Subject: eye.Net: Three Reasons To Vote For Bob Allisat!
From: [email-masked] (eye WEEKLY)
Date: 26 Oct 1994 19:24:19 -0400
Newsgroups: alt.usenet.kooks,tor.general,alt.politics.greens,eye.news

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
eye WEEKLY                                             October 27 1994
Toronto's arts newspaper                      .....free every Thursday
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
EYE.NET                                                        EYE.NET

                            ALL ABOUT BOB!
             Parkdale's Pigasus nets to election victory!

                                  by
                            K.K. CAMPBELL 

Twas a matter of time before someone in Toronto used the net to further
their political aims. After all, the White House has been dumping loads
of press releases in newsgroups since Clinton took over (check out
alt.news-media).

Several candidates in Toronto's municipal elections have Internet accounts
this election. Parkdale's Bob Allisat ([email-masked]) is one.

Back on Aug. 18, eye Net reported how UUNet Canada gave Bob a free
account to help Parkdale connect to the net through a free server. In
actuality, it was just a pulpit for Bob to rant about his politics --
which are kinda squishy reactionary- green lumpenprole. Bob's anonymous
public post service featured some wild accusations -- like one post
fingering a Toronto priest for theft, child molestation and Nazism
(which is pretty lame flamage on the net but seems to perturb the
net.illiterati).

UUNet terminated Bob's free account for "the people of Parkdale."

Bob defended himself by saying there's no such thing as libel because
"information wants to be free." Even completely wrong information wants
to be free. Since this would make journalism much easier, eye vowed to
back Bob if he went into politics!

Well, he's running! And we won't renege on a promise! We'd hoped he'd
run for Parliament, but City Hall deserves Bob just as much. Here's our
three reasons to VOTE BOB on Nov. 14!

*** REASON 1: HUBERT HUMPHREY IS DEAD

Before Bob, the last great candidate eye endorsed was Youth
International Party's candidate Pigasus -- yes, eye didn't actually
exist then, but that's beside the point. Pigasus was a pig. He was a
pig named Pigasus. Pigasus ran against Richard Nixon in the '68 U.S.
Prez campaign. And Pigasus woulda won if not for the goddamn selfish
Democrats running Hubert Humphrey and splitting the Pigasus vote. And
what did the people end up with?! Nixon!

Well, my friends, today, there's no Humphrey in Ward 3 to split the
Pigasus -- err, Bob-vote!

*** REASON 2: EMPEROR NORTON: 

Our other historical political hero is Emperor Norton, whom we consider
Bob's spiritual mentor. In 1859, Joshua Norton proclaimed himself
"Norton I, Emperor of the United States and Protector of Mexico." (You
can look this stuff up.) He went around San Francisco making imperial
pronouncements, wearing top hats and praying in the street. When he
died, 30,000 fans attended his funeral.

Every world-class city needs an Emperor Norton in its history. Bob
offers several Emperor Norton-ish policies. Like, he vows to round up
all Toronto's prostitutes and stick them in a humungous warehouse
somewhere in the Liberty- Atlantic area. Also, he believes Toronto is
quieter in summer not because lots of people go up north but
because whites flee the city in fear of Caribana. Bob hasn't worked out
the policies to correct this behavior, but we feel certain it will
involve internal passport systems to prevent whites from venturing
north of Eglinton during the festival.

*** REASON 3: CELEBRATE TORONTO'S MULTICULTURAL HERITAGE

When the Brits carved up Africa for imperialistic purposes, one thing
they did was set up "tribes," artificial groupings to aid their
manipulation of the people. They wanted each tribe to have a "chief" to
mouth platitudes and profess to be "for" the populace while, in
reality, serving as a witless tool of elite/imperial interests.

The Brits insisted locals appoint "chiefs" but, as one British officer
recalled, the people would pick "the imbecile, the leper, the
syphilitic, ex-convicts, ex-rickshaw boys, ex-domestic servants and so
on. Anyone in fact who was incapable or unlikely to exercise
authority." It pissed the Brits off to no end. They'd demand someone
else and the Africans would pick other cretins until the Brits just
imposed their own "candidate."

In the spirit of Canadian multiculturalism, eye calls for Torontonians
to emulate our African cousins and send Bob to City Hall.

                        FIRST, WE TAKE SWEDEN ...

Leonard Cohen has a directory dedicated to his lyrics. Use anonymous
FTP to ftp.sunet.se, look in /pub/music/lyrics/c/cohen.leonard -- a
179K file called all.lyrics is supposedly his complete output.

Actually, this Swedish site (sunet.se) has a huge collection of lyrics
from hundreds of artists, from Chaka Khan to Type-O Negative. Great
resource. FTP the complete mess and spread 'em around cyberspace.
Download Nirvana to see if you were even remotely close to what Cobain
was really singing.      

                      ... THEN WE TAKE WATERLOO!

On Tuesday, Oct. 11, Ian Goldberg ([email-masked])
triumphantly announced: "As of this morning, Waterloo carries
ont.personals.whips.and.rubber.chickens as an active group."

The backlash from the Waterloo student body was enormous in the wake of
eye Net's hard-hitting OPWARC expose (Oct. 6). RC-guru Jim Mercer
([email-masked]) is proud of Goldberg's emergence from the closet:
"That just goes to show you, people with inanimate partners are like
everyone else. Your next-door neighbor might have a rubber chicken.
Now, if we can only get Ian to tell us some of his experiences in
nurturing a caring relationship with his RC."

John M. Sellens ([email-masked]), evil net.censor at
Waterloo, wrote to newsgroup ont.general that he's sick of "people who
apparently have nothing better to do with their time [than] complain
that we don't happen to have a newsgroup called
ont.personals.whips.and.rubber.chickens ."

This is exactly the sort of prejudice and hatred we, and other brave
fighters of OPWARC, stand against. We shall overcome the Sellens and
Archie Bunkers of the world.

"Your obvious attempts at keeping PWIP (persons with inanimate
partners) in the closet was direct censorship," Mercer shot back at
Sellens. "We now see that it takes the power of the press (eye) to make
you wake up to the real needs of news readers at U of W. Regular
participants in OPWARC know about you and others like you."

Fight the power, Jim!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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From: [email-masked] (eye WEEKLY)
Newsgroups: eye.news,ont.general,tor.general,can.general
Subject: SPACE FOR RANT: Cable Monopoly Victim
Followup-To: eye.general,ont.general,tor.general,can.general
Date: 21 Dec 1994 13:42:50 -0500
Organization: eye -- Toronto's Arts Newspaper
Lines: 81
Approved: [email-masked]
Message-ID: <[email-masked]>
NNTP-Posting-Host: gold.interlog.com
Summary: Rot in hell, cable-pirating co-axial-monopolist pigs! I hope you die strapped down in front of the Nix Country Network, and your children get addicted to the Home Shopping Network!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
eye WEEKLY                                            December 22 1994
Toronto's arts newspaper                      .....free every Thursday
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
SPACE FOR RANT                                          SPACE FOR RANT

                     SELECT THIS, CABLE COMPANIES!

                                  by
                           BRENT GULANOWSKI

Open Letter to Dan Clark,
Director, Customer Service, Rogers Cablesystems
c/c: CRTC, eye

Dear Unsympathetic Cable Provider:

On Jan. 1, you're launching seven new networks, of which I find one,
Discovery, mildly intriguing. The rest of the vile, boring lot I refer
to as: Death Network, Touche!, ShowCrap Television, Nix Country Network
(NCN), Wimmyn's Television Network (WTN) and Repeate De l'Information
(RDI).

Thank you, but I have no interest in previewing highlights of "your"
new networks before they permanently occupy my TV in January. If you
think I intend to waste one minute of my time being machine-gunned by
"your" TV schlock in my own living room, you've got a lot to learn.
Channel lockout has its advantages.

Presently, I enjoy intelligent programming on about 12 of your 50-odd
channel roster, none of which are TSN, TNN, Headline News, Telelatino
or TV5 (whatever the hell that is). I resent your movement of MuchMusic
from Basic Service, where it belongs, to "Cable Minus," and replacing
it with reverse sexism propaganda (WTN) and a channel (RDI) in a
language I do not understand, and will not watch just to get my $0.02
worth. It is obvious to anyone with two brain cells left to rub
together that Much is just a hostage in your cable terrorism. As far as
Select 1 & 2, how about Select 3: A&E, TLC, CNN, Much and Discovery?
Some of your viewers are young, intelligent, English-only speakers.

New Rates! Big Surprise, Dave! I hope this means you get a raise for
doing such a good job of Customer "Service." But I'm sure that's tricks
besides what Godfather Ted just gave himself, and nothing compared to
the orgy of cable-rape you're instigating on your "customers." What
next, Dave? "Protection" from competitive cable providers? No thanks.

You can keep your grotty new channels and MuchMusic, and I'll spend my
$8.10 on a real movie. I'm sure enough poor suckers without time to
read your "letter" will make up for the lost revenue. Oh, and if you
had any trouble with my colloquialisms:

Please cease my subscription to Cable Plus starting Jan. 1, 1995. I
protest your methods of revenue-seeking and your attempts to manipulate
me into purchasing material I do not want, and never asked for. Thanks
for taking the time to actually warn me in advance of your upcoming
unethical activities, a legal requirement I'm sure that you resented
being forced to do by a government that is not yet totally
reprehensible. You are a credit to capitalism.

Rot in hell, cable-pirating co-axial-monopolist pigs! I hope you die
strapped down in front of the Nix Country Network, and your children
get addicted to the Home Shopping Network.

Sincerely,

Brent Gulanowski
Toronto Cable Monopoly Victim

                  Hop on your soapbox, and tell us what's bugging you.
                           We might even run your words in this space.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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From: [email-masked] (eye WEEKLY)
Newsgroups: eye.news,rec.arts.tv,can.general,ont.general,tor.general
Subject: REEL LIFE: Speciality Channels
Followup-To: eye.general,rec.arts.tv,can.general,ont.general,tor.general
Date: 4 Jan 1995 12:13:49 -0500
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~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
eye WEEKLY                                              January 5 1994
Toronto's arts newspaper                      .....free every Thursday
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
REEL LIFE                                                    REEL LIFE

                 EATEN ALIVE BY THE SPECIALTY CHANNELS

                                  by
                              LAURA LIND

OK, I've said before that television is a brain-eating machine, and
I'll stand behind that remark. And, as usual, my New Year's resolution
is to watch less of it.

But this year my feeble resolve has been superseded by my slightly less
wobbly sense of editorial duty. As a television writer it is incumbent
upon me to make some sort of mention that there are six new English
television channels on cable starting this week.

The following is a description of all six with a handy note on which
corporations want you to watch this stuff.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
BRAVO!

Suggested Motto: Moses Znaimer has taste!

Programming: Moses may know how to buy culture but there isn't much
comedy scheduled in the opening week of Bravo! And footage of an Inuit
family without any dialogue will not keep viewers awake at 1 a.m.
Snore. On the other hand, the hour-long classical video Bela Bartok's
Music Collectors Dream kept me awake at 4 a.m. on Tuesday..

Advertising: Bravo! is apparently entirely supported by some self-
promoting singer who is trying to sell a mail order record of Andrew
Lloyd Webber hits.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
SHOWCASE

Suggested motto: Australians aren't just a bunch of beer-drinking
crocodile wrestlers.

Programming: Showcase airs British and Australian television in all the
slots that U.S. TV would normally go. Some of it is quite good -- the
comedic duo Hale And Pace, for example -- but the Australian Snowy is
just a period soap opera. KYTV is an inferior British ripoff of SCTV.

Advertising: People who watch Showcase are obviously cultured, judging
from the ads. They're the kinds of people who like records of
instrumental television theme songs, such as Hawaii Five O, MASH and
Hill Street Blues. And they wear their hair in the Sophist Twist™, one
of those fancy hair doodads that turns the average '90s TV watcher into
an extra from The Road To Avonlea.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
THE DISCOVERY CHANNEL

Suggested Motto: Animals are more interesting than people (certainly
more interesting than Loretta Swit).

Programming: Discovery Channel watchers will learn that the U.S. space
program is really just an IMAX film production house. That U.S.
astronauts might know their astrophysics but they aren't great on
geo-politics. For example: "The perspective you get from space is the
Earth is happy." Or: "We call it [Australia] the large boring land
mass, but we say that in jest." The space cadet show was followed by a
discussion of the sex life of ferns.

Advertising: The Discovery advertisers are predictable, National
Geographic, Nature's Great Escapes Video, and hey, what a coincidence,
the 4-wheel-drive "Discovery" Land Rover.

As well, the Discovery Channel is sponsored by products that seem as if
they were invented by scientists: scoop-away cat litter, Glad cling
wrap and Rice Krispies.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
THE NEW COUNTRY NETWORK

Suggested Motto: People are big dumb apes.

Programming: The NCN viewer will see that country fans are just regular
folks, say like that purdy Faith Hill, who drinks champagne in her
video, then cooks spaghetti with her Rolex-wearing beau, jus' like them
city slickers. Then her boyfriend gives her a pig.

Oh yeah, and be sure to watch for Travis Tritt singing for those gay
bikers who are line dancin'. If that ain't multicultural I don't know
what is.

Advertising: There aren't many ads, but if the station doesn't have any
VJ's it won't need much commercial support to break even. That means
more entertainment for the discriminating country bumpkin. Did you hear
that, Steve, Mastah T, Monika, et al? No VJ's!

Imagine that!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
THE WOMEN'S TELEVISION NETWORK

Suggested Motto: Hey, sister, let's join together, watch TV and do less
housework!

Programming: Due to some sort of unfortunate error, the second entire
day of Women's Television Network's programming is listed in The
Globe's TV guide as The Green Hornet -- 21 episodes of The Green Hornet
in a row. My boyfriend was pretty excited when he read this. The rest
of the WTN listings were similarly garbled. So let's just put this to
rest: The Green Hornet, Batman, Mission Impossible, Dynasty and In
Living Color will not be staples of the women's channel lineup.

Nevertheless, according to a survey done by WTN, comedy is important to
women, and there were lots of knee slappers (unintentional maybe)
during the first couple of days of WTN broadcast.

Photographer Rosamond Norbury said she is working on her second book
entitled Guy To Goddess. "It's about drag queens," says Norbury.

(Have I got this straight, er ... I mean correct -- the true goddesses
are men? )

And here is an exchange from a women's talk show that I believe was
called Eavesdropping.

1st woman: "By virtue of the fact that we are women, we see things
differently. We know we have to clean the tiles in the bathroom."

2nd woman: "I don't do laundry."

3rd woman: "I have a couple people come in, one of them is a man."

1st woman: "So the man takes out the garbage and the woman cleans the
toilet?"

Click ...

Advertising: Thankfully the WTN adverts aren't continuous feminine
hygiene commercials.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
THE LIFE NETWORK

Suggested Motto: The "Get Back in the Kitchen and Do More Housework,
Girlie" Channel.

Programming: The Life Network is populated by peculiar creatures who
are obsessed with arts and crafts. "Screen artist" Rachel Volpone shows
how to make a screen from shelves and decorate it with flowers, shawls
and photographs. Volpone was followed by a woman "who can take
toothpicks, buttons and glue and make them into replicas of the Empire
State Building."

Mondays the station is taken over by health fanatics who ruined a
brilliant Fred Flintstones cigarette ad with footage of some guy who
lost his voice box to cancer. No fun.

But they followed this up with footage of Paul Molitor squatting in the
Blue Jays locker room with a large weighted pipe hanging between his
legs. "He [Molitor] explodes straight up through the axis of this
pipe," says his trainer.

Advertising: Lemon Scent Ivory, Crisco, Nicorettes and diet chocolate
bars say, "Stay clean, stay thin, don't smoke, eat chocolate."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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From: [email-masked] (eye WEEKLY)
Newsgroups: eye.news,ont.general
Subject: THE PARK -- 1994 eyeLashes Awards
Followup-To: eye.general,ont.general
Date: 4 Jan 1995 11:52:50 -0500
Organization: eye -- Toronto's Arts Newspaper
Lines: 112
Approved: [email-masked]
Message-ID: <[email-masked]>
NNTP-Posting-Host: gold.interlog.com

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
eye WEEKLY                                              January 5 1994
Toronto's arts newspaper                      .....free every Thursday
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
THE PARK                                                      THE PARK

                          1994 eyeLASHES AWARDS

                  HE AIN'T RINKY-DINK, HE'S MY PREMIER

Stung by months of bad press coverage, the NDP decide it's time to
change their policies -- NOT. Instead, they decide to blame the media.
Premier Bob Rae's press assistant Sine MacKinnon tells a reporter her
boss is "no rinky-dink." Reporters are reminded of the dying days of
the Mulroney government in Ottawa.

                      WHAT A DIFFERENCE A GAY MAKES

Liberal Leader Lyn McLeod flips and flops for and against same-sex
rights before finally deciding she is against. Her staff insists McLeod
has been consistent, but one disenchanted senior Liberal tells eye,
"She definitely flip-flopped, no matter what she says." Liberal MPP
David Ramsay tells the Legislature that supporting gays is "just the
right thing to do" and later votes against same-sex rights.

                        PASS THE SALT AND PEPPER

PC Leader Mike Harris stakes out the middle class as his political
target with the promise of a 30 per cent tax cut and spending cuts of
$6 billion, most coming from social services. Harris promises to eat
the paper his promises are written on if he breaks them.

           IT'S MY PARTY AND I'LL  BOBBITTIZE IT IF I WANT TO

PC Leader Mike Harris promises to save money by eliminating 31 MPPs,
but his own party is concerned that many of the underpopulated rural
seats that will disappear are the very ones that he hopes to win.

          MINISTER POOH-POOHS REQUEST FOR BOSSY'S BINGO LICENCE

Marilyn Churley, Minister of Bingos, reverses herself and grants a
licence for cow-patty-bingo, which involves dividing a farmer's field
into big squares, setting a cow loose and betting on where it will drop
its load. Months before, Churley had withheld the licence because she
was convinced the game could be rigged. After she saw a real cow she
changed her mind.

                       PESKY REPORTER ASKS QUESTION

The Addiction Research Foundation proves that if you don't have
anything to say, don't call a press conference. Globe and Mail reporter
Paul Taylor questions the data in a new ARF study and is told, "I don't
think you should worry about how good the data are."

                     BASKETBALL AS POLITICAL FOOTBALL

Toronto almost loses out on a professional basketball franchise because
the NDP insists on playing chicken with the NBA over its new sports
lottery. Rae denies that his dislike for Raptors co-owner and former
Liberal premier David Peterson is a factor. A friend says Peterson
"certainly wouldn't pull Rae from a swollen creek."

                   WE USED TO LOVE YOU -- NOW GET OUT

The man who nominated Bob Rae for leader of the NDP, Mel Swart, a long-
time former MPP, blames the Premier for the wipe-out of the federal NDP
in Ontario and asks Rae to resign. He joins several other party
stalwarts including 10 former federal MPs, who all agree.

             HEALTH MINISTER TRIES TO KILL OWN GOVERNMENT

Health Minister Ruth Grier continues her efforts to defeat her own
government. Her long-term health bill, which she told Rae would not be
controversial, riles up thousands of health care workers across the
province.

                          HELL FREEZES OVER

Shelley Martel, the first Ontario cabinet minister to take a lie
detector test to prove that she was lying, finally gets booted out of
Rae's cabinet after getting in trouble for a third time by releasing
confidential information about a taxpayer.

                  SUPER DETENTION FOR STUDENT REP

Titch Dharamsi, who represents 118,000 Ontario students, is
frog-marched out of the Legislature lobby by the OPP for disagreeing
with Education Minister Dave Cooke at a press scrum. U of T president
Rob Prichard tells him he can't believe this happened in Ontario.

                 ACCUSED AGENT-GENERAL GETS LYNCHED

Former Ontario agent-general Carlton Masters goes to court in March to
fight the NDP's right to refuse to tell him the charges against him,
what he was accused of and who his accusers are. An Ontario court rules
that Premier Bob Rae has the authority to do what he did.

                           A PLACE TO GROW

NDP backbencher George Mammoliti supports a bill to evict children from
social housing if anyone in the family is dealing drugs. Human rights
advocates and the NDP government are horrified. Mammoliti responds: "Do
we want to give the responsibility of children to a drug dealer?"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Retransmit freely in cyberspace        Author holds standard copyright
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From: [email-masked] (eye WEEKLY)
Newsgroups: eye.news,ont.general,alt.culture.usenet,alt.usenet.kooks,ont.personals.whips.and.rubber.chickens
Subject: EYE.NET: 1994 eyeLashes Awards
Followup-To: eye.general,ont.general,alt.culture.usenet,alt.usenet.kooks,ont.personals.whips.and.rubber.chickens
Date: 4 Jan 1995 11:54:12 -0500
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~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
eye WEEKLY                                              January 5 1994
Toronto's arts newspaper                      .....free every Thursday
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
EYE.NET                                                        EYE.NET

                         1994 EYELASHES AWARDS

                                  by
                             K.K. CAMPBELL

            J. EDGAR HIMMLER AWARD FOR POLICE EXCELLENCE

The London Police Department. They terrorized a University of Western
Ontario student for doing nothing more than editing a computer text
file containing rumors about the Karla Homolka case.

                     SIMPERING TOOL & FINK AWARD

University of Western Ontario computer security officer Reg Quinton.
Quinton allowed the London cops to goosestep all over the rights of
above-mentioned student. When cops came calling, Quinton exulted: "No
warrant? No subpoena? No problem, boys!" Afterwards, Quinton was seen
defending himself in newsgroup news.admin.policy by comparing Homolka
rumor peddlers to murderer/outlaw Jesse James. Sheesh.

                      NET.MIRACLE OF THE YEAR

The disappearance of Serdar Argic, the Armenian-hating racist Usenet
robot-poster. Spammed the net relentlessly.

                      NET.TRAGEDY OF THE YEAR

The appearance of Canter & Siegel, the net.sociopathic Usenet
robot-advertisers. Spammed the net relentlessly.

               ASSHOLES OF THE YEAR (INTERNATIONAL)

Husband-and-wife team Canter & Siegel -- the "Green Card Lawyers."

                  ASSHOLES OF THE YEAR (ONTARIO)

Husband-and-wife team Bruce Lloyd and Rob Riley -- writers and
distributors of (often violently) obscene material. Kicked off
Toronto's Interlog Internet Services, they ran to Metro police the very
next day asking cops to shut down Interlog because of obscene material
on the net. Unbelievable. Suckered City Pulse News into presenting
Lloyd as a "concerned citizen worried about children." We wouldn't let
Lloyd mind a gerbil, let alone a child.

           BIGGEST BUTTHEAD POLITICO (OFF-LINE CATEGORY)

Tory leader Mike Harris. Only moron in all of Ontario to suggest
harmless Bob Rae fake/spoof post to ont.general represents threat to
whole province. Issued sensationalist press release on last day of
Legislature session, sure it was political dynamite. He was right -- it
blew up in his face.

           BIGGEST BUTTHEAD POLITICO (ON-LINE CATEGORY)

Bob Allisat. Ran for Ward 3 councillor in Toronto's municipal
elections. Highlight of campaign was watching Allisat actually
formulate his "policies" right on-line in tor.general -- like, in a
discussion about Parkdale street prostitutes, he suddenly had the
revelatory flash that The Final Solution to that problem was to have
police round up hookers and force them to work out of a humungous
abandoned warehouse in the Liberty-Atlantic area. (Got -1 per cent of
vote, as adjusted for being the candidate listed first on the ballot.
Great campaign, Bob.)

                     "WE SHALL OVERCOME" AWARD

eye's investigative expose of evil net.censor John M. Sellens at the
University of Waterloo brings to end two-year ban by bigoted campus
computer cops of alternative-lifestyle newsgroup
ont.personals.whips.and.rubber.chickens . Waterloo netters rejoice.
Power to the people, baby.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Retransmit freely in cyberspace        Author holds standard copyright
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From: [email-masked] (eye WEEKLY)
Newsgroups: eye.news,ont.general,rec.food.drink
Subject: DRINK: 1994 eyeLashes Awards
Followup-To: eye.general,ont.general,rec.food.drink
Date: 4 Jan 1995 12:29:10 -0500
Organization: eye -- Toronto's Arts Newspaper
Lines: 102
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~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
eye WEEKLY                                              January 5 1994
Toronto's arts newspaper                      .....free every Thursday
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
DRINK                                                            DRINK

                        1994 EYELASHES AWARDS

                                  by
                             KONRAD EJBICH

                     IS THIS A NEW REASON TO DRINK?

A Dutch study said that people who drink beer are more violent than
those who drink wine. It identified a pattern of assaults and domestic
violence in countries such as Germany, England, Australia and Canada
where the predominant drink is beer. In southern European countries,
such as France, Italy, Spain and Greece, where wine is the beverage of
choice, there was less violent crime. The study made no mention of
countries where consumption of alcohol is taboo -- Iran, Iraq, Syria,
Turkey, Libya, Algeria, etc.

           SHOULDN'T THEY LET US KNOW WHAT WE'RE DRINKING?

The U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms got mighty upset last
year when Molson included a peek at its Ice label in a TV ad showing
its 5.6 per cent alcoholic content. The regulator claimed the brewery
was using the higher alcohol as a selling point rather than as a
responsible warning to consumers accustomed to drinking beer at 4.5 per
cent. BATF dullards feared a vicious "strength war" would break out
among the breweries.

           HAVE THEY GOT ANY FLORIDA SWAMP LAND FOR SALE?

Skyy Spirits Inc. of San Francisco claimed it produced a hangover-free
vodka. Skyy Vodka was purported to have all those impurities removed
through a four- step distilling process followed by a triple
micro-filtration. Haha. Hahaha. Hahahahaha. Ow! It only hurts when I
laugh.

                       SHALL WE SWINE AND DINE?

LCBO honchos planned to dispose of illicit alcohol seized from
bootleggers by serving up a "nutritious" cocktail to hogs. It became
excellent fodder for a media feeding frenzy so, when the public also
snorted at the idea, board execs decided not to be pig-headed and
squeaked away with their curly tails between their legs.

                  WHAT HAPPENS WHEN DOCTORS GO PC?

Canada's College of Physicians and Surgeons launched a controversial
program requiring doctors to query all patients over 12 about their
drinking habits. Doctors were asked to discuss alcohol abuse with those
patients who use alcohol and to provide literature for quitting or
cutting down. Brochures handed out ignored the scientific evidence that
moderate use is better than abstinence.

                WHEN DOES A RICH GUY GET AN EVEN BREAK?

The LCBO pulled a fast one on Ontario consumers through Vintages'
inaugural Classics Catalogue. The mark-up on the famous, highly
desirable and incredibly expensive 1990 Chateau Petrus was three times
higher than their own official pricing formula dictates. Yet whenever
we ask about a discount on quantity purchases, they tell us there's a
"standard mark-up" for each and every bottle. Hypocrisy lives.

    DO ONTARIO'S LEGISLATORS STILL BELIEVE THAT ANYONE WHO TOUCHES
   ALCOHOL TO THEIR LIPS BEFORE 11:30 A.M. IS A FILTHY DEGENERATE?

When the Chateau des Charmes winery opened its new $6.5 million
state-of-the- art facility earlier this year, VIPs in attendance
(including Premier Bob Rae) at the early-morning private tour were
limited to toasting owner Paul Bosc with tea, coffee, milk or water --
no wine.

            WILL PRAYING HELP TO CHANGE THE MINISTER'S MIND?

Consumer and Commercial Relations Minister Marilyn Churley refused to
allow liquor stores to open on Sundays last year. Meanwhile, the
Windsor Casino was required to stay open 24 hours a day even through
Christmas and Boxing Day. Money talks.

            IF BURRILL WERE MAYOR THINGS WOULD BE DIFFERENT!

A few years ago, visiting International Monetary Fundsters were
privileged to drink well past 1 a.m. Last year, the World Series of
baseball came to town and we all were permitted to party past our
official bedtime. This year, the annual Toronto Film Festival provided
us the opportunity to drink into the wee hours. What gives? When we
entertain the world we can pretend to be cosmopolitan by extended
drinking hours, but when our guests go home we go back to being
provincial again? When will the people of Ontario start to be treated
like grown-ups?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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From: [email-masked] (eye WEEKLY)
Newsgroups: eye.news,tor.general,ont.general,can.general,misc.headlines
Subject: 4th Annual eyeLASHES Awards
Followup-To: eye.general,tor.general,ont.general,can.general,misc.headlines
Date: 5 Jan 1995 17:44:44 -0500
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Summary: 1994 Milestones In Stupidity

Sorry, the first copy of this was missing the large first section.
Apologies. This is the proper (and most lengthy) version. So many 
memories... 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
eye WEEKLY                                              January 5 1994
Toronto's arts newspaper                      .....free every Thursday
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
COVERSTORY                                                  COVERSTORY

                              eye WEEKLY 
                               presents

                               EYELASHES
        Our 4th annual attack on the year's best in stupidity

                    INTRODUCTION BY WILLIAM BURRILL

(CONTRIBUTORS: Malene Arpe, Carolyn Bennett, Greg Boyd, William
Burrill, K.K. Campbell, Deanna Dunn, Konrad Ejbich, Oliver Girling,
Alexandra Highcrest, Bob Hunter, Bill Reynolds)

It was the best of the times, it was the stinkiest of times.

It was a year of bitter disappointments (I did not win the Mayoralty,
for example) but also of great joy (neither did Stealth Mayor June
Rowlands. Ciao, babe!).

They called it The Year of the Dog and they weren't kidding.

It was a slobbering howler of a year that should have long ago been
humanely put out of its misery (I mean what good is a dog when it
doesn't even have any balls to lick, due to various sports strikes?).

But we at eye have never been noted for our humanity. Harrr, say we.
Too many people have done too many dog-dumb things this past year. And
when that happens, there's no point in being polite. What they REALLY
need is a good ol' taste of the lash! Arrrr!!! Take that and that and
THAT!!!! HAHHAHAHAHA!! Yo ho ho and a bottle o' rum!

(Actually, saying 1994 was a dog is an insult to the canine breed. I
mean, my own dog, Gemma, was the top NFL Football prognosticator in the
entire damn city, beating the human pigskin pundits from the daily
newspapers by running up a season record of 98-85-6. Dog is too good a
word for the bonehead bits and bites that are to follow. You're about
to read a long bull-shitty whack of not only my own choice Lashes, but
also a bunch of other stuff compiled by whatever eye staff we could
drag out of the Spadina Hotel while they were still sober enough to
type with one finger (we won't reveal exactly which one).

With no further doo-doo, it is my great honor to present our 4th Annual
eye-LASH Awards, in which we whip and flog the guilty parties who were
the low-lifes, low-lights and outright dimbulbs of the past 12 months.

The envelopes, please.

*** riiiip***

And the losers are ...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

                 AT LEAST HE DIDN'T SAY "THE JIG IS UP"

Reform Party leader Preston Manning defends party members who made
statements suggesting Jamaican immigrants were overly responsible for
crime. "It's the way they talk and they call a spade a spade and you
can't impose political correctness criteria on that."

                  SHORT PEOPLE HAVE NO REASON TO LIVE

Liberal Roseanne Skoke gets the Bigot of the Year award for attacking
gays and lesbians at every opportunity, to the point of condemning
Pierre Trudeau for causing the moral collapse of Canadian society by
decriminalizing homosexuality. Rumor has it that Skoke joined the
Liberal ranks simply because the party leader's initials are J.C.
(another well-known liberal). Maybe Herr Manning and Presto's soldiers
simply wouldn't have her.

                    PQ HAS ONE LESS LEG TO STAND ON

Jacques Parizeau, hell bent on Qu‚bec independence, uses Lucien
Bouchard's leg amputation as a metaphor for the severing of ties with
Canada, likening the federal government to a flesh-eating virus.
Preston Manning counters by calling Bouchard's leg amputation nothing
more than "a cheap publicity stunt." The country separates out of
embarrassment for its leaders. Coincidence or CONSPIRACY? Answer the
damn question.

               HELL NO I WON'T GO AWARD FOR PURE BULLSHIT

Markham MP Jag Bhaduria refuses to resign after being nailed for
writing threatening letters to Toronto school officials in 1989, and
for bull-shitting about his educational and professional credentials,
for claiming to be "founder" of legal aid organizations that never
existed, and for being fined for violating fire safety and building
regulations in apartments he owned.

                              KEYSTONE COPS

The Lack of Leadership award goes to Toronto's Police Services Board.
Fellow members distanced themselves from board member Arnie Minors like
he had the plague after he compared Toronto's cops to an occupying
army, and claimed the Holocaust wasn't a racist act. Rather than deal
with Minors themselves, the PSB left that task to the provincial
government -- the same gang that appointed him in the first place.

The best cop story of the year had to be the William McCormack/Susan
Eng grudge match. McCormack refused to toss the badge, so now Toronto's
police force has two chiefs (with six-figure salaries) and it looks
like there's nothing Eng can do about it.

Nice work, boys.

         WE WOULDN'T WANT NORM CAMPAIGNING UNARMED, WOULD WE?

In the furor over guns in our streets that followed the Just Desserts
shooting, Metro police and their pals at The Sun announce an amnesty
for turning in illegal weapons. Metro Councillor Stormin' Norm Gardner,
who once shot a thief in the back with his concealed automatic pistol
(the very sort of gun cops apparently fear) kicks off the campaign by
bringing in a rifle for the cameras. Reporters later discover Norm
bought the rifle that morning.

                             LAWS AND ORDER

Dudley Laws, who's spent the past few years as the self-designated
voice of downtrodden, prejudice-haunted black males, gets nine months
in the iron bar hotel after being found guilty of helping smuggle
people in and out of Canada. Dud's supporters cry set-up; the cops try
not to smile too broadly in public.

                           THIS IS FUN CITY!!!

The Waste Time And Money award goes to Toronto City Council. Councillor
Peter Tabuns wanted dancing restricted to certain downtown
entertainment corridors after residents in his ward complained about
the noise generated by live dance bands. The idea of dance-free zones
died in committee. Councillors Tony O'Donohue and Betty Disero,
meanwhile, decided that, in an effort to take back the streets, council
should prohibit groups of three or more from hanging out in public
places. The idea was canned after deeper thinkers pointed out the bylaw
was "too fascist" -- even for Toronto!

                                BAD BOYS

When a majority of City of Toronto voters said they wanted out of
Metro, what were they thinking?

The Drabinsky Express: North York sofa salesman/mayor Mel Lastman
suggests a new way to bankroll suburban subways to nowhere. Under the
Bad Boy's scheme, private sector investors could buy the right to name
stations.

Lou's Blues: Developer Lou Charles, serving nine months for bribing
York politicians, testifies at the trial of Metro Councillor Mario
Gentile. Charles says those who received favors from him include North
York Mayor Mel Lastman, City of York Mayor Fergie Brown and Metro
Chairman Alan Tonks. Tonks is said by Charles and another witness,
bribe-gobbling former councillor Tony Mandarano, to have taken part in
a secret meeting to vet the developer-friendly credentials of Bill
Stockwell, future power behind the befuddled Fergie Brown. No Toronto
paper leads with the story. Tonks is later revealed to be as the heavy
who plays a secret service agent in a Bad Boy furniture store ads.

North York Style: After Metro Councillor Mario Gentile is found guilty
of receiving bribes from Lou Charles, the shameless pol returns to
work, vowing to appeal and run again. Bad Boy flunky Alan Tonks
expresses sympathy.

                         OUR FAVORITE TIT MAN

Multicultural kingpin Johnny Lombardi traditional Canada Day CHIN
Picnic includes the usual Miss CHIN Bikini contest (long grumbled about
by some local pols, but the joy of Sun editors, whose front page
composers vie each year to produce the finest montage of breast and
policemen). But the contest can be a launching pad to an exciting and
glamorous career in acting -- indeed, Miss 1993 was on hand to boast of
her appearance in one Toronto-made feature, in which she plays a whore.

              SLINKING AROUND TO SEE DRINKING AT THE RINK

The 1994 Science Is A Scam award goes to the Addiction Research
Foundation, for hiring researchers to do field research by spying on
people drinking in public places such as arenas and bars. Research
associate Jacqueline Ferris has spent the last two (real) NHL seasons
covering hockey games at the Gardens and observing fans drinking.
Although a formal report is due to be released, some of the early
findings are shocking. "People go to extraordinary effort to conceal
liquor brought into the Gardens," said an ARF press release. "People
even drink in stairwells." (!) ARF's researchers also noticed that
people drink more "in bars where there was loud music ... because they
couldn't talk."

                 GETTING PUCKED BY A GUY WHO KNOW HOOPS

Gary Bettman, once a high-ranking NBA official, is planted by the
aforementioned institution in the NHL commissioner's job to destroy the
game of hockey and its growing popularity in the U.S. Coincidence or
CONSPIRACY?

                        LET'S SEE YER DECODER RING

Dr. Jamie Astaphan, former doctor and prescription wizard to
steroid-popping sprinter Ben Johnson, is arrested in Tampa after
selling cocaine-laced steroids to undercover officers. He tells the
judge at his hearing that he was working undercover for the U.S. Drug
Enforcement Agency.

                  TAKE THIS CABLE CASH-GRAB AND SHOVE IT

The Dim Bulb award goes to the CRTC for allowing Rogers Cable to gobble
up Maclean Hunter. Rogers claims they are not a monopoly, but act like
one. The way Rogers offered up the seven new specialty cable TV
channels to us last month is indicative of how they'll act in the
future: "Take all seven new channels, even though you probably won't
watch five of them, or we'll take three or four channels that you do
watch away from you." By the way, Rogers has never made money, whereas
Maclean Hunter has, which means the government will lose hundreds of
millions in tax revenues by allowing the takeover to go through.

                   DON'T GIVE THIS IDEA TO TED ROGERS

Just last week an Etobicoke man was busted for sneaking up to a
neighbors home and -- using a 30-metre extension wire and other video
stuff -- splicing their TV cable, and patching in a porno flick. He'd
allegedly been doing this for months and his big alleged thrill was to
peek through the window and catch the look on women's faces as they
turned on what they thought was going to be some innocent Disney movie,
like, for example, The Black Hole.

                  ARREST THAT PERVERT! HE'S SKETCHING!

Jeff Evans, a local editor, was taken aside at daughter Katie's
Christmas concert by the school's principal and told to stop drawing in
his sketchbook. Tina Fagg informed him that he would need the written
consent of every parent and child at Prince Charles Public School in
Newmarket before he could continue with this activity (though others in
the audience were taking photographs and videotaping the proceedings).
He stayed outside. The next day one of Katie's friends asked her, "Is
your dad gay?"

       KIDS! GROWNUPS! YOU CAN MAKE $$$ BY ATTENDING ART SCHOOL!

What a nefarious institution is OCA! In '92 it sent a group of 4th year
students to Florence for a year, a town of mouldy museums with names
like Uffizi. It took them to putrid Venice, and to Rome with its
infestation of stray cats, ruins and graffiti.

And to Paris, where they endured the misery of its surly cafes and
aggressive contemporary galleries, showing stuff like the punk
sculpture of 85-year-old Louise Bourgeois. In desperation, the students
fled to the Pompidou Centre; it was closed!

They fought back. Led by mature-students Margie Hunter-Hoffman, Theresa
Ottens, their husbands and lawyers, seven students demanded a large
financial settlement for their suffering, as well as the firing of
their instructor Rae Johnson (equity hiree and sole provider for a
family of four). Encouraged by Archie Graham, the college's maverick
dean of liberal arts, they told their tragic story to all who would
listen, such as the public-spirited Globe and Mail.

Now, after their two-year crusade for redress, the college has agreed
to pay them $6,500 each. If that buys them a few good dinners, don't
begrudge them; they've been through hell. And in the process,
illustrated a modern homily: don't get mad, get money!

                             YOU'RE BUSTED

A gang of six women and one man were busted in the Netherlands after a
string of supermarket robberies that featured a novel ploy: The women
would rush in and distract the cashier by showing him their breasts
while a male accomplice ripped off the cash from the till. The trick
worked very well until they met on shopkeeper who was not impressed and
called the cops (maybe if the guy had taken of his pants ...).

                         NEXT TIME TRY THE SCOTS

Filming of a battle scene for a Mel Gibson action epic gets out of hand
when hundreds of Irish army reservists are asked to reenact the Battle
of Stirling. Provided with wooden swords, axes and spears, the
excitable Celts send of their number to hospital in the ensuing melee.
As a police official notes, "The Irish Reserve Army don't see much real
action."

                             UPPER CLASS TWITS

British Prime Minister John Major, who boasts the worst voter approval
rating since Bloody Mary, declares that "It is an offensive thing to
beg," and urges citizens to report panhandlers to the police.
Meanwhile, Tory pol Alan Clark, one- time Thatcherite and full-time
philanderer, sweeps the tabloids with the tale of his seduction of the
wife and two daughters of a judge. His wife dismisses the revelations:
"If you bed people of below-stairs class, they go to the papers."

                                PLAGUE YEAR

The Black Death breaks out in Surat, India. Public health officials
attempt to calm the masses by describing the plague-like disease as a
particularly virulent strain of yuppie flu. A week later Indian health
officials suspend shipments of dead rats to a lab in suburban Bombay
after area residents argue that they didn't move to the 'burbs
expecting dead rats in the mail.

                          LOONEY YANK OF THE YEAR

In the dying days of the trade war over exports of Canadian durum wheat
to the States, U.S. Senator Kent Conrad (North Dakota) suggests aiming
tactical nuclear missiles at Ottawa as a bargaining method. Jean
Chr‚tien remarks that Congress would do well to remember who won the
War of 1812. (The answer: Britain.) Months later U.S. pols are again up
in arms, this time over the armed seizure of two American boats fishing
for scallops in Canadian-claimed waters. Senator Conrad suggests
resolving the dispute by the fighting of a duel -- for which he will
supply one of his staff.

                       THE LONG, HOT SILLY SEASON

The Globe runs a small item saying the coming summer should be warmer
than usual, thanks to dissipation of dust kicked up by the eruption of
Mount Pinatubo. On the same day the Star reports that Pinatunbo is
about to erupt again, guaranteeing a colder, gloomier summer.

               SO THAT'S WHY DIRECTORS ALWAYS YELL "CUT!"

John Wayne Bobbitt makes a porno movie to prove that his reattached
dickie-bird still works just fine, wham, bam, thank you ma'am. Now he
wants to star in a Hollywood movie telling his personal story and he
wants his splice-happy wife Lorena -- who has shown talent an an editor
but not an actor -- to by portrayed by Beverly Hills Bad Babe Shannen
Doherty. You heard it here first. Predicted quote for 1995: John Wayne
Bobbitt: "Hey ... has ... like I just woke up and ... has anybody seen
my nuts?"

                           BONER OF THE YEAR

A Jerusalem man who sought medical treatment because he couldn't get,
you know, it up anymore fell upon hard times. After being injected with
an anti- impotency serum, he was rushed to hospital complaining that he
couldn't get it down. He'd had a "boner" for 36 hours straight, and it
took three more days under doctor's care before Mr. Stiffy took a nap.
That's a pretty limp excuse for going to the emergency ward, if you ask
me. The problem could have easily been averted if the patient merely
took matters into his own hand(s) with the latest copy of, say, Swank,
or our personal fav, Mature Nymphos ...

                         LASH OF THE YEAR AWARD

To that snivelling little wimp Michael Fay, of Dayton, Ohio, who
somehow garnered worldwide press -- and maybe even book and movie deals
-- just because he was sentenced to be paddy-whacked on the ass a
couple of times after going apeshit with graffitti-spewing spray paint
in Singapore. Shit. My Grade Three teacher at Frankland Public School
used to wipe our asses with a split cane dozens of times for whispering
in class.

Hey, Mikey: Take it like a man, you little asshole -- right on the
asshole if the aim is precise.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

                   THE YEAR OF LIVING DOMESTICALLY

One of the few positive trends this year was the exceptional
inventiveness displayed in the growing field of domestic violence. No
longer content with just slapping each other around, the participants
have just now begun exploring more interesting ways of assault and
battery.

Take for example Michael W. Turner, 30, of Annapolis, Md., who upon
being denied access to his mother's car didn't reach for a boring old
baseball bat, but instead bludgeoned her to death with a 6-inch statue
of the Virgin Mary, a telephone and another, non-identified, religious
statue. Finally an example of religion at work.

Closer to home, a Scarborough couple stabbed each other repeatedly
after a heated argument over whether Katey Sagal or Christina
Applegate, both of the TV show Married With Children ..., is the
prettiest. Such passion is encouraging for those of us who fear that
most people don't give a rat's ass about the arts.

In Rio De Janeiro, 21-year-old Robert Carlos da Silva was not content
to have merely caused his fianc‚e's death in a motorcycle accident.
Three months after the death of the girl, the grieving guy dug up the
corpse and had sex with her. And they say that men have trouble
committing.

While it was, strictly speaking, not domestic violence, an honorable
mention must go out to Parkdale resident Janice Fudge, 45, who attacked
John Turcotte, 64, with her purse and stabbed him through the arm when
she caught him smoking in the lobby of her building. From now on,
knives will be sold with the warning, "Caution, use of sharp objects
can cause fatal wounds to non-knife-users".

This just in! Man bites dog! Stop the presses! In British Columbia, a
man took his dog's obedience training a wee, tiny, little bit too far,
and was, as a consequence, sentenced to six months' probation and 40
hours of community service for viciously biting his pitbull terrier.
The dog has since been adopted by a less rabid family.

Also encouraging this year have been new measures in law enforcement.
The fact that drunkenness is now an excuse for rape is wonderful news,
as is the fact that a man received two years less a day for stabbing
his wife 17 times with an ice-pick (Lucky he didn't stab her 18 times
or they might have really thrown the book at him!). Also delightful is
the fact that $590,000 was spent on an Ontario government TV and radio
campaign against wife abuse. The ever-frugal bureau- weenies were able
to afford the ads by cutting funding for emergency shelters for
battered women.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
ENVIRO                                                          ENVIRO

                        BAD NUKES FOR BEIJING

I wonder if the comrades in China were paying attention when Unit 2 at
the Pickering Generating Station went down, taking half of the nuclear
power plant down with it? Prime Minister Jean Chr‚tien bragged mightily
about the sale of half a dozen Candu reactors to the nice chaps who
mass-murdered all those students in Beijing not so long ago. Unit 2 at
Pickering is of course a Candu. It was an unhappy moment for Pickering
plant boss Pierre Charlebois when he had to stand up in front of a
gaggle of media and admit that nearly a week after a valve mysteriously
opened up, spilling heavy water into the containment tank around the
reactor core, his boys still hadn't figured out why it had happened. A
design flaw, maybe. Bad news, because the nukes for China are based on
the same design. Where's Maurice Strong when you need him? Who's
running the show at Ontario Hydro?

                        FEW CHEERS FOR HOWIE

It was a tough year for Howard Hampton, the former hockey great turned
natural resources minister. He no sooner marries Shelley Martel than
she gets dumped from cabinet. He pushes through the Crown Forest
Sustainability Act and no one cheers. Maybe it's because his ministry
still allows bear baiting and clearcutting, and enforcement of
regulations in the woods is already a joke because of staff reductions.
Poachers roam virtually unimpeded, thanks to roads generously built at
taxpayers' expense by the MNR. And so on.

                 COPPS COPS OUT ON CLIMATE CHANGE

A lash to Sheila Copps, Deputy Prime Minister and environment minister,
 under whose leadership Canada (home of the blue-eyed sheiks) is
dodging and weaving pathetically in a desperate attempt to avoid facing
up to the fossil fuel emission question. Copps has left the Alberta oil
barons in charge of the shaping of Canadian policy on climate change.
If this is not copping out, what is?

      WE'D LOVE TO BLAME SOMEONE FOR THIS, BUT WE CAN'T SEE THEM

I don't know who to blame for this one. The system of government
itself, I guess. The Ministry of Transportation is pushing through the
billion-dollar Highway 407 project, guaranteed to bring 100,000 more
cars per day on to the road system eventually, which means an
astronomical leap in the amount of pollution. The MOT has made no plans
whatsoever for counteracting this inevitably worsened smog situation.
Air quality isn't the ministry's responsibility, you see. That's the
responsibility of the environment ministry, which, incidentally,
doesn't have any plans either.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
EYENET                                                          EYENET

             J. EDGAR HIMMLER AWARD FOR POLICE EXCELLENCE

The London Police Department. They terrorized a University of Western
Ontario student for doing nothing more than editing a computer text
file containing rumors about the Karla Homolka case.

                     SIMPERING TOOL & FINK AWARD

University of Western Ontario computer security officer Reg Quinton.
Quinton allowed the London cops to goosestep all over the rights of
above-mentioned student. When cops came calling, Quinton exulted: "No
warrant? No subpoena? No problem, boys!" Afterwards, Quinton was seen
defending himself in newsgroup news.admin.policy by comparing Homolka
rumor peddlers to murderer/outlaw Jesse James. Sheesh.

                       NET.MIRACLE OF THE YEAR

The disappearance of Serdar Argic, the Armenian-hating racist Usenet
robot- poster. Spammed the net relentlessly.

                       NET.TRAGEDY OF THE YEAR

The appearance of Canter & Siegel, the net.sociopathic Usenet
robot-advertisers. Spammed the net relentlessly.

                 ASSHOLES OF THE YEAR (INTERNATIONAL)

Husband-and-wife team Canter & Siegel -- the "Green Card Lawyers."

                    ASSHOLES OF THE YEAR (ONTARIO)

Husband-and-wife team Bruce Lloyd and Rob Riley -- writers and
distributors of (often violently) obscene material. Kicked off
Toronto's Interlog Internet Services, they ran to Metro police the very
next day asking cops to shut down Interlog because of obscene material
on the net. Unbelievable. Suckered City Pulse News into presenting
Lloyd as a "concerned citizen worried about children." We wouldn't let
Lloyd mind a gerbil, let alone a child.

           BIGGEST BUTTHEAD POLITICO (OFF-LINE CATEGORY)

Tory leader Mike Harris. Only moron in all of Ontario to suggest
harmless Bob Rae fake/spoof post to ont.general represents threat to
whole province. Issued sensationalist press release on last day of
Legislature session, sure it was political dynamite. He was right -- it
blew up in his face.

            BIGGEST BUTTHEAD POLITICO (ON-LINE CATEGORY)

Bob Allisat. Ran for Ward 3 councillor in Toronto's municipal
elections. Highlight of campaign was watching Allisat actually
formulate his "policies" right on-line in tor.general -- like, in a
discussion about Parkdale street prostitutes, he suddenly had the
revelatory flash that The Final Solution to that problem was to have
police round up hookers and force them to work out of a humungous
abandoned warehouse in the Liberty-Atlantic area. (Got -1 per cent of
vote, as adjusted for being the candidate listed first on the ballot.
Great campaign, Bob.)

                     "WE SHALL OVERCOME" AWARD

eye's investigative expose of evil net.censor John M. Sellens at the
University of Waterloo brings to end two-year ban by bigoted campus
computer cops of alternative-lifestyle newsgroup
ont.personals.whips.and.rubber.chickens . Waterloo netters rejoice.
Power to the people, baby.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
MEDIA HIT LIST                                          MEDIA HIT LIST

              THE 10 FINEST MOMENTS IN ZERO-CONTENT NEWS

1	THAT'S THE ARABS AND JEWS FOR
	YA -- ALWAYS THE SAME OLD THING

A weekend Globe and Mail wire copy rewrite says Israeli forces are
massing at the Lebanese border as tensions rise. A few pages later the
very same copy appears under a slightly amended headline.

2	YADDA, COUNTERYADDA

CBC's Faceoff introduces the appalling Claire Hoy and Judy Rebick, who
"debate" "issues" by yelling at one another like a pair of
turpentine-swilling Klansmen.

