Transit? What transit? York Region horror stories
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| York Region Heaquarters |
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.
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| Dan receives award for outstanding volunteer service |
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| 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?" |
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.
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.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.
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| Watch for our youth road hockey challenge promo on Rogers TV |
2012 Youth Road Hockey Challenge Newmarket
Youths can sign up here for the annual youth road hockey event!
Tom out!
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Thank you for caring about York Region's most vulnerable residents.