Media & Policy News: 12 October 2012

Community Start-Up

Carol Goar on the importance of Community Start-Up and efforts to save it:
http://www.thestar.com/opinion/editorialopinion/article/1268713–anti-poverty-activists-fight-to-save-housing-benefit

NOW article says to watch for sleight-of-hand (Ed: see quote from yours truly)
http://www.nowtoronto.com/news/story.cfm?content=189065

Sault Ste. Marie’s mayor says the pain of the cuts will dwarf any savings:
http://www.sootoday.com/content/news/details.asp?c=48246

More outrage from Council in the Soo:
http://www.saultstar.com/2012/10/10/shutdown-of-start-up-program-draws-councils-ire

The cuts will hit First Nations hard:
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/sudbury/story/2012/10/11/sby-poverty-program-funding-cut.html

More people will be homeless in Hastings, Prince Edward, and Lennox & Addington
http://www.intelligencer.ca/2012/10/09/advocates-worry-about-provincial-cuts

Poverty will get worse with CSUMB cut, says CUPE – town hall in Sudbury:
http://www.marketwire.com/press-release/mcguinty-government-would-make-poverty-worse-by-cutting-community-start-up-benefit-1712092.htm

The cuts – and other austerity measures – are like boiling frog syndrome:
http://www.brockpress.com/news/external-news/provincial-budget-cuts-boiling-frog-syndrome-1.2924159

Social Assistance Review

Op-Ed: It’s time to build dignity into social assistance:
http://www.thestar.com/opinion/editorialopinion/article/1268704–it-s-time-to-build-dignity-into-ontario-social-assistance

Here’s the full Five Tests for the Social Assistance Review – report expected late next week:
http://www.ywcatoronto.org/upload/FiveTestsForTheReviewOfSocialAssistanceInOntario.pdf

Martin Regg Cohn’s take on the review:
http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/politics/article/1269252–cohn-how-dalton-mcguinty-can-undo-the-welfare-legacy-of-mike-harris

No double-dipping! Even if you paid into EI! And you’re disabled! And have a new baby!
http://www.cbc.ca/m/touch/news/story/2012/10/05/bc-disabilitycut.html

New Reports and other Cool Stuff

The CCPA’s Living Wage conference is today in Toronto – and ISAC was pleased to co-sponsor. They’ve posted a toolkit and will be updating with new resources soon:
http://www.policyalternatives.ca/offices/ontario/livingwageON

An upcoming Community Forum – “Retiring on a Low Income: Presentation of New Tools that will result in better planning and advice”:
http://openpolicyontario.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/oct-25-public-meeting-noticef.pdf

Ontario Issues

Ontario 211 workers say many Ontarians can’t afford groceries:
http://blog.211ontario.ca/2012/10/share-this-story-if-you-think-it-takes-courage-to-reach-out-for-help/

Looks like the 25 in 5 Network for Poverty Reduction might be coming back:
http://povertyfreeontario.blogspot.ca/2012/09/diary-of-advocacy-associate-25-in-5.html

From the Workers’ Action Centre: Ontario needs a minimum wage people can live on!
http://www.workersactioncentre.org/updates/ontario-needs-a-minimum-wage-workers-can-live-on/

Ontario Politics

What Tim Hudak would do if he were preem:
http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/politics/article/1269396–ontario-conservatives-promise-tax-cuts-new-subways-if-elected

Some PC MPPs raise the abortion issue; the Sun calls it a “crazed political death wish”:
http://www.torontosun.com/2012/10/10/mpps-anti-abortion-message-expose-hudaks-weakness

Around the Province

Affordable homes saved in Toronto:
http://www.wellesleyinstitute.com/housing/big-win-for-tchc-tenants-and-for-all-of-toronto-affordable-homes-saved/

Government screwups dog senior in London with mental illness:
http://www.lfpress.com/2012/10/11/mentally-ill-senior-dogged-by-government-screw-ups

Across the Country

From Alberta – why we can do better than poverty reduction:
http://www.troymedia.com/2012/10/05/why-poverty-reduction-strategies-are-wrong-headed/

National

Broadbent Institute makes income inequality its first focus:

Are you outraged? You ought to be:
http://www.thestar.com/opinion/editorialopinion/article/1268708–governing-in-the-dark-bargain-basement-citizenship

Five economic trends to watch – on food, gas, natural gas, housing, and interest rates:
http://www.moneyville.ca/article/1266876–five-economic-trends-consumers-should-watch#.UHLdxxGqgfs.facebook

Tips from advocates on finding a good rental apartment:
http://m.theglobeandmail.com/globe-investor/personal-finance/home-cents/renters-how-to-steer-clear-of-bad-apartments-and-lousy-landlords/article4605319/?service=mobile

Federal Issues

The Current covers temporary foreign worker laws, and their impacts:
http://www.cbc.ca/thecurrent/episode/2012/10/09/temporary-foreign-worker-laws-in-canada/

New federal program promises $30 million to spur 1600 jobs for people with disabilities:
http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/story/2012/10/10/pol-cp-finley-disabled-jobs.html

But, disability advocate says there’s a better way:
http://beaconnews.ca/blog/2012/10/1600-jobs-for-disabled-canadians-under-new-federal-program/

Feds spend on ads while cutting programs:
http://m.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/tories-commit-millions-to-action-plan-ads-while-cutting-programs/article4602326/?service=mobile

Feds outline new access-to-information system:
http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/article/1268040–federal-government-plans-online-pilot-project-for-access-to-information-requests

Kevin Page wins major concessions in fight to get budget information:
http://www.ottawacitizen.com/news/Budget+officer+wins+concessions+fight+information+Tories+cuts/7371402/story.html#ixzz295Hc1Pu2

International

People in Europe are increasingly abandoning their babies as economic prospects dim:
http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2012/07/11/europe-s-growing-crisis-of-abandoned-babies.html

Creating living-wage jobs in the USA:
http://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2012/10/yes-we-can-fight-inequality-3-ways-washington-can-create-living-wage-jobs/263367/

Protests at Walmart:
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/10/10/business/organizers-say-wal-mart-labor-protests-spread.html?_r=1

Inequality in American cities – how does it compare to other countries?
http://www.theatlanticcities.com/jobs-and-economy/2012/10/high-inequality-us-metro-areas-compared-countries/3079/

Norway to double carbon tax on oil industry:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2012/oct/11/norway-carbon-tax-oil

UK’s Work and Pension Secretary thinks welfare needs a “cultural shift” to “end reliance on benefits” – meaning a 10 billion BP cut to welfare budget:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-19874361