Saturday's Free Press

Ah, what a beautiful weekend!  I could take a whole summer of weekends like this!  I spent yesterday morning in the bright sunshine, enjoying the company of my squirrel and bird companions reading the Saturday edition of the London Free Press.  I usually turn to the LFP with my coffee for my daily dose of hatred, injustice, and foolishness, but this day -- all the news that was fit to print seemed to jive well with just the kind of weekend this is.

First to the editorials:

Henry Eastabrook, an outreach worker at London InterCommunity Health Centre, and a gentleman I've had the pleasure of meeting on a number of occassions, had a fine letter: "Beg your pardon, but panhandling is legit"

Regarding the article Brakes hit on begging (June 8).

We are deeply concerned about the many local expressions of fear, anger, resentment and confusion that have surfaced regarding the ancient practice of begging or mendicancy in our community.

Mendicancy has been a legitimate form of employment globally for thousands of years, although it has risen significantly since the emergence in the 18th century of industrialization and its cousin, free market capitalism.

With this knowledge of history, we urge those who feel particularly distressed about being asked to give up a few coins to fellow community members who are mendicants to kindly consider the following points.

Given the worsening divide between the wealthiest and the most poverty-stricken in our times, we have no reason to believe bylaws restricting mendicancy will have a positive effect on either side. Joblessness rates in this region have continued to grow. Meanwhile, the social safety net has shrunk to near non-­existence. There is no evidence that cutting provincial welfare rates or eliminating programs that support vulnerable people creates employment opportunities.

The hue and cry for reduced taxes mean the probability of improvements to our social safety net are nil. As we grow increasingly under the influence, politically, economically, socially and culturally of global free markets there is less likelihood that mendicancy will disappear and greater likelihood that more of our fellow citizens will become disabled by chronic joblessness, homelessness and resultant stigma.

Understanding the facts leaves us with two options: support your fellow Londoners who are panhandling (very few of whom are either violent or aggressive and all of whom would prefer a more legitimate means of sustenance) or alter your voting patterns, shop locally and insist politicians and policy makers enhance our social safety net.

Henry Eastabrook

Outreach worker

Poverty, Homelessness and Options Team

London InterCommunity Health Centre

Next up, in response to the last Saturday's front page article by Patrick Maloney, "City hall has bigger issues to fry", and two letters of the 14th which were critical of Coun. Stephen Orser's focus on backyard chickens, there were three very well written arguments which are supportive of permitting urban coops.  Thanks Gina Barber, Roberta Cory, and Larissa Gerow.  I should mention another letter from Friday's issue from Vera van Diepen: "...is shouldn't be a huge surprise that more Londoners want to stay away from buying eggs full of antibiotics from chickens that live tortured lives."

Serena Moro hit the nail right on the head with "Sex editorial got it wrong", responding to John Chambers': Gov't should stay out of our bedrooms.

"This is not, as Chambers suggests, about “consenting adults.” Chambers fails to address — or chooses to ignore — the root causes of prostitution and the socio-economic conditions that force women (and men) into prostitution, often at a young age. Drugs and alcohol are likely involved, as are abuse and male dominance."

Right on Serena!  I invite anyone to look at the facts:

Prostitution - The Facts (The oldest profession - or the oldest oppression? The facts on prostitution speak for themselves)

Normalising prostitution normalises an extreme form of sexual subordination and objectification; it legitimises the existence of an underclass of women and it reinforces male dominance over women.

I also feel the need to give a nod to Sheryl Rooth, who took exception to Joseph Couture's comments in "The add smile wouldn't hurt drivers on LTC". While she agreed with nearly everything that he said, she did take exception to one statement: "Let me fill you in on something. Those of us who ride the bus do so because we are poor and, in case you haven't noticed, we are especially poor in these tough times." Her letter sought to destigmatize bus transit and encourage better treatment of passengers on LTC because it's the right thing to do!

And while we are on the subject of the LTC, isn't it nice to see Deal to make LTC 100% accessible by 2012?(okay, so who was taking a nap and left in the "10%" typo that appeared in the print edition?)  This project is ahead of shedule, and saved $630K!  All good news.