3	THE SUNSHINE BOYS

Metro Police Constable Todd Baylis is shot dead, allegedly by a man who
was supposed to have been deported for previous convictions. The Sun's
subsequent orgy of immigrant- bashing and cop-stroking (to maintain its
inside track on all police information) culminates in a funeral
coverage issue boasting a wraparound cover shot plus 8 full pages on
the stiff-planting (pushing the Sunshine Girl to a mere black and white
slot on page 22).

4	BACKSTROKE

The Star baffles readers with a chest- thumping front-page expos‚ of
the province's failure to renew the patronage appointment of Ontario
Racing Commission trougher Frank Drea -- a columnist for Sun
predecessor The Toronto Telegram.

5	LARRY KING, ANTICHRIST

Police in Tehran order owners of satellite dishes to remove them or
face prosecution for importing western corruption.

6	BACK-ASSWARD INTO THE FUTURE

After a year of embarrassment, CBC- TV finally shifts Peter and Pam
back to 10 p.m.

7	TEA FOR TWO

TV Ontario's bizarre sally into news is Studio 2, so named either
because it's a sequel to the much-loved Studio 1, or the cost of
graying hipster Allan Gregg's tidy new haircut meant TVO couldn't
afford to go all the way to Studio 5.

8	TSN'S WIDE WORLD OF NOTHING

"Following our update on strike talks in baseball and hockey, we go
live to Kabul for the world championship of lifting very big rocks
without dropping them on your foot."

9	SO LONG THEN, STEALTH MAYOR

On Metro election night CITY-TV's vote-tallying computers crash,
leaving them with a count showing computer geek candidate Gerry Meinzer
in the lead when CFTO had already declared Barbara Hall the victor.

10 OUR CHAMPIONSHIP SILLY SEASON

The Associated Press brings us the tale of a man in Warsaw whose dog
somehow pulled the trigger on a shotgun, wounding the man slightly. Dog
shoots man!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
NAKED EYE                                                    NAKED EYE

            WILL YOU HAVE A FRIED CROTCH WITH THAT, MA'AM?

In sue-happy America a woman wins a $2.9 million lawsuit against
McDonald's for spilling a steaming hot coffee on her very own crotch.
Thus encouraged, another reportedly rather large plaintiff files suit
for emotional harm caused by the fact that she fell of the toilet while
taking a dump at Mc.D's. This could be the start of a whole new trend:

Here are then suggested reasons to sue McDonald's for gazillions of
bucks in the New Year (and, we at eye, of course, claim 15 per cent of
any actual settlements because, after all, it was our idea).

1. Sue for permanent case of nausea from looking at pimples on workers
   who cook fries.

2. Sue for environmental guilt trip over having to throw away about 18
   pieces of plastic and StyroFoam™ containers and utensils after eating
   one Mc-Hap-Hap- Happy-Wappy Meal.

3. Sue because you are constantly -- against your wishes  -- being
   asked to have "fries with that."

4. Sue because they never give you vinegar unless you specifically ask
   for it. It should be your RIGHT, goddammit!!!

5. Sue because the cheesy-faced mock-jolliness of staff is obviously a
   deviously conspired act to make you feel like a piece of shit because
   YOU aren't working for minimum wage.

6. Sue because you have to look at those bad polyester uniforms.

7. Sue because the blithering, blabbering dickweeds you are forced to
   sit beside are obviously inbred morons and your mental health might
   suffer from Second- Hand Stupidity.

8. Sue because -- just because you're a writer who sleeps until four
   in the afternoon -- you can't get a Big Breakfast after 11 a.m.

9. Sue because the lady in the lime green stretchie pants budded into
   line ahead of you, causing you permanent anxiety disorders.

10. Sue because they won't tell you what's in the Secret Sauce on the
   Big Macs. How do we know it's not bull jism or something? The public
   has a right to know.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
THE PARK                                                      THE PARK

                  HE AIN'T RINKY-DINK, HE'S MY PREMIER

Stung by months of bad press coverage, the NDP decide it's time to
change their policies -- NOT. Instead, they decide to blame the media.
Premier Bob Rae's press assistant Sine MacKinnon tells a reporter her
boss is "no rinky-dink." Reporters are reminded of the dying days of
the Mulroney government in Ottawa.

                      WHAT A DIFFERENCE A GAY MAKES

Liberal Leader Lyn McLeod flips and flops for and against same-sex
rights before finally deciding she is against. Her staff insists McLeod
has been consistent, but one disenchanted senior Liberal tells eye,
"She definitely flip-flopped, no matter what she says." Liberal MPP
David Ramsay tells the Legislature that supporting gays is "just the
right thing to do" and later votes against same-sex rights.

                        PASS THE SALT AND PEPPER

PC Leader Mike Harris stakes out the middle class as his political
target with the promise of a 30 per cent tax cut and spending cuts of
$6 billion, most coming from social services. Harris promises to eat
the paper his promises are written on if he breaks them.

           IT'S MY PARTY AND I'LL  BOBBITTIZE IT IF I WANT TO

PC Leader Mike Harris promises to save money by eliminating 31 MPPs,
but his own party is concerned that many of the underpopulated rural
seats that will disappear are the very ones that he hopes to win.

          MINISTER POOH-POOHS REQUEST FOR BOSSY'S BINGO LICENCE

Marilyn Churley, Minister of Bingos, reverses herself and grants a
licence for cow-patty-bingo, which involves dividing a farmer's field
into big squares, setting a cow loose and betting on where it will drop
its load. Months before, Churley had withheld the licence because she
was convinced the game could be rigged. After she saw a real cow she
changed her mind.

                       PESKY REPORTER ASKS QUESTION

The Addiction Research Foundation proves that if you don't have
anything to say, don't call a press conference. Globe and Mail reporter
Paul Taylor questions the data in a new ARF study and is told, "I don't
think you should worry about how good the data are."

                     BASKETBALL AS POLITICAL FOOTBALL

Toronto almost loses out on a professional basketball franchise because
the NDP insists on playing chicken with the NBA over its new sports
lottery. Rae denies that his dislike for Raptors co-owner and former
Liberal premier David Peterson is a factor. A friend says Peterson
"certainly wouldn't pull Rae from a swollen creek."

                   WE USED TO LOVE YOU -- NOW GET OUT

The man who nominated Bob Rae for leader of the NDP, Mel Swart, a long-
time former MPP, blames the Premier for the wipe-out of the federal NDP
in Ontario and asks Rae to resign. He joins several other party
stalwarts including 10 former federal MPs, who all agree.

             HEALTH MINISTER TRIES TO KILL OWN GOVERNMENT

Health Minister Ruth Grier continues her efforts to defeat her own
government. Her long-term health bill, which she told Rae would not be
controversial, riles up thousands of health care workers across the
province.

                          HELL FREEZES OVER

Shelley Martel, the first Ontario cabinet minister to take a lie
detector test to prove that she was lying, finally gets booted out of
Rae's cabinet after getting in trouble for a third time by releasing
confidential information about a taxpayer.

                  SUPER DETENTION FOR STUDENT REP

Titch Dharamsi, who represents 118,000 Ontario students, is
frog-marched out of the Legislature lobby by the OPP for disagreeing
with Education Minister Dave Cooke at a press scrum. U of T president
Rob Prichard tells him he can't believe this happened in Ontario.

                 ACCUSED AGENT-GENERAL GETS LYNCHED

Former Ontario agent-general Carlton Masters goes to court in March to
fight the NDP's right to refuse to tell him the charges against him,
what he was accused of and who his accusers are. An Ontario court rules
that Premier Bob Rae has the authority to do what he did.

                           A PLACE TO GROW

NDP backbencher George Mammoliti supports a bill to evict children from
social housing if anyone in the family is dealing drugs. Human rights
advocates and the NDP government are horrified. Mammoliti responds: "Do
we want to give the responsibility of children to a drug dealer?"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

                             ENOUGH ALREADY!!

CSIS
Punk rock
Tiny little backpacks
The Common Sense Revolution
Sexual harassment
Tribute albums
Rock stars with liver transplants
Books about Trudeau
Books about Mulroney
Books about Nicole Simpson by "close, personal friends" or relatives
Piercing
Alternative
Wood-burning ovens
The Easy Listening comeback
S&M
S/M
Talk show hosts
Violence in schools
O.J.
Roseanne
JoJo's influence on the Chr‚tien family
The blood supply
Inherent or structural racism
Suppressed memories of childhood abuse
Canadian content
Iced tea
Homicide: Life On The Streets
Home invasions
Immigrants
After hours clubs
Media bans
Cyber everything
Virtual anything
The Information Highway, super or otherwise
People who talk about Pulp Fiction at parties
People who talk about Exotica at parties
People who talk about Natural Born Killers at parties
People who thought Interview With The Vampire wasn't faithful to the Look
Mighty Morphin Power Rangers
Ted Rogers
Tim Allen
Jack Layton and Olivia Chow and their goddamn tandem bicycle
Barenaked Ladies
Roseanne Skoke
Gun control
Flesh-eating bacteria
Warnings that any more or any fewer units of alcohol than we drink per
  week will kill us
Swarmings
Jingle Cats
Kate Moss
Mickey Rourke
Johnny Depp
Dr. Kevorkian
Calvin Klein
Michael Jackson and Lisa Marie Presley
Bank megaprofits
Platform shoes
Generation X, Y or any other initial
Angels

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Retransmit freely in cyberspace        Author holds standard copyright
Issues of eye in archive                         gopher://interlog.com
Coupla Mailing lists available             http://www.interlog.com/eye
[email-masked]      "Break the Gutenberg Lock..."       416-971-8421

Xref: utcsri alt.internet.media-coverage:3258 alt.journalism:10896 alt.journalism.criticism:3025 can.general:41768 misc.headlines:46930 ont.general:22911 tor.general:18446
Path: utcsri!newsflash.concordia.ca!uunet!news.mathworks.com!usenet.eel.ufl.edu!interlog.com!not-for-mail
From: [email-masked] (eye WEEKLY)
Newsgroups: eye.news,eye.general,tor.general,ont.general,can.general,alt.journalism,alt.journalism.criticism,alt.internet.media-coverage,misc.headlines
Subject: The Stupid Net.Coverage Media Awards
Followup-To: eye.general,tor.general,ont.general,can.general,alt.journalism,alt.journalism.criticism,alt.internet.media-coverage,misc.headlines
Date: 8 Jan 1995 12:29:05 -0500
Organization: eye.NET NEWSMEDIA LABS
Lines: 334
Approved: [email-masked]
Message-ID: <[email-masked]>
NNTP-Posting-Host: gold.interlog.com

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

                  MEDIA MORON OF THE YEAR/MONTH CONTEST
                  The stupid net.coverage media awards

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

<turning around in swivel chair to face your monitor; reassuring
smile> Oh! Hello, there...

<standing and putting hand confidently in pocket of white lab coat> We
at eye.NET NEWSMEDIA LABS are working hard at charting the exciting and
historical merger of establishment newsmedia with the Internet. If you
hush a moment, and listen very very carefully... you can hear a
newsroom editor somewhere whimpering right now as s/he faces yet
another net story. And, as is said, every time a newseditor suffers, an
angel gets its wings.

<Walking over to terminal and resting reassuring hand upon it> We've
read NetNews for years. Like you, we have countless delightful reading
memories. But none have brought us so much cheer as when netters from
around Our Beautiful Blue Planet upload ascii copies of moronic media
stories to newsgroups and mailing lists.

<taking off glasses and sitting on edge of desk, one eyebrow raised in
Ward Cleaver firm-but-lovingness> It's time to formally recognize this
great media contribution to our simultaneous anxiety and mirth. We
officially announced the Stupid Net.Coverage Awards back in November
1994. We are asking for your help in formalizing this into the MEDIA
MORON OF THE MONTH/YEAR contest -- rather like alt.usenet.kooks' "Kook
of the Month" award, open for voting from the net.community itself.

When you see media coverage of the net that is painfully dumb, don't
just fume or laugh derisively. Forward a copy to [email-masked] and
post it to alt.internet.media-coverage . 

All submissions will be permanently archived in a Stupid Net.Coverage
Media Awards page at our web site (http://www.interlog.com/eye). And,
most exciting of all, the winner will be contacted directly by phone
and asked for comment. These reactions will also be stored. Winners 
will be announced in hardcopy as well.

<standing, voice rising to meet the future> By building these archives, it
is a better world we also build. To provide us and our net.descendants
with a view of how ill-informed many reporters really are on this subject
-- after all, how else could Martha Siegel and Michael Wolff _convince_
media drones that ads are canceled for breaking some "Holy Than Thou
Anti-Ad Commandment" rather than for being spams? Things other than ads
have been Cancelmoosed(TM). And, with this handy resource, journalism
school students will never have had it so easy, perhaps launching a new
breed of net.literate reporters... 

<indicating calendar with a pointer> And 1995 promises to be even
wilder than 1994, what with the Righteous Minions of Small Business
clamoring aboard and trying to paint the net.community as "unfair" and
"terrorists" -- or even, as Canter & Siegel have already tried to
claim in their book, that there simply _is_ no net.community. It's an old 
trick of conquest: once a community is marginalized into insignificance,
it's easier to eradicate it. 

Battle-lines are being drawn in the media itself. We at eye.NET hope
the MEDIA MORON OF THE MONTH/Stupid Net.Coverage Media Awards will draw
those lines more starkly, forcing reporters to wake up.

<pause -- looking imploringly into camera, big eyes> Please help us
spread joy and happiness to the millions who suffer under the weight of
braindead media coverage of net issues. Share the wealth. Contribute
now. And contribute often.

Thank you.

Malaclypse the Foetus
eye.NET NEWSMEDIA LABS
http://www.interlog.com/eye/News/Eyenet/EyeNet.html

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

                      MEDIA MORON OF THE MONTH FAQ
                   The Stupid Net.Coverage News Awards

     "The fact that your voice is amplified to the degree where 
     it reaches from one end of the country to the other does not
     confer upon you greater wisdom or understanding than you 
     possessed when your voice reached only from one end of the
     bar to the other."

                                      -- Edward R Murrow
                                         CBS reporter, 1965

Try as one might, one human alone cannot collect all the Stupid Net
Stories pouring out from the Fourth Estate -- so plentiful and weedlike
they are, no one can never catch all. So let's us, the net.community, pool
our resources with a general and ongoing call for submissions. (You can
certainly submit eye.NET stories if you like ;-)

                            TWO CONTESTS

1994: MEDIA MORON OF THE YEAR. The year is over and we would like to
invite people to submit their own choices for what was the stupidest
piece of net reporting they encountered. We had our own list, and
were prepared to deliberate upon it, but then realized we were 
undoubtedly missing important Stupid Net.Coverage for the above stated 
reasons -- there's too much of it.

So dig through your archives and hard drives. Send a paragraph about why
you think it is A MILESTONE IN STUPIDITY, along with the actual
copy/transcript if possible. We will compile these and make them available
for voting on Web and in alt.internet.media-coverage . Voting details will
be determined. Accepted nominations will be stored in our Web site and
made available as an FAQ called, perhaps, Net.Legends.Newsmedia-1994. 

1995: MEDIA MORON OF THE MONTH. We know these things start slow, but
they eventually reach "critical mass" and take on a momentum of their
own -- much as our friend Craig Dickson has accomplished with his
Kook Of The Month award. We seek to take a page from Craig's grassroots
movement apply the same tactics to newsmedia -- after all, newsmedia
and kooks are uncomfortably synonymous when the net is involved.

Post your submission in alt.internet.media-coverage with the word
NOMINATION in the subject line. It would also be helpful if you would
email a copy to [email-masked] . We will then archive it in our web
site. Nominations will be closed a week after the month ends and people
can vote.

                                PRIZE

Winning reporters/news organizations will be directly contacted by eye
by phone and asked for comment. We will arrange for the story and a
picture of the reporter (if available) to be immortalized _in hardcopy_, 
as well as in web pages. (eye has a circulation of over 100k in Toronto.)

When 1995 ends, the 12 monthly MORON winners will be presented for a
general vote on which reigns supreme and deserves the prestigious Usenet 
MEDIA MORON OF THE YEAR award. The winner will, again, be contacted 
directly for comment and sent a Stylish Certificate suitable for framing 
at home or office.

                       TYPICAL STUPID STORIES

There are all sorts of stupid media stories about the net -- and they
are _not_ the private domain of "trashy tabloids." In fact, most come
from organization which consider themselves serious news outlets. 

There seem five basic types:

1. SEX! HOMOSEXUAL RECRUITMENT! SNUFF FILMS! FEMALE DEGRADATION!
PAEDOPHILES! -- By far the most common. To get really heated, reporters
fall back on paedophiles -- Save The Children! Chicago Tribune columnist
James Coates wrote a piece last summer about "Vito," an undoubtedly
made-up paedophile who cruises IRC hoping to have sex with kids in
wheelchairs. I understand Coates' pain: I cannot spend 10 minutes in IRC
before someone asks if I'm a child in a wheelchair looking for a sex
partner. (eye.NET -- 08.04.94)

But it ain't just the mainstream media, so-called alternative media are
often as terminally dense (pun intended). British Columbia's Adbusters
magazine normally specializes in subversive anti-ad guerrilla warfare
("subvertising"). It's spoof ads are often nasty and terrific. But in the
Winter 1995 issue, it decided to tackle the net. It presented the "Top Ten
Internet Newsgroups" in order of Mbyte volume. They are: 

     alt.binaries.pictures.erotica
     alt.binaries.pictures.misc,
     alt.binaries.sounds.misc
     alt.binaries.pictures.supermodels,
     alt.binaries.sounds.tv
     alt.binaries.pictures.erotica.oreientals,
     alt.binaries.multimedia
     alt.binaries.pictures.erotica.males
     alt.binaries.pictures
     alt.binaries.sounds.mods

Erotica! TV! Supermodels! Oh no! Adbusters sees this as proof netters
remain dupes of crass consumer culture: 

     "While the Internet is often heralded as an intellectual Mecca,
     the bulk of Internet traffic measured in Mbytes, is no more
     intellectual than the reading material found on the top shelf of
     your corner store's magazine rack...."

Had their reporter examined the list more closely, he might have
noticed every one is an alt.binaries.* newsgroup. Binaries. Images,
sounds, etc. A single picture can take 300k. One well-written,
high-signal text post can take 10k. A PICTURE AIN'T WORTH A THOUSAND
WORDS IN THIS MEDIUM, ADBUSTERS. All their story proves is that
binaries take up more Mbytes than text posts. What a newsflash. Of
course, their rush to support their own editorial slant does help
perpetuate the myth among control freaks and conservatives that the net
is really just the Marina-Sirtis-Topless-GIF highway. (eye.NET --
01.12.94)

2. ANARCHY! DEATH! THE FALL OF ROME! -- Save the children! October 8
1994 issue of The Scotsman (Scotland's national newspaper) proves bad
net.reporting is international. The paper reported on a mother's
anguished warning that a disk her son owned that held a copy of _The
Anarchist's Cookbook_ "looked just like all the other disks in the
box." Mom seeks to warn mothers everywhere about the evil Cookbook and
the way you can get it on the net. (You can buy the Anarchist's
Cookbook  at larger bookstore -- Barricade Books, New Jersey, available
here in Toronto for $34.75 Canadian.) (eye.NET -- 11.22.94)

3. DRUGS! DEATH! THE FALL OF ROME! -- Save The Children! Ban alt.drugs!
Canadian network CTV's ran a fullpage ad for something called _William 
Shatner's TEKWAR_ -- "In 2044, Drugs Aren't Sold On The Street. They're 
Sold On The Internet." The ad shows some white-bread-male-model pointing a
plastic space-gun (it's 2044 after all) at some
not-white-bread-male-model -- clearly right in the middle of an
exciting drug bust on the infobahn. (eye.NET -- 11.22.94)

4. SPAM-LIBERATIONISTS -- There seems some genetic defect in reporters
that does not permit them to understand that the net.community backlash
against C&S and Michael Wolff is not about "ads" but about spamming.
Since Wolff -- the so-called net.guru who has published three books
about cyberspace -- can't even figure out how to crosspost, it
shouldn't be surprising he doesn't understand why he was
Cancelmoosed(TM). Reporters simply believe his uninformed view of
reality. (eye.NET -- several references; see
http://www.interlog.com/eye/News/Eyenet/CS2.html for an Interview with
Martha Siegel -- "A Net.Conspiracy So Immense...")

5. WHAT'S THIS BUTTON DO?! -- Watching copy editors struggle with basic
terms is endlessly humorous. How many inaccurate names have they for
"newsgroups," for instance? My favorite remains "computer billboards."
(eye.NET -- 05.24.94) To be fair, missing obscure jargonese is more than
forgivable. But the _depth_ of ignorance is often staggering. A recent
Risks Digest contained an extreme example:

     From: Paul Fuqua <[email-masked]>
     Subject: Pentium + Spell-Checkers

          On December 5, the _Dallas Morning News_, not the most
     technically-aware newspaper in the world, ran an article from the
     _San Jose Mercury News_ about the recent Pentium FDIV situation.
          Unfortunately, they ran it through a spell-checker first. 
     The company names "Intel" and "Megatest" became "Until" and
     "Megadeath," which actually puts an interesting slant on the
     story.
          I've only ever seen one writer's byline on computer-related
     articles in the DMN, so the root problem may be that no one else
     at the paper knows enough to catch this obvious (to us) error.

                         NET.JOURNALISM 101

We net.citizens are really altruists at heart, full of care and
compassion for our fellow human beings. How many of us have not stayed
up into the wee hours helping yet another AOL-er struggle through that
painful process of learning to decode topless Marina Sirtis GIFs?

And we also hope to help the educationally-challenged members of in the
Old Guard media! The MEDIA MORON OF THE MONTH contest is not done out
of HATE but out of LOVE! We encourage our reporter cousins to get a
net.education. After all, despite the futurist hype one oft hears,
journalists will _not_ become redundant in an "info-age." Hard
journalism skills will command greater value than ever as people,
confronted by the info onslaught, scramble for ways to condense
material into a consumable yet meaningful packages. Anyone can set up a
newsprogram to collect 475 megs of news about specific subjects, but it
still takes a human to synthesis this collection into a
smaller-yet-greater whole.

Reporters and editors might like to check out a couple of these
resources...

NEWSGROUPS: The main one is alt.journalism -- discussions of the craft
itself. Please note: there is always some yahoo somewhere crossposting
their latest flame wars here, sure that "IF ONLY THE PRESS KNEW, _THEY_
WOULD SMITE OUR ENEMIES." There are other subgroups:
alt.journalism.criticism, alt.journalism.students,
alt.journalism.newspapers, alt.journalism.gay-press, etc. To chronicle the
misadventures of the Fourth Estate in cyberspace, read
alt.internet.media-coverage -- which never seems to run out of flames
about Time, Newsweek or the NY Times reportage. 

MAILING LISTS: CANCAR-L ([email-masked]), or CANadian
Computer Assisted Reporting. Owned by Ryerson faculty net.pioneer Dean
Tudor ([email-masked]). CANCAR-L invites members of the news
media (and others) to discuss computer-assisted reporting (like the
net) in Canada. CARR-L ([email-masked]) is an
international version. GUILDNET-L ([email-masked]). Owned by
Colin Perkel ([email-masked]). Strictly for members of newsmedia.
Discusses _working conditions_ -- unionism, labor/management,
health/safety, pay and equity, etc.

MEDIA-NET: There's also Media-Net, a "Computer-Assisted Reporting
Tool." It's a journalist-owned-and-operated service that helps
journalists locate "experts," find case studies, ferret out photos,
etc. "Just send in your name, your news organization, what you're
working on, what your request is, your deadline and how to contact
you." For info: contact Amy Plummer at MediaNet
([email-masked]) in Pennsylvania. 717-243-4285.

                                *

     "When you run a picture of a nice clean-cut all-American 
     girl like this, get her tits above the fold."

                             -- Al Neuharth, founder of USA Today,
                                at a page-one meeting

                                *

     "Have you discovered the limitless range of computer porn? 
     Have you discovered your kid/student discovering the same? 
     I am a CBC TV journalist preparing a report on computer
     pornography and I am looking for people who are prepared 
     to talk about their own experiences.

     "I'd like to meet some teenage kids who can navigate 
     through the world of computer porn and who can show me
     what they've found. I'd also like to meet parents and 
     teachers who have come across their kids/students 
     exploring this world."

                             -- CBC TV reporter Jeffrey Kofman
                                Oct 10, to newsgroup ont.general

                                *

     "I am a yellow journalist preparing a sensationalistic story
     on the information superhighway, and I am looking for people
     prepared to provide me with shocking and unrepresentative
     anecdotes from their own experiences."

                             -- Justin Wells
                                ([email-masked])
                                replies to Kofman in ont.general

---
eof

Xref: utcsri ont.general:23139
Path: utcsri!newsflash.concordia.ca!nstn.ns.ca!hookup!interlog.com!not-for-mail
From: [email-masked] (eye WEEKLY)
Newsgroups: eye.news,ont.general,talk.envronment
Subject: ENVIRO: Are You Ready For A Nuke Flake?
Followup-To: eye.general,ont.general,talk.envronment
Date: 13 Jan 1995 09:21:08 -0500
Organization: eye -- Toronto's Arts Newspaper
Lines: 114
Approved: [email-masked]
Message-ID: <[email-masked]>
NNTP-Posting-Host: gold.interlog.com

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
eye WEEKLY                                             January 12 1994
Toronto's arts newspaper                      .....free every Thursday
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
ENVIRO                                                          ENVIRO

                    ARE YOU READY FOR A NUKE FLUKE?

                                  by
                              BOB HUNTER

This happened a long time ago, of course. December 10, 1994, to be
exact. Remember back that far, pilgrim? It was the right they almost
drove old Pickering down.

I was sitting at home with my wife and kids, with the fireplace ablaze,
and, truth to tell, the hot tub on, waiting for the perfect moment to
do our Nordic thing. One kid was playing computer games, the other
watching a movie. It was snowing outside.

The phone rang. It was the assignment desk at the television station I
work for. A producer was saying, "Bob, sorry to bug you on a Saturday
night, but one of the reactors at Pickering is down. There's some kind
of emergency."

Honestly, producers can talk that way. They get real sweet under
pressure.

My house, I should say, is 13 kilometres to the northwest of the
Pickering plant, something to consider when buying property in the
Toronto area. Which way are the prevailing winds?

The Pickering nuke came on line 25 years ago. The other Toronto area
nuclear station, Darlington, located out past the car-building centre
of Oshawa, is still coming on line -- at staggering cost.

Darlington, the newest and probably the last member of Ontario's
"fleet" of nuclear power stations, is famous for having cost $14
billion to build, just slightly over the original estimate of $3
billion, a fiasco that basically left Ontario reeling from a knee to
the fiscal groin from Wall Street, since the blundering behemoth of an
electrical utility is also a Crown corporation, whose multibillion debt
is guaranteed by the Ontario taxpayers.

More than that is guaranteed by the public, however. When the nuclear
industry first got up and running, after the Second World War, it faced
a few formidable technological problems, but these were pieces of cake
compared to the main problem, which was financial. The insurance rates
the new, unproven industry would have to pay would make the entire
enterprise impossible.

The insurance industry was adamant. They could simply not afford to
cover the costs of a nuclear accident, especially in a place like
Pickering, where the nearest home is a five-minute jog from the
hurricane fence around the plant. Would a trillion dollars be enough?

The insurers were only being sensible. The mad nuclear power advocates
were willing to gamble everything, however, so they prevailed upon the
Tory politicians of the day to push through an astonishing piece of
legislation, known as the Nuclear Liability Act, which basically
exempts the insurers from having to pay homeowners in Ontario anything
at all in the event of a nuclear accident.

So when Pickering "goes" there goes the property values. It's not just
that you won't be able to rent out your radioactive house for 50 years,
it's also that you'll still be left facing your mortgage payments.
You'll have lost everything, with no legal recourse. Neat, eh?

Knowing that, you'd have to wonder why I would live, even temporarily,
within 13 kilometres of a wonky nuclear power station. Part of the
answer is that, as far as I can find out from various studies, at 13
kilometres we are just out of range of the worst-case fallout scenario,
so our lives aren't directly at risk. The prevailing winds and all
that...

Also, we are close to the 401, which, with a bit of a head start, would
take my wife and kids homeward-bound for Vancouver along the
straightest route possible. We have long since worked out our own
escape plans, thank you, prodded into it by having taken a look at the
official plan for evacuation in the event of a nuclear emergency -- a
scary piece of bureaucratic insanity. I think Stephen King must have
cooked it up as the outline for a truly terrifying movie.

For all these reasons, when the phone rang, and it was the assignment
desk telling me the grim news that there was trouble at Pickering, I
snapped out of my Saturday evening daze and started digging through my
closet for survival gear, although things weren't serious enough yet, I
sensed, for my wife to throw the kids and sleeping bags and flashlights
into the van. I jammed my cell phone in my pocket and said, "I'll call.
If it looks bad, take off. Bring your cell and the battery charger that
fits the lighter. If the 401 starts to choke, head north."

As I waited for a cameraman to claw his way through the snowstorm to
pick me up so we could head over to the plant, I sat with my wife by
the fire and sipped red wine. That seemed appropriate -- what else are
you going to do with a China Syndrome hanging over your head?

The cameraman arrived, and off we went in the four-wheel drive. It was
distressing how quickly we reached the outer perimeter at Pickering.
The police waved us through the barricades that had been thrown up, and
I saw the huge grey concrete bulk of the nuke through the swirling
snow, the floodlights glaring on its bulkheads. Instinctively, I knew I
was onto one of those Big Bizarre Stories that us media freaks live
for, and which, if we all survived, would provide me with closeup
insight galore as to how Hydro handles a crisis. Stay tuned.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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Article 23439 of ont.general:
Xref: utcsri ont.general:23439 talk.environment:25798
Path: utcsri!newsflash.concordia.ca!nstn.ns.ca!hookup!interlog.com!not-for-mail
From: [email-masked] (eye WEEKLY)
Newsgroups: eye.news,ont.general,talk.environment
Subject: ENVIRO: Whoops! Pesky valve stumps Pickering engineers
Followup-To: eye.general,ont.general,talk.environment
Date: 19 Jan 1995 09:24:13 -0500
Organization: eye -- Toronto's Arts Newspaper
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~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
eye WEEKLY                                             January 19 1995
Toronto's arts newspaper                      .....free every Thursday
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
ENVIRO                                                          ENVIRO

            WHOOPS! PESKY VALVE STUMPS PICKERING ENGINEERS

                                  by
                              BOB HUNTER

"Events," as they are euphemistically called, happen so often at
Ontario's nuclear plants that they are almost never mentioned in the
media. More to the point, they are seldom mentioned to the media.

What was unusual about the Dec. 10 event at the Pickering generating
station was the fact that Hydro got a press release out pretty close to
right away. As far as Norm Rubin of Energy Probe can recall, this was
the first time a release came out more or less right on the heels of
trouble.

When I arrived at the information building at Pickering that
nearly-fateful night, it was to discover that the roadblocks thrown up
when the No. 2 reactor went down had been removed.

A thoroughly rattled young public relations man, who had been talking
into the microphone held by a Live Eye cameraman, saw me coming through
the door and immediately decided he had other more pressing matters to
attend to. He literally fled the room, babbling: "I've got things to
do."

What could be more important for a PR man than doing PR?

To find out what had happened, I had to go into the CITY-TV microwave
truck and play back the tape the cameraman had got. Not an auspicious
beginning in terms of coverage ...

The drama was, of course, over long before I got there. If it hadn't
been, a large section of Pickering would be toast.

The ghost in the machine had spoken at 5:27 p.m., when a pressure
relief valve took it upon itself to yawn without being cued, triggering
a rash of flashing red lights in the control room as 150 tonnes of
radioactive heavy water went spraying like a burst bladder onto the No.
2 reactor core's floor.

The reactor began shutting itself down within seconds, but as the
control room operator shouted for help and began to frantically hit
buttons, trying to restore pressure, something else went terribly
wrong: a pipe on the other side of the rogue valve burst, and the water
pressure started to drop again.

Finally -- for the first time ever in a Candu reactor -- the emergency
core cooling system kicked in and the giant atom-splattering beast was
brought to heel.

There was much self-congratulatory huffing and puffing by Hydro
officials in the weeks to come about how "everything worked" in an
emergency. While -- thank God and the designers -- it was true this
time around, the fact is that the automatic shutdown was the last line
of defence. What kicked in, essentially, was the brake.

And if it hadn't worked, there is no fall-back system. If it hadn't
worked, the reactor would either have blown or melted. Take your pick.
Them's the options.

All the other Candu reactors have been built with an injection system
that can pump a liquid neutron "poison" into the core, absorbing enough
of the atom- smashing particles to stop a chain reaction, and do the
job within two seconds. The reactors at Pickering were constructed 21
years ago, before the injection system had been dreamed up.

In short, Pickering is the worst-designed nuclear power station in the
country.

Too bad it also happens to be surrounded by suburbs, complete with a
cute little playground right next door and a popular picnicking beach
to the west.

By Monday, two days after the event, Hydro's media damage control
system was up and running. Top PR gun Terry Young was manning the
mikes, assuring all and sundry there was no risk to the public, there
would be no increases in radioactive emissions, and it would just be a
matter of time before Pickering was back to normal, even though, as a
precaution, the three other reactors in the "A" section of the plant
had been closed down.

Terry's good at his job. On camera he manages to project a mix of
humility and honesty that is refreshingly different from the cool
arrogance of the engineering elite that actually runs the utility. He's
got the slightly rumpled look of an old newsman. The only hint to be
found of the pressure that he had to be under was in the bags under his
slightly-haunted eyes.

It was probably his inspiration to call a surprise press conference out
at the plant on the Friday six days after the event, a press conference
that could easily have become a disaster, since the plant's boss,
Pierre Charlebois, had nothing to say except to admit that his team of
iron-ringed geniuses still hadn't been able to figure out what made
that pesky pressure relief valve open on its own. What saved the day,
PR-wise, was the decision to truck us reporters and camerapersons out
to the training control room where the Saturday night event was
re-enacted.

It was surreal, to say the least, watching these real-life control room
operators acting out the drama, complete with flashing red lights on
the monitors. It was, so far as I know, the first post-modern simulated
nuclear near-catastrophe to be staged for the benefit of the cameras. I
had some problems with the dialogue, having a hard time believing the
operators hadn't uttered at least one tiny little expletive as the
reactor went to hell in a handbasket. But the real-life event had
successfully been turned into a media event. And I had to say to
myself: boy, you Hydro guys are smoothies!

                              Bob Hunter is a co-founder of Greenpeace
                                   and ecology specialist for CITY-TV.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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Article 23440 of ont.general:
Xref: utcsri ont.general:23440
Path: utcsri!newsflash.concordia.ca!nstn.ns.ca!hookup!interlog.com!not-for-mail
From: [email-masked] (eye WEEKLY)
Newsgroups: eye.news,ont.general
Subject: THE PARK: Election Date Guessing Game
Followup-To: eye.general,ont.general
Date: 19 Jan 1995 09:25:46 -0500
Organization: eye -- Toronto's Arts Newspaper
Lines: 119
Approved: [email-masked]
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~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
eye WEEKLY                                             January 19 1995
Toronto's arts newspaper                      .....free every Thursday
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
THE PARK                                                      THE PARK

                     ELECTION DATE GUESSING GAME

Only Bob Rae knows when he will call the provincial election. But one
thing is for sure: he must call an election this year whether he wants
to or not. The NDP is now halfway into its fifth year in office,
becoming just the fourth government in Ontario history to stay in
office longer than four years.

Although governments can legally hold power for five years, the
tradition of calling an election every four years (or less) has been
broken only during times of national crisis: the First and Second World
Wars and the Great Depression of the '30s. And now by Bob Rae.

To try to find out when Rae will call the election, eye contacted the
people who have been watching his every move  -- the Queen's Park press
gallery.

Three scenarios are being talked about by the pundits at Queen's Park.
The first group sees an early election call in March, with a vote in
April or May. The second possibility would see a vote in June or July
after the Qu‚bec referendum, which is expected in late June.

The final scenario has Rae waiting until after Sept. 6, the day he was
elected five years earlier. This would allow the more than 40 one-term
MPPs in his caucus to qualify for a lifetime pension of about $11,000.

The dean of the gallery, Eric Dowd, who has been at Queen's Park for
more than 30 years, told eye, "I think he can go into the very late
fall. I've always felt he would leave it as late as possible. A premier
who has the power to call an election needs every minute of time that
he can to improve his position."

The Globe's James Rush disagrees. "I would think the least probable by
far is a September call. That's a desperation scenario." He feels Rae's
opponents would then to able to say "look at these greedy bastards --
they hung around just to get a pension. Nobody in the world would
accept that."

As for Rae staying in office during the Qu‚bec referendum, Rush points
out that national issues didn't help former premier David Peterson in
the 1990 election. "In fact, it was one of the negatives against him,"
Rush says.

Jeff Harder of The Toronto Sun feels the election will be called
somewhere between March 1 and June 30. "If he waits until after
September, he will suffer the same defeat as the Tories did in 1993,"
said Harder. "People will be so angry that he stretched it to the last
day."

Harder thinks Rae will wait to see if the federal budget, expected in
late February, is bad for Ontario. "And if it's truly a nasty budget,
they can load that into their Howitzers and hit the campaign trail."

Betsy Powell of Canadian Press predicts the election will be held June
8. "What are they going to do until September?" she asks. "What are
they doing now? He's got to go in June, besides he wants to spend his
summer at his cottage." Jim Coyle of the Ottawa Citizen also picks June
8.

Richard Brennan of the Windsor Star agrees an early June vote is
likely, although he wouldn't be surprised to see Rae wait until after
the Qu‚bec referendum. "He sees himself as the savior of Canada. I
wouldn't put it past him because he really fancies himself as Captain
Canada."

CITY-TV's Colin Vaughan also predicts a June vote, while Steve Paikin
of TVO picks May 25 and Leslie Papp of The Star thinks the election
will be held in May or June.

Well, that clears things up. The political experts all agree the
election will be held sometime this year.

eye asked Toronto-based psychic Anthony Carr when he thinks the
election will be held. "September rings a bell, or the Legislature may
sit in September," Carr says. "It's definitely something to do with
September."

Next week eye asks our panel of professional pundits who they think
will win the election -- whenever it's called.

                     HARRIS GETS NEW SPIN DOCTOR

Former reporter, political flack and public affairs consultant Paul
Rhodes has joined the Mike Harris campaign as senior media adviser.
This comes at a time when Harris can use all the help he can get. As
the Legislative session ended last month, Harris got himself into
trouble by misunderstanding a phony memo on the Internet and wrongly
accusing the NDP of having a security problem.

Rhodes, whose father was a Tory cabinet minister in the '70s, worked as
press secretary to former PC leader Larry Grossman before moving to the
Ontario Medical Association. Recently, he was with the Queen's Park
lobby firm, G.P. Murray Research.

"If I didn't think Harris could win this election, I wouldn't be doing
what I'm doing," Rhodes told eye. He thinks Harris can win because
"he's got a plan that is do-able and makes sense. This will be the most
interesting election that Ontario has faced in my memory because there
is a distinct choice among the three leaders." 

As for Harris's recent gaffes, Rhodes said, "He's admitted his
mistakes. If people are looking for perfection in their political
leaders, I think they are setting standards that no one can maintain."

                    The Park is written by eye's Queen's Park insider.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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Article 23441 of ont.general:
Xref: utcsri alt.drunken.bastards:4759 alt.society.revolution:4152 can.general:42645 ont.general:23441 soc.culture.canada:58600
Path: utcsri!newsflash.concordia.ca!nstn.ns.ca!hookup!interlog.com!not-for-mail
From: [email-masked] (eye WEEKLY)
Newsgroups: eye.news,soc.culture.canada,can.general,ont.general,alt.drunken.bastards,alt.society.revolution
Subject: NAKED EYE: Canada -- A Third World Country
Followup-To: eye.general,soc.culture.canada,can.general,ont.general,alt.drunken.bastards,alt.society.revolution
Date: 19 Jan 1995 09:28:45 -0500
Organization: eye -- Toronto's Arts Newspaper
Lines: 174
Approved: [email-masked]
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NNTP-Posting-Host: gold.interlog.com
Summary: Free At Last! Free At Last! Thank God Almighty, We Are Free At Last!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
eye WEEKLY                                             January 19 1995
Toronto's arts newspaper                      .....free every Thursday
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
NAKED EYE                                                    NAKED EYE

                     AGAINST THE WALL, SENOR RAE
                         Let's get revolting

                                  by
                       "CHE" WILLIAM BURRILL

Arriba! Viva la Revolucion!  And pass the bananas!

Canada is a Third World Country!

It says so right here in this article from last week's Wall Street
Journal. The highly respected and hardly-ever-disbelieved American
financial rag says, and I quote, "Mexico is not the only neighbor
flirting with the financial abyss. Turn around and check out Canada,
which has now become an honorary member of the Third World ..."

All right!

P-A-R-T-Y!

Now that we're officially a Third World nation we can stop worrying
about being so proper and civilized. And we sure as hell don't have to
be so democratic about the way we treat our political leaders.

Everybody hates our elected officials, right? But what do we DO about
it? When we were a First World nation we did nothing but moan and
whimper and vote their asses out of office every four years.

But fuck it. Why subject ourselves to four years of pure hell for
nothing? We're not First World any more.

We're not even Second World.

We don't have to sit around and keep stiff upper lips drinking gin and
tonics while our government weasels screw us around and tax us to
death. (Drinking gin and tonics while keeping your lips stiff was never
any fun anyway, because you tend to dribble all over your shirt. Try
it.)

Screw the civilized bullshit.

                              *  *  *  *

As Third Worlders, all we have to do is have a revolucion whenever we
get pissed off.

We simply form an angry mob and storm, let's say for starters, Queen's
Park. And we drag out Premier Bob Rae and whack his ass till his boots
fly off. Then we beat him over the head with that goddam Casio piano
he's always noodling on.

THEN we line him up against the wall and force him to play a game
called Russian Rae-Lette. One pistol. Six chambers. Five bullets. Spin
'em and take your chances, Bobby.

I know the odds aren't very good but they sure beat the odds you've
been feeding us with your stinking provincial sucker bets like Lotto
6/49 and Sports Select and those Scratch-Sniff-And-Throw-Away-On-The-
Sidewalk tickets. Adios, amigo!

Then it's on to City Hall, Parliament Hill, and assorted Bad Boy
outlets located throughout the greater Metro area. It's time the
running lackey dogs of the bourgeois oppressive regime are overthrown!

You heard me, comrades: Che Burrill has spoken. It's damn well time we
had a proper armed revolt in Canada. The United States was founded by
revolution. In France they stormed the Bastille. Cuba had a really cool
one with neat outfits. Mexico -- our Third World partner here in North
America -- has had more revolutions than you could shake a Molotov
cocktail at.

You can't call yourselves true Third World citizens unless you act as
revolting as possible.

But us? A Canadian Revolution? Nada. Nunca!

We're due!

                              *  *  *  *

The best part about being Third World revolutionaries is we will now
get to wear really trendy fatigues and berets and balaclavas and those
crossed belts of ammo clips.

And who doesn't look impressive with an AK-47 draped casually over his
or her shoulder?

We can even mount those 50-calibre machine guns on the backs of our
jeeps and pick-up trucks and drive around drinking beer and spraying
random shots in the air just for the hell of it. Who can stop us?

Once we seize total control, we can even appoint ourselves to all kinds
of bullshitty sounding official positions and have tailor-made uniforms
with loads of medals and ribbons and peaked military caps with, like,
half a pound of genuine tin-plated emblems on them. And smoke cigars
and swagger and even have lots of parades and things.

Of course we'll need an Official Revolutionary Slogan. Might I suggest
"Otra cerveza, por favor!"

Then we just sit back and let those foreign aid cheques roll in. I
mean, why the hell is Canada -- a Third World country itself -- doling
out billions to other fellow Third-Stringers (we even gave Mexico a
couple of billion just last week to try to prop up the diving peso).

To hell with that. It's time someone else starting firing the zillions
our way. Who cares if the Loonie takes a massive header? We simply
throw up a bunch of concrete resorts all over the place and wait for
the fat, pasty-white gringos to arrive in their funny shorts and those
shirts you can hear a block away.

If you're really ambitious, you can wait in packs at the airport and
when the gringos deplane, you grab their luggage before they have a
chance to complain and announce firmly and with just a hint of threat:
"Hello, I am William and I will be your guide here in Toronto."

Then you drag them around to stores and restaurants that will give you
a kickback for the business.

Or else -- if you're lazy, like you really should be in a country this
piss-poor -- you'll simply rip off their wallets and cameras when
they're gawking at the CN Tower.

                              *  *  *  *

We'll also have to put something in the water that gives tourists an
instant but extremely serious case of The Shits. You know, the kind
that leaves you walking around with maybe three feet of your lower
intestinal tract popping out of the old poop-hole. Tourists expect this
and we do not want to disappoint them. But I think we're pretty much
more than halfway there already, if you've had a recent peek at Toronto
Harbor. Those fish aren't floating for fun, you know. They're not sun
tanning.

Canada! It's a Third World Hell-Hole but it can be OUR Hell-Hole.

One Hell-Hole undivided.

A Hell-Hole for the people by the people.

Oh Canada, our home and Third World Laaaannnddd!!!

Hand us your cash and keep up your haaaaaaaaanndss!!!!

I know this was all my idea and everything but please, please do not
ask me to be your new President.

I know what happens to politicians in a joint like this ...

I think I'll take over the army instead.

General "Che" Burrill.

If this pans out I can sell a shitload of posters.

Che Burrill with his beard and beret, urging on the downtrodden masses
with his now infamous words:

"Otra cerveza, por favor!"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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Xref: utcsri alt.flame.landlord:473 tor.general:19010
Path: utcsri!newsflash.concordia.ca!nstn.ns.ca!hookup!interlog.com!not-for-mail
From: [email-masked] (eye WEEKLY)
Newsgroups: eye.news,tor.general,alt.flame.landlord
Subject: NEWS N VIEWS: Saga of 347 Sorauren Ave
Followup-To: eye.general,tor.general,alt.flame.landlord
Date: 19 Jan 1995 09:26:34 -0500
Organization: eye -- Toronto's Arts Newspaper
Lines: 90
Approved: [email-masked]
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Summary: Tenants vs Landlord

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
eye WEEKLY                                             January 19 1995
Toronto's arts newspaper                      .....free every Thursday
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
NEWS & VIEWS                                              NEWS & VIEWS

                       THE SAGA OF 347 SORAUREN

                                  by
                          ALEXANDRA HIGHCREST

At a meeting held on Jan. 11, the 347 Sorauren Ave. Tenants Association
squared off against their landlord, accusing Kevin Kenny of false
advertising, lying, double-booking units, harassment, theft and
terrorism. 347 Sorauren, set in Parkdale's industrial wasteland, was
even called "a death trap" by one city councillor.

The tenants, living or having signed up to live in the commercially
zoned space without protection of the Landlord Tenant Act, got little
satisfaction. Kenny, who refused to talk to the press, first insisted
he had "always been willing to work with tenants," then tried
stonewalling with, "You can't talk about that. That issue is before the
courts!"

As industrial space, 347 Sorauren is a white elephant. The building is
owned by Melvin Brown and Rudy Brady, who jointly hold the mortgage,
but on paper it's controlled by the 347 Sorauren Ave. Holding Company,
of which Kenny is the president and acting landlord. It's typical of
many plants and warehouses that sit empty in Parkdale, victims of the
recession. Some of this real estate is being used by artists who have
acquired cheap living units that also function as studios, by signing
commercial leases. But they have no legal rights as tenants, which
makes them easy prey for unscrupulous landlords.

In April, 1994 Kenny began filling the building with artists. (It
currently has 49 tenants, living in 26 units.) The deal was that the
tenants would be provided with building supplies to convert the
structure into personal living/working spaces. By May '94, tenants said
they had no utilities, and building supplies were late. Units were
chalk marks on the floor and wide open, the landlord refusing to
provide security.

One tenant, who had paid $1,000 in first and last month's rent for a
secure space, discovered on move-in day that her unit had "no walls, no
windows, no heat and no power." When she finally did move into a
makeshift unit, she was broken into and robbed. The tenants told eye
they got harassment and eviction threats when they raised these issues
with the landlord.

Jim Torma, the executive director of the Sorauren Ave. Tenants
Association, said, "Eventually our terror of eviction [by the city] was
overcome by the terror caused by the landlord," and in July called in
the city. The Building Inspections Department saw that the building was
a fire hazard, and told Kenny to make numerous improvements to make it
safe. But to date he has done nothing, despite a court order.

The root of the problem? Technically, the tenants are living in 347
Sorauren illegally. Near the end of the Jan. 11 meeting, a woman stood
up to say her unit lacked basic features -- like windows. Kenny
emphatically stated that she was not a tenant of 347. The woman's
partner rose and said, "You're right, but how could we be? Our place
has no heat, no water and no power. There's nothing there to be a
tenant of."

The tenants' association is pressuring Kenny to apply to rezone the
land commercial/residential, but he has said, "I will only act on
recommendations from the city." Normally it's up to the owner or
landlord to apply for rezoning; the city won't make this type of
recommendation. But at the Jan. 11 meeting, Curtis Sealock from
Buildings Inspections blatantly told Kenny to apply for rezoning. Kenny
said nothing.

There's a lot of land in Parkdale that could be rezoned and leased to
artists and craftspeople. This idea has received support from various
city departments, as well as from Parkdale City Councillor Chris
Korwin-Kuczynski. "It's an idea whose time has come," 347 Sorauren
tenant Paul York told eye. If rezoning occurs, the tenants would be
able to negotiate residential leases, which would put them in a much
more powerful position. But until that happens, landlords like Kevin
Kenny will still hold the best cards in the artists' live/work space
game.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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Xref: utcsri ont.general:23704
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From: [email-masked] (eye WEEKLY)
Newsgroups: eye.news,ont.general
Subject: THE PARK: Pundits predict close election
Followup-To: eye.general,ont.general
Date: 25 Jan 1995 11:04:06 -0500
Organization: eye -- Toronto's Arts Newspaper
Lines: 117
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~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
eye WEEKLY                                             January 26 1995
Toronto's arts newspaper                      .....free every Thursday
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
THE PARK                                                      THE PARK

                    PUNDITS PREDICT CLOSE ELECTION

Last week eye asked a group of Queen's Park pundits when the provincial
election will be held. This week they were asked who will win. The main
conclusion of our survey is that all three parties still have a chance
to win as the huge lead the Liberals have held for the last two years
evaporates in the heat of a campaign.

"The fact that the Liberals are ahead right now really means nothing,"
says Colin Vaughan of CITY-TV. "Liberal support is going to drop and it
will become a tight three-way race with Bob Rae having a shot at
forming a minority government.

"It can go any of three ways, but this one might boil down to a head-on
contest between Harris and Rae. McLeod might fade a great deal. I just
have a feeling she's not getting her campaign off the ground."

"When you compare all three leaders, Rae's smarter than the others. His
leadership will be the key issue," says Robin Smyth of Global TV.
That's why Smyth thinks the NDP will win a minority government. "As
angry as people are, they will examine the others and come back to
Rae." But she cautions that in the last election, the only person on
the campaign bus who guessed right was the bus driver.

Steve Paikin of TVO agrees Rae is very much in the race. "He's a much
better debater than the others and when people focus on the three
leaders many will choose Rae. The intense dislike for the NDP that was
out there a few months ago has gone."

"Rae is down but not out," according to Leslie Papp of The Star.
"Forget the polls. A new race starts as soon as people focus on the
provincial election. Bob will benefit from the intensified focus. He's
the most experienced, the best educated, he has good election trail
instincts. And that could make the difference."

"In the last federal election, people didn't think much of Jean
Chr‚tien for two years until the election," Papp says. "Then they
compared him to the others and he won.

"Harris is prone to gaffes. So is McLeod. You never really know what
Harris will say. He could say something absurd and blow it."

