This is an open letter to Premier Dalton McGuinty and
Sudbury MPP Rick Bartolucci. I ask you to learn more about
income gaps. Societies where the gap between the rich and poor
is less, are societies where everyone has a better quality of
life. That means you, me, children, men, women -everyone. They
fare better because people are healthier physically, mentally
and spiritually. There is less crime, lower rates of school
drop-out, fewer special needs, and the list goes on.
By providing people who are in need with a reasonable living
amount on social assistance, you will be saving money in health
care, preventing crime. You will actually be making our
communities a better place to live when we are all better off.
Your government has stated it needs time to reinstate the funding to social assistance that was slashed by the Mike Harris, Conservative government. I pose the question that if governments can slash spending overnight, why can it not be restored as speedily? Ontario is a rich province.
Spend money on those in financial need.
The coroner's inquest into the tragic death of Kimberly Rogers in Sudbury recommended increases in welfare rates and a number of other humanitarian recommendations. Sudbury and Ontario still feel the tragedy of her death. Didn't your government support these recommendations? Where is this support now?
I can't sit by and let my neighbours go hungry; feel like caged
animals because of regressive welfare policy, see them have to
use food banks, beg for their existence and die! Can you?
Penny Earley
Sudbury