Poverty Awareness in York Region

Dan Philion, happy with initial meeting with M.P.P.

Yesterday was inspirational. It actually started the night before, when Dan Philion, stricken with Muscular Dystrophy and confined to a wheelchair, with limited physical capabilities, was trying to beg off going to a meeting with his MPP. 

Dan has done a lot for the community, awarded for his efforts, and a single dad at one time raising two alone, then a partner since gone. Hey, she can walk now, a story for another time, leaving Dan with limited access to his daughter.

So he lives alone, often relying on the help of others to assist him with certain tasks that he has a tough time doing, such as shopping, cooking (food), and household maintenance although he does get a cleaner and personal support workers who drop by, including assistance dressing, and getting into and out of bed at night - having an electric hoist-like pulley with velcro straps that is used to position him for bed or chair or...

Rejected shoes or makeshift boots

Of course, if he had it his way, he wouldn't need anyone with anything, but knows that isn't in the cards. Still, he feels the basic necessities in life he should be able to afford as its not his fault he's in this predicament. He had no shoes for the meeting.

" I'm not going to the meeting Tom. It's not that important to me anyway", he lied, trying to soften the blow. I'd known it meant a lot to him, he was just nervous about having to speak about it with someone like this in this forum and I knew it. That and the fact he had no shoes or boots.

" What size are you I asked?" I'll get you shoes, but you're going!"

M.P. Lois Brown once awarded Dan for community service

MP supports charity solutions like free coats

I've gotten to know him pretty well over the past 10 years or so and can get away with talking to him like that because we're friends now. Danny's a pretty straight shooter as well. He'd gotten into the habit of not having his drop-in, personal support workers dress him in the morning, giving him another out for not venturing out of the home. But these are often tell-tale signs of oncoming depression also, and, with winter, he is also affected much worse by cold than " normal" blooded people, with his illness, not to mention cleaning the wheel tracks he can't reach or making sure the driveway is cleared by someone in order to get out. He's a social guy, and shines when he does go out which was sorely needed at that time for him. Lucky for us, on this day after the first snow storm of the year, a Neighbourhood Network volunteer showed up, eliminating yet another barrier to his participation in life.

That night before I had an event and was unable to get out for his boots, but had managed to locate a pair of 12 wide dress shoes, along with strips, that could be worn to simulate boots, which Dan immediately shot down upon seeing for the first time.

"I'm wearing track pants", he said, " I'm not wearing dress shoes with track pants.. And what the F$#@& are these?" he added, laughing at the leather leg pieces.

" You said boots", I meekly offered.. "I've worn them for the Santa suit and for the Grinch..."

" Ha, you wear them then, I'm not".... He wore his usual thick wool socks instead of shoes.

Some community accreditation Dan has received

I visited the canvassing Chris Ballard during the election

Going into the meeting, I wasn't expecting much, knowing the M.P.P. new to the caucus / processes, as a rookie, and the strategy was to give a little background first on Dan - like how he literally fell down one day at work, never able to work / walk again without assistance - and how his disease progressively gets worse, so he's unable to do much physically anymore, about P.A.C.C., and about the issue and inform him about the plan for the spring of a march to his office called Stroll and Roll for freedom, with the hope he could support an increase to what those in Dan's position get in income.  We weren't going to ask that he support the 50% increase that Dan thinks would be fair, but rather if he could agree that he deserved better than having to come asking without shoes. It's a tough one to decline.

Dan is tired of asking of charity for basics and hates food banks

That said, I did hope he could embrace the idea of such an action, and even participate, which he sounds open to doing, and, so, when he's asked now as a rookie member of Ontario parliament what's new in York Region, he'll have something to raise, and a reason too. We did not want to overwhelm him with stats and figures, but reminded him of our past involvement with MPP's and even as participants in their governments poverty reduction hearings, but, more than that, I wanted him to just meet Dan, first hand, asking personally, for a better deal.

It is a reasonable request, and one the Ontario government will tell you they are working on this master plan for - but the one thing they have consistently resisted, despite the Harris era 40% cuts - is raising O.D.S.P. rates to livable rates. While welfare is meant to be temporary and used in parcel with community supports to move people forward in life, those with certain disabilities most often do not have that option, yet are painted with the same brush.

Join Dan July 7 2015 on the Stroll and Roll to Freedom starting at York Region Headquarters on Yonge St. Newmarket at 12 noon and ending at the MPP's office.

" We've listened, and people have said they want to work"  Ontario Government on their Poverty Reduction Strategy

I call that selective hearing. Yes they want to work. But they can't all do so. What they really want is just to be recognized as valuable and useful members of society. That's the issue. "You hear the expression falling through the cracks? Well guys like Dan are the ones who fall through those cracks", I explained, " and the direction of the poverty reduction strategy does nothing to address this..That's where these cracks surface."