On the other hand, syndicated columnist Eric Dowd feels that if Rae is
in the race, he's a long way behind. "He will certainly go up and the
NDP has a core vote who will say, `Well I hate to vote for Rae after
what he did to us in the social contract, but he's the best of a bad
lot.' "

He also thinks it will be difficult for the Liberals to hold on to
their lead. As for Harris, Dowd feels he is veering too far to the
right and may be alienating moderate voters.

Jim Rusk of The Globe thinks the race will get tighter but that the
Liberals will probably hold on to form a minority government. "The
election will not end up being a cakewalk for Lyn McLeod. Can Rae come
back? I would think not. He might come back enough to frustrate a
chance for anybody to form a majority government."

"There's no way the Liberals can stay at more than 50 per cent,"
according to Jeff Harder of The Sun. "That's completely unrealistic and
they'll tell you that themselves." But he also thinks it will be
difficult for Rae to win again. "The NDP have done a brilliant job of
alienating the 37 per cent that voted for them last time. NDP ministers
are moaning and groaning about how hard it's going to be in opposition
after they've been in government, but it's the Tories they see as the
ones coming on strong."

Betsy Powell of Canadian Press is predicting a Liberal minority. "Rae
is improving but will not win. I don't think they're going to be wiped
out like the federal Tories. McLeod's support is soft and I think
Harris is going to improve. I would be really surprised if the PCs
don't double their seats."

"It will take a miracle of unknown proportions since Jesus Christ for
Rae to win," says Richard Brennan of the Windsor Star. "People simply
dismiss him. In the end McLeod will have the edge, but I think you're
going to see a real dogfight. Her lead is like smoke, it could
disappear, just like Peterson's did in the last election."

"She may get knocked off by Harris. It's amazing how he's grown into
the job. In the last election, he couldn't even shuffle his feet
without falling over."

Jim Coyle of the Ottawa Citizen feels it's a lot closer than the polls
indicate but he's calling for a Liberal majority. "The Tories are a bit
too out on the edge and I don't think Rae can win again. They've made
too many enemies. They started each issue with a friend and an enemy
and ended up with two enemies."

As for Harris, "When he won the leadership I never thought it possible
he could win, but now he could. However, it doesn't take much of a
nudge to get him off the script and he could make a mistake. McLeod may
be boring, but she is disciplined."

eye also contacted Toronto-based psychic Anthony Carr, who predicted
McLeod will win and the NDP will be reduced to just one seat. "It's not
that the public is angry at Rae, they just don't care. For the same
reason they voted him in, they are going to vote him out." After
politics, Rae "becomes a kindergarten school teacher." Harris loses
because he "says or does something dumb. It involves a woman with
auburn or reddish-brown hair."

                    The Park is written by eye's Queen's Park insider.

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From: [email-masked] (eye WEEKLY)
Newsgroups: eye.news,tor.general,rec.music.misc,soc.culture.canada
Subject: NAKED EYE: Blues For The Taxi Man
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eye WEEKLY                                             February 2 1995
Toronto's arts newspaper                      .....free every Thursday
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
NAKED EYE                                                    NAKED EYE

                        BLUES FOR THE TAXI MAN

                                  by
                            WILLIAM BURRILL

I was almost squashed flat by a speeding taxi the other day. This in
itself would not even be worth mentioning -- it happens to all of us
here in the Big City every day, right? -- if not for the fact that I
was on the sidewalk at the time.

I thought only bike couriers, skateboarders and festering roller-skater
geeks had the legal right to flatten you on the sidewalk. (Technically,
"sidewalks" are supposed to be the "side" of the street that is
reserved for "walking," hence the name "side walk.")

But who am I to stand in the way of a cab in a really big hurry?

I've noticed that -- especially since Toronto has become an Official
Third World City -- the cabbies are a changing breed. I hate to show my
age but I remember a time when Toronto cabbies actually knew where they
were going in the city and got you there without killing hardly
anybody. There are still many fine cab drivers in this town, especially
those who are bigger than me and read this column.

But -- even regular cabbies have confessed this to me -- some of the
New Breed of cabbies have no idea where they are going. Luckily they
make up for it by going there really, really fast.

Like I said, I'm not complaining. Shit, I'd rather flag down one of
these Death Before Directions cabbies than find myself in the back seat
with Harry Chapin crooning away behind the wheel (especially the way it
turned out he drove, if you know what I mean).

Far from whining, I'm ready to pay tribute to those who are willing to
go boldly forth into streets completely unknown to them. In fact, I've
actually picked up my trusty Martin D-35 guitar and written a song,
called "The Lost Generation: T.O. Taxi Drivin' Blues," in honor of
those cabbies who will stop at nothing (or for nobody) to get you where
you are not going.

Since this is in print, you probably can't actually hear any sounds
coming off the page unless you've had a whole lot of beer. So let me
explain that it's just your basic blues song.

It is played in the chords of E, A and B, or, if they're not available,
G, C and D. (For those just learning the guitar, use E-flat, A-flat,
C-flat-sustained with an occasional H-sharp. This won't make the song
sound any better but then again -- let's face it -- what will?)

To sing along at home, simply do a couple of verses, then the chorus.
Then repeat the verses. Then the chorus. Repeat until the song is over
or you blow actual chunks. Note: Don't worry too much about the tune
because, believe me, I didn't.

It goes sort of like this. And a one and a two and a ...

   THE LOST GENERATION:
   T.O. TAXI DRIVIN' BLUES:
   By WILLIAM BURRILL

   (Copyright, Travellin' Will Burrilly Music, 1995)

    Speedfreak out on Queen St.
    Lookin' pretty wired
    He may not be too sleepy
    But he's about to get tired
    
    Padre at the crosswalk
    In his priestly gown
    Just had time to cross himself
    Before I ran him down
    
    (Chorus)
    I'm Drivin'
    Drivin' my taxi
    I'm Drivin'
    Got the pedal to the maxi
    The streets are too narrow
    The traffic is too thick
    My temper's too short
    And the people ain't too quick
    
    Jogger in the Beaches
    Tryin' to get slender
    I flattened out his tummy
    When I nailed him with my fender
    
    Busker on the sidewalk
    Singin' out of tune
    He better look "sharp"
    Or he'll "B-flat" real soon!
    
    (Repeat chorus)
    
    Pimple-poppin' pizza boy
    Chompin' on some pasta
    Gonna be his last meal
    If he don't move no fasta
    
    A lesson for you students
    Thinkin' force 'n' matter
    If an object is immovable
    It's bound to get splattered
    
    (Repeat chorus, followed by simply incredible slide guitar lead by
    George Thorogood, or if he's too busy, David Wilcox, if we can find
    him.)
    
    Hate them neo-hippies
    In their platform heels
    Love to hear the clatter
    When they hear my rubber squeal!
    
    Put it into high gear
    When I see street mimes
    They never make a sound
    Coz I never give 'em time!
    
    (Repeat chorus)
    
    Macho man just standin' there
    As if he owns the place
    But he don't look so tough
    With those skidmarks on his face
    
    Package tour from Tokyo
    Tryin' to snap my photo
    Last good shot they got
    Was a closeup of my moto'
    
    (Repeat chorus)
    
    At the Farmer's Market
    Where people go to shop
    I took a little shortcut
    And it was a bumper crop!
    
    Sorry 'bout those schoolkids
    It was a small mistake
    I didn't have the green light
    But I didn't have no brakes
    
    (Repeat chorus)
    
    Got a fare at John Street
    Tryin' to get to Peter
    Got a dozen kills
    And 12 bucks on my meter
    
    Those eye writers are crafty
    Even when hungover
    You have to take the sidewalk
    Just to try 'n' run 'em over
    
    (Repeat chorus, rinse and spit -- and always look both ways before you
    cross the sidewalk)

HEMINGWAY TOOK CABS TOO: Speaking of Lost Generations, and we just
were, if you recall, please tune in to Ziggy Lorenc's show, Life On
Venus Ave., tomorrow (Feb. 3) on CITY-TV at 3 p.m. for a one-hour
special, featuring me, offering a guided tour of the sights, highlights
and slightly fuzzy insights that went into the making of my new book,
Hemingway, The Toronto Years. It's everywhere...

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From: [email-masked] (eye WEEKLY)
Newsgroups: eye.news,talk.environment,ont.general
Subject: ENVIRO: Hazardous Materials Management
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Date: 9 Feb 1995 15:27:21 -0500
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eye WEEKLY                                             February 9 1995
Toronto's arts newspaper                      .....free every Thursday
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
ENVIRO                                                          ENVIRO

                  MUCKRACKING IN GOVERNMENT WONDERLAND
                                  by
                              BOB HUNTER

If you wanted an un-sexy name for a magazine, you could hardly do
better than Hazardous Materials Management: The Canadian Publication of
Pollution Prevention and Control (the word "Canadian" being the
capper). Would it be a stretch to describe such a magazine as
muckraking? Not at all. And in the finest tradition.

Hazardous Materials Management editor-in-chief Guy Crittenden has
probably earned himself a red-flagged file in the ministries of natural
resources, environment and energy, and municipal affairs, all at one
blow, with an article in the current issue titled "Through The Looking
Glass." The piece rips all three ministries for incompetence,
arrogance, bungling and just plain craziness -- it's a delightful read,
unless you happen to be a New Democrat or bureaucrat in any one of
these three Wonderlands.

In Crittenden's own words: "Ad hockery and reactionism dominate the
decision- making process, and would-be intervenors can largely be
ignored ... People are being harassed, charged, taxed and
propagandized, but the environment is just getting worse."

Crittenden argues that the NDP's vaunted Environmental Bill of Rights
is a crock. It gives us a new bureaucracy and red tape, but we "lost
our old rights to stop landfills and subdivisions being built on
farmland, aquifers and wetlands."

Under the NDP, we also "got the Interim Waste Authority with its huge
costs and staff, but no new disposal options. We got the Planning Act
(Bill 163), but, according to the Urban Development Institute, `no
recognizable, identifiable program to promote and accommodate growth
projections.' "

The scope of Crittenden's expose is rather breathtaking. The Alice-in-
Wonderland metaphor is particularly apt, given the contradictions
between the reality of what is happening to Ontario's environment, and
the bland and oh-so- sincere pronouncements from the various ministers
involved, such as Bud Wildman and Howard Hampton.

One of Crittenden's examples of bureaucratic madness will be familiar
to readers of this space: the bone-headed vindictiveness of the natural
resources ministry's pursuit of Paul and Maria Heissler (slight error,
Guy, you referred to her as Mary -- details, details), the Frankfurt
farming couple who got busted for trying to clean up Cold Creek but did
it at far less cost to the public purse, and far more effectively, than
the grandiose engineering plan put forward by MNR honchos bent over
their computers, who wouldn't know a cow pie from a flow chart.

At the Ministry of Environment and Energy, "the left hand often isn't
talking to the right," Crittenden writes. "To complicate matters, the
district offices each have their own interpretation of the regulations.
Policies are supposed to fill in gaps between the regulations, but are
inconsistent from one region to the next. Internal policies are to be
followed by companies that are not allowed to see the internal
policies."

Under the Environmental Protection Act, the Investigations and
Enforcement Branch (IEB) has become a sort of rogue mercenary squad
with more powers than cops under the Police Act. "The IEB officers ...
have complete discretion as to who they'll prosecute ... since they're
acting on the perogative of the Queen, they have no motivation to drop
charges."

Thus, you have the thoroughly absurd situation where big companies
operating under Certificates of Approval have a "due diligence" defence
available to them, which makes them difficult to prosecute, while
small-scale recyclers feel the full brunt of the ministry's prosecutory
zeal, and are constantly being nailed for minor infractions of
paperwork.

In one case, a recycling firm that had 2,500 manifests pass through its
hands in six months was taken to court because of eight minor paperwork
infractions. During the costly trial, it was pointed out that the
ministry's own written charges contained three substantial errors.
Oops! "So much," Crittenden remarks bitterly, "for promoting recycling
in Ontario."

At the other end of the scale, under former environment minister Ruth
Grier, the government rewrote Regulation 347 to create a general
exemption from the Environmental Assessment Act, which used to be
mandatory in the case of any hazardous or large-scale waste processing
facility. By this Machiavellian manoeuvre, Grier hacked off the one
mechanism opponents of various landfills across the province had to
fall back on.

She also rigged the Waste Management Act (Bill 143), which was supposed
to promote the 3 R's but of course became a shield behind which the
lugubrious Interim Waste Authority could begin to squander $65 million
(so far) in its politically-doomed quest to site three hugely unpopular
landfills on the rich agricultural soil north of Toronto, while
resolutely shutting out any discussion of alternatives, such as
incineration or shipping to Kirkland Lake.

Crittenden notes: "Ever cautious with the taxpayers' money, the IWA has
spent $14 million studying the same parcel of land for a dump in
Pickering that the Ministry of Housing just spent $4.2 million studying
for a housing project." The environment ministry continues to insist
that engineers can build modern landfills that will never leak, but, as
Metro Works Commissioner Bob Ferguson flatly states, such a perfect
landfill site is impossible to construct. "They all leak," he shrugs.

Curiouser and curiouser, wouldn't you say?

                              Bob Hunter is a co-founder of Greenpeace
                                   and ecology specialist for CITY-TV.
                                  
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From: [email-masked] (eye WEEKLY)
Newsgroups: eye.news,ont.general
Subject: THE PARK: Don't Touch My Perks
Followup-To: eye.general,ont.general
Date: 9 Feb 1995 15:28:03 -0500
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eye WEEKLY                                             February 9 1995
Toronto's arts newspaper                      .....free every Thursday
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
THE PARK                                                      THE PARK

                         DON'T TOUCH MY PERKS

Education Minister Dave Cooke recently chastised the Toronto school
board for giving defeated trustees $2,000 in severance pay for every
year of service to a maximum of $24,500. But what Cooke failed to point
out was that he was one of a select group of MPPs from all parties who
approved a package of perks for defeated MPPs that makes the school
board look like relatives of Ebenezer Scrooge.

If MPPs quit or are defeated, after one day on the job, they now get a
cheque for $21,000. That's the minimum. On top of that, if they have
more than 12 years of service, like Cooke, they hit the jackpot --
taking home $42,000, based on one month's salary for each year of
service.

And that's only the beginning. After just five years in office, MPPs
get a lifetime pension of 25 per cent of their salary when their age
and years of service equal 55. This escalates to 75 per cent after 15
years in the Legislature. And, unlike the working stiffs who pay for
these perks through their taxes, MPPs made sure their pension is based
only on their best three years' pay.

In other words, because Cooke has made $72,000 a year as a cabinet
minister for the last three years, his cash-for-life pension will total
$54,000 a year, starting the day after he gets a going-away present of
$42,000 from taxpayers.

He also gets free medical, drug and dental coverage for life and up to
$7,000 to hire an "out-placement" specialist to help him write his
r‚sum‚ so he can get a real job.

Cooke may soon see defeated school board trustees from across the
province lining up at Queen's Park complaining that they deserve the
same as defeated MPPs.

                      BATTLE OF THE STARS

As the provincial election gets closer, battles are shaping up in
several Metro ridings, with the outcome in these seats likely an
indication of which party will win the election.

In St. Andrew-St. Patrick, which includes the Annex and Forest Hill,
the Liberal candidate is Carolyn Bennett, a family doctor who is up
against PC media personality Isabel Bassett. Bassett ran in the last
federal election and was buried by the Chr‚tien tide that swept over
Ontario.

The NDP are looking for someone to replace former cabinet minister
Zanana Akande, who quit Queen's Park over the way Bob Rae dealt with
her friend Carlton Masters. For the last 50 years, this riding has
elected an MPP to the party that wins on election night.

In the midtown Eglinton riding, the PCs have nominated Bay St.
financier Bill Saunderson to run against Liberal incumbent Diane Poole,
the diminutive MPP who won a narrow victory over her Tory opponent in
1990.

Saunderson, a seasoned backroom politician, has served as a senior
fundraiser and organizer for Brian Mulroney, Joe Clark, David Crombie
and Art Eggleton. He should be able to outspend Poole by a sizeable
margin.

Poole, one of just three Liberals who voted in favor of same-sex
benefits last year, is an excellent grassroots organizer who surprised
the pundits when she came from nowhere to win the Liberal nomination
from former mayor June Rowlands.

Liberals are also taking aim at two ridings they lost to the PCs in
North Metro in 1990. In York Mills, millionaire-lobbyist David
MacNaughton is taking on incumbent David Turnbull. Turnbull has been
telling supporters he is delighted MacNaughton is in the race, and is
amazed by the number of people who dislike lobbyists.

Meanwhile in Willowdale, Les Scheininger, formerly the national
president of the Canadian Jewish Congress, is seeking the Liberal
nomination to run against PC Charles Harnick. Willowdale, with a
sizable Jewish vote, elected Liberal Gino Matrundola before he was
defeated by Harnick.

                     EVERYONE HATES THE FEDS

With the federal government poised to bring down the most unpopular
budget in Canadian history, all three parties at Queen's Park are
falling over each other to say how awful those folks in Ottawa are.

First off the mark to do some fed-bashing was Premier Bob Rae, who
warned Chr‚tien not to cut transfer payments for social services and
universities.

Next came Mike Harris, who urged both Rae and Liberal leader Lyn McLeod
to join in a united appeal against tax increases. "Despite evidence
that higher taxes will damage the recovery and kill jobs, signals
persist that Ottawa will soon pick the pockets of middle-class Ontario
again."

It didn't take long for McLeod to say "me too," and attempt to put some
distance between herself and her Liberal cousins on Parliament Hill.
Within a week of the Harris appeal, she also warned the Prime Minister
not to raise taxes.

                      LIBERAL FAMILY VALUES

While McLeod is trying to straddle the centre of the political
spectrum, one of her backbenchers wants the Liberal party to move to
the right and espouse family values.

In a newsletter to the voters of Ottawa South, Liberal MPP Dalton
McGuinty says "no legislation should pass if it causes harm to
families." He also says "our tax policies should not be discouraging
families," and "government must encourage family members of all ages to
assume responsibility for each other wherever possible."

McGuinty's bottom line is that "we simply cannot afford to have our
government take on the role of the family."

                    The Park is written by eye's Queen's Park insider.
                                 
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From: [email-masked] (eye WEEKLY)
Newsgroups: eye.news,ont.general
Subject: THE PARK: Any Spare Change, Mr Harris?
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eye WEEKLY                                            February 16 1995
Toronto's arts newspaper                      .....free every Thursday
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
THE PARK                                                      THE PARK

                     ANY SPARE CHANGE, MR. HARRIS?

If money helps to win elections, Mike Harris and the PC Party are well
on their way to forming the next government in Ontario. Recently
released numbers show that the PCs raised almost $4 million, more than
the Liberals and NDP combined.

In addition, millions more was raised by local riding associations
according to PC campaign manager Leslie Noble. She also told eye that
most of the donations to the party came from individuals, although the
PC fundraising committee includes Bay St. notables like Bob Schultz,
the head of Midland Walwyn, John Eaton and real estate mogul J.J.
Barniche. "Two-thirds of the $3.9 million came from individuals and the
rest from businesses," says Noble.

The NDP and Liberals have not released their numbers and don't have to
file them with the Election Finances Commission until May, but eye has
learned that the Liberals raised just over $1 million. And
contributions to the NDP have dropped off dramatically from the $1.7
million raised in 1993.

However, despite their success in raising money, the PCs still have a
debt from previous elections that totals $2.2 million, while the other
two parties are debt- free. Instead of paying off their debt, Noble
says the PCs spent most the money they raised last year getting
organized for the election.

Included in their spending was an undisclosed amount to advertise and
promote the Mike Harris Common Sense Revolution. They also opened an
office and hired 20 new organizers, including Pauline Browes, a former
Mulroney cabinet minister from Scarborough.

                          PIANO ROLL BLUES

Bob Rae and his Liberal opponent in the next election in the riding of
York South, musician Haygood Hardy, attended their first election-style
event recently. There was a piano in the room and Premier Rae couldn't
resist the urge to perform.

He sat down and played a workmanlike version of "You Are My Sunshine"
to a round of polite applause. Hardy then played his million-selling
version of "The Homecoming" and got a standing ovation. As the battle
of the pianists heats up, this could be a sign of things to come.

                            NON-PARTY PARTY

PC insiders are getting worried about a breakaway group of Reform Party
supporters who are planning to run candidates in the provincial
election. The Reform Association of Ontario, headed up by pollster Kim
Ainslie of London, has members in 65 ridings and intends to run as many
candidates as it can.

Although Preston Manning's Reform Party of Canada defeated a resolution
last fall to get involved in Ontario politics, the London-based group
is going ahead anyway.

Ainslie's group could pose a serious threat to Harris' chances in the
election if enough right-wing voters support them instead of Harris.
The Ontario PCs have deliberately been taking right-wing positions on
several issues like welfare and tax cuts to appeal to Reform voters.

In the 1993 federal election, Reform came second to the winning
Liberals in more than half of the 99 ridings and cut deeply into
traditional Tory support. Although the new group is not an officially
recognized party and is not entitled to use the name Reform, they
intend to have their candidates run as independents on a reform-minded
platform.

A PC insider told eye: "If these guys don't think Harris is right-wing
enough already, they must be really loopy."

A recent Toronto Star-Environics poll showed that 6 per cent of
Ontarians are prepared to vote for Reform in Ontario. This could make
the difference for the PCs between winning and losing in several tight
races across the province.

                              PHANTOM RADAR

Several phantom "radar vans" are patrolling the major highways
throughout Metro and pretending to be OPP vans taking pictures of
speeding motorists, according to a government insider.

The OPP have received several complaints from motorists about vans
coming alongside of them and having flash-bulbs go off in their faces
as occupants of the vans take pictures of speeding drivers. Police have
assured those who have complained that the real OPP vans do not chase
speeders, they just take pictures of their licence plates from the side
of the road.

Privately, some police officers are happy to have these vigilante vans
helping them slow down speeders, but the Treasurers office is unhappy
because no tickets are issued and no money is collected.

Meanwhile, another OPP impersonator is prowling Highway 404 (the Don
Valley extension) in a car and stopping speeders. In three incidents, a
white, medium-sized car flashes its high beams to get the speeder to
stop.

Dressed in plain clothes, the flasher he then tells the speeding driver
he will accept cash instead of issuing a ticket. One person gave him
$5. Metro police are investigating.

                           TRANSITION PLANS

The grapevine at the Ontario public service is buzzing with rumors
about who will replace Bob Rae's friend and campaign manager David
Agnew as head of the public service under a Liberal or PC government.

Head man under a Liberal government is expected to be Peter Barnes, now
deputy minister at economic development or Richard Dicerni, deputy of
environment.

If the Tories win, the top job will likely go to former Hydro boss Tom
Campbell or former GTA deputy Gardner Church, who was exiled to York
University by Bob Rae when he took over power.

                     The Park is written by eye's Queen's Park insider.
                                  
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From: [email-masked] (eye WEEKLY)
Newsgroups: eye.news,can.politics
Subject: SPACE FOR RANT: Debt Revisited
Followup-To: eye.general,can.politics
Date: 15 Feb 1995 12:56:26 -0500
Organization: eye -- Toronto's Arts Newspaper
Lines: 61
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~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
eye WEEKLY                                            February 16 1995
Toronto's arts newspaper                      .....free every Thursday
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
SPACE FOR RANT                                          SPACE FOR RANT

                    SO WHO DO YOU THINK IS PAYING?

                                  by
                            MICHAEL SIDNEY

Re: Jason Reid's "Make the rich boomers pay," Space for Rant, Feb. 9.

Is this publication naive or what? Not only have the most recent
"rants" been tiresome and trivial at best, but  -- what a shock -- now
you're printing articles that relate unrelated principles and
ill-conceived propositions to serious problems like our debt and tax
burdens. Jason Reid's is a perfect example of a piece printed merely
because it has a snide, rebellious attitude and speaks out against that
"most hated" of citizens, the successful businessman.

All right, in the first place, in its so-called "zeal" (we are talking
about Canadian governments in the last 20 years, aren't we?), to cut
our undeniably huge deficit, the Canadian government has promised to
stop raising taxes on every level. They won't. Where I lose patience is
when some naive (and usually lib-left) young person who wants to major
in basket-weaving (or major in science, for that matter) whines that
tax equity, or in this case, "user pay," should apply to everybody.
I've got news for you, Jason -- it is applied to everybody. I've got
more news for you. The more you make (e.g., "rich boomers"), the more
you pay. If you're smart enough or resourceful enough to be successful
at your own business, shouldn't the amount of education you have be
irrelevant? And your age?

When I read Reid's comments about taxing people according to age, I
blew my stack. In the first place, that's the way it is now, anyway. In
the second place, it's discriminatory.

One of the main problems with this country (and there are many) is that
everyone thinks that they're owed something. Why should a generation be
forced to foot the bill for our government's incompetence at
controlling expenditure? Why should people who have worked hard all of
their lives and toiled to send their own children through college be
forced to pay out even more money for other people's children? This
type of taxation idea is unfair for dozens of reasons.

Unfortunately and ironically, the situation that Reid is so enamored
with (if he's serious) is practically being adhered to already.

Maybe there should be a surtax on stupidity. There would be a huge
windfall from Ottawa, and from young pseudo-intellectuals.

                   Hop on your soapbox and tell us what's bugging you.
                           We might even run your words in this space.
                                  
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From: [email-masked] (eye WEEKLY)
Newsgroups: eye.news,rec.arts.movies.reviews
Subject: ON SCREEN: The Brady Bunch Movie
Followup-To: eye.general,rec.arts.movies
Date: 22 Feb 1995 11:25:06 -0500
Organization: eye -- Toronto's Arts Newspaper
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~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
eye WEEKLY                                            February 23 1995
Toronto's arts newspaper                      .....free every Thursday
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
ON SCREEN                                                    ON SCREEN

                        THE BRADY BUNCH MOVIE
                               (2 of 5)
         Starring Shelley Long, Gary Cole and Michael McKean.
       Screenplay by Laurice Elehwany, Rick Copp, Bonnie Turner
                          and Terry Turner.
                    Directed by Betty Thomas. (PG)

                                  by
                            CAROLYN BENNETT

"How would you like to see the The Brady Bunch Movie?" asked my editor.

"The Brady Bunch Movie? Would I? Would I."

Skulking out of the theatre in a foul mood after seeing the
aforementioned, I seriously considered switching careers and punishing
myself with an undergraduate degree in engineering. Eighty-nine minutes
of self-referential jokes, labored parody and wide lapels felt more
like 20 years on a desert island (and what would that island be?
Gilligan's!). Help! We're being held hostage by our old TV viewing
habits. Pass the cyanide!

The Brady Bunch Movie is a Saturday Night Live sketch gone bad (excuse
the redundancy). Writing for half-hour sitcoms and writing for
feature-length films are two very different crafts that rarely cross
over. Sure enough, after 22 minutes, The Brady Bunch Movie falls apart.
How many scenes of the Brady kids convening and Greg saying, "How do we
get out of this jam?" can a viewer take?

The re-creation of the series is marvelous, I'll give it that. The
house and backyard radiate '70s middle class and each actor looks
almost identical to the original cast member. Innocence intact and
donning loud polyester clothes, the Bradys exist in a time-warp
alongside the hard, mean '90s. Never do the two gel though, which
undermines the parody. Instead of satire, what we get are catchphrases
and ideas not properly executed. Your eyes will glaze over quickly.

I do not understand The Brady Bunch's cult following, nor do I want to.
Brady Bunch devotees will probably like this movie. People with enough
biochemical juice to fire a synapse will not. Far out, man.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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From: [email-masked] (eye WEEKLY)
Newsgroups: eye.news,ont.general
Subject: THE PARK: Drug company hoses Bob Rae
Followup-To: eye.general,ont.general
Date: 22 Feb 1995 10:53:59 -0500
Organization: eye -- Toronto's Arts Newspaper
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~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
eye WEEKLY                                            February 23 1995
Toronto's arts newspaper                      .....free every Thursday
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
THE PARK                                                      THE PARK

                      DRUG COMPANY HOSES BOB RAE

Back in 1992, according to Toronto Star columnist Tom Walkom in his
book Rae Days, the NDP dropped its opposition to a federal law that
would increase patent protection given to brand-name drugs in return
for new jobs in Ontario.

Eli Lilly, one of the largest drug companies in the world, promised to
add 150 new jobs at its manufacturing plant in Scarborough if Rae
changed his mind on the federal law. Although backing off would end up
costing the Ontario Drug Benefit Plan millions of dollars in higher
cost brand-name drugs, Rae agreed.

The new jobs never materialized. eye has learned that not only will the
new jobs never be created, but 200 existing jobs at the Eli Lilly plant
in Scarborough will also disappear. Senior management at Eli Lilly's
head office in Indianapolis has decided to move all drug manufacturing
jobs from Scarborough to Indiana or Puerto Rico.

But the official announcement will not be made for six or eight months,
which will end up being after the next provincial election and thus
save Bob Rae more embarrassment over his flip-flop on drug patent
protection.

                             JOBS ONTARIO

Almost every day now, there is another announcement of new jobs created
by Bob Rae's much-touted JobsOntario program, which has been roundly
criticized by the opposition parties at Queen's Park.

Here are some recent examples of the projects getting government funds.
The Toronto-based African Oracle Support Group got a grant of $42,000
to renovate and equip a studio to design, produce and sell clothing
with a distinctive African look.

The Perth Theatre got $540,000 to "revitalize the town's economy" by
renovating a historic building to house a rehearsal hall, theatre
storage space and administrative offices and to construct "the Crystal
Palace," a farmers/artisans market built from reassembled sections of
Ottawa's Rideau Street Pedestrian Mall (which Ottawa scrapped).

The Lakewood Credit Union, near Red Lake in Northern Ontario, got
$210,000 to establish a credit union.

These projects look a lot like old-fashioned pork-barrel politics
leading up to an election. If there was a market for clothes with a
distinctive African look, why would a government grant be needed? Does
Bob Rae really believe that recycling a pedestrian mall from Ottawa to
Perth will revitalize the town's economy? And if there was a need for a
credit union in Lakewood, people would line up to make their deposits
without government grants of $210,000.

                         TRANSITION PLANS

The grapevine at the Ontario public service is buzzing with rumors
about who will replace Bob Rae's friend and campaign manager David
Agnew as head of the public service under a Liberal or PC government.

Head man under a Liberal government is expected to be Peter Barnes, now
deputy minister at economic development or Richard Dicerni, deputy of
environment. A Liberal insider told eye they might reach outside the
public service to get someone from business to take on the role of
restructuring government. Former Peterson cabinet minister John Sweeney
has been appointed by Lyn McLeod to head up the Liberal transition team
if they win this year's election.

If the Tories win, the top job will likely go to former Hydro boss Tom
Campbell or former GTA deputy Gardner Church, who was exiled to York
University by Bob Rae when he took over power. A PC insider says they
have talked to lots of people but have make promised to no one and
intend to return a sense of professionalism to the public service.
Former chair of Ernst & Young Bill Farlinger is heading up the PC
transition team.

The first task facing both the Tories and the Liberals will be
replacing hundreds of NDP flacks and personal friends of the Premier,
including almost 30 deputy minister level appointees. A Liberal insider
says: "We have a list and we intend to search out Rae's cronies."

                         LIBERAL FAMILY VALUES

While Lyn McLeod is trying to straddle the centre of the political
spectrum, one of her backbenchers wants the Liberal party to move to
the right and espouse family values.

In a newsletter to the voters of Ottawa South, Liberal MPP Dalton
McGuinty says that "no legislation should pass if it causes harm to
families." He also says "our tax policies should not be discouraging
families," and "government must encourage family members of all ages to
assume responsibility for each other wherever possible."

McGuinty's bottom line is that "we simply cannot afford to have our
government take on the role of the family."

The Park is written by eye's Queen's Park insider.
                                  
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From: [email-masked] (eye WEEKLY)
Newsgroups: eye.news,tor.general
Subject: GET OFF YOUR ASS! -- March 2
Followup-To: eye.general,tor.general
Date: 28 Feb 1995 17:27:59 -0500
Organization: eye -- Toronto's Arts Newspaper
Lines: 62
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~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
eye WEEKLY                                                March 2 1995
Toronto's arts newspaper                      .....free every Thursday
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
GET OFF YOUR ASS!                                    GET OFF YOUR ASS!

                          IMAGINE THE FREEDOM
                         from pesky censorship

                                  by
                              MALENE ARPE

Freedom To Read Week continues until Sunday (March 5), giving us ample
time to make it clear that censors, be they religious or left wing or
Conservatives or so-called feminists, should get their clammy hands off
our reading material. Saturday (March 4) at 10:30 a.m., 20 local
children's authors and illustrators will begin a reading marathon of
Kevin Major's Hold Fast, just one of many books deemed unsuitable by
those who think they know what's best for the rest of us. This event
takes place at The Canadian Children's Book Centre, 35 Spadina Rd. For
more childish info, please call 975-0010.

Sunday (March 5), 8 p.m. at The Idler Pub, 255 Davenport Rd., Lynn
Crosbie, Jill Batson, Allan Briesmaster, Peter McPhee and Eddy Yanofsky
will take part in Forbidding Texts: An Evening Of Uncovered Covers by
reading from banned and censored texts. Call 767- 8362 for more
unabashed info.

And don't forget to re-read 120 Days Of Sodom and Huck Finn.

TALKING TRASH

Here is your very own chance to tell Metro councillors and planners
what you think should be done about the ever-increasing garbage crisis
in your neighborhood. Talk About Garbage takes place tomorrow, (March
3), from 8:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. at Metro Hall Council Chambers, 55 John
St. How to reduce, how to dispose and how to avoid having that pesky
landfill installed right outside your bedroom window are topics of
discussion. For more grimy info, please call 392-4200.

PARADE OF POLLUTED POLITICIANS

Clean Air, Clean Water: Where Do The Three Parties Stand? is the topic
for the next free forum Wednesday (March 8) at the St. Lawrence Centre,
27 Front St. E., where Environment Minister Bud Wildman, Liberal
environment critic Steven Offer and Conservative environment critic
David Tilson will be falling over their own feet to assure us that
their party is the cleanest and that they will be able to restore the
province to shiny, healthy pristineness. Author Marjorie Lamb and eye's
very own green giant Bob Hunter will be asking nasty, probing
questions. The fun starts at 7:30 p.m. Call 366-1656 for more leafy
info.

To have your action listed in this space please call 971-8421 x. 226.
                                  
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From: [email-masked] (eye WEEKLY)
Newsgroups: eye.news,ont.general
Subject: THE PARK: Don't worry, be healthy -- and vote NDP
Followup-To: eye.general,ont.general
Date: 28 Feb 1995 17:27:24 -0500
Organization: eye -- Toronto's Arts Newspaper
Lines: 117
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~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
eye WEEKLY                                                March 2 1995
Toronto's arts newspaper                      .....free every Thursday
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
THE PARK                                                      THE PARK

                DON'T WORRY, BE HEALTHY -- AND VOTE NDP

The TV ads show lots of smiling faces and the voiceover coos, "There
are many reasons to smile if you live in Ontario," while in the
background the music is a subdued version of "The Sunny Side Of The
Street."

But what exactly are the ads selling?

The so-called message of these slick, expensive government ads is that
sometime during the next five years, residents of Ontario have to
replace their red and white health cards with ones that have photos,
just like the provincial driver's licence.

And the publicity campaign will cost $5.4 million, including TV ads,
newspaper ads and a four-color brochure delivered to each household in
the province. Even more remarkable is the fact that $3.2 million is
being spent in just two months -- February and March -- to tell us over
and over again how good it is to live in Ontario.

Don't be surprised if these ads are followed by an election in April or
May, with Premier Bob Rae and the NDP telling us "there are many
reasons to smile if you vote NDP."

That's the real message behind this massive, unnecessary advertising
blitz. Under normal, non-election conditions, a boring flyer could be
distributed through doctors' offices and hospitals telling us about the
new card.

But these are not normal times at Queen's Park.

A PC insider said these feel-good ads are in direct contrast to the
"mean, visceral ads the NDP have been running for four years on drunk
driving, anti-smoking, AIDS, wife abuse and deadbeat dads. There must
be an election coming for them to change their tone."

The ad campaign for the health cards is so politically charged that
even the agency that produced the ads them won't talk about them. Tom
Russell, an account executive at Harrod and Mirlin, the small Toronto
firm responsible for the campaign, told eye, "We were asked not to
speak to the press about anything ... There's been a fair amount of
negative press."

When asked who instructed them not to speak to the press, Russell said
he got these orders from Philip Carter at the Ministry of Health. "He's
been our regular contact throughout the process," Russell said.

Carter, a former NDP political staffer, has been assistant director of
communications for the health ministry for the last year, spending a
lot of his time coordinating the health card project.

Before working in the government, Carter was at the Canadian Union of
Public Employees (CUPE). He left there to become executive assistant to
Bob Rae's first energy minister, Jenny Carter (no relation), and then
became executive assistant to Rae's friend Marc Eliesen when he was
head of Ontario Hydro.

Carter told eye he got his first job with the NDP because: "I was good
at what I did. I worked for a union and I was active in politics before
I went to work in the government."

Another link in the poltical chain is Norm Simon, Rae's former spin
doctor, now vice-president of public affairs at Hydro and chairman of
the advertising review board, which approved hiring Harrod and Mirlin.

Ironically, Carter's immediate boss at Health, director of
communications Rhea Cohen, is suddenly no longer there. Cohen was
unceremoniously escorted out of her office last month shortly after a
fight with Carter. Other government employees have told eye that Carter
and Cohen were constantly feuding and that her departure was connected
with those disputes.

Reached at her home, Cohen would not comment on her sudden departure
from her job or on her relationship with the politically well-connected
Carter.

When asked if he had any disagreements with his former boss over the
health card advertising contract, Carter said, "Whatever discussions we
would have had, would have been professional and I think we worked
together and produced ads that I think people think are doing the job
very well."

eye has also learned that the contract to produce the health cards was
given to EDS Canada without a tender. A year earlier, EDS, which was
sold to General Motors by Ross Perot in 1984, won out over 13 other
companies to produce 6.5 million new driver's licences for the Ministry
of Transportation.

But when it came time for the health ministry to order up 11 million
health cards, they didn't see the need to get competitive bids. They
simply went to EDS and gave them the order. The combined contracts from
the two ministries are worth $30 million.

Nicole Loretta of EDS Canada told eye, "One of the advantages of our
solution (no bids) was that we minimized the actual cost of the set-up
of the network," because they were already doing a similar contract
with the transportation ministry. They also saved the NDP the time and
effort of opening and reviewing bids from other companies.

Perot, if he still owned EDS, would probably approve of doing this kind
of un-tendered business with Bob Rae.

The Park is written by eye's Queen's Park insider.
                                  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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From: [email-masked] (eye WEEKLY)
Newsgroups: eye.news,ont.general
Subject: THE PARK: Rae Scared Silly By Fed Budget
Followup-To: eye.general,ont.general
Date: 7 Mar 1995 15:50:23 -0500
Organization: eye -- Toronto's Arts Newspaper
Lines: 111
Approved: [email-masked]
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~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
eye WEEKLY                                                March 9 1995
Toronto's arts newspaper                      .....free every Thursday
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
THE PARK                                                      THE PARK

                 BOB RAE SCARED SILLY BY FEDERAL BUDGET

Most analysts at Queen's Park predicted that Premier Rae would attack
the federal budget as soon as it was released, but no one predicted
that he would lower himself to the kind of scare tactics he's using.

Some time ago, Rae and his spin doctors decided that his best
re-election strategy was to attack the federal budget in the hope that
Ontario voters would blame provincial Liberal leader Lyn McLeod and
vote for Rae.

The problem is that a recent Angus Reid survey shows that 78 per cent
of Ontario voters like the federal budget, the highest level of support
of any province in the country. As a result, Rae's strategy is off the
rails. A key advisor to Liberal leader Lyn McLeod told eye: "Rae's spin
doctors must be in cardiac arrest by now."

Undeterred by public support for the federal budget, Rae let his
well-known penchant for hyperbole get out of control in a diatribe
against the feds at the nomination meeting of his beleaguered health
minister, Ruth Grier. (Perhaps he was trying to out-blarney the
Dublin-born Ms Grier.)

After saying that the federal budget would cost Ontario $1.4 billion
next year, Rae proceeded to invoke images of death and destruction for
provincial programs which he blamed on the feds.

Rae laid out a smorgasbord of bad-news scenarios. The federal cuts
would: eliminate 56,000 nursing home beds; or force all 20 of the
hospitals in Toronto to close; or close all the community colleges in
the province; or close all the universities in Toronto and eastern
Ontario; or eliminate grants to 861 schools in the Greater Metro Area;
or cut welfare payments by 20 percent.

Take your pick.

The perceived political advantage of this kind of across the board
scare- mongering is that Rae can use these examples anywhere in the
province during an election -- senior citizens, welfare recipients,
students, parents and everyone who uses hospitals -- will all be hurt
by those nasty Liberals in Ottawa.

And it won't be long before Rae trots out these scary scenarios in
every city and town in Ontario. In North York or Kitchener, Rae will
say, the local hospital will close if people vote for Lyn McLeod and
her friends in Ottawa. In Windsor or Ottawa, he might say the local
university will close and welfare cutbacks will force single mothers to
choose between paying the rent and feeding their children.

But wait a minute -- wasn't it Bob Rae who accused Liberal leader David
Peterson of scare-mongering during the last election when Peterson said
babies would be dying in the streets if the NDP were elected?

Scaring voters didn't work for Peterson and it won't work for Rae. A
senior advisor to Mike Harris told eye: "It's sad to see that Rae is
prepared to sink as low as Peterson."

The more things change the more they stay the same.

                          OSSTF BARKS NEW TUNE

Liz Barkley, president of the Ontario Secondary School Teachers'
Federation (OSSTF), is singing a new tune now that her former friends
in the NDP appear headed for political oblivion. She recently told a
group of incredulous high school teachers that she has never been
politically aligned and that she is prepared to work with whichever
party wins the next election.

Some of the teachers who heard Barkley claim that she is politically
neutral recalled that during the last election the OSSTF openly
campaigned against the incumbent Liberal government and targeted
several prominent Liberals for defeat. The OSSTF's political action in
the 1990 election was successful and many of the targeted Liberals were
defeated. As a result, Barkley was taking credit for helping to elect
the Rae government for months after the election. Shortly after the
election, Barkley held a big celebration attended by her friends Bob
and Arlene Rae.

Liberal campaign co-chairman John Ronson told eye that Barkley's claim
of political neutrality was "breathtaking."

The bad news for Barkley and the OSSTF is that the Liberal MPPs they
helped to defeat are coming back and they remember who put them out of
office. Among the targeted Liberals who are running again are Chris
Ward, Shirley Collins and Doug Reycraft. All three will likely end up
in a Lyn McLeod cabinet if the Liberals win and they won't have a warm
and fuzzy feeling about the OSSTF leadership. Ironically, all three
have strong local teacher support, especially Reycraft, who is an
ex-teacher.

Some of Barkley's own rank-and-file union members are starting to
wonder out loud about her leadership. They are beginning to suggest
that a new leader is needed. They are also starting to ask why the
OSSTF executive needs two private jets and why the union buys several
thousands of bottles of their own private label wine each year.

The Park is written by eye's Queen's Park insider.
                                  
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From: [email-masked] (eye WEEKLY)
Newsgroups: eye.news,tor.general,talk.environment
Subject: NEWS: Fill The Breast!
Followup-To: eye.general,tor.general,talk.environment
Date: 15 Mar 1995 13:14:45 -0500
Organization: eye -- Toronto's Arts Newspaper
Lines: 45
Approved: [email-masked]
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~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
eye WEEKLY                                               March 16 1995
Toronto's arts newspaper                      .....free every Thursday
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
ROLLING EYE                                                ROLLING EYE

                           FILL THE BREAST!

                                  by
                              ELISA KUKLA

At noon last Wednesday (March 8), a giant breast was unveiled on the
steps of the Royal Ontario Museum. Three metres in diameter, the pink
papier-mach‚ bosom was filled with hot water and rose petals. As it
made its way up and down University Ave., the mixture oozed out of a
nipple on its underside.

Women's environmental activists were on hand, taking turns holding a
Greenpeace banner and catching the liquid with a measuring cup as it
leaked out of the nipple. They then poured the water back into the
vessel and watched it leak out again. Passersby were handed the cup and
urged to crouch underneath the breast, catch the drips and refill the
source water. Despite encouragement from activists -- "C'mon replenish
the breast! FILL THE BREAST! FILL THE BREAST!" -- no pedestrians joined
in on the rite.

Artist and Greenpeace activist Paula Gregg explained that the mammary
gland embodied breast cancer caused by organochlorines in the
environment. The hot water was symbolic of both women's tears and nasty
chlorinated water, while the roses stood for hope and regeneration. The
combined liquid represented women's lives and vital feminine energy
slipping away. By replenishing the papier-mach‚ vessel sick women could
be healed symbolically.

Five Metro police officers were on the scene, but the breast remained
peaceful and fights over the cup were kept to a minimum.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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From: [email-masked] (eye WEEKLY)
Newsgroups: eye.news,tor.general,ont.general
Subject: NEWS: Toronto Housing Alternatives
Followup-To: eye.general,tor.general,ont.general
Date: 15 Mar 1995 13:20:36 -0500
Organization: eye -- Toronto's Arts Newspaper
Lines: 127
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~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
eye WEEKLY                                               March 16 1995
Toronto's arts newspaper                      .....free every Thursday
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
NEWS & VIEWS                                              NEWS & VIEWS

           LET'S "SHOP" AROUND FOR SOME HOUSING ALTERNATIVES

                                  by
                          ALEXANDRA HIGHCREST

Small is beautiful, believed economist E.F. Schumacher. So does Liberal
finance minister Paul Martin. At least, that's what the latest Canadian
federal budget implies.

The budget will chop $877 million in transfer payments from the federal
treasury to Ontario, beginning next year. That means $333 million in
housing subsidy cuts.

The maximum allowance for a single person on welfare living in Toronto
is about $400, before the cuts. So, either the province will absorb the
cuts or poor people will, it's as simple as that.

With the feds downsizing it becomes more difficult to put into practice
the Vancouver Declaration from the 1976 UN Conference on Human
Settlements -- "Adequate shelter and services are a basic human right."

In Ontario, one of the ways our government has responded to providing
this basic right has been to provide non-profit social housing. People
living in social housing pay 27 per cent of their income toward rent
and the Ontario Housing Corp., an arm of the provincial Ministry of
Housing, pays the rest.

On the surface, social housing seems like a fine way for the government
to help poorer people find homes, but the program has its flaws. To
begin with, it's very expensive.

Let's look at a typical non-profit building located in downtown
Toronto. This building has 30 tenants, all of whom receive some form of
social assistance. Each tenant pays roughly $1,400 a year in rent,
which gets each person a room and access to common areas such as the
kitchen. The Ontario Housing Corp. pays $15,000 in rental subsidies for
each unit in the building. This makes the rent for each room a total of
over $16,000 per year.

In contrast, my partner and I live in a downtown two-bedroom townhouse
and pay market rent, which is just slightly less than $11,000 per year.

Government-assisted housing is big business and everyone involved, save
the province, is in it to make a profit. In the '70s and early '80s,
when the province really got into social housing, real estate sold at
premium rates. When social housing projects, funded by the Ministry of
Housing, bought buildings or property, they had to buy high from land
speculators looking to cash in on the real estate boom. Contractors
hired to renovate buildings purchased for conversion to social housing
charged top dollar for their materials and labor.

Social housing projects had to be large, and the rents high, to make
the projects economically viable. Today the cost of renovating an
existing building is still so high that the ministry often deems it
cheaper to buy an old building, flatten it, then put up a new
structure.

According to the Ministry of Housing, there are 230,000 non-profit
social housing units in Ontario, as well as another 192,000
rent-geared-to-income units. Some housing advocates are saying that
alternative forms of affordable housing should be looked at.

Over the years the high cost of land has forced the government to go
with high- density housing -- putting the maximum number of people in
the minimum amount of space. Despite this, Toronto is dotted with
smaller housing projects: low-rise buildings, single houses, even
single apartments. One example of these smaller-scale projects is the
Single Housing Opportunities Program (SHOP).

According to Simon Liston, who works in Toronto's housing department,
"SHOP is sponsored by the government but it's innovative in that
partnerships are developed between the city, Cityhome (Toronto's
largest landlord) and community agencies. Single houses or individual
apartments are bought or leased by agencies serving specific client
groups, then used to house tenants from those groups. This way the
agency can focus on the needs of their tenants, and the tenants can get
some stability in their lives."

These smaller projects need less money to get started, Liston said, and
they blend into existing neighborhoods. This avoids the NIMBY ("Not in
my backyard") reaction to social housing. "You may walk by a small
social housing project everyday and never know it," he said.

Despite the recession, Toronto is still a wealthy city and property
values remain high. The availability of affordable housing for
low-income single people is shrinking as low-rent apartments and
rooming houses disappear from the market.

Larry Chilton, a spokesperson for Toronto's Rooming House Association,
told eye that the city is losing 30 to 50 houses every year. "Low-cost
housing stock is disappearing faster than new houses are being built.
Strict regulations have forced many small landlords out of business,
and the government isn't offering any incentives for remaining
landlords to improve their properties."

Safe, properly run rooming houses could fill some of the demand but,
according to Chilton, this won't happen until the city or the province
starts to encourage small landlords to stay in business.

The housing people that eye spoke with all agreed that there will
continue to be a need for social housing. One employee of Toronto's
housing department said that in 1990, 60,000 Torontonians lacked
adequate housing, and that number is increasing.

Thanks to high land costs, the commercial sector cannot build
affordable homes for low-income people. Since 1993, federal housing
subsidies to the provinces have been declining; Ontario may lose
another $333 million this year. The end result of these cuts is that
more people will find themselves unable to afford adequate homes.

The answers may lie in the creation of smaller, more diverse projects
such as SHOP and in supporting affordable private sector housing that
already exists. We've come too far to have to reinvent the wheel.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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From: [email-masked] (eye WEEKLY)
Newsgroups: eye.news,ont.general,talk.environment
Subject: ENVIRO: Pickering Nuke Evactuation
Followup-To: eye.general,ont.general,talk.environment
Date: 15 Mar 1995 13:16:42 -0500
Organization: eye -- Toronto's Arts Newspaper
Lines: 118
Approved: [email-masked]
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~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
eye WEEKLY                                               March 16 1995
Toronto's arts newspaper                      .....free every Thursday
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
ENVIRO                                                          ENVIRO

       IN CASE OF NUCLEAR DISASTER -- GET ON YOUR KNEES AND PRAY

                                  by
                              BOB HUNTER

The Great Mock Evacuation of Pickering was staged Feb. 22 and 23 to
check out the community's state of preparedness in the event of a
disaster at the gimped and aging hulk of a nuclear power station down
by the lakefront at the foot of Brock Rd. It was a mockery all right.

Orchestrated by a shadowy outfit called Emergency Measures Ontario
(EMO), a sub-sub-section of the Ministry of the Solicitor-General and
Correctional Services - - which doles out $1 million a year to
communities and agencies under the federal Joint Emergency Preparedness
Program (JEPP) -- it was dubbed "a full-scale nuclear emergency
exercise being run by the Province of Ontario." Whew! Sounds heavy.

Between them, EMO and JEPP stand on guard for the residents of
Pickering and the other poor souls living near any Ontario nuclear
power plant.

If you ask me, you'd be safer with Mutt and Jeff doing the job.

Speaking of whom, one insecure EMO minion became so incensed that I
neglected to mention the name of his little bureaucracy in an on-air
news report about the exercise that he phoned me up, foamy-mouthed and
screaming obscenities because his boys didn't get properly credited for
the great job they were doing.

Great job? Jesus wept!

The minion in question bragged that he had thoroughly prepped the
media, for instance. What did you do? I asked.

"I sent out a press release in January," he replied.

