JANUARY 15, 1991.

-401 l h i n S t . , Vancouver, BTC. (604)665-2289 W A R

The t h r e e l e t te r word! That could des t roy t h e l i v e s of many people , on t h i s day - January 15, 1991. J u s t t h e thought of a person, shoot ing ano the r human be ing , i n honour of a count ry . Sends s h i v e r s down my sp ine . Family and f r i e n d s f e a r f o r t h e l i f e of t h e i r loved one. Trying t o keep i n mind, t h e way they were b e f o r e they l e f t . Wondering what t h e y ' l l be l i k e when they come back, from t h e mine f i e l d s , sounds of g u n f i r e , grenades exploding inches away from them. People screaming wi th t h e i r l a s t b r e a t h , "Te l l my wife , husband, c h i l d , mother, f a t h e r , sister, b ro the r I love them." S i l e n c e i s a golden word. But no t when war is involved. There ' s ano the r kind of war, but not wi th guns, grenades, o r mine f i e l d s . Th i s w a r i s c a l l e d Poverty. Many people come back from war only t o f i n d themselves i n another kind of war. Trying t o f i n d t h e i r p l ace i n soc i e ty . People r e j e c t them because they k i l l e d f o r t h e i r country . So i n s t e a d of t r y i n g t o g e t t he he lp they need they c r e a t e a world i n which they only know, where no one can h u r t them. Except f o r themselves. Because t h a t world is evolved around a l coho l and d rugs , t h e i r way of drowning t h e memories of what happened. So what g i v e s our government t h e r i g h t t o do t h i s t o our people?

Margaret Prevost

--I. -.-- - -

G WAYS TO LOOK AT POVERTY

1 -

Now

2 -

3 -

but

4 -

A man woman and c h i l d a r e one

Now t h e woman and c h i l d a r e one

t h e woman and c h i l d and poverty a r e one

Women and c h i l d r e n and poverty going now

Through motions with meagre money

The mocking t ragedy t o not r a i s e t h e c h i l d with a l l t h e hope and promise with a l l t he cau t ion & foreboding t h a t poverty demands

How t o go through the a i s l e no t wanting

Taking only r i c e and beans t h a t w i l l f i t t h e p a l a t e of poverty

5 -

6 -

7 - The

Among 100 d i r t y d i s h e s The Only l i v i n g th ing was t h e eyes of t h e c h i l d r e n l i v i n g i n poverty

Longing f i l l e d t h e toybox With maybe's, hopes and promises

I n shadow t h e c h i l d w a i t s p a t i e n t l y

Each day Women & Poverty perform

Among t h e maze of madness women & c h i l d r e n t readed t h e i r way

through mountains of i m p o s s i b i l i t y Poverty snapping a t t h e i r h e e l s

8 - Oh! Thin women of Canada Why d i d n ' t you imagine golden c h i l d r e n

Do you n o t see how t h e poverty Walks around t h e f e e t

Of t h e women about you?

Marilyn Seelye

An Open L e t t e r t o CKNW:

I a m t ak ing t i m e o u t of my busy sche- du l e t o vo i ce some thoughts and f ee l - i ng I have a f t e r l i s t e n i n g t o today ' s open-line show. I am n o t a r e g u l a r "̂ 1 l i s t e n e r so f o r g i v e m e f o r n o t knowing

*

t h e names of t h e hos t s . Teresa was t h e s i n g l e mother who was

speaking and I have t o say t h a t I f e l t ashamed t o imagine h e r l eav ing t h e s t u d i o t h i s morning a f t e r hea r ing t h e comments about he r , h e r l i f e s t y l e , he r

C

c h i l d r e n and h e r " laz iness" . The com- p l e t e l a c k of compassion f o r h e r and o t h e r s l i k e h e r s i t u a t i o n appa l l ed me.

My seven month-old son has been suf- f e r i n g an e a r i n f e c t i o n coupled wi th t e e t h i n g and a co ld . H e ha s c lung t o me every waking hour of t h e day. Be- s i d e s t h e d i f f i c u l t i e s t h i s raises do- i n g housework e t c . , I am aga in convin- ced of t h e n e c e s s i t y of being t h e r e f o r t he i l l n e s s e s , emotional problems and, of course , t h e j o y f u l t i m e s of ch i ld - i hood.

There is no doubt motherhood, parent- hood, i s a fu l l - t ime committment. W e a r e a l l aware of p sycho log ica l ly troub- l e d k i d s who d i d n o t f e e l t h e l ove of t h e i r p a r e n t s and who commenced t o l i v e t h a t o u t i n s e l f - d e s t r u c t i v e ways.

I Welfare r a t e s are n o t adequate i f w e

only look a t our s o c i e t y ' s l e v e l of decent l i v i n g s t anda rds and poverty r a t e s . Teresa can only be commended f o r managing a household w i t h housing c o s t s what they a r e , w i th food p r i c e s r i s i n g , e t c . , e t c . e t c

I have opted t o s t a y a t home wi th my daughter (4) and my i n f a n t son. My husband works f o r $ l l / h r . bu t w e have d i f f i c u l t i e s making ends meet. How- ever tough i t can be a t t i m e s , I r e a l - i z e t h a t t h e r e a r e many f a m i l i e s f a r worse o f f than us and do n o t r e s e n t i n any way paying t axes t o suppor t S o c i a l Serv ices . This t o me is t h e ba re min- imum we can do. And l e t ' s no t be

f o o l e d t o t h i n k t h a t t h i s is enough. Teresa w i l l t e l l u s t h a t i t i s n o t so .

Granted, working peop le a r e be ing s t r e t c h e d . L e t us n o t unload on t h e less f o r t u n a t e o f u s when we l o o k t o t h e c a u s e s of o u r economic problems. S u r e l y we can respond w i t h a recogni- t i o n t h a t one day we cou ld be t h e r e .

I wish T e r e s a t h e b e s t w i t h h e r app- e a l ; I w i l l f o l l o w t h e c a s e . I t h i n k t h e l a w o f t h e l a n d w i l l show u s f i n - a l l y who w e a r e as Canadians. Are we a peop le who have v i s i o n , who w i l l un- d e r s t a n d t h a t t h e f u t u r e of o u r coun- t r y depends on o u r r a i s i n g o f h e a l t h y , educa ted and l o v i n g c h i l d r e n and t h a t t h e i r c a r e g i v e r s have t o have t h e re- s o u r c e s t o p r o v i d e b a s i c needs? O r do w e s a y t h a t t h e y have t o work i n a system t h a t p r o v i d e s few meaningful j o b s , t h a t o f f e r s l i t t l e c h i l d - c a r e f a c i l i t i e s , and l i t t l e l e f t o v e r f o r t h e k i d s excep t f r u s t r a t i o n 6 f a t i g u e .

I hope you w i l l s h a r e t h i s l e t t e r w i t h Teresa . I a l s o wish h e r l u c k i n h e r a p p e a l and admire h e r courage.

Thank you f o r l i s t e n i n g . A s we enc- o u n t e r t h e s e t o u g h e s t o f s o c i a l ques- t i o n s , I hope we do what we can t o work t o g e t h e r t o l i s t e n c a r e f u l l y t h e needs o f o u r c i t i z e n s . Merry Chris tmas Teresa , and may t h e New b r i n g s u p p o r t t o your f a m i l y w i t h s a t i s f a c t i o n t h a t you have indeed worked f o r it!

D e i r d r e K e l l y

t o

Year t h e

Welfare Cannot Always Take Money Off Cheques

Rober t F i n l a y , a d i s a b l e d man on w e l f a r e fought w i t h f e d e r a l and pro- v i n c i a l governments i n Manitoba t o s t o p overpayment deduc t ions . He Won! The c o u r t dec ided t h a t t h e government cannot t a k e money of f h i s cheque f o r overpayments, because t h a t would n o t l e a v e him enough money t o l i v e on.

I f you a r e g e t t i n g money taken o f f your cheque, and you are n o t s u r e why:

1) Ta lk t o one o f t h e fo l lowing ; 2 ) Appeal. * DERA, 9 E. H a s t i n g s ,

Drop-in Monday t o Fniday Open 9 t o 4 pm. 682-0931

* F i r s t Uni ted Church 320 E. H a s t i n g s Drop-in Mon-Fri. ; 9 - l l am

* BCCPD, 456 W. Broadway Mon-Fri, open 9 . - 5pm .

* Dobmtown E a s t s i d e Women's Cen t re 44 E. Cordova; Open 11 - 5 weekdays, 12-5 Thursdays. 681-8480

G e t t h e amount o f w e l f a r e t h a t you a r e e n t i t l e d to ! NOTE: Peop le can a s k t o have t h e i r

CPP D i s a b i l i t y taxed. Th is w i l l r educe t h e i r monthly income enough t o make them e l i g i b l e f o r G A I N f o r Hand- i capped b e n e f i t s , l i k e a bus p a s s and medical . They w i l l a l s o g e t a lump sum t a x r e t u r n a t t h e end o f t h e y e a r which t h e y can p u t i n t h e bank as a n a s s e t , if they d o n ' t have t h e maximum y e t .

