Transit? What transit? York Region horror stories


York Region Heaquarters
  So the transit strike is over in York Region is it? The local papers declared it so, so it must be true! To hear the banter thrown around by our elected officials as well as the media and some wannabe citizens cum politicians, no one rides them anyway except a few students and they run empty all the time. I wonder when the last time these armchair experts even rode transit? Where were the stories about those affected?

  Last I checked there were lots of people using transit here. Tell it to the 63 year old who told me he hadn't missed a day in 12 years until he met the Y.R.T.. First they changed his route so it no longer went directly to his workplace in the industrial area of town clear across from where he lives just W of Bathurst, and of course they changed it so he would now have to travel in the opposite direction to catch a connecting bus which he would just miss, unless as he found out, he left for work 2 1/2 hours early - this to travel about 10 minutes in a motorized vehicle folks. Then they went on strike now for almost 4 months ending his job completely - and the transit service still has not returned to his route today as it's one of the routes deemed not important enough to resume yet. Pity that guy. Doesn't matter that he makes barely enough to survive on even working full time, that's his problem, and now that he's not working and applying for assistance  because he's out of work? He's a bum. A burden. They all are. Feed them cans and shelter them in controlled environments instead of personal homes I say, so we can all share in their misery. You do know sarcasm when you read it I hope. This is what we do already however to 'help" people.

   He's not the only one, another Mom I met with a teenager has been unable to get him to the various appointments and councilors and now he uses no buses as a reason to stay away at 'friends" overnight. She fears he's treading down some wrong paths and feels powerless because she's immobilized..it's $20 two ways from her place for groceries and on a limited income it doesn't take long for panic and stress to take over a household under such times..isolation kills..and that is where they place our most vulnerable - on the outskirts and then take away their connection to amenities and doctors and jobs because they are least important on the scale. They don't pay enough you see. It's all about the mighty dollar. Let them eat cake.

  And what of that 60 year old woman who lost her job due to the strike whom I mentioned in an earlier blog?.All 3 are from the same one neighbourhood where transit is still out and no she cannot walk the 50 minute trek to the nearest bus to her at this stage in life. She'll never be hired back again. Businesses look for excuses to get rid of people like her at this stage in life and we as a society accept and nourish it through our actions of ignorance to anything not us. What's 2 months free service going to do for her get her to the welfare office and back now that she's out of a job?

  Lastly - the youth- the ones who supposedly are the only ones to use transit here. Many do. It's to get to school for that one same neighbourhood mentioned, as that's how many kids get to school since the school board deemed them out of range. How many of the kids from that neighbourhood dropped out because they couldn't hack or wouldn't hack the hour walk with backpacks during the strike? Likely the same ones who couldn't work jobs over the winter for bus pass money since they had no way there or back. Their crime? Poor families, so who cares?!

    One 18 year old teen again from the same neighbourhood has the best story of all to sum up Y.R.T. those responsible for it - namely our Regional Council and its anointed er ah I mean appointed Chairman Bill Fisch. This girl, who has a disability that flares up in severe weather,  ventured out over a year ago on a day when the weather turned nasty and as her foot swelled and ached from her condition, she decided to take the bus two stops along Yonge St to someone's house she knew to rest for a spell before trying to make it home when the weather mellowed. She fully intended to repay the fare she explained to me, but was in severe pain and her mom doesn't drive and "it was only two stops".

  This is why I don't like the "step-on service' of VIVA which traps young people and the homeless or low income people out of fare change, into owing fines for these 'stepons of a few stops" or in the case of homeless people to get warm. Then they USE that money as the victims of crimes fund. Talk about a sham set up to take from the vulnerable. And it's for this they hired all the security when VIVA started, as before there was none!

    Back to the girl..so she was caught by the transit police and explained her dilemma to them but they fined her anyway. Thinking the "court" would understand she tried to have it dismissed but couldn't..meantime her fine went past the due date and as her part time job had only enabled her to pay back $100 of the now $300 plus dollar fine - late fees you see -  she'll be starting out life with poor credit as the collections company now says. She was to start a job before xmas across town but without transit (STILL)she's been unable and with a tumour one can hardly expect her to walk...but we do...no mercy. She had planned on College. 

  That, my friends, in a nutshell is everything that is wrong with Y.R. and its handling of our low income earners and transit users. I can take it a step further - why are there not more transit users? Because York Region has the least amount per capita of rental properties / to owned  in the entire country and which runs also at between 2 and 3% for availability, so there are thusly and logically less riders to service, but that doesn't mean you can destroy them Chairman Fisch, Regional Councillors and Mayors. Actually read the social audit we gave you and you approved, it's a map for your use to make some inroads, not a place-mat.


                               Next!
  Update on Dan and Ashley who are being put through the ringer because they are disabled and dared want children...turns out the medication that Ashley was made to take FOR 6 YEARS caused her the seizures
she got all these years and  they kept upping her dosage! She's now not had a single seizure in 4 months since stopping and the new doctor has even told her to buy a walker that she could walk again! Whaaaat! Meantime Children's Aid has ordered them to take anger management and follow what they say to do.  Yea! Trust us! We know best! That's why 6 out of 10 in our foster care become criminals or homeless.
   