I might be wrong, but methinks this about accurately sums up the whole
level of preparedness for a nuclear catastrophe in this province. Call
it a one-press-release- in-January state of preparedness.

From what I could see, your best bet in the event of a major nuclear
disaster at Pickering, if you happen to live anywhere within the
official 10-km evacuation zone, is to get down on your knees and pray.
If you're counting on "the government" to step in and rescue you from
the mess, I suggest you deserve your fate, my friend.

The confusion at the Whitby municipal building on Rossland Rd. E.,
which was supposed to be the Joint Information Centre, was something to
behold, with reporters milling about waiting for "media briefings" that
kept being delayed. When I complained to a chap from the Ministry of
the Solicitor-General -- who was supposed to be in charge, if anyone
was -- I was told that there really weren't supposed to be any
briefings, only photo-ops. Ah, so!

But the chaos there was nothing compared to what was going on behind
the scenes across the street at the Durham police station, where the
portentously-named "emergency command centre" was being manned by a
group of 30-odd people squeezed elbow-to-elbow in a tiny conference
room in front of maps and computer screens. They represented the fire
department, the police, the Red Cross and the Whitby, Ajax and Durham
municipalities and public and separate school boards, with EMO "liaison
teams" busy deploying cops to tell reporters not to bother anyone
playing make-believe on the phones because what they were doing was
"too important" for them to be disturbed.

But I thought one of the ways the masses outside the command post were
supposed to find out what was going on was by turning on their
televisions and radios, hmm?

That's what it says in the glossy brochure called "Planning For An
Emergency," put out by the solicitor-general's office, a brochure
printed in 1992 -- that's how up-to-date emergency planning for the
Pickering nuke is.

This same brochure -- hygienically subtitled "A Personal Handbook for
Residents Around the Pickering Nuclear Generating Station" (as if
telling you how to put on your makeup) -- is full of little gems of
information, such as:

Stay calm. Get people and pets indoors. Close doors and windows.

And I love this one: If you were outdoors around the time the emergency
occurred, remove your clothes and seal them in a plastic bag. Rinse
your hair and body by showering. This precaution will wash any
radioactive dust particles from you.

Oh, and: move to the centre of the house or into the basement.

The brochure also reminds you, on your way out the door with a nuclear
holocaust happening down the street, not to forget to turn off your
appliances and air conditioning, close fireplace dampers, turn off the
heat recovery unit (I guess!), shut off the water taps, make sure your
pets are "provided for," tell everyone to go to the bathroom one last
time and don't forget your dentures. Bring games for the kids play, eh?
They might get bored after a few millennia in nuke refugee camps.

If you live on the east side of Scarborough's Morningside Ave., you are
instructed to take the 401 to the DVP and go along the Gardiner to the
CNE grounds (I'm not kidding ...). If you live on the west side of
Morningside Ave., don't worry. The radiation would stop right at the
yellow line going down the middle of the road. You don't need to go
anywhere! You're just fine, ducks.

Bob Hunter is a co-founder of Greenpeace and ecology specialist for
CITY-TV.
                                  
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From: [email-masked] (eye WEEKLY)
Newsgroups: eye.news,ont.general
Subject: THE PARK: Health ministry woes continue
Followup-To: eye.general,ont.general
Date: 15 Mar 1995 13:17:58 -0500
Organization: eye -- Toronto's Arts Newspaper
Lines: 116
Approved: [email-masked]
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~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
eye WEEKLY                                               March 16 1995
Toronto's arts newspaper                      .....free every Thursday
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
THE PARK                                                      THE PARK

                     HEALTH MINISTRY WOES CONTINUE

The fallout over the politically driven $6 million ad campaign to
promote the new provincial health cards continues to take its toll on
morale within the Ministry of Health.

Just before the massive and unnecessary advertising blitz started last
month, communications director Rhea Cohen was removed from her job.

Now, her friends are telling eye that Cohen, a career public servant,
was frog- marched out of the ministry because she was constantly
fighting efforts to "politicize" ministry communications.

According to a reliable source, "There were enormous fights between
Phil Carter (the politically well-connected assistant communications
director) and Ms Cohen because he was trying to politicize everything,
including the current ad campaign for health cards. She thought it was
too much money. She had a big fight with Carter and two days later she
was gone."

The day Cohen was relieved of her duties "someone from the deputy's
office came in the morning and said, `You have half an hour to get out
of the building,' and that was it."

The new acting communications director, Anastasia Erland, told eye she
took over Cohen's job on Jan. 20 but added: "I don't expect to be
acting director forever."

eye's source said: "Erland has made it quite clear that she doesn't
want the job for a long term. After a decent period they're going to
move Carter in there. It's an extraordinary move up the bureaucratic
ladder for a guy who just three years ago was carrying Jenny Carter's
bags around." Ms Carter, no relation, was Bob Rae's first energy
minister.

When asked if she had any conflicts with Phil Carter, Erland said,
"Yes, we don't always agree. I've had conflicts with the staff here who
report to me. Usually you work things out." But she quickly added, "I
had nothing to do with the conflict with Ms Cohen."

Erland also said that she is "not in a position to confirm or deny"
whether fights took place between Carter and Cohen just before she lost
her job. "My information is that this is an internal personnel matter
and that we're not talking about it now."

Asked if she was present at the dust-ups between Cohen and Carter,
Erland said, "I have nothing to say."

A senior adviser to Liberal leader Lyn McLeod told eye: "This is
another example of a career bureaucrat who was forced out by the NDP."

eye has also learned that prior to the start of the controversial
health card advertising, long-time NDP insider Janet Solberg, the
sister of former party leader Stephen Lewis, was appointed
communications assistant to the accident-prone Health Minister Ruth
Grier.

                           NO COMMON SCENTS

The Ontario College of Nurses has decided that people attending their
council and committee meetings cannot wear perfume or aftershave.

Although a news release from the nurses said members of the public were
welcome to attend their February meeting to discuss nurse practitioners
and other issues, the release also said: "Please note: Following a
decision by Council at its June 1994 meeting, scents (perfume or
aftershave) may not be worn at Council meetings."

This decision was made because a member of the Ontario association
commented that the Canadian Nursing Association adopted a similar
policy after concluding that scented products could trigger migraine
and asthma attacks in some people.

If a member of the public shows up smelling of perfume or aftershave,
Bambi Rutledge of the Ontario nurses' group told eye, "we would talk to
them about the policy and would ask them to remove it and they would go
to the washroom" to wash the annoying aroma down the sink.

Rutledge said enforcing the new policy wasn't a problem because most
people let them know in advance if they will be attending meetings.
"When someone phones to say they are coming to a council meeting, I
advise them of the policy."

So far, only one person has failed the smell test. At the December
meeting of the council, Rutledge noticed someone smelling of a "lovely
perfume" and along with another staff person confronted the overly
fragrant offender.

When asked if the policy extends to underarm deodorant and hairspray,
Rutledge said "not yet."

                          CBC HIRES LOSERS

With a provincial election just around the corner, CBC-TV has selected
its panel of "experts" to offer their analysis of the campaign.

The panel, consisting of former federal MPs Tory Barbara McDougall and
NDP Howard McCurdy, along with former Liberal premier David Peterson,
is already being criticized by one Queen's Park insider who called them
"a bunch of losers -- and two of them know nothing about Ontario
politics."

The Park is written by eye's Queen's Park insider.
                                  
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From: [email-masked] (eye WEEKLY)
Newsgroups: eye.news,alt.internet.media-coverage,tor.general,alt.journalism
Subject: EYE.NET: Drooling With Jeff
Followup-To: eye.general,alt.internet.media-coverage,tor.general,alt.journalism
Date: 21 Mar 1995 17:32:09 -0500
Organization: eye -- Toronto's Arts Newspaper
Lines: 131
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~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
eye WEEKLY                                               March 23 1995
Toronto's arts newspaper                      .....free every Thursday
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
EYE.NET                                                        EYE.NET

                           DROOLING WITH JEFF

                                  by
                          MALACLYPSE THE FOETUS
                         eye.NET NEWSMEDIA LABS

In January, eyeNET Newsmedia Labs announced the official call for
nominations in the scholarly and world-famous Media Moron of the Month
award for Stupid Net.Coverage.

And the February award goes to ...

Jeff Haas and The Toronto Sun for its hard-hitting report on Toronto's
Ryerson University in the Feb. 12 Sunday Sun page 3 story called ... 
<drum roll> "Droolers Jam Rye Sexnet." (Standing-O! Cries of "Speech!
Speech!")

This Pulitzer-worthy copy features a kick-ass lead: "Hardcore sex
stories on Ryerson's Internet have caused a traffic jam on the
information superhighway."

Now that is writing! We got something called "Ryerson's Internet"
(whatever the hell that is), we got the "information sOOperhighway" and
we got highway metaphors. Baby, this is smokin'.

And it peels off technical facts easier than a CEO peels off $20s at
Filmore's strip club: for instance, info-hungry Sun readers learn, "the alt.*
prefix in newsgroups means they are uncensored."

The groundbreaking news story was nominated by a Toronto reader (who
asked to remain anonymous -- don't ask me why, maybe s/he works for The
Sun or is Sunday editor Jim Leary's mom, I have no idea).

Anyway, in the tradition of the Stupid Net.Coverage NewsMedia Awards,
eyeNET called Haas for comment. Turns out Haas is actually a Ryerson
student himself. We tracked him down at home.

"No comment," the happy reporter said, upon being informed he'd won the
award. "Look, I told you, I have no comment," he added.

Ryerson's computer system administrator Geoff Collins says Haas
presented himself as a freelancer for the Ryerson-related paper, the
Eye Opener. "He never stated it might be published other than in the
student newspaper," Collins told eyeNET Newsmedia Labs. Indeed, Haas
wrote a much better, much longer piece for said paper.

"He came up and identified himself as a reporter for the student
newspaper and asked a number of questions. He basically invented the
issue -- as is normal for newspapers, I guess. I basically told him I
wasn't censoring anything, I just want to make sure students get to use
computer stations for academic purposes."

There are 350 work stations at which Ryerson students can get full
(Unix command line) access to the Internet. Occasionally students use
the net for recreational purposes -- be it scanning sports scores or
hunting nudie Cindy Crawford image files -- when others want to use it
for academic purposes.

There's no Ryerson policy on censorship, Collins says. In other words,
he's trying to operate on the net in the spirit of the net: let
students apportion usage of machines among themselves. "And they do a
pretty good job of sorting things out," he says.

So it's a total non-story. "It's kind of made-up, just for the sake of
being able to run the word SEXNET on page three in 48-point font."

For the record, Collins denies telling Haas that the alt.* prefix means
a newsgroup is uncensored. "Essentially, anything in there he made up
-- except for where I am directly quoted," Collins says.

                       ROUTING OUT THE FACTS

Honorable mention goes to a story from the News & Observer (NANDO)
Publishing Co., New York Times News Service -- nominated by Western
student C.T. Pierson ([email-masked]). (In other words, a
recent intern has cleverly infiltrated the paper once again! --
Trainspotting ed.)

It's about Kevin Mitnick -- The Most Evil Hacker On Planet Earth Who
Probably Beats His Wife And Killed His Children's Pets Execution
Style™. Mitnick was finally nailed a few weeks ago and made headlines
across the world.

Some poor newsroom sap somewhere drew short straw and was ordered to
file a story about Mitnick, resulting in NANDO's story "ARREST OF
ALLEGED HACKER SETS NERVES ON EDGE ON THE INTERNET."

Nando intimately understands Mitnick's crimes: "What Mitnick is
believed to have done is called `cracking route' -- penetrating to the
deepest levels of the computer operating system, giving the hacker the
omniscience of the company's highest-ranking supervisor."

"If you can `crack route,' you can do anything you damn please," a
source was quoted.

             SOMETHING IS HAPPENING HERE AND YOU DON'T
               KNOW WHAT IT IS, DO YOU, MISTER JONES?

If you like keeping up with the best of the worst of media reportage on
the Civilization Threatening Internet, read newsgroup
alt.internet.media-coverage . Endless discussion of media journalists
and the insurmountable obstacles they face in trying to figure out what
the hell the Internet is.

Traditional channels of information are narrow and selective. Within
that framework, the newsmedia enjoy a privileged position over the
public. The public really has no way of knowing what's bullshit in the
news because they aren't "there" to test veracity. And they have no way
to "be there" since the traditional channels lock the public out.

The fun of the net is that most users know more about the topic than
the average reporter, thus making bullshit immediately detectable.

Check out the a.i.m-c "Charter" (defining statement of the group's
purpose), posted to netnews every other week by friendly netnews
regular J.D. Falk ([email-masked]). Also available at
http://www.cais.com/jdfalk/aim-c.html .

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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From: [email-masked] (eye WEEKLY)
Newsgroups: eye.news,ont.general
Subject: THE PARK: Cops Are Tops With NDP
Followup-To: eye.general,ont.general
Date: 21 Mar 1995 17:28:38 -0500
Organization: eye -- Toronto's Arts Newspaper
Lines: 102
Approved: [email-masked]
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~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
eye WEEKLY                                               March 23 1995
Toronto's arts newspaper                      .....free every Thursday
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
THE PARK                                                      THE PARK

                        COPS ARE TOPS WITH NDP

It's a strange week in Ontario politics when the NDP government ends up
looking like cop lovers and Toronto Sun columnist Christie Blatchford
(a true cop lover) tells us the cops really want an independent Special
Investigations Unit (SIU) to probe police shootings.

While Premier Bob Rae and his entire cabinet handed out government
cheques all across Kingston last week, his re-election campaign seemed
headed for a major jolt when a paroled cop-killer was found guilty of
murder by a Sudbury court.

That's when Rae instructed Solicitor-General David Christopherson to
fire the head of the parole board. In the media feeding frenzy that
followed this startling announcement, few people bothered to read
through a newly released government report on what actually went wrong
in this case.

The internal ministry review discovered that the three-person parole
panel that released cop-killer Clinton Victor Suzack didn't have enough
information in the file they were given on him to know how bad he
really was. According to the report "neither the Crown briefs nor the
transcript of reasons on sentencing ... were before the parole board."

What the three parole board members had in their file was an "inmate
profile including a summary of offences," a report on how he behaved in
jail and an assessment by jail authorities about his possible behavior
after release.

In other words, the full details on his past criminal record and the
submissions from the prosecutors and the police at the time of
sentencing on his most recent offence were not available to the people
who let him out. That's why the No. 1 recommendation of the internal
report was to "implement ways of ensuring that adequate information
about the nature of the offences ... is shared with the Ontario Board
of Parole."

What a good idea.

Meanwhile, Christopherson and Rae created an effective smokescreen to
cover up internal government fumbling by offering up parole board
chairman Don Wadel as a fall guy.

The very next day, Attorney-General Marion Boyd fired Howard Morton,
the beleaguered head of the Special Investigations Unit. Morton has
been getting into trouble almost from the day he was appointed to his
job by the previous Liberal government.

When the SIU was set up, its first head, Judge John Osler, understood
that they government's intent was to have a quasi-governmental body,
separate from the police, to quickly decide after a police shooting or
other serious incident whether charges should be laid against the
officers involved.

In and out quickly and let the courts decide -- that's what former
premier David Peterson's government wanted. But when Morton took over
the SIU he saw things differently. He hired his own team of
investigators and it started to take months or years to decide if
police officers should be charged.

Even Rae concluded that Morton's way was the wrong way. For the police
officers involved as well as for the victims of police shootings,
justice delayed became justice denied.

Boyd told Rae that Morton was not prepared to stop empire building and
to do the job that was originally intended. Rae instructed Boyd to fire
Morton.

After the deed was done, the Urban Alliance for Race Relations came to
Morton's defence and accused the NDP of removing civilian control over
the police. Columnist Rosie DiManno and the editorial board of The
Toronto Star went ballistic and painted Morton as a political scapegoat
in an effort to appease the police and win votes from people who
support them.

That's when cop-lover Blatchford came to the defence, not of Morton,
but of the SIU, saying the police really wanted civilian supervision to
continue -- they just wanted Morton out because he was a bad
administrator.

All in all, a good week for the cops. Don Wadel gets fired because a
parole panel doesn't get the information from the ministry they need to
do their job. And long- time police nemesis Howard Morton gets fired
from the SIU.

The cops may be pleased, but don't expect Metro's finest to be out
knocking on doors for Rae in this year's election.

                   The Park is written by eye's Queen's Park insider.
                                  
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From: [email-masked] (eye WEEKLY)
Newsgroups: eye.news,ont.general
Subject: THE PARK: Same-sex issue haunts Rae
Followup-To: eye.general,ont.general
Date: 28 Mar 1995 18:16:04 -0500
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~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
eye WEEKLY                                               March 30 1995
Toronto's arts newspaper                      .....free every Thursday
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
THE PARK                                                      THE PARK

                       SAME-SEX ISSUE HAUNTS RAE

A campaign-style speech by Premier Bob Rae to "The Fraternity," a group
for gay and lesbian professionals in Toronto, has landed him back in
the political quagmire of same-sex rights.

At the March 13 meeting, Rae repeated his pledge to introduce a new
same-sex law to replace Bill 167, which was defeated in the Legislature
last spring -- if he gets re-elected. Rae also acknowledged that
including adoption rights for gays and lesbians in his ill-fated bill
made it unpalatable to a majority of MPPs.

The next day, media coverage of the meeting caused Rae great
embarrassment and had the gay and lesbian community wondering where he
really stood. A headline in The Toronto Star read: "Rae blames gays for
same-sex rights bill loss."

Although The Star stands by its story, Rev. Brent Hawkes, the NDP
candidate in St. George-St. David, which has the largest gay and
lesbian population in Canada, told eye the article in The Star was a
"total distortion ... the headline doesn't fit the story. Rae was asked
why he didn't drop adoption from the bill earlier because it would have
passed. As far as he knew, the community didn't want adoption dropped."

To control the political damage, Rae wrote a letter to the editor of
The Star, published March 17, saying, "At no time were my comments
intended to blame the gay and lesbian community for the defeat of Bill
167."

The Liberal MPP in St. George-St. David, Tim Murphy -- who introduced
his own bill on same-sex rights that didn't include adoption rights --
disagrees: "I've talked to people who were at The Fraternity meeting
and the quote in The Star is exactly what Rae said."

But at the meeting, Rae dug himself into an even deeper political hole
when he was asked why he doesn't go ahead and introduce another
same-sex bill right now, while he still has a majority in the
Legislature. Hawkes says the answer Rae gave was that "the other two
parties have clearly indicated they don't want to deal with it again."
Says Hawkes, "Bill 45, the original Tim Murphy bill, went to the
Justice Committee and the Conservatives and the Liberals voted against
bringing that bill forward. With so little time left in the mandate of
the government, to try to fight the other two parties on this -- as far
as he's concerned we gave it our best shot."

Why doesn't Rae just put out the party whip and force NDP MPPs to vote
in favor of a new same-sex bill? "You can't force legislation on the
agenda without the co-operation of the House leaders" of the other
parties, says Hawkes. "But the probable scenario is that the House will
be called back and there will be a speech from the throne, a budget,
maybe a couple of things done and then adjourn for an election."

Meanwhile, senior advisers to Rae have told reporters that if the
Legislature is recalled before the election, the NDP will likely
introduce bills to limit MPP pensions and to collect a new tobacco tax.
Surely, if they have time for those bills, they also have time to deal
with a bill on same-sex rights.

As for Rae saying that he can't introduce same-sex legislation without
the co- operation of the other two parties, Murphy responds angrily:
"That's a lie. They have introduced more closure motions (to cut off
opposition debate) than any other government ever in the history of
Ontario. They don't need the co-operation of the other parties.

"Bills have gone through in less than two weeks from beginning to end
on the basis of closure motions even though the other two parties
objected. That's why they introduced closure motions -- because we were
not co-operating."

After Bill 167 was defeated, Murphy moved a motion in the Justice
Committee to refer his more moderate bill on same-sex rights to the
House for a vote. "Hawkes was co-chair of the Campaign for Equal
Families, which asked me to move the motion. The Conservatives and
every NDP MPP voted against it. And Hawkes knows that -- he was in the
room," Murphy says.

"The irony of Rae's statement to The Fraternity is that when he said,
`Gee, if only I'd known there was a middle ground,' that's what my bill
was -- it didn't include adoption. My bill didn't go as far as some in
the community would like because I said to them, `This bill can pass
the House.' Bob Rae knew there was a middle ground. He sacrificed any
progress on this issue because of his own political agenda to try to
embarrass Lyn McLeod."

In addition, Murphy claims that if his bill is put to a vote by Rae
when the Legislature resumes sitting in April, McLeod will support it,
although she didn't support the NDP bill because she thought it went
too far. "Lyn McLeod said when I moved the motion for Bill 45 at the
Justice Committee, `If Rae brings it forward I'd vote for it.' "

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From: [email-masked] (eye WEEKLY)
Newsgroups: eye.news,ont.general
Subject: THE PARK: Who's Tory Now?
Followup-To: eye.general,ont.general
Date: 5 Apr 1995 18:11:19 -0400
Organization: eye -- Toronto's Arts Newspaper
Lines: 110
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~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
eye WEEKLY                                                April 6 1995
Toronto's arts newspaper                      .....free every Thursday
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
THE PARK                                                      THE PARK

                           WHO'S TORY NOW?
                              Everybody

Liberal leader Lyn McLeod, who for months has been accused of having no
economic policies of her own, has finally told us where she stands and
in the process has moved her party sharply to the right.

In a dramatic departure from traditional left-wing and centrist party
policies, McLeod's new economic program looks more like a conservative
agenda than the policies of the previous Liberal government of David
Peterson.

If elected, McLeod has promised to cut 12,000 government jobs, to get
tough on welfare cheaters and to force welfare recipients to take
training courses or face a reduction in benefits. She would also freeze
transfers to schools, municipalities and hospitals for another four
years and off-load billions of dollars in capital projects to the
private sector.

McLeod, who spoke before the first rubber chicken bounced onto dinner
plates at her annual $400-a-head fundraiser, told 1,200 hungry party
regulars and business people that her right-wing agenda was "what a
Liberal has to do in the 1990s."

A year earlier, Mike Harris released a remarkably similar plan for
Ontario that would cut 13,000 government jobs, get tough with welfare
cheaters and force welfare recipients to take training courses. But his
plan was panned by the Liberals as unworkable -- that is, until they
borrowed some of his ideas.

But long before either Harris or McLeod, Premier Bob Rae had already
moved to the right. Two years ago, on April Fool's Day, 1993, Rae
announced his so-called social contract, which cut $2 billion from the
salaries of about 1 million people working for the province,
municipalities, schools and hospitals.

A year later Rae announced a massive crackdown on welfare fraud, which
was condemned by John Clarke of the Coalition Against Poverty as "more
Tory than the Tories."

With all three parties now crowded over on the right, it's getting hard
to tell who the real right-wingers are without a program.

Needless to say, Harris has accused McLeod of stealing his ideas and
Rae thinks her sharp turn to the right makes him the only politician in
Ontario who can speak for moderate voters in the centre.

Interestingly, no one has rushed to say they are representing voters on
the left.

Although McLeod, a former social worker and school trustee from Thunder
Bay, was the last leader to announce her move to the right, she may
have taken a bigger risk than the others in doing so. For the last 50
years the Liberal party has won federal elections in Ontario on the
strength of a centre-left coalition. And the only time they won power
provincially in all those years was based on the same coalition. McLeod
is gambling that she can afford to lose some left-wing voters to the
NDP and at the same time stop Harris from taking right-wing Liberal
votes.

One risk is that right-wing Liberals may decide to vote for the real
conservative -- Mike Harris, not a newly converted right-winger.

On her left flank, McLeod has risked the support of up to 4 million
voters, 2 million who rely on welfare and another 2 million who rely on
paycheques from municipalities, schools or hospitals.

Rae will do his best to convince people who are on welfare that he will
treat them better than either McLeod or Harris if he is re-elected. Rae
will also tell workers in municipalities, schools and hospitals that as
bad as his social contract was, it lasted only three years, whereas
McLeod will extend their wage freeze another four years.

When Rae introduced his social contract two years ago, Liberal MPP
Diane Poole said that municipal cutbacks needed to meet provincial
guidelines would threaten child care and seniors' services and that
lay-offs among Ontario's 950,000 public sector workers would hurt women
more than men because they have less job seniority.

But that was before the left-wingers in the Liberal caucus like Poole
and Elinor Caplan lost the debate on economic policy to right-wingers
like Gerry Phillips, Monte Kwinter and Steve Mahoney.

If the new Lyn McLeod has her way, the days of free-spending Liberal
governments in Ontario are a thing of the past.

"It's time we had a government that will do what Ontarians do every day
of their lives -- plan smartly, spend wisely and live within their
means," McLeod said. "That is what the people of this province want."

McLeod has handed Rae a reason to call the election. With Harris and
McLeod fighting it out to be more conservative than the other, Rae can
now appeal to his traditional left-wing base saying, "You may be mad at
me -- but look at the alternatives."

The Park is written by eye's Queen's Park insider.
                                  
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From: [email-masked] (eye WEEKLY)
Newsgroups: eye.news,soc.culture.canada,tor.general,alt.feminism
Subject: RANT: If You Can't Take A Joke ...
Followup-To: eye.general,soc.culture.canada,tor.general,alt.feminism
Date: 13 Apr 1995 14:40:51 -0400
Organization: eye -- Toronto's Arts Newspaper
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~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
eye WEEKLY                                               April 13 1995
Toronto's arts newspaper                      .....free every Thursday
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
SPACE FOR RANT                                          SPACE FOR RANT

                    SERIOUSLY THINKING ABOUT JOKES

                                  by
                              ELISA KUKLA

It's 1986, Michael Jackson is still popular, everyone is wearing
oversized fluorescent T-shirts and, on Jan. 28, the space shuttle
Challenger explodes 75 seconds after its launch. The next morning I'm
passed a note while sitting in French class. "Q. How do you fit 11
astronauts into a car? A. Two in the front, three in the back and seven
in the ashtray." A few years earlier, the Ethiopian drought is causing
mass deaths due to starvation, North Americans are crooning "We Are The
World" and asking each other, "What do you call an Ethiopian with a
dog? A farmer."

Humor is a way humans deal with our ridiculous impotence in the face of
horror ... sometimes. Shortly after the Montreal massacre, I saw
scrawled on the door to a women's washroom: "What do you call 14 dead
feminists? A good start." I'm not laughing. This one's not a
recognition of the overwhelming nature of tragedy -- it's a
glorification of murder and a threat.

I'm thinking about all this because of a recent Rolling eye piece I
wrote ("Fill the Breast," March 16) that satirized a feminist event. A
few women (including some of my friends) weren't amused. So I'm
stopping to ask myself what exactly is funny and what's not.

Last week I sat in on an excruciating "Feminism 101" class at the
University of Guelph. The professor spent two hours showing how every
gendered joke subjugates women. "How does a real man know when his
girlfriend's had an orgasm?" the prof asked in a deadpan voice.
"Answer: A real man doesn't care." The class tried to look offended and
not giggle.

This joke has a myriad of interpretations, including the widely
accepted feminist opinion that, because of early societal training, men
tend to be less open to their emotions and less sensitive to others'
needs. The professor, I hate to say, didn't get it.

Are we, as a group of feminists, ready to laugh at ourselves?
Traditionally, laughing at feminism has been the best way to discredit
us: from caricatures of hysterical, ugly suffragettes chaining
themselves to fences, to caricatures of hysterical, ugly Germaine
Greers burning bras.

Is sexism finally high enough on the human atrocity list to allow us to
start laughing as a way of surviving? It is if we're ready to believe
ignorance toward women's health is as lamentable as, say, seven
astronauts blown to stellar toe jam.

Question: "How many feminists does it take to change a light bulb?"

Answer: That's not funny."

I don't know -- is it?

Hop on your soapbox and tell us what's bugging you. We might even run
your words in this space.
                                  
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From: [email-masked] (eye WEEKLY)
Newsgroups: eye.news,ont.general
Subject: THE PARK: Protesters give leaders the disrespect they deserve
Followup-To: eye.general,ont.general
Date: 13 Apr 1995 14:43:21 -0400
Organization: eye -- Toronto's Arts Newspaper
Lines: 115
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~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
eye WEEKLY                                               April 13 1995
Toronto's arts newspaper                      .....free every Thursday
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
THE PARK                                                      THE PARK

          PROTESTERS GIVE LEADERS THE DISRESPECT THEY DESERVE

A woman dressed in a Superman costume and protesters carrying signs
that read "Dump Rae" and "We're here, we're queer and we're back" set
the tone for the final pre-election debate among the three party
leaders held at the Royal York Hotel late week.

Although The Toronto Star, which sponsored the debate, hoped the focus
would be on the future of the Greater Toronto Area (GTA), the
protesters shifted it to other issues.

Miriam Edelson, a.k.a. Superman "fighting for justice in the
Supercity," turned out to be an Ontario Public Service Employees Union
member who works at Thistletown, a provincially funded treatment centre
for 400 developmentally challenged children in Metro that is being
closed by the Rae government.

The "Dump Rae" group was lead by Mario Ferri and his neighbors, who
drove down from the town of Maple, 40 km. north of Toronto. The group
was protesting a decision by the NDP to locate a second garbage dump
for Metro's waste right next to the existing one, already the biggest
landfill site in Canada. They think it's time for another community to
take some of Metro's garbage.

"We're here to keep the issue of garbage dumps in front of the three
leaders," said Ferri, who has been fighting the dump for years. "We
want to make sure that the next government reverses the damage done by
the NDP." Ferri now hopes to take his protest onto the floor of the
Legislature as a Liberal MPP by replacing Greg Sorbara, who is quitting
politics.

Although Ferri and his group got promises from both Mike Harris and Lyn
McLeod that plans for the new dump would be scrapped, he said, "We're
not satisfied by that alone." Doesn't he trust his own leader?

Simon Twiddly was protesting because he wanted "same-sex benefits,
which is a basic human right." Asked if one of the parties was better
for his cause than any other he said: "We've certainly been betrayed by
all three leaders."

Valerie Dugale, a spokesperson for the Campaign for Equal Families,
said: "What we saw last summer after Bill 167 was a flip-flop by
McLeod, a reneging by Bob Rae when he called a free vote and a total
ignoring of our human rights by Mike Harris."

As a result, Dugale said that her group was not supporting any of the
parties in the next election. "Our approach to this election is to
identify those candidates who have supported our rights in the past
through voting for Bill 167 and let gays and lesbians vote accordingly.
It really is a non-partisan approach."

The next day, however, Dugale did a flip-flop of her own when she faxed
a memo to eye saying that in the downtown riding of St. George-St.
David her group was actually supporting NDP candidate Rev. Brent
Hawkes, despite the fact that Liberal Tim Murphy voted for Bill 167.

During the debate, whenever McLeod spoke, she was heckled by people who
chanted "flip-flop, flip-flop." Whenever Rae spoke, Ferri's group
shouted "dump Rae, dump Rae." Harris didn't get heckled much, but when
he misspoke himself by saying, "I always have trouble with the
numbers," the entire room, including his own supporters, exploded in
laughter.

This comment followed a year of constant attacks on Harris from both
the NDP and the Liberals, who have said the numbers don't add up in his
"Common Sense" plan to reduce taxes by 30 per cent while at the same
time slashing government spending by $6 billion.

The audience was divided into four sections: three groups of party
supporters and a roped-off section at the front for provincial and
municipal politicians. Cabinet ministers Marilyn Churley, Ed Philip,
Allan Pilkey and Ruth Grier were there. So were MPPs Margaret Marland,
Chris Stockwell and Alvin Curling. Toronto Mayor Barbara Hall and North
York Mayor Mel Lastman were also on hand, along with dozens of other
city and Metro councillors.

With all those politicians in one room, it was a political groupie's
dream come true -- and a taxpayer's worst nightmare.

The candidates' debate was pretty boring compared to the raucous
behavior of the audience. McLeod said she would abolish the direct
election of Metro councillors and go back to having them appointed by
local councils. Harris said that although his own task force on the GTA
recommended that Metro be abolished, he hadn't made up his mind what to
do.

Rae offered nothing new and spent most of his time taking shots at
McLeod, accusing her of being a flip-flopping thief who stole his plan
to build four new subway lines in Metro.

What the debate showed was that the public is clearly ready for an
election. It's also clear Rae can expect to be heckled at every
campaign stop, just like David Peterson was harassed throughout the
1990 campaign by Greenpeacers dressed as big green rats.

Rae demonstrated that he is in top debating form and is ready to take
on the hecklers, but this final pre-election dry run showed that both
McLeod and Harris are also ready for the fight of their political
lives.

The Park is written by eye's Queen's Park insider.
                                 
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From: [email-masked] (eye WEEKLY)
Newsgroups: eye.news,ont.general
Subject: THE PARK: Election election election
Followup-To: eye.general,ont.general
Date: 21 Apr 1995 11:17:39 -0400
Organization: eye -- Toronto's Arts Newspaper
Lines: 119
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~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
eye WEEKLY                                               April 20 1995
Toronto's arts newspaper                      .....free every Thursday
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
THE PARK                                                      THE PARK

                        HERE COMES THE ELECTION

The long-awaited provincial election is just around the corner.

In fact, an NDP insider told eye that Premier Bob Rae wanted to call
the election before Easter, but the 500 people who work for his cabinet
ministers and MPPs insisted that they get a four-day Easter holiday
before having to help their bosses get re-elected.

Because the NDP are having a difficult time finding volunteers for the
campaign, this threat was enough to get Rae to delay his plans. Cabinet
ministers and staff have now been told to expect an election call
anytime after Easter.

According to people close to Rae, the preferred date to drop the
election writs  is Monday, May 1 -- May Day -- the international day of
celebration by organized labor. The ideal scenario would have Rae
linking arm-in-arm with his brothers and sisters in the labor movement
on May Day to show that the bitterness caused by the NDP's ill-fated
social contract is now forgotten.

However, Sid Ryan, the president of the Canadian Union of Public
Employees (CUPE) and one of Rae's biggest critics since the social
contract was imposed, told eye at the recent leader's debate that he
was still unhappy with Rae and that "none of the leaders was dealing
with the issues that affected working men and women."

Rae, who has been in third place behind the other leaders at about 15
per cent of voter support since the social contract legislation was
introduced, desperately needs the support of labor to get his party
back to its traditional support level of 22 per cent in order to win
more than a handful of seats in the election.

That's why Rae's strategists are delighted with recent statements made
by front- runner Lyn McLeod that they think helped their cause. Last
month on Global TV, McLeod said that she would stand up for Ontario
against her Liberal friends in Ottawa to fight for Ontario's fair share
of federal revenues.

The NDP couldn't believe their good luck in having McLeod raise an
issue that plays right into their strategy. Internal party polls show
that this is the only issue where Rae's credibility is miles ahead of
McLeod's. Rae is seen by 45 per cent of voters as the best leader to
stand up to Ottawa, whereas McLeod has just 9 per cent support on this
issue.

A week later, McLeod handed Rae another issue when her economic plan
moved the Liberal party sharply to the right by saying she would cut
government programs. Once again, Rae's strategists couldn't believe
their luck. They were fully expecting McLeod to occupy the centre-left
during the election but she has handed the NDP an opportunity to
portray themselves as the only party that can save Ontario's social
programs such as medicare from the neo-conservative wave sweeping
across North America.

And NDP polls shows that the only area where voters think the NDP has
done a good job is in health care, despite the fumbling of Rae's
current health minister, Ruth Grier.

Faced with having the prospect of calling an election when 85 per cent
of voters are against them, the NDP think they have been thrown a
life-preserver by the Liberals.

The Tories were also happy with McLeod. Their strategists believe her
recent statements will cause the Liberals to lose enough votes to the
NDP so that the PCs will win several close three-way fights. 

                           ALL IN THE FAMILY

Economic Development Minister Frances Lankin is busy fighting a serious
backlash in her Beaches-Woodbine riding against the ill-conceived plans
of Health Minister Ruth Grier which would kill volunteer programs like
Meals on Wheels and the Victorian Order of Nurses.

Last December, Grier's controversial legislation to centralize health
support services and force up to 1,200 community-based groups across
the province to close caused a major split within the NDP government
and among its supporters.

Judith Leon, executive director of Senior Link, a non-profit agency in
the Beaches that provides crisis intervention, housing and home care
for seniors, said in an interview with eye that Lankin told her the
reforms being proposed by Grier are nothing like the reform process
Lankin started when she was health minister.

Since then Lankin has faced growing criticism in her riding over this
issue. To control the political damage, Lankin has appointed former NDP
leader Steven Lewis as a "facilitator" to deal with Grier.

In other words, because Grier won't listen to Lankin, a former
ambassador to the United Nations is needed to get through to the
hard-headed health minister. And who will Lewis call at Grier's office?
His sister, Janet Solberg, Grier's newly hired communications
assistant.

                            TORY BAFFLEGAB

At Mike Harris' $500 a plate fundraiser last month, a slick, 17-page
document called the "Mike Harris Report" was given to everyone who
attended. On page 5, Harris wrote: "Spending in non-priority areas are
is by 20 per cent, or roughly $6 billion ...." Obviously no one was
expected to read this handout -- clearly Harris didn't read it before
it was printed -- or did he?

                    The Park is written by eye's Queen's Park insider.
                                  
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From: [email-masked] (eye WEEKLY)
Newsgroups: eye.news,ont.general
Subject: THE PARK: Forrest Stump Rae
Followup-To: eye.general,ont.general
Date: 26 Apr 1995 12:24:30 -0400
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~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
eye WEEKLY                                               April 27 1995
Toronto's arts newspaper                      .....free every Thursday
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
THE PARK                                                      THE PARK

              ENVIRONMENTALISTS ATTACK `FORREST STUMP' RAE

On the eve of the provincial election, Premier Bob Rae has been
attacked by his former friends in the environmental movement. They've
blasted the government's $1.8 million advertising campaign that claims
the NDP is protecting Ontario's forests.

A coalition of environmental groups called the ads "misleading
green-wash propaganda." The ads show four wooden chairs in a forest and
the announcer asks: "Which chair was made in Ontario?" The coalition's
answer is that the chair from Ontario comes from a province that allows
clearcutting in 90 per cent of its forests.

"Bob Rae is failing in this eleventh-hour attempt to play the part of a
forest environmentalist," said Dan McDermott of Earthroots. "The role
he has played as Premier is that of `Forrest Stump.' " According to
McDermott, Rae has "completely abandoned" the environmental principles
that helped get him elected.

In an effort to set the record straight, the coalition will be stumping
across the province during the election, says Tim Gray of the Wildlife
League, "to counter the misinformation provided by the government ...
in the hope of bringing some honesty to the discussion of Ontario
forest issues."

Ironically, back in September, 1990, when former premier David Peterson
announced the last provincial election, his news conference was
interrupted by environmentalist Gord Perks, who chained himself to a
tape recorder which blared out an embarrassing list of the Liberal
government's environmental failures.

Throughout that campaign, Peterson was harassed about his failures at
every campaign stop by a handful of environmental protesters, some of
whom were dressed like big green rats.

Now it's Bob Rae's turn to be harassed.

Environmental groups claim that Rae's government has withheld key
information on forest management agreements with lumber companies since
1991 although provincial law requires them to be made public. In
addition, they say the NDP has failed to "develop new regeneration
standards that would ensure that forests are replaced after they are
logged."

                           MY BROTHER BOBBY

Rae's sister Jennifer Rae recently sent a letter to NDP supporters
defending her brother's term in office and asking for financial
contributions to the party.

"Now Bob isn't perfect. As his sister I know that only too well. But
his leadership is head and shoulders over what the other two could
offer." She goes on to attack the Liberals, saying: "In power, we'd see
lots of cynicism and cheap politicking."

Elsewhere in the letter she writes that the Premier is three years
older than she is. Whoops. He's really younger than she is, but who
cares about the facts?

Jennifer Rae works for U.S.-owned IMAX Corp., which received more than
$7 million from the Ontario government in July, 1993, to build a new
amphitheatre after reporting a profit on revenues of $75 million in
1992.

                          FLOYD GETS CAUGHT

Finance Minister Floyd Laughren recently held a rather unusual news
conference to blast Lyn McLeod's economic plan as unworkable. However,
Laughren's strategy backfired when copies of his briefing notes were
leaked to the media showing that the Liberal plan is very similar to
his.

It should be -- because the Liberals got most of their research
information from Laughren's own officials.

While Laughren was blasting the Liberals by saying "the people of
Ontario deserve straight talk," Queen's Park reporters were chuckling
over Laughren's notes, which said he should attack the Liberal plan,
but make no comparisons to the government's own revenue forecasts and
spending levels -- because they were similar.

Laughren was also advised in the notes to attack the proposed Liberal
spending cuts, but not to mention that the NDP will have to make
similar cuts to account for the recent reduction in federal government
transfer payments to the province.

Finally, Laughren was cautioned that the Liberal plan's proposed
welfare cuts were similar to the government's own plan.

                             NDP PERKS

Education Minister Dave Cooke has blasted school trustees for being
overpaid and having too many perks. Cooke has said the job of school
trustee should be part-time. And he has cited the Toronto School Board,
which pays trustees $47,000 a year, as the worst offender.

But two of Cooke's colleagues, Tony Silipo and Rosario Marchese, are
former Toronto trustees who helped to turn their part-time jobs into
full-time ones. They also ran up two of the highest expense accounts at
the Toronto Board.

And Marchese, who lasted only a few months in Bob Rae's cabinet, didn't
lose his free-spending habits when he became an MPP. In just one year,
Marchese, who at the time lived only 2.5 kilometres from Queen's Park,
collected more than $2,000 in travel expenses to get to and from work.
At the government rate of 29 cents per kilometre, that means Marchese
made five trips a day to his office. Really?

In addition, he charged another $2,300 for travel within his downtown
riding of Fort York, which is five kilometres from one end to the
other. This means that Marchese also made another five trips a day back
and forth across the riding in addition to the five trips a day from
his residence to his office.

In attacking government waste, Cooke should turn his attention to the
NDP caucus and start by telling Marchese to buy a Metro Pass.

                    The Park is written by eye's Queen's Park insider.
                                  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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From: [email-masked] (eye WEEKLY)
Newsgroups: eye.news,ont.general
Subject: THE PARK: Leaders running for political lives
Followup-To: eye.general,ont.general
Date: 4 May 1995 07:03:59 -0400
Organization: eye -- Toronto's Arts Newspaper
Lines: 112
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~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
eye WEEKLY                                                  May 4 1995
Toronto's arts newspaper                      .....free every Thursday
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
THE PARK                                                      THE PARK

                  ALL THREE LEADERS WATCH THEIR BACKS

As the election gets underway, all three leaders are running to win,
but they are also running for their political lives. Because, no matter
who wins, it's almost certain that the two losers will also lose their
jobs.

Politics is very unkind to losers. These days, ex-premiers are rarely
asked by their colleagues to stick around and rebuild their parties for
the next time and opposition leaders are given only one or two chances
to win.

This election is no different.

Although Premier Bob Rae has managed to get the NDP back to its
traditional level of support of about 20 per cent before calling the
election, the knives are already out for Rae if he loses.

NDP insiders say that Economic Development Minister Frances Lankin is
poised to take over the party within minutes. In fact, many cabinet
ministers and backbenchers have been privately promoting Lankin for
months, assuming that Rae was headed for political oblivion after
trailing both the PCs and Liberals in public opinion polls for the last
three years.

As a sign of her power in the party, many ministers and MPPs have been
talking to Lankin before deciding which policies to support in cabinet
or caucus. The former jail guard and union organizer has been one of
Rae's strongest ministers, handling the difficult Health portfolio with
confidence before moving over to Economic Development, where she has
built a new network of contacts in the business community.

PC leader Mike Harris is facing criticism within his party for taking
it too far to the right in order to appeal to those who voted for the
Reform Party in the 1993 federal election. By adding up those who voted
Reform and PC in 1993, Harris hopes to find enough votes to win. To
succeed he also needs the NDP to recover and take enough votes from the
Liberals to create three-way fights in several key ridings.

Left behind in the dust by this strategy are the so-called "Red Tories"
who were the backbone of the organization put together by former PC
premier Bill Davis -- the legendary "Big Blue Machine."

Many Davis Tories feel there is no longer any room for them in the
Harris party. And since Davis has now been out of power for more than a
decade, they feel that the young right-wingers around Harris ignore
their concerns as the complaints of a bunch of has-beens whose time has
passed.

Many of these experienced Red Tories are sitting on the sidelines
during this election. Some are working for the Liberals, who have
welcomed them with open arms.

In addition, the newly formed Reform Association of Ontario expects to
have between 30 and 50 candidates running in the election, many in
ridings the PCs hope to win. Polls show that between 4 and 8 per cent
of voters are ready to support Reform candidates, which may be enough
to kill Harris' chances in the three-way races he needs to win.

Waiting in the wings for Harris to stumble are the exiled members of
the Big Blue Machine, who will quickly find someone like newly
appointed CBC president and former federal minister Perrin Beatty to
challenge Harris if he loses the election.

Even front-runner Lyn McLeod has nay-sayers in her party who expect her
to lose the election. Although she has led the polls consistently since
she became Liberal leader three years ago, some Liberals are unhappy
with her leadership.

If McLeod loses after leading the polls for three years, she will have
a hard time convincing her party to give her a second chance.

One former minister in the previous Liberal government of David
Peterson even says McLeod may face a challenge to her leadership if she
only gets a minority government.

                             EARLY RESULTS

One election result that looks like a sure thing even before the
campaign gets underway is the re-election of Liberal Alvin Curling in
the Metro riding of Scarborough North.

Curling, the first black cabinet minister in Ontario history, is
expected to win an easy landslide victory over his two challengers.

The NDP candidate is Tarek Fatah, an events co-ordinator in Rae's
office. Fatah has been accused in writing by Maureen Sims, another
another events co-ordinator in the Premier's office, of referring to
blacks as "monkeys." Sims, who is black, also wrote the riding
executive that she was afraid to be around Fatah due to his
"uncontrollable temper." Fatah has denied the allegations. So far, Rae
has been strangely silent about the affair.

Michael Thomas, a 21-year-old university student, is running for the PC
party. Thomas, who attends York University, says he will continue going
to school if he is elected to the Legislature. He won't have to worry
about doing both.

                    The Park is written by eye's Queen's Park insider.
                                  
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From: [email-masked] (eye WEEKLY)
Newsgroups: eye.news,ont.general
Subject: THE PARK: Leaders luring voters
Followup-To: eye.general,ont.general
Date: 10 May 1995 18:27:08 -0400
Organization: eye -- Toronto's Arts Newspaper
Lines: 114
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~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
eye WEEKLY                                                 May 11 1995
Toronto's arts newspaper                      .....free every Thursday
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
THE PARK                                                      THE PARK

                LEADERS LURE VOTERS TO THE CHOCOLATE BOX

As the battle for votes heats up in the provincial election, the key
messages of the three parties are starting to take shape.

The NDP want voters to forget the past and give them a second chance,
the front-running Liberals are bland and boring on purpose because it
works in Ontario, and the PCs are promising to bring back the good old
days.

The first step in the NDP strategy, born out of desperation, is to get
voters to forget the mistakes they've made in the past five years. Then
they'll try to portray Rae as the strongest of the three leaders to
fight the Liberal government in Ottawa for the province's fair share of
federal transfer payments. And they'll argue NDP will do a better job
than the others of protecting health care, which relies heavily on
federal money.

When he launched his re-election bid, a relaxed Premier Bob Rae told an
overflowing crowd of reporters at Queen's Park: "The people of Ontario
will now have to decide who they think is best able to defend their
interests ... You name the program, it's now on the table" for
re-negotiation between the province and Ottawa.

And in a shot at Mike Harris' promise to cut taxes, Rae said: "Cynical
promises such as lower taxes and quick fixes will only make matters
worse."

When asked about his last campaign, which consisted of personal attacks
on former premier David Peterson, Rae replied, "That's a long time
ago."

It's also a long time ago since Rae flip-flopped on auto insurance, on
casinos and on the NDP's "sacred trust" -- collective agreements, which
he overrode in his social contract legislation. Rae hopes enough voters
will forget about his flip-flops and give him a second term.

As to what kind of campaign he expects, Rae stole a line from Forrest
Gump saying, "Every election is like a box of chocolates." Within a
week, protesters were responding with signs reading: "Stupid is as
stupid does."

Rae ended his news conference by saying: "I can use my five years of
experience as Premier. It can be helpful for the province. This is a
wonderful job and the experiences I have had will be useful to the
province."

Then he kissed his wife Arlene, who looked relieved that the election
was finally underway. In a touching scene, Rae put his arm around his
wife's waist and the two of them headed off to the Premier's office.

As they made their way through the corridors of Queen's Park, they
passed small groups of NDP staffers who applauded politely as the
Premier went by. One woman wept quietly -- Rae didn't notice.

Down the hall, a confident and assertive Lyn McLeod launched the
Liberal campaign by repeating her message about the need to balance the
budget and make Ontario a good place to invest in again.

But she looks too stern and sounds so severe. If voters decide they
need a dose of bad-tasting medicine, "Auntie Lyn" will be ready to give
it to us.

She needs to lighten up and come down off the high wire her handlers
have put her on. What the Liberals are attempting to do is to give
McLeod the public image of someone who is tough enough to take on the
enormous challenge of a $100 billion debt and an economy still reeling
from the job losses stemming from Mulroney's free trade and high dollar
policies.

In the end, it may not matter much what image the Liberals create for
McLeod. If she wins, it will probably be because women and young people
in the province have decided it's time for a woman premier. In public
opinion polls, McLeod has consistently rated highest among women and
young people. And she's the only woman running -- that may be all she
needs. The down side is that some (mainly male) voters still don't
think a woman can do the job. That's why the Liberals are also
stressing the members of her team (mainly men) who will be backing her
up if she wins.

And for those voters who still remember that they were mad at the
Liberals five years ago and kicked them out of office, the third
message is that this is a new Liberal team with a new agenda for the
future.

Mike Harris has a very uncomplicated message: "Simple values that have
served people well -- like common sense, self-reliance, personal
responsibility and honest hard work -- have been ignored by elected
leaders."

Vote for Harris and he'll also put money in your pocket. His campaign
committee has calculated that the tax cut proposed by the PCs will put
$207 a month in the pockets of the average Ontario household or $81 a
month into the hands of a single person earning $30,000 a year.

Forget the past and give us another chance; it's time for a woman
premier; or vote for us and you'll get money in your pocket -- it's a
no-brainer all round.

                    The Park is written by eye's Queen's Park insider.
                                  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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From: [email-masked] (eye WEEKLY)
Newsgroups: eye.news,ont.general
Subject: THE PARK: Will gloves come off this election?
Followup-To: eye.general,ont.general
Date: 25 May 1995 15:12:57 -0400
Organization: eye -- Toronto's Arts Newspaper
Lines: 105
Approved: [email-masked]
Message-ID: <[email-masked]>
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~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
eye WEEKLY                                                 May 25 1995
Toronto's arts newspaper                      .....free every Thursday
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
THE PARK                                                      THE PARK

            WHEN WILL THE GLOVES COME OFF IN THIS ELECTION?

Voters are finally beginning to realize there is a provincial election
going on, thanks to the more than $3 million in political ads that
started to run on TV and radio last week. The ads are just as
predictable as the campaign has been up until now. They are so boring
that most people will try to zap to another station to avoid them, but
that will be difficult, because they're everywhere.

The NDP have bought $750,000 worth of ads, the Liberals $1.1 million
and the PCs an undisclosed amount that one PC insider says could be as
high as $1.9 million. That's a lot of ads to be aired in just three
weeks.

So far, all three parties are aiming their messages mainly at their own
voters without making much effort to win over new ones.

Front-runner Lyn McLeod is using her ads to reassure middle-class
suburban Liberal voters that she will balance the budget in four years
(yawn) and create a climate for economic growth (zap).

Mike Harris is telling hardcore Tories that he will force welfare
recipients to work for their benefits, repeal Ontario's employment
quota law and cut taxes (zap).

