political officer with the Canadian foreign affairs department in mex letters to the editor class size Means All the students recent articles regarding Grade 3 math exams have our minister of education making Light of increased class size by Mak ing reference to lower Pupil teacher the latter has absolutely no bearing whatsoever on teaching in our current class size is exactly that the number of pupils in the class at All with one teacher Pupil teacher ratio counts every adult in the building at some time that holds a teaching certificate even though these people have no actual Contact teaching time with the major Ity of the students As the Pupil teacher ratio of 19 implies i am the one and Only teacher in my Grade class of actual to give the Pupil teacher ratio any id have to Send Home on third of my class on a daily Barb Gray Winnipeg dont exempt arts from cuts the june 24 front Page of your news paper screams of neglect by the provincial under a Pic Ture of a Agathe couple waiting for compensation is the boldface Cap wheres the Cash flood victims adjacent to that another boldface caption its a matter of life and describing the rage Rural residents of Claude Are feel ing Over the Hospital closings in their the list of cuts to vital programs in Manitoba is just a few weeks health minister Darren Praznik made the unconscionable decision to penalize the disabled by imposing a deductible on such essentials As Only after a Hue and cry from the disabled did Praznik realize that there had to be a More equitable Way of making up than by penalizing the now that just have been Mon sense to the average ing person this government is without Premier Gary fondly dubbed the guardian Angel of the has no problem in writing out a fat Cheque for million each year to the Manitoba arts and up while Many Little ones live in our sick languish m Hospital corridors waiting for and our disabled have to fight to defend their Fumon and his minions can enjoy the Beautiful forgetting the worsening conditions of this As they in the Best seats at the Manitoba theatre the Manitoba opera or the Winnipeg symphony orchestra in today when vital pro Grams Are being slashed to the Why Are the aits exempt Why Are they untouchable How to reach us the free press welcomes letters from letters must be signed and should include a clearly printed address and Telephone names will be published but not All letters May be edited for style and Short letters Are less Likely to be please address letters to letters to the Winnipeg free 1355 Mountain Winnipeg r2x letters can be sent to our fax number letters May be submitted through the internet at . Letters sent via the internet obviously cannot be but must include Home address and Telephone excuses Given to Back Gay claims what a Load of Hal truth and Sopho Moric logic Colin Murray of Winnipeg hands Dias of Carman regarding the Issue of homosexual adoption free Murray begins by saying the Bible is in no position to condemn the modern idea of a homosexual relationship where two consent ing men or women form a relationship out of love Felt for each although it All sounds very Nice and has become the pro homosexual mantra of the Are we therefore to infer that homosexual relationships in ancient times lacked the modern ingredients of consent and love for each other or Are we better advised to assume the pro homosexual lobby will look for any specious excuse to fur ther their claims for moral and Legal legitimacy Murray confidently states that the majority of evidence in the biological and psychological realms supports homosexuality As for have not been Able to find any scientific literature that indicates the Observance of even one other animal species whose individuals couple for male with male or female with of the findings of empirical science Are not what Murray is talking instead he is referring that realm of speculative science and Pseu Dopsy cology which currently holds that no one is responsible for while our genes Are responsible for every the Battle rages Over the Best some favour Michael Keaton inset Over George hours and it was broadcast that there will be help for specifically because of their Liv ing up i have seen Al native hockey Al native base Ball Al native the key phrase Here is do we see ads Ever saying Allwhite of course that is i dont want to seem racist but what am i supposed to think when my hardworking parents cannot afford to Send me to but a treaty person can go with it paid plus an our parents have the same Why cant we if we All must be Why Are natives segregating themselves so Geena Smott the Pas Gillmor right to pan Batman i find that Alison Gillmore film reviews Are usually pretty and she hit the Nail on the head with Batman and although Stephanie Hall Koch wrote to disagree with the she is in a Small minority and will most Likely not offend is Batman and Robin was a terrible film on Many and to say that it resembles a comic Book has me won Dering if director Joel Schumacher has even read a Batman comic in the last 15 its disappointing for movie especially those faithful to the Batman comic books and original to have to watch their heroes transform into a mockery of what was once really Tim Burtons depiction of Batman in the first movie As a dark and mysterious character in a gothic City was very accurate to both the modern Day comic and Bob Kanes original Joel Schumacher has turned it into a Kinky franchise where dialogue no longer just cheesy and what he Doest seem to understand is that Bat Man is also referred to As the dark Hes supposed to be dark and of Hollywood does it care about who came closer to the True its All about Market ing and too because Tim Burton has a lot More creative Genius to offer than an overage hippie like Joel As for George Clooney performance As the caped crusader Over Michael everybody was sceptical before the first movie came Keaton ended up stunning us All with a terrific performance that set both Bruce Wayne and Batman apart As two separate George is a Happy Guy with a weapon for any Frozen in ice hell whip out his need to ice skate he 11 Click his heels like Dorothy and have the Blades pop outta need to Purchase an expensive gift put it on the Gimme a Winnipeg doonesbury by Garry Trudeau Winnipeg r Pilot Mound Equality misses some i m an 18yearold female Northern Manitoba i am also what is called i am becoming very disturbed of what is becoming of our province and j was just watching a Etc news ;