That very week alone, Dan had to call the ambulance service to come put him to bed as the March of Dimes provider service had begged off, saying they had no replacement. I wonder how much $ extra that costs everyone instead of having a back-up, on-call person(s)? Last year I had to do this for two weeks over Christmas prior to Dan getting into the M.O.D.'s program. I'm not trained for this.

As the meeting progressed, Dan's comfort level rose in voicing concerns about how he's having to live, and even mentioned the worry of falling into a mental health crisis, to which the M.P.P. offered up about the tremendous costs for that too. Turns out M.P.P. Ballard also had a hand some time ago within the schools in Aurora as a fundraiser for school trips and such, always ensuring all kids could go and without embarrassing stigmas attached. It was good to know he'd had at least some ground level experience and understanding to the roots of the issue. The M.P.P. mentioned one of the things they planned to do first was tie the rates to the cost of living so it would not have to be addressed continually.

To this I queried, "Why would you do that first Chris when the rates are still far too low? They've never really addressed it since those Harris cuts, to bring rates more in line with reality, so why would you do that first? He needs more $ first. Then you can tie it to inflation."

I also stressed to Ballard that since Dan already has subsidized housing, and special diet, he is already getting the best deal we offer guys like him, and it isn't near enough. I pointed out the 1% raise his government gave those on O.D.S.P. amounted to 3 bus rides in expensive York Region - $12 a month. The visit to his office would take up $8 of that, $16 for two both ways.

We both got the feeling Chris Ballard was receptive, and he even said he would possibly even march himself, leaving Dan feeling pretty good about the whole thing, and me satisfied, but not surprised, as we'd soft-stanced our ask, only looking for endorsement in principle, that Dan deserved a better deal. But still, all things considered, it was positive - but about to get even better!

Part 2 - The Trans-ride home pulled up, and, having been booked on as an escort, I got to ride along. As we entered, I immediately noticed it chock fullish of seniors ladies, one in her 90's and another 80's, it would turn out, as still another spoke not one word the entire ride.

Dan wants a 50% increase in his income rates rates in order to buy his own groceries, clothes, and to socialize

Having spent some time recently around seniors, as a close relative went through a home and then death as I stayed bedside, I had some experience around seniors and knew they could be engaging if you made them welcome too, so we bounded in, Dan and I laughing up a storm a bit, bringing life to a previously serene-like setting..

"This is where your M.P.P. is ladies should you ever need him!" I announced.

"Who's your M.P.P.?" asked one... "Is it Chris Ballard? another.

"Yes, and we were just in seeing him about getting Dan a better deal."

" Oh yes, and the amount of people using food banks is awful", offered a lady, " Some don't even need it who use it" she added, "and that's bad too"....."and seniors are hard hit often", another said, " and now expected to retrieve mail in this weather" And on it went...it was ...inspirational actually.

We reached a pick-up stop wherein a lady, who ended being 82 years old, was expected to walk through a 2 foot snowbank for about 10 feet to get to the bus / van's door entry, a task you could hear her almost muttering about as she studied an entry point, having made her way already down a front stoop of stairs. The frail looking woman stood, looking unsure, as I instinctively stood up, Mom's lessons ringing in my ears.

Seniors issues also raised on bus ride

" That's ridiculous", some started to mumble, but my mom was kicking in at that point.  It was expected, where I come from, to help someone, and anyone - male or female - and able bodied would have gone out and offered her an arm such as I then did, and lead her through my footsteps to her to get back. I know Dan would have loved to! It's not anything special as far as I'm concerned, it's just manners, but the ladies were impressed it seemed.

As I returned, I could vaguely hear one of the  ladies, 91 years old who looked 70, and lived alone, recite a poem as Dan laughed excitedly,

' Tom, do you hear this? She's rapping about what just was happening. Unbelievable! I thought she was reading a poem at first, but she's actually making it up, and it sounds great!"

And sure enough, the woman quietly finished her ' rap" about a poverty fighting man helping an old woman through the snowbank and we wish we'd recorded it.

Who knew rap was actually invented by older ladies!?

PACC dropped these in Y.R. during the election

We rode the entire route as the ladies were dropped one at a time, each, save but one who I wondered about - perhaps deaf or mentally ill - thanking us profusely for an inspiring ride, having enjoyed the conversations, even Dan's corny jokes and wishing us luck on the quest for a better deal. I welcomed them to ride along in scooters if they could, and to watch for Stroll & Roll in the future..It was a 15 minute trip to the M.P.P.'s office with York Region Wheel-trans on the way there, but took an hour and a half to get back with all the ladies' stops, the driver carefully walking each to the door.