So many Newsle t t e r r e a d e r s t o l d me how much t h e y a p p r e c i a t e d my a r t i c l e l a s t i s s u e on How t o F i x Your Own TV S e t , I had t o r e a l i z e how impor tan t a well-working TV set is t o Downtown E a s t s i d e r e s i d e n t s . Thinking a b o u t i t , I decided t o s tar t my own l i t t l e pro- gram i n which I would o f f e r t o come around and a d j u s t TVs and g e t them working r i g h t f o r N e w s l e t t e r r e a d e r s .

I f your t e l e v i s i o n i s n ' t q u i t e do ing what i t should be do ing , what t o do? Simply l e a v e a message f o r m e a t t h e Main F loor In format ion c o u n t e r . All t h e message h a s t o s a y is "TV" and then your name and a d d r e s s . A phone number would be n i c e s o I can check i f you w i l l be a t home, b u t i t i s n o t a must. I have a buspass , s o i f I d o n ' t c a t c h you on t h e f i r s t v i s i t I can come aga in .

I ' v e been t o l d , "With T V ' S , E r i c , you've g o t Magic Fingers ."

One man p a i d a t e c h n i c i a n from a shop t o come work on h i s c o l o u r TV. The e x p e r t mucked around w i t h i t f o r an hour and then gave up w i t h t h e s e t no b e t t e r t h a n i t was b e f o r e . The s e t ' s owner c a l l e d me i n .

The t e c h n i c i a n had charged him $32 f o r t h e u s e l e s s e f f o r t s . For no charge I s e t t h i n g s t o r i g h t s and t h e man s a i d , "The p i c t u r e i s b e t t e r even than when I bought t h e darned , t h i n g . "

So, l e a v e a message a t t h e Informa- t i o n Desk i f you want. I w i l l come around and s e e what I can do. No c o s t . No guaran tees .

E r i c Er ickson

To Change t h e World

- A song by Moe Lyons, s o n g w r i t e r f o r Images Ad Hoc S i n g e r s , Nelson.

Well , i t m a t t e r s what we do And i t m a t t e r s what w e s a y It matters how we l i v e o u r l i v e s And how we e a r n o u r pay It matters what we t h i n k and how we t e a c h t h e young t o be I f t h e world i s gonna make i t through I t ' s up t o you and me.

CHORUS : Well, we work t o change t h e world And w e p l a y t o change t h e world And w e l augh t o change t h e world And we c r y t o change t h e world And w e s i n g t o change t h e world And we dance t o change t h e world And we l i v e t o change t h e world W e would d i e t o change t h e world.

You can s e e i t on TV You can see i t on t h e street For someone t o come o u t on top The r e s t must t a s t e d e f e a t You can s e e i t i n your f a m i l y And i n your workplace too I f I g e t e v e r y t h i n g I want There ' s n o t enough f o r you.

CHORUS

These days when t h e r e is s c a r c i t y It comes from human greed The e a r t h i s e v e r b o u n t i f u l She g i v e s u s what s h e needs And w a t e r , a i r & e a r t h & f i r e Are what we need t o l i v e They a l l a r e p a r t of a l l o f u s Not yours o r mine t o g ive .

CHORUS

Carnegie Adult Learning Centre Class Schedule

January to J u n e 1991

Tutors ava II subject areas! Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday

I I I I 1

ESL Literacy CLOO 102

9:30- 1 1 :oo (Kathie)

Grammar & Composition CL00202

11:OO-12:30 (Kathie)

Grammar and Composition CL00702 1:OO-2:30 (Kathie)

ESL Literacy CL00602 2:30-4:00 (Kathie)

New for 199 1 Literacy and Basic Upgrading Drop-in, 9:OO- 12:00 Tue-Fri

ESL for Cantonese Speakers

1o:Oo-12:00 $35.00 (Grace)

ESL for Cantonese Speakers

1:00-3:00 $35.00 (Grace)

Computer Literacy CL00302

11:00-12:30 (Kathie)

Computer Literacy CL00302 190-2:30 (Kathie)

Secondary Upgrading CL00402 3:00-7:OO (Kathie)

ESL Literacy CL00 102

9:30- 11:00 (Kathie)

Grammar & Composition CL00202

11:OO-12:30 (Kathie)

Grammar and Composition CL00702 1 :OO-2:30 (Kathie)

ESL Literacy CL00602 2:30-&CI (Kathie)

ESL for Cantonese Speakers

1o:Oo- 1200 $35.00 (Grace)

ESL for Cantonese Speakers

1 :00-3:00 $35.00 (Grace)

Computer Literacy CL00302

11:OO-12:30 (Kathie)

Computer Literacy CL00302 1:OO-2:30 (Kathie)

Secondary Upgrading CL00402 3:OO-7:OO (Kathie)

Math & Science CL00502 11:00-2:00

(Colin)

Inuo. to Letters CL00802 2: 15-5:OO (Maurice)

I

I 8

ESL Literacy Improve your English vocabulary through conversations which relate to surviving in a Canadian context. Learn about banking, tenancy, budgeting, health and other issues identified by you and fellow students.

Grammar and Composition In this class you will use a whole language approach which integrates reading, writing and conversation in a meaningful context. Through discussion and reading you will learn spelling, grammar and writing. You will learn to write your own stories related to your personal experiences.

Introduction to Letters This course is designed for students beginning to acquire basic English reading and writing skills. Students work in small groups and learn to take responsibilty for their own learning. Emphasis is on ,

preparing students for more advanced English courses.

Adult Secondary Upgrading Improve your skills in five areas: Math, Literature, Social Studies, Writing and Science. You are encouraged to design and plan your own learning program with the teacher. Work together in small groups to help each other and share your learning experiences. This is a great course if you want to write the G.E.D. exams.

Literacy and Basic Upgrading Drop-in This new program allows literacy and basic upgrading students an opportunity to work with a teacher four mornings per week. Individualized programs are designed by the students and the teacher to ensure a relevant and interesting approach to literacy skills. Sessions are held Tuesdays to Fridays from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon.

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9 k bf) 0 k g,

cd

Writing: the Essentials and More If you want credit for Grade 10 Writing Prep. or are interested in improving your writing skills for job searches, creative writing, writing memos or resumes this course is for you. Begins February '91.

Computer Literacy Learn about the basics of personal computers and the hardware and software that is now popular. From the fundamentals of disk handling to the basics of word processing, you will work together in a relaxed and pleasant environment.

Math and Science This course consists of two 14 week modules which will allow you to earn credit for Math 10 and Adult Science Prep. The course is also open to students wanting to upgrade their Math and Science skills to prepare for G.E.D. or entry into Grade 11 Math and Science courses.

Student/Tutor Match-ups Tutors are available to help you with all upgrading and English programs. Work in small group settings to study Literacy, Math, Writing, Reading, English or to prepare for scheduled classes. Times are arranged to suit your needs.

Hey, everybody! !!

A h e a r t f e l t thanks from Learning Cent re s t a f f t o a l l of t h e many volun- t e e r t u t o r s who worked s o d i l i g e n t l y o v e r t h e h o l i d a y s . Your e f f o r t s k e p t t h e p l a c e runn ing smoothly and helped a l o t o f s t u d e n t s . Thanks f o r keeping us humble1

MARIA- CAMPBELL (Cree/Met is) and a u t h o r of t h e book "Halfbreed"

--

w i l l b e a t Carneg ie on Fr iday , Jan.25 a t 7 pm i n t h e t h e a t r e - t o do some s t o r y t e l l i n g .

She h a s been a c t i v e working on be- h a l f o f n a t i v e women i n p r i s o n and i s p r e s e n t l y co-producer/owner o f a pro- d u c t i o n company d e d i c a t e d t o making q u a l i t y programming about n a t i v e peo- p l e . H e r r e c e n t book i s "The Book of J e s s i c a " , co-authored w i t h Linda. From t h e back cover :

Linda: "I thought i t was over . I n s i d e I knew b e t t e r ... b u t I thought

i t w a s over . . . When I t a l k e d t o Maria she s a i d , "Who r e a d s p l a y s anyway?" I f e l t t h a t f a m i l i a r arrowhead p o i n t i n t h e p i t of my stomach."

P a r t d i a l o g u e , p a r t n a r r a t i v e , p a r t p l a y s c r i p t , t h i s unique book c o n t a i n s t h e award-winning p l a y J e s s i c a , a s w e l l a s t h e e x t r a o r d i n a r y s t o r y of i t s making.

Maria: "I s t i l l f e e l l i k e some Siamese twin w i t h h e r . I want h e r t o

go away ... b u t I h e a r myself s a y i n g " ~ e t ' s t e l l t h e whole s t o r y of what happened ... then maybe w e ' l l be f r e e of t h e whole t h i n g , h e a l every th ing . And I k i c k myself .... 11

A magica l , humorour, y e t a t t imes b r u t a l ta le o f p e r s o n a l , p o l i t i c a l and s p i r i t u a l growth.

A l l f o l k s a r e i n v i t e d t o l i s t e n t o and t a l k w i t h Nar ia on F r i d a y , 25th . C a l l t h e Learn ing Centre o r Vio la f o r more in format ion .

