ACORN responds to McGuinty's Anti-Poverty Initiatives

ACORN responds to McGuinty's Anti-Poverty Initiatives

We offer this response to the announcement made today by Premier Dalton McGuinty;

While we are encouraged by the announcement of new resources for social housing, dental care and student nutrition, it falls far short of the comprehensive poverty reduction strategy the Premier has promised, and that Ontarians deserve.

What was layed out by Premier McGuinty today are incremental pieces of a larger puzzle of how to reduce poverty in Ontario. As a membership owned organization, with a large constituency of low and moderate income families, including many members living in social housing, our members call on the provincial government to systemically address the growing rates of poverty in our province by implementing the following platform;

· Regulation of the payday lending industry with a 60% interest rate cap, licensing of lenders and a ban on roll over loans.
· Asset development program for tenants in social housing, allowing them to save their rent increases in an escrow account for use purchasing a home or skills retraining.
· Full rent controls to bring private rental housing costs back under control.
· Universal childcare based on Quebec’s $7/day program.
· Licensing of temp agencies to guarantee the protection of workers basic labour rights.
· Peg the minimum wage to inflation
· Raise social assistance and ODSP rates by 40% and peg to inflation.

McGuinty Brushes Up On Social Programs

Monday March 17, 2008
CityNews.ca Staff

Premier Dalton McGuinty followed students back from March Break, and ended up at Cliffside Public School.

His break was a little longer than most - Queen's Park hasn't been in session since December - but the premier lost little time in making new announcements.

On Monday, he said that Ontario would spend $267 million to improve affordable housing, and to help low-income residents get proper dental care.

"We're going to invest for the first time $45 million to help families who don't have access to dental care, which is essentially an extension of health care. We want to make sure that families are getting access to basic treatment and prevention opportunities, which they have lacked in the past," he promised.

And in a move that would directly benefit some Cliffside students, he pledged to expend the student nutrition program with a three-year $32 million investment.

And then it's back to the legislature. Before sessions even began, NDP leader Howard Hampton called McGuinty's plan "grossly inadequate," and his Conservative counterpart John Tory said the best way to cure poverty is with a strong economy.

Discussions of Ontario's economy will continue as the budget is tabled next week.