After a two-week absence, here’s a big news update!
Top Story: Community Start-Up and Maintenance Benefit Cut
ISAC and ACTO want you to Take a Call-in Coffee Break Friday Sept 28 to save the CSUMB:
http://us4.campaign-archive2.com/?u=095b12c98935ecaadd327bf90&id=154c3c2837&e=f67f28a7b9
Losing Community Start Up will mean more homeless Torontonians:
http://www.digitaljournal.com/article/333090
District of Nipissing will lose $700,000 when CSUMB is cut:
http://www.nugget.ca/2012/09/06/social-funding-cut
Sarnia’s mayor “irked” by the impact of losing $1.4m in CSUMB funds:
http://blackburnnews.com/sarnia/sarnia-news/2012/09/09/community-start-up-benefit/
City of Hamilton steps in again to fill the gap:
http://www.thespec.com/news/local/article/796815–city-cash-mends-hole-in-safety-net
Hamilton “in a very serious pinch here”:
http://www.cbc.ca/hamilton/news/story/2012/09/12/hamilton-homelessness.html
Niagara Falls MPP Kim Craitor, scheduled to speak at community meeting about CSUMB cuts, shares hardscrabble background:
http://www.stcatharinesstandard.ca/2012/09/20/coming-from-a-hard-times-background-mpp-kim-craitor-knows-poverty-firsthand
Upcoming Events, Recent Reports, and Other Cool Stuff
Simply People on October 4 is the 9th annual celebration of the lives and identities of people with disabilities:
http://www.disabilitycelebration.ca/
New report from Metcalf: Made in Canada: How the Law Constructs Migrant Workers’ Insecurity:
http://metcalffoundation.com/publications-resources/view/made-in-canada/
New report from the CCPA: The Path to Better Child Care in Ontario
http://www.policyalternatives.ca/publications/reports/path-better-child-care-ontario
Ontario
Carol Goar on the Ontario Human Rights Commission’s recent report on discrimination against people with mental health disabilities in the health care system:
http://www.thestar.com/opinion/editorialopinion/article/1260089–health-care-providers-openly-discriminate-against-the-mentally-ill
Around the Province
Niagara region needs more staff as demand for social assistance soars:
http://www.stcatharinesstandard.ca/2012/09/12/region-needs-more-staff-to-meet-welfare-demand
Sudbury poster campaign perpetuates stereotypes about people who are homeless:
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/sudbury/story/2012/09/20/sby-panhandler-poster-campaign.html
New study on poverty and education in Niagara:
http://www.stcatharinesstandard.ca/2012/09/13/brock-prof-probes-poverty-and-education-in-niagara
Poverty Reduction Strategy study results released in Kawartha Lakes:
http://www.mykawartha.com/news/article/1505623–council-hears-some-hard-news-as-poverty-reduction-strategy-study-results-come-forward
Joe Fiorito says Toronto Community Housing problems need new solutions:
http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/article/1261088–community-housing-s-old-problems-need-new-solutions-fiorito
Welland Tribute opinion piece says poverty can happen to anyone:
http://www.wellandtribune.ca/2012/09/14/living-in-poverty-can-happen-to-anyone
Cleaners of Toronto’s police stations making poverty wages:
http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/article/1258480–toronto-police-station-cleaners-make-poverty-wage-critic-says
Kitchener opinion piece on not judging a book by its cover:
http://www.therecord.com/opinion/columns/article/799953–poverty-homelessness-aren-t-easy-problems-to-solve
Across the Country
The new PQ government in Quebec moves to hike taxes for higher income earners:
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/pq-acts-on-pledge-to-tax-the-wealthy/article4565716/
National
Justice Canada lawyer committed suicide after he and his wife received letters putting them on notice that their jobs were in jeopardy
http://www.timescolonist.com/health/Clement+lawyer+suicide/7277962/story.html#ixzz27Vswb7gO
The federal government says Ontario should end “easy” welfare for refugee claimants:
http://www.torontosun.com/2012/09/10/ont-should-end-easy-welfare-for-refugee-claimants-feds
Census numbers show more single parents and more risk of poverty:
http://metronews.ca/news/canada/375334/poverty-stalks-canadas-single-parents/
Census counts Canada’s foster children for the first time:
Vancouver Sun:http://www.vancouversun.com/life/Census+Canada+foster+children+counted+first+time/7267111/story.html
CBC: http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/story/2012/09/20/census-foster-children.html
Fraser Institute study shows corporate welfare doesn’t get repaid:
Globe: http://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/economy/economy-lab/why-corporate-welfare-is-bad-business-for-taxpayers/article4533184/
Post: http://fullcomment.nationalpost.com/2012/09/11/jesse-kline-cutting-corporate-welfare-is-good-for-the-economy/
International
Florida mom facing welfare fraud charges kills two young sons, hangs herself:
http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/florida-mom-facing-welfare-fraud-charges-kills-young-sons-hangs-article-1.1165818#ixzz27Q1oTqQX
Despite what US conservatives say, marriage is not the best antidote to poverty:
http://www.cnn.com/2012/09/10/opinion/coontz-poverty-marriage/
It’s not news in the presidential race, but poverty in the US is increasing:
http://www.boston.com/news/politics/2012/09/09/for-advocates-the-country-poor-presidential-campaign-gives-little-clarity-addressing-poverty.html
New paper shows 1997 US welfare reforms may have made things worse for people in deep poverty:
http://scienceblog.com/56600/poorest-of-the-poor-worse-since-1996-welfare-reform/
Targets needed to reduce child poverty in New Zealand:
http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/comment/7643548/Bold-targets-needed-to-curb-child-poverty
Changes to Scotland’s legal aid will mean people in poverty will have to pay:
http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/scottish-news/plans-to-scrap-legal-aid-1319280
Advisors say UK government’s welfare changes are “unworkable and unfair”:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2012/sep/15/welfare-bill-iain-duncan-smith?newsfeed=true
And UK’s Labour says the changes should be postponed:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2012/sep/16/welfare-reform-government-labour
UK’s Lib Dems set to defy the government on welfare changes:
http://uk.reuters.com/article/2012/09/21/uk-britain-clegg-idUKBRE88K1B620120921
“Income management” trial punishes the poor in Australia twice:
http://www.greenleft.org.au/node/52244
New Zealand’s welfare reforms expected to save $1.6 billion annually:
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/7692857/Bennett-expects-welfare-reform-to-save-1-6b
Argentina increases welfare payments to families with children by 26 percent to keep up with inflation:
http://www.businessweek.com/ap/2012-09-13/argentina-expands-6-dot-9-billion-welfare-program
