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Two heads are better than one when it comes to municipal government ith two Waterloo Wci(y council meetings under my belt in the new term, all 1 can say is, can we please turn back the clock? I‘m not saying to necâ€" essarily return to the preâ€" vious council per say, and I‘m definitely not saying the _ current _ council isn‘t doing a bangâ€"up job so far. All I‘m saying is that I‘ve always been a believer that two heads are better than one, and in this case a council size of nine proâ€" vided more ideas and liveâ€" lier debate than the curâ€" rent six members which no longer even fill out the horseshoe. Make no mistake, howâ€" ever, this is not the fault of the current council. I strongly believe the provincial _ government shot itself in the foot by reducing council sizes, and creating separated councils throughout the Region of Waterloo. here has been a lot I of criticism in the press over the instalâ€" lation of cameras at interâ€" sections to catch drivers going through red lights On Dec. 28 while driving my son to his hockey game, a CAA tow truck going through a red light hit my vehicle While 1 understand that accidents happen, the carelessness of the CAA tow truck driver is of CAA should set a better example You said it LUCIEN BOUCHARD‘S RESIGNATION MEAN TO THE REST OF CANADA? QUESTION WHAT WILL In _ doing _ so, _ in Waterloo specifically, we were forced to lose some of the key players who help make this city run efficiently and effectively. Though our . ward count has remained the same, which is a blessing, we no longer have four regional councillors putting their two cents into the local meetings each week. much _ concern. To explain, my car was not the first, rather was the second â€" vehicle going through a green light. In addition, the CAA tow truck was also exceeding the speed limit and made no attempt to brake or turn to avoid hitting my car. Upon realizing that the CAA tow truck was going to hit my vehicle, I had pressed on the accel erator to avoid impact on Granted, Mayor Lynne "We think it‘s great. He didn‘t really do much for the sepaâ€" ratists, and we don‘t think anybody else will do better." "I think it‘s going to be difficult over the next while for the nationalists. | think it will take a few years to get separation to the level Bouchard brought it." Maryanne and 6 Rosemary Bierhals Tyler Hankinson COMMENT Woolstencroft brings reports â€" from _ regional council on a regular basis, but it still feels like someâ€" thing‘s missing. When these reports are given, everyone else who was not in attendance at the regional meeting can only sit and nod their heads in acceptance. Before, if a regional councillor brought back a report, there were three others who could add their perspectives and opinions to the issue, and, to be honest, fill in more of the blanks. Not to take anything away from Woolstencroft, or the city‘s two other regional representatives Sean Strickland and Jane Mitchell, but when is the government going to realâ€" ize that reducing table setâ€" tings will do nothing but And to take it a step further, it‘s even more of a shame that Waterloo‘s number of regional counâ€" cillors was reduced by one whole body. Thankfully neither my son nor I were, injured. I thought after that was also most fortunate that my car was hit, rather the older gentleman who was walking across the street at the very same intersecâ€" tion moments later. the side doors. As a result, the CAA tow truck hit the rear corner of my car causing it to spin around. Had he been crossing at the time the CAA tow reduce innovation and creativity on the part of the city, as well as the region? It‘s too bad there wasn‘t room for someone of Mike Connolly or Joan McKinnon‘s calibre, two former regional councilâ€" lors who accomplished a lot at both the city and regional levels. On a selfish note, Chronicle readers may appreciate knowing we‘ve received some of our best story ideas from past regional councillors. Now, since we no longer have regular conâ€" tact, it‘s more difficult to get tips from these politiâ€" cal experts. Once again, I would like to reiterate that nothâ€" ing should be taken away from existing city council. The long hours and hard work they put into their jobs is commendâ€" able. But in my opinion, fewer bodies mean fewer benefits. truck went through the red light, the gentleman would likely have been seriously injured or possiâ€" bly worse. The CAA has a reputation for assisting individuals in an accident, and not being the cause of one. They