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City dodges some flak from lawsuit ( lull/rm numrd uhmn all [hr Lluulllx \unlmg .irouittt Wartsrloo LII} hull got sump good nun lieu “U14. “In-n lhc t ll) 's tutu!” ( Ath Huh Hulwrlsun. dropped lhr tur moon dk-meuun murmur m hm Lnuun He Is. 111mm m umunumg “uh his wrunglul lennsnl \llll alter hung dumped trom tlw 10h hclnrv l'Vt‘ll n-purling tor duly LN \lllllr met. “hm! rrvelatioiv, oi his paw unm- Iu light. While thc SY-t millum he is still seeking F, a sigstiiictiist mm, mspuy- or» surely didn't “am In bt. 011 the hook ior a possible SFt-ntillion judgt-nwm. CX,',',',',:':',',,),"'" III thc unrld p, happening" thor humr and Itstltit' land! ( ry mg um hn deliu-mm t' Irtw patriot love In ull [in suns command. But I!“ sunxxmdduuglr Irrs haw itnstktut l nu. With ginning; hearts up we the: rrsc.p,uspruglrn .Iir Sandowne Park information wrong Canada needs all the help it can get Ihuu' \Ullll' t unn’llls will thc urn (Iv you prinrrd In last “1-le rdiliun at the 1Vau.rlotrt ltrot1O. I hm e mm in (he nmghlmurhumi tot as yuan mm and haw m-wr MI an though I mu m dang”. in a child I playvd in thut park day after day and new: unu- did I tind wvupunx. hm'r bottle or drug paraphernalia ol any ,,0rt, 1 am curious tVs In your \UuI’CC m Uptown parking spots are needed Immlly ugn'v with the dmuuuwn merchants who are “mu-med about the nvw plans fur Wutcrloo Invm Square. Many of the mvrt-hmtts at the square have been there for years. and have a loyal following. I worked in the office lower for many years. I am very fond of shopphig at the Waterloo Square. and like many of the changes made inside. - - However, if it weren't for the parking spaces at the front of the square, many people would quit coming to uptown Waterloo. Even now, it is hard to find a parking spot on or near King Street. I agree with the owner of the Ali Baba that people will not want to walk a long distance. especially in winter, to go to his restaurant. I've always counted on the park- ing at the 'uluare to go In testauv rants and the terrific small stores on King Street. and always go into the Squaw. own 'hough thrrv is a lwn hour parking Iinm (which IN anmh IT rom‘vrm lf thosc parking quits aru- rvmoved. I will ho taking nu bus! "W‘s ln( IDIII'HHgJ Mall wht'rv thvrc I\ Inn n! parkmg and " mm'u' tht. LETTER CHRO With that coitressiutt. there IN \nmr npnnusm that suggests lhr an has " good ("use In the wrottp,ttil dimussdl sun Rnlwrlxml's was jusl um' m many lawsuits iilrd tor and against [hr (it; ras/war, Including the S317 million Cdhe sull pending against the city',, former frea'iurur. John Ford. who is oumrcrsuing the city 1mm million. Ihv rrtte Yul ln-rdum ot HusL [he city i, also sveking the rerun-r3; at some funds from the RIM Park linzuu'ing fiasco from our "rh. including officials at Clarita and MIT Financial Services Ltd, While mow judgements progrchs at a snail's pace, it was from In .md “Mr. t) Landau. thts ptvphsalrme um mm the tide, “:- statul un guard " Ihvv. Um politingmx hurc tailed,our (Hurts aw unjuaL (an! lump Inn land glorious and ‘n'guldr diwmvru-s ol “mum” hum-n Ina-r hIIIHIN and drug pant phvrnnlm such m and Piitt's and net-divs," I tect mu may he bluwmg [new iistd'my,s mu m proportion. A" they am fairly drastic discoveries. l “as a mvmhvr at "eavvrs. Culos, and Sump. at Sandnwnv School and wvvral trips In the park nvn‘r gave mu any notion that I atrc, (However, il' Zebra moves out of the Conestoga Mall, I won't he going therc as. ofivn either). There does not seem to ho a cohesive plan for Waterloo develop- ment, and increased tramr, A person has to drive allover town In get to a liquor store, then a beer store, then a grocery store, then get back into the car for other shopping, or the library. or a movie. We've been forced. through bad planning. m be a community of car- drivers. Now the city wants to remove the only convenient, central park- ing provided on King Street. For what -- a stage and an expensive showpiece? How useful will that be in the winter? There are so many other options for this type of "people place"-, for instance on the corner anilliam and King. or near Sear grams. l think the Waterloo library should he movvd to Waterloo Town Square. and a movic theatre. hm'v More and liqum xlnn' hr pm thcre " p, vonvetlivnre that brings proph- with mnnm in thtnr pm LN, that IN wh1 the mullszm' Vt lull North «mug and irec', [a manned with hn'urh COMMENT DITORIA] impurlunt to are some ”IUVK‘HR'III m Ilu- iiolwre,on also. littttr ssorried lilingn Issuvs “null! sn heavy an tlw shoulthsrs m this runnrll an rhry cTHtttnut' In (It-am up the tlebris at the RIM Park me». and tllt. chungr in structure ill city hull. Prrhaps that's why due diligvnu' wasn't undertaken in fiolrvrtson', hiring -e- u pruhlum created by the current council and its trawed hir- ing process, frvc! Help us in thir, time of (wed ()(innndu. u v stand on guard for thtw.tilivcrtv,trornevil. " (iunmlu. m' slum! (an guard lur [hut l 01 your liglu yet shine again. Only luck - _ and a new Gireer " Roircrtson in Kazakstan -- may have saved taxpayers from anmhvr hefty burden. courtesy (If our elect- ed ofticials may 110 In dalngt'r n I Wt'rt' In gm hark on mv 'MU. I fvcl this "rticlc dm-s not purlmy nur nviir,lttrrrurhovd as