From t h e D i r e c t o r ' s desk (rumour has i t t h a t i t ' s somewhere on t h e 3 rd f l o o r ) :

"The d u s t h a s s e t t l e d on o u r u s u a l w i l d Chris tmas c e l e b r a t i o n s . Many in- d i v i d u a l s , b u s i n e s s e s & o r g a n i z a t i o n s donated c l o s e t o $7,000 f o r our c e l e - b r a t i o n s . T h i s al lowed u s t o have a l o t of food and e n t e r t a i n m e n t o v e r t h i s p e r i o d . Many thanks t o a l l t h e p a t r o n s v o l u n t e e r s and s t a f f who helped o u t d u r i n g Christmas. I would e s p e c i a l l y l i k e t o thank t h e v o l u n t e e r s & s t a f f who worked i n t n e k i t c h e n . They d i d a n i n c r e d i b l y smooth j o b of p u t t i n g a l o t of food o u t i n a s h o r t pe r iod . "

L ive w i t h f o o l s A s dangerous a s us

No one can Embrace t h e d a r k O r t r u s t t h e Gods w e t r u s t

They h a r d l y n o t i c e We a r e young & they a r e growing o l d

They h a r d l y n o t i c e We a r e f r e e & they become c o n t r o l l e d

The p i t s of s i c k n e s s Death & s i n have Opened i n t o u s

No one d a r e s t o Say a t h i n g Our minds go \%%ere they must

pass r i g h t through -T Our l i v e s a r e gone Our way i s l o s t Our l u c k i s even b l i n d

We w i l l be F ive s i n g l e s t a r s That s h i n e A s i n g l e n i g h t

We w i l l be The power beam Tha t sweeps them Out of s i g h t

On o u r c o a s t The e a g l e s f l y & n o t h i n g B r i n g s them down

E a g l e s l e a v e The n e s t behind & know n o t Where t h e y ' r e bound.

TORA

You s t o l e my songs The ones t h a t took

s o long t o w r i t e

Y e s you s t o l e my songs. They p lay on and on While I l i e h e r e

d y i n g And t h e money that would have been mine

t o s a v e my l i f e Leaves your hands f o r the wine you d r i n k t o f o r g e t wha t you've done t o me . You s t o l e my songs and t h e p i c t u r e s t h a t I ' v e drawn. Whi le m i l l i o n s dance - t o my romantic words

Not one b i t of my p l e a d i n g have you heard

Note t o Readers . . . On Pg. 10 of t h e l a s t i s s u e a q u o t e

from B e r t o l t B r e c h t ' s p l a y Mother Courage was r e p r i n t e d .

Some peop le a p p a r e n t l y thought t h i s was a s t a t e m e n t promoting war , & s i n c e I submi t t ed t h e p i e c e I f e e l I shou ld e x p l a i n i t . . . I t ' s a c t u a l l y a n a n i t - war s t a t e m e n t , b u t Brecht u s e s a char - a c t e r c a l l e d "The Corporal" t o show how b u r e a u c r a t i c o r d e r -

"Shoes i n bags & corn i n sacks" t I P r o p e r l i s t s & up-to-date r e g i s t e r s "

- makes i t p o s s i b l e f o r n a t i o n s t o u s e t h e peop le (who a r e j u s t i n t e r e s t e d i n l i v i n g t h e i r l i v e s ) a s cannon f o d d e r . .

The q u o t e r e f e r s t o t h e s i t u a t i o n i n Europe a t t h e t u r n of t h e c e n t u r y , l e a d i n g up t o t h e F i r s t World War, b u t i t ' s a s t r u e today a s i t e v e r was - b u r e a u c r a t i c o r d e r & c o n t r o l i s t h e e s s e n t i a l f a c t o r n e c e s s a r y t o s h i p Canadians t o t h e Middle E a s t o r any- where else America needs s u p p o r t f o r i ts w a r l i k e p o l i c y s - p o l i c y s t h a t i n e v i t a b l y r e s u l t i n burned, b l a s t e d & h o r r i b l y m u t i l a t e d human bodys ... as t h e Corpora l s a y s :

"XO o r d e r - no war. . . & they ' re dead r i g h t . " /

And t h e d r u g g e r s rub t h e i r hands

While you r o b my b r o t h e r ' s l a n d s

Yes you 've made a p a r t y of my i l l n e s s

You are a p a r t y t o my d e a t h

The money t h a t shou ld have been mine To e l u d e t h e sys tem ' s d e a t h machine But my mother knows L i e s i n your s e c r e t what you have done

bank a c c o u n t s T e l l m e who you w i l l rob i n vast numbers when I am gone?

You know who you are You c a l l y o u r s e l f a star G l o r i a H i t e

I Poor f i n d CST b i t e s i n r o a l r e a d y t i g h r budgets 9 .

C A M P A I G N FOR FAIR TAXES

For people who have t o count t h e i r pen- n i e s every month, t h e Mulroney govern- ment 's new goods and s e r v i c e s t a x means pa r ing t h e i r food budgets t o pay Ottawa.

And t h e r e b a t e t h a t supposedly goes t o t h e poor t o o f f s e t t h e new t a x i s too mi se r ly t o match t h e e x t r a c o s t s of shop- ping, s ay an t i -pove r ty groups.

Ani ta Gingr ich , a 28-year-old Burnaby s i n g l e mother w i th two young g i r l s , f i g - u r e s t h e GST is going t o mean h e r fami ly w i l l be e a t i n g more r i c e and noodle p l a t e s r a t h e r than complete meals.

During t h e f i r s t week t h e t ax w a s i n e f f e c t , Gingr ich went t o t h e s t o r e t o buy d i a p e r s and baby soap f o r h e r t o d d l e r . She pa id $2.10 tax on h e r $35 purchase.

" I ' m l i v i n g l i k e a hermi t . I ' m a f r a i d t o go ou t and spend money and pay more tax."

She s a y s s h e spends a s much as $15 a month on "laundry th ings" and -an0 t h e r $10 on d i a p e r s . Tha t ' s $21 a y e a r i n GST. She r ece ived a $92 GST r e b a t e ( i n Dec.)

and g e t s a n o t h e r $92 l a t e r t h i s year . But t h e r e b a t e i s r e a l l y worth o n l y a

t o t a l of $84 f o r t h e e n t i r e yea r t o Gin- g r i c h and h e r f ami ly because t h e $100

I f e d e r a l s a l e s t a x r e b a t e t h a t was a v a i l - a b l e t o low-income people i s e l imina t ed .

" I 've g o t t o buy c l o t h e s t h i s month s o my l i t t l e g i r l can s t a r t k inde rga r t en . " I'll pay taxes on t h a t . I ' v e g o t t o pay t ax on my hydro b i l l , my phone b i l l , p r a c t i c a l l y eve ry th ing I buy? ' I ' m n o t b e t t e r o f f . T'm worse o f f . Things are al- ready bad. Even b e f o r e t h e GST we were e a t i n g r i c e 6 noodles f o r t h e las t week of t h e month when t h e money r a n o u t . Now w e ' l l eat more. What else are w e supposed t o do, l e t t h e d i r t y l aundry p i l e up? That ' s n o t good wi th young k i d s around. "

Gingr ich g e t s $1033 a month i n s o c i a l a s s i s t a n c e . After r e n t , s h e h a s $470 t o buy food, x l s t h i n g and pay a l l b i l l s .

George Lawson, .who is on a d i s a b i l i t y pension because .o f a ch i ldhood i l l n e s s , r ece ived a $90 GST r e b a t e f o r $ a yea r . Based on h i s spending s o f a r , he f i g u r e s t h e r e b a t e will b e gone i n 2% months - a t a rate of about $5 a week. "It's a h i g h l y r e g r e s s i v e t a x t o me,"

s a i d Lawson, whoafter r e n t ha s $434/mo. "TO a l o t o f people w i th a h ighe r in-

come t h i s t a x is a nu i sance and a pa in i n t h e neck. To me i t r e a l l y h u r t s . " Lawson, 3 7 , a v o l u n t e e r w i t h t h e B.C.

C o a l i t i o n of People w i th D i s a b i l i t i e s , s ays he l a i d o u t $6 i n t h e f i r s t 8 days. "I went t o t h e movies. I had d i n n e r i n a

r e s t a u r a n t on New Year ' s Day and pa id 5 6 ~ on a $7.95 meal. I bought a sandwich and a couple of newspapers. A b o t t l e of deo- do ran t c o s t me an e x t r a --2-l-$. Every time I go o u t f o r a cup of tea is adds up. ~ ' m be ing nickel-and-diqed t o dea th . I '

J e an Suanson, c o o r d i n a t o r of End Legis- l a t e d Pover ty , s a i d t h e r e b a t e w i l l be worth l e s s and l e s s as t h e y e a r s go on. "1t ' s n o t indexed f u l l y ( f o r i n f l a c i on )

and w i l l g e t worse eve ry y e a r , no ques- t i o n about i t . Even now, i t doesn ' t cover t h e extras you have t o spend. Government promised t o cushion t h e poor .buo t h e poor w i l l wind up paying more and more.''

