I will be proposing a plan to City Council that will provide
people living in our housing developments with low-income and on
social assistance a chance to improve their quality of life and
give them a renewed sense of pride and dignity as parents. This
will also allow them to reduce the stigma that their children
feel when they know that they do not have the money to do the
things that other families get to do together.
We owe it to residents who are struggling on minimum wage and
who are trying their best to provide for their children. Their
children go to school with others who come from families that
are much better off financially and these young boys and girls
feel the pain of knowing that they can’t enjoy the same kind of
lifestyle that they hear their friends speaking about in class
and at recess. Parents are also struggling to meet the demands
for extra money for pizza days, field trips, etc. and their
children do not understand just how tight the budget is. Parents
often have to do without lunch themselves so that they can save
their children from embarrassment.
The City of Greater Sudbury cannot do much to increase the
minimum wage or the hours of work for full and part-time
positions occupied by some of our residents. Nor can we do much
about increasing social assistance payments. But we can do
several things that will allow these citizens to make their
meagre resources go farther and give them more money for food
and other necessities for their children.
I will be proposing the following for all adult residents living
anywhere in the City of Greater Sudbury who verify that their
taxable income is less than $20,000 per year:
-
They will be given free; unlimited bus passes for themselves
and their children so that they can put the money that they
have been spending on bus fare towards other basic
necessities of life. It will also give people an opportunity
to use the bus if they have not been able to do so for
financial reasons up until now.
-
They will be given free family season passes to Science
North and Dynamic Earth, as well as free family passes to
public skating sessions at municipal arenas and free family
passes to public swimming at municipal pools so that they
will be able to feel the pride and dignity of other parents
who have the financial means to spend time in
family-focussed activities around the city. As it stands
now, most people living on low incomes simply do not have
the extra money to bring their children to activities such
as these and they feel the shame and stigma that comes with
being unable to give their children what all the other kids
take for granted.
These measures will cost the City of Greater Sudbury next to
nothing. The buses are not running at full capacity most of the
day and so there is space to accommodate the people who require
the transit to get to and from work. The passes to Science North
and Dynamic Earth will cost nothing since there is always space
for more visitors. And the passes to public skating and swimming
will cost nothing.
What these simple gestures will do, however, is provide a
significant amount of extra cash for parents so that they can
buy that extra food for their children or they will not have to
disappoint their children when they come home asking for a few
dollars for a class field trip. This will help children avoid
the stigma that comes with poverty and it will make parents feel
a bit of dignity and pride at being able to provide for their
children.
They will also be able to spend quality time with their children
at Science North and Dynamic Earth, and going skating and
swimming, just like all other families. We have a responsibility
to the citizens of this city who are struggling financially.
These are things we can do that are low-cost to the city but of
such tremendous value to the parents and children who need our
help the most.
PUBLISHED IN NORTHERN LIFE ONLINE - OCTOBER
2, 2014
http://www.northernlife.ca/news/elections/municipal/2014/ward5/02-Kirwan-needy-families.aspx
PUBLISHED IN SUDBURY STAR - OCTOBER 4, 2014
http://www.thesudburystar.com/2014/10/04/candidate-has-plan-to-help-sudburys-poor
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