Windsor-Essex Voices Against Poverty, since forming in the late Spring of 2009, have been working to raise public awareness about the experiences of people living in poverty. They are also proposing concrete solutions that will lift people out of poverty. The Voices group has been working collaboratively with Pathway to Potential, as well as with provincial advocacy groups, to engage the broader community in a collective poverty reduction effort.
Voices Against Poverty
Click here to view the official Women’s Studies site on the event.
Distinguished Visitor in Women’s Studies
Keynote address: Too Many Men on the Ice: What the world might look like if Don Cherry were a woman
What if a woman who spoke about the courageous fights women have every day – for equal pay, a harassment-free workplace, for reproductive choice, good daycare, for an end to violence against or as an executive – dressed up in brightly coloured clothes, was paid exorbitant amounts of money by the public broadcaster, and commanded the national airwaves?
What if opera, ballet, great concerts, or women’s soccer preempted the national news instead of hockey?
What would Canada look like?
What would the world look like?
G. Caboto ClubThe goal of the Remember the Day campaign is to make poverty a key issue in the 2011 provincial election. The campaign uses video shorts to highlight the reality that people do not choose to be poor.
We want people to remember these video shorts when they vote on Thursday, October 6, 2011. In support of Poverty Free Ontario‘s goal to make poverty an election issue. We support Poverty Free Ontario’s policy agenda to eradicate poverty in Ontario. Our hope is that this campaign will bring support to eradicating poverty and inspire other individuals and groups, both in our region and across the province, to create their own “Remember the Day” campaign.
The goal of the Remember the Day campaign is to make poverty a key issue in the 2011 provincial election. Our intention is to expose the realities of poverty across Ontario.
We want people to remember these myths and realities when they vote on Thursday, October 6, 2011. In support of Poverty Free Ontario‘s goal to make poverty an election issue, we support Poverty Free Ontario’s policy agenda to eradicate poverty in Ontario. Our hope is that this campaign will bring support to eradicating poverty and inspire other individuals and groups, both in our region and across the province, to create their own “Remember the Day” campaign.
Myth Busting is written by Lorena Garvey, Voices Against Poverty member.
Myth #5: People “choose” to be poor
People do not choose to be poor. There are many reasons as to why people are living in poverty. For instance Windsor and Essex county are tied to the highest unemployment rate in Ontario with 9.7% (January 2011). Another reason as to why people may be living in poverty could be because of an injury or illness that may prevent them from working. Also the people who are working on minimum wage have a high chance of living in poverty. Post secondary school students have a very high chance of being in poverty, if not at during the time they are attending, then when they have completed their college/university education and are left with school loans to pay back while seeking employment. Systemic conditions can be a big contributor that leads individuals and families that weren’t considered poor, into a situation where they are living below the poverty line. Some of the systemic conditions are the things that need to be done before they qualify for Ontario Works or ODSP, such as liquidating your assets, which includes selling your car, any RRSP, pre-paid funerals , trust funds etc. These systemic conditions are often contributors to deep poverty, which in turn, often leads families into generational poverty which can be very difficult, almost impossible, to pull one’s self out of poverty.
References:
http://www.workforcewindsoressex.com/need_to_know/windsorunemploymenjanuary2011/
http://www.isarc.ca/socialaudit2010.html
Myth #4: You can live off of minimum wage
Currently minimum wage is at $10.25/hour. Monthly before-tax income for a person earning minimum wage at 35 hours per week is $1,555. In Windsor and Essex county, renters as well as home owners spend more than 30% of their income on housing. The current average rent for a two-bedroom apartment in the Windsor CMA is $774 per month. This means that a person earning minimum wage at 35hrs a week will be spending 49% of their monthly income on housing. This leaves 51% of their income for utilities, food, transportation, and home supplies.
References:
http://www.weareunited.com/img/pdfs/annual-reports/2009wellbeingreport.pdf
Myth #3: Poor people need to be taught basic life skills like budgeting.
Many who live far below the poverty line must spend all or most of their income on basic needs. Anyone who manages to feed and clothe a family on a very limited income already has budgeting skills. 1 in 5 tenants in Windsor/Essex spend more then 50% of their income on rent.
References
United Way / Centraide Windsor-Essex County, 2009 Well-Being Report
Myth #2: Poor people don’t pay taxes.
Having to pay income tax starts far below the poverty line. Although people on Ontario Works don’t pay income tax on their social assistance, they still pay sales tax, GST and property taxes. Refundable credits reduce the cost of tax, but don’t cover the total tax paid.
References
Canada Revenue Agency, Line 145 Social Assistance
Myth #1: Social Assistance rates are too generous.
All Social assistance rates are well below the Low Income Cut-off. The highest rates are still 39% below; the lowest are 66% below the Low Income Cut-off.
References
Voices Against Poverty and Pathway to Potential would like to thank the media that has covered the Remember the Day campaign. The coverage is helping us achieve our goal of making poverty a key issue in the 2011 provincial election.