To w e l f a r e advocate S h e i l a Baxter , buy- i n g c l o t h e s f o r h e r g randch i ld ren has be- come an even more t ax ing p ropos i t i on .

"Even 2nd-hand c l o t h e s a t Value V i l l age a r e taxed by GST." She s a i d s h e had s p e n t about $15 on t a x s i n c e Jan . 1. "I had t o pay tax on food f o r ~y c a t . I

bought a 2qd-hand c o f f e e po t f o r $2.99; a tax of 2 1 ~ . I bought a b o t t l e of g i n g e r a l e and had t o pay GST on t h e d e p o s i t , bu t d i d I g e t t h e t a x back when I brought t h e bot- t l e back? No. I went t o t h e grocery and i t c o s t $3 ia c a . f o r t o i l e t paper 6 soap. Aren ' t I supposed t o wash? I can under- s t a n d t a x i n g luxury i tems , b u t n o t bas i c s "

Baxter g o t a $94 GST r e b a t e b u t s h e s a i d i t "d idn ' t t a k e l ong t o spend."

By BOB SARTI

1 $ FUTURES $

He l ies Like h e i s wounded.

L ike h e i s recover ing f rom a locked l i f e .

A guy says : "Pul l yourse l f up by your boots"

The guy never asks i f he has a I f he can l i v e The guy does no t g ive b u t t akes and takes and t akes That cannot give.

J o money f o r bus f a r e Locked Locked anger .

She w i l l t r y but t r y

2 s h i f t s a week, 4 hours a s h i $4.50 an hour, $32.00 a week,

No one a s k s i f l abour is f r e e ? The p r o p r i e t o r never a s k s i f . . How can he l i v e ? Labour i s a given Glasses , Busfare, Boots a r e a H e does no t g ive But t a k e s and takes and t akes That cannot g ive .

. p a i r of

given

Working h i s l i f e deeper down

Knowing he would l i k e ... . . . t o be.. . ... whole.. .

H e can' t go t o school . Maybe i n a year . Locked.

S o c i a l Serv ices t r i c k e d him. The c o l d e s t day of t he yea r .

The employment agency won't t e l l him Who, How much o r Where. Locked . The government th inks Busfare , G l a s s e s , ' ~ o o t s a r e a given. The government takes & t akes & t akes That cannot give.

boots

--4ib-

Doesn't go t o t h e Rec. Centre. A l l those s l i c k and s a s sy k id s . Has a ho l e i n h i s sneakers .

S l i c k and s a s sy psychology Locked Locked shame.

Talks of ending h i s l i f e . Talks . . .what i s l i f e f o r ?

He l i e s l i k e he is wounded.

Marilyn Seelye

* The t i t l e $Futures$ reminds me f u t u r e s a r e a commodity commonly t raded on t h e s t ock market. M.S

t h a t

I

G.S.T. Fa rce

A f t e r months o f wrang l ing i n t h e S e n a t e t h e Gr ie f and S u f f e r i n g Tax w a s passed , even though i t w a s opp- osed by t h e m a j o r i t y o f Canadians. Prime M i n i s t e r Scrooge s t a c k e d t h e Sena te w i t h C o n s e r v a t i v e s t o push t h e pover ty-causing b i l l through.

We do n o t buy h i s r e a s o n s f o r f o r c - i n g t h i s most unpopular t a x on u s . The prime m i n i s t e r and h i s d rones have wasted t h e t a x p a y e r s ' money on r i d i c u l o u s i t e m s and t h a t is why w e have t h i s huge d e f i c i t .

Giving Mulroney and h i s c o h o r t s t h e Gouge and Screw Tax o n l y encourages them t o was te even more. We may a s w e l l throw t h e money down a b o t t o m l e s s p i t o r f l u s h i t down t h e t o i l e t .

T ry ing t o unders tand t h e Gr ie f and S u f f e r i n g Tax is mindboggling. I n f a c t e v e r y t h i n g Scrooge d i d t o u s i n 1990 a f f e c t s u s t h i s way. J u s t when we t h i n k he h a s done e v e r y t h i n g t o u s he can, t h i s a r r o g a n t i n d i v i d u a l comes up w i t h something e l s e .

I Governments a r e l i v i n g beyond t h e i r means and f a r too much has been heaped on t h e peop le i n such a s h o r t t ime. The poor a r e a l r e a d y f i n d i n g i t d i f f - i c l u t t o s u r v i v e and t h i s inhumane t a x w i l l make t h e s i t u a t i o n worse.

Many f a m i l y b u s i n e s s e s a r e c l o s i n g down because of t h e GST. Only t h e b i g c o r p o r a t i o n s w i l l s u r v i v e . I t c o s t s $6,000 f o r a machine t o c a l c u l a t e t h e GST. However i f you have a computer the Gr ie f and S u f f e r i n g Tax can be programmed i n t o i t .

Stamps went up 1~ on January l s t , p l u s 3~ GST added o n t o each one. I f I buy an a r t i c l e f o r $53.00 t h e r e i s an added c o s t of $3.11 t o g o t o Cana- d a ' s P o l l Tax p l u s o u r p r o v i n c i a l gouging by the Socreds .

1Jhy is t h e r e an e n d l e s s supply of monev f o r war? I t c o s t s $ 9 0 m i l l i o n n m o n ~ h t o have t r o o p s i n he P c r s i a n

,Gulf . A g r e a t number of my f e l l o w 11 . Canadians a r e homeless and hungry. Why i s n ' t t h i s money be ing s p e n t t o e l i m i n a t e p o v e r t y and d e a l w i t h Na t ive i s s u e s ?

Par l i ament shou ld have been r e c a l l e d and a v o t e t aken b e f o r e Canada became invo lved i n a w a r no one can p o s s i b l y win. The m a j o r i t y of Canadians a r e , a g a i n , opposed.

There a r e t o o many peop le who a r e brainwashed abou t t h e reason f o r send ing t r o o p s t o t h e Middle Eas t . I have r e c e i v e d a g r e a t d e a l o f f l a c k f o r my s t a n d b u t t h e people who a t t a c k me d o n ' t have a fami ly member t h e r e . I s a w my nephew Chris tmas Eve on t e l e - v i s i o n and I wonder i f I ' l l s e e him come back a l i v e .

Prime M i n i s t e r Scrooge and Rambo Cla rk shou ld s t o p be ing c l o n e s of P r e s i d e n t Bush and withdraw t h e t r o o p s immediately. What I want more than a n y t h i n g e l s e i n 1991 i s a p e a c e f u l s o l u t i o n s o a l l of t h e c h i l d r e n can l o o k forward t o a f u t u r e . I f war does b reak o u t none of t h e o t h e r problems m a t t e r a s i t w i l l keep on e s c a l a t i n g .

I n t h e p a s t Canada h a s been known a s a peacekeeping n a t i o n but now t h i s image i s t a r n i s h e d . We a r e l o s i n g o u r c r e d i b i l i t y throughout t h e world. The Oka c r i s i s gave o t h e r c o u n t r i e s a d i f f e r e n t image of Canada.

Come on Canadians. Show your f i g h t - i n g s p i r i t and l e t ' s have a.Lax r e v o l l .

Keep a d a i l y j o u r n a l of e v e r y t h i n g you spend on t h e Gr ie f and S u f f e r i n g Tax and send t h e b i l l s t o Michale Wil- son. You w i l l f i n d t h a t you a r e spen- d i n g f a r more than t h e government re- t u r n s a s a ' c r e d i t ' t o p a c i f y us .

Prime M i n i s t e r Scrooge should r e s i g n immediately f o r the d e s t r u c t i o n h e ' s caused. I ' d l i k e L O s e e an e l e c t i o n r e s u l t i n g i n Audrey McLaughlin be ing prime m i n i s t e r and Margarct Fl i tchel l a s m i n i s t e r o f educa t ion .

'I'llE 'TWELVE DAYS OF CHRISTMAS (E.L.P. 's v e r s i o n )

o n Lhe firs^ day of Chr is tmas A deve loper gave Lo me:

A n o ~ i c e evicLing me.

On Lhe second day of Christmas My boss s a i d t o me:

''You a r e h i s ~ o r y ." On Llie ~ h i r d day of Chr is tmas I asked f o r U I C :

And d idn ' t have enough w

On he f o u r ~ h day of Christmas Welfare s a i d t o me:

"Go LO U I C . "

On he f i f t h day of Christmas My c h i l d r e n gave t o me: 'l't~e Food Bank gave t o me: The i r wish l i s t -

5 cans of wax beans No more food banks 4 spongy a p p l e s Higher w e l f a r e r a t e s 3 cans of soup Higher minimum wage 2 Kraf t d i n n e r s and a decen t p l a c e t o l i v e . And a l o a f of mouldy bread.

On t h e t w e l f t h day of Chr is tmas On L11e s i x ~ h day of Chr is tmas The s o c r e d s gave t h e i r f r i e n d s : My power was s h u t o f f : More t a x l o o p h o l e s

Because I had no money. A l l t h e Nat ive l a n d On he seven th day of Christmas More g o l f c o u r s e s The Premier s a i d t o me: Lax p o l l u t i o n s t a n d a r d s

I 1 Pray on your knees." Union-busting laws A l l t h e Expo l a n d s

On Lhe e i g t h day of Chr is tmas Rot ten l a b o u r s t a n d a r d s My worker s a i d t o me: More t r e e farm l i c e n c e s

"You're broke, And they s t i l l want more of s o we ' re t ak ing your k i d s . " t h e same.