But the socializing was therapeutic somehow for everyone this day it seemed, and it all was driven by the infectious personality and disposition of Dan Philion. Had he chosen to not get dressed this day he'd have missed out, and so would they! I believe Dan  and society  deserves more than hopeful moments. He deserves to participate in life in dignity and be made to feel good about who he is, like on that ride.

 " You guys made my day", the elderly but spry rapper-lady smiled on the way off, ' And you stay out of trouble!" she jokingly offered Dan

I got news for you Ma'am, you made ours! Happy Holidays and Merry Xmas everyone!

PACCman out! Follow our Stroll and Roll for Freedom on Twitter...or Facebook.

Room with a View

Happy New Year! I had a great time ringing in the New Year among friends, except Dan, who didn't come because, being in a wheelchair all day, all the holiday season, took a toll making him incapable physically of enduring the long night. Too bad. Before his partner of five years left him, she would assist him with this as well as getting into and out of bed at night and in the morning. Since then it's been a struggle for him having to rely on the possibility of getting a neighbour to assist him each and every night - something that should be done in dignity for those with disabilities and in this predicament - by a care provider.

Everyone deserves hope for the new year

About 3 am, New Year's night, after I got home, I had to go help Dan into bed as no one showed up to assist, who'd said they would. Of course, when it's a volunteer. you really have no recourse but to hope you can get someone else to help - and that your phone  / power works. Heck, he can't even be guaranteed his driveway will be cleared unless there is at least 4 inches of ice / snow and even then it's volunteer, so they may or may not show or by when you need out.

The system supplied someone to help him into bed for the first couple of weeks after his spouse left, but then told him they didn't offer the service past 7- 8pm. He explained he cannot go to bed then in his condition, especially when they cannot gurantee someone to assist him out of bed before 11am the next day.

" We don't have anyone at that time" he was told. That sense of helplessness beginning to take hold.

WELL GET SOMEONE THEN!

The system would rather he go into a home instead at exorbitant cost. He would rather they just supply someone between normal bed time hours of 11pm and 1 am to assist him into bed, which by the way, is already fixed with a pulley-like mechanism that allows him to be Velcroed in and raised / lowered with minimal effort. A child could do it. He then needs a couple of things plugged in. More rocket science. Yet they can't get anyone to do it? Replace them. P.A.C.C. will be happy to take over the service for them.

Make Wages, ODSP, and Assistance Rates an election issue

If C.C.A.C. wants to continue to be the chosen government sourced provider of care to our most vulnerable of our disabled and elderly, then they better be prepared to do it while offering them the best care possible,  including all care providers being able to speak English or the language of the attendee - and including dignity - and dignity includes feeling in control of going to bed at a time you are used to and a time that allows your body to physically handle it - being the intricate nature of your ever worsening muscular dystrophy.

He's has to call the ambulance guys a few times, more indignity, to put him to bed when he had no other choice. One guy told him,

" You need to go in a home".

"You go live in a F@@#$ home!" Dan yelled, just me in the room; wishing it upon the insensitive attendant.

Dan assisting community clean up best he can

The March of Dimes has a program that would assist in this case, however they have a five year waiting list. Should this guy have to disrupt his life, friends, home & supports he has because they would rather have him in a home? Or does it make more sense to provide a service to put him to bed? The answer is obvious. Meantime he's worrying about who will help tonight....and tomorrow night...and tomorrow night...and....

Frankly he's had it with our system and life in general. The little income he does get from ODSP - reduced further now as a single person with subsidized housing - leaves him little and relying on kindness sometimes for a good meal. It's outrageous. Anyway don't count a hunger strike out as at this point Desperate Dan is a nomer that fits the bill.

Politicians..over to you!

Tom Pearson

 I've noticed this "trend' of "training" opportunities" or 'employment opportunities" for people with disabilities or low income and, besides the fact the government is trying to mandatorize labour for those on disabilities regardless of education or skills, the use of 'charity" businesses that use free or cheaper labour (sometimes they pay them with food) is outrageous.

Do these programs really help or take away from paid work?

Under disguise of "helpful programs"programs' like the Inn from the Cold Catering "company" should be banned in its present model as it is not part of their mandate to begin with, let alone another way to make money from the poor via having them "learn" how to make sandwiches and the like under the disguise of teaching them a skilll from which I suppose they say they would now be able to get a job from. Meantime this business gets free labour? Hello!.

