If you have ever lived in Poverty this will be something to think about. One day you may be employed living and loving life without hesitation then poof its all gone and you are put in Poverty. People sometimes become so arrogant that they believe it could never happen to them. I am living in it today after the company I worked for ripped me off $1500 payment they owed me and pulled the plug with an excuse of downsizing but still are making Millions off my hard work. So having a family to feed and have to go to Assistance to live or starve with pride. I went to the local Assistance Office after applying for 10 jobs and nothing came back. I had the opportunity to talk to the nice lady on the phone. She informed me at minimum there is a week to two weeks waiting period before you can get a cent. She then said how under staffed they are because of cuts to the department by the Provincial Government. She said her greatest worry what if someone needed medication or worse food.
So how to we defeat Poverty in our Province or Country? What puts people there and how do we help those that really need a hand when it comes down to swallowing their pride to take a hand out as many will say?
I believe it is through having the next generation educated and offered trades, university and college educations. Then it is jobs for those coming of age but presently in New Brunswick there is a cluster of working poor jobs or minimum wage and an unemployment rate of 9% mostly in Saint John. Let alone the Politicians look after they voting themselves unanimously an 85% increase and yet the sheeple voted them back in with the people's money.
Here are some simple suggestions to help curb Poverty:
Work Experience for those on Social Assistance
Like education, on-the-job experience is essential to securing long term employment. In addition to the financial benefits, allowing Social Assistance recipients the opportunity to work also builds confidence and bestows greater dignity.
MLA’s will work with the federal government to develop a program where social assistance recipients can voluntarily work for additional money and build job experience. In the mid 1990′s, such a program existed. The results of that experience will be used to build, and improve, a similar program today. So instead of looking down on those that are down already empower them to suceed.
End the “claw back” of Social Assistance
Several situations, most notably single parents receiving child support or senior citizens receiving Canada Pension, the Social Assistance program “claws back” or reduces the benefit to recipients. This essentially leaves the recipients in a worse position, as interruptions in these other payments can occur.
Equal Parenting
The current family court system lends itself to lengthy legal battles involving lawyers and issues over the rights of parents to raise their children. If divorced couples were presumed to carry equal rights and responsibilities for the care of their children, this burden would be lifted from the court system, the parents, and the children themselves. The Federal Government and Provincial Government has spent millions on studies but it still costs the tax payers Millions for these studies and still nothing done. This in return costs every tax payer in our country and the total cost country wide is trillions.
Amend the Family Services Act to include the presumption of equal parenting. Only in cases where abuse is alleged, would the family court system be required to intervene for the protection of the children. Move it from the Justice Department and bring it over to the Social Services. Have them prepare a simple affidavit with a Parenting Plan to be submitted to a justice for his stamp. This would free up the courts and your pocket book of lawyers fee's.
Health Coverage for the Working Poor
Many People that work currently do not have health coverage through their employers, and are unable to afford their own private health plan. This includes many families and single parents, who are unable to pay for the essential health services required by their children. In some cases, this lack of health coverage is a determining factor when someone is considering working or remaining on social assistance. If we provide free vision screening for students entering kindergarten as per the CNIB. Their organization says this is a crucial age to catch and be able to correct future vision problems by up to 50 per cent. These screening are free to those students whose aren’t covered by their parent’s private health plan.
We need Medical coverage program for employed people that cannot afford their own coverage. To ensure that the program is not abused, the earnings threshold for qualification to this program will be established at $30,000/year single or $45,000 with dependants.
Allowance for adult dependants
Changes to the social assistance program so that people caring for a disabled adult dependant will receive assistance. The maximum amount received would be equal to the medical amount for long-term assistance, less 25%. There would be a financial cap in place for household income along the same guidelines as caring for children with disabilities.
As the Title says Prove Me Wrong !