should set a betâ€" ter example for the public in future, stop at red lights and slow down. "It‘s a pretry signifiâ€" cant change. l think the rest of Canada will just have to wait to see who we‘ll deal with in the future." "I think that separaâ€" tion is dead right now. It might come back in a few years, but in the short term I think it‘s dead." Erika Romanouski Mark Courtepatte, Waterloo Tyler Kielbowich en Industry Minister Brian Tobin announced last Wummer that he was returning to federal politics, the fawning media reports were full of glowing accounts of his feisty past as "Captain Canada" (or, alternatively, "The Tobinator"}. Tobin‘s ridiculous nicknames grew out of his role in seizing Spanish fishing trawlers that were allegedly overfishing just outâ€" side Canadian waters. As the temporary Premier of Newfoundland and Labrador, Tobin enhanced his reputation as a tough negotiator in his disputes with Inco over the details of the Voisey‘s Bay nickel development and with the government of Quebec over the Churchill Falls power agreement. Many Canadians might have expected that Tobin would live up to his reputation in his new role as industry minister and Jean Chretien‘s apparent choice to stop Paul Martin. Those who did must be sadly disappointed in his actions to date. A week after he announced that he would counter illegal Brazilian aerospace subsidies with matching Canadian subsidies to Bombardier, Tobin admitted that he has no intention of taking on an American law that artificially keeps Canadian shipâ€" builders out of American markets. The Free Trade negotiations of the midâ€" to lateâ€"‘80s led to the destruction of most American and Canadian direct subsidies to the shipbuilding industry. â€" As of 1998, tariffs for this industry have been completely eliminated. In a classic illustration of the Mulroney government‘s lack of negotiating skill, however, both the Canadaâ€"US Free Trade Agreement and NAFTA exemptâ€" ed the biggest barrier of all â€" the 1920 Merchant Marine Act, commonly known as the Jones Act. This law requires that cargo carried between the US ports must be carried aboard US ships that are US built, US registered, US owned, US crewed, and repaired and serviced exclusively by US companies. At the same time as this law prevents Canadian shipbuilders from building a ship that could be used in the United States domestic shipping market, it allows American shipyards the right to sell to the Canadian market new or used ships and barges, duty free. According to the Canadian Shipbuilding Association, while Canada‘s Coastal Trade Act also attempts to teserve our own market to Canadian registered ships, it lets shippers use an international fleet when suitabfe Canadian ships are "not available". Owners of foreign ships (primarily American} can register them for a minimal fee and then operâ€" ate in Canada. Without such legislation, Canadian shipbuilders would be able to exploit the competitive advantage of the weak Canadian dollar. Proponents of Free Trade are prone to arguing that Canada has to play by the rules of globalization if we want to be players in the global economy. We can‘t protect Canadian magazines or other cultural industries because the World Trade Organization says that doing so breaks their rules. Here is a clear cut case of a Canadian industry being victimized by another country‘s violaâ€" tion of international trade agreements. Even if, like me, one has doubts about the wisdom of subverting the demacratic rights of Canadians to global trade bodies, one has to be in favour of Canada demanding that the Americans play by the same rules as everyone else. Who better for such a challenge than the Tobinator? He is awaiting a report commissioned by his predecessor as industry minister into ways to shore up Canada‘s struggling shipbuildâ€" ing industry. Last Friday, Tobin met with shipyard workers and managers in Halifax and was asked what he would do about the obviously unfair Jones Act. His answer: nothing. "We‘re not even reflecting or contemplating that. No, I don‘t think it‘s on the agenda. I have to be realistic with you," Tobin told reporters. The truth about Free Trade is now apparent. The rules apply to everyone but the Americans (who wrote most of them}. The truth about Brian Tobin is also out He‘s no more capable of waging a battle on behalf of a beleaâ€" guered Canadian industry than he is capable of affecting the weather "I oppose snow in November, but it still comes down too often, too many years." Captain Canada meets his nemesis So much for Captain Canada