Joe Belanger wrote a kind and thoughtful editorial piece about the situation in his Old East Village neighbourhood: "City's downtrodden deserve help in a more discrete way".  I particularly admired how he appologetically began his column: "I'm about to piss off a lot of people I admire and respect."

I loved the photo of Ryan Craven, et al. illustrating "Exhaust-free fun good for your health".

(This is the second time I've seen his smiling face in the LFP in as many weeks.  I gotta meet this guy!)

Car Free Festival aims to promote the environmental and health benefits of walking, cycling and taking the bus. For more information, go to carfreefest.ca.

NEIGHBOURHOOD CAR FREE FESTIVALS
Kipps Lane community fair, Aug. 20
Old East Village block party, July 16
Wortley Village Car Free, Sept. 11
Summerside Sept. 4

DOWNTOWN CAR FREE FESTIVALS
Where: Dundas St. between Wellington and Ridout streets
When:
June 18-19: Teaming with the Fringe Festival to show snippets of different productions between musical acts.
July 1: Canada Day theme Aug. 6-7: Celebrating the city's diversity.
Sept. 17-18: Teaming with Doors Open London with a focus on Dundas St.

Even the HOMES section had good news!  Dulux Adding Colour to People's Lives program will infuse $1M (the equivalent of about 20,000 gallons of paint) in paint to beautify public structures as well as the buildings of community, charity and non-profit organizations.  www.addingcolour.ca

And finally, I spied a tiny bordered ad in Friday's edition:

AIM HEALTH GROUP WISHES TO

ANNOUNCE THAT

Dr. Emad Henein

Will be relocating his Family Practice to

320 Adelaide Street South, London, ON

as of June 28, 2011

CURRENT AND NEW PATIENTS

WELCOME

Phone: 519-668-3969

TAKE ACTION: Ask Canadian government to support G20 action on food prices to avoid increased hunger

From Make Poverty History:

One in seven people in the world now go to bed hungry every night. Recent food prices could make the crisis even worse.

There is a crucial meeting of Agricultural Ministers from the G20 countries later this month that could take steps to avoid a disaster.

Please join in supporting an online action sponsored by Oxfam Canada by sending an email to Canadian Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz, calling on him to show leadership at these meetings, and to push for four key policies:

1. Support regional emergency food reserves as a way to build resilience to food price shocks

2. Insist on greater transparency regarding food stocks to curb food price speculation

3. Improve regulation of commodity futures markets to limit excessive speculation  

4. Phase out incentives to use food for fuel

Movement on these four issues could make a real difference to nearly a billion hungry people around the world.

Please click here and send Minister Ritz a message: Canadians want action on world hunger.

For more information on the global food crisis check out the new Oxfam International publication: Growing a Better Future.

Thank you so much for your time and participation.

Dennis Howlett
National Coordinator, Make Poverty History



To read more about this issue, here's a press release from Oxfam:
Rising food prices are changing what we eat

The meeting of G20 Agriculture Ministers is taking place in Paris, France on June 22nd & 23rd
French ag minister outlines plans for G20 meeting

Joe Fontana: Pulling the plug on panhandling

An article in the June 9th London Metro: Pulling the plug on panhandling

Mayor pledges to crack down on street panhandlers

Debate stirs over usefulness of fining them

“These people need help, and you don’t do it by essentially being forced to give.”

mayor Joe Fontana

Blogger Aaron Robb recently posted about an act of compassion to a median man begging for help.

London Free Press June 8, 2011 Brakes hit on begging
SOLICITING: Charges are up against London street panhandlers, who - besides the threat of fines and even jail - risk traffic dangers.
I thought this article was interesting because the reporter went and talked to median man Brian Simpson.  The video is well worth a watch.

You know, I'm not sure about how I feel about this issue.  I listened to a news story on CBC radio, interviewing a London Police officer regarding ticketing panhandlers who beg from intersection medians.  My knee jerk reaction was to be angry that this is even a necessary part of anyone's life in a country as wealthy as Canada.  However, I felt the police officer carefully explained the risks to the both the panhandler and other drivers -- just as Aaron described in his blog, the man in the van sat through part of a green light.  If you have one or more drivers behind you anxious to get through the light, then I can see where it is an accident waiting to happen.  (I've witnessed quite a few impatient drivers in London -- heck, I married to one!).  Furthermore, I was impressed that the police officer was sensitive to the issues of poverty and homelessness, and suggested that if you wanted to help a person, then you should pull off the road safely first. 