In one of his ads, Bob Rae tells traditional NDP union voters that he
saved 40,000 jobs with his hated social contract legislation. Rae says:
"If I'm remembered as the guy who invented Rae Days, that's fine ...
governing isn't a popularity contest."

Unfortunately for Rae, winning elections is a popularity contest and
the NDP is still the least popular party in this contest. More than 80
per cent of voters are ready to vote for someone else and the NDP have
just a couple of weeks left to change their minds.

Another NDP ad attacks someone who isn't even running in this election
-- Jean Chr‚tien and the federal Liberals. In the ad, Rae says: "Your
family and mine depend on our health care system. But the Ottawa
Liberals say we better get ready for cuts to health care."

The problem with attacking Chr‚tien is that he is the most popular
Prime Minister in the history of Canada and his recent budget, which
Rae is focusing on, is more popular in Ontario than anywhere else in
the country. Across the province, almost 80 per cent of Ontarians like
the federal budget. Did the NDP have a brain cramp when they came up
with these ads?

No. Rae is aiming his message at the 20 per cent who dislike Chr‚tien
and the feds. The NDP have already concluded that they have no chance
of winning the election, so they are running to get the 20 per cent of
the vote that they usually get so they can maintain their official
party status in the Legislature.

Many political observers think that the NDP campaign never even got off
the ground. For weeks, political professionals from the other two
parties have been asking: "Where's Bob Rae, the political street
fighter?"

When the NDP's surprisingly tame ads were unveiled at a press
conference, Steve Paikin of TVO posed the question that was on the
minds of most reporters when he asked: "Where are the scurrilous and
dirty ads, like the ones the NDP used in the last election?"

Back in 1990, street fighter Bob used hard-hitting ads that accused
then-premier David Peterson of being involved in questionable
activities with big land developers. Although senior NDP organizers
like Gerry Caplan would later dissociate themselves from the vicious
personal attacks on Peterson, these ads were largely responsible for
getting Rae elected.

This time, Rae has so far been portraying himself as a statesman rather
than a fighter. He's now the dignified Premier who is the best person
to negotiate with the federal government to get the money needed to
protect our health care system.

Has Bob Rae decided to take his lumps and end his political career as a
gentleman? The Liberals don't think so. One of Lyn McLeod's senior
campaign advisers told eye he doesn't expect the NDP to go down without
a fight. "We haven't seen the desperation ads yet. We will likely see
them in the last 10 days, if there is no upward movement in the polls
for Rae."

The PCs also have their own U.S.-style political attack ads ready to
go, but say they won't be the first to use them. And the front-running
Liberals have no reason to start a dirty little TV war. That leaves Bob
Rae to decide whether this boring campaign will end with a whimper or a
bang.

                    The Park is written by eye's Queen's Park insider.
                                  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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From: [email-masked] (eye WEEKLY)
Newsgroups: eye.news,ont.general
Subject: THE PARK: And now for the real cuts
Followup-To: eye.general,ont.general
Date: 22 Nov 1995 21:33:52 -0500
Organization: eye -- Toronto's Arts Newspaper
Lines: 105
Approved: [email-masked]
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~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
eye WEEKLY                                            November 23 1995
Toronto's arts newspaper                      .....free every Thursday
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
THE PARK                                                      THE PARK

                       AND NOW FOR THE REAL CUTS

A very un-merry Christmas to all.

Just in time for the holiday season, the Harris government is getting 
ready to announce spending cuts of between $3 billion and $4 billion. 
The result will be higher costs for everything from tuition fees to 
bus fare.

This comes on top of last July's nearly $2 billion in cuts. Last time 
the target was welfare. This time the cuts, scheduled to be announced 
Wednesday (Nov. 29), will be felt by everyone. Hardest hit will be 
municipalities and universities, which expect their provincial funding 
to be cut by between 20 per cent and 40 per cent.

Inside the government, ministries like Environment are facing cuts of 
about 60 per cent, while some senior officials in Housing and Culture 
expect their entire ministries to disappear within a year.

The Dominion Bond Rating Service, which keeps a close eye on 
provincial finances, says that almost $10 billion must be cut before 
Harris will be able to keep his election promises of balancing the 
budget while reducing provincial income taxes by 30 per cent.

"The real issue is the government's commitment to repair its 
finances," says Brian Miron of DBRS. "And economic growth in Ontario 
is not as strong as the government expected."

Last July, Finance Minister Ernie Eves predicted a buoyant economy, 
growing at 4.4 per cent this year, but DBRS now says it will be more 
like 2 per cent. That means the government's projected revenues will 
be short by at least $800 million, which must be made up through still 
more cuts or with new taxes.

But Harris promised no new taxes during the election, so we can expect 
yet more cuts.

Many at Queen's Park are wondering how much more cutting Harris can 
get away with before he runs into serious opposition.

                       RUMBLINGS FROM THE MEDIA

The public still overwhelmingly supports last July's government 
cutbacks in welfare spending. Still, former mayor and current Now 
contributor John Sewell is organizing a group of prominent Toronto 
media types and concerned citizens who have met to discuss the Mike 
Harris cuts and their likely impact on Metro.

John Evans, the chair of Torstar, which owns the Toronto Star and, 
thereby, eye, described the mood of the meeting he attended: "There 
were some who want to carry out an assault on government for 
considering these cuts. But there were a larger number who were saying 
part of the problem is that there is very little financial wiggle room 
for a government of any stripe at the present time."

Another member of the Sewell group, author and eye columnist Linda 
McQuaig, was much tougher on the Harris policies: "It's class warfare. 
It's taking money from the poor and giving it back in the form of tax 
breaks to the rest, with the biggest benefits at the upper end. Even 
conservatives like former Tory federal cabinet minister Alan Redway 
and businessman Adam Zimmerman [who attended meetings] are concerned 
about this."

The group started last month when Sewell called a meeting and sent out 
a two-page statement entitled "Together: people working to strengthen 
communities." The statement said, "We are committed to working for 
actions in both the public and private sectors which reduce 
disparities and strengthen communities.... We can have no genuine 
community unless our mutual wealth and resources are shared in ways 
which provide real opportunities for all and a supportive and caring 
environment."

Those participants contacted by eye said it was Sewell who called them 
up to join the discussion group. But when asked if he was organizing 
the meetings, Sewell said: "No I'm not. I'm one of the people who's 
involved in it." When asked who would know about future meetings he 
said: "I don't know. There is a steering committee that has been 
inviting people." When asked who was on the steering committee he 
said: "I'm not at liberty to say that at the moment."

As for the future of the group, author Robert Fulford says, "The group 
does not yet know what it is and does not yet know where, if anywhere, 
it is heading. The philosophical basis behind it is that we think that 
Toronto is in danger of losing its sense of itself as a good 
community, in part, because of the steps the government has taken, 
particularly in the matter of welfare. This is about all that the 
group agreed upon. There is talk of issuing a statement. I don't know 
what it will be like in its final format, but at the moment it could 
be signed by Mike Harris."

The Park is written by eye's Queen's Park insider.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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[email-masked]     "...Break the Gutenberg Lock..."     416-971-8421

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From: [email-masked] (eye WEEKLY)
Newsgroups: eye.news,tor.general,can.infohighway
Subject: EYENET: The rise/fall/rebirth of IO
Followup-To: eye.general,tor.general,can.infohighway
Date: 23 Nov 1995 17:25:05 -0500
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~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
eye WEEKLY                                            November 23 1995
Toronto's arts newspaper                      .....free every Thursday
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
EYENET                                                          EYENET

         THE RISE AND FALL (AND REBIRTH?) OF INTERNEX ONLINE

                                  by
                            K.K . CAMPBELL 

On Wednesday, Nov. 8, Bell Canada cut all 480 phone lines of Toronto 
Internet service provider Internex Online (IO). Even the voice lines 
to ask why the modem lines weren't working. Dead. That night, the CBC 
11 o'clock news pronounced IO out of business, and the next day 
competing Toronto ISPs experienced a wave of walk-in customers.

The only "walk-in customer" IO had that Nov. 9 was Greenlight 
Communications, which controls Internet Canada, another ISP. 
Greenlight rode in like the cavalry and made IO an offer it couldn't 
refuse. By 8 p.m., the lines were back up, all 7,800 IO users were 
resurrected and the company was under new management.

It's a sign of the times, a wake-up call for Toronto's net.community. 
The pioneer days are over. ISPs are going to have to "grow up" or get 
IO-ed.

IO, the place to be in Toronto cyberspace, was the mothership that 
launched thousands of netters and dozens of ISPs. It was designed to 
be "different" from other companies. And it was: thousands of dollars 
simply walked out the door, as every net.geek in range grabbed what 
account time wasn't nailed down and profit/loss was considered 
something to be reckoned with next month. This is the story of the 
rise and fall of Toronto's first and most unique ISP.

(I was a small part of this story, since I know all the principals in 
this story to some degree. I was on board from the moment IO was 
formed in May '93. In March '94, eye became Canada's first publication 
online through a loose partnership with IO, before leaving for newly 
hatched competitor Interlog eight months later. Original IO president 
David Mason and I became, and remain, friends. Mason is now on the eye 
masthead.)

                      WOULDN'T IT BE LOVELY...?

In the archaic days of 1993, Toronto's only commercial "Internet 
provider" was CRS -- which offered a pathetically bad PCBoard 
interface to netnews and email.

So, David Mason merged his "Zooid" BBS with Marc Fournier' s "r-node" 
and Internex Online was born. It was to be a cyber-hangout for 
Toronto's creative community and hardcore UNIX geeks alike. If those 
two groups merged, so much the better for the future of the medium.

IO was incorporated on May 28, 1993. Mason, his then girlfriend Lyn 
Fincham and Fournier were directors and equal shareholders (33 1/3 
shares each). Fincham worked for UUNet Canada at 1 Yonge St. and paid 
the monthly rent on IO's first little closet of an office a couple of 
floors away. Mason and Fournier chipped in the hardware and the 
talent. Mason was prez, Fournier vice-prez. Fincham already had a 
full-time job, and soon faded into the background as an inactive 
partner.

I had an account on Zooid and went along for the Internex ride. It was 
a bumpy one at first, but by fall '93 the ISP was running pretty 
smoothly. In January '94, the net exploded into the headlines of every 
mainstream newspaper in North America. Demand soared -- and IO was 
about the only game in town.

In March '94, eye ran a cover story about the net, with a sidebar 
about Internex. Mason got 80 calls for accounts the same day. It was 
only the beginning of the media and mass market boom. Mason was 
offering any media people free IO accounts. And what few net.savvy 
media-types there were soon flocked aboard.

                             PURGE NO. 1

Mason and Fournier grew to loathe each other. Each had specific 
complaints, but it was clear their personalities did not mesh. Trying 
to fit them into one tiny office created stress fractures in the 
booming company.

Mason gradually relinquished the daily administration of IO to 
Fournier, working instead remotely and late at night from home. Mason 
and Fincham no longer lived together. Since the Internex office (where 
Fournier worked) and the UUNet Canada office (where Fincham worked) 
were in the same building, the two talked regularly, while Mason 
drifted further out of the daily operations. The power shift was 
completed when Fournier and Fincham decided it would be best if Mason 
was sent packing.

In August '94, BBS sysop/hobbiest Paul Chvostek bought Mason's shares 
for $27,500. Mason resigned as a director and was given $8,000 in free 
IO time. The internal conflict cost the company at precisely the 
moment when competitor ISPs were popping up like mushrooms. Phones 
went unanswered. Email to IO support disappeared into a black hole.

Of course, such abysmal service would become the hallmark of true 
geekcore ISPs. There's a joke in ISP circles: Q: Name the only two 
industries in the world that call their customers "users"? A: Drug 
dealers and Internet service providers.

But that attitude succeeds only with individual/recreational 
customers, not company/business customers. The First Great IO 
Defection was soon underway as anything remotely businesslike left: 
eye, CFNY, Exclaim!, all enthusiastic supporters originally, jumped 
ship.

Despite the exodus, the artists and geekcore crowd remained -- the 
very crowd IO was supposed to be about to begin with. Chvostek 
replaced Mason as a director and shareholder, while Fournier took 
Mason's role as president.

Nothing much seemed to happen for months, but there was a certain 
amount of jockeying going on. One insider says, "Lyn was apathetic, as 
always. Paul wanted to make changes. Marc was stubborn. The big 
problem with Marc was he had way too much control over the hardware 
and wouldn't loosen that grip."

Fournier locked Chvostek out of the system's root access -- which is 
to say, Chvostek was denied godhood status. Fournier, meanwhile, let 
his girlfriend, Cat Okita, have it. ("Please note I am a professional 
UNIX system administrator," Okita says, stressing it's not just a case 
of give-da-girlfriend-an-account.)

Chvostek soon brought in his old chum Matt Stein to work at IO "behind 
the scenes." Stein and Fincham settled on a plan to sell her shares to 
him. All seemed well. Fincham would finally get out of IO.

Then, last Aug. 2, Fournier stunned the Toronto net.community by 
announcing he'd been fired on July 31. Okita was also turfed. Long-
time IO-loyalist Brian Tao became sysadmin. Chvostek talked about 
bringing Mason back. Stein was officially named general manager.

                             PURGE NO. 2

IO users and staff never were told what led to Fournier getting axed. 
"It was directly because of the handling of the books," Fincham says.

Last New Year's Day, Fournier brought in Will Rowe to handle the books 
(among other duties). Fournier first met Rowe in IRC and they had 
become friends. In July, Chvostek/Stein asked to see those books -- 
which turned out to be non-existent. So Chvostek/Stein started going 
through the cheques. The first thing they noticed was many had 
bounced.

"That's because Will's idea of bookkeeping was to call the bank up and 
ask the balance before writing a cheque," Chvostek says.

Chvostek/Stein also discovered Fournier was using company cheques to 
pay personal expenses. Chvostek says Fournier was sometimes taking out 
three times his weekly salary. "This was because Marc didn't have a 
credit line," Chvostek says. "If he wanted a year's membership in 
Bally's gym, he paid it through the company."

"Oh, good God, is Paul still going on about that?" Okita responds in a 
phone interview. Fournier himself refused to be interviewed, directing 
me to his girlfriend, who is acting as his press spokesperson.

Okita stresses that there was never anything remotely like 
embezzlement going on. "It was just a case of Marc being the furthest 
thing from a business person you can imagine. He's a techie. When you 
get together a bunch of techies who don't have a clue about business, 
you end up with a situation like this."

Okita says the reason Fournier couldn't get any personal credit was 
because the company was continually operating in the red.

Rumors swirled the amount of Fournier's personal cheques up to 
$100,000. Okita says this is ridiculous, pointing to the existence of 
something called the "director's cut," where a company director could 
take a 5 per cent slice of gross income per month. She argues that pay 
structures were so messed up that none of directors has a right to 
point a finger at any other director.

"The total Marc took out was represented to me, by Matt and Paul, as 
large," Fincham says. "And I did see cheques Marc wrote for items that 
were not company-related. But they weren't exactly large amounts -- 
under $500 each. I don't know the actual total because Paul and Matt 
never produced the financial statements they promised they would 
compile once they got rid of Marc." Fincham says she now thinks the 
total was deliberately exaggerated by "someone" to facilitate the 
swift and conclusive termination of Fournier's employment.

The financial problems didn't stop there. IO was deducting payroll 
taxes from its dozen or so employees, but that money was apparently 
not sent to the government. Upon hearing that, Fincham became an 
active director again. Because IO was incorporated, she always 
expected to walk away with personal assets intact if the company 
folded. Lack of personal liability for company debts is a primary 
feature of incorporation. However, withheld taxes do not go away.

She repeatedly tried to arrange a meeting with Fournier, but he never 
returned her email or phone calls. Okita says that was an oversight, 
since Fournier was receiving 600 pieces of email a week.

So the Chvostek-Fincham tandem booted Fournier, who resigned as a 
director around a month later but remained a one-third shareholder.

The financial confusion deepened in regards to IO's phone bill. Bell 
usually gets "personal guarantees" (or deposits) before laying in ISP 
lines. Personal guarantees, too, remain if a company folds. And IO's 
phone debt was substantial, around $150,000. Which director guaranteed 
what?

When IO moved from 1 Yonge St. to Bay St., Fournier increased the 
number of IO phone lines by 180. Chvostek and Fincham both say why the 
lines were ordered remains a mystery, because it simply created 180 
"phantom lines" -- that is, no modems sat on the lines. No one could 
connect to them. The lines didn't generate a penny. Yet IO paid 
$30,000 to connect them and $4,000 monthly to maintain them.

                     LAST DAYS DOWN IN THE BUNKER

Chvostek was determined to attract new investment and push IO to new 
ISP heights -- or at least get IO to operate in the black.

With Fournier gone, new general manager Stein was given a free hand by 
Chvostek and Fincham. IO loyalists realized the company was going to 
be gutted of its, let's say, "distinctive personality." The resident 
body-pierced/stud-ridden employees were first to the guillotine.

In order to woo the business clientele, IO also had to nuke that darn 
annoying geekcore/freak crowd. So, on Oct 20, Stein and his "Uncle 
Herbie" -- who staff were told was going to invest $2 million in IO -- 
paid a surprise visit to Interlog further up Bay St. Stein dropped a 
bombshell: he wanted Interlog to "buy" IO's 7,800 customers. Interlog 
said no thanks.

Fincham says Stein did this without the knowledge of the two remaining 
directors. In fact, she wasn't even speaking with Stein.

"After firing Marc, Matt Stein and I continued on the lines of me 
selling my shares to him. But the problem was he never provided the 
information needed to determine the value of the shares: financial 
statements outlining debt and assets. Instead, as time moved on, he 
began to put a lot of pressure on me to sell my shares without having 
to provide that info. His email and calls were always a case of: 
'There's a crisis! You have to sell to me instantly! Otherwise 
everything is going to go wrong!' I'd check and find the crisis didn't 
exist."

She stopped answering his calls and email and resigned as a director 
on Oct. 25.

Fincham restarted email contact with Fournier, who was still a 
shareholder. "We agreed to meet," she says. They exchanged stories and 
"decided the best thing to do was fire Matt."

After weeks of increasingly bizarre mud-slinging among IO insiders and 
some wonky staff dismissals, Chvostek announced Stein had been fired 
and Chvostek would act as GM until a replacement was found. Chvostek 
said Fournier and Fincham were back in and IO would return to its old 
community-minded self.

Then, on Nov. 8, IO users found their modems wouldn't connect. Calling 
IO's voice line, users heard those most frightening words: "We're 
sorry, the number you have dialed is not in service."

Chvostek spent a frantic day asking Bell to reconsider. To no avail. 
On Nov. 9, word spread among insiders that IO was dead. Bell 
eventually relented and reconnected the lines, but at 9:50 p.m. people 
found out why -- Chvostek posted an electronic notice that IO had been 
purchased by Greenlight, the company that runs the ISP Internet 
Canada. No one expected Greenlight to walk in and buy IO. "IO was sold 
at true firesale prices" is how one insider put it.

"This whole thing is a sharp slap in the face for every single Toronto 
ISP," Passport co-owner Earl Epstein says. "All those ISPs operating 
month after month, losing money, thinking ISPs just don't fail. Well, 
think again."

Whatever Greenlight does with IO -- and Greenlight spokesperson Peter 
Donato admits it isn't clear yet how a company can own two ISPs 
without one being redundant -- it'll never be the same organization it 
was. That kind of organization is dead. ISPs, if they can survive at 
all, must be more than a collection of UNIX nerds and geekcore pals.

In 1993, the Internet was officially opened to private business. The 
academic, techie and communitarian ethic that built the net has tried 
to maintain itself in companies like IO, but loose, inefficient 
operations just can't work any more. The old-style ISP is history 
because the only factor that matters now is the bottom line, the 
market being overcrowded with suppliers.

At least for a while, anyway -- Bell may be getting ready to steamroll 
every ISP in its path.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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From: [email-masked] (eye WEEKLY)
Newsgroups: eye.news,ont.general
Subject: THE PARK: ARF plays politics with Harris
Followup-To: eye.general,ont.general
Date: 24 Aug 1995 10:19:34 -0400
Organization: eye -- Toronto's Arts Newspaper
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~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
eye WEEKLY                                              August 24 1995
Toronto's arts newspaper                      .....free every Thursday
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
THE PARK                                                      THE PARK

                    ARF PLAYS POLITICS WITH HARRIS

The Addiction Research Foundation is in trouble again. Last week ARF
released a study suggesting that up to 1 per cent of the Ontario
population might be at risk of becoming compulsive gamblers, while
another 9 per cent could have problems with gambling.

But before releasing the study, they forgot to inform anyone in the
Harris government that the report was being made public. The result
was that many officials were embarrassed when they got calls about a
study they knew nothing about. Martin Perry, executive assistant to
Health Minister Jim Wilson, told eye: "I was surprised to read about
the study in the newspaper clippings."

Asked whether it was normal practice for government agencies to let
the minister responsible know they were releasing a study like this,
Perry said, "That's exactly the question I asked ARF. We finally got a
copy the day after it hit the news and we're just reviewing it now."

Even more curious is the fact that this study was completed last
February but not made public for six months. In the run-up to last
June's election, it was common knowledge that Queen's Park didn't want
any news released about controversial items like gambling.

ARF's new president, Perry Kendall, took over at ARF in March after
leaving his old job at Toronto City Hall, where one of his biggest
fans was NDP councillor and failed mayoralty candidate Jack Layton.

The ARF sat on this report for more than six months until Mike Harris
became Premier. It was released a week after the Ontario Casino Corp.
said it would soon be releasing a report that will show how successful
the Windsor casino has been.

A senior government official told eye that Harris is still weighing
his options on the future of gambling in Ontario and agreed that it
was not helpful for different government agencies to pursue their own
agendas until final decisions are made by the cabinet.

The latest study by ARF repeats most of the information contained in
its first ill-fated study on gambling, which was released at a raucous
news conference late last year. In one heated exchange, Globe and Mail
reporter Paul Taylor asked how valid the data was that led ARF to
conclude that Ontario was facing a serious problem with gambling.

Reginald Smart of ARF responded, "I don't think you should worry about
how good the data are." At the time, ARF's acting president Karen
Goldenberg also said, "If the province wasn't introducing casinos we
wouldn't be here today." It's deja vu.

Meanwhile, insiders tell eye that ARF president Kendall gets paid more
than Harris or his deputy minsters because he is considered to be at
the same pay level as a hospital administrator.

That's because ARF has 24 treatment beds. By contrast, Toronto Western
Hospital has almost 1,200 beds. Those 24 treatment beds allow Kendall
to get paid in the salary range of $175,000 to $450,000 a year to
administer an annual budget of $44 million. By contrast, the deputy
minister of health is paid in the range of $104,000 to $152,000 to
administer an annual budget of $17 billion.

The former president of ARF, Mark Taylor, earned a salary in the same
range and was given a golden handshake of between $500,000 and $1
million when he left his job last year, according to ARF insiders. The
foundation was asked for the exact amount of Taylor's settlement by
eye but has not been provided with the information.

                           SOUTHERN COMFORT

Last week federal PC Leader Jean Charest indicated he wants to take
the federal party in the same policy direction (to the right, quick
march) that helped Mike Harris win in Ontario.

On hand to listen to Charest were several prominent Liberals,
including Gordon Ashworth, the main man behind Lyn McLeod's failed
strategy in last June's provincial election. Perhaps he was there to
pick up some ideas to help the provincial Liberals.

Also at the Charest fundraiser and golf tournament was George Young,
national director of the Liberal Party of Canada. He brought greetings
from Prime Minister Jean Chretien and gave Charest a golf shirt with a
Liberal logo on it.

Charest noticed that the label inside the shirt said "Made in Mexico"
and the audience of mainly Tories started hooting at the Liberals.
Young hollered back at Charest: "What's wrong with that -- it's your
free trade deal."

The Park is written by eye's Queen's Park insider.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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From: [email-masked] (eye WEEKLY)
Newsgroups: eye.news,ont.general
Subject: THE PARK: PCs battle for Speaker's chair
Followup-To: eye.general,ont.general
Date: 16 Sep 1995 00:27:16 -0400
Organization: eye -- Toronto's Arts Newspaper
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~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
eye WEEKLY                                           September 14 1995
Toronto's arts newspaper                      .....free every Thursday
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
THE PARK                                                      THE PARK

                    PCS BATTLE FOR SPEAKER'S CHAIR

One of the first things MPPs from all three parties do when the 
Legislature re-opens for business later this month is to elect a 
speaker.

Although it is largely a job with little power, beyond controlling the 
debate when it gets out of hand, two PC MPPs are furiously lobbying 
their fellow politicians for their vote.

That's because the Speaker's job comes with the salary and perks of a 
cabinet job without the daily grind of managing a ministry or 
answering embarrassing questions from the media or the opposition.

The Speaker also gets a suite of offices in the Legislature and a very 
large entertainment budget. When dignitaries visit the Legislature 
they often have a reception hosted by either the Lieutenant-Governor 
or the Speaker.

Heads of state are feted by the Queen's representative -- the L.G., as 
he is known around Queen's Park, but many second- and third-tier VIPs 
get the red carpet treatment from the Speaker of the Legislature.

Receptions, official openings, parties, dinners -- the job never ends.

Becoming Speaker is like dying and going to heaven for a politician 
who aspires to do nothing but smile and shake hands all the time and 
get paid almost $100,000.

That's why two Tories who got passed over by Harris when he picked his 
cabinet are so anxious to get the job.

The two contenders are Margaret Marland, a former city councillor from 
Mississauga, and Al McLean, a dairy farmer from Simcoe County.

Many political pundits were surprised that these two experienced MPPs 
didn't get into the Harris cabinet. McLean is one of the few PC MPPs 
with prior cabinet experience, and Marland is a strong advocate for 
senior citizens and women who was an effective housing critic in 
opposition.

Some Marland supporters have been telling other MPPs that she was 
promised the Speaker's job by Harris when she was bypassed for 
cabinet. (In a Legislature dominated by 82 PC MPPs the Premier's 
choice would be a shoo-in to win the vote.)

Not true, says McLean, who insists that Harris has assured him he has 
not backed anyone for the job.

Marland would make history by being the first woman elected Speaker in 
Ontario, but women don't have a good track record of winning elections 
anywhere in Canada.

Many opposition MPPs from the Liberals and the NDP seem to be lining 
up behind the underdog McLean. And some of his supporters are doing so 
to embarrass the Premier because they believe Harris did promise the 
job to Marland and then flip-flopped when McLean announced he was in 
the race.

A WOMAN'S PLACE

Post-election polling shows that one in every five Ontario voters 
didn't want to vote for a woman in the last election and prefer to 
have a man as Premier because only a man can make the tough decisions.

This helps to explain Lyn McLeod's stunning loss to Mike Harris last 
June after leading in the polls for almost three years.

It also means that no woman can ever hope to win an election in 
Ontario as long as this many voters are prepared to vote against her.

Because of Ontario's history as a mature, three-party system where the 
votes are split three ways, a woman can't hope to win when 20 per cent 
of the voters are ready to vote for the other guy even before the 
election starts.

And we thought Ontario was no longer one of the most conservative 
jurisdictions in North America. Welcome back to the '50s.

When this shocking information was hinted at by Liberal MPP Monte 
Kwinter shortly after the election, it was dismissed and greeted with 
derision, but it's now clear that this was more than just an idle 
comment.

Forget about China. The next woman's world summit should be held right 
here in Ontar-i-ar-i-o.

LIBERAL ANGST

As the Liberal leadership gets underway it's clear that contenders are 
forcing the party to face a crossroads in its future.

Deputy Leader Sean Conway has already said that the future of the 
party lies in turning left.

While Conway and others in the party are railing against the first 
round of cuts by the Harris government, second-term MPP Dalton 
McGuinty from Ottawa South thinks it's time for the party to turn 
sharply to the right.

In his recent report to voters, McGuinty goes out of his way to praise 
the Harris cuts: "Given that Ontario has had to borrow about $10 
billion during each of the past four years to meet its expenses, 
nobody can seriously argue against getting our costs under control."

Later he continues: "I believe that just as our government has an 
obligation to develop programs to help people get off welfare, so too 
do able-bodied welfare recipients have an obligation to help improve 
their lot in life."

He also says he believes it is "important for the opposition to 
support the government when it puts forward good ideas."

Mike Harris couldn't have said it any better.

The Park is written by eye's Queen's Park insider.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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From: [email-masked] (eye WEEKLY)
Newsgroups: eye.news,ont.general
Subject: THE PARK: More Tory cuts on the way
Followup-To: eye.general,ont.general
Date: 23 Sep 1995 00:34:06 -0400
Organization: eye -- Toronto's Arts Newspaper
Lines: 112
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~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
eye WEEKLY                                           September 21 1995
Toronto's arts newspaper                      .....free every Thursday
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
THE PARK                                                      THE PARK

                      MORE TORY CUTS ON THE WAY

David Lindsay, chief of staff to Premier Mike Harris, last week warned 
an audience representing business, municipalities, schools and 
hospitals that the Harris government will not back down from its cost-
cutting agenda and that more cuts are on the way.

"Now that we are in power," Lindsay said, "we are going to do what we 
said we would do: we will cut taxes, cut spending and balance the 
budget. This will require major change. Change in the way government 
operates. Downsizing, restructuring, doing with less is the future. 
The cuts announced on July 21 were just coping with a spending crisis 
created by the Bob Rae government -- major restructuring is still to 
come."

eye has learned that the government's fall economic statement will 
likely contain another $2 billion in cuts.

Lindsay compared the economic crisis facing Ontario to the worldwide 
oil crisis of the mid-1970s. "Just like the oil crisis led to 
structural change in the auto industry, we are facing long-term 
fundamental restructuring in how government operates," he said.

He said municipalities, schools and hospitals should start planning 
for more cuts now and not wait for the news to be officially announced 
this fall. He pointed out that the province's interest on its debt was 
now up to 17 per cent of total revenues ($9.5 billion), which makes it 
the second largest budget item next to health. Debt interest is now 
more than the total spending on education or welfare.

Harris said a few weeks ago that he believes the province is bankrupt. 
Lindsay is warning everyone who will listen -- if the question is 
money, the answer is no.

                             WHO ME NDP?

Although some NDP civil servants are being fired by the Harris 
government, one high-profile exception is Deputy Housing Minister Dan 
Burns, a close personal friend of former premier Bob Rae.

Ministry insiders say Burns expected to get the axe and was shocked 
when Harris asked him to stay on. Apparently he convinced Harris that 
he fully agrees with the PC government's pledge to get out of the 
housing business despite his many years as a vocal advocate for non-
profit and co-op housing.

Under the Rae administration, PC MPPs were constantly attacking Burns 
and former housing minister Evelyn Gigantes about waste and abuse in 
his ministry. But Burns has told Harris he has no problem overseeing 
the dismantling of many subsidized housing programs that he put in 
place.

However, ministry insiders tell eye that Burns' sudden conversion to 
Tory blue is just a sham. They say his "Yes, Minister" routine is 
motivated only by an attempt to keep his $150,000-a-year job.

Before Rae convinced him to come to Queen's Park, Burns was in charge 
of housing at the City of Toronto, where he was responsible for the 
ill-fated Ataratiri housing project in downtown Toronto that will cost 
taxpayers more than a billion dollars without a single housing unit 
being built.

Ministry officials are horrified that rookie Housing Minister Al Leach 
actually believes Burns is a born-again Tory. Leach has even let Burns 
select the special auditors who were called in by Harris to 
investigate the Ataratiri mess.

And this is the same Dan Burns, who, just before the election, forced 
reluctant bureaucrats in his ministry to send a politically partisan 
letter to every tenant in the province telling them what a great job 
the Bob Rae government was doing.

                              TRUE GRIT

Pat Sorbara, a senior Lyn McLeod staffer, was injured during a 
friendly game of golf last month when a co-worker's errant golf ball 
hit her, knocking out her tooth and inflicting a cut requiring 20 
stitches.

Sorbara, a cousin of former Liberal cabinet Minister Greg Sorbara, was 
hit when Liberal MPP Joe Cordiano's executive assistant Sante Tesolin 
misfired on the fourth hole at the Humber Valley golf course.

The feisty Sorbara at first refused medical treatment and wanted to 
continue playing, but she was talked into going to hospital. A 
partisan Liberal to the end, her first question was, "Is this hospital 
in a Liberal riding?" As it turns out, the hospital, Humber Memorial, 
was in former premier Bob Rae's riding.

Although she has been unlucky in politics, Sorbara was lucky she was 
only hit in the mouth. If the golf ball had hit a few inches higher, 
she would have been seriously injured.

Sorbara was a key organizer in McLeod's leadership run and in the 
recent election. With the departure of chief of staff Bob Richardson, 
she is expected to take on a bigger role for the Liberals over the 
next year, until the next leadership convention is held.

The Park is written by eye's Queen's Park insider.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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From: [email-masked] (eye WEEKLY)
Newsgroups: eye.news,ont.general
Subject: THE PARK:  Lyn McLeod: Regrets, she has a few
Followup-To: eye.general,ont.general
Date: 26 Sep 1995 20:46:24 -0400
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~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
eye WEEKLY                                           September 28 1995
Toronto's arts newspaper                      .....free every Thursday
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
THE PARK                                                      THE PARK

                  LYN MCLEOD: REGRETS, SHE HAS A FEW

Lyn McLeod, who just three months ago thought she was about to become 
the first woman premier in Ontario's history, admits that anti-female 
bias among voters played a part in her defeat.

In an interview at her Queen's Park office, McLeod told eye: "Gender 
was a factor in this election. I wish it were not. But let's deal with 
realities -- it was a factor."

McLeod, who recently announced that she is stepping down as Liberal 
leader, doesn't think gender was the "deciding factor" in the June 8 
election. "But there are still some stereotypes about women in 
leadership roles and that includes everything from some people who 
simply don't think it's appropriate for women to be in politics to 
others who have doubts about whether a woman is going to deliver on 
deficit reduction."

Last month, a public opinion poll obtained by eye indicated that one 
in every five Ontario voters cast their ballot against McLeod because 
she was a woman.

McLeod's stunning defeat came after she led in public opinion surveys 
by a wide margin for almost three years before the vote. But McLeod 
said these polls were misleading: "We knew the undecided vote was 
larger than the polls were showing, but because the media kept 
publishing polls that showed us as the frontrunner we had to run a 
different kind of campaign."

And the campaign strategy was to not take extreme positions on any 
issue. In the final weeks of the campaign this strategy backfired, as 
voters took a hard look at McLeod and found her wishy-washy compared 
to Mike Harris. When Harris made welfare and job quotas into key 
campaign issues, McLeod refused to respond.

"We knew voters were very insecure and concerned. When you're 
concerned about your economic future it makes you a little less 
compassionate. But we as Liberals could not say we'll scrap employment 
equity, which the Tories were prepared to say. I was prepared to deal 
with welfare reform, but I was not prepared to use a slogan, which is 
all mandatory workfare is. And because I wasn't prepared to do that, 
we couldn't counter what was clearly an effective campaign by the 
Tories."

Could the Liberals could have won the election with a different 
leader? McLeod believes that after five years of the NDP, voters 
wanted to move as far as possible in the opposite direction. "I don't 
believe a Liberal could have won this election adhering to what 
essentially are Liberal positions. I'm still committed to the 
positions we took into the campaign, but it's one of the reasons that 
I felt I had to step down, because a debate has to take place within 
the party."

That debate is underway. As the frontrunner to replace McLeod, Deputy 
Leader Sean Conway has staked out a left-wing, interventionist 
approach, while MPP Dalton McGuinty is saying the party must move to 
the right.

McLeod is convinced that the voters will return to the middle ground 
by the time the next election is held: "That's what made it so hard to 
decide to leave," she said. "The pendulum will shift again."

One of the biggest problems McLeod faced in her tenure as Liberal 
leader was her inability to project an image that voters felt 
comfortable with. And she was clearly uncomfortable answering 
questions about the image-making part of politics.

"Image is part of engendering confidence," she said. "The frustration 
for me is that it is still different for women than it is for men in 
politics. Should it matter whether I have a navy suit on or a red 
suit? I don't think it should. But image is all part of what people 
assess, and it's still different for woman than men, because people 
don't know what to look for. I never did discover what the equivalent 
was of the male power suit for a woman. I have 12 navy suits now."

Although McLeod will stay on as interim Liberal leader until her 
successor is chosen next year, she hasn't decided whether she will run 
in the next election. She said she would have no problem serving in a 
future Liberal cabinet if given the opportunity.

"I would not feel uncomfortable working under another leader, but it 
would be a question of my own personal sense of whether or not I have 
a contribution to make. I've been in politics a long time and at each 
election you have to reassess whether you've got something more to 
contribute."

She is also leaving the job of assessing what went wrong in the 
campaign to the others. "If I were staying on, I would need to do 
that. I knew from the very beginning that whatever the polls might 
say, it would be a very tough election and I had some added challenges 
as a female leader."

The Park is written by eye's Queen's Park insider.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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From: [email-masked] (eye WEEKLY)
Newsgroups: eye.news,ont.general
Subject: THE PARK:  Harris revolution off to rough start
Followup-To: eye.general,ont.general
Date: 5 Oct 1995 20:15:30 -0400
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~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
eye WEEKLY                                              October 5 1995
Toronto's arts newspaper                      .....free every Thursday
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
THE PARK                                                      THE PARK

                 HARRIS REVOLUTION OFF TO ROUGH START

When the Legislature opened this week and Premier Mike Harris laid out 
his government's agenda for action, there were no surprises. 
Everything he said he would do during the election was repeated. As 
Harris said later in the day: "If you think you've heard all this 
before, you have."

Once again, Harris promised to cut welfare payments by 20 per cent, to 
cut the number of public servants by 20 per cent, to cut the number of 
MPPs by 20 per cent and, most important for the people who elected 
him, to cut taxes by 15 per cent.

But the biggest story was happening outside the Legislature, where 
5,000 noisy protesters, organized by the Toronto and District Labour 
council, protested all of these cuts except the cut in the number of 
MPPs.

Just one day after newly elected Speaker Al McLean promised to restore 
decorum to the Legislature, the proceedings were disrupted by an anti-
government rally described by one Tory as "a bunch of NDP sore 
losers."

In anticipation of the protest, more than 50 riot police, 10 mounted 
police and a police dog were at the ready. And they were used to stop 
a handful of over-zealous protesters from breaking through the front 
doors of the Legislature.

Compared to the friendly gatherings hosted by former Liberal premier 
David Peterson and former NDP premier Bob Rae, this was a rough start 
for Harris. In 1987 and 1990 there was a party atmosphere, with hot 
dogs for the kids and people wandering freely throughout the Pink 
Palace. But the losers of those elections, the Tories and the 
Liberals, didn't organize protest rallies.

Although Rae decried the use of the police, it resulted in part 
because of warnings from labor leaders. Gord Wilson, president of the 
650,000-member Ontario Federation of Labor, raised the spectre of 
violence last month when talking to reporters about the PC plan to 
repeal NDP labor legislation.

If the NDP was looking for public from the rally, their plan 
backfired. A PC insider told eye that media coverage of the protesters 
would probably increase support for the government: "John and Mary 
Average will see a bunch of troublemakers being carted off by police 
on their TV and say, 'Right on, Mike!' "

Later that night, in the friendlier confines of a post-Throne Speech 
party for 3,000 PC supporters, a relaxed Harris joked that he had a 
dream about how things would be after five years of a Harris 
government: "When we run for re-election the Raptors have won a world 
championship and even The Toronto Star endorses us for re-election."

He then said he expects the protests will continue. "But what we are 
doing is the right thing for our families, for Ontario," Harris added. 
"We know it's right because that's what people told us they wanted us 
to do. We inherited a government that interferes too much, that taxes 
too much and we have to change it. That's what people voted for and 
that's what we will do."

LAW AND DIS-ORDER

The Harris government is beginning to look like the Keystone Kops over 
the way it is handling the gun control issue. First Solicitor-General 
Bob Runciman said he would challenge the federal gun registration law. 
Now he is saying he is just considering a challenge.

That's because he has figured out that police forces across the 
province favor the new law. He also handed Toronto's left-wing mayor, 
Barbara Hall, a law-and-order issue and she didn't waste any time 
agreeing with the police that gun control is just what we need here in 
Metro.

Who would have thought that a well-known right-winger and cop-lover 
like Runciman could end up looking softer on crime than an ex-NDPer 
like Barbara Hall? But that's the difference between being in 
opposition and being in government.

As an opposition MPP it was easy for Runciman to get positive media 
coverage on every right-wing issue that came along. As a cabinet 
minister, he is quickly learning that saving duck hunters in 
Brockville from having to register their guns might be good politics 
back home, but it's a huge political mistake in downtown Toronto.

Not to be outdone by Runciman's fumbling, fellow rookie minister Chris 
Hodgson also managed to put his foot in his mouth on this issue. While 
Runciman was backtracking on fighting the new federal law, Hodgson was 
telling duck hunters to renew their gun licences before Jan. 1, when 
the federal law will require them to take a test. In a news release, 
he also said, "Forcing qualified owners to take a new exam won't do 
anything to prevent crime."

The problem is that Hodgson's Ministry of Natural Resources has 
nothing to do with these certificates.They are issued by local police, 
who were unprepared for the hundreds of phone calls they started to 
get thanks to Hodgson. In a desperate bid to cover Hodgson's fumbling, 
provincial officials are scrambling to let local police know what to 
do.

The Park is written by eye's Queen's Park insider.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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From: [email-masked] (eye WEEKLY)
Newsgroups: eye.news,ont.general
Subject: NEWS:  Bad medicine in the new Ontario
Followup-To: eye.general,ont.general
Date: 5 Oct 1995 20:14:35 -0400
Organization: eye -- Toronto's Arts Newspaper
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~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
eye WEEKLY                                              October 5 1995
Toronto's arts newspaper                      .....free every Thursday
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
NEWS & VIEWS                                              NEWS & VIEWS

                    BAD MEDICINE IN THE NEW ONTARIO

                                  by
                         ALEXANDRA HIGHCREST

The Conservative government's first budget is only waiting in the 
wings, but already many social programs that we've come to depend on 
have been killed or crippled. The Common Cents Revolution is hitting 
our health care system like an epidemic, and it's likely that the 
worst is yet to come.

The effects of Tory cost-cutting policies will soon be felt by the 
givers and the receivers of health care in Toronto. The closer you get 
to the street, the greater the concern.

When asked about the Mike Harris government's impact on health care, a 
protester at the Sept. 27 Queen's Park Throne Speech demonstration 
described the Tory changes to health care as "devolution."

"It's taken years for Ontario to develop a centralized health care 
system that's accessible to all people," she explained. "Now Harris 
wants to decentralize much of the system and pass the burden onto the 
communities, but he's not giving them the means to do the work. 
Essential services will be delisted and not covered by OHIP. State 
regulations will disappear and clinics will cut corners to increase 
profitability. I wonder what will happen to quality care."

Said another protester, "We are living in an era of psychological 
terror. We're constantly wondering what's going to be cut next."

Illness and serious injury flourish in poverty. The poor don't have 
access to the requirements that either create or maintain good health, 
such as regular employment, a steady income and decent housing. In a 
document describing the health impacts of the provincial cuts in 
social services, released last month by Toronto's Board of Health, 
these and other factors were identified by the Board as being 
mandatory if the poor were ever going to achieve the same quality of 
health as the rich.

Harris' 21.6 per cent cut to welfare and family benefits will affect 
33,000 single adults, 13,000 families and 29,000 children in the City 
of Toronto. These cuts will not help level the health care playing 
field. As the Board of Health stated in its paper, "We anticipate that 
a reduction of social assistance incomes will result in extreme 
hardship for low-income children, families and vulnerable adults, and 
in the diminished health of each of these groups."

In July of 1995, the provincial government cancelled 23 of 33 non-
profit housing projects begun in the City of Toronto. Low-income 
housing is a rare commodity in Toronto, and only about 10 per cent of 
social assistance recipients live in public housing. The majority find 
homes in the private market, and rent eats up far more than is covered 
by the standard shelter allowances. People will pay an average of 30 
to 40 per cent more for housing than they will receive for shelter 
under the new maximum rates. Welfare and low-income tenants will have 
to use food and clothing money to pay the rent. They face the 
alternatives of finding ways to reduce the rent -- or go hungry.

The Board of Health anticipates people will double up, and cheap 
accommodations will become overcrowded. Overcrowded housing can lead 
to "a variety of health problems from pneumonia and tuberculosis to 
increased infant mortality, suicides, mental hospital admissions and 
cancer deaths. Of all groups likely to suffer ill-effects, direct or 
indirect, of being inadequately housed, children are probably the most 
vulnerable."

Here are a few more statistics to mull over. According to the board, 
the infant mortality rate in the lowest income areas of the city is 77 
per cent higher than in the highest income areas, and suicide rates in 
the lowest income areas were 90 per cent higher than in the rest of 
the city.

Since last May, the Conservatives have been saying that they would not 
reduce support to Ontario's health care system. In July, the Tories 
announced they would cut $111 million from the health ministry's 
operating budget and another $21 million from capital projects funded 
by the ministry. This money will not be used in other areas of health 
care. Hospitals could see a 10 per cent reduction in their funding; 
many are likely to be closed.

The Tories are also looking at cutting the Ontario Drug Benefit Plan, 
which makes free drugs available to over 1 million welfare recipients 
and 1.2 million seniors annually. Harris and his fishing buddies in 
Queen's Park may not consider these changes a reduction in health 
care, but those on the receiving end do.

Following the Throne Speech, Harris said our health system will be 
made more efficient, but not more costly, through "massive and 
significant restructuring." Does the government have a plan in mind or 
will they just cut indiscriminately?

Funding for public housing in Ontario has been cut to ribbons but 
we've seen no sign of any alternatives on the horizon. The welfare 
cuts have happened -- where are the workfare jobs? There is no plan, 
no vision evident in Tory social policy other than a desire to protect 
the interests of the 'haves.' A placard I saw at the Sept. 27 
demonstration summed it all up: 

"Due to recent budget cuts the light at the end of the tunnel will be 
extinguished until further notice."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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From: [email-masked] (eye WEEKLY)
Newsgroups: eye.news,alt.activism,tor.general
Subject: ENVIRO: How do you save the TTC?
Followup-To: eye.general,alt.activism
Date: 12 Oct 1995 18:37:25 -0400
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~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
eye WEEKLY                                             October 12 1995
Toronto's arts newspaper                      .....free every Thursday
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
ENVIRO                                                          ENVIRO

                       HOW DO YOU SAVE THE TTC?

                                  by
                              BOB HUNTER

Lawrence Solomon looked upon the Toronto Transit Commission, did not 
like what he saw and came up with a Better Way.

Solomon, normally associated through Energy Probe Research Foundation 
with such causes as fighting Ontario Hydro and the World Bank, has 
metamorphosed as editor and publisher of a swankly intellectual new 
magazine called The Next City. In the first issue, he writes a 
devastating indictment of public transit systems, and makes the case 
for Thatcher-izing the TTC -- through privatization and the cutting-
off of subsidies.

This is pretty much what you'd be tempted to call a neoconservative 
scheme, and this is typical of Solomon's tack. Yet he is definitely an 
environmentalist. He's just not from the usual left-lib lily pond 
where most of us started, clutching our worm-eaten copies of Das 
Kapital. Solomon is, dare I say (without meaning unkindness), a sort 
of David Frum of the eco-scene.

It is given that if you convince more people to take public transit, 
you do better things for the environment than riding your gas hog. 
This has been the case all along, yet the automobile manufactures have 
been easily winning the war for the heart and mind of the commuting 
public (those who have a choice, at any rate) over the mass transit 
system. This is not good.

And it isn't particularly because car-makers are so brilliant. Rather, 
the deck has been stacked horrendously.

The defeat of mass transit came, in Solomon's view, with the 
monopolization of the public transit companies which had proliferated 
during the last decade of the 1800s, only to be gobbled up by 
governments around the time of the First World War.

A couple of unfortunate side effects occurred: "While the auto 
companies paid nothing for the governments' massive roadbuilding 
program, transit companies not only had to build their own roads but 
also to pay governments for the privilege. While auto companies had 
the freedom to price their products to suit the marketplace, transit 
companies were stuck with regulators who told them how much to charge, 
where they could travel and how many employees to hire per streetcar."

Shackled, the North American public transit industry became a derelict 
and a pariah, with one glowing exception in North America: the TTC. 
The TTC is on the brink of financial collapse. Hiking fares -- the 
traditional monopolistic way to cope with spiraling cost -- is 
probably out of the question because more people would quit the system 
than have left already. Staff cuts are already a possibility, but a 
strike, which they might trigger, would send more people fleeing to 
the car lots.

"Rundown and hobbled by politicians, the last great transit system in 
North America is collapsing, " Solomon writes. "While the auto 
industry is innovating, innovating, innovating, the TTC and ever other 
public transit system on the continent is mired in politics, 
stagnating. Frozen in a Soviet-style industrial paralysis, subways 
don't change, buses don't change as East Germany's automobile, the 
Trabant, didn't change in the 26 years before the Berlin Wall fell."

For the solution, Solomon turns to the United Kingdom, where Maggie 
Thatcher partially succeeded in destroying public ownership of U.K. 
transit systems. While this sounds awful, Solomon says, in the process 
British public transit has been saved.

Through the introduction of whole-scale competition on some bus routes 
and of tendering by private operations for licences on others, the 
cost of running a bus has been slashed by 41 per cent. After decades 
of decline, the number of bus customers has started to come back. The 
same is happening with the famously decaying London Underground, where 
a little attention to customers' needs has spurred a doubling of 
passenger miles.

Solomon suggests building on these kinds of successes. "The world's 
subway stations should be turned into profit centres by selling the 
street-level floor space to retailers who would know what to do with 
the traffic."

And then transform the subway cars themselves by offering different 
levels of service suited to different people's needs, such as a 
smoking car for nic-heads, a standing-room-only car (which can take 
more passengers) for people going short distances in a hurry, a VIP 
car with laptops and cappuccino and cognac being served, even perhaps 
a Happy Hour car or-- get this! -- retail cars that are shops on 
wheels. Why not a massage car or videogame car, for that matter?

This would involve different-colored subway coaches arriving and 
departing from stations alive with cafes, stores, pubs, markets -- a 
sort of extension of our mall culture into the subway system. It's a 
charming vision, even if the dreaded "deregulation" word has to be 
evoked to make it even remotely possible.

It's a great magazine too: The Next City.

Bob Hunter is a co-founder of Greenpeace and ecology specialist for 
CITY-TV.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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From: [email-masked] (eye WEEKLY)
Newsgroups: eye.news,ont.general
Subject: THE PARK: Revenge of Patti Starr
Followup-To: eye.general,ont.general
Date: 12 Oct 1995 18:41:36 -0400
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~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
eye WEEKLY                                             October 12 1995
Toronto's arts newspaper                      .....free every Thursday
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
THE PARK                                                      THE PARK

Sex, politics and the Mafia. That's the potent mix stirred up by 
former Liberal party fundraiser Patti Starr in her new novel, Deadly 
Justice (Stoddart, $26.95 cloth).

Starr, who once called former premier David Peterson a close friend, 
says the book is "totally fiction -- but fiction, of course, comes 
from your imagination, which comes from things you've seen and heard."

So it comes as no surprise that the heroine in her book is a middle-
aged Jewish woman from Toronto who ends up in jail because of her 
dealings with politicians and land developers.

In the book, Rebecca Sherman works for -- and lusts after -- a Toronto 
land developer called DeLuca, who has Mafia connections. Sherman is 
set up by a 30-something political aide, the son of a Mafia don, who 
is learning his trade at the hands of another mobster named Bratini.

The aide, Don Vincenzo, leaks damaging information about Rebecca to an 
investigative reporter which results in her downfall. Vincenzo, who 
has left politics, works for a Toronto-based holding company that made 
its money in the mining business.