it truly is. which l'vllm'ts badly an all that lin- in this commtmitu I thought Waterloo council had more vision than to copy Kitchener. l have been In the fancy kttrhcncr City Hall showpiece only to park and go In the movie theatre, " draws people who want to sit out- side and not spend any money-. sure it is beautiful, but does it draw shoppers? It has become a hangout for teenagers and transients. As a life- time resident of Water, Ion, and an over-taxed taxpayer. who is paying for RIM Park although I have never been there. l am beginning to think it is time to move to a city that caters to its citi- mens. and not to big corporations... a city that supports its local mer- chants, and listens to its con- stituents. I have spoken to many Waterloo residents who feel the same - they do not want the park- ing relocated in favour of a multi- million-dollar puhlir Square, If this gnt‘s through. without more publir consultation, I will he very (awful almul how I VON' in the "ext council Nvrtirm ill still liw hvrr [laughs Grant Wa,tvrhrr, Mike Mensink Wmnr/m) Inna Faessler Wotrvloo I‘m surv that right about now the I iheral gmcrnmcnl In ()lluwu “ishvs tht. fitanley Cup playoffs new well under way. and [he nation‘s autumn" With turned In hockey rather than thr gumgvun at Parliarrirlt Hill. Unlurunmtvly. that Is not the mw and t unudinns wru- rmmndvd (It (he seriousiwss ot the national political 54'ch when our prime minister, Paul Martin. took (u the airwaves this past wrek, In " risky. but nut unprecedented mow. Martin decided m speak directly In Canadiurv, about his, views on the (lumen. Inquiry. his role in the sponsorship scandal and thc potential for a spring elector Regardless at your political views. you have to hand it In [he HM. and his udvisurs tor this gutsy display. Sure, he looked tired and pale [wouldn't you?) Bur his mes- xagu was frank. contrilv and decisive, Mating that he has not heen seriously implicated in the 'iimnsorship scandal hut it did happen when he was, finance minister he apologized for his error “(omission "Kunming what I V0 learned this past year, I am sorry that we weren't mow vigilant - that I wast] 1 nmrv vigilant." he said. "Public mum-i, was misdirected and misused, Hull's tntitrtvpialolv." fits “cm on In my. "As prime minister, I will m-u'r hvsiiutc In describe whur huppvnml Oil the sponsorship file lur what il “as: an unjustifiable mess." tWrttWqrIqWqtrf* He also outlined what he has done to rurrm‘l the sprrnstrrship issue including imnwdiuu-ly dosing the pmgrmn win-n he first ltecame prime minister. tiring all the whim advisors inmlu'll. launching lawsuits and also appointing ludgz- humor; In leud a puhlic inquiry My uhul ynu mun uhoul Martini, itulecisirct1esrr, on tvrlain issue. hc has horn mummy. hm decisive nu dw \punsmxhip iii. und "is Party is pay "ip,rhurlvtrrrii, T he truth and nothing hut the truth I STRICKLAND Hu- zlllt'gulinns m nu‘ruplmn iI puns-n In lav lrm' ‘er lnkuxahlv. And that is (he prinw minim-{x point. it prawn ttt tw lruu Geirimg In the truth was and is the [mum for tlur ( kum'ry inquiry in the first plan: Hw prime ministvr's pledge In t ail an vk-niun with- in 30 days after the final Gomvry rrpmt F, rrlmxvd is a n‘mmr uhlv and huld promise Marlin's tuuumitment In an 910nm" has pm opposition Ivadvr Stephen Harper in an evPr1 tighter jam, In order In defeat [ho government he has to cooperate with the Blur Quc- hecois and he will he luhclcd an opportunist, and worst: he will he we“ as aiding the separatists and risking the future at Canada for his own political gain. Holding a spring clection this year may br. good for thc Crrtvuvrvatives, but it will definitely be guml " the Bloc. The .drop in liheral support in Quebec has not trarvsferhNl to the Conservatives. who still barely rcgister in thc pulls. but has almost entirely gone to the Bloc Quehcmis. If an election is called this spring. the Conservatives may win, but the real win- ner will he the separatists. That's why I do not envy Stephen Harper. He may be on the brink of being the next prime minister. but more than likely if he were to win. he would win a minority government. With lit- tle or no influence in Quebec and a resurgent Bloc in Ottawa and provincial PQ movement in Quebec City to battle. this is not an ideal scenario. Stephen Hyper is in a loughspol ___ ri,, rsurre many of his colleagues smell political blood and are urging him to defeat the government this spring. but I have to think Harper is seeipg the big piftury here, His real chance to tdim a mgéningful government will come after the Gomery inquiry tables its final report, when every thing is out in the open. He would be wise to take, the prime minister at his word and use the extra IO months to attract star candidates and build a much stronger foundation in Quebec. The pmhlem is that the eléclinn hounds and the jackals in the press are chomping at the hit in frenzy of anticipation for an oath: election. It will be hard to give them a big Pnough bone to chew on for eight In to months and we may he heading In an eivrtion this June anyways V. if so it will be good politirs and grvat head, Inn‘s, but no! good gnvrrnnwm and wnmnh' nol in “w her "urn-<1 of t .mmdians I mail \‘(lllr qm-slimlwt ommvnls to scangrsearrstrirk landrnm. Prime-time politics