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Keeping Your Eyes On Kingston

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Conservatives Just Dont Get It

Jan. 2nd, 2009

Mr. Flahertys recent announcement of increased tax cuts to boost economic spending continues to prove that this government just does not get the depth of this economic crisis.

Slashing taxes and increasing spending is exactly how this government created the current economic climate in Canada. Granted that because of the economic forces in the US, the credit crunch undoubtedly would have trickled over the Canadian border. However the extent of the current economic situation in Canada could have less drastic effects had less ideological games and more long-term planning been taken. Cutting taxes decreases services, and in a largely Federal Service city like Kingston that means cuts to jobs.

Canada needs a government that will be responsive to the needs of the people. Not by cutting and running, but by taking prudent action during this economic downturn. The Liberal-NDP coalition has stated that they will take this crisis very seriously by putting partisan politics aside and focusing on the people of Canada, its time to take this crisis seriously.

Jamie Masse
Kingston

Public Information for OW Recipients

I was captivated when Ginette Blais wrote an editorial regarding the pending closure of the Kingston Good Fellows store (http://www.thewhig.com/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=1277784). Thanks to her, I have sent a letter to the Good Fellows also asking about the closure and hoping that more can be done to save our store in Kingston.

This editorial also gives me a viable opportunity to remind Ontario Works (OW) recipients that on Tuesday September 2nd, Kingston City Council approved a recommendation from the Arts, Recreation & Community Policies Committee and from Kingston City Staff that would provide a one-time funding allowance for persons receiving OW assistance.

This contribution will provide $175 per child to help Kingston families purchase clothing for their children ages 4 to 18 years as they go back to the school. I would also like to alert everyone that may be qualified that the deadline for funding is December 31st 2008.

By their own estimations Kingston City Staff believe that only 70% of people that are eligible for this benefit will actually apply. Making this information public is important during an increasingly vital time of need for communities.

This is becoming a significant problem in our community. As I learned on October 17th, 2008, the World Day to Eradiate Poverty, many Kingston families are slipping into the realm of modern day poverty.

Across our city the need for food at charity organizations such as Martha's Table has increased 37%, the St. Vincent de Paul Society has increased some 36% and astoundingly the Salvation Army has climbed to a staggering 64% representing an increase of more than 6500 meals being served this year alone.

As evident, the importance of this funding provides parents with the ability to adequately clothe and feed their children, ensuring they are given a good start to every school day. Statistics have proven that a better start for children improves attention and participation in the classroom. When funding is deprived from families living at or below the poverty line, it impedes that ability for parents to provide that vital first step in life.

Having been a member of a family reliant on social assistance myself, I can clearly remember times when my dad would sacrifice himself so that my brother and I would have enough food at the dinner table.

To say the least these are some very disturbing trends in a city rich of culture and community mindedness. Kingston City Council has provided the funding and now we need to raise awareness.

Jamie Masse
Kingston

Raise the Rates

In the 2007 Provincial general election, millions of Ontarians voted to elect a government that promised that it would seriously look at the social assistance situation in the province. In response, the Ontario Liberal government promised to Raise the Rates for social assistance to individuals with the highest need in our province.

I am pleased to say they did keep this promise: the government of Ontario did increase the funding by a few extra dollars a month. However, I am equally displeased to say that, in doing so, they also cut the annual funding for Back to School Allowance for the very same social assistance-dependant recipients. In this fashion, any material benefit for struggling families was rendered ineffectual.

On Tuesday September 2nd, Kingston City Council heard a recommendation from the Arts, Recreation & Community Policies Committee and from City Staff that would provide a one-time funding allowance for persons receiving Ontario Works (OW) assistance. This payout would provide $175 per child to help families cope with the cutbacks to the school allowance. The city proposed to pay 20%, with the other 80% coming from the province.

Unfortunately, a number of Kingston families in financial need - those who receive social assistance from the Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSP) - were excluded from this recommendation. City staff also noted that they only expected 70% of OW recipients to step forward and apply for funding due to the lack of public knowledge and publicity about this program, and an unwillingness of some to ask for handouts.

To their credit, four councillors: Steve Garrison, Robert Hutchison, Robert Matheson and Vicki Schmolka, fought valiantly to not only increase the funding to $250 per child, but also to provide Blanket Coverage for people on OW and ODSP.

I will grant that the increase of $75 and the addition of ODSP recipients would have resulted in an increased cost to the city. But I would argue that it this is absolutely necessary to provide the basics for younger children who are going back to school. This would provide parents with the ability to adequately clothe and feed their children, ensuring they are given a good start to each school day. The idea behind social assistance is that we provide people who are disadvantaged with the basic necessities to be successful in our society.

Having been one of those children reliant on social assistance myself, I can clearly remember times when my dad would starve himself so that my brother and I would have enough food to eat. I can remember that turning 18 meant an end to benefits and brought with it the uncertainty of bills not being paid and food not being on the table.

In a time where the economy and inflation have taken so much from middle and lower class families and economic uncertainty is becoming certain, taking away the smallest bit of benefits that help provide a staple existence for children is shameful and ruins the chances that we all want to provide for the next generation. As a society, we should be demanding more from our leaders to help make ends meet for those who actually need the help.

It is of note that Kingston City Council at the very least passed the recommendation to provide for members of our communities on OW - with the knowledge that about 70% would step forward to access this program. However, one can’t help to wonder how many children whose parents are obtaining assistance from ODSP or whose parents will not come forward are shamefully being left behind.