Several readers have commented that the fictional Vincenzo -- apart 
from the  Mafia link -- bears an uncanny resemblance to former 
Peterson aide Vince Borg, who now works for American Barrack 
Resources.

In an interview, Borg laughed at the suggestion and said he found 
Starr's book so boring he couldn't read it: "I flipped through it and 
I said, I'm not wasting my time any more."

Starr's tangled plot includes a group sex scene involving Vincenzo, a 
mayor, a cabinet minister, a senator, two prostitutes, a dog and, of 
course, the investigative reporter. (The reporter and the dog, maybe, 
but the others?!)

If there is any connection between this book and what Starr saw and 
heard as a close adviser to Peterson, those were more exciting years 
than we knew at the time. Political corruption abounds. Cabinet 
ministers and mayors are bribed with houses, cash and sex.

"I think there's a lot more corruption than people know," Starr told 
eye. "The media is limited by our ridiculous slander and libel laws."

Metro Councillor Norm Gardner, who was at her book launch at Centro 
Grill and Wine Bar, commented: "I guess she ought to know."

A Stoddart publicist describes the book as "a kind of redemption novel 
of several people who are able to eke out revenge."

Over the sound of the boisterous crowd at Centro, Jack Stoddart was 
excited about his new novelist. "She's a natural writer. People who 
think she can't write are wrong. I think there's a terrific potential 
for her to become a major international author. This is a wonderful 
piece of fiction."

Stoddart has already made a deal with a Japanese publisher for Deadly 
Justice and is negotiating the sale of film rights. Her first book for 
Stoddart, Tempting Fate, a non-fiction account of her version of the 
so-called "Patti Starr affair" that rocked the Peterson government in 
the '80s, sold a respectable 7,500 copies. In Canada, that puts it on 
the bestseller list, but not at the top.

"A year from now, she'll be well-known across this country, published 
in England and the United States," Stoddart enthused.

Starr, who says she is inspired by writers like Robert Ludlum and 
Lawrence Saunders, wanted her book to be a light read. "I call this 
light lust and adventure. Not a serious mystery, but a more realistic 
view of life."

Although neither Starr nor Stoddart would reveal how much she got as 
an advance, she said: "Other writers tell me that it's high by 
Canadian standards."

Starr is still angry at her former political friends. She believes she 
went to jail "as a result of all that hysteria, the leaks that were 
coming out of the political side and also the protection of David 
Peterson. They thought, 'The media like to write about her, so let's 
give her to them.' I was used as a convenient scapegoat. Former 
friends left me to hang out to dry. I don't think goodness plays any 
part in what they're doing. They would do anything to protect their 
interests or to protect themselves."

Stevie Cameron, author of the bestseller On The Take, was at Centro to 
support her friend Patti. "She's a very smart woman and a very 
interesting person," said Cameron. "One of the things that people 
don't understand about her is she's a very good writer. And she still 
has a fund of marvellous stories to tell."

As for Starr's downfall in politics, Cameron said: "They needed a 
scapegoat. They needed someone to satisfy the public's anger with 
corruption. She was perfect. She was a woman, she had no real power. I 
think what happened to her was a disgrace. Not that she went to jail, 
but that she was the only one."

Starr is also bitter that she spent $300,000 on legal fees before she 
ran out of money and pleaded guilty to one charge of fraud four years 
ago. "Of course there are two kinds of justice. I was really shown no 
mercy at the end."

As well, she is continuing her $3 million lawsuit against Peterson and 
Borg. "We offered to settle four years ago," she said. "My costs are 
around $150,000."

Peterson and Borg's legal costs, estimated at $200,000 so far, are 
being paid by taxpayers.

The Park is written by eye's Queen's Park insider.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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From: [email-masked] (eye WEEKLY)
Newsgroups: eye.news,ont.general
Subject: NEWS: Exotic dancers lose
Followup-To: eye.general,ont.general
Date: 18 Oct 1995 19:40:39 -0400
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~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
eye WEEKLY                                             October 19 1995
Toronto's arts newspaper                      .....free every Thursday
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
NEWS & VIEWS                                              NEWS & VIEWS

        EXOTIC DANCERS LOSE REGARDLESS OF WHO LAYS DOWN THE LAW

                                  by
                         ALEXANDRA HIGHCREST

Odds are lap dancing will be abolished in Ontario, but this won't 
improve the lot of the women who work in the business. Despite the 
best of intentions, the ban may hurt the very people who originally 
called for it.

Katharine Goldberg, stripper and president of the Association for 
Burlesque Entertainers (ABE), believes the problems in the industry 
stem from the lack of government regulation. Her nine-month campaign 
against lap dancing really took off last May, when she went to Metro 
council and asked for help.

Dawn, another stripper who has been working for the past eight years, 
gives another point of view. She believes the dancers themselves must 
organize and take greater control over their own workplaces, rather 
than look to politicians to improve conditions.

Dawn questions whether it was wise for Goldberg to turn to the 
politicians before dancers themselves got organized. She says, 
"Katharine made it look like she was speaking on behalf of all the 
women in the business, when in fact she wasn't. There was no 
consultation between her and the other dancers. Now the women are 
split on the issue -- there's a lot of bad blood out there."

During the spring and summer the daily press took up the cause and 
began portraying exotic dancers as victims of sexual abuse and 
sexually transmitted diseases.

"Where was the press a year ago?" asked Dawn. "Last year the media was 
all in favor of the legalization of lap dancing. This year they 
condemned it."

So has Metro council. In mid-August it introduced a no-touching bylaw 
for the municipality's strip clubs in an attempt to ban lap dancing. 
By mid-September, five dancers had been charged under the new law. 
Women complained, rightfully, that the law was discriminatory. 
Aggressive grab-and-grope customers, the identified problem with lap 
dancing, cannot be charged under the bylaw.

So now we have local politicos whipping up laws that punish the 
supposed victims, and dancers saying that Goldberg doesn't speak for 
them. These approaches haven't worked, so why aren't the dancers 
getting organized?

Dawn believes the dancers have to overcome fear. "When Katharine first 
set up the ABE she encouraged other dancers to get involved. Initially 
a lot of women went to meetings but soon the membership petered out. 
No one wanted to speak out about working conditions. Women were afraid 
club owners would find out what they were doing and fire them."

Goldberg says the dancers are trying to organize, and she cited the 
ABE's membership of 200 as proof. But, considering the fact that you 
don't have to be a dancer to join, it's hard to say whether this 
number indicates that the women are organizing.

Goldberg doesn't deny that there is plenty of fear in the industry. 
She says, "The women have a negative reaction to the idea of 
unionization. Club owners have been telling them, 'If you do this you 
will lose your $10 and $20 dances.' The owners have even bussed women 
out to public meetings and forced them to speak out in favor of lap 
dancing. The women are being exploited."

The Supreme Court of Ontario convened last month to hear the appeal of 
the infamous Feb., '94 Hachborn decision that made virtually any 
contact between exotic dancers and their customers legal. "We'd like 
to see the court reach a decision so the government can step in with 
more regulations," Goldberg says. "The Ministries of Labour and Health 
have to get involved."

Katharine's husband Michael Goldberg, ABE's vice-president, explained 
during the same interview, "It has taken the Supreme Court a long time 
to decide on this issue because they have lots of information to deal 
with, and they're trying to draw the line between decency and 
indecency."

Premier Mike Harris has vowed that if the court upholds Hachborn's 
decision the government will step in and ban lap dancing.

"None of this will improve the day-to-day working conditions of exotic 
dancers," says Dawn. "Once lap dancing is banned things will only get 
worse. Club owners will go back to promoting table dancing and they 
will set the prices.

"The Metro Licensing Commission considers us self-employed but we 
can't determine our own wages. The dancers didn't organize around lap 
dancing and no one is talking about other workplace issues such as 
filthy change rooms, long hours and the whole wage structure. When we 
could lap dance we had some choice in how we worked. Soon the club 
owners will have total control again -- and we'll go back to the same 
old slavery of the 1980s. The dancers lose."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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From: [email-masked] (eye WEEKLY)
Newsgroups: eye.news,ont.general
Subject: THE PARK: Roll out the billy clubs
Followup-To: eye.general,ont.general
Date: 18 Oct 1995 19:41:25 -0400
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~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
eye WEEKLY                                             October 19 1995
Toronto's arts newspaper                      .....free every Thursday
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
THE PARK                                                      THE PARK

Wherever Premier Mike Harris goes these days, he is followed by noisy 
protesters. That's not unusual, nor is it unexpected, given the 
severity of the cuts the PC government is making to dozens of programs 
put in place by the previous NDP and Liberal governments.

What is surprising is that some of the protests are degenerating into 
violent confrontations with the police.

First it was the mini-riot at Queen's Park on the day the Harris 
government laid out its cost-cutting agenda. That night, the TV 
pictures of riot police hitting female protesters repeatedly on the 
head with billy clubs were broadcast across North America and around 
the world.

As a result, many U.S. citizens planning to visit Toronto have been 
calling friends and relatives to see if it's safe to come here. This 
is not the best image for a new government hoping to attract offshore 
investment to the province.

A week later, at the opening of Oktoberfest in Kitchener, the Premier 
was the target of egg-throwing protesters. And this was followed by a 
violent confrontation between police and protesters at a political 
fundraising event in Kingston.

Although violent protest rallies are commonplace in other countries, 
they are largely unknown in Canadian politics. The last time violent 
protests marred the political landscape in Ontario was more than 50 
years ago, when Premier Mitch Hepburn sent the RCMP into Oshawa at the 
height of the Great Depression to bust the fledgling unions. Back 
then, the union-busting cops were nicknamed "Hepburn's Hussars," and 
he never recovered politically from this folly. A few years later he 
was hounded from office, a discredited and broken man.

So far, Harris is unperturbed by the protests. In fact, he expected 
them. At the media scrum after the egg-throwing incident in Kitchener, 
he said he wasn't surprised by these protests, but he disagreed with 
their tactics.

Outside it was like a scene from a bad movie as police with binoculars 
and weapons scanned the crowd carefully before the 'all clear' was 
given for Harris and the other VIPs to take their places on the stage 
that had been built for the kickoff to the annual Oktoberfest beer 
bash.

While the oompah band played "Roll Out The Barrel," a small group of 
about 50 protesters took up their positions directly in front of the 
stage waving placards and chanting, "Shame, Shame, Shame" and "No 
cuts, No Harris."

When Harris arrived the protesters increased their heckling and didn't 
stop until he left the stage 20 minutes later. His plan to bring 
friendly greetings to the city's biggest tourist event of the year 
ended in a hail of raw eggs.

The mayor was booed, Miss Oktoberfest (a blonde from Atlanta, Ga.) was 
hit with eggs, as was the head of the local committee. The only 
dignitary to get a respite from the protesters was the vice-consul 
from the German Republic, who was booed until he said, "There's beer 
for everyone." Then even the protesters cheered.

The main organizer of the protesters, also one of the loudest 
hecklers, was identified by the local media as Hal Matson, a Kitchener 
lawyer and well-known NDP organizer.

The pre-printed signs had slogans that included the following: "Cut 
corporate welfare," "Let them eat tuna" and "Bye Bye social justice." 
But the locally hand- printed signs were much tougher: "Women will die 
because of Harris," "Harris -- Hitler, can you tell the difference" 
and "Robin Harris steals from the poor and gives to the rich."

As Harris got up to drink the ceremonial first glass of Oktoberfest 
beer, a lonely voice from the more than 1,000 people at the city hall 
square called out: "We love you, Mike."

That prompted the organized protesters to get even louder and throw 
more eggs. This time it was a direct hit on a middle-aged man dressed 
in too-tight lederhosen who looked like an overstuffed sausage.

Harris, who had taken off his jacket, stood defiantly at the front of 
the stage in his shirt sleeves ignoring the protesters and casually 
sipping his beer.

The Park is written by eye's Queen's Park insider.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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From: [email-masked] (eye WEEKLY)
Newsgroups: eye.news,ont.general
Subject: NEWS: For sale by owner
Followup-To: eye.general,ont.general
Date: 25 Oct 1995 08:55:05 -0400
Organization: eye -- Toronto's Arts Newspaper
Lines: 119
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~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
eye WEEKLY                                             October 26 1995
Toronto's arts newspaper                      .....free every Thursday
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
NEWS & VIEWS                                              NEWS & VIEWS

                          FOR SALE BY OWNER

                                  by
                         ALEXANDRA HIGHCREST

The Common Cents Revolution states, "By spending money on people 
instead of bricks and mortar, we will be in a position to eliminate 
the two-year waiting list for affordable housing." What money? What 
people? Unless you think affordable housing means living in a $700-a-
month shoebox, this statement is a lie.

The Conservatives have cancelled 23 out of 33 public housing projects 
in Metro, and approximately 400 in the province. The government has 
said that it can't afford to complete these projects, and it has a new 
plan. Critics say this plan will cost more money than the old. Tenants 
are afraid they'll be forced onto the street.

In an interview, Paul Connelly, spokesperson for the Ontario Non-
Profit Housing Association, explained the government's plan: "The 
province no longer wants to subsidize contractors to build non-profit 
housing. The government wants the private sector to do this, and the 
removal of rent controls is supposed to stimulate the private sector 
to get involved in the low-rent housing market. Other incentives may 
be offered. The government is making a real leap of faith here. If 
this plan fails, there is no back-up.

"Tenants fear the private sector will only build housing geared to the 
high end of the housing market," Connelly added. The fear is 
justified. "So far the private sector has shown no interest in 
building low-rent housing," Connelly said.

Toronto's low vacancy rate of 2 to 3 (isn't it 1 per cent now?) per 
cent is keeping rents up. High rental incomes are attracting 
developers to the top end of the market, where they can make a fast 
return on a buck.

The demand for housing is growing among low-income people. Many are 
afraid they won't be able to find safe, affordable homes. "Rather than 
subsidize the construction of more public housing," said Connelly, 
"the government plans to provide a shelter allowance for those who 
can't afford market rent."

Does all this spell the end for public housing in Ontario? Bill 
Morris, of the Co-op Housing Association of Ontario, foresees two 
possible scenarios. "Public housing will constantly be attacked by the 
Harris government, and we will always be fighting to protect the 
interests of people living in non-profit housing," he said. "The 
second option is to strike a deal with the government, one that 
satisfies the greatest number of interests of both sides."

Morris dismisses the Tories' shelter allowance scheme. "The government 
condemns building subsidies while promoting shelter allowances, which 
are shelter subsidies. First the Tories cut welfare by 22 per cent, 
then they say they're going to give out this shelter allowance. I've 
compared the figures. Someone on welfare today who receives the 
allowance will get almost as much money as they did before the cuts. 
Just more money will go to a landlord.

"The Tories think this will encourage the private sector to build low-
rent buildings and fill them with people receiving the allowance. The 
province already pays out five times more money in shelter subsidies 
[through welfare and family benefits allowances] than it does in 
building subsidies, and the private sector involvement in low-rent 
housing hasn't increased at all."

The Harris government continues to dig itself into a deep hole. 
Housing Minister Al Leach has said that the government is committed to 
the projects that it didn't cancel during the summer, but funding cuts 
to social service agencies that administer public housing have forced 
an untold number to close their doors. Who will be left to administer 
Ontario's existing non-profit housing?

eye has heard numerous rumors that the 10 non-profit housing projects 
currently being built in Metro will be sold upon completion, along 
with other non-profit housing stock. Are the Tories planning to sell 
their way out of public housing?

According to Morris, "There has been talk in the government about 
privatization, and privatization is touted in the Common Sense 
Revolution. There has even been talk about selling off Metro Toronto 
Housing Authority stock.

"The government must ask itself if privatization makes economic sense. 
Devaluation of public housing buildings happens quickly, and the 
difference between a building's paper value and its real market value 
can be as much as 40 or 50 per cent.

"The government is forcing non-profit housing agencies into bankruptcy 
through funding cuts. This paves the way for the government to sell 
off the housing stock. Because of devaluation however, buildings which 
cost the province around $125,000 per unit each to build will only 
fetch about $60,000 per unit in the private sector. The province will 
lose billions of dollars if it sells off all of its non-profit housing 
stock. It's clearly cheaper to continue supporting housing agencies so 
that existing buildings do not have to be sold."

Virtually everyone in Ontario who can afford to buy a home will, 
Morris said. Few people rent by choice. Developers know this, so 
they're not trying to make the rental housing market attractive to 
tenants. "Until this changes the problems associated with rental 
housing won't go away, and neither will the need for public housing," 
Morris said. We may not have shanty-towns yet, but we do have slums."

In today's private market decent affordable housing, like 69-cent 
tuna, can be found in only one place -- the minds of Mike Harris, Al 
Leach and David Tsubouchi.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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[email-masked]     "...Break the Gutenberg Lock..."     416-971-8421

From elastic!exorcist!lethe!geac!reptiles.org!io.org!news.interlog.com!not-for-mail Tue Oct 31 08:18:49 1995
Xref: elastic ont.general:13423
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From: [email-masked] (eye WEEKLY)
Newsgroups: eye.news,ont.general
Subject: THE PARK: Smells like tuna spirit
Followup-To: eye.general,ont.general
Date: 25 Oct 1995 08:55:41 -0400
Organization: eye -- Toronto's Arts Newspaper
Lines: 121
Approved: [email-masked]
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~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
eye WEEKLY                                             October 26 1995
Toronto's arts newspaper                      .....free every Thursday
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
THE PARK                                                      THE PARK

                        SMELLS LIKE TUNA SPIRIT

The newest game at Queen's Park is betting on how soon Community and 
Social Services Minister David Tsubouchi will be gone from the Mike 
Harris cabinet. Even fellow PC MPPs are setting up office pools on the 
Tsubouchi death watch.

Tsubouchi, the rookie minister from the affluent Toronto suburb of 
Markham, is doing his best to end his political career with self-
inflicted wounds. First it was his silly suggestion that welfare 
recipients should haggle with shop owners when they were buying tuna 
to get the price down to 69 cents a can.

But even Harry Reurink, who runs Harry's No Frills store in Richmond 
Hill, where many of Tsubouchi's constituents shop, says this isn't 
possible. Reurink told a local reporter: "The prices are listed on the 
goods, there's no haggling." As for getting tuna for less than the 
usual price of between 99 cents and $2, Harry said he runs specials 
"maybe two or three times a year" reducing the price of no-name tuna 
to 69 cents.

Then Tsubouchi said welfare mothers shouldn't complain about the 22 
per cent cut in their benefits that started Oct. 1, because he gave 
them three months' notice that the cuts were coming and that was 
enough time for them to go out and get jobs.

When he said this, Tsubouchi must have known there were no jobs to 
look for. Not only are there already 500,000 unemployed people in 
Ontario looking for jobs that don't exist, but in April, May and June 
the provincial economy entered a new recession and 15,000 more jobs 
were lost.

Next the accident-prone Tsubouchi signed cabinet orders cutting off 
115,000 disabled people and senior citizens from welfare benefits by 
mistake. The mistake was discovered by the media and an embarrassed 
Premier Harris promised to fix it.

But instead of apologizing for his mistake, Tsubouchi told the 
Legislature: "I gave explicit instructions that any regulatory changes 
that affected the disabled be removed. Regrettably my instructions 
were not carried out."

Bob Rae, in his finest moment since the Legislature resumed, pointed 
out to Tsubouchi that ministry officials don't sign cabinet 
regulations, ministers do. "Staff of Ministries do not prepare 
regulations by spontaneous combustion. They respond to instructions 
from ministers."

Finally, after several more questions by Rae and by Liberal Comsoc 
critic Dominic Agostino, Tsubouchi sheepishly admitted that he did 
sign the cabinet order to cut the benefits of the disabled and senior 
citizens.

Clearly, what Tsubouchi failed to do was to read what he was signing. 
Maybe he was too busy scanning the food ads looking for cheap tuna or 
reading the want ads looking for jobs that don't exist.

The next day, Liberal leader Lyn McLeod discovered yet another cabinet 
order that Tsubouchi had signed to cut benefits to the disabled. A 
totally confused Tsubouchi thought McLeod was talking about the one he 
had apologized for the previous day.

In the dying days of the Rae government, Harris and his caucus asked 
for the resignation of former health minister Ruth Grier when it was 
revealed that she hadn't read a cabinet document that she signed.

Now Tsubouchi has come up with a diet-for-a-smaller-welfare-cheque 
which isn't even fit for inmates in Ontario jails.

Tsubouchi's shopping list doesn't include coffee, tea, salt, pepper, 
butter, margarine, spaghetti sauce, mayonnaise, ketchup, mustard, 
toothpaste or soap -- all of which are provided to inmates.

Even pregnant inmates, unlike pregnant welfare recipients, are also 
provided with one litre per day of milk (versus one per week) and an 
extra night snack as well as prenatal vitamin and mineral supplements, 
all of which are unaffordable if you are on welfare.

As well "more active inmates may be given extra servings of other 
foods such as soup, bread, potatoes, rice or noodles." No extras if 
you are on welfare and looking for a job.

Inmates are also entitled to "an attractive diet" including "special 
brunch meals" on "weekends or holidays." But not if you are on welfare 
in Ontario.

However, although Bob Rae had asked for Tsubouchi's resignation, he's 
not serious, because the beleaguered Tsubouchi is singlehandedly 
keeping two lame-duck opposition leaders alive with his political 
gaffes.

Harris, who has told his caucus and his cabinet that there are many 
capable people waiting in the wings to replace ministers who screw up, 
must be wondering how much more he can let Tsubouchi get away with. 
Even the Tory-boosting Toronto Sun says Tsubouchi must go.

The PC agenda of cuts to government spending is going to get tougher 
to sell as time goes on, but it may become impossible to sell if the 
minister making the cuts to the poorest people in the province is so 
out of touch with reality that he continues to embarrass the rest of 
the cabinet.

If Harris wants to have any chance of keeping the credibility of his 
program intact, he may have to cut Tsubouchi loose before he drags the 
rest of the government down with him, the way Shelley Martel did to 
Bob Rae.

The Park is written by eye's Queen's Park insider.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Retransmit freely in cyberspace        Author holds standard copyright
http://www.interlog.com/eye                     Mailing list available
The Park archive -----> http://www.interlog.com/eye/News/Park/park.htm
[email-masked]     "...Break the Gutenberg Lock..."     416-971-8421

From elastic!exorcist!lethe!geac!reptiles.org!io.org!news.interlog.com!not-for-mail Tue Oct 31 08:21:08 1995
Xref: elastic ont.general:13423
Path: elastic!exorcist!lethe!geac!reptiles.org!io.org!news.interlog.com!not-for-mail
From: [email-masked] (eye WEEKLY)
Newsgroups: eye.news,ont.general
Subject: THE PARK: Smells like tuna spirit
Followup-To: eye.general,ont.general
Date: 25 Oct 1995 08:55:41 -0400
Organization: eye -- Toronto's Arts Newspaper
Lines: 121
Approved: [email-masked]
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~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
eye WEEKLY                                             October 26 1995
Toronto's arts newspaper                      .....free every Thursday
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
THE PARK                                                      THE PARK

                        SMELLS LIKE TUNA SPIRIT

The newest game at Queen's Park is betting on how soon Community and 
Social Services Minister David Tsubouchi will be gone from the Mike 
Harris cabinet. Even fellow PC MPPs are setting up office pools on the 
Tsubouchi death watch.

Tsubouchi, the rookie minister from the affluent Toronto suburb of 
Markham, is doing his best to end his political career with self-
inflicted wounds. First it was his silly suggestion that welfare 
recipients should haggle with shop owners when they were buying tuna 
to get the price down to 69 cents a can.

But even Harry Reurink, who runs Harry's No Frills store in Richmond 
Hill, where many of Tsubouchi's constituents shop, says this isn't 
possible. Reurink told a local reporter: "The prices are listed on the 
goods, there's no haggling." As for getting tuna for less than the 
usual price of between 99 cents and $2, Harry said he runs specials 
"maybe two or three times a year" reducing the price of no-name tuna 
to 69 cents.

Then Tsubouchi said welfare mothers shouldn't complain about the 22 
per cent cut in their benefits that started Oct. 1, because he gave 
them three months' notice that the cuts were coming and that was 
enough time for them to go out and get jobs.

When he said this, Tsubouchi must have known there were no jobs to 
look for. Not only are there already 500,000 unemployed people in 
Ontario looking for jobs that don't exist, but in April, May and June 
the provincial economy entered a new recession and 15,000 more jobs 
were lost.

Next the accident-prone Tsubouchi signed cabinet orders cutting off 
115,000 disabled people and senior citizens from welfare benefits by 
mistake. The mistake was discovered by the media and an embarrassed 
Premier Harris promised to fix it.

But instead of apologizing for his mistake, Tsubouchi told the 
Legislature: "I gave explicit instructions that any regulatory changes 
that affected the disabled be removed. Regrettably my instructions 
were not carried out."

Bob Rae, in his finest moment since the Legislature resumed, pointed 
out to Tsubouchi that ministry officials don't sign cabinet 
regulations, ministers do. "Staff of Ministries do not prepare 
regulations by spontaneous combustion. They respond to instructions 
from ministers."

Finally, after several more questions by Rae and by Liberal Comsoc 
critic Dominic Agostino, Tsubouchi sheepishly admitted that he did 
sign the cabinet order to cut the benefits of the disabled and senior 
citizens.

Clearly, what Tsubouchi failed to do was to read what he was signing. 
Maybe he was too busy scanning the food ads looking for cheap tuna or 
reading the want ads looking for jobs that don't exist.

The next day, Liberal leader Lyn McLeod discovered yet another cabinet 
order that Tsubouchi had signed to cut benefits to the disabled. A 
totally confused Tsubouchi thought McLeod was talking about the one he 
had apologized for the previous day.

In the dying days of the Rae government, Harris and his caucus asked 
for the resignation of former health minister Ruth Grier when it was 
revealed that she hadn't read a cabinet document that she signed.

Now Tsubouchi has come up with a diet-for-a-smaller-welfare-cheque 
which isn't even fit for inmates in Ontario jails.

Tsubouchi's shopping list doesn't include coffee, tea, salt, pepper, 
butter, margarine, spaghetti sauce, mayonnaise, ketchup, mustard, 
toothpaste or soap -- all of which are provided to inmates.

Even pregnant inmates, unlike pregnant welfare recipients, are also 
provided with one litre per day of milk (versus one per week) and an 
extra night snack as well as prenatal vitamin and mineral supplements, 
all of which are unaffordable if you are on welfare.

As well "more active inmates may be given extra servings of other 
foods such as soup, bread, potatoes, rice or noodles." No extras if 
you are on welfare and looking for a job.

Inmates are also entitled to "an attractive diet" including "special 
brunch meals" on "weekends or holidays." But not if you are on welfare 
in Ontario.

However, although Bob Rae had asked for Tsubouchi's resignation, he's 
not serious, because the beleaguered Tsubouchi is singlehandedly 
keeping two lame-duck opposition leaders alive with his political 
gaffes.

Harris, who has told his caucus and his cabinet that there are many 
capable people waiting in the wings to replace ministers who screw up, 
must be wondering how much more he can let Tsubouchi get away with. 
Even the Tory-boosting Toronto Sun says Tsubouchi must go.

The PC agenda of cuts to government spending is going to get tougher 
to sell as time goes on, but it may become impossible to sell if the 
minister making the cuts to the poorest people in the province is so 
out of touch with reality that he continues to embarrass the rest of 
the cabinet.

If Harris wants to have any chance of keeping the credibility of his 
program intact, he may have to cut Tsubouchi loose before he drags the 
rest of the government down with him, the way Shelley Martel did to 
Bob Rae.

The Park is written by eye's Queen's Park insider.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Retransmit freely in cyberspace        Author holds standard copyright
http://www.interlog.com/eye                     Mailing list available
The Park archive -----> http://www.interlog.com/eye/News/Park/park.htm
[email-masked]     "...Break the Gutenberg Lock..."     416-971-8421

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From: [email-masked] (eye WEEKLY)
Newsgroups: eye.news,can.general
Subject: NEWS: Canada goes Poof!
Followup-To: eye.general,can.general
Date: 2 Nov 1995 20:16:33 -0500
Organization: eye -- Toronto's Arts Newspaper
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~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
eye WEEKLY                                             November 2 1995
Toronto's arts newspaper                      .....free every Thursday
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
NEWS & VIEWS                                              NEWS & VIEWS

                           CANADA GOES POOF!

                                  by
                             SCOTT DISHER

Montreal -- Lost in the sea of babble from referendum night and the 
morning-after frenzy of media spin were two mini-sound-bites from the 
loser who won, Lucien Bouchard, and the winner who lost, Jean 
Chretien: 

"Boom-Boom" from the former and "Poof!" from the latter.

First, the Boom-Boom. This was Bouchard's sarcastic putdown (the fancy 
term is onomatopoeia) for the heartbeats of all those patriotic 
Canadians who took trains, planes and automobiles to attend the giant 
Oct. 27 pro-Canada rally in downtown Montreal.

As for the Poof!, this was Chretien's taunt to Bouchard in the House 
of Commons after the sovereigntist leader ratcheted up his dream-
merchant rhetoric on the hustings in the Quebec hinterland by likening 
a Oui vote to a magic wand. "Poof! there goes your Canadian passport, 
Poof! the dollar, etc. etc.," joked Canada's stand-up PM.

Just after the polls close at 8 p.m. on referendum day, as thousands 
of expectant Gen X Oui supporters pour out of the subway system into 
the cavernous Montreal convention centre to await the results, the Oui 
HQ is throbbing with the boom-boom beat of rock tunes by pro-
sovereignty rockers such as Paul Piche. At 8:05, tumultuous cheers 
reverberate through the room as the Quebec government-owned Radio 
Quebec releases initial poll results showing the Oui well ahead of the 
Non.

The 7,000-strong crowd, most carrying flags and many with the fleur-
de-lis symbol painted on their faces, is egged on by a parade of Oui 
campaign VIPs -- each of whom start off by saying their name followed 
by the mantra: "...et j'ai vote Oui!" But the Ouis begin to quiet down 
as reality sinks in.

By 9:15, Poof! The Oui and Non are neck-and-neck, with the Oui 
slightly ahead but dropping. At 9:36, it's 50-50. One second, the 
crowd roars as the scoreboard-sized TV monitor shows a brief blip 
upwards for Team Oui, and then sputters as the Non rebounds seconds 
later.

As the Non trend stabilizes, Quebec deputy premier Bernard Landry 
manages one of the PQ's trademark segues of subtle intimidation. In 
the space of 15 minutes, Quebec's "minorities" -- who, Landry warn, 
must "profoundly deepen their reflections," i.e., change their minds 
and become sovereigntists -- have been relegated to the status of 
"immigrants," code for "not one of us."

                         ROCH 'N' ROLL PARTY

At 9:45, on my way over in a cab to the Non headquarters a few blocks 
away at the trendy Metropolis mega-disco just off the seedy, hooker-
infested part of St. Lawrence Blvd., Radio Canada summarizes the vote 
as "Montreal vs. the regions." Outside Metropolis, Montreal police in 
riot gear are setting up barricades along the sidewalks. My cabbie, a 
Haitian who speaks no English, tells me and all his family voted Non, 
but that he doesn't know what "all those crazy Quebecois in the rest 
of Quebec were thinking."

Robert Bourassa, who, along with Brian Mulroney, holds the distinction 
of being the most reviled politician in modern Quebec, coined the 
phrase "rest of Canada" or ROC during the Meech meltdown. Now, on the 
island of Montreal, surrounded by the island that is Quebec within 
Canada, ROQ is the new trendoid term for the schism gnawing at the 
heart of the distinct society.

Inside the Non HQ at 10 p.m., enveloped in sauna-strength heat, 1,500 
better-dressed Gen Xers, buttoned-down, federalist boomer yuppies and 
their exquisitely coiffed escorts are boom-booming to the less raunchy 
beat of Canada's clean-cut Acadian heartthrob, Roch Voisine.

The three-storey disco is equipped with a Letterman-style overhead 
skycam, and the giant screen flashes a melange of split-screen images 
from Rad-Can, CBC and CTV. Red ties and the maple leaf are suddenly 
the dominant decor as the networks begin to cut away from the Oui HQ 
to images of cheering young federalists. Poof! A ocean of blue becomes 
a crowded fishbowl of red and white.

                         NON'S FAVORITE JEAN

There is much cheering followed by boos as Bouchard's brief concession 
speech comes up and then Parizeau's bitter, rambling tirade. "Naa-na-
na-na, hey-hey, goodbye!" is sung mockingly at the image of the tired 
but excited fat man bellowing down from the screen. One placard reads 
"Canada or Bust" and there is Team Non's new Canadian flag with two 
vertical blue bars beside the red ones. Boom-Boom: the tempo builds 
for the triumphant entry of Daniel Johnson and Jean Charest, who 
embrace their wives onstage. A placard is waved which reads "Merci aux 
deux Jeans," but Charest gets all the cheers while Canada's invisible 
man, Jean Chretien, is ignored except for one brief 'merci' in 
Johnson's graceful, 10-minute address.

At this point, ROC and ROQ, glued to their TV sets, get deprived of 
the best speech of the evening as the networks preempt Charest's 
rousing, inspirational speech for the Radio Moscow-like, moribund 
message from the Prime Minister. But inside the Team Non noise cave, 
Chretien is yesterday's man, treated like a silent film star as the 
audience went wild over Charest.

Charest's stemwinder peaks with an evocative tribute to all the 
Canadians who rallied to the cause by coming to Montreal or speaking 
out in their own cities and towns. He tells his spellbound audience 
that "all these Canadians will be able to touch a piece of the 
Canadian flag and tell their children and grandchildren and say yes, 
it's because of what I said and what I did..."

Charest thanks all the Non leaders and their spouses -- except for 
Chretien, whose silent image disappears from the small screens 
scattered around the disco. The politically born-again Tory leader, 
suddenly front-and-centre as the inheritor of the Trudeau vision and 
passion for unhyphenated Canadianism, pointedly neglects to utter the 
PM's name. Charest sticks it to Chretien one more time with his 
closing call for unity across tribal and political affiliations: "We 
are all the guardians of that will for change in Canada."

                      CHRETIEN'S ROYAL BLUNDERS

The dirty little secret behind the Charest-Chretien oneupmanship games 
at the end of a long evening is that it didn't have to be this close. 
While Bouchard gamely crisscrossed the province on his one-legged 
personal ego-trip-cum-odyssey for the Oui, Team Non was forced to 
fight with one arm tied. Chretien -- whose own pollster, Michael 
Marzolini, told various reporters early last summer that if Bouchard 
took charge of the Oui campaign, the Oui side would win -- blew this 
campaign big-time.

Instead of building a coalition of talented federalist organizers from 
all the parties, Chretien excluded everyone but his own hard-line 
insider clique, humiliating Johnson (who is a mainstream federalist 
Quebec nationalist) while confiding to a wide variety of people that 
his polls shows that the Non forces would do better than they did in 
1980.

Chretien humiliated Charest by assuring that the Conservatives were 
not recognized as a party in the House of Commons, and kept him in the 
dark until the referendum campaign was underway. Johnson, whose own 
leadership is shaky, was also not eager to share the limelight with 
the the vastly more popular and credible Charest -- until the roof 
appeared to be caving in and Charest was in big demand by desperate 
Non rally organizers.

Johnson, an earnest plodder who was described by former Liberal MP and 
Bloc turncoat Jean Lapierre, now a Montreal hotline host, as having 
"all the charisma of a garage door," was dead on his feet once 
Parizeau left the ring in favor of Bouchard.

By the third week of the referendum campaign, the Non camp was in 
total disarray and Johnson and Chretien's people were bickering. In 
the closing days, a last-minute peace was achieved as Chretien's 
trusted adviser John Rae, ex-premier Bob's older brother, stepped in 
to smooth things over.

The bittersweet aftertaste of the pyrrhic Non victory is that 
Chretien's big bluff bounced back on all of Canada. Suddenly, the man 
who waxed eloquent over "my Rockies" is faced with being the last 
Prime Minister of Canada as we know it. With his dinosaur counterpart 
Jacques Parizeau on his way out, Chretien has a lot of explaining to 
do. And not much time to do it.

In the Neverneverland of Canadian politics, the losers won (Boom-Boom) 
and the winners (Poof!) stand to lose the country they were elected to 
defend.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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From: [email-masked] (eye WEEKLY)
Newsgroups: eye.news,ont.general
Subject: NEWS: Taking care of our own
Followup-To: eye.general,ont.general
Date: 9 Nov 1995 08:52:03 -0500
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~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
eye WEEKLY                                             November 9 1995
Toronto's arts newspaper                      .....free every Thursday
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
NEWS & VIEWS                                              NEWS & VIEWS

                        TAKING CARE OF OUR OWN

                                  by
                         ALEXANDRA HIGHCREST

Women who suffer domestic violence can turn to the church. Welfare 
moms can get their friends to babysit while they go off in search of 
non-existent jobs. Folks still hungry after gobbling down their 
monthly $90 worth of food can turn to their families.

Yes, the provincial Tory government expects us to take care of our 
own. And Premier Mike Harris believes the community should help those 
who can't turn to family. Meanwhile, hitmen such as Social Services 
Minister David Tsubouchi slash or kill the very funding that would 
make this possible.

The Tories say the drastic cuts to community-based agencies are 
necessary to combat the provincial deficit. Local politicians such as 
Councillor Kyle Rae say the cuts are disastrous.

Street Outreach Services (S.O.S.) is one such Toronto agency that has 
received the not-so-golden Harris handshake.

S.O.S. provides safe-sex information, group support and counselling 
for street youth who get involved in prostitution. Staff members also 
provide information about the choices available to young people who 
decide to leave the street or get out of prostitution. According to 
director Susan Miner, last year S.O.S. saw 1,150 people and averaged 
450 meetings with staff members and clients a month.

Last month the agency received the dreaded phone call from the 
Ministry of Community and Social Services. They were told that 80 per 
cent of their provincial funding -- a total of $500,000 -- would be 
eliminated. In an interview, Miner described the cuts as "quick and 
dramatic."

Stories purporting that S.O.S. was history flashed through the 
community agency network but, as Miner says, "Rumors of our demise are 
greatly exaggerated. We are supported by Anglican House. We will 
continue to receive their support and we will look to the Ministry of 
Health and the City of Toronto for future funding."

Currently S.O.S. is seeing 45 young people who are HIV-positive, and 
the agency does a lot of educational work around youth and AIDS. Will 
programs such as these survive the Harris cuts?

"There will have to be major changes made in the way we deliver 
services," says Miner. "But we will keep the focus where it is and 
AIDS prevention education and outreach will remain key components of 
our programs."

In this war on the deficit, Toronto's inner city community-based 
agencies appear to be the primary targets of Tsubouchi's bombing 
raids. According to Rae, Turning Point, an agency that works with 
disadvantaged or emotionally disturbed youth, will also lose a half-
million dollars in provincial funding. Youthlink Inner City will lose 
$250,000, the Open Door $80,000 -- the list goes on.

Many of the people who rely on the services provided by inner-city 
community agencies live in Kyle Rae's ward. When asked where people 
such as HIV-positive youth are supposed to go, Rae replies, "To 
Covenant House, I guess. Soon kids won't even be able to go to a 
hospital in the downtown core because after November they will 
probably all be closed. Then the only places that street kids will be 
able to turn to will be those with crosses on the roofs."

"The Tory government doesn't care about street youth, HIV-positive 
youth, the poor, or the City of Toronto," Rae says. "It's obvious that 
this government only cares about those people who voted for it. The 
people affected by these cuts didn't vote Tory.

"Harris is the first leader I've ever heard say that he's not 
concerned about the people who didn't vote for him. Harris certainly 
does not represent all of the people of this province."

After you have visited an agency that's been hit by the Harris axe, 
it's hard not to agree with Kyle Rae. Recently my partner and I 
attended a fundraiser put on by the Anduhyaun housing program. The 
fundraiser could've been a wake for Nekenaan, a brand new building 
erected to house more than 40 native women and their children. 
Anduhyaun staff found out, through a phone call, that they will 
receive cuts to their funding -- five days after the building opened.

The women of Anduhyaun, like the staff and board members of many other 
agencies that I have written about, do not plan to take this lying 
down. Plans to fight this government are being worked out as activists 
and lawyers begin rolling up their sleeves. These forthcoming actions 
against the Harris regime will be highlighted in future columns.

But for now, the highlight of the fundraiser was the opportunity to 
throw sponges soaked with thick pink goo at a pro-Harris poster. Damn 
that felt good.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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From: [email-masked] (eye WEEKLY)
Newsgroups: eye.news,ont.general
Subject: THE PARK: A place for ethnics to stand and grow
Followup-To: eye.general,ont.general
Date: 9 Nov 1995 08:55:22 -0500
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~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
eye WEEKLY                                             November 9 1995
Toronto's arts newspaper                      .....free every Thursday
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
THE PARK                                                      THE PARK

                 A PLACE FOR ETHNICS TO STAND AND GROW

One of the best kept secrets in the Ontario government is the fact 
that the close vote in last week's Quebec referendum is good news for 
Ontario's economy.

Just as the province was sliding into another recession, the 
uncertainty of the Quebec situation will once again prompt thousands 
of business owners and managers to seriously look at moving out of the 
province.

The last time that happened, back in 1976, Ontario was the main 
beneficiary of the flight of capital, jobs and business expertise. In 
fact, up until 19 years ago, Bay St. was in many ways fighting it out 
with St. James St. in Montreal for predominance as Canada's financial 
centre.

But the election of Rene Levesque's NDP-clone social democratic 
government, intent on leaving Canada, led to more than 300,000 people 
moving to Ontario and bringing their money with them. They were 
welcomed with open arms by the then government of Bill Davis, who 
quickly realized that Quebec's loss could be Ontario's gain. And it 
was.

The same thing will happen again. Only this time, the vote wasn't 60 
per cent in favor of staying in Canada; it was only 50.6 per cent. If 
that's the trend line, the separatists will win the next vote.

To make matters worse, on the night of the vote, Quebec Premier 
Jacques Parizeau inflamed racial tensions in the province to an extent 
never seen before in Canadian politics when he blamed "money and 
ethnics" for the latest loss by the separatists. He went on to warn 
that there would be retribution and that the French Quebecers would 
win the next vote.

Former premier Bob Rae, who was on a TV panel, reacted in disgust at 
the remarks of a fellow social democrat. The next day Parizeau 
resigned in disgrace.

But the damage was done. Members of Montreal's multicultural 
communities -- Greek, Portuguese, Italians, Jewish, Haitians and 
Lebanese -- all condemned Parizeau's remarks.

Even French Canadian peacekeepers in Bosnia were horrified.

This wasn't someone from the lunatic fringe of politics who had 
invoked the spectre of racial purity in Canada.

Why would a Greek Canadian business owner stay in Montreal after being 
singled out for retribution by the separatists? Why not move to 
Ontario?

But you will never hear this said explicitly by anyone in government 
in Ontario. Just unofficially. The welcome mat is out, unofficially.

Needless to say, the official response of Premier Mike Harris was 
muted. In a prepared statement in the Legislature he said: "Ontarians, 
Quebecers and Canadians from all provinces share the same goals -- 
jobs, opportunity, safe streets, a strong education system and 
accessible quality health care."

And where can you find those things? In Ontar-i-ario, of course.

C'mon down to Ontario. Your friends and neighbors came 19 years ago. 
Thanks partly to the influx of ex-Montrealers in the '70s, Toronto has 
become one of the most cosmopolitan cities in the world. To a new 
group of ex-Quebecers, Ontario says bring your talents and your money 
and we will welcome you with open arms.

                            LEARNING CURVE

Rookie Liberal MPP Dominic Agostino is learning the hard way that it 
doesn't pay to play favorites with the press. Prior to the 
announcement of cuts by the Harris government Agostino released a list 
of groups that would be affected to  The Toronto Star, which ran a 
front-page story.

The next day, Agostino called a press conference to give the same 
information to the rest of the Queen's Park gallery. Furious reporters 
from the other media told Agostino there was no way they were giving 
him coverage after their competitor had already run the story. 
Agostino didn't get a single line of coverage from anyone else.

Agostino got away with this behavior as a councillor in Hamilton, 
where there is only one newspaper and the Spectator ran his "leaks" in 
the morning while the broadcast media got the story later.

An embarrassed Agostino called all the reporters who came to his phony 
"news" conference individually to apologize. One longtime reporter 
told eye that Agostino seems to have learned his lesson, but added 
that he will not get a lot of coverage anyway because he combines 
"shotgun delivery with a marble mouth," which makes it difficult for 
anyone to understand what he's saying.

                           TSUBOUCHI WATCH

Harris has once again come to the aid of his beleaguered Social 
Services Minister David Tsubouchi, who has hired a $1,200 spin doctor 
to help him keep him out of trouble.

Longtime PC communications expert Jan Dymand of Zed Communications has 
been hired to get Tsubouchi back on track. Early results are positive. 
In the Legislature last week, Tsubouchi was going on the offensive 
with NDP critic Dave Cooke and he finally learned that it doesn't 
matter what the question is -- give the same three stock answers to 
anything and you will stay out of trouble.

All he has to do is listen to Finance Minister Ernie Eves, who could 
be a member of Canada's Olympic skating team the way he answers 
questions in the Legislature.

The Park is written by eye's Queen's Park insider.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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From: [email-masked] (eye WEEKLY)
Newsgroups: eye.news,ont.general
Subject: THE PARK: Cuts for most, raises for some
Followup-To: eye.general,ont.general
Date: 30 Nov 1995 18:39:53 -0500
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~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
eye WEEKLY                                            November 30 1995
Toronto's arts newspaper                      .....free every Thursday
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
THE PARK                                                      THE PARK

                    CUTS FOR MOST, RAISES FOR SOME

Is the honeymoon finally over?

Before this week's $3.5-billion cut in support for municipalities, 
schools and hospitals, Premier Harris warned his caucus to get ready 
for a big drop in popularity.

This is the second time Harris has sounded this warning. Last July, 
before his government cut $2 billion from welfare recipients, he said 
the same thing in private meetings.

But it didn't happen. In fact, during the three months after the first 
round of cuts, Harris' popularity with voters actually increased by 8 
per cent over his showing on election night, to an approval rating of 
58 per cent.

Clearly, as the economy stopped growing, middle-class voters across 
the province were in a less sympathetic mood toward those less 
fortunate.

And this increased support came despite three months of non-stop 
attacks on welfare cuts by the opposition parties at Queen's Park. 
Even accident-prone Social Services Minister David Tsubouchi couldn't 
keep voters off the Harris bandwagon.

However, the cuts announced this week are different. They strike at 
the heart of programs that the middle class have come to expect from 
their government in Ontario. This time it's not just those on welfare 
who will suffer. The pain will be felt by everyone. Harris is 
absolutely right -- the honeymoon is about to end.

Over the next few months, as middle-class voters find they face a 
longer line-up with a screaming child at a hospital emergency room, or 
have to dig deeper to pay higher tuition fees, or pay more to get 
garbage picked up, Harris will pay the price in voter support.

                         RAISE THOSE MEMBERS

While Harris was cutting welfare benefits by 21 per cent, an advisory 
group he appointed decided that MPPs need a huge pay increase.

The private sector group, described to eye by one government official 
as experts in compensation, recommended that the base pay of MPPs be 
increased from $42,000 to $90,000 a year.

Harris would see his pay increase from $84,000 to $200,000.

In defense of the report, Management Board Chair Dave Johnson told 
reporters the current pay package for MPPs totals between $80,000 and 
$100,000 when a tax free allowance and other perks are added in.

Tory backbencher Chris Stockwell disagrees. "If that's the case," he 
says, "on the way out every pay period, I miss one of the wickets."

But Stockwell isn't milking the system the way other MPPs do. He has 
never put in an expense claim for sitting on a legislative committee, 
has never charged for driving to and from work and has never charged 
for driving around his riding to go to meetings -- all of which are 
allowed.

Other MPPs take full advantage of the system. One of the best at 
getting every dollar he can is NDP member Rosario Marchese, from the 
downtown riding of Fort York.

In just one year, Marchese, who at the time lived only 2.5 kilometers 
from Queen's Park, collected more than $2,000 in travel expenses to 
get to and from work. In addition, he charged another $2,300 for 
travel within his riding -- which is just 5 kilometers from one end to 
the other.

Nobody but politicians get paid to drive to work.

Meanwhile, rookie Liberal MPP Dwight Duncan says he is quite happy 
with the pay that MPPs get. He told eye he gets paid more than most of 
his constituents and makes well above the average wage.

Stockwell doesn't think these recommendations will go anywhere.

"You can't be cutting welfare recipients by 21 percent, laying off 
20,000 employees and reducing payments for WCB payments, etc., and 
then tell everybody you are going to pay MPPs $90,000. This duck won't 
fly. In fact, it isn't even a duck, its a wooden decoy."

                        HAPPY LIBERAL LANDINGS

Defeated MPPs may have trouble getting jobs, but not ex-senior staff 
to Liberal leader Lyn McLeod. McLeod's former chief of staff Bob 
Richardson is now a well-paid vice-president of the Angus Reid polling 
firm, while Don Guy, the former head of special projects for the 
Liberals, is now a senior analyst at rival polling firm Insight 
Research.

Former senior communications advisor John Duffy, who also worked for 
Liberal Cabinet Ministers Greg Sorbara and Alvin Curling, is now a 
partner in a new government relations firm with Leslie Noble, ex-
campaign manager of the Mike Harris election team.

McLeod's former policy and communications director Sue Hanna is now 
director of public affairs for the Ontario Chartered Accountants 
Institute; former economic advisor Phil Demont is now a reporter for 
the Financial Post.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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From: [email-masked] (eye WEEKLY)
Newsgroups: eye.news,ont.general
Subject: THE PARK: Tory bumbling causes Park bedlam
Followup-To: eye.general,ont.general
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~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
eye WEEKLY                                            December 14 1995
Toronto's arts newspaper                      .....free every Thursday
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
THE PARK                                                      THE PARK

                   TORY BUMBLING CAUSES PARK BEDLAM

Ever since Finance Minister Ernie Eves introduced a new law allowing 
him to slash another $6 billion in government spending, the 
Legislature has been in an uproar.

The government's foot-thick Omnibus Bill, which will amend hundreds of 
provincial laws, has given the opposition parties their first real 
opportunity to fight the government's cost-cutting agenda.

Until now the Harris government has had a free ride in the Legislature 
and with the public, but the honeymoon is over.

Queen's Park has degenerated into a theatre of the absurd, with 
Liberal MPP Alvin Curling bringing proceedings to a grinding halt 
after he refused to leave his seat when Speaker Al McLean ordered him 
out of the chamber.

McLean then ordered Curling to be physically removed by armed OPP 
officers.

But the Speaker backed down when Liberal and NDP MPPs surrounded 
Curling to prevent him from being dragged out of his seat.

One MPP joked that as soon as the officers saw NDP MPP Frances Lankin, 
an ex-prison guard, move in front of Curling to protect him, they 
quickly backed off.

Ironically, Curling was one of McLean's strongest supporters in the 
Liberal caucus when he was running for Speaker against frontrunner 
Margaret Marland.

Support from Curling and the Liberals was the main reason McLean 
became Speaker.

McLean, who has some difficulty with the English language, kept 
referring to the government Omnibus Bill as the "Ominous Bill," which 
is exactly what the opposition were calling it.

(However, the official record of the Legislature doesn't show McLean 
mis-speaking himself, because Hansard editors know who signs their pay 
cheques -- the Speaker.)

But the theatrics of the opposition only mirror a larger problem the 
Harris government has created for itself.

The problem is that this legislation gives broad and unprecedented 
powers to the government to unilaterally close hospitals, to 
amalgamate municipalities and to give the cabinet access to personal 
health records of Ontario citizens.

Although the intent of the legislation was to allow the government to 
implement its cut and slash program as outlined in the Common Sense 
Revolution during the election, this bill goes much further.