On Lhe n i n t h day of Chr is tmas On t h e t w e l f t h day o f Chr is tmas I f i n a l l y go t a job: The s o c r e d s gave t o us :

Five bucks an hour h i g h unemployment No c h i l d c a r e and h i g h e r r e n t s t h e boss i s h a r a s s i n g me. more d e m o l i t i o n s

On t h e t e n t h day of Christmas lower w e l f a r e

I was g e t t i n g r e a l l y mad: lower wages A t socred p o l i c i e s . and a speech on f r e e e n t e r p r i s e .

STATE INTERVENT \ J e l l , h a r d l y e v e r . . .

Recent a r t i c l e s on t h e proposed t r i l a t - e r a l f r e e t r a d e d e a l invo lv i l ig Canada, t h e U.S. and Mexico have r a i s e d imporLant p o i n t s r e g a r d i n g t h e p o t e n t i a l n e g a t i v e impact o f i t on t h e Canadian workforce .

However, t h e r e is one v e r y s i g n i f i c a n t po in t n o t d e a l t w i t h which l i e s a t t h e h e a r t of any proposed f r e e t r a d e a r r a n g e - ment between i n d u s t r i a l i z e d and impover- i shed c o u n t r i e s .

Free t r a d e r s th roughout t h e world h o l d as t h e c o r n e r s t o n e o f t h e i r t r a d e strat- egy t h a t market f o r c e s shou ld be l e f t un- f e t t e r e d by s t a t e i n t e r v e n t i o n o r r e g u l a - t i o n . I n t h e Canada-U.S. f r e e t r a d e de- b a t e , f o r example, f r e e t r a d e r s on bo th s i d e s o f t h e b o r d e r a g r e e d t h a t n o t o n l y t a r i f f s b u t n o n - t a r i f f p o l i c i e s t h a t mod- e r a t e t h e impact o f marke t f o r c e s s h o u l d be e l i m i n a t e d - i n c l u d i n g supply-manage- ment p r i c i n g (marke t ing b o a r d s ) , r e g i o n a l development p o l i c i e s , domes t i c c o n t e n t & procurement r u l e s , and government s u b s i - d i e s i n i n d u s t r y .

G e t t i n g r i d o f t h e s e " u n f a i r " p o l i c i e s was and remains a p r imary g o a l of t h e Canada-U.S. f r e e t r a d e n e g o t i a t o r s , be- c a u s e s u c h po1icie .s a c t t o " s u b s i d i z e " s e c t o r s , r e g i o n s o r i n d u s t r i e s by s h e l - t e r i n g them t o some d e g r e e from t h e f u l l power o f market f o r c e s .

But w i l l t h e f r e e t r a d e r s i n Canada & t h e U.S. a p p l y t h e same p r i n c i p l e s i n t h e i r n e g o t i a t i o n s w i t h Mexico? L i k e many deb t - r idden , impover ished n a t i o n s , Mexico mass ive ly " s u b s i d i z e s " i t s i n d u s t r i e s through p u b l i c p o l i c i e s which m a i n t a i n

low wages by means o f poor ( o r non-ex i s t - e n t ) l a b o u r laws and s t a n d a r d s aud by d i s - c o u r a g i n g f r e e l a b o u r un ions . Mexico nl so p r o v i d e s enormous " s u b s i d i e s " t l i roug l~ i ts c o r p o r a t e tax p o l i c i e s , o f t e n r e q u i r i n g t h e payment of l i t t l e o r no t a x a11t1 g iv - i n g t h e Mexican l i t t l e o r n o t l ~ i n g i n Lhc form of p u b l i c and s o c i a l s e r v i c e s a s J r e s u l t .

Are " s u b s i d i e s " l i k e t h e s e "unfai r"! Not t o f r e e t r a d e r s . To f r e e t r a d e r s , t h i s brand of s L a t e i n t e r v e n t i o n is f i n e . It is t h e s e v e r y p o l i c i e s of 'i'hird World governments (demanded, i t sl iould be noted by t h e World Bank and o t h e r s f a v o r i n g f r e e t r a d e ) t h a t have e n t i c e d mu1 t i n a t ion- a1 c o r p o r a t i o n s t o l o c a t e i n t h e n ~ a q u i l a - d o r a b o r d e r r e g i o n of Mexico and i n doz- e n s of o t h e r impover ished c o u n t r i e s i n As ia and L a t i n America. Many oE t h e s e governments m a i n t a i n t h o s e n a t i o n a l p o l i - c i e s th rough r e p r e s s i o n , v i o l a ~ i o n of in- t e r n a t i o n a l human r i g h t s and l a b o u r s t a n - d a r d s , and i n some c a s e s th rough t h e u s e o f armed f o r c e .

The f a c t t h a t t h e m a j o r i t y of Mexican workers e a r n l e s s than $3.25 a J a y is riot a n a c c i d e n t - o r a q u i r k o f h i s t o r y , geo- graphy o r economics. I t i s a r e s u l t of d e l i b e r a t e n a t i o n a l p o l i c i e s whicli r e p r e - s e n t mass p o v e r t y - t h e g r e a t e s t and most obscene "subsidy" of them a l l .

Massive unemployment and ~ t l e l a c k o f s o c i a l programs have c r e a t e d a n econonic- a l l y d e s p e r a t e p o p u l a t i o n t h a t has no c h o i c e b u t t o s e l l i ~ s l a b o u r a t ba rga in - basement p r i c e s , T h i s cheap l a b b u r is wl~y mu1 t i n a t i o n a l s l e a v e Canada and o t h e r i n - d u s t r i a l i z e d c o u n t r i e s and move t o Plexico.

W i l l t h e f r e e ~ r a d e proponents proLesL t h i s massive, s t a t e -gene ra t ed and s t a t e - \

enforced s u b s i d i z a t i o n a s l oud ly a s they have p r o t e s t e d ~ a n a d a ' s comparat ively mea-

l y . They want t o have i t both ways. g r e brand of p u b l i c i n t e r v e n t i o n ? Not l i k e -

To f r e e t r a d e r s , i f t h e b e s t way t o keep down wages and t axes is by r e s t r a i n i n g s t a t e i n t e r v e n t i o n , a s i n Canada, f i n e . But i f t h e b e s t way t o ensu re low wages & t axes is t o u se s t a t e i n t e r v e n t i o n t o re - p r e s s workers and c r e a t e pove r ty , a s i n Mexico, t h a t ' s f i n e too.

Free market f o r c e s can be damned: i t ' s low wages and low t axes t h e f r e e t r a d e r s a r e a f t e r .

In s h o r t , t h e r e a l i s s u e is n o t " f ree" Lrade v e r s u s t he s t a t u s quo. The i s s u e is wheLlier f u t u r e t r a d e n e g o t i a t i o n s through- o u t t h e world u i l l become an ins t rument t o r a i s e t h e l i v i n g s t a n d a r d s of working peo- p l e i n impoverished and developed n a t i o n s a l i k e , o r merely an ins t rument t o exacer- b a t e e x i s t i n g p o l i c i e s of pover ty and hopelessness .

These a r e t h e ques t ions Canadians should be a sk ing the Elulroney government and i t s h y p o c r i t i c a l f r e e t r a d e a p o l o g i s t s .

By J E F F ROSE

, "1, LI >I" "I . . .,. VERYONE who runs a business and makes a profit has t o pay taxes o n that profit, whether siness is legitimate o r illegiti- It could be drug trafficking,

bookmaking, loan sharking, or run- ning a call-girl operation. mrmw Everv busincss car; drtlr~ct from its earn-

ings all expense9laid out for. the purpose of gaining incbme from that business. Illegiti- mate operations follow the same rules:

But how 'do" you .prove those kinds ' of expenses ,in a -'fcash'and cqrry" business? This was the problem of the owner of a suc-. cessful Vancouver call-girl operation.

In 196% "madam's" seven-year. business collapsed when she and her nine employees -- two telephone operators and s y e n call- girls .- were.. busted and found- guilty. of. conspiring to live off the avails'of prostitu- . tion..?hey were'all sent to jail. In addition, the tax department reasZesSiWiW~fmitf taxable income for the 1959'and 1960 ta, years.

The madam &sn't: happy. She . didn'. question the revised figures for the gross. revenues - $77.600 in 1959, $80,749 in 1960 - but she disputed the allowed expenses of $53,000 in 1959 and $59,000 in 1960. She went to court to 'try to prove higher expenses. I

Some expenses caused no problem: Rent for the central apartment and hotel rooms, commissions paid to desk clerks, bellhops and taxi drivers for referring customers.

Other expenses, for which there was no record, caused problems.

Please deduct rny [~rotection payouts lo . the cops, dernruided the madam. Each month I paid $100 for each call-girl and $50 for the messenger who collected the money. That's a legit expense. Witl~out it I couldn't onerate.

