Archive for the ‘Inclusion Debates’ Category
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A simple way to help Canada’s poorest seniors
Thursday, March 3rd, 2011
Feb. 28, 2011
Pension income-splitting does absolutely nothing to help single seniors or even the poorest elderly couples who pay no tax. Some senior couples have enjoyed a tax reduction, but the measure is regressive — the higher their income, the bigger the tax break…. There is a far fairer and more effective way to spend that $733 million — use it to boost the guaranteed income supplement for the poorest seniors. The increase should be targeted to single recipients because they have a much higher poverty rate than elderly couples.
Tags: budget, ideology, pensions, standard of living, tax
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A tale of how two cities deal with poverty
Sunday, February 27th, 2011
February 26, 2011
As the “Visibly Unseen” campaign suggests, the problems of poverty go beyond the obvious… we need to be rule changers. Although we may not eliminate poverty entirely, there is much that can be done to reduce its impact on the victims and the community. We have the power to share our resources, time and talent and help others become self-sufficient contributing members of our community. This is not only philanthropic kindness but good business as well… Thirdly, we must envision what could be, rather than worry about limitations.
Tags: crime prevention, Health, homelessness, mental Health, participation, poverty, standard of living
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Let’s declare the mainstream marginal
Friday, February 25th, 2011
Feb 25 2011
It’s possible that the whole idea of a mainstream is flawed and mythical… We worry that our underdeveloped mainstream will get overwhelmed or undermined by other currents — but that’s how cultures develop. They react to every influence they encounter. All cultures, including “mainstream Canadian” have been constantly undermined, “contaminated” and reshaped by encounters with others. It’s a fruitful, messy process… At some point you need to have confidence that what you prize can hold its own, trust your fellow citizens, old and new, and hope something fine and hopeful emerges in the mix.
Tags: ideology, multiculturalism, participation
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The rise of the grassroots movements
Friday, February 25th, 2011
February 24, 2011
… movements… can mobilize public opinion and support in such a way as to raise specific issues higher on the public agenda – high enough that parties are obliged to respond… modern parties… have become primarily marketing mechanisms for fighting elections. They do very little development of their own intellectual capital; they’re dependent on others to do so – think tanks, academics, interest groups and the civil service, if they’re a governing party… despite the fact that “people” are really their only major asset besides money.
Tags: ideology, participation
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Poverty is not acceptable in a country like Canada
Wednesday, February 23rd, 2011
February 21, 2011
One in 10 Canadians lives in poverty. That’s three million people. That’s a truly sad statistic when we realize that we live in one of the richest countries in the world… Many of us cannot imagine living in poverty yet no one knows when their lives can change. An accident, mental health issues, loss of employment, divorce or an abusive relationship can quickly bring a person to the ugly world of poverty. Everyone living in poverty has a story. Poverty leaves a person feeling isolated, lonely and hungry. This is not acceptable when we live in such a great country.
Tags: disabilities, homelessness, ideology, mental Health, poverty, standard of living
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Eggleton speaks out on poverty Report: The Liberal senator is urging action
Wednesday, February 23rd, 2011
February 22, 2011
Sen. Art Eggleton told The Free Press Monday it’s “disgusting” that more than one million Canadian children live in poverty and it’s time to fix the system that keeps them poor… The report offers 74 recommendations, which include raising income supports for people on welfare and the working poor; a national housing strategy; and a national child-care system… Eggleton said the business community in several municipalities across the country has embraced the need for change, recognizing that “poverty costs a lot,” but the programs in place are ineffective.
Tags: child care, homelessness, ideology, poverty, standard of living
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If we are a northern nation, support our northern peoples
Monday, February 21st, 2011
Feb. 21, 2011
The isolation and sparse population of many communities in the Yukon, Northwest Territories and Nunavut make it more difficult to deliver health and educational services. And yet Ottawa has a responsibility to ensure a minimum standard of self-governance exists, and that residents of the North can experience a quality of life that is at least comparable to that in the South. Unfortunately, this is not the case – especially in the eastern Arctic, where people have abysmal high-school graduation rates, high unemployment and some of the world’s worst health outcomes.
Tags: economy, Health, Indigenous, poverty, rights, standard of living
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The big picture on poverty
Monday, February 21st, 2011
Feb 20 2011
The Poverty Reduction Act of 2009 proposes to decrease the number of children living in poverty by 25 per cent (90,000 children) by 2013. Although this is an admirable step, this act does not recognize the severity of poverty amongst a sub-group of the community who suffer from mental illness, have addictions problems, are single parents, people with disabilities, and persons who are new immigrants to our country… Is it okay to just put money toward children in poverty, or do we need to start looking at a bigger picture?
Tags: disabilities, homelessness, immigration, Indigenous, mental Health, poverty, standard of living
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Call for living wage for disabled
Sunday, February 20th, 2011
February 18, 2011
… Kenora Association for Community Living (KACL) executive director, James Retson is calling on Canada to commit to a living wage for the nation’s disabled — and is hoping to make it an election issue. “The government should have a guaranteed annual income, at least equal to the level provided by old age security and income supplement,” he said, citing both Standing Committee on Human Resources, Skills and Human Resources. Skills and Social Development and Social Development and the Status of Persons with Disabilities and Senate reports suggesting the Tax Act be amended to ensure the disabled aren’t living in poverty.
Tags: disabilities, participation, pensions, standard of living
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Summit participants face a painful truth [CivicAction Alliance]
Friday, February 18th, 2011
Feb 17 2011
For the past 20 years, social activists have clung to an idealized image of Toronto as a city that cares for the vulnerable. They have churned out policy proposals and issued demands as if politicians and business leaders were listening. Last week, they acknowledged reality: They aren’t… But the smallest session of the summit had one big benefit: A badly needed conversation began.
Tags: Health, housing, ideology, participation, poverty, standard of living
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