|Homelessness/Housing||Economy||Raise The Rates||Cops||Government||Solidarity||Casework||Action||Support OCAP||Archive|
April 15th: Raise The Rates - Rally and March on the McGuinty Government
Submitted by ocap on Wed, 03/24/2010 - 21:47.
The Special Diet Has Been Cut!
WE DEMAND:
- Raise Welfare and Disability rates by 40% now!
- Stop the attacks: Give us back the Special Diet!
- Defend Public Services
Public Meeting:
Friday, April 9th @ 6.00 PM
Parkdale Activity and Recreation Centre, 1499 Queen Street West
Testimony and discussion on cuts to the Special Diet
SEE VIDEO FROM THIS EVENT: PART 1 PART 2 PART 3
Rally and March on the MGuinty Government:
Thursday, April 15th @ 12 Noon
Allan Gardens Park ~ Free Meal
*accessible van pick up at South East corner of Dundas and Yonge at 11:30am
On March 25th, Ontario’s Liberal Government killed the Special Diet in the Provincial Budget. 20% of those on social assistance in Ontario had been getting this vital benefit and they will now be thrown into a crisis by a move that will rob them of the ability to buy food and pay the rent.
People on OW and ODSP live on rates that are shamefully inadequate. Since the 1995 cuts, these rates have been reduced in real terms by at least 40%. For 15 long years, people have been forced further and further in to poverty. In slashing the Special Diet now - the government is taking away the one thing that people on Social Assistance had left to try to get-by. This is the most devastating social cutback since Mike Harris slashed welfare rates in 1995.
The Liberal Government has dared to talk about ‘poverty reduction’. Not only has it cut the Special Diet while huge numbers of people face the impact of an economic crisis, but it has announced that it will increase the rates by 1% at the end of the year. That’s less than inflation and an insulting slap in the face.
Governments responded to the economic crisis by giving billions of dollars in bailouts and tax cuts to failed corporations and banks. Now they are looking to get that money back in the way of serious social cutbacks. The Special Diet is an example of this, but all Public Services are under threat.
If we let the government write our future, it will be bleak. We are calling on poor and working people in Ontario to organize and fight back.We won’t pay for their crisis or their deficit. We demand the right to a decent income and a future free of poverty. Raise the Rates by 40% Now!
Join us April 9th for a meal and meeting on the cut to the Special Diet, and organizing against the Liberal government. On April 15th rally and march against the McGuinty Government.