  Hubby Dan says to them "The only people who get me angry are you people..I raised two kids already, am a grown man, and don't need your advice". But they say do it or lose rights to their kid and are making them start all over again in their 'program" because they dared want the (grand)mom out of the scene so they can have their baby to raise as parents like anyone else - without interference. Sorry, big brother says our way or the highway and has now ordered them to visit at the Children's Aid office for visits with their daughter instead of their home and told to bring hot food. Oh, and by the way, they too live in the same neighbourhood without transit so if they don't get on a ride with wheel-trans, as they often can't come at the times or days you want them to, they are s.o.l. and so is their kid. And they don't get the child tax credit money so this extra transit and hot food meals come out of pocket of someone unable to work, but most willing if only they could.
Dan receives award for outstanding volunteer service
Dan's awarded by MP Lois Brown for outstanding character, yet Children's aid refuses Ashley and himself custody whilst as Dan put's it, " Even people who are drug addicts even get their children but not us. What's up with that Tom?"
    What a system we have here folks..Do you really think if they had an income that a lawsuit against that doctor wouldn't be huge!!?? Or that children's aid would be that entrenched in their lives? It' led them directly to lose control of their lives and baby for gods sakes!Severe seizures was why they got involved saying it was unsafe but what;s the excuse now that she doesn't have them? No, Children's Aid still want to stay in and control their lives and frankly they've had it with how they have been treated. But no money, no justice, my friends and unless a lot more of you start caring beyond lip service, our most vulnerable will continue to be exploited, mistreated and taken advantage of. Speaking of which they are slated to 'go out" Sat Feb 25 to a dance but with our wheel-trans system, they have go separately (from same address) and leave an hour apart coming back while staying only to 11PM and 10PM at an event scheduled until 1am. I guess he won't be DJ ing. They also spent last weekend snowed in as no-one showed from the charity - our usual solution to assist people's needs - to let them out!

  Here's a great strategy using electronic media to change an election issue! 
 
  Ideas welcome about how to adapt this strategy to our purposes on income adequacy for social assistance recipients.

  The social assistance review has been a major let down and appears to try to once again blame people like dan and ashley for being"poor". It pitts 'working people' versus those who 'need incentives to work" etc rehashing the tired mantra that people choose to live in squalor. they still don't get it. Perhaps people want to view and make comments on the social assistance review.  There is a form on the Commissioners’ web site at www.socialassistancereview.ca where people can write comments of up to 150 words. A More detailed comment can be e-mailed the Commissioners at socialassistancereview@ontario.ca
 
Or Finally, submissions can be mailed to:
Commission for the Review of Social Assistance in Ontario
2 Bloor Street West
4th Floor, Suite 400
Toronto, ON
M4W 3E2
FAX 416-212-0413

Now is not the time to cut programs to help people work their way out of poverty. Yes, our government has a deficit, but we must not solve it on the backs of vulnerable people in Canada or in other countries.  They need Canada’s support now more than ever.

Canada can afford to give more life-saving aid and to ensure a decent standard of living for all Canadians without cutting other programs. Here’s how: a small tax on trading in stocks, currency and derivatives by commercial banks, brokerages and hedge funds could raise hundreds of millions annually.

Please join me in sending a message to the Minister of Finance that now is the time to protect aid and social spending.



Watch for our youth road hockey challenge promo on Rogers TV
   Don't forget about P.A.C.C.'s now longest running in Ontario Road hockey tourney! We need players and volunteers still! Meeting next Wed at 1220 Stellar Dr. Newmarket unit 205 Deli House Catering hall 6:30 PM - 8PM.
2012 Youth Road Hockey Challenge Newmarket

Youths can sign up here for the annual youth road hockey event!

Tom out!

2 Response to "Transit? What transit? York Region horror stories"

  1. K. February 24, 2012 at 1:58 PM
    I am a mother of two who uses transit when I am able. Since the transit strike I was not able to get to physio and it has had a direct impact on my health....wich in turn has a direct impact on my kids. I agree with everything written above, and in general have found newmarket to be a challenge for me....services are so spread out that one appointment can take an entire day instead orf an hour or two. I did get wheel trans, but because they have now deemed the yonge viva line accessible 'not' I am still responsible for getting from the station anywhere and unless I know the exact time I am able to be back at the bus station the wheel trans connection leaves and I have often been stranded at the bus station. I had an appontment last week in richmond hill at 10am and it was after 630pm by the time I got home...that makes for a long day for a one hour appointment. I do not know how I would ever keep a job or even take a course. It is time that the people who make decisions in this town begin to take notice of those they have turned into shut-ins. though we are the minority population there are many of us. All it does it turn people who want to contribute into a further drain on the system. I for one wish I had stayed in the city.........Thank you for speaking out!
  2. Unknown February 24, 2012 at 4:27 PM
    I hear you....it's interesting how ignored your voices have been throughout this strike..seems everyone was concerned with wages and politics and forgot about the people most affected. You can thank your Regional Councilor John Taylor, Mayor Van Bynen, Chairman Fisch and all the other Mayors and regional Councilors of York Region for that,despite how they try to shift blame elsewhere. They chose to stay quiet and none of them championed you including so called friend to the income challenged Taylor..all also refused to follow my proposal that they leave their cars at home during the strike as well.

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