Here's what OCAP has to say about Ontario's Safe Streets Act.

Community Harvest London

Community Harvest London is a joint program of the London Food Bank and the Ontario Association of Food Banks. The London Food Bank, now in its 24th year continues to look for new and innovative way to help a caring community share its food resources.

With the addition of Community Harvest London the London Food Bank is able to enhance the variety and nutritional value of the food provided to clients.

	Community Harvest Ontario is a province wide initiative that seeks to increase access to fresh, local, nutritious produce for the most vulnerable members of our community. By working together with local farms and volunteer groups, they hope to be able to provide our neighbours facing hunger with healthy food options, in the continuing efforts to create a healthier, hunger-free Ontario.

Volunteers are needed!

If you or your group is interested in becoming involved with Community Harvest London, Please contact Josh at the London Food bank. Volunteers are needed on an ongoing basis to assist with the harvest of various fruits, vegetables, and berries as they become available.

Some links:

"Like" Community Harvest on Facebook

Community Harvest Ontario

Spring 2011 Community Advocacy & Legal Centre newsletter now available

http://cleonet.ca/news_files/1305135331CALC-Volume_20_Number_1_May_2011.pdf

Topics include:

• Poverty reduction strategy for a poverty-free Ontario
• Poverty-free Ontario forum
• Paths to Justice
• Affordable housing update
• Applying for EI - Changes to the Record of Employment form
• Who needs a "My Service Canada" account?
• More special diet changes
• Workplace Safety & Insurance Board makes program changes
• Articling Fellowship reaps rewards for rural and remote areas
• A decade of hunger in Ontario - Profile of food bank clients
• Making our website more accessible to the Deaf community
• Clinic hosts Law Commission consultations for vulnerable workers

Life on ODSP - a compelling video

View the compelling video of Darren Nesbit (Sarnia) as he tells of his struggle to live on limited groceries after paying his rent.This presentation occurred at an event convened in Hamilton on Friday, December 4, 2009 to mark the first anniversary of the Ontario Government’s Poverty Reduction Strategy.

Running on Empty

A new report from the Ontario Association of Food Banks was published yesterday Running On Empty: A Decade of Hunger in Ontario




Here are the key facts:
402,000 Ontarians a month were forced to turn to food banks in 2010, up

• 28 percent, an unprecedented increase

Since the recession hit in 2008, food bank use in Ontario has grown by

• province of Ontario the third most intensive user of food bank services, after

Newfoundland and Labrador and Manitoba

In 2010, 3.1 percent of the Ontario population accessed food banks, making the

• In an effort to balance fixed incomes with rising costs of living, more Ontario

seniors are turning to food banks to make it through the month – 12 percent of

the adults served were over 65 in 2010, up from 4 percent in 2009.

You can send a message to all of Ontario's political parties by GOING TO THIS WEB PAGE, and tell them:

"As a proud citizen of the Province of Ontario who is committed to supporting my neighbours, I must make this call to action: ensure that your party delivers real solutions for individuals and families facing hunger in Ontario. This issue will impact how I vote in the upcoming provincial election.

More than 400,000 Ontarians--40 per cent of whom are children--are served each month by Ontario's food banks.  Solutions to assist individuals and families that turn to food banks would have a tremendous impact on their long term health and well-being.  It is hoped that you and your party will show leadership on this issue and deliver real results."

Bad policy creates the poverty trap
Globe & Mail

"So there it is folks. Bad public policy is marginalizing the generation we were counting on to keep the economy humming as baby boomers head into retirement. This is devastating news for Canada at a time when the priority is to accelerate productivity growth to meet global competition. The combination of low-paid work and rents that far surpass their purchasing power leaves too many low-income Canadians hungry and malnourished and undermines the longer term prospects for the Canadian economy."