When asked to prove her expenses, the madam backed off. I can't name the cops. That would put me and my children in dm- ger, she said.

The police protection expenses were not accepted. "I nlust assume," ruled the judge, "that the law enforcement officers are con- scientious in the exercise of their duties and are incorruptible. And such assump- tions can only be rebutted by convinci~~g evidence to the contrary."

'The madam also claimed liquor payment fees: One case per week of high-quality whisky; that's what I gave to officials of the civic administration; she said.

The expense was rehlsed. There was no proof that gifts were made.

In the end, the madam asked permission to ask just one "silly" question: "Isn't il a little bit odd that the government should be allowed to 'live' off the avails of prostitu- tion?"

Clc~irc Oernstcin i s (z nc~liortnl!~ syrtdiy- f 1 ~ ~ f l l l l r l l \ t , C

P l e a s e , someone h a s g o t t o h e l p me! I need t o l e a r n . I need t o under-

s t a n d t h e "Native Land Claims" i s s u e . Na t ives want t h e i r l a n d , r i g h t ? N a t - i v e s want t o c h e r i s h & m a i n t a i n t h e i r h e r i t a g e , c u l t u r e , l anguage , r i g h t ?

N a t i v e s want s o v e r e i g n i t y , freedom & s e l f - d e t e r m i n a t i o n , r i g h t ? So do we! But do w e coun t?

We're c a l l e d "white". We're c a l l e d non-native. Even though I w a s born here; even though my g r e a t - g r e a t - g r e a t -great-grand-mother w a s born h e r e i t doesn ' t s t a n d up t o 2,000 y e a r s o f ab-

' o r i g i n a l e x i s t e n c e i n t h e f o r e s t s , mountains and p r a i r i e s of Kanada. Do the n a t i v e s feel t h a t my a n c e s t o r s were t h e o p p r e s s o r s of t h e i r a n c e s t o r s ? O r do they unders tand t h a t my a n c e s t - o r s were uneducated t o what w a s happen-

'ing i n t h e 1 7 t h , 1 8 t h & 1 9 t h c e n t u r i e s ? That my a n c e s t o r s were f o r c e d t o l i v e on a c e r t a i n p i e c e o f l and and c u l t i - v a t e i t f o r t h e s t a t e ?

Do t h e n a t i v e s unders tand t h a t t h e B r i t i s h and Canadian i m p e r i a l i s t s roy- a l l y screwed t h e European immigrants a s they d i d t h e n a t i v e s ? Does i t mean any th ing? Does i t m a t t e r ? !

Is t h e f a c t t h a t n a t i v e s were raped of e v e r y t h i n g t h e o n l y i s s u e i n modern day s o v e r e i g n i t y ?

What w i l l happen when t h e n a t i v e s do ge t t h e i r l a n d ? What do you t h i n k t h e "white" peop le w i l l d o ? . . e s p e c i a l l y a f - t e r be ing e x p l o i t e d and oppressed by the same s t a t e t h a t raped t h e n a t i v e s ? What w i l l Na t ive Leaders do w i t h a l l t h a t l a n d ? W i l l t h e c i t y n a t i v e who's

. on t h e c i t y s t r e e t s of t h e "white man's" c i t i e s b e n e f i t ? Are t h e l e a d e r s of t h e n a t i v e peop le d i f f e r e n t from t h e "white" l e a d e r s ? I hope so .

I d o n ' t l i k e t h e way I have t o l i v e b u t when m i l l i o n s o f h e c t a r e s of scour- ged and p o l l u t e d l and i s i s s u e d t o n a t i v e l e a d e r s t h e oppressed "white" man o r woman won't g e t any, r i g h t ? Because i t ' s n o t t h e i r r i g h t ?

We w i l l s t i l l be a b l e t o buy l and from t h e n a t i v e s , r i g h t ? The huge cor- p o r a t i o n s which own MacBlo won' c t a k e t h i s e a s i l y w i l l they? Nat ive l e a d e r s want a p i e c e o f t h o s e m u l t i - b i l l i o n d o l l a r escapades c a l l e d mining, logg ing l a y i n g p i p e l i n e s , a tomic waste s i t e s r i g h t ? O r am I wrong?

I f they do g e t a p i e c e of t h e cor- p o r a t e qu iche w i l l t h e smal l n a t i v e man, woman o r c h i l d b e n e f i t ? W i l l a l l of us b e n e f i t . . o r i s t h a t a rude ques- t i o n because t h e oppressed "white" peo- p l e oppressed t h e n a t i v e people?

I need h e l p . I need t o l e a r n and unders tand.

By STEVE ROSE (18/12)

Carneg ie C h a r a c t e r P o r t r a i t ...........................

- CLAUDE ' MORTIMER

Claude, born o f a n a t i v e woman from Aiynsh BC and a man from from Mirror , A l t a . , was born i n Calgary. H i s family moved f r e q u e n t l y u n t i l b r i e f l y s e t t l i n g i n Vancouver in 1957. "My mother opera t - ed t h e S i l v e r Ho te l and my f a t h e r was a chef a t . t h e West Coast Cen t r a l Club (380 Main). I n '57 it was a very posh s o c i a l spo t . We l i v e d i n a 1-bdrm a t t h e S i l v e r . The f i r s t s choo l Claude went t o was t h e

Dawson Annex a c r o s s from t h e YMCA on Burrard 6 Barc lay . "I remember when BC Hydro opened i n '58, when t h e bu i ld ing was BC E l e c t r i c . Good o l e Wackey and a hos t of f o l k s were m e t i n g t h e ribbon.''

C l a u d e . ' ~ f ami ly moved back t o A lbe r t a but i n '65 Claude moved back t o Van.

During t h e l a t e 60 ' s and e a r l y 70 ' s he became more p o J i t i c a l l y i n c l i n e d . "At t h a t t ime I was a r e a l i n t e r l o p e r i n t h e

Downtown Eas t s ide . I was l i v i n g i n K i t s - i l a n o but would b ike t o work a t St.James S o c i a l S e r v i c e on Powell. DERA began i n 1973. T h a t ' s when t h e a r e a developed i t s p o l i t i c a l c h a r a c t e r . Before t hen t h e on- l y p l a c e t h a t had any ,organized a s s i s t - ance was St.James."

Claude worked f o r t h e Teamsters Union f o r 2 y e a r s u n t i l being l a i d o f f i n '81. After . U I . ran out he ended up on w e l f a r e . "It was q u i t e depress ing because I l o s t any s e n s e of ba lance and c o n t i n u i t y . I d i d n ' t c a r e . I guess i t was a backlash from be ing what is u s u a l l y cons ide red r e s p o n s i b l e . "

I n e a r l y '83 Claude f e l t a need t o re- ga in purpose. He heard t h a t Carnegie had been open a s a community c e n t r e s o he went t o vo lun tee r . "A well-known b i g l a d y was howling & bellowing a t a s t a f f person behind t h e i n f o desk. I thought 'man, t h i s is t h e p l a c e f o r me.' I met Brahm Gilman who s e n t me t o t hen volun- t e e r c o o r d i n a t o r Barb Jackson." From t h e weight room (where t h e concess ion is now) he t hen switched t o s e l l i n g c o f f e e .

I n 1985 Claude got h i s GED (Grade 12 e q u i v a l e n t ) and r e tu rned t o Carnegie t o h e l p s e t up t h e GED t e s t s . Barry Maxwell was t h e Learning Centre c o o r d i n a t o r t hen and t h e L. C. was l i k e a l i v i n g room wi th s o f a s and b i g cozy c h a i r s . "We had about 25 t u t o r s ; t h e program was much s m a l l e r compared t o today. I n Oct . '85 I was in- t e r i m coo rd ina to r when Barry was away. I met W i l l i s Shapar la . We s o r t o f s c r u t i n - i z e d each o t h e r . Af t e r d i s c u s s i n g p o l i - t i c s , h i s t o r y and o t h e r t h i n g s W i l l i s became a ve ry d e a r f r i e n d . H i s knowledge o f Labour H i s t o r y was v e r y deep."

Around Jan. '86 Barry r e s igned and Linda Forsy the became coord ina tor . . and ano the r p o s i t i o n - c a l l e d L i t e r a c y Worker opened in May. Linda encouraged a l l v o l u n t e e r t u t o r s t o apply and Claude got t h e j ob , be ing i n t h e l e a r n i n g c e n t r e e v e r s i n c e .

"My r e l a t i o n s h i p w i t h Carnegie h a s been most b e n e f i c i a l t o m e i n every r e s p e c t . It p u l l e d me out of a r u t 6 got me back on t r a c k . Anything I ' v e done a t Carnegie h a s been f e l t a s t h e b e s t t h i n g s I ' v e e v e r done."

By S t e v e Rose

THE PIPE WIND

An Arab and a Canadian were s t r a n d e d i n t h e d e s e r t , t h e i r can t eens were empty and t h e s c a r c e wa te r h o l e s they passed i n t h e l a s t two days had d r i e d up.

The i r camels were on t h e v e r g e o f ex- haus t ion , s o t h e Arab dec ided t o s t o p un- de r t h e b l a z i n g a f t e rnoon sun t o rest.