But wait you say they are doing a wonderful thing training people how to cater. Bull crap. Most jobs do that anyway at entry level, but at least you'd get PAID a wage then! One local struggling young man I know who works for a catering company was promised full time hours - something hard to get these days - but as yet the place hasn't been able to afford him enough to do so, and the kid walks to work - over 4 miles - ashamed to tell the boss he can't afford it.We don't need homeless shelters preparing food we need them for shelter emergencies only, which should be RARE, not the accepted status quo.

A friend of mine has a catering company and I'm sure he's not thrilled to lose anymore business to competition than he has to in an all ready tough market. Tough to say no to the poor shelter people, and great way to make your business appear "caring" by using such a catering "service". What a farce.

They likely got the idea from a visit I made to Montreal some years back that had a gourmet restaurant tucked in an old church in a poor part of town - Resto Pop - which uses high end discarded catered food as well as a CERTIFIED CHEF in house who teaches culinary skills. These meals are then sold for change to low income and shelter dwellers out of this converted church. And when I say change I mean 50 cents -$2 for a meal etc. and the workers were paid FULL WAGES. This was the model I spoke of when I raised the idea here at the square-table on Poverty in 2006 or so with Belinda Stronach et al, who are seemingly connected to shelters here now through the new "shrine" for single women to be filled by women from outside York Region when it opens in order to fill it, but learned long ago they are all about photo-ops and appearances than reality or caring, or if they are, are rather naive which I doubt.Unless of course the current course of governmental poverty reduction efforts continues and we will afford our aging low income single women to join their male counterparts on the streets - literally- and it will no longer be a manufactured notion as a pressing "need". A that point her Belinda House shrine is going to seem much needed!Yet by just giving people a little more to work with they could avoid being homeless most often - but they don't support that. Hmmm.Too dignified a solution I suppose.

I was speaking with another person at a business who had needed their yard cleaned up of refuse etc and was able to get a quote for about 1/4 of anyone else's. How can they do it? They use people with certain mental health disabilities on ODSP and don't pay the workers but they use it as an 'activity" or " program" for them or if they do get paid it's token. Often they have care and control of these "workers" who also live in residents. Make no mistake these "charities" are making money on them and / or saving it using them under the guise of " volunteers"when often these 'volunteers" are hungry as is and just happy to be warm and eat and if they get thrown a few bones it keeps them coming back enough that they can claim their "program" is a success. yea a success at keeping people attached to them instead of breaking free.I know men without who'da loved the job but how can he compete with almost free?

Free labour at local charities often pays them in food instead of money

As government steers a course toward forced labour on the disabled our local papers write that our social service 'professionals" think the review is going in the right direction
(I personally don't think it needs an overhaul whatsoever just a few tweaks like giving people more to work with to start with). Which professionals were these? The ones who's livelihoods depend on keeping people mired in poverty or come to their "programs" or rely on the free / cheap poor labour to conduct their "charity" business?

People who can already seek out work DO and don't need a hand or forced incentive pushing them to do it, but what will happen is " volunteering" will begin to cut into the paying jobs in hard more than it already has while working businesses who have to compete with real world overheads and don't have the sympathy card to play for funding from government bodies or the public so lest we get to cozy with this charities for all solution don't forget who the labour force will be made up of!

Tom Pearson

John Taylor and myself Int Day for Eradication of Poverty - I approached him in 2010 on low income home ownership. He showed no interest at the time.  I was surprised to get a call from Era Banner about "Taylor's' initiative.

  Era Banner scribe Chris Traber and I have an odd understanding between each other. I wouldn't go as far as to say it's a friendship or even a relationship of any sort, but I guess at times we offer each other something each finds valuable. Still, I respect that he continues to call when I've sometimes criticized stories he's written, as well as the paper itself, but still he allows a bone every now and then for P.A.C.C., unlike it seems many other areas in our local mainstream media family. And besides, he does write the odd effective piece, even if he does slightly misquote me on occasion. Ha. His recent article regarding affordable owned housing options is one of those. Aside from him quoting me as saying the region would qualify potential home owners( it's actually the developer who sets that up) there were only a few other minor discrepancies in what he wrote this time.

I raised the idea of owned condos for low income earners, contained in Y.R.'s social audit , with the Newmarket Mayor - not with the Town of Newmarket as reported by Era - Banners Reporter Chris Traber

   For Traber it's been pretty good though I think. The first time we hooked up, P.A.C.C. offered up some great participants in a series on poverty he wrote called "Below the Line" I believe, and it won a (national?) community newspapers press award with that series or so I read about later after the awards presentations and dinner.  Thing was, I wasn't completely pleased with the focus of that series or the way some people's lives were exposed, as giving their names has always been part of the deal. But I learned an early lesson - that being they don't really care about you or your cause - it's just another story to them.  So I try to protect that now (before sacrificing lambs) by being more protective and aware of people's integrity and dignity within a story and trying to safeguard what's revealed accordingly. I also try to advise people not to say too much (like I tend to!) as reporters will pick bullet points and quotes that relate to their story - and not necessarily your subject's focus of need. The more you say the more disjointed your 'quotes". Now I always ask first off about a story's directed focus before going further.