• sharply from 374,000 in 2009

From Ontario Coalition Against Poverty: Raise the Rates Campaign

Join the Raise the Rates Campaign!

Dear Allies,

We are contacting you about the ‘Raise the Rates’ Campaign and a call for
community organizations, union locals, community health centres, social
agencies, drop-ins and beyond to join the campaign and be a part of
building a provincial movement to raise social assistance rates to where
people can live with health and dignity.

What you can do to join this campaign:

Endorse the Raise the Rates Campaign: Take this to your organization and
officially sign-on to the Raise the Rates Campaign! Contact us to add your
name as an endorsing organization: ocap@tao.ca / 416-925-6939.

**We are proud to announce a broad range of Raise the Rates
endorsements-growing by the day! (in alphabetical order):
• Aids Action Now
• Barrio Nuevo
• BASICS Community News Service
• Bread and Bricks Social Justice Group
• Campaign for Adequate Welfare and Disability Benefits (Hamilton)
• Community Solidarity Network
• Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) – Ontario
• CUPE Toronto District Council
• Disability Action Movement Now (DAMN)
• Health Providers Against Poverty
• Jane-Finch Action Against Poverty
• New Socialist Group
• No One is Illegal – Toronto
• No One is Illegal – Ottawa
• Ontario Association of Interval & Transition Houses (OAITH)
• Ontario Nurses Association (ONA)
• Ontario Public Interest Research Group at U of T (OPIRG-Toronto)
• Ottawa District Labour Council
• South Asian Legal Clinic of Ontario (SALCO)
• Sudbury and District Labour Council
• Toronto Rape Crisis Centre/Multicutural Women Against Rape
• Toronto Drug Users Union
• Toronto Disaster Relief Committee (TDRC)
• Under Pressure (Ottawa)

Join the Movement:

• Invite OCAP and the Raise the Rates Committee to come speak to your
organization, union local or centre

• Throughout the month of March, organizations will be hosting ‘Raise the
Rates Assemblies’ in different cities across Ontario to talk about
building this movement provincially. If you would like to be part of these
Assemblies – let us know and we will connect you with existing groups or
help you get something started in your area. In Toronto, this Assembly
will be taking place: Sat. March 19th

• Raise the Rates Days of Action, Friday, April 1st, 12noon @ Nathan
Phillips Square, Toronto: COME OUT as a contingent on April 1st in Toronto
or build an action in your community.

• Start a ‘Raise the Rates’ committee in your area: let’s build this work
beyond the next demonstration and in to a movement that is unstoppable.
**********
Raise the Rates Campaign DEMANDS:

1) Reverse the Cuts, Raise the Rates!

In 1995 the Tory government cut welfare rates by 21.6 % and froze
disability. Since the Liberals came to power in 2003, they have not only
failed to reverse the Harris cuts, but have actually perpetuated a further
decline in rates. As a result of that initial 21.6% cut coupled with
inflation for the last 16 years, welfare rates are approximately 55% below
where they should be. If benefit levels were restored to the same level of
spending power as we had in 1994, a single person on Ontario Works would
receive an immediate $904/month instead of the miserable $593 now being
issued. No one can survive on these poverty rates; $593 cannot afford
someone a place to live let alone food and basic needs.

The Liberal government has now announced that they are freezing the
minimum wage in 2011. Workers trying to survive on minimum wage are
already making poverty wages and will now see their incomes fall as a
result of inflation and a freeze on wages. Currently there are
approximately 1 in 6 workers or working at or close to minimum wage in
Ontario, and the gap between minimum wage and welfare is greater now than
it ever has been.

WE DEMAND an immediate increase in OW and ODSP rates to bring them back to
pre-Harris levels. 55% NOW– raise the rates to where people can live with
health and dignity!

WE DEMAND the minimum wage freeze be lifted immediately and that minimum
wage be increased to a living wage for everyone in Ontario.

2) Restore the Special Diet!

