A Different Stimulus Package

We were suitably outraged this past week by reports of huge "retention bonuses" paid to execs at AIG in the States, as well as Nortel. Why would a company want to retain leaders who ran the business into the ground, as is the case with AIG, and how can they use taxpayers money?

Closer to home and closer to our own life experience, the middle class continues to be battered by lay-offs and many more worry about job security. What will governments do to stimulate the economy and save jobs?

What if you are amongst the working poor or on social assistance? It would have been easy to miss a far less spectacular news story this past week related to an announcement by the premier of Ontario, Dalton McGuinty.The Child Benefit will increase from $600 to $1100 a year, or nearly double the current level. The increase will be on a sliding scale, with the biggest increases going to the households with the lowest incomes. An extra $500 a year per child might not seem like a lot to some of us, but to those living on the margins this will make a huge difference. My wife, Ruth, works with many income moms and knows this announcement will be of huge significance to her clients.

There is a strong biblical principle of caring for the disadvantaged in our midst, of providing for those who may not be able to provide even the basic necessities for themselves. Not only is this voiced by the prophets of the Old Testament, it is clearly stated in some of the letters of the New Testament.

It might be worthwhile to write the premier an email of commendation for this decision. It is not what we may think of when it comes to a "stimulus package" but it is such a good decision in these tough economic times.

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When I fired up my blogger account today I was surprised to see that this is my six hundredth blog entry. Given that I wasn't sure if I could keep this up for a week when I started, I have certainly run on at the mouth. Thank you for reading!