2011 Fairy Lake, Newmarket - that's not two rocks.

   I was certainly not completely pleased after I served up a homeless father and son on a plate for him - mind you they'd requested it in desperation - for a story resulting with the homeless duo then being thrust out into the public limelight with unrealistic bestowed upon expectations. I had wanted its focus to be on the fact that they needed an affordable place to live together - after which they could concentrate on even thinking about a job - and that our system's shelters keep homeless families apart when their kids reach 18.   

The "kid' asked me then, "I don't want to be the kid that doesn't shower, and where would I do my homework?" as he and his father then lived on the streets - or forest rather - and yes, it was winter.

                                 "Just Get A Job!"

   At the time I'd attempted to get Chris to focus on the critical lack of affordable places to live for single adults (as they were now considered by our social safety net system as opposed to a family) in York Region and that expecting people to work before they have a stable place to lay their heads down was just not feasible.

Homeless dad sits in "living room" of friend who died homeless in 2011

   The results of the story brought a bigger reaction to any they'd (Era Banner) ever done on poverty Chris later revealed when contacting me for a follow up, but it's a shame essential points got missed whilst the attention swirled. There was no real focus on housing in the articles nor on the lack of real men's programs or their instilled revolving streets-to-shelter-to-streets system, and secondly it painted a rosy picture of the twosome's future after invoking an unprecedented outpouring of emotional responses from people wanting to help them out. It was touching, no doubt, but much like food bank donating mentality, these were are not dignified solutions, but rather feel-good gestures that help only short term. People felt moved to do something but didn't know what, so it was a perfect time to tell them, and instead they heard about the wonderful so called job offers etc, when what they really needed to hear about the need for immediate longer term help from our safety-net system for guys in their position. But for the Era-Banner and Chris Traber  it was presented as another happy ending. The photos were great too, with the two smiling alongside piles of reader-donated winter wear,  tents, and food - as they were then living outdoor in winter!  I tried to explain to Chris - through all that love and offers, at the end, they still don't have a place to live together - the reason they were homeless to begin with - and until they get a home cannot follow up anything really so write about that I'd urged.


   Offers of a room for the kid alone in another town, or for both in an obscure out of town rural location where they'd not be able to work or school, or of so-called job offers - one being a solar lights installation course you had to pay to take, but was represented in the article as a job offer - another offer required the dad to be bonded for which he was not able to be and another for a job starting months away with a fourth "job offer" - supposedly from a Tim Horton's of which I was never given a contact name for. So really he had no offers but now instantly, the dad would look to be unwilling to work if he wasn't immediately, his face a familiar sight now from the articles written - and the son too for not opting for room in another town away from his dad for free for awhile. Nice, but not solutions for a desperate family clinging to any shred of togetherness left.
   In the end I was able to 1st get the dad a room to rent and then an almost full time job - enough for a room only type- income. The kid was not able to stay in the rental room as the only one was "allowed", but he sneaked him in on occasion for awhile. I did manage some memorable docu-style video footage in parts though that I feel covered most of the ground I mentioned here - and they have received hundreds of viewings to date.

Writer Chris Traber, left,  visits a homeless camp with Tom Pearson in 2011

   Slowly since, over the past two years now, the streets have hardened and swallowed up this kid. His once vibrant and hopeful eyes now replaced with bitterness and the cloud of substance. His frustrated and ailing father, after initially succeeding and loving his new life with his job cleaning buildings with the hopes of obtaining a home for his son, increasingly slipped to drink again as he anguished over the boy's now ingrained habit of hanging amongst younger shelter dwellers, and in alleys he'd hoped to keep him out of.

   So when Chris called this time I asked what the focus was and it was for my opinion as P.A.C.C. chair on the models for owned affordable housing that Newmarket Regional Councilor John Taylor had co-chaired, I just shook my head in dismay. At first I felt a little embarrassed, not even knowing about such a symposium and then hearing one of the very developers I'd spoke to them about, Michel Labbe of Options for Homes which had apparently been developing successful models of mixed income condos, was part of their presentation. It irked me that not only was P.A.C.C. or the social audit getting any mention in this "innovative idea" but seemingly did not rate an even an invite for input as the Region's Grassroots voice for those in low income positions. Time and time again this region makes the mistake of leaving out the grassroots voice of these issues who can help shape systems that work and are more dignified and realistic.