In fact, Ontario's Privacy Commissioner, Tom Wright, has denounced 
this legislation because it allows the health minister to have access 
to confidential health records, which could reveal patients' sexual 
orientation and other information about them. This information could 
then be turned over to the police or private health insurance 
companies.

Even MPPs who are gay, but still in the closet, would be at risk of 
being outed by this legislation.

One government MPP told eye that the Omnibus Bill is a mistake and 
should be amended. He said PC MPPs were told that deputy ministers 
were instructed to search through legislation that had to be amended 
to allow the government to get on with its cost-cutting. But some of 
the deputies went too far and "bamboozled" the government by throwing 
in other amendments.

That's clearly what happened at the ministry of health.

                     ERNIE'S HOUSEKEEPING PROBLEM

But a larger problem for the government is the handling of this issue 
by House Leader and Finance Minster Ernie Eves.

He has been put into an impossible situation by Premier Harris. As 
both the proponent of the Omnibus Bill and the person who is supposed 
to negotiate its smooth passage through the Legislature, he is in a 
conflict of interest that can't be resolved.

In former Tory governments, the House leader was always a conciliator, 
like Tom Wells or Bob Welch, who understood the need for give and take 
in negotiations with the opposition to make the Legislature run 
smoothly.

The Harris government seems to have forgotten how previous Tory 
governments made the art of governing appear so easy.

One of the toughest jobs in government is the job of House Leader. He 
has to satisfy the egos of the opposition while at the same time 
getting the government's program through. If the job is done properly, 
the House Leader is totally invisible.

In politics it all comes down to egos. And politicians have bigger 
egos than most people -- that's why they get into politics in the 
first place.

Something has gone terribly wrong when procedural problems become 
public issues, as they did last week.

Ernie and Mike were rookie backbenchers the last time the PCs ran a 
government in Ontario. Now they are learning how to run a government 
on the job.

Harris has made life impossible for his friend Ernie by giving him two 
jobs that can't be properly done by the same person. The only way out 
of this mess is for Ernie to choose which job he really wants and tell 
Mike to give the other job to someone else.

The Park is written by eye's Queen's Park insider.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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[email-masked]     "...Break the Gutenberg Lock..."     416-971-8421

From [email-masked] Sat Dec 23 01:17:44 1995
Xref: elastic ont.general:22314
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From: [email-masked] (eye WEEKLY)
Newsgroups: eye.news,ont.general
Subject: THE PARK: The goof factor
Followup-To: eye.general,ont.general
Date: 21 Dec 1995 00:14:12 -0500
Organization: eye -- Toronto's Arts Newspaper
Lines: 121
Approved: [email-masked]
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~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
eye WEEKLY                                            December 21 1995
Toronto's arts newspaper                      .....free every Thursday
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
THE PARK                                                      THE PARK

                            THE GOOF FACTOR

After just three months of action in the Legislature, the new Tory 
government is reeling from a series of ministerial foul-ups that have 
led to a nosedive in public opinion polls.

November was disastrous for the Harris government. In just one month 
their public support dropped 8 per cent. And that was before the $6 
billion in cuts that will lead to healthcare user fees for senior 
citizens, increased municipal taxes and higher tuition fees.

At the end of October, Angus Reid found Harris had the support of 58 
per cent of voters, up from 45 per cent in the June election results. 
But by the end of November, support slipped back to 50 per cent. And a 
more recent survey by Environics shows support for the government down 
to 44 per cent, a drop of 14 points from the post-election high.

The honeymoon that voters give new governments has ended abruptly.

In fact, after six months in office Premier Mike Harris is less 
popular with the public than either Bob Rae or David Peterson were 
after the same time at Queen's Park.

After six months in power, Rae was supported by 65 per cent of the 
public, Peterson by 60 per cent. It took another two years for them to 
lose significant voter support.

Things will likely get worse for Harris: when the latest round of 
provincial cuts hits the soft underbelly of Tory support -- the middle 
class -- analysts predict another drop in support of about 10 per 
cent.

                          SEND IN THE CLOWNS

The Harris government's problems are partially due to the antics of 
some of its rookie ministers. In the words of one analyst, "They 
showed themselves to be boobs."

The biggest "boob" was Comsoc Minister David Tsubouchi, who spent most 
of November with his foot in his mouth. First he told welfare 
recipients to haggle with store owners for a better price on cans of 
tuna. Then he accidentally cut the disabled and senior citizens off 
welfare benefits because he didn't read a cabinet document he was 
signing. Finally he prepared a shopping list for welfare recipients 
that would give them a diet worse than that of inmates in Ontario 
jails.

Although Harris stood behind his beleaguered Minister of Tuna, the 
public clearly told pollsters they felt differently.

Second on the list of Tory political liabilities is rookie 
Transportation Minister and car dealer Al Palladini, who cut 
provincial grants to the TTC even before he picked out his new 
government limo.

Then he cut snowplowing budgets for provincial highways and said that 
people who got stuck in the snow should use their cellular phones to 
call for help, oblivious to the fact that, unlike millionaire car 
dealers, not everyone has a phone in their car.

This was followed by press reports about a court case involving 
Palladini's child support payments to his mistress. This issue alone 
probably ends Palladini's short political career. Residents of the 
middle-class, mainly Italian-Canadian suburb of Woodbridge in his 
riding are still in shock over these revelations.

Rookie education minister John Snobelen also cost Harris some voter 
support with his videotaped comments to ministry staff that he felt 
there was a need to "invent a crisis" in education, then solve it.

Also in November, Harris was forced to fire political aide Jaime Watt 
after hiring him on a contract -- months after Watt had resigned after 
failing to tell Harris about a criminal conviction for fraud.

Added together, these self-inflicted mini-scandals have shaken public 
confidence in the Harris government, and December is shaping up a lot 
like November.

First, the government's foot-thick omnibus bill, which it tabled in 
the Legislature to implement its $6 billion cost-cutting agenda, was 
stopped in its tracks by Liberal MPP Alvin Curling, who staged an 18-
hour sit-in. This forced Harris to overrule his buddy, Finance 
Minister Ernie Eves, who was trying to ram the massive bill through 
the Legislature (Not through Alvin Curling's digestive tract, I hope! 
-- Potty ed.) without public hearings.

Then Municipal Affairs Minister Al Leach became the second Harris 
minister to be caught signing a cabinet document he hadn't read. In 
this case it was sections of the omnibus bill that would allow 
municipalities to raise all sorts of new taxes.

In the Legislature, persistent questioning by the opposition flustered 
Leach so badly that he called Bob Rae the "leader of the coalition." 
Hansard reports the rest of his response to Rae like this: "I had that 
right there to read back to you. Completely lost. Mr. Speaker, give me 
two minutes. Let me take that on notice."

What did Rae do to confuse Leach so badly? He read directly from the 
omnibus bill.

Ironically, Rae and the NDP government were widely referred to as the 
"Beverly Hillbillies" because of their inability to manage the Park.

But after just six months in office, the Harris government is starting 
to look more like the Keystone Kops than the Big Blue Machine that ran 
Ontario so effectively for 43 years.

The Park is written by eye's Queen's Park insider.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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[email-masked]     "...Break the Gutenberg Lock..."     416-971-8421

From [email-masked] Sat Jan  6 15:07:58 1996
Xref: elastic tor.arts:555
Path: elastic!exorcist!lethe!geac!herboid!whome!telly!problem!ve3tsx!news.interlog.com!not-for-mail
From: [email-masked] (eye WEEKLY)
Newsgroups: eye.news,tor.arts
Subject: COMEDY: Build your own CITY-TV show!
Followup-To: eye.general,tor.arts
Date: 5 Jan 1996 19:39:07 -0500
Organization: eye -- Toronto's Arts Newspaper
Lines: 84
Approved: [email-masked]
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~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
eye WEEKLY                                              January 4 1996
Toronto's arts newspaper                      .....free every Thursday
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
COMEDY                                                          COMEDY

                     BUILD YOUR OWN CITY-TV SHOW!

                                  by
                             ANDREW CLARK

Ever wonder what it's like to lead the media revolution? Ever want to 
get your very own exhibition at the ROM? Books got you down? Hate the 
press? Why not try your hand at creating your very own, Moses Znaimer-
style CITY-TV extravaganza! Grab your sinister shades, click open that 
cell phone and let's rock!

First pick a title

1. Nountelevision
2. The Great Unwashed Corner
3. Prez Releeze
4. You Dance and I'll Shake the Camera
5. Ziggy Does Dairy
6. This Show Has No Host Which Makes It Cheap

Now add the snappy catch-phraseE

1. The art and science of words or phrases used as names of persons, 
places or things!
2. You get to listen to people you would cross the street to avoid!
3. Record companies fax us press releases and we read them with few 
errors in pronunciation!
4. You teenager. We tape.
5. Ziggy takes you on a wacky trip through the opaque liquid cows 
emit.
6. Cameras tape people around the world. We edit them and run them for 
half an hour.

Hire a hostE

1. Brona
2. Steve Anthony
3. Ziggy
4. A bowl of risotto
5. Monika Deol
6. A bowl of risotto

And all you need is a script!

1. (A mystified English professor stands uneasily in his front 
doorway. Authoritative scrawl underneath reads: Professor Bridgeport, 
Keele University.) "Evasion is the act or means of evading. It's a 
thing. A noun. Whereas, evasive is an adjective. As in seeking to 
evade. (He pauses) Oh, piss off."

2. (A disheveled frequenter of bingo halls steadies his intoxicated 
body in the booth) "This one's going out to you Jane! I love you! I'm 
sorry I tried to kill you!"

(Two 17-year-old girls adjust their lipstick) "I dunno know why. Why 
do youse guys always wanna do things to us? Jess because youse buy me 
a Tim Hortons don' mean you gonna get nuthing!"

3. (A glamorous TV presenter shines before the camera. His dark hair 
is cut just so) "Tears For Fears are back with a new album that takes 
rock music to new heights in (he pauses, squints) Am-bro-si-al. 
Ambrosial? (confident) Ambrosial metaphors. The pair who made big 
chart hits with OShout' are back and more ambrosial than ever!"

4. (A teenage waist gyrates furiously. Run commercial)

5. (Ziggy reflects for 10 seconds and then offers the insightful 
observation) "So that's the udder?"

6. (The camera's point of view, walking through a snowy field.) "Snow. 
The white stuff. It's winter and with winter, we can expect snow."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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From [email-masked] Sat Jan  6 15:44:58 1996
Xref: elastic ont.general:23895
Path: elastic!exorcist!lethe!geac!herboid!whome!telly!problem!ve3tsx!news.interlog.com!not-for-mail
From: [email-masked] (eye WEEKLY)
Newsgroups: eye.news,ont.general
Subject: THE PARK: eyeLASHES!!!
Followup-To: eye.general,ont.general
Date: 5 Jan 1996 19:47:18 -0500
Organization: eye -- Toronto's Arts Newspaper
Lines: 125
Approved: [email-masked]
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~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
eye WEEKLY                                              January 4 1996
Toronto's arts newspaper                      .....free every Thursday
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
THE PARK                                                      THE PARK

                         ELECTION STRATEGIES

The long-awaited provincial election finally gets called in June. The 
NDP campaign asks voters to forget the past and give them a second 
chance. The front-running Liberals hope a boring campaign lulls voters 
into sleepwalking to the polls. The PCs win by promising to bring back 
the good old days, before immigrants, welfare bums and socialists 
ruined the neighborhood.

                  FRONT-RUNNING LIBERALS CAN'T READ

"There was no surprise. Our strategy was right there in eye for the 
Liberals to see. I guess they just didn't want to believe it," says 
Harris chief of staff David Lindsay. PC polling had shown that 89 per 
cent of soft Liberal support also agreed with what Harris was saying. 
The PCs simply got their message through to soft Liberals.

                           DID I SAY THAT?

Before the election, eye asked several Queen's Park Press Gallery 
types to predict the outcome. Here's what they said: 

Colin Vaughan, CITY-TV: "McLeod might fade a great deal."

Robin Smyth, Global TV: NDP minority.

Steve Paikin, TVO: "When people focus on the leaders, many will chose 
Rae."

Jim Rusk, The Globe and Mail: Liberal minority.

Jeff Harder, Toronto Sun: "Tories coming on strong."

Betsy Powell, Canadian Press: Liberal minority.

Richard Brennan, Windsor Star: "McLeod may get knocked off by Harris."

Jim Coyle, Ottawa Citizen: "When Harris won the leadership I never 
thought it possible he could win, but now he could."

                               PROMISES

On the campaign trail Mike Harris promises that he won't cut money for 
health care, impose user fees or raise taxes. After the PCs win the 
election the Harris government cuts money for health care, imposes 
user fees and raise taxes.

                       PASS THE SALT 'N' PEPPER

During the election, Mike Harris announces that he will resign if he 
doesn't keep his promises. He also promises to eat the paper his 
promises are printed on.

                           BILLY CLUBS-R-US

As the Harris government starts its term in office, riot police beat 
up women protesters in front of Queen's Park.

                             MAKE MY DAY

Tough guy Mike Harris stares down egg-throwers at Oktoberfest.

                         POLITICAL HARI-KARI

David Tsubouchi, the Minister of Tuna from Markham, does his best to 
end his political career with self-inflicted wounds.

                           CARPETS NOT TUNA

While the Harris government cut benefits for mothers on welfare, they 
spent nearly $2 million renovating offices for new MPPs at Queen's 
Park.

                          GOVERNMENT SECRETS

PC Caucus chair Margaret Marland complains that TV cameras zoomed in 
on confidential material on her desk. It turns out the "confidential" 
material was a few samples of fabrics that Marland was looking over 
during Question Period.

                       ERNIE THE AXE CUTS DEEP

Cuts of $8 billion are the biggest ever made by a provincial 
government. Even Alberta's Premier Ralph Klein, the darling of the 
right, looks decidedly generous compared to Ernie The Axe and his 
friend Mike The Knife.

                            TORY TIME WARP

At a Harris election rally in Metro it was the revenge of middle-aged, 
pot-bellied white men who arrived in Lincolns, Cadillacs and Buicks.

                    THE SHOOT RABBITS, DON'T THEY?

Minister of cops and robbers Bob "Attila" Runciman drops the ball by 
opposing cops on federal gun-control legislation. Small-town Tories 
want the right to shoot rabbits and ducks, and convince Runciman the 
feds are harassing peace-loving duck hunters.

                        PATTI STARR'S REVENGE

The heroine of Patti Starr's new novel is a middle-aged Jewish woman 
from Toronto who ends up in jail because of her dealings with 
politicians and land developers. Many other characters in the book 
bear uncanny resemblances to former David Peterson aides and cabinet 
ministers.

                  QUEBEC VOTE GOOD NEWS FOR ONTARIO

One of the best-kept secrets in Ontario is the fact that the close 
vote in the Quebec referendum should bring good news for Ontario's 
economy, as "money and ethnics" pour across the border.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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[email-masked]     "...Break the Gutenberg Lock..."     416-971-8421

From [email-masked] Mon Jan 29 19:32:22 1996
Xref: elastic ont.general:26072
Path: elastic!exorcist!lethe!geac!herboid!whome!telly!problem!ve3tsx!news.interlog.com!not-for-mail
From: [email-masked] (eye WEEKLY)
Newsgroups: eye.news,ont.general
Subject: THE PARK: Wanted: One new Liberal leader
Followup-To: eye.general,ont.general
Date: 24 Jan 1996 21:46:14 -0500
Organization: eye -- Toronto's Arts Newspaper
Lines: 113
Approved: [email-masked]
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~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
eye WEEKLY                                             January 25 1996
Toronto's arts newspaper                      .....free every Thursday
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
THE PARK                                                      THE PARK

                    WANTED: ONE NEW LIBERAL LEADER

The biggest news about the race to replace Lyn McLeod as leader of the 
Liberals at Queen's Park is this: the people party insiders want are 
not interested in the job.

When McLeod became leader in 1992, most delegates thought they were 
electing the next premier.

And for almost three years, until two weeks before the election, 
McLeod led in public opinion polls.

But after her humiliating defeat last June, and because of continuing 
broad support among Liberal supporters for the cost-cutting agenda of 
Mike Harris, the job of leading the Ontario Liberals is looking less 
attractive.

The first to say no was the obvious heir-apparent to McLeod, former 
health minister Murray Elston.

Many Liberals believe Elston could have won last June's election and 
were hoping he would seek the leadership again. But the man who came 
within nine votes of beating McLeod three years ago decided to stay 
retired from politics.

No one was happier with the Elston decision than Mike Harris. PC 
insiders openly admit that Elston would have been a much tougher 
opponent than McLeod in the last election.

They are also worried that the Liberals will finally figure out that 
their voters have moved to the right, and find a friendlier version of 
Harris to lead them out of the political wilderness -- someone like 
Elston.

Elston's decision has left the Liberal leadership wide open for deputy 
leader Sean Conway -- and the Harris Tories couldn't be happier.

Conway is busy selling Liberals on the need to hold on to their left-
wing, big-government, interventionist policies at the same time that 
Liberal voters are saying it's time to cut the size of government.

Although the articulate Conway is a media darling with his one-liner 
quotable quotes, his policies are ancient history. Inside the Liberal 
caucus, the wonder-boy from Renfrew County is encountering resistance 
to his attack on the proposed Harris tax cut aimed at middle-class 
voters.

Conway wants the Liberals to vote against the tax cut when it comes 
before the Legislature later this year. One Liberal MPP told eye that, 
given the popularity of the promised tax cut, voting against it might 
extend the Liberals' stay in the political wasteland.

Meanwhile, Conway is starting to face some opposition to his 
coronation as party leader.

Conway supporters are pushing for an early leadership vote this 
summer, but others in the party want the vote delayed until the fall 
or next year in the hope that another credible candidate will emerge.

Recently the party released a list of 10 people, including Conway, who 
are interested in the leadership. Eight of the 30 Liberal MPPs and two 
outsiders sent representatives to a meeting of party officials.

Three Metro MPPs -- former labor minister Gerry Phillips, Joe Cordiano 
and newcomer Annamarie Castrilli -- all expressed interest.

So did most of the Liberal MPPs from Eastern Ontario, Conway's home 
turf. With Dalton McGuinty, Rick Patten and former Kingston mayor John 
Gerretsen all in the race, Conway's eastern Ontario base of support 
has been seriously fractured.

One MPP from the east told eye that the MPPs who know Conway better 
than anyone else are running because they all think they can do a 
better job as leader than he can. Without a solid base from eastern 
Ontario, Conway's leadership run could be in trouble.

Meanwhile, others in the party are actively trying to get a high-
profile Liberal from Metro to run. Metro Chairman Alan Tonks has been 
asked to run, as has former Toronto mayor and now federal cabinet 
minister Art Eggleton.

As well, the man who came third behind McLeod and Elston in the last 
leadership race, Greg Sorbara from Richmond Hill, is getting more 
pressure to enter the race.

Others in the party are saying it's time for a totally fresh face. 
That's why Robert McMurtry, the brother of former PC cabinet minister 
Roy McMurtry, put his name up.

With the growing ABC (Anyone But Conway) movement, what seemed like a 
sure thing for Conway just a few months ago is now starting to turn 
into a horse race.

Now that Bob Rae has resigned, Liberals will be able to see who the 
NDP come up with before they make their decision. But unless the 
Liberals change their policies by moving to the right, where their 
voters are, whoever the new leader is could be leading the party into 
political oblivion.

The Park is written by eye's Queen's Park insider.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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[email-masked]     "...Break the Gutenberg Lock..."     416-971-8421

From [email-masked] Fri Feb  9 08:18:33 1996
Xref: elastic tor.general:27872
Path: elastic!exorcist!lethe!geac!herboid!whome!ve3ied!problem!ve3tsx!news.interlog.com!not-for-mail
From: [email-masked] (eye WEEKLY)
Newsgroups: eye.news,tor.general
Subject: NEWS: Service with a sneer
Followup-To: eye.general,tor.general
Date: 31 Jan 1996 23:08:41 -0500
Organization: eye -- Toronto's Arts Newspaper
Lines: 41
Approved: [email-masked]
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~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
eye WEEKLY                                             February 1 1996
Toronto's arts newspaper                      .....free every Thursday
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
NEWS & VIEWS                                              NEWS & VIEWS

                         SERVICE WITH A SNEER

                                  by
                             DAVE RIVAIT

I cannot contain my joy at the prospect of another losing year for the 
pathetic Argos and Blue Jays. Not for the teams themselves, for whom I 
have some degree of pity, but rather for the SkyDome Corporation 
itself.

For years now, with winning and popular teams, the SkyDome has been 
able to treat its paying customers with outright rudeness and disdain. 
Particularly galling have been the pushy and rude ushers, who would 
swarm the entrances to browbeat customers and confiscate "illegal" 
food purchased outside the stadium.

I wouldn't wish unemployment on my worst enemy, but some of these 
blue-coated soda-pop Gestapo should never have been given a job where 
they are supposed to be helpful and pleasant.

For every visit that I have endured there, I have been treated like a 
cash cow the second after I handed in my ticket, absolutely ruining my 
day. Well, no more. SkyDome has succeeded in ensuring that one family 
will never again grace their doors for any event in the future. Give 
me the Gardens any day. Go Leafs Go.

Hop on your soapbox, and tell us what's bugging you. We might even run 
your words in this space.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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From [email-masked] Sun Feb 11 10:52:11 1996
Xref: elastic ont.general:26706
Path: elastic!exorcist!lethe!geac!herboid!whome!ve3ied!problem!ve3tsx!news.interlog.com!not-for-mail
From: [email-masked] (eye WEEKLY)
Newsgroups: eye.news,ont.general
Subject: THE PARK: Who likes Al Leach? Nooobody
Followup-To: eye.general,ont.general
Date: 31 Jan 1996 23:08:13 -0500
Organization: eye -- Toronto's Arts Newspaper
Lines: 109
Approved: [email-masked]
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~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
eye WEEKLY                                             February 1 1996
Toronto's arts newspaper                      .....free every Thursday
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
THE PARK                                                      THE PARK

                     WHO LIKES AL LEACH? NOOOBODY

Municipal Affairs Minister Al Leach just doesn't give a damn about 
getting re-elected.

That's what he has told the PC caucus and that's why he is forging 
ahead with many unpopular policies, like cutting provincial grants to 
Metro.

Leach, who represents the downtown riding of St. George-St. David, 
says he doesn't care because he thinks he is doing the right thing, 
even if it isn't popular.

It's a good thing he doesn't expect to get re-elected, because it's 
hard to find anyone in his riding who will admit they voted for him 
last June, let alone someone who intends to vote for him again.

Although his riding couldn't be more of a contrast to the white-bread 
small town vision of Premier Mike Harris, Leach is unswerving in his 
allegiance to the Mike's Common Sense Revolution and its campaign to 
bring back the 1950s.

Unlike Harris' homogeneous North Bay riding, Leach's riding has five 
distinct communities.

The Church-Wellesley area is home to Canada's largest gay community. 
Although some Tory MPPs and senior government advisers are well-known 
gays, the official party position is anti-gay. And as head of the TTC, 
Leach opposed gay advertising in subways.

That's why most gays and lesbians voted for the NDP or the Liberals in 
the last election. Since then, Harris and Leach have done nothing to 
change their minds.

In the south end of the riding, welfare moms in Regent Park voted for 
Leach because they believed PC election promises to create jobs for 
them.

But since the election few jobs have materialized and Harris has cut 
welfare benefits by 22 per cent. Meanwhile, Leach has been actively 
seeking a private developer to buy Regent Park and turn it into 
upscale condos ¥ once they ship the welfare moms somewhere else.

At the same time, many of the middle class yuppies who live in nearby 
Cabbagetown are senior public servants who voted for the PC tax cut. 
Today they live in fear of losing their jobs as Harris cuts deeper and 
faster than any of them expected. And the tax cut is nowhere in sight.

In the middle of Leach's riding is the single largest block of high-
rise rental accommodation in the city ¥ St. Jamestown. The blue-collar 
working poor in these towers voted for Harris because he promised to 
turn around the economy to allow them to move up and out.

Instead, the PCs have cut money for day care, something that has 
become an essential service for two-income families. And just last 
week, Leach restated the PC promise to get rid of rent controls, which 
many tenants fear will cause rents to skyrocket.

The north end of Leach's riding is in Rosedale, one of the richest 
neighborhoods in Canada. Needless to say, the bank presidents and 
opera ladies voted overwhelmingly for Leach last June.

But even they now have a reason to be mad at Leach. He has promised 
speedy action on Anne Golden's report on the future of the Greater 
Toronto Area, which would result in property taxes being doubled or 
tripled.

It's a good thing Leach doesn't expect to get re-elected. That way, he 
won't be so disappointed four years from now.

                             GOLDEN SPIN

The Golden task force report on the GTA was leaked to the media so 
often that by the time it was finally released the contents were 
already common knowledge.

The first leak came back in November, when Task Force member Joseph 
Wong told all to a Chinese community newspaper. Officials in the 
Premier's office were horrified, but advised that the best strategy 
was to pretend it didn't happen, in the hopes that the major media 
would miss the story. That's exactly what happened.

The next gaffe came when a ministry communications plan had to be 
revised to exclude a reference to leaking an advance copy of the 
report to The Toronto Star.

As one insider told eye, it's OK to leak government documents on 
purpose ¥ just don't put it in writing.

Sure enough, The Star got a copy of the report a week before everyone 
else. This infuriated the editors of The Toronto Sun, the official 
organ of the Harris government, who were upset that they didn't get 
leaked on before The Star. Obviously, no one at the major dailies was 
aware the report had already been leaked in November.

The Park is written by eye's Queen's Park insider.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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[email-masked]     "...Break the Gutenberg Lock..."     416-971-8421

From [email-masked] Sat Feb 17 12:15:14 1996
Xref: elastic tor.general:31274
Path: elastic!exorcist!lethe!geac!herboid!whome!infoshare!iaw.on.ca!torn!howland.reston.ans.net!newsfeed.internetmci.com!in2.uu.net!news2.interlog.com!news.interlog.com!not-for-mail
From: [email-masked] (eye WEEKLY)
Newsgroups: eye.news,tor.general
Subject: NEWS: Squash the squeegee kids
Followup-To: eye.general,tor.general
Date: 15 Feb 1996 19:38:27 -0500
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~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
eye WEEKLY                                            February 15 1996
Toronto's arts newspaper                      .....free every Thursday
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
NEWS & VIEWS                                              NEWS & VIEWS

                       SQUASH THE SQUEEGEE KIDS

                                  by
                               E. YOUNG

Re: Marcus MacDonald's "Let them wash windows," Space for Rant, Feb.
8.

MacDonald obviously has little knowledge of the real practices of the
windshield-washing street kids who infest Toronto. He makes them out
to be the "do-good" entrepreneurial victims of an antagonistic Metro
Police force; nothing could be further from the truth! This menacing
crew of reprobates antagonizes otherwise-happy drivers, pedestrians
and street people like a pack of rats on a mountain of cheese!

MacDonald never mentions the fact that these scum can commonly be
found begging (or "panhandling" as they say) on the same corner they
say they "work" the cars on. They harass pedestrians like lazy, able-
bodied pests -- when they get off their cocky punk asses and wash
windshields, they bug drivers to the point where they leap out of
their cars and assault these rat-like antagonists! (This scenario has
actually happened -- and you wonder why the police are putting their
foot down!)

Why would apparent "do-good" kids encounter such rage from drivers if
these mean kids didn't push people way beyond acceptable behavior?!
They show no benevolence, only insolence and lack of respect!

These kids stink of rotten greed and intimidation tactics, an urban
gang pestilence which is provoking hundreds of normally happy drivers
to outrage! That is, of course, when the kids aren't displaying their
"entrepreneurial expertise" at begging, oh, excuse me, "panhandling,"
from pedestrians on the sidewalk.

These kids also intimidate other street people into "getting off their
turf." They appear to be a young motley crew of fascists -- hungry to
dominate and 'purify' Toronto streets for the benefit of their misfit,
ragged-ass gang.

These ruffians are about as "peaceful" and "hard-working"
"entrepreneurs" (!) as a bunch of spoiled, fashion-friendly welfare-
bums -- who go around looking for fights with the easily victimized;
these people have about as much respect for others as Hitler had for
his Jewish victims.

These kids are pests and pure scum!

Let's hope the Metro Police keep up their good work, and clean up
these ugly bastards off the streets of our beautiful city.

Hop on your soapbox and tell us what's bugging you. We might even run
your words in this space.

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From [email-masked] Sat Feb 17 19:05:04 1996
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From: [email-masked] (eye WEEKLY)
Newsgroups: eye.news,ont.general
Subject: EYENET: Yippie! We're all gonna die
Followup-To: eye.general,ont.general
Date: 15 Feb 1996 19:30:10 -0500
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~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
eye WEEKLY                                            February 15 1996
Toronto's arts newspaper                      .....free every Thursday
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
EYENET                                                          EYENET

                     YIPPIE! WE'RE ALL GONNA DIE

                                  by
                            K.K . CAMPBELL

Last week, a pissed-off student picked up a block and broke a window
at Queen's Park. Students were protesting severe cuts to education.

The event caused every mainstream news outlet in town to feature at
least one columnist claiming that that hunk of mortar symbolizes the
Fall of Rome.

If it does, then let the whole rotten structure burn. When the entire
system fails you, you are under no obligation to uphold the rules of
that system.

Meanwhile, the cops charged the student protesters under a long-
forgotten British law about "intimidating" the government -- from the
days of yore when the militia could show up at Queen's Park to sway a
Legislature vote.

The 1996 application of that law has to be one of the most civil-
liberty-threatening actions in decades. Those protesters could get
more prison time than Karla Homolka. Yet Toronto's media columnist
yahoos are fixated on a kid with a rockE

                          MY DINNER WITH ANDREA

While no one suggests the Youth International Party from the '60s won
any revolutions, they were major players in the protest movements of
the late '60s and early '70s.

What Yippie leaders Abby Hoffman and Jerry Rubin mastered was
"political theatre." They ran a pig (Pigasus) in the presidential
election. They threw money onto the floor of a stock exchange and
watched the little drones run around. They explained how easy it would
be to slip LSD into the water supply of a city. Yippies studied the
reactionary news media and found the ways to make it shimmy and shake.

Alone, this accomplishes nothing. But it engages people because it is
more entertaining than a Lyn McLeod speech. "If I can't laugh, it
ain't my revolution." Having so engaged your audience's attention, the
question then is whether you have a substantial message to impart. The
Yippies didn't.

Ontario's apparent political heir of that Yippie mantle (which they
took from the Situationalists, anyway) is Toronto's Embarrass Harris.
This decentralized, all-volunteer sorta-organization has been hounding
business-class ideologue Mike Harris since he was sworn in.

And they're re-proving that guerrilla-level political theatre works.

What images "define" the Harris regime? The Great Bologna Sandwich
Outrage, for one. When the Harris government announced families could
live on a $90-a-month food budget and should eat bologna, at the next
Tory fat-cat fundraiser, people smeared the BMW-packed parking lot
with bologna sandwiches, while the car owners pigged out on what
Harris dubbed an "Italian feast." Then there's the red flag paraded
behind Harris during his announcement about Bill 26. And there's the
famous photo of Harris sitting at Oktoberfest, his shoe splattered by
a protester's thrown egg -- while a grown man grovels before Harris,
cleaning his shoe.

These images are stronger than the latest 10,000-word snorefest from
John Sewell.

I see the same principle in action when travelling to work every day.
Some person is using a marker to black out eyes and create mummified
stitch-mouths on the anorexic fashion model ads that adorn downtown
TTC bus shelters. The effect? I'll remember those undead fashion
ghouls the rest of my life -- though I can't even remember right now
what the ads are forE

Andrea Calver has been an Embarrass Harris volunteer since the group's
inception on June 11, 1995.

Calver says Embarrass Harris has two goals: encouraging alternatives
beyond voting NDP or Liberal next election, and screwing up the high-
priced Tory PR media events.

"We're very media-oriented," Calver say. "And we're very, uh, cheeky."
And why the defiant, politically incorrect, in-your-face attitude --
as opposed to protest movements against previous Ontario governments?

"Everyone is totally clear that the stakes are different today,"
Calver says. "Ontario has never seen a government like this before.

"But do remember, all these anti-Harris events, they aren't always
us," she adds. "I don't think the Tories can hold a fundraiser in
Ontario without attracting an enormous amount of anger."

She may be right. Tuna-loving, ace-supermarket shopper Tory cabinet
minister David Tsubouchi complains to newspapers he can't go out any
more because people recognize him and share a few choice words.

"Good," Calver says. "Tsubouchi should be embarrassed to show his
face."

Calver stresses that Embarrass Harris is non-partisan. "We're not NDP
flacks, we're not Liberal flacks. We don't want to just swap
governments, like rearranging deck chairs on the Titanic." She says
fundamental change has to come from the bottom up to be effective.
Politicians will automatically reflect those changes -- not the other
way around.

                          THE NET CONNECTION

What does this have to do with the net? Last fall, I did something
different: instead of merely commenting on the net, I made a
contribution to the net by transcribing the historical statements of
the world-famous Haymarket Martyrs
(http://www.interlog.com/eye/Misc/Labor/Haymarket).

eyeNET is doing it again: I'm not a member of Embarrass Harris, and I
don't necessarily condone all of their postions, but I've created the
Mike Harris WWW InfoCentre at http://www.interlog.com/eye/Misc/Harris
for the organization.

The Tories paid their hired gun web designers for their propaganda
site. So I volunteered to help Embarrass Harris get online, waived my
usual $200/hr fee and demanded no Embarrass Harris volunteer -- male
or female -- provide me with sexual favors. Only today I emerged from
five furious days of headphones, CDs, Corel and caffeine.

The Mike Harris WWW Info Centre hosts the Harris Action Kit -- which
contains small posters to print out, a petition form, organizing
advice and even tips on getting the nicotine-stained, booze-soaked
attention interest of media drones. And read the full transcript of my
interview with Andrea Calver. It also features John Hollingsworth's
HarrisWatch newsletter, the Ontario Federation of Labor's 164 Days of
Destruction, the Ontario Association of Intervention and Transition
Houses Key Campaign, a series of info docs from the Ontario Social
Safety Network, and CUPE's Fight Back Action Kit. When done processing
that whack of data, take a Tour of the New Ontario with Emperor Mike.
Follow it up with Emperor Mike's economic history lesson.

Hopefully it's a break from your daily dose of propaganda from
mainstream media hacks shedding crocodile tears over the "necessary
hardship" working people must undergo so the business class can get a
higher bond rating.

"In the long run," they constantly tell "us," it's for "our" own good.

Economist John Maynard Keynes faced this same argument during the
Great Depression of the '30s. His response remains as resonant as
ever: 

"In the long run, we are all dead."

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From [email-masked] Sat Feb 17 19:06:12 1996
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From: [email-masked] (eye WEEKLY)
Newsgroups: eye.news,ont.general
Subject: THE PARK: Tories set to call union's bluff
Followup-To: eye.general,ont.general
Date: 15 Feb 1996 19:37:41 -0500
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Lines: 92
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~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
eye WEEKLY                                            February 15 1996
Toronto's arts newspaper                      .....free every Thursday
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
THE PARK                                                      THE PARK

                   TORIES SET TO CALL UNION'S BLUFF

As Ontario's 79,500 public servants decide whether to go on strike
they face some grim choices.

They already know that one in every five of them is toast, based on
Premier Mike Harris' promise during last year's election to eliminate
13,000 government jobs.

Now government sources are telling the media that the number of
layoffs could hit 27,000.

Because 12,000 public servants are classified as essential workers --
jail guards, OPP officers, ambulance workers, etc. -- the layoffs will
come from the remaining 67,500 workers. Thus, the real Harris plan is
to cut almost half of non-essential government workers.

Such a move will be greeted with resounding applause from millions of
workers in the private sector who see public servants as fat-cats who
have been protected from layoffs. In the private sector there is no
such thing as a "non-essential" worker. Either your job is needed by
the company you work for, or it's gone.

As a result, there will be very little, if any, public sympathy for a
province-wide strike by public servants, which could be called as
early as Feb. 22, the day the PC policy conference starts in Hamilton.
Sure, the other unions will support the strikers, but the general
public won't.

Because essential workers will still be on the job, the biggest risk
that striking public servants would face is -- what if they go on
strike and nobody notices?

Also, if there is a strike, the largest public service union, the
Ontario Public Service Employees Union (OPSEU) will have a hard time
coming up with strike pay.

That's because most of the union's strike fund was used to build its
fancy new headquarters in north Toronto -- more than $16 million of
the strike fund's $17 million.

The strike fund was also used to pay for the move to the new offices
and hefty building operating costs for two years. As a result, by
January, 1992, there was only $16,768 left in the strike fund.

But no one cared because, back then, OPSEU didn't even have the legal
right to strike. The thinking was that if they ever got the right to
strike, they could always put a mortgage on the building.

Four years later, OPSEU has the right to strike thanks to Bob Rae's
NDP government, and Mike Harris is giving them every reason to.

Although the strike fund has been bumped back up to $3 million by four
years of union dues, the $16 million that is buried in the concrete at
OPSEU headquarters is now worth only $3 million in Toronto's depressed
real estate market, according to an angry OPSEU worker who contacted
eye.

Another $17 million has been pledged by other unions, but these
various sources of cash will provide a paltry total of $383 in strike
pay for each OPSEU member.

Another problem for OPSEU is the repeal of the NDP's labor-friendly
legislation, which will allow the government to use replacement
workers if they choose. Needless to say, morale is at an all-time low
as public servants pray they won't be the ones to lose their jobs.

Although Harris has taken a recent beating in public opinion polls
over proposed cuts to health care and education, voters won't clamor
to stop him from cutting the jobs of non-essential government workers,
especially if he can redirect some of the money saved into areas the
public supports.

PC MPPs are well aware of the public's attitude toward public servants
and the fact that OPSEU can't support a long strike. That's why Harris
--through his point man, Management Board chair Dave Johnson -- is
playing chicken with the unions.

The Park is written by eye's Queen's Park insider.

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From [email-masked] Mon Mar 11 00:32:02 1996
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From: [email-masked] (eye WEEKLY)
Newsgroups: eye.news,tor.general
Subject: NEWS: The parking lot of history
Followup-To: eye.general,tor.general
Date: 7 Mar 1996 20:49:18 -0500
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~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
eye WEEKLY                                               March 7, 1996
Toronto's arts newspaper                      .....free every Thursday
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
NEWS & VIEWS                                              NEWS & VIEWS

                      THE PARKING LOT OF HISTORY

                                  by
                         PETER KUITENBROUWER

So this is how it has to end, with me and a couple of dewy-eyed 
artists shivering by an opening in the chainlink fence, an evil wind 
whipping off Lake Ontario, and some demolition crew foreman named Mo 
blocking our path as the jaws of Greenspoon Bros.' yellow Liebherr 
cranes slice up steel beams like stovewood.

"This is an amazing building," says filmmaker and industrial building 
fanatic John Martins-Manteiga, who's leading this tour. "It's the 
Crystal Palace. You can imagine the Zeppelin coming right out of 
there. We're talking Berlin 1920s, Mies Van der Rohe, Walter Gropius. 
It's crisp, it's clean. It speaks to you. It has a language."

It sure does. The John Inglis plant on Strachan Ave. and East Liberty 
St., a towering testament to Industrial Canada, is crying out in 
anguish.

Here women built 186,000 Bren machine guns to help us win the Second 
World War. Then the men came home to build the washers and dryers of 
postwar prosperity. In 1989, thanks to Free Trade, the plant closed, 
and now Inglis washers ("Most Wanted by Most Women") come from a non-
union plant in Clyde, Ohio. And the Americans are tearing this plant 
down.

"Few plants in Canada have seen as many generations of workers pass 
through the same factory gates or have played as important a role in 
equipping other industries as this factory did," David Sobel and Susan 
Meurer wrote in their lavishly illustrated l994 paean to the plant, 
Working At Inglis (James Lorimer, $24.95 paper). Today not one of the 
thousand window panes here is broken; the titanic girders are free of 
rust. But our past and our history mean nothing to the building's 
owner, Michigan-based Whirlpool, Inc., and by the strict rules of the 
Global Market, a weed-covered empty lot now has more value to the 
owners than this perfectly sound complex of buildings.

"It's not a particularly attractive site," spokeswoman Heather 
Clifford says from the Mississauga office of Inglis, now a wholly-
owned subsidiary of the American firm, distributing mainly imported 
appliances."We have no desire to keep this on the books. We've been 
kind of taken aback by the concern that's surfaced. We have a business 
to run. We've been trying to sell it for a number of years."

In November the city gave Inglis a partial demolition permit. Inglis 
says demolition will be complete by the end of April.

Martins-Manteiga discovered the demolition permit at City Hall and 
sent out a flurry of faxes pleading with municipal officials to save 
the structure. But last week, at a cheap and pointless meeting, the 
Toronto Historical Board sealed the vast complex's fate. The board's 
manager of inventory, Richard Stromberg, showed members a slideshow of 
Inglis plant photos that look as if he snapped them from the car 
window while driving by on the Gardiner. He then misled the board, 
saying "the Inglis plant has been there since the early part of the 
1900s." The plant opened in 1881. "It's really a 20th-century 
utilitarian building. We're not talking Gooderham Worts," added 
Stromberg. "We're really into form following function," he said, in 
one sweep dismissing the architecture of this century.

The board then voted to recommend that the city "designate" one tiny 
scrap of the plant, referred to as the chapel, a featureless three-
storey brick building on the site's western edge. "Designation" 
apparently means the chapel will be slightly more difficult to knock 
down. The board also voted to write Inglis a letter asking them to 
document the plant with good quality photos before knocking it down, 
and to consider building a statue on the site to commemorate the 
plant.

I can't wait -- in glistening bronze, workers toiling over a dryer. 
Underneath they can nail the tin sign that's still on an Inglis door, 
reminding us of the Inglis women: Rings, Jewellery Must Be Removed 
Before Entering Areas of Operation.

                         CONVENTIONAL WISDOM

"The media portrays people like me as preservation nuts and kooks," 
says Martins-Manteiga, 35, a local whose father worked at Massey-
Ferguson (now a vast weed-covered lot next to Inglis). "But I'm 
talking pure economics. It does not make sense to tear buildings down 
and dump them in the lake."

I'd go further and say that basically, Toronto is tearing down its sex 
appeal. Soaring, proud factories are sexy. Vacant lots are not. One-
storey Mississauga distribution centres for American products are 
decidedly NOT sexy -- but artists are. Droves of filmmakers and 
painters have breathed life into the old factories of the King-
Dufferin area. Which means (hello!) can you spell T-A-X D-O-L-L-A-R-S? 
So where are the city officials making deals to bring artists into 
Inglis?

They're busy elsewhere. Great municipal minds are spending $180 
million Metro, provincial and federal tax dollars on a new Metro 
convention centre, less than 15 metres away from Inglis on the other 
side of the Gardiner. Looking past the wrecking cranes, I can see the 
building cranes. The main feature of the convention centre? High 
ceilings. Inglis' ceilings are about 20 metres high.

Inglis plans to leave up only the portion of the plant that holds up 
its Home Appliances sign, offering daily messages to Gardiner drivers. 
But as of this writing, the plant is still up. Maybe it's not too late 
to save it.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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From [email-masked] Sun Mar 17 11:01:32 1996
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From: [email-masked] (eye WEEKLY)
Newsgroups: eye.news,ont.general
Subject: THE PARK: Mike takes his knife to Metro
Followup-To: eye.general,ont.general
Date: 14 Mar 1996 08:23:40 -0500
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~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
eye WEEKLY                                              March 14, 1996
Toronto's arts newspaper                      .....free every Thursday
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
THE PARK                                                      THE PARK

                    MIKE TAKES HIS KNIFE TO METRO

Premier Mike Harris has decided to eliminate Metro's elected council 
and to implement a controversial tax reform plan. The Tory government 
will go ahead with these key recommendations of the Golden Task Force 
on the future of Metro, despite the fact that public consultations on 
the change haven't wrapped up.

The elected Metro council will be replaced by committees made up of 
mayors and councillors from local councils in the Greater Toronto 
Area. Although most analysts had expected Harris to abolish Metro 
Council, many will be surprised to see Harris dive into the 
politically dangerous waters of municipal tax reform.

But after reviewing the proposals made by Anne Golden, who headed the 
task force on the future of the GTA, the Premier has agreed with her 
that reform is urgently needed. That's why he has opted for Golden's 
version of Market Value Assessment (MVA) which was killed by former 
premier Bob Rae after loud objections from Toronto City Council.

In fact, it was Metro's support for MVA that led the City to put a 
referendum on the future of Metro on the ballot in the last municipal 
election. In that vote, City ratepayers overwhelmingly supported the 
abolition of Metro.

Ironically, it now looks like Metro will be abolished, but the real 
target of Toronto City Council, the hated MVA, will return to haunt 
them in another form.

Golden claims that Actual Value Assessment (AVA) won't lead to the 
shocking increases in taxes that MVA would have created for downtown 
home owners. However, an official of the Ministry of Municipal Affairs 
says that their analysis of the Golden plan shows huge increases for 
city dwellers.

This is just fine with Harris, who has a lot more MPPs from the 
suburbs, where residential taxes will decrease dramatically under the 
proposed reforms.

If Harris actually goes through with Metro tax reform he will force 
well-off banking and investment executives who live in two of Canada's 
richest neighborhoods, Forest Hill and Rosedale, to pay their fair 
share of property taxes.

Harris will be the first Premier in Ontario history with the courage 
to withstand the kind of aggressive lobbying that has held up tax 
reform for the past 40 years. As Mayor Lorna Jackson of Vaughan 
pointed out recently, an upscale house in Municipal Affairs Minister 
Al Leach's downtown Toronto riding pays about one-third the taxes of a 
similar house in the suburbs.

                           ALL TOGETHER NOW

To ease the way for provincial legislation, Harris asked former Metro 
councillor Derwyn Shea to measure public response to Golden's 
recommendations. But Shea has found out already that there is no 
consensus on what to do -- so Harris can do exactly what he wants.

Golden says that every household in the GTA sends $2,300 in taxes to 
pay for provincial programs in the hinterland. Her comment that "We 
are all in this together" has won over Leach and his boss. That's why 
we're seeing Al Leach push for tax reform despite strong opposition in 
the monied parts of his own riding.

The GTA is home of more than 50 per cent of the provincial economy. 
After six months in government, Premier Harris, who comes from small-
town Northern Ontario, understands the need to protect the Golden 
Goose.

Three previous Premiers -- Bill Davis, David Peterson and Bob Rae -- 
who supposedly understood urban issues better than Harris, all kept 
away from Metro tax reform. Then again, they didn't declare themselves 
revolutionaries.

The Park is written by eye's Queen's Park insider.

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From [email-masked] Sun Mar 17 11:02:50 1996
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From: [email-masked] (eye WEEKLY)
Newsgroups: eye.news,ont.general
Subject: NEWS: We need better protest chants
Followup-To: eye.general,ont.general
Date: 14 Mar 1996 08:23:53 -0500
Organization: eye -- Toronto's Arts Newspaper
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~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
eye WEEKLY                                              March 14, 1996
Toronto's arts newspaper                      .....free every Thursday
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
NEWS & VIEWS                                              NEWS & VIEWS

                    WE NEED BETTER PROTEST CHANTS

                                  by
                             KENT HOFFMAN

HEY, HEY, HO, HO, This damn chant has got to go!" It seems to me there 
is a lot more protesting going on. Or maybe not.

Maybe it just seems like there is a lot more protesting going on 
because every time I turn on the news I hear the "Hey, Hey, Ho, Ho" 
cheer. It seems at every demonstration it is mandatory to chant "Hey, 
Hey, Ho, Ho."

I have never attended a protest, but from what I can gather the 
protest chant is very important. Hearing the voices of the protesters 
chanting together creates a feeling of strength. Everyone singing out 
for the cause. If chanting is so important, then why can't the leaders 
behind each of the causes spend some of their lobbying dollars 
commissioning songwriters to write some new chants? I think this 
should be as high on the priority list as a TV ad campaign. People at 
home at their dinner tables hearing TV news coverage of demonstrations 
have no idea which protest is being covered because each group sounds 
exactly the same. I don't blame the reporters covering the story. 
Their job is to provide actuality -- the actual sound at the event 
being covered.

I don't know where the "Hey, Hey, Ho, Ho" chant originated. My guess 
is that it's a spin-off of the "Hell no, we won't go" sit-in chant 
from the '60s. This chant is now out of date. Chanting "Hell no" is 
politically incorrect (profanity is bad, not to mention the religious 
connotation).

 As for "we won't go," well, most people do have to go. Getting a 
babysitter or extending daycare costs a fortune. And the cost of 
extending parking on an event night? Just forget it. Sit-ins are just 
too expensive.

So someone adapted the "Hell no" chant into the annoying "Hey, Hey, 
Ho, Ho" chant. Ho doesn't rhyme with very many good protest words. 
Schmoe maybe? Woe? Moe (for protests against Moe's Tavern or the Three 
Stooges maybe)? There are no good protest words that rhyme with Ho, so 
it always has to end with "something or other has got to go." Go 
where? Going implies a trip, moving ahead or getting a green light. 
Sounds pretty good to me. It is therefore a rather innocuous chant for 
protesters.

My message to all protesters: try to think up some good chants. Or 
simply sing together. There are lots of great protest songs out there. 
Your messages are too important to throw away with a mindless chant.

Hop on your soapbox and tell us what's bugging you. We might even run 
your words in this space.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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[email-masked]     "...Break the Gutenberg Lock..."     416-971-8421

From [email-masked] Sun Mar 17 11:33:46 1996
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From: [email-masked] (eye WEEKLY)
Newsgroups: eye.news,tor.general
Subject: NEWS: Class consciousness
Followup-To: eye.general,tor.general
Date: 14 Mar 1996 08:22:12 -0500
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~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
eye WEEKLY                                              March 14, 1996
Toronto's arts newspaper                      .....free every Thursday
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
NEWS & VIEWS                                              NEWS & VIEWS

                         CLASS CONSCIOUSNESS

                                  by
                              EDWARD KAY

Picture a small, concrete, bunker-like hall on the University of 
Toronto campus just north of College on Spadina. We'll call it 
Shopper's Drug Mart Associates Auditorium since, believe it or not, 
that is its name. For that alone, and its ironic commentary on the 
state of public funding for universities, it was the perfect setting 
for the course known as JHP200F, "Thinking About Politics."

It was an innocuous-enough sounding name for the course offered at the 
U of T last fall. But given that the professor was former Ontario 
premier and ex-provincial NDP leader Bob Rae, it was rife with 
implications. After the crushing defeat Rae had just suffered, you had 
to wonder what "thinking about politics" entailed for him. Late nights 
wandering from room to room in his underwear, Scotch in hand, having 
imaginary conversations with Voltaire?

And what would the course content be? A first-hand account of the down 
and dirty of realpoliti? Or would it be a refuge for the faithful, a 
chance to indulge in an affirmation ritual in a temple not yet defiled 
by the barbarians of Common Sense?

In any case, the course promised a ringside seat. What I didn't 
realize was that it would also provide some unexpected and 
uncomfortable insights into the current state of the Left.

The mood in the lecture hall before the first class was hard to gauge. 
The audience seemed to be comprised of your basic political junkie 
types, along with a sprinkling of the kind of ghouls you see standing 
around staring glassy-eyed at traffic accidents. The room was filled 
to capacity, the crowd considerably in excess of the class enrolment 
of about 70. Despite the big turnout, however, it soon became apparent 
that Rae, unlike that other politico/academic Newt Gingrich, was not 
destined to enjoy the luxury of a classroom love-fest with gaggles of 
admiring young minds.

The first hint came about five minutes after he started talking. 
Unfortunately, I had taken a seat immediately behind three people whom 
I shall refer to as the Hairballs. The Hairballs combined most of the 
visual characteristics of the Mod Squad and the Chicago 7, synthesized 
into an even less aesthetically agreeable '90s form. They began to 
talk amongst themselves approximately at the point at which the first 
commercial break would have occurred had they been watching TV instead 
of attending a lecture.