Council Members voted Against the motion to increase that assistance to everyone:
Mayor Harvey Rosen
Councillor Lisa Osanic
Councillor Ed Smith
Councillor Bill Glover
Councillor Joyce MacLeod-Kane
Councillor Mark Gerretsen

Not Present:
Councillor Sara Meers
Councillor Lenore Foster
Councillor Dorothy Hector

Jamie Masse
Kingston

Services Can't Afford to be Cut

"We committed ourselves 50 years ago. That we would provide health care for every man, women, or child, regardless of race, religion or economic status and by god we're gonna do it." Tommy Douglas (1983)

Even to this day those tremendous words echo across our great nation, defining what it truly means to be a Canadian.

Tommy Douglas was right in believing that while quality healthcare services might be expensive, we have a responsibility as a nation to provide them to all of our citizens, not just those that can afford them.

It is fitting that we reflect on our accomplishments as a nation around Canada Day, as we struggle to define what it really is to be Canadian.

But with reflection comes the power to seriously look at the current problems we face in our beloved country. We still face overwhelming childhood poverty despite a pledge by all political parties to eradicate childhood poverty by the year 2000. We still are battling for equity across all spectrums of our society, native rights, women's rights, youth rights, immigrant rights etc.

While reflecting one only needs to look at our community to see that problems that still exist, predominately after the fallout of Kingston General Hospitals CEO Joe De Mora.

Mr. De Mora has been commended by local leaders for being a protector of healthcare services, making a difference in the quality of life for the patients at KGH.

Sure the hospital has come under scrutiny for a few years now about how budgets are not balanced and patient wait-times are among the highest in the province. However we have only ourselves to blame for this travesty, as these are the two main problems in the healthcare system right now. No matter where you go in Ontario these two problems remain the same. We are being faced with an aging population as the baby-boomers are set to retire. The second problem is that we are not graduating enough healthcare professionals to accommodate this growing concern.

Every health care professional is a trusted protector for the care of other individuals. They provide life or death decisions every single day and are expected to do so with a smile, while beds are cramped and while floor after floor is chronically understaffed.

Kingston General is one of many hospital across the country that is having serious problems with a lack of personnel, however they are further constrained with an equally constraining lack of funding to get these personnel to stay at the Hospital.

In a letter to the editor on June 27th one reader pointed out rightly that Kingston Generals Alternate Lever of Care (ALC) beds are quiet full. While I think most people recognize the bed shortage looking at the report and the comments by Mr. Scott indicate that more emphasis needs to be placed on external measures, however at this very point those options just not available. So therefore the emphasis should be placed on enhancing aiding what we do have. Which unfortunately cannot be done without the necessary staff support or financial resources.

There is a reason why these individuals are in the hospital. The persons that are usually on the ALC floor are usually too ill to be in a nursing home or are waiting to be accepted into a nursing home. Usually these patients are too ill to be able to go home and lack the necessary support while they are at home so thus they are stuck in limbo.

What we need are more people like Mr. De Mora standing up to the government and defending quality services for patients. It is always nice to see a CEO fighting for the frontline workers, but most importantly working for the health of the citizens.

As we look back at the accomplishments of this great country, we all have an opportunity to take a look at the things that we can do to make it better.

Jamie Masse

The Carbon Tax Doesnt Work

This is a response to the article Carbon tax would be revenue neutral on Tuesday May 25th 2008.

The Green /Liberal Carbon Tax scheme actually does nothing for the environment, as it fails to restrain corporate polluters that can afford to pay the additional tax. In fact, these corporate polluters could increase their emissions if it would increase revenue enough to pay the additional taxes and still leave room for profit.

Many supporters of the Carbon Tax claim that there will be revenue neutrality; however in actuality there is no such thing as a revenue-neutral market. Businesses that can afford polluting will simply pass along the difference to the consumer, increasing the essential cost of living for the lowest and middle-income brackets.

Canadians are tired of the enormous profits that the big polluters are obtaining at the expense of our hard-earned income being spent on everyday necessities.

As energy and food prices continue to rise and corporate profits exceed billions, hard working Canadians are being squeezed on both sides. Many middle-class Canadians are living just a few paycheques away from bankruptcy. Our party recognizes that a strong and healthy middle class means a strong and healthy Canada.

This is why the NDPs Cap and Trade program allows for families not to have to worry about paying the extra fees for trying to make our environment cleaner and our world a healthier place.

Companies also are able to create inventive new ways of obtaining lower green house gas emissions. Our program encourages industry to go green, as they can then sell their credits for a profit.

At a time of economic slowdown across Ontario, particularly in the manufacturing sector, this program would hurt those Canadians who need the governments help the most.

In fact, as recently as Monday June 2nd, both the Liberal governments of Quebec and Ontario have promoted the Carbon Cap and Trade market, effectively declaring they are tired of the federal governments lack of leadership on the environment portfolio.

Both governments have also denounced their federal counterpart's Carbon Tax program, partnering together to provide a viable solution to our environmental problems. Quebec and Ontario, along with all of the remaining presidential nominees in the United States, have endorsed the carbon Cap and Trade program. This allows for more innovation and the ability to help reduce energy consumption with more environmental awareness.

As well, the NDPs plan will use the generated revenues created through the selling of carbon credits to invest in national retrofitting programs to help homeowners decrease their energy consumption right at home.

Canada needs strong environmental leadership that respects the needs of a fragile economy. The NDP wants to create jobs and create a cleaner environment for a better Canada. Thats the kind of leadership Canadians are looking for in their government.

Jamie Masse