                                     Above Video PACC's Multicultural Road Hockey Program

    I attended a Canada-wide poverty conference a few years back in Montreal where I heard that the best programs that actually worked were the ones that had grassroots origins. Who betters knows what a community needs than the people in those communities they asked? A presenter cited a poor neighbourhood (possibly St Dennis) in Montreal, where within its boundaries lay a warehouse where Cirque Du Soleil made their stage sets. Working from that, they approached the Cirque people about a work program for locals which turned into great careers for some building show sets, enabled hope for the community and provided good jobs close to their homes

   Here at home, one needs only to look at P.A.C.C.'s influence and model in helping form Operation Sparrow which places kids into mainstream activities - without parents going through embarrassing face to face meetings, eliminating any unneeded private info sharing, and included transportation options for all the kids - all P.A.C.C. influences - which I personally chaired the non- profit for 4 years, and PACCer co-chair Kristine Carbis also sat for several years on the board. Anyone who applied then will tell you that program was designed as the best and most dignified of any out there - bar none.Or our road hockey program free to all kids and now running 10 years!

   When I'd discussed the idea of owned mixed housing condos in York Region with Michel Labbe the Executive from non-profit group "options for Homes I'd communicated with about presenting here if I could arrange it he told me at that time the problem was getting the regional governments to part with the land for it. Labbe was one of the presenters at the 'affordable housing symposium" Taylor hosted.

   I subsequently mentioned this and the idea verbally to John Taylor during that 2010 social audit as he participated in the politicians portion, and again in November 2011 during the "Poverty Free Ontario" launch from The York Region Food Network and at least once to Mayor Van Bynen - but not to the town of Newmarket as Chris Traber wrote that I'd said. Neither party responded at the time at all nor showed any interest in pursuing it. The idea for affordable owned condos in a mixed income community that includes qualifying those who would not other wise qualify for a mortgage through the nonprofit developers was then inked into the social audit - which by the way I speak of is of course"Behind the Masks" testimonials from those marginalized by income a comprehensive, in depth cross section look, at York Region's low income issues, which took months to prepare a ( I co-authored it) report from the data, after which the Regional Council adopted its recommendations as representative of the Region to the Ontario government.

    I assumed if Regional Council read it and believed in it, as they endorsed it, and that we'd hear from them to discuss some of the mentioned solutions and ideas but other than a few obscure path crossings P.A.C.C. has pretty much been left out of any processes since. Whatever happened to all that fancy " collaboration" talk we heard so much about with fanfare last year? Oh, that's right, I had to crash that event too to hear that message Ha. No problem, plod on we go.

   But for Taylor to act as "lead" in this innovative idea ( that I personally first raised with him and Newmarket Mayor Tony Van Bynen in 2010 and which its literally contained as my quote contained on page 64 of the 2010 York Region ONLY EVER Social Audit - Behind the Masks testimonials from those marginalized by income - that they both endorsed as regional council members.
  Here's is a quote from my recommendations in the social audit report as received by the Region in 2012 under


"Social housing is not the only solution. New housing that includes rental town homes and apartments and low income ownership models can also be pursued and included in any town / regional planning. A developer offering low income condo units mixed regular cost units approached me with this idea, yet to date, I can't seem to garner any interest from politicians or land owners. They recently successfully launched a similar model in Ottawa, making a percentage of units available to those who would not normally qualify financially for ownership.With developers who are willing to take this kind of approach, innovative solutions such as these can be implemented. Should the regional or municipal governments have an interest, a presentation can be arranged."Tom Pearson

  Obviously it was eventually. But without us..

 I suggest Councilor Taylor and company actually read that audit as it contains some more solutions - like the Talk2one messaging system for homeless people putting them in homes and jobs - another service we first introduced here once including Taylor's Neighbourhood Network / Habitat for Humanity attached dad - having brought the company reps here to present twice, but there was no interest they had said. I pitched the idea to the Region of York too not just via deputation of the social audit entry to council, but personally recommended it to Commissioner Adelina Urbanski during a meeting with her after the Comissioner had newly arrived to the post as PACC had been offering the service on a limited basis and were trying to get them on-board. Now, as I understand, Talk2One is to be launched via the regionally funded " Housing Help Program".I Heard about that through the grapevine too.
  One of my biggest fears of helping collaborate on the social audit, was that there was no guarantee that people opening up to strangers would have an affect and they partcipated because they believed in us. I don't want that unspoken promise to be broken to them, and to that end will be launching a documentary soon to commemorate the social audit. It contains live excerpts from participants including politicians, workers, and those with lived experience including powerful testimonials.