Click the links below to see the media coverage thus far.
Thursday, August 18, 2011
The feature that highlights Ontario Works and poverty begins at the 10:25 mark of the video.
Article on Remember the Day campaign.
Tuesday, August 16, 2011
Article on Remember the Day launch.
Adam Vasey, Director of Pathway to Potential was interviewed on Tuesday, August 16 at 3:20pm by Rusty Thomson about the Remember the Day Campaign.
The feature on the Remember the Day campaign begins at the 4:40 mark of the video coverage.
Article on Remember the Day launch
The goal of the Remember the Day campaign is to make poverty a key issue in the 2011 provincial election. The campaign uses audio interviews with people with lived experience to highlight the realities of poverty.
We want people to remember these interview when they vote on Thursday, October 6, 2011. In support of Poverty Free Ontario‘s goal to make poverty an election issue. We support Poverty Free Ontario’s policy agenda to eradicate poverty in Ontario. Our hope is that this campaign will bring support to eradicating poverty and inspire other individuals and groups, both in our region and across the province, to create their own “Remember the Day” campaign.
Remember the Day Audio Interview:
Click here to listen to Lorena Garvey share her story.
Glen’s life changed from upper middle class to barely surviving on Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSP). Click here to hear Glen’s story.
Mary grew up middle class and her life changed after her divorce and disability. Click here to hear Mary tell her story.
Lynne’s life changed due to an abusive relationship. Click here to hear Lynne tell her story.
Written by Tim Godfree, Voices Against Poverty Member
$592 single
$1,021 couple
These may look like spa package prices, but they are not. They are the current social assistance rates. You are probably wondering how anyone could live off $592 a month, the max rate for Ontario Works (OW). If you are lucky enough to find a job, you are no longer eligible for OW’s medical benefits. Some employers will provide additional medical benefits, but many are hiring more part-time employees and providing fewer shifts so they do not have to pay for these benefits. And if you lose this part time job because the company decides to move to another country where the cost of labour is cheaper, your only option is to apply for Employment Insurance (EI). However, seeing that you were not working full time hours you may not qualify for EI because you do not have enough hours to meet the eligibility requirements.
So let’s say you are able to get a general labour position to pay your bills, and then you injure yourself. You now have no other choice but to apply for Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSP) where the max you can receive a month is $1,053. You might be thinking ‘I could live off of $1,053 a month’, but it is likely that you will never see the max. Your financial situation will become so horrendous that you are going to have to sell off all your assets and eventually move into Geared to Income housing. Your housing will now cost you 30% of your ODSP which will leave you with almost nothing to survive on. This is how the current system contributes to destitution.
My story is similar to the story above. I spend most of my days volunteering my time because I enjoy giving back to my community. It gives me a sense of belonging. When it comes to the money I receive, I sometimes have a hard choice to make: buy food or pay my bills. It cannot be both because I simply do not have the money. I starve most of the time because money runs out quickly. Jobs are a necessity but they are very hard to come by in this economic uncertainty. Quality food takes money I don’t have and the cost of food is constantly increasing. I dread the middle of the month because I must decide which personal belonging I must pawn to make it to the end of the month.
Given the economic and social insecurity that poverty creates, I am constantly amazed by the resiliency of our community. I get my strength for the future knowing this can’t continue. There has to be change. Knowing that I can be the change is the only thing that keeps me going. All it takes is one vote.
Our province spends $25.1 billion annually on prescription drugs. The Ontario government is now looking for new ways to make our system sustainable and cost efficient. A Pharmacare Plan could save the provincial government $4.48 to $10.7 billion annually if it were implemented. In a May 19th, 2010 article written by Rob Ferguson, Premier Dalton McGuinty states the following about Universal Pharmacare, “The idea of a national pharmacare program was quashed by the former Liberal federal government six years ago as too expensive, but increased pressures on health care budgets since then show the idea is worth reconsidering”
British Columbia was the first province to start a Generic Drug Plan known as Universal Pharmacare. Quebec also has a Prescription Drugs Insurance which is compulsory and provided through a public plan. This is done by purchasing generic drugs to save the province hundreds of millions of dollars in costs. Both provinces potentially have more money available for other health services they need. If Canada had a national pharmacare plan the collective buying power would further reduce the cost of generic pharmaceuticals.
Over the past year or so we have heard many stories of how low income seniors and those on OW and ODSP have difficulty paying for medications not currently covered by the Trillium Drug Plan and Ontario Drug Benefits. Some of these people either have to scrounge for money to buy their prescriptions or sell personal effects to pay for their pharmaceuticals. At present many people have to choose whether or not to have a roof over their heads or food for their families. The working poor will benefit the most from a Universal Drug Plan because they do not have a drug care plan.
Basically it comes down to this: when low-income people are healthy they are better able to contribute to society. A Universal Pharmacare plan is a good step in the right direction. The Pharmacare plan saves the province billions of dollars and it saves lives. If this makes sense to you, call or write your local MP and MPP in support of Universal Pharmacare.