Throughout the lecture, they kept up a loud, running dialogue, 
attacking Rae's "bourgeois socialism." The most scathing remarks came 
from the Caucasian Hairball, a carrot-topped Bobby Seale wannabe. In 
an apparent act of solidarity with his cell members of color, Agent 
Orange dismissed Rae as a "typical white paternalist," a pronouncement 
inspired by Rae's defence of Edmund Burke, the political theoretician 
who accurately predicted that France's Revolution would lead to 
terror, followed by the rise of a dictator.

The Hairballs never returned after that first class, presumably having 
gone off in search of some Third World country in need of snotty brats 
to lead a peasants' revolt. But, as would become clear in the weeks to 
come, they were not the only class member whose ideas fit the profile 
of what was once, in happier times, known in Britain as the "Loonie 
Left."

                       WALLFLOWERS TO WINGNUTS

Thinking About Politics was a thoughtful, balanced examination of 
rights, nationalism and the welfare state. Rae stated on the opening 
night that the class would be theory only, so if anyone had come to 
hear about what goes on in the backrooms, they should claim their 100 
per cent tuition rebate while they still could.

Any subjectivity, as it transpired, would come not from the professor 
but from the students during the "Question Period," which began as a 
15-minute session at the end of the lecture but which by the end of 
term swallowed up as much as a third of the class with the mental 
meanderings of people who enjoy nothing better than a soapbox.

Rae was strangely acquiescent, even indulgent, when giving the floor 
to these inarticulate ramblers. Either he was too tired to fight, or 
else after a day spent with the neo-conservative stYrmwaffen over at 
Queen's Park, even such sophomoric twaddle sounded relatively sane.

Then again, I dunno. A student from Africa who appeared to be in his 
30s wanted to know why Rae wasn't discussing African Maoist regimes, 
those paragons of enlightenment. Rae deferentially pointed out that in 
a one-semester course, we unfortunately did not have time to study the 
full scope of human political expression. Later, in a discussion of 
19th-century thought on the differences between the slave trade and 
just plain cruddy working conditions, a young white woman raised her 
hand and, rather than posing a question, declared that all women are 
slaves.

It was not the sheer stupidity of the statements I heard that 
surprised me, but rather the fact that our professor usually didn't 
subject the makers of these assertions to even a gentle challenge.

I began to wonder if Rae's acquiescence was not perhaps a habit formed 
as a result of presiding over the NDP in the '90s. Indeed, the 
classroom experience provided an uncomfortable microcosm of what is 
wrong with contemporary left-wing politics as a whole.

The Left is in retreat not just because of fiscal convulsions and 
well-funded assaults from neo-conservatives, but also because of its 
own lack of identity. Somehow, in its laudable efforts to accommodate 
marginalized groups, it has adopted the notion that everyone's 
opinions are equally valid, regardless of whether those opinions are 
based on tangibles or just fuzzy-headed feelings of being slighted. In 
that atmosphere, everyone feels that they're entitled to whatever they 
want.

Several times over the last couple of years I spoke with Ontario 
government employees who pointedly mentioned that they would not be 
available for interviews on a "Rae Day." True, the Social Contract 
wasn't exactly a model of consensual politics, but it seems its 
critics didn't consider either the budget problems looming over the 
province, or the even less palatable alternatives. As a result, I 
suspect many of these same civil servants took their revenge by voting 
for Mike Harris.

Unfortunately, they forgot that if you vote for a guy whose campaign 
literature makes him look like a model for the Leather Attic, you 
shouldn't be too surprised if once in office, he uncinches his gut, 
dons his bondage mask and tries to ram a studded cat-o'-nine-tails up 
your ass.

It's fine to argue about who is the most victimized, most 
marginalized, or who holds the true grail of leftist thought. But if 
you mistake this ideological parlor game for reality, don't be 
surprised when somebody who gets his marching orders from Bay St. 
comes up to you and in a calm, authoritative voice, says, "School's 
out. Now bend over and spread 'em."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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[email-masked]     "...Break the Gutenberg Lock..."     416-971-8421

From [email-masked] Thu Mar 28 08:25:18 1996
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From: [email-masked] (eye WEEKLY)
Newsgroups: eye.news,ont.general
Subject: THE PARK: OPSEU strike turns nasty
Followup-To: eye.general,ont.general
Date: 20 Mar 1996 22:42:10 -0500
Organization: eye -- Toronto's Arts Newspaper
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~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
eye WEEKLY                                              March 21, 1996
Toronto's arts newspaper                      .....free every Thursday
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
THE PARK                                                      THE PARK

                       OPSEU STRIKE TURNS NASTY

Despite imported enforcers, cracks are starting to show

The strike by the Ontario Public Service Employees Union (OPSEU) has 
turned ugly with this week's mini-riot at the Legislature.

Because the striking file clerks and cafeteria workers who make up the 
bulk of OPSEU members were starting to waver in their support by 
crossing the picket lines, union headquarters beefed up the lines with 
steelworkers and autoworkers, who have a much more aggressive approach 
to picketing.

At the Legislature the pleasant "hellos" exchanged between strikers 
and people crossing the picket lines has been replaced by vigorous 
pushing and shoving, culminating in a bloody confrontation with the 
OPP riot squad last Monday (March 18).

This happened after the dozen peaceful pickets -- who work in the 
Legislature and are known to everyone who works there -- were replaced 
by 40 or 50 outsiders who lined up three deep, arm-in-arm, to prevent 
anyone from passing through without being harassed.

As a senior member of the Press Gallery said: "There is no doubt the 
union has brought in provocateurs. And tempers are starting to fray."

Jeff Harder, a reporter with The Toronto Sun, says he was assaulted 
this week when he tried to get into his office at the Pink Palace. 
"Three guys pinned me to the railing when I tried to pass and the OPP 
had to clear the way. They are hassling everyone. Even an MPP's 
daughter was jostled when she tried to get in to see her father."

Pickets also jostled several Tory MPPs and cabinet ministers.

Harder says the pickets are breaking the law by blocking access and 
harassing people who want to cross the line. This view is confirmed by 
an experienced labor lawyer who told eye that back in 1965, after a 
violent strike in Peterborough, Justice Ivan Rand ruled that strikers 
can't block the way of people who want to pass, or threaten or 
intimidate them.

What they can do is communicate information about the strike if people 
want to listen. This is clearly not what is happening at the 
Legislature or at other OPSEU picket lines.

The strikers also seem to be selective about who they harass. A male 
reporter for eye was allowed to pass without incident -- and then 
observed women being harassed by the beefy male pickets.

A government insider confirmed that this is happening elsewhere. He 
said women and minorities are complaining of being harassed or pushed 
at many locations across Metro as they try to pass through the picket 
lines.

OPSEU spokesman Frank Rooney chose not to respond to a request for 
comment on this matter.

But hassling women and minorities won't do much to get the public on 
OPSEU's side. Neither will fighting with the media.

                          A PLACE IN THE SUN

Sun reporter Harder doesn't think much of the pickets -- or the way 
some of his colleagues are reporting on them.

"All OPSEU has achieved so far," says Harder, "is to push the Tories 
up in the polls. The public is still against them and the government 
has saved $100 million."

At the same time, Harder is concerned about the actions of some of his 
Press Gallery colleagues. Gallery president Richard Brennan of The 
Windsor Star has made an informal agreement with the picketers at 
Queen's Park to allow the media to "go through without any hassle if 
you show your press pass. It's my job as president to turn down the 
heat. It's a strike. Whether the media or MPPs like that or not, 
strikers will do their best to inconvenience you."

Harder says the gallery shouldn't make any deals: "Why make 
concessions to knuckle-dragging deadbeats? It's like hugging the 14-
year-old punk who steals your car stereo."

Another long-time Queen's Park reporter said Harder is trying to make 
the news rather than report it: "Most of the picketers have been 
polite. Harder is convinced he'll get promoted if he can arrange to 
get his lights punched out."

Harder says he's not surprised by comments like this: "The media is 
largely liberal and mainly unionized, so you have union members 
covering other union members."

Meanwhile, the strike itself seems to be petering out. Without the 
outside provocateurs who are harassing their own members to keep them 
from crossing picket lines, the strike would likely die out within 
days.

The union's strongarm tactics will only delay the inevitable by a few 
weeks.

The Park is written by eye's Queen's Park insider.

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[email-masked]     "...Break the Gutenberg Lock..."     416-971-8421

From [email-masked] Sun Apr 21 12:50:47 1996
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From: [email-masked] (eye WEEKLY)
Newsgroups: eye.news,ont.general
Subject: NEWS: Housing contract killers
Followup-To: eye.general,ont.general
Date: 17 Apr 1996 19:58:14 -0400
Organization: eye -- Toronto's Arts Newspaper
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~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
eye WEEKLY                                              April 18, 1996
Toronto's arts newspaper                      .....free every Thursday
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
NEWS & VIEWS                                              NEWS & VIEWS

                       HOUSING CONTRACT KILLERS

                                  by
                         ALEXANDRA HIGHCREST

A group of social housing activists are gearing up to do battle with 
the Harris government. It's a fight both sides claim they don't want.

Last summer Housing Minister Al Leach announced the government's cuts 
to Ontario's social housing programs, and more than 300 projects were 
terminated.

L'Arbre de Vie (the Tree of Life), a proposed 68-apartment co-op 
housing project, weathered eight years of planning. Louise Blais, 
president of the board, says the project was terminated just before 
the first sod was turned.

"There were people living in $600-a-month basement apartments waiting 
to move in. Me and my kids were living in a high crime neighborhood, a 
ghetto. The co-op was a way to make things better, then last summer 
the government cut the grass out from under our feet. We got a form 
letter telling us our funding was cancelled."

According to the Co-operative Housing Federation of Canada, the 
housing cuts affected 45,000 potential tenants and killed thousands of 
jobs. The boards of directors of more than 30 cancelled co-op housing 
projects decided to take action. In December, the boards, organized 
under the umbrella of the housing federation, served notice they were 
suing the Harris government for breaking its agreement to build their 
co-ops. The co-op directors asked for an arbitrator to decide on a 
fair settlement for the outstanding bills. Arbitration is binding and 
would negate costly, time-consuming appeals.

In January Attorney General Charles Harnick said he wanted to see more 
civil legal actions settled through arbitration rather than in court. 
Harnick reasoned his proposal would streamline the legal system and 
save taxpayers money.

Then, in late February, the housing federation was told that the 
government would go to court to stop the claims from being settled by 
arbitration.

Sally Sheppard, a spokesperson for Leach, says, "The ministry believes 
some of the housing federation's claims are unsupportable. We are 
dealing with large sums of taxpayers' money and we want to appear 
accountable to the public."

Three types of claims will be disputed, the most obvious one being 
payment to contractors who have worked on projects subsequently 
cancelled by Leach. John Bobaljik, an adviser with the Ontario 
Association of Architects, says, "A few of our members have received 
partial payments on debts going back over a year."

But others have not. "Some members are hanging on by their teeth and 
toenails," says Bobaljik.

Housing advocates such as Bill Morris from the Co-op Housing 
Federation expect the government will cough up the estimated $200 
million owed to contractors.

The second type of claim, for another $200 million, is based on the 
expectation of business. Those in the building trades who signed 
contracts with co-op boards purchased supplies and hired people. These 
builders had signed contracts -- they expected work and banked on 
payment. When funding for social housing was gutted and projects were 
cancelled, these tradespeople were left holding the bag. Materials 
couldn't be paid for and employees were laid off because the once-
valuable contracts became worthless.

The third and costliest claim is the one the Tories find most 
contentious. The  federation wants the government to provide the 
subsidies that would've become available if the projects had not been 
cancelled. According to the federation's calculations, Morris says, 
"They [the government: were going to provide assistance for 35 years -
- it quickly adds up to billions of dollars."

The government's position on this is clear. "We are prepared to reach 
a settlement for costs," says Sheppard, "but we are not prepared to 
continue delivering the programs."

When these claims first hit the table last fall the Tories said 
everyone was out of luck, but last December they indicated it would 
settle with the third parties -- the contractors, suppliers and others 
in the building trades. Sheppard says, "The government wants to arrive 
at a reasonable determination of closeout costs."

Bill Morris thinks the Tories have no case and must be held 
accountable. "This is a clear case of breach of contract on the part 
of the government," he says.

Each co-op had signed an operating agreement with previous provincial 
governments. The 16-page contract states the housing ministry shall 
pay geared-to-income subsidies to the co-ops for as long as the 
agreement is in effect. "The [Operating: Agreement shall be in full 
force and effect for the term."

"Term" is defined as lasting "up to a maximum of 35 years."

In June, if the court decides in favor of arbitration, the co-ops and 
the government will then face each other on a level playing field. If 
not, the co-ops will have to mobilize for a long fight.

The government knows that other community groups have been talking to 
lawyers about launching their own lawsuits, but Sheppard insists the 
Tories don't want an expensive court battle, saying, "We wish to set a 
precedent and seek a final resolution through the courts."

The Tories seem to be sending a message that they're prepared to fight 
a long, expensive war of attrition, arbitration be damned. Few 
community  groups can afford to compete.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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[email-masked]     "...Break the Gutenberg Lock..."     416-971-8421

From [email-masked] Sun Apr 21 12:54:05 1996
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From: [email-masked] (eye WEEKLY)
Newsgroups: eye.news,ont.general
Subject: NEWS: Tears of the Buddha
Followup-To: eye.general,ont.general
Date: 17 Apr 1996 19:58:50 -0400
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~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
eye WEEKLY                                              April 18, 1996
Toronto's arts newspaper                      .....free every Thursday
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
NEWS & VIEWS                                              NEWS & VIEWS

                         TEARS OF THE BUDDHA

                                  by
                         PETER KUITENBROUWER

The Fourteen Precepts of the Order of Interbeing, as put forward by 
Thich Nhat Hanh, Vietnamese Zen master, scholar, poet and peace 
activist, didn't go over very big in the imaging department at the 
Workers' Compensation Board.

Or at least, that's the story put forward by Karen Harrison, a devout 
Buddhist (and Christian) who left her job at the WCB last June when 
her doctor concluded that, given the conflicts between Harrison and 
her fellow workers, staying there any longer would be bad for her 
health.

"I was followed around the office. A few individuals indicated to me 
that they really hated me to the extent that they thought I should be 
dead," Harrison tells me, fingering a 108-bead, Korean-made rosary of 
pea-sized brown seeds in a Spadina Ave. coffee shop.

Now, after seven years in the records department of the WCB, Harrison 
is flat broke, near her wits' end. She gave up her $890-a-month 
apartment at Christmas after spending her RRSP savings and moved in 
with friends. But they can't afford to house her and she's now 
planning to move in with some Roman Catholic nuns.

Harrison is on unpaid leave from her job while waiting for a Human 
Rights Commission ruling on her case -- which could take years -- and, 
supreme irony, she does not qualify for Workers' Comp. That's what you 
get in this province when you struggle for religious freedom.

Harrison, a poet from Etobicoke, joined forces with Buddha on the 
advice of Allen Ginsberg, whom she met at a poetry conference at the 
Naropa Institute in Boulder, Colo., in 1982. Six years later, she 
started at the WCB microfilm office. She says things went well until 
May of 1993, when she hung a letter-sized flyer on the post near her 
cubicle inviting co-workers to Wesak, to celebrate the 2,537th 
birthday of Buddha.

Co-workers complained and her boss told her to take it down. She at 
first refused, then took down the leaflet. A few days later her boss, 
Marilyn Galbraith, wrote that the poster constituted harassment, 
adding: "Your conduct in refusing to remove the poster which has given 
offence to your co-workers is not acceptable."

Harrison disagreed, and fought a grievance on the poster. In November 
of 1993 Robert Cook, the senior vice-president for finance, told her 
that hanging the poster was harassment, to wit: "unwelcome and 
improper behavior that is offensive to another employee." Cook said 
the Buddhist poster contravened WCB policy, which "will not allow the 
displaying of posters of a religious, racial or sexual nature that 
could be offensive to others." He added, "I am satisfied that your 
actions were not intended to be disrespectful or insubordinate," and 
"I will instruct management to withdraw the written warning from your 
personnel file after one year."

But then Harrison got into other conflicts with co-workers.

"I'd use the microwave to warm up soup and was told no one would want 
to eat at the microwave station because I'd been there," she said.

Mike Campbell, spokesperson for the 4,300-employee WCB, says the board 
never comments on any human resources issues. But Lori-Ann Maistro, a 
co-worker of Harrison's, said the original problem was body odor.

"Religion was always her backout type thing, she was the one who 
brought religion up," Maistro tells me over the phone from her desk at 
the WCB. "She was the one who caused a lot of the problems. It all 
started when someone sitting next to her complained about her body 
odor -- the girl wore the same outfit for two years straight. She 
never brushed her teeth.

"Then she went on her crusade that everybody hated her. We're all 
sitting here going, 'Where did this come from?' "

John Madden, chief steward of local 1750 of the Canadian Union of 
Public Employees, Harrison's union, says she's caught in a Catch-22.

"In our contract, if you have any work-related problem you're not 
entitled to long-term disability payments. You have to apply for 
compensation. But compensation doesn't cover stress."

Harrison says her bosses have offered her $60,000 if she'll just be a 
Buddhist about it, drop all her grievances and quit her job at the 
WCB. But she says no way: "I'm looking for management to take a clear 
position that they will not tolerate religious discrimination in the 
workplace," she says.

Madden abhors discrimination. But, using some pretty potent logic from 
his hometown of Timmins, he says fighting this one to the end may be a 
no-winner: 

"This type of thing is like you and I getting into a shit-throwing 
contest. At the end there's shit dripping from my nose and shit 
dripping off your nose. Who won? I don't know. We both end up smelling 
pretty bad. If I were going to spend X number of dollars on it, at the 
end of it, everyone will be broke and the lawyers are going to be 
rich."

Maybe. And certainly, there are bound to be potholes on the road to 
Nirvana. But Metro's 90,000 Buddhists, meditating in 26 temples around 
town, would be forgiven for guessing that Harrison wouldn't be in this 
particular shit-throwing contest if her poster had advertised a 
gathering to celebrate another birthday: that of Jesus Christ.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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[email-masked]     "...Break the Gutenberg Lock..."     416-971-8421

From [email-masked] Fri Jun 28 20:06:16 1996
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From: [email-masked] (eye WEEKLY)
Newsgroups: eye.news,tor.general
Subject: NEWS: Smoking out the health Nazis
Followup-To: eye.general,tor.general
Date: 26 Jun 1996 23:18:39 -0400
Organization: eye -- Toronto's Arts Newspaper
Lines: 111
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~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
eye WEEKLY                                               June 27, 1996
Toronto's arts newspaper                      .....free every Thursday
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
NEWS & VIEWS                                              NEWS & VIEWS

                     SMOKING OUT THE HEALTH NAZIS

                                  by
                         PETER KUITENBROUWER

Thank the God of Debauchery for Jonathan Dixit, owner of the Duke of 
Gloucester pub on Yonge St., or I think I would have vomited right 
there in city council chamber. It was last Wednesday night at the 
Board of Health meeting, and my nausea was induced by all the 
sanctimonious health nuts fawning over the board and its draft bylaw 
to ban smoking in the bars and restaurants of Toronto.

At the door the anti-smokers are handing out pizza-sized green lapel 
buttons reading "SUPPORT SMOKE-FREE 100%" One by one, they troop up to 
the mike.

David Baxter of the Toronto Workers' Health And Safety Legal Clinic 
tells the 75 assembled citizens that "involuntary exposure to second-
hand smoke is the equivalent to violence against workers, violence 
against women and newcomers, and permitting it also amounts to 
condoning child abuse."

I mean, please.

Next up, voice teacher Honey Novick, who sings a paean for a smoke-
free town: "We'll schmooze and we'll dance and we'll breathe in clean 
air/ We'll eat out more often and bring lots of friends/ And no stinky 
clothes will we bring home."

Then Dixit, 29, steps up -- mop of hair, Moosehead jacket, black 
leather boots. "For me it's personal," he says. "I'm the owner of the 
Duke of Gloucester. I started drinking at the Duke. That's where I 
grew up. And I graduated from University of Toronto in psychology 
there. It's my home. There's over 200 people I consider regulars, who 
come to my pub five nights out of seven."

"Well maybe they have a problem then," says Councillor Michael Walker.

"Yeah, that's about the level I expected from you," shoots back Dixit. 
"I had to borrow a lot of money to buy that pub that I love so much. 
I'm doing OK, but if I have so much as a drop in sales of one or two 
per cent, it will bury me. And 70 per cent of my customers smoke.

"I run a very legal pub and it's hard to do that. But if you pass this 
I will find every loophole around it. I'll just privatize and charge a 
$2 a year membership."

City Council votes July 2 on a proposed bylaw "to prohibit smoking in 
restaurants and entertainment facilities effective Jan. 1, 1997, 
except that a proprietor may establish a designated smoking area which 
is fully enclosed, separately ventilated and does not exceed 25 per 
cent of the indoor seating area." If owners can prove they get three 
quarters or more of their revenue from booze, they can permit smoking 
in 50 per cent of their joint -- until Jan. 1, 1998.

                      SAINT PETER THE SMOKELESS

"You don't remember this, but people used to smoke in movie theatres 
all the time," says Ward 8 councillor Peter Tabuns, chair of the Board 
of Health. We're in a no-smoking City car en route to his ward; the 
chauffeur is listening to calypso on a CD player plugged into the 
cigarette lighter. "And in aircraft. Things evolve. Our real focus is 
on protecting non-smokers. I guess it's the same reason we tell 
restaurants they can't have rat droppings in soup, because it's bad 
for health."

Ever vigilant to get both sides, I swing uptown. Just three doors east 
of the Eglinton Theatre, Thomas Hinds is handing out stogies to all 
and sundry, plus Upper Canada Lager, Oban single malt scotch and 
cappuccino, to celebrate his newest temple of tobacco.

The place is wall-to-wall and you couldn't cut the air with a 
blowtorch. Hmm... no babies writhing on the floor in death throes from 
second-hand smoke. Why not? It's called Freedom of Choice. You wanna 
smoke, die, writhe, wheeze, stink, whatever? Here ya go, says Hinds.

It's a bit different from aircraft or offices. There, there's less 
choice, so I'm glad they're smoke free.

"There's been 1,000 people through here," says Hinds. "They're 
enjoying fine scotch, good beer and great food, and the key is you can 
smoke anywhere you wish."

(One speaker told the Board of Health there are now six smoke-free 
restaurants on Bloor St. W. That's cool. Let the consumer decide.)

Hinds says city, fire and police reps tell him the new bylaw won't 
touch him since his beer taps and cappuccino maker are just adjuncts 
to his main biz, which is selling pleasure (and death).

By the door to Hinds' place sits Orlando Ortega, 60, unilingual 
Spanish-speaker. He's visiting from Cuba, where he's rolled cigars for 
42 years, to give demonstrations. The proposed bylaw is bad news for 
him, he says.

"I'm like the guy who runs the funeral home," he says. You ask him, 
'How can you be happy that people are dying?' And he answers, 'Hey, if 
they don't die, my business doesn't grow.' "

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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From: [email-masked] (eye WEEKLY)
Newsgroups: eye.news,ont.general
Subject: THE PARK: High noon in Hamilton
Followup-To: eye.general,ont.general
Date: 26 Jun 1996 23:27:15 -0400
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~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
eye WEEKLY                                               June 27, 1996
Toronto's arts newspaper                      .....free every Thursday
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
THE PARK                                                      THE PARK

                         HIGH NOON IN HAMILTON

Two jocks from the north -- Howie the hockey player versus Mike the 
golf pro. That's the choice for the next election, at least until the 
Liberals choose a new leader next November.

Howard Hampton was the winner in a bitter battle to replace Bob Rae at 
last weekend's NDP convention. Hampton won out over Rae's heir 
apparent, Frances Lankin, on the third ballot. But Lankin had already 
been mortally wounded by the party's bad boy, Peter Kormos.

During the candidates' bear-pit session Friday night, Peter Kormos 
launched a vicious, relentless personal attack on Lankin. According to 
Kormos, the social contract was Lankin's fault, as was everything else 
he didn't like about the Rae government, including the government's 
flip-flop on public auto insurance. Kormos wasn't alone -- many union 
delegates were still upset with Bob Rae over the hated social 
contract, which overrode the "sacred trust" of collective agreements.

Every time she tried to speak, Lankin was roundly booed by Kormos 
supporters. By the end of the night, she couldn't even be heard on the 
convention floor. It was like a feeding frenzy.

"Kormos killed Lankin by drawing votes from her and then sending them 
to Hampton on the final ballot," says political consultant and long-
time NDPer Graham Murray.

And although Bob Rae wasn't on the ballot, Lankin's closeness to the 
former premier cost her dearly at a gathering that came to bury Rae, 
not to praise him.

Says Murray: "In his farewell speech, Rae said 'blame me if you like,' 
and that's exactly what delegates did by voting against Lankin."

The Kormos attack on Lankin was based as much on a personal vendetta 
as his angst over party policy.

Lankin was the one who led the charge in the Rae cabinet to have 
Kormos tossed after he posed fully clothed as a Sunshine Boy in The 
Toronto Sun. At the time, many ministers, including Hampton, said 
"what's the big deal," and argued to keep Kormos in cabinet. But Rae 
gave in to the pressure of the politically correct forces in his 
cabinet and fired Kormos.

This was payback time.

Hampton and the other leadership contender, Tony Silipo, stood by 
passively while Kormos inflicted a thousand wounds on Lankin's 
leadership ambitions. Although they were both part of the cabinet that 
brought in the social contract, they somehow convinced the delegates 
that they weren't really responsible because they weren't part of 
Rae's inner circle.

In other words, they were in cabinet, but they were irrelevant, 
because the premier didn't listen to them. And that's why delegates 
should vote for them. Weird -- but it worked.

The sad truth is that they were irrelevant to Rae. The NDP government 
was run by four people: Rae, Treasurer Floyd Laughren, Education 
Minister Dave Cooke and Minister for Economic Development Lankin.

And Laughren and Cooke were openly supporting Lankin, as was Arlene 
Perly Rae, the former premier's wife. Although Rae insisted he wasn't 
taking sides, many delegates figured he was backing Lankin.

Rae, the cerebral silver-spoon socialist and Rhodes scholar, has now 
been replaced as leader by a millworker's son who went to university 
on a hockey scholarship and who has promised to distance the party 
from the past.

The Rae legacy that was so much under attack was his vision that the 
NDP must become a more centrist party to have a chance of winning 
again. Lankin supported this vision. Kormos argued strenuously to move 
the party back to the left, supporting nationalization of the means of 
production.

The party chose instead the middle ground offered by Hampton.

                           REVENGE IS SWEET

Hamilton was payback time for Howie as well.

His wife, Shelley Martel, had been publicly humiliated by Rae after 
she got into a shouting match with a Tory councillor in Thunder Bay 
over a Sudbury doctor's billing practices.

Martel said she "just lost it" when she blurted out that the doctor in 
question was about to face criminal charges. She later said she didn't 
mean what she said. Rae refused to let her resign, effectively killing 
her political career.

Revenge -- how sweet it is.

The Park is written by eye's Queen's Park insider.

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From: [email-masked] (eye WEEKLY)
Newsgroups: eye.news,tor.general
Subject: NEWS: Great Expectations
Followup-To: eye.general,tor.general
Date: 11 Jul 1996 23:13:50 -0400
Organization: eye -- Toronto's Arts Newspaper
Lines: 118
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~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
eye WEEKLY                                               July 11, 1996
Toronto's arts newspaper                      .....free every Thursday
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
NEWS & VIEWS                                              NEWS & VIEWS

                          GREAT EXPECTATIONS

                                  by
                         PETER KUITENBROUWER

Our governments say they're broke, which is why they're shutting 
hospitals. I also hear that our leaders expect the private sector to 
fuel the economy. Yet it's Stalingrad circa 1962 in Toronto this 
summer with the happy proletariat busy at work on two megaprojects, 
each one entirely state-financed.

Just west of the Prince's Gate at Exhibition Place the roof is up on 
the $180 million National Trade Centre (NTC), funded with $60 million 
each from the feds, the province and Metro. And down at the foot of 
the CN Tower, worker bees are filling in the World's Deepest 
Freestanding Hole with an underground addition to the Metro Convention 
Centre, financed with $180 million in provincial cash.

By this time next year our town will boast a yawning 3 million square 
feet of trade and convention space. Already the two government-owned 
facilities are squabbling over customers. Whether Toronto can attract 
enough boats, cars, psychiatrists, cattle, computers, ovens, Rotarians 
or other stuff to fill the equivalent of three Eaton Centres remains, 
dare I say it, an open question.

"Scary, isn't it?" David Garrick, CEO of the Royal Agricultural Winter 
Fair, says of the new Trade Centre. "If they have a rainout of the Air 
Show next year, that's where they'll hold it." His Sheep & Swine 
building got knocked down to clear the space, but thankfully much of 
the NTC floor is treated to resist urine, so next year the fair can 
fete its 75th in the new digs. The CNE lost space too, but will get it 
back next year when Exhibition Stadium is knocked down.

My tour starts at the office of NTC Transition Manager Don Odbert, 
which is all in a tizzy as staff pull first names from a barrel of 
5,000 ballots. "We just picked yours, Don!" a staffer calls. Nine 
hundred huge names, lasercut in steel, will hang from the ceiling of a 
glass concourse in the building. It's called "Public Art."

Odbert leads me on a tour. It's a big tour. We climb over scaffolding 
for the Molson Indy and go through the 30-foot high door. "When they 
see that they go nuts," says Odbert, who's been flogging Exhibition 
Place to trade shows for 15 years. "They love it. They always have to 
tear the big high deck off the boats." We pick our way among 
escalators wrapped in plastic, piles of 2-metre-diameter air ducts, 
bobbins of wire. "All the shows will expand because now the exhibitor 
will be able to bring what he wants to bring."

What about the hike to downtown? No problem, says Odbert. He says 
organizers prefer a bit of distance from town. "Once you've got 'em 
down here you've got a captive audience." One show might leave the 
Metro Convention Centre and move here to be further from downtown, he 
boasts.

Still, in a business where deals are made years ahead, no new firm has 
booked the NTC. Hey, that's not Don's problem -- he won't be selling 
it. Last week Metro voted to bring in a consortium called SMG Canada. 
Former PM Joe Clark heads the team, made up of equal parts Olympia & 
York and a U.S. group that includes Hyatt Hotels, the $5 billion 
(U.S.) megacorp Aramark (caterers of the Olympics) and Spectacor of 
Philadelphia, which owns the Flyers.

"The connections are in place," says Ron Taylor, a vice-president at 
O&Y.

                         BIG WITH A CAPITAL B

The future looks more secure downtown at the mushrooming Convention 
Centre, which will go up against the NTC with two new 200,000 square-
foot trade show spaces. Pre-bookings include 12,000 microbiologists in 
1997 and 20,000 teachers in '98. In the summer of 2000, get ready for 
60,000 Seventh Day Adventists.

"It's a big, big building," says Convention Centre spokeswoman Michele 
Carroll, as we stand on the skywalk that links Union Station to the 
SkyDome, looking down at 110,000 cubic yards of fresh-poured cement 
where trains once chugged. "Big with a Capital B."

"Although we cater to trade shows, we do more than that," says 
Carroll. "Because our location is right downtown, meeting planners 
love to come here. You don't just buy a convention centre, you buy a 
destination package."

Plus, when it's all done Toronto gets Roundhouse Park -- 15 acres of 
greenery atop the Convention Centre that will beckon you to frolic to 
the soothing roar of traffic going by on the Gardiner.

"Now, if we could only blow up the Gardiner," says Carroll.

And maybe someone will put back together the CP Roundhouse, partially 
dismantled for the construction job. That reassembly job isn't yet 
slated.

Put together, these gargantuan projects represent a puzzling trend. 
Toronto has plenty of empty real estate, and plenty of vacant land 
(been west of Strachan on King lately? With Inglis and Massey Ferguson 
demolished, it looks like Saskatchewan). But apparently it's not the 
Right Kind of real estate.

Rather than creating permanent jobs in the empty buildings, it looks 
like we'll be depending on Americans, Europeans and Asians to use the 
new facilities, and give us lots of new seasonal jobs as cooks, 
bellhops, registration desk clerks and vacuum cleaner operators.

Long Live the Proletariat! Up With the Glorious Worker's State!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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From: [email-masked] (eye WEEKLY)
Newsgroups: eye.news,ont.general
Subject: NEWS: Top 10 ways to fool OHIP
Followup-To: eye.general,ont.general
Date: 24 Jul 1996 21:04:48 -0400
Organization: eye -- Toronto's Arts Newspaper
Lines: 55
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~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
eye WEEKLY                                               July 25, 1996
Toronto's arts newspaper                      .....free every Thursday
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
NEWS & VIEWS                                              NEWS & VIEWS

                       TOP 10 WAYS TO FOOL OHIP

                                  by
                             SALLY COOPER

I'm tired of hearing about all the different ways people are abusing 
OHIP, so I've come up with some scams of my own: 

* My PMS is activated by the lack of sunlight in the winter months, so 
OHIP should pay to send me to Cuba.

* I have motion sickness that is made worse by riding on the TTC. 
Since I have to take the TTC to get to work, OHIP should buy me a car.

* Since I have tinnitus from playing drums in a band, OHIP should pay 
for a soundproof condominium.

* I have carpal tunnel syndrome and can't scratch the Scratch-N-Win 
portion of my lottery tickets. Thus OHIP should give me the $250,000 I 
might win.

* My neck, wrists and fingers are swollen from arthritis, so OHIP 
should pay to replace my gold jewelry.

* My sagging breasts are affecting my self-esteem, so OHIP should buy 
me a full set of corsetry.

* Since my TV only has a 12-inch screen, I'm experiencing eye strain. 
Therefore, OHIP should buy me a giant 4-foot projector screen.

*  Childbirth has left me with a large and floppy vagina and my 
husband's small penis no longer satisfies me. Thus, OHIP should pay 
for a well-endowed gigolo.

* My toes have been permanently pinched to a point by high-heeled 
shoes, so I'm no longer able to push the clutch pedal on my car. OHIP 
should pay for a driver, or, at the very least, an automatic 
transmission.

* My obesity has prevented me from enjoying a regular warm bath, which 
has left my nerves frayed. OHIP should buy me a double-occupancy hot 
tub so I can relieve my stress.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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From: [email-masked] (eye WEEKLY)
Newsgroups: eye.news,ont.general
Subject: THE PARK: Give us now our Daily Bread
Followup-To: eye.general,ont.general
Date: 24 Jul 1996 21:05:14 -0400
Organization: eye -- Toronto's Arts Newspaper
Lines: 117
Approved: [email-masked]
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~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
eye WEEKLY                                               July 25, 1996
Toronto's arts newspaper                      .....free every Thursday
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
THE PARK                                                      THE PARK

                      GIVE US NOW OUR DAILY BREAD

When Gerard Kennedy, the 35-year-old former director of Toronto's 
Daily Bread Food Bank, officially launched his campaign to become 
leader of the Ontario Liberals last week, he described the move as 
"audacious."

He's right. There aren't many more daring (or reckless) moves than 
running for leader of your party just two months after winning your 
first election.

But Kennedy's by-election victory last May in Bob Rae's old riding was 
like a shot of adrenaline for provincial Liberals, who have spent most 
of the past 50 years in the political wilderness.

While their federal cousins have governed in Ottawa for almost half a 
century, only once in that time have Ontario Grits held office. That 
was from 1985 to 1990 under David Peterson. Since then, the party has 
suffered two humiliating defeats and seems to be headed back to the 
political obscurity that it knows so well.

That's why Liberals are starting to think that if Kennedy can win in 
an NDP fiefdom like York South, maybe he can beat Mike Harris.

Kennedy isn't the first Liberal to run for leader so soon after coming 
to Queen's Park. Twenty years ago, Stuart Smith became leader just a 
few months after getting elected. Seven years later, Smith's former 
constituency assistant, the audacious Sheila Copps, ran, 
unsuccessfully, for leader within months of becoming an MPP. It seems 
Liberals have this habit of turning to the new kid on the block to 
lead them out of their natural habitat -- the political wilderness.

Or maybe more experienced politicians just know better --like former 
cabinet ministers Murray Elston and Sean Conway, who have decided not 
to take on the task. KENNEDY MANIA?

Last week in the Army-Navy Hall on Jane St. Kennedy told 200 cheering 
supporters from across the province that his campaign for leader is 
about "a new generation of ideas and new generation of leadership" for 
the party and for Ontario.

Another Kennedy, John Fitzgerald, said in his Presidential inaugural 
address in January, 1961, that "the torch has been passed to a new 
generation." Although Gerard Kennedy's words echo those of his famous 
namesake, he is unfamiliar with one of the most quoted lines in recent 
political history. He is, after all, new to politics.

Born in The Pas, Man., the same year John Kennedy beat Richard Nixon, 
Gerard left home at 14 and went to Winnipeg where he was: "taught by 
some Basilians to be very, very focused."

And Kennedy is an intensely focused person. At 17 he moved to 
Peterborough where he studied liberal arts at Trent. But the first 
thing he mentions about his days at Trent is that he "played a lot of 
hockey. I'm a pretty aggressive defenceman. When you're playing hockey 
you're focused and that's good."

He played well enough to be offered a hockey scholarship by Dartmouth 
College, which he turned down. This is the same school NDP leader 
Howie Hampton attended on a hockey scholarship.

He doesn't like being called a left-winger, but Kennedy's vision would 
see the Liberal Party lurch sharply to the left. He uses words like 
"co-operation and partnership... helping both communities and 
individuals achieve their potential" and "a positive and inclusive 
alternative to the Harris agenda."

David Peterson never used words like this. Kennedy's words would seem 
more at home in a race for the leadership of the NDP than for the 
Liberals. Still, he says, "This is not the Food Bank taking over the 
Liberal Party."

That's why several NDP delegates at the recent NDP convention said 
they were afraid of Kennedy. They were worried left-wing Liberals who 
supported Bob Rae would vote for Kennedy and kill their chances of 
forming the government again.

And they are right.

But can Kennedy beat Harris if he and Hampton are splitting the left 
wing vote? Kennedy says Harris is vulnerable because he won't create 
the jobs he has promised and people will be angry enough to toss him 
out in four years.

"I don't think there is a jobs plan there and they have already 
crushed consumer confidence by taking so much money out of the 
economy."

He also thinks his message will win votes outside of Metro. "I'm from 
a small town. I understand the small-town approach. If you look at 
what a food bank is -- it's a small-town thing in the big city. When I 
first came to Toronto, people said you can't get people to donate 
food. They don't feel connected."

The Army-Navy Hall was filled with the creme de la creme of the 
Liberal Party's left wing on the night of Kennedy's declaration. In 
1992, Lyn McLeod used the same left-wing base to steal the leadership 
from Elston by nine votes. This time there's no political heavyweight 
like Elston to beat, just another first term MPP from Windsor, Dwight 
Duncan, and backbenchers Joe Cordiano, Annamarie Castrilli, John 
Gerretsen and Dalton McGuinty.

The new kid on the block is already the frontrunner to win big at the 
Gardens in November.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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From: [email-masked] (eye WEEKLY)
Newsgroups: eye.news,ont.general
Subject: THE PARK: The real dog days
Followup-To: eye.general,ont.general
Date: 14 Aug 1996 19:43:37 -0400
Organization: eye -- Toronto's Arts Newspaper
Lines: 58
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~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
eye WEEKLY                                             August 15, 1996
Toronto's arts newspaper                      .....free every Thursday
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
THE PARK                                                      THE PARK

                           THE REAL DOG DAYS

While MPPs debate bills that will gut Ontario's environmental laws and 
decide whether to legalize video lottery terminals, the No. 1 issue 
with the public is what to do about Holly the dog.

Holly, of course, is the Irish setter who was dragged behind a car 
last month in the town of Alliston, north of Metro. Holly survived her 
ordeal and is recovering, but Queen's Park is getting hundreds of 
calls from people saying: "We've got to save this dog."

The targets of this telephone spamming effort are Premier Mike Harris 
and the province's top cop and dogcatcher, Solicitor General Bob 
Runciman.

A government spokesman confirmed that the Premier's office is getting 
more calls about Holly than any other issue.

Another government official told eye that more people have called 
about Holly's plight in the last two weeks than called over the last 
two years about the infamous Paul Bernardo case. Meanwhile, the same 
public doesn't seem to care much what happens to environmental 
protection or the spread of gambling machines.

During the first day of public hearings on VLTs the only person who 
opposed them, Reinder Klein of the Council of Christian Reformed 
Churches in Canada, warned MPPs that another legislator, Pontius 
Pilate, had another important decision to make 2,000 years ago, and he 
hoped that the MPPs would make the right decision.

In these dog days of summer, Harris has been spending most of his time 
away from Queen's Park in a deliberate attempt to lower the 
temperature, which heated up last year during violent confrontations 
between protesters and the police.

When reporters call to ask what's up, they are told: "Nothing -- and 
that's just the way we want it."

Obviously, Harris has learned that over-exposing the Premier to the 
point where he becomes the government's front-man on every issue can 
backfire when some of those issues turn sour. As a result, we can 
expect Runciman and others to field all the tough questions on Holly 
when he returns to Queen's Park.

The Park is eye's Queen's Park insider.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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From: [email-masked] (eye WEEKLY)
Newsgroups: eye.news,ont.general
Subject: THE PARK: Health Tory style
Followup-To: eye.general,ont.general
Date: 18 Sep 1996 19:47:49 -0400
Organization: eye -- Toronto's Arts Newspaper
Lines: 74
Approved: [email-masked]
Message-ID: <[email-masked]>
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NNTP-Posting-Host: gold.interlog.com

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
eye WEEKLY                                          September 19, 1996
Toronto's arts newspaper                      .....free every Thursday
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
THE PARK                                                      THE PARK

                           HEALTH TORY STYLE

Former Progressive Conservative leader Larry Grossman recently had an 
operation to remove a cancerous tumor from his brain, eye has learned.

The surgery was performed in New York at the Sloan Kettering 
Institute, according to informed sources, and Grossman is now headed 
for California to undergo chemotherapy.

Although Grossman is a well known moderate or red Tory, publicly, he 
has been a big supporter of the right-wing policies of Mike Harris. 
Recently, Grossman appeared as a political panelist on TVO defending 
cuts by Harris to the very programs he helped put in place as a member 
of the former PC government of Bill Davis.

Grossman, a former minister of health, was hired by the Ontario 
Medical Association to "get negotiations started" between the 
province's doctors and the Harris government, according to a 
spokesperson for the OMA.

Although surgery for brain cancer is considered to be quite serious, 
Grossman's law partner Mark Geiger of Blaney McMurtry told eye he 
expects Grossman to be back on the job soon.

                            LIBERAL GAFFE

Ontario Liberals in the Hamilton area recently held a $125-a-head 
fundraiser at the home of a prominent Burlington developer, Rudy 
Reimer, who has faced several accusations of sexual assault and 
harassment.

Diane McDade worked for Reimer Construction Ltd. for two years and 
says she quit because of sexual and emotional harassment. When she 
filed an unemployment insurance claim stating her reasons for 
quitting, Reimer appealed the decision to give her benefits on two 
separate occasions, but the U.I. Commission upheld McDade's claim both 
times.

Late last year Reimer appeared in a Hamilton courtroom on charges of 
sexual and indecent assault against a number of former employees.

When asked whether Reimer's home was an appropriate place to hold a 
party event -- considering Liberal statements about Speaker Al McLean 
Liberal Leader Lyn McLeod's office issued this response: "We believe 
that Mr. Reimer should be accorded the same rights as all private 
citizens, that is, to be considered innocent until proven guilty. This 
was factored into our deision to go ahead with the fundraiser.".

                            NDP DEPARTURES

Two veteran NDP MPPs are unhappy with new leader Howard Hampton and 
may not remain at Queen's Park for much longer.

Frances Lankin, who came second to Hampton in the recent NDP 
leadership contest, is angry about being dumped as Finance Critic and 
party insiders expect her to take a job outside of politics by the end 
of the year.

Similarly, Lankin supporter and Rae loyalist Dave Cooke is said to be 
very unhappy and has spent most of his time in his Windsor riding 
since the leadership contest.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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From: [email-masked] (Iain Grant)
Newsgroups: ont.general,can.general,ont.general
Subject: COREN: Children's author discriminated against because of her color
Date: Thu, 19 Sep 1996 20:31:10 GMT
Organization: Or Complete Lack Thereof
Lines: 94
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Reply-To: [email-masked]
NNTP-Posting-Host: dyna-108.net7b.io.org
X-Newsreader: Forte Agent .99e/32.227

By MICHAEL COREN 
The Financial Post 

             Canada is a country that places great value on fairness,
justice and equality, and on the importance of the elimination of
discrimination and prejudice. This is one of the reasons that it is
highly regarded in the rest of the world, and the main reason I have
written this column. 

 Virginia Kelley is a mother and author who lives in Hamilton, Ont.
She spent many years in Jamaica and the Bahamas, where she won the
Longman Caribbean's Publishing Award of 1979 and was awarded a
distinction in the Bahamas National Arts Festival of 1980. This really
should not matter, but Virginia Kelley is a white woman married to a
black man. They have five sons and one daughter. One could say, then,
that Kelley knows a thing or two about literature, about race and
about children. 

 Back in 1991, Kelley submitted a manuscript of a children's story to
a small publishing house in Toronto called Sister Vision. They were
impressed, and wrote back, "We are in receipt of your manuscript, the
contents seem quite interesting. Nowhere in your short bio is it clear
whether you are a woman of color. Because we are a woman of color
publishing house and our mandate is to publish works by women of color
we need to know. We hope to hear from you soon, in the meantime we'll
continue to read these most refreshing and enjoyable stories." 

 Evidently the stories became less refreshing and enjoyable when the
women at Sister Vision discovered Virginia Kelley was white. They
proceeded to send another letter to her, stating they were "not able
to consider your manuscript for publication at this time." It is worth
noting that Sister Vision has for some years been partly funded by the
Ontario Arts Council, which means by taxdollars. 

 This story was brought to my attention only recently and I duly spoke
to Sister Vision's Nadia Halim. She said Sister Vision had slightly
altered its policy recently and had published some work by men and
white women. But, she admitted, "this means that they would have to
understand the experience of women of color and to be honest I will
believe that this is possible when I see it."   At hearing this I
asked if Kelley could re-submit her work. "Well, not really," said a
hesitant Halim. "Our grant has been cut this year and we're really
blocked with material, right up until 1998. So there wouldn't be any
point." I do not believe Sister Vision's policy has changed; at the
end of the day a de facto color bar still exists. 

 The plot then thickened. Halim suddenly told me she had been
contacted by someone from the Ontario Arts Council who told her that
"Michael Coren had received grants in the past and has also been
published by people who receive grants." I replied that this was true
but irrelevant. I am not an opponent of government funding of the
arts, only of government funding of unrepresentative fringe groups,
and of artists who could not and would not ever pay the country back
through income tax.   At this point I asked why the Ontario Arts
Council contacted Halim and volunteered such information. "They knew
you were researching the subject of Sister Vision," was Halim's reply.
So they wanted to arm you, I suggested. "Well, not so much that, but
they were networking." When I pushed this employee of Sister Vision to
tell me who she had spoken to at the Ontario Arts Council she first
said that she did not know her name, then that she had forgotten it.
It was in fact the person who oversees the entire literature branch of
the council, Lorraine Filyer.   

Kelley has discussed this issue with her friends in the West Indies,
black writers and teachers, and they are amazed that such attitudes,
and publicly funded attitudes at that, can exist in such a country as
Canada. As for Kelley herself, she only wants to write good stories
and try to bring the races together. She has bravely said she will try
her luck with Sister Vision again, in two years. I think I know what
the publisher's answer will be. But with any luck the taxpayer will
not be funding such lunacy by that time, unless of course the
"network" is more ensconced than we think. 

 
Michael Coren is an author and broadcaster. 
Visit the Michael Coren Web Site at:
http://www.io.org/~iain/coren/index.html

Michael Coren can be heard each weeknight from 7pm to 10pm on CFRB
1010 AM in Toronto.

                             \\|//
                             (o o)
-------------------------oOO--(_)--OOo---------------------------
The Toronto Radio Web Pages
http://www.io.org/~iain/
Canadian Broadcasting on the NET.
-------------------------------------------
A great many people think they are thinking when 
they are merely rearranging their prejudices.  

-- William James

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From: [email-masked] (eye WEEKLY)
Newsgroups: eye.news,ont.general
Subject: THE PARK: Liberal love-in
Followup-To: eye.general,ont.general
Date: 25 Sep 1996 19:55:37 -0400
Organization: eye -- Toronto's Arts Newspaper
Lines: 76
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~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
eye WEEKLY                                          September 26, 1996
Toronto's arts newspaper                      .....free every Thursday
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
THE PARK                                                      THE PARK

                            LIBERAL LOVE-IN

After last week's boring three-hour debate in Metro among the seven 
hopefuls who want to replace Liberal leader Lyn McLeod, the first 
choice is still none of the above. The Liberals elect a new boss Nov. 
30 at a convention at Maple Leaf Gardens.

When former prime minister Pierre Trudeau retired from politics, 
former finance minister Don Macdonald quit the race to replace his 
boss, saying he didn't have the necessary "royal jelly" for the job. 
This group of provincial Grits, who have been dubbed the "seven 
dwarfs" by political analyst Graham Murray, don't even seem to know 
where to find the bees.

Compared to the lively debates of previous Liberal leadership 
contests, such as the heated sparring matches between Sheila Copps and 
Dave Peterson in 1982, this was more like a political science lecture.

Windsor-Walkerville MPP Dwight Duncan, who was clearly courting second 
and third ballot support, set the tone when he said they were all fine 
candidates and he would be honored to serve under any of them. Ottawa 
businessman Greg Kells added his voice to the love-in by saying, "You 
have a wonderful team of candidates. This is a winning team."

Some debate.

Only Ottawa South MPP Dalton McGuinty spoke from the heart when he 
revealed that unemployment has hit his own family, with his sister 
unable to find a job in her home town of Ottawa. He also talked about 
his experience as a criminal lawyer dealing with young offenders and 
said the underlying cause of crime was social and family problems. 
McGuinty was the only one who, at times, looked and sounded like a 
premier-in-waiting. But his family-values, right-wing agenda may not 
get him enough votes.

The big loser so far seems to be York South MPP Saint Gerard Kennedy, 
the darling of the Toronto media, who is not picking up as much 
grassroots support as he expected. The rest of the pack -- Duncan, 
McGuinty and Lawrence MPP Joe Cordiano  -- have caught up with Kennedy 
and put him on the defensive.

Cordiano, who has more support in Metro than any of the others, was 
quite comfortable on his home turf and kept returning to his key 
message about doing more to help small business create jobs.

Annamarie Castrilli, the only woman in the race, said that, unlike the 
others, she would listen to the grassroots if she were elected leader. 
She then proceeded to interrupt the other candidates throughout the 
evening.

Dwight Duncan startled several Liberals by saying he would launch a 
"war on teenage pregnancy." What would he do -- lock up teenage girls?

Former Kingston mayor John Gerretsen tried to rouse the sleepy Grits 
by saying, "Liberalism is alive and well in Ontario and we are going 
to win." But he got only scattered applause.

There's no doubt that this group of post baby-boom generation Grit 
contenders is much more conservative than past contenders. But Mike 
Harris is a lot more conservative than previous Tory leaders --and he 
got elected.

The Park is eye's Queen's Park insider.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Retransmit freely in cyberspace        Author holds standard copyright
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The Park archive -----------------------> http://www.eye.net/News/Park
[email-masked]          "...Break the Gutenberg Lock..."     416-971-8421