"We a r e i n t r o u b l e , Garth," s a i d Kalab the Arab. " I f we f i n d no wa te r tomorrow,

1 we must k i l l t h e camels." Garth s a t dawn abd laughed weaRly, "I

couldn ' t k i l l a camel o r any th ing e l s e ; ' I have no r i g h t t o t a k e l i f e . "

"Then we s h a l l a l l d i e t o g e t h e r , " Kalab warned.

"Or we w i l l a l l s u r v i v e t o s e e Dhafara again, and be a l l t h e b e t t e r f o r i t ," Garth whispered, f e e l i n g t h e d rynes s of h i s tongue s t i c k i n g t o t h e w a l l s of h i s mouth.

Both men knew they were l o s i n g t h e i r b a t t l e . The w i l l t o s u r v i v e was d r a i n i n g t h e i r menta l s t r e n g t h and t h e s t r a n g e d e s i r e t o l a y down and s l e e p f o r e v e r was overpowering them.

An hour later they were s t i l l s i t t i n g , back t o back, t a l k i n g i n a s t a t e of de l - i r ium about l i f e and dea th . C G a ~ t h w a s c e r t a i n t h a t u n l e s s some m i r a c l e occurr - ed, t hey would d i e where they sat. He reached i n t o a sma l l pouch and p u l l e d ou t a s p e c i a l c y l i n d r i c a l smoking pipe.

"In he re , " Garth s a i d , "is t h e food of wisdom. It w i l l make u s t h i r s t i e r , o u r mouths w i l l d r y up l i k e prunes , b u t i t w i l l c ause u s t o see t h e f o l l y o f o u r ways, and i t might i n s p i r e u s t o walk out o f t h i s h e l l o f sand."

Kalab watched Garth l i g h t t h e p ipe and i n h a l e deeply from i t , then hold i t o u t toward t h e Arab, whose Sec t forbade t h e a c t of smoking.

" W i l l you have m e d e s e c r a t e my body f o r t h e hope of l i f e ! " asked Kalab. "Yes," s a i d Garth. "Then why w i l l you no t r e l e n t and k i l l

t h e camels?" r e t o r t e d Kalab. "Take a puff of t h i s h e r b a l smoke i n t o

your l ungs , then w e s h a l l t a l k about t h e an imals , " Garth s a i d w i th r e so lve .

Kalab took t h e p ipe and inha l ed . He he ld t h e smoke i n h i s l ungs f o r a l ong t ime, t hen s lowly l e t i t ou t w i th a s igh . For a lmost a minute n e i t h e r man spoke. A s l i g h t -wind s t i r r e d t h e i r robes , g l i d i n g over t h e i r f a c e s l i k e a spongy f i l t e r and b lock ing o u t deadly sun r ays .

Kalab g o t up and walked t o t h e camels. To him they had always been ug ly , s tub- born c r e a t u r e s , bu t now a s h e looked a t t h e i r wr inkled h ides he saw a nob le an i - mal t h a t had served h i s people w e l l f o r c e n t u r i e s . He reached o u t and f e l t t h e f l e s h ove r t h e i r h e a r t s . "Could I d r i n k the blood of such b e a u t i f u l b e a s t s , " Ka- l a b mused t o h imse l f , then r e tu rned t o smoke t h e p ipe .

A s t h e moom r o s e ove r t h e golden des- ert h i l l s , t h e two men l e d t h e i r camels through t h e s h i f t i n g sands . Between t h e s t a r s and t h e e a r t h ' s f l o o r , a u n i t y pos- sessed t h e men and they b o t h ' f e l t a s one wi th t h e un ive r se .

Toward morning they saw a s m a l l caravan o f some 15 r i d e r s i n t h e d i s t a n c e , and soon t h e i r b l adde r s were swol len w i t h cool w a t e r , , r e s t o r i n g l i f e t o t h e i r h a l f dead bodies . The n e s t day found them

entering h e Dhafara a r e a .

After s e t t l i n g h i s a f f a i r s , Garth was prepared t o cont inue h i s journey homeward and he stopped a t Kalab's t e n t . "I don ' t suppose I'll ever s e e you again

Kalab, but I know 1'11 never f o r g e t our adventure."

Kalab gripped ~ a r t h ' s shoulders a& s a i d , "You have come from the f u t u r e t o a land a s o ld a s t h e sky."

"Yes," said Garth, "and I ' v e come t o un- derstand the meaning of t r u e peace through the e t e r n a l s t r u g g l e t o survive t h a t embraees your people. May t h a t peace serve me we l l when I r e t u r n home t o sha re it."

DEside Joe

Our Remembrance

To start new year

What a start - c o l d , gay, l o n e l y

Beer s t i l l f lowing

Canucks s t i l l s h i t t y .

Crazey ' s o u t t h e r e g i r l s

Got t o change i t s happy t o remembrance.

Your s o u l g e t s e l e c t r i c shock

Camouflage t r u c k s a r e coming your way

We a r e p e o p l e of t h e 9 0 ' s

So l e t ' s have a good day.

Frank J o e

l ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ f l

Cold d a r k world Freedom, mise ry pa in .

Lookout can we a l l be sane.

G i r l on t h e c o r n e r . . q u e s t i o n Plan have you any money.

Honey do you want a p r i c k f o r a t r i c k . Yes I need a fix. ?Ioney i s t h e r o o t of a l l e v i l ... i s t h i s r e a l i t y ?

Frank J o e

I ' v e come a long way

~ ' v e come a l ong way -#as"- 4 -- & To s t i l l be i n t h e meat g r i n d e r - A I ' v e come a long way 4 To s t i l l be broke 4 . _ _ It could never be counted -+,_ e The s t e ~ s I ' v e taken 4 -

_1_

Between heaven and he1 Earth and h e l l , Love and h e l l ;

-T- ,

Between apartment bu i ld ings , back a l l e y s , houses, rooming homes; (food l i n e u p s ) Between t h e smyther igh ts , puddles , b l i z z a r d s , T o r r e n t i a l r a i n t a l l ; The h o t , muggy sweat c a p i t a l of t h e land and t h e snow covered mountains of t h e Two S i s t e r s . I I ' v e come a long way h To s t i l l be worrying about r e n t , hydro, power smar t , BC Te l The empty f r i d g e t h a t sucks a l l our energy from t h e w a l l , amp l i f i e r s , g u i t a r s & p a t c h chords, e f f e c t s u n i t s ; g r i p and record companies Trying t o make s u r e I don ' t f a l l a p a r t i n f r o n t of t h e cameras of t he p re sen t day c r e a t o r s of my l i f e .

'Behind a r e t h e P r a i r i e s , t he Sh ie ld , t h e fou r day bus r i d e s f l y i n g through t h e sky and r i d i n g an a n c i e n t t r a i n l i n e .

Behind i s t h e August GST f i g h t j a i l f o r a s s a u l t i n g a sweet pregnant Downtown E a s t s i d e landlady and p lay ing e n f o r c e r a t t he 88 year o l d l i b r a r y door

Ahead i s t h e rest of t h e p l a n e t X number of yea r s , the l ove of my l i f e , and t h e pa ths t o succes s Ahead of me i s a l l t h e t h i n g s I ' v e come t o know A s those from which I ' v e come a long way.

" 9 Steve Rose d

POETS! - A n Open Mike

Place: Cafe Bergman, T i m e : 7:30-8:30 pm ----- ---- 52 Powell S t . Wed., Jan. 16

Presented by 'Sudden Shock'. Ca l l 681-0596 f o r more i n f o . HeyDropBy!!!

Gambier I s l a n d Resort

F i r e l i g h t marks t h e coming summer f o r Gambier campers indulg ing f l a r e s

Oh d e a r , t h e r e may be many Christmas Bambies t o hunt

Mother Nature proclaims a good cause

S i l e n t n a t u r e s o a r s i n my e a r super n a t u r a l s p i r i t s s t a r t l e d m e t h e r e

A s I look down i n t o t h e S a l t y Sound r e f l e c t i n g my thoughts of t h e cons t an t d e s t r u c t i o n f o r human ga in

Waves over waves, t w i s t i n g & c l a sh ing head over mind I awake t o rhy thmat ic

Howling sounds of weather & t r a n q u i l i t y ~ e a v e n ' s Gate.

Dusting t h e sun - a s i g h t s o p l e a s i n g I never thought t o c a r e

Skid road s u f f e r s t h e naked c r y Shout of conc re t e jungle. .beware.

Emotional p a r t i n g s show sadness and be t r ays a f ake t e a r of my eye

Dropping t h a t is t o dampen & f i z z l e Light t h a t has l i t a f a r ewe l l .

Goodbye, slumber, my d a r l i n g dears .

From Buddy Lee t o M s . Jody Andrew

L i f e Speed - 1991 + t he . $$$

Have t o go f a s t e r , need more jam. Reason being, demands of t h e Man. They ' re always rush ing , go t t o have more, T e l l us t h e reason . .what l s i t a l l f o r ?

. . A l o t of i t ' s wasted, upse t and s p i l l e d A l o t of new t axes , p resen ted a s b i l l s They term i t , r e t u r n i t , a l l j u s t t he same Ca l l i ng i t onou our able" when i t ' s a known game.

