Lots of us remember when the federal government in Canada and most of the provinces ran staggering deficits. Then all these jurisdictions tightened fiscal belts, aided by robust economies bringing in big tax bucks, to balance the books. The world's financial picture has certainly changed and now the federal Conservative government and the Ontario provincial government are preparing us for deficit budgets. In fact, Ontario's Liberals, not big fans of the feds, are suggesting it is okay with them if the Conservatives run a deficit. To quote Premier McGuinty:
"You get yourself into trouble if you have an ideological aversion to deficits. You don't embrace deficits but ... let's be practical here. The choice is you cut programs, you can raise taxes or you run deficits."
I was certainly glad when governments reigned in spending during the nineties because I could see the mess we were going to leave for the next generation. I did have misgivings about what would happen to social programs. Look at how quickly governments everywhere have run to the rescue of institutions which were plundering from the common person. But they often have an itchy trigger finger when it comes to programs for the working poor, the disabled, the mentally ill. And we have just heard that the gap between rich and poor in this country is growing.
The United Church has regularly been a voice for the voiceless when cuts are proposed. So do we support the possibility of ending up in the red if it means that social programs are maintained, not to mention health and education.
Thoughts?
4 comments:
I can assure you that the working poor are suffering. For example. One of my sons had serious learning challenges and we were constantly told that we should consider spending $1500-2000 on private assessments. That amount mays well have been a million dollars. It was apparent in jk that our son was in danger and believe it or not he was not assessed by the school until he was in grade 8. He suffered big time. Individual teachers who freely gave him extra support saved him. They were not paid extra and I am sure they rarely get thanks for their extra work either.
Our other son needed psychological services from early on. He was having alot of anxiety due to a series of deaths in our family. We have a huge family history of serious anxiety disorders of a biologically based nature, but this doesn't even get onto the radar screen. Again, no money, no help. Years of anxiety have now taken a serious toll on this young man. And guess what? Our hands are tied. Now that he is in serious life threatening trouble his parents have no legal rights to help him. We literally have been forced to let him go even if this means he will have to live on the streets. This is based on his age - over 16. When we expressed our concern that he may die at this point, we have been told that this is "unfortunate" - a word that in my mind says something quite frightening about us as a society. The only way a person can be forced into treatment is if he\she committs a crime, which is in fact what youths in his situation usually resort to. This is because they do not have the capacity to help themselves. I believe the casualties of poor social services in the end cost much more to support then those who had higher incomes and the means to provide early intervention and prevention.
Your comment points out how complex and frustrating finding the way through the system of social services can be. Today's announcement can be a hopeful sign that existing programs won't be cut for the time being.
Our family feels your worry and frustration, Pupil. It does seem something bad really needs to happen before anyone takes serious notice. And the sad thing is, these marginalized individuals can't advocate for themselves. I read a hopeful article last week of a doctor in Toronto, who graduated top of his class at Harvard. His Christian calling brought him to doctor to the homeless, in the US first, and now Toronto. His obvious brilliance is tempered by his admission of the weaknesses in science. Medical assistance programs need a "social ideology" he claims, to make people care..to care beyond the science, beyond the policy,but to care about the person who can't be left to their own fate. There are wonderful workers in the system..it seems a generous dash of God into the policy/funding process would do wonders. I pray for those needing help, and for those "angels' in the system, like Dr Hwang (?) who offer glimmers of hope to the hopeless.
I am praying now that an angel appears for my son, because nothing short of a miracle will save his life now. Our own hands are tied, and now we are blindfolded as well. Early on I tried to get the parents of some of his friends to care, but in the process I began villianized. I can bare this, because I know I have to remain strong. Some of these parents, who call me crazy, have actually provided substances to their children and mine. I keep saying that this is like giving up on the war on poverty because there are just too many poor.
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