In the 2010 provincial budget last March, the Liberal government announced
that the special diet would be slashed completely. The special diet has
been a vital benefit that has put money in the pockets of communities
forced to live in poverty on social assistance rates that are entirely
inadequate. Due to community outrage and mobilization, the Liberal
government have now backtracked and said that they will keep part of the
Special Diet, however the program is being completely gutted. The new
system excludes numerous health conditions and reduces the benefits
received for many other conditions. In addition applicants will have to
release medical information and face other intrusive measures designed to
prevent access to the benefit. Within the Liberals’ own statement about
this measure, they refer to the fact that ‘many will not be eligible’. The
new Special Diet comes in to affect on April 1st and all those who are not
eligible under the new program will be cut off by July 31st.

The loss of the full Special Diet alongside declining social assistance
rates will drive communities deeper into poverty and poor health. It is
one of many social cuts to come as part of the government austerity
measures and we must mobilize and demand that it be restored.

WE DEMAND the full restoration of the Special Diet to a benefit of up to
$250 for food and complete reversal of all intrusive measures.

Campbell's "NOURISH" - in the news

Campbell Canada is asking Canadians to join in their efforts to alleviate hunger by learning more about Nourish at Facebook.com/CampbellCanada and sharing their reactions, support and ideas for the future of Nourish. By getting involved, Canadians can trigger a donation of Nourish to Food Banks Canada. There are four ways to help: 

1. Watch a short video about Nourish on Facebook
2. Share the video with friends
3. Discuss Nourish on Facebook with a comment or on Twitter using the #Nourish hashtag
4. Like the video or the Campbell Canada Facebook page 

Campbell’s cans hunger
Wed Mar 16, 2011

Toronto Star

Campbell Canada launches Nourish in response to growing hunger issue here and abroad

 Feb 28, 2011

Campbell’s Nourish brand tackles hunger through Canada’s food banks

Globe and Mail

Feb 26, 2011

Changes to Special Diet Allowance

Income Security Advocacy Centre - there's lots of links on the ISAC page that will explain all the ins and outs of the new changes to the Special Diet Allowance.  There's two information sheets that are an excellent resource to print and share.

ISAC was established in 2001 by Legal Aid Ontario to serve low income Ontarians by conducting test case and Charter litigation relating to provincial and federal income security programs: OW, ODSP, EI, and CPP-d.

Be sure to take a scroll through all of the resources that ISAC offers - lots of reliable, relevant, and clarifying fact sheets.

The Poor Still Pay More

Just read a Dec 2010 article by Stapleton, Milway, Cook & Chan "The Poor Still Pay More : Challenges Low Income Families Face in Consuming a Nutritious Diet". 

The highlights:

Food and proper nutrition are critical for a functioning society and a healthy work force.  This paper seeks to address the challenges that low income families face and to explore solutions that can alleiate some of the pressures that the poor face when it comes to food.  These include:

• Affordability of a healthy and nutritious diet - in the case of single social assistance recipients, the situation has become increasingly dire -- highest increase in food prices are found in food groups which are covered by marketing boards (esp. dairy!) -- a litre of milk is more expensive than a litre of pop
• Quality of food they currently consume -- low income households is geared more towards food with lower nutritional value -- low income families purchase foods with higher carbohydrate, sodium, sugar and fat, such as cured meats, canned fruits and vegetables, as well as fluid milk with a higher fat content -- consuming these foods lead to chronic diseases: heart disease, diabetes and cancer -- one of the most preventable yet prevalent problems that the poor face is obesity, which is a a driver of other chronic diseases and is a result of poorer nutrition due to consuming less expensive but less healthy food
• Accessibility to healthy food options for low income households -- the term "food desert" has been coined to refer to those neighbourhoods, particularly in low income communities, where there is limited access to food retailers -- residents in food deserts have mobility disadvantages:  less likely to have access to a car, so are limited to purchasing what they can carry, and may have to depend on smaller corner stores, where prices are higher and fresh fruit and vegetables are limited or non-existant

The recommendations:

new housing benefit that will free up constrained finances to purchase food

• A new housing benefit that will free up constrained finances to purchase food 

• Improved incentives that will increase accessibility by low income communities to lower priced and healthier food options

• Lower dairy prices through the eventual elimination of the restrictive quotas by dairy marketing boards

Links:

Open Policy

Menu 2020: Ten Good Food Ideas for Ontario

The Impact of Poverty on Health:
A Scan of Research Literature