Saying t h e r e is va lue , f o r what i t be Hope i s the i n t e r e s t - d e f i c i t of t h e p a s t - How much longer can a l l t h i s l a s t ? 13-manufacturers/6-Provincial/7%-G~~ What percentage is p r o f i t - any l e f t f o r me? Think I ' l l go f i s h i n g and l i v e from t h e sea .

B i l l Banacle

DOWNTOWN E A S T S I D E FAMILY DROP-IN PROGRAM

I S A PROGRAM FOR F A M I L I E S I N THE DOWNTOWN E A S T S I D E .

THE PROGRAM P R O V I D E S A C T I V I T I E S INDOOKS AND OUTDOORS.

EVERY WEDNESDAY A T 540 E .HASTINGS 1 0 : O O - 2 : 0 0

EVERY SATURDAY AT 101 E.CORDOVA 1 0 : O O - 4 : 0 0

THURSDAY, AFTER ISSUE-DAY ( i n c o m e assistance), A VAN I S PROVIDED TO TAKE YOU S H O P P I N G AT SUPERSTORE; MEET AT 9:30 am A T 101 E.CORDOVA - VAN RETURNS A T 1:30.

ALL I D E A S ARE WELCOME

PROGRAM I S F R E E ! !!!!

B R I N G A FRIEND.

FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT D E L I L A H OR MARGRETT A T

6 8 9 - 2 8 0 8 OR 689-0488

GERMAN POLICE ATTACH BERLIN APARTMENT SlUAlTERS WITH PUNK MUSIC BLARING. THE SQUATTERS DEF DED THEIR HOMF4

. An army of 3.000 German police offlcers used armored

onnei carriers, tear gas, wa- cannons and bulldozers yes- K?

terday to burst through rnassive barricades and force scveral hundred oun ana rch~s t s out of 13 a D a d n e n f buildings they wercbccupymg

-

M o v ~ n g In a t daybreak. ' pollce battled wrth the youths on the street, on rooftops and In the bulldm f~na l ly arrertrng more than 86 of the s uatters

The youths, w h o t a d du trvnches and bull1 .?,-foot t h ~ c f barnc.~desoutol car ir,~rnc?i, bed\ and floorboartic had f o ~ g h t o l l

. .

lencrand.abovc?!l, the read~ness to kill.

Ear l y ~ s t e r d a y mornin , t i e squatters agreed Po mcdlatlon by Baerbel Bohlcy, a Bcr- liner who was one of the organizers of last [a l l ' s pcaccful E a s t G e r m a n revolution. But citv o l f i c~a l s re- jcctcd Bohlc 's olfcr, saying that txe squat- ters'uscof v~olcncc had cndcd any chance for nrgotr ations.

In r-ctsporlw to the pnlic (' ac,tron, t h o u - s ; ~ n d s tr i B c r l ~ n c r s ~ ic r r ions t r a t cd l a s t :i1c!11, honw sho 1111ig f o r r!c::~c.c. o tho r s

:ipartmcnts in a city whvrv rc,nts arc sky- r~t.ltt-ling as :;pcbcula- tors t :~kc :~dv :~ r~ taqc of the rush o f big i q - nctsscs to Gcrmany s nf:w c a p ~ l a l . Rcnts rn castcrn & d i n , wh11:h wcrv k rp t art~fici;l!lv louv hs; su l ) s~d~ t - s from l t i v C'or:irnun~st <ov - ~i~~ri;!~nt,arcscl~c~rfiilr:d :o i u r~ lp b v as n!i!ch :IS

i;t,rc.(,nt J;dni: I

i n V a n c o u v e r T o r o n t o $500.

THE SATANIC VERSES (PART 11)

& they spoke among themse lves Saying: "Expect t h r e e hundred thousand c a s u a l i t i e s i n t h e f i r s t t h r e e hours ."

... whosoever i s f e a r f u l & f a i n t o f h e a r t l e t him d e p a r t from Armeggadon

0 Brave Canadians, r e c e i v e thy Holy gas masks i n t h e Gulf , Thy drugs f o r po i son gas . .. 0 Omnipotent Pentagon, Thou c o n s i d e r e s t t h e Nuclear S t r i k e 11 To s a v e American l i v e s "

Thy bondsmen rebuke The Butcher of ~ a g h d a d ' s s a t a n i c o f f e r t o withdraw

0 Great Clown P r i n c e , Bob Hope. To thy m i r t h f u l d i s c i p l e s thou s a y e s t : 11 l t l s e x c i t i n g as h e l l . . . ... t h e boys are j u s t r eady t o go!"

0 g l o r i o u s American Genera l Schwartzkopf , The b rave Uni ted Nat ions Sends i t s h o l y b l e s s i n g s upon t h e e .

0 wor ld ly p r i n c e s o f t h e b u s i n e s s d e a l , With e x t r a body bags on o r d e r , Thy p r i c e of o i l must f l u c t u a t e , Thou ar t wholesome i n t h e S laugh te rhouse of democracy.

Nor s h a l l t h e r e a p p e a r even one demoniac pimple on t h e s h i n i n g f a c e of o u r Leader . . . H e s h a l l n o t be o u t o f p l a c e H i s s e c r e t t h o u g h t s s h a l l be Laden w i t h warheads.

Lo, H i s s p i r i t s h a l l f u c k w i t h m u t i l a t e d c o r p s e s & He s h a l l s t a n d f o r t h t o s l a u g h t e r t h e hea then To s m i t e them w i t h r i g h t e o u s n e s s ,

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THE NEWSLETTER I S A PUBLICATION O F THE CARNEGIE COMMUNITY CENTRE ASSOCIATION.

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n y w e l f a r e p r o b l e m s IC p r o b l e m s e t t i n g l e g a l a s s i s t a n c e A n s a f e l i v i n g c o n d i t i o n s n h o t e l s o r a p a r t m e n t s i s p u t e s w i t h l a n d l o r d s ncome t a x

D E R A i s l o c a t e d a t 9 E a s t H a s t i n g s o r phone 6 8 2 - 0 9 3 1 .

D E R A HAS B E E N SERVING T H E D O W N T O W N EASTSIDE FOR 17 YEARS.

I n t h e l a t e f a l l of ' 90 , Vancouver Community C o l l e g e ' s P r e s i d e n t , P a u l Ga l lagher , announced h i s p l a n s f o r change. .scrapping whole programs, re- ducing Adult B a s i c Educat ion t o a b a r e minimum, making ESL ( E n g l i s h as a Sec- ond Language) c o u r s e s a lmost non ex- i s t e n t . . a n d on and on.

Br ian Hether ing ton made a submiss ion t o t h e Col lege Board, a l o n g w i t h o v e r 80 o t h e r i n d i v i d u a l s and o r g a n i z a t i o n s ,

1990 Year of L i t e r a c y saw t h e s e samo s o c r e d s i g n o r e 34 recommendations made by t h e P r o v i n c i a l L i t e r a c y Advisory Commission. The r e p o r t c a l l e d f o r " im- media te a c t i o n " on l i t e r a c y a s a " p r i - o r i t y program concern f o r t h e n e x t 5 years'' and " p r o v i s i o n s f o r i n c r e a s e s i r t h e c a p a c i t y t o d e l i v e r l i t e r a c y in - s t r u c t i o n . . ." - and t h e s o c r e d s s a i d t h e y d i d n ' t have t h e money.

I l l i t e r a c y r a t e s i n t h e Downtown slamming t h e i r i n s e n s i t i v i t y and t h e c r a s s s t u p i d i t y of t h e s e ' p l a n s ' .

Lo and beho ld! G a l l a g h e r and h i s s o c r e d p a l s backed o f f , f o r a t l e a s t a y e a r ( t h e r e ' s an e l e c t i o n ) . I n a ca re - f u l l y worded l e t t e r , G a l l a g h e r s t a t e s how wonderful a l l t h e h e a t t h a t t h e Board got:was, t h e n covered h i s a s s by s a y i n g a l l t h e r e v i s e d p l a n s a r e p a r t of t h e i r n e x t submiss ion t o t h e M i n i s t r y o f Advanced Educa t ion . Watch f o r t h e s o c r e d s promising a wondrous f u t u r e f o r s t u d e n t s and o t h e r s need ing t r a i n i n g .

E a s t s i d e r e a c h 40 p e r c e n t , b u t Vander Z a l m ' s s o 2 r e d s r e f u s e d t o fund The Learn ing Fron t and i t s l i t e r a c y t u t o r t r a i n i n g program. They've t r i e d t o buy o f f t h e d o c t o r s w i t h a $25 m i l l i o n pens ion p l a n b u t c o n t i n u e t o c u t edu- c a t i o n , c h i l d c a r e , s o c i a l hous ing ....

A t l e a g f we can be s u r e t h a t t h e i r r e p e a t of t h e game "Is Vander Z a l m go- ing?" won't b e d i s t r a c t i n g enough t o make a l l t h e ga rbage go away. J u s t make s u r e y o u ' r e r e g i s t e r e d t o v o t e .

By PAULR TAYLOR