  To date, we hear little on any of the great ideas and initiatives contained in the Y.R. Social Audit and when we do it's second hand - like when Reporter Traber calling me to ask what I thought of "Taylors idea". Ha.

  I'll invite Councilor Taylor to Oct 17 International Day for The Eradication of Poverty at a forum to discuss this idea and other audit contained ideas that they have yet to discover, but I'll tell you what, we weren't paid one penny for the hundreds of hours PACCERS put out into helping produce York Region's social audit and frankly the people represented expect action , not lip service, and so do we.  Our time is valuable.

   Next time out there will be a consultants fee if they want our help, as frankly we're tired of being treated with disrespect, when our track record of community diligence and success suggests we should be valued and listened to.

You can work with us, or work against us all, it's your choice.

Tom Pearson

 I attended the lockup for the Ontario 2012 Budget called Strong Action for Ontario. For those not aware the lock up is an opportunity afforded invited guests of concerned organizations to view the budget before it is released publicly. During this time you are not allowed to carry communication devises or even leave the room without a security escort. Wow, is it ever weird not having a cell phone. What happened to me? Ha. It's like you've agreed to have your rights suspended for 3 hours.. like jail! The coffee was likely on par with the latest institutional blend and where were the sandwiches promised in the invite? Luckily I avoided any escorted bathroom breaks and went to task feverishly reading over the budget.

  I like to read the throne speech that accompanies it first so I know what issues to watch for and the ones most glossed over are often the ones you have to watch, such as the discovery that in addition to freezing social assistance rates - including disability support programs rates - they've cancelled the Community Start up and Maintenance Benefit which helped put the lowest income recipients in and enable them to keep  homes.

Having followed and read the direction the social services review is headed, there seems to be some preemptive assumptive measures put in place in the budget even though the review is not completed or approved which I find alarming. Was there ever going to be any serious input from anyone other than this review commission who from the outset seems fixated that people need "incentives" to work.These "incentives" include creating enough income instability it would seem as to 'scare' people into "wanting' to work. Do they really think access to work is the only problem? Or jobs that have a pay structure enough to keep a roof AND pay for daycare?

  People don't need incentives like forced labour on our disabled as the two ( social assistance review and budget) seem to suggest ("integrating ODSP with Ontario Employment") to want to work, they already want to contribute. This part you seemed to hear, that people want to contribute, but not by force by CHOICES. And many already are, but want recognition so their esteem and mental health can experience growth or life, not embarrassment or loss of dignity through being "categorized" and branded.

  The budget continues down the alley of shifting government responsibility for taking care of our citizens through partnerships with corporations and corporate charities/religions to be used as distributors and hosts for funding / programs - not grassroots solutions based on reality. They've created a $2 billion dollar " Jobs and Prosperity Fund" for them to play with, so they can make even more free branding as well as more money for their executives, advertising, staffing and corporations received a freeze in corporate taxes as well. The budget also kept an education program that pays 30% of University or College tuition for kids living at home in households making up to $160,000 yearly. Hello!! Like they need it! Yet they froze welfare recipients at $599 month! I guess the charitable meal programs will have to feed them...ALL...Oh Wait..that's all part of their strategy! And I wonder how many low income earners will be asked to join the new "Jobs and Prosperity Council"?

  About the only good news for low income recipients is they're reducing or elimination some pension contributions and like them MPP's incomes are being frozen at their current (allbeit 6 figure) rates. Poor them.

  Other planned cuts aside from pensions are done through amalgamations or merges of entities like schools which they plan to merge - which will affect low income kids without transportation - as well as Children's Aid Societies which at the best of times are stretched to the limit already with 6 of 10 in their care coming out of their "care" to live in poverty or be involved in crime. Great idea Duh-alton. Apprenticeship programs boast having gone up from 60,000 in 2003 to 120,000 now but has a 50% in-completion rate...so...doesn't that mean it has failed? Do the math - 50% of 120,000 is 60,000! Right back where they started from! even after we've gone through a recession? The program has too high an expectation on employers to work and make it worth their while as often times the programs requires an overkill of assorted tradesman on site to make it financially feasible for them. Fixing this would enable thousands of apprentices to get into meaningful job situations resulting in completions.

  As usual the politicians aren't listening. Although they invite me / us to all these gathering and input sessions and claim they want our input yet they seem to pick and choose what they (want to) hear from a preordained vantage point, and when you do speak with them as I have with the MPPs involved with Poverty Reduction Strategy as well as the Commissioners of the Social Assistance Review and others, you seem to get preconditioned and canned responses that don't allow for new ideas or flexibility.

Click Here for fun video on Ontario budget and low income cooking!

 We're all on the same team here and the sooner everyone understands that the better off we'll become. Yes it'll take "strong action" for Ontario to move forward but that doesn't mean categorizing and shifting responsibilities it means building bridges that work because they've had the proper input of materials to make them work. Not a patchwork of ideas that may work, but ideas with a history of working, which we've brought to their tables many a times.

Tom Pearson

York Region Food Network was asked to move out

Y.R. Food Networkers ousted from building - Did they lobby on behalf of other tenants' clients' rights too much?

   The recent release of preliminary initial findings from the social services review Commission confirmed the feeling we had from when we met with Commissioners Frances Lankin and Munir Sheihk earlier this year when they seemed mired in relating everything to the labour force - as if the only barriers people had were work related - and they seemed fixated that if you fix that, that would be the end of the "problem". Gee, if that were the case it'd have been "fixed" long ago. These guys still don't get it and seemed already fixated and predisposed (re:directed) on this relationship as well as the fact people apparently, in their conclusions, need 'incentives" to work, to get off welfare. Never mind the lack of adequate daycare, jobs, transportation, health supports or pay. But what about while people are on social assistance (usually a temporary measure for the majority) can they not be given enough to pay rent and eat? And what about those in need NOW! They were big on quoting only select input from people they chose to, but nothing of the points from our hundreds, if not thousands, of Ontario-wide connected parties that have studied and researched the 'problem" for years, not months, and have some great realistic and DIGNIFIED solutions that don't involve charity. And I don't mean political parties I mean people.

  And how about jobs with a future instead of pigeon-holing people into quick fix " skills' training programs that often have no local bearing, but sound good on paper. The report cites these  but leaves out specifically mentioning a raise is needed in the meantime, and that people are actually worse off now under their government than Harris' after taking inflation into account as they have never adequately brought rates up to where they were before the infamous Harris conservative slash, burn and blame programs of the mid 90's. The prelim just goes on and on and on about the "labour" market and in doing so deliberately creates a divide by pitting poor against working poor in its set-up as well.
   Like this is a choice for most? Who would choose to live a life of misery and hunger? It's just more of the blame game and it even points fingers at the disabled as the "review" encompasses suggesting forcing them to 'work" for their income by making it mandatory. Whose brainstorm was that?

   People on disabilities have a hard time often just getting out their doors in winter here being as our system doesn't provide free(or any) driveway snow shoveling services, but makes them rely on charities which are inconsistent at best.

Tom and Ashley volunteer community organizers. Recently Ashley was told to buy a walker and change her medication after years of being told she had a certain illness and made to take mal seizure causing pills. She went for her 1st walk unassisted . she still has not had her daughter returned now 6 mos seizure free. Meet her Sat Mar 17 volunteering at the Friendly Neighbourhood youth road hockey Challenge.

  One such couple spent the last two weekends stranded inside their house when the charity service didn't show up and their calls for help to them went unanswered. Do you know how depressing that is in winter to be stranded? And what about food and errands, doctors? During this period they also were expected to attend at the Children's Aid office to visit their daughter since she was taken off them for no other reason other than they were disabled and poor. They couldn't make the visit. This gets held against them on their "file' as well. Frankly I don't see why their daughter isn't brought to them since its not their fault of being DISABLED, even though as one half of the couple in question discovered, after 6 years of being ordered to take seizure causing medication when a new doctor stopped it, that she has now not a SINGLE SEIZURE in 6 mos but they still don't have their daughter??!....They are losing their energy to fight and certainly don't have the money for a fancy state-like attourney. So now they're to be forced to do labour too? Good luck with that hair brained idea! Might as well call them the Liberal Conservative Party at this rate.

  The York Region Food Network having been "evicted" last month by the controlling powers that be at the Inn From The Cold building, moved out of 510 Penrose in Newmarket to an obscure location in Aurora that is a tough access for people without vehicles. Too bad, they did some o.k. work there and often stood up for the rights of those on low income, instead of only using them like some do as 'clients' and "guests", but I guess they were sticking up for peoples' rights too much and not playing nice quiet accept the lousy treatment of people tenant that they wanted there. Some "hub".

Fred Joly one of the performers for Opening Face-off party to raise youth award funds for FNY Road hockey challenge

   If you want to get away from it all for a night and feed a good cause that isn't a corporate charity connected to the money people like Y.R.'s seem to be, then come to the Opening Faceoff Party in Newmarket on Fri Mar 16 at 7:30pm PM for a ripping great lineup, free entry/snacks and donations go to $1000 youth friendship award.

TP OUT!

   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!