Submitted by the Social Assistance Network Of Niagara
(At a time when government in Ontario and all over North American are responding to the economic challenges we all face with rounds of tax and spending cuts, we need to ask the question – ‘Is that the best way to go or is it causing even more hardship for people?
Regardless of how you choose to respond to that question, this is a discussion we have to have. So mark the following event on your calendar.)
Trish Hennessy, Ontario director for the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives, is a key speaker
Join Us On Wednesday, April 24th, 2013, 1:00-2:30 p.m., Niagara Region Headquarters, Council Chambers, 2201 St. David’s Rd., Thorold Ontario
The impact of austerity measures in 2012 had a negative effect on many Ontarians. Some communities are struggling to return to pre-recession economic health.
Meanwhile, Ontario has become the second worst province in Canada for growing inequality. It’s time to look beyond austerity and consider the steps we can take to make Ontario more equal and more socially, as well as economically, sustainable.
Join this interesting and important conversation, led by Trish Hennessy, director of the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives (CCPA) Ontario office. Trish has directed the CCPA’s national income inequality project since 2006.
Following the presentation there will be a question and answer period.
Free admission ~ Registration not required
For more information, contact Lori Kleinsmith at 289-479-5017 Ext. 2445 or e mail Lori at lori.kleinsmith@bridgeschc.ca
Sponsored by the Social Assistance Network of Niagara (SARNN)
For more information on the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives visit http://www.policyalternatives.ca/ .
(Niagara At Large invites you to join in the conservation by sharing your views on the content of this post below. For reasons of transparency and promoting civil dialogue, NAL only posts comments from individuals who share their first and last name with their views.)
Niagara At Large 
Wow, this is getting crazy. So when a government tries to reduce their spending for one year, it’s immediately labeled a crisis. Ok, I still had some change in my pocket after paying taxes, let me get it for you.
A Note from Niagara At Large publisher Doug Draper – I have long begun to wonder what those who say they want more tax and spending cuts want. I think that if they are that adament for tax and spending cuts, they should be made to fill out a form on what spending cuts they are willing to accept for programs or services that they benefit directly from … health care, policing in their neighbourhoods, waste management pickup, home care for a family in need of help on the home front …. Don’t just say you want tax and spending cuts. Tell us what you would be willing to sacrifice in services for a spending cut …. Please don’t sit there and say, I want tax and spending cuts as long as it doesn’t affect a service or program I need. … This is what it is all about here.
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Doug,that’s a very noble and creative idea. Here’s another one. Since the government doesn’t have an endless supply of money, why don’t those people wanting government funding have a meeting with each other to explain why their funding should increase and the other people’s funding decrease.
It’s not an impractical idea. The Ontario Public Teachers union was in a long a bitter dispute over wages this past year. Anyone wanting to advocate for the poor could point out to them that all the wage increased they want is money that could go to the poor.
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Well, taxes were cut and then cut some more, but I fail to see where this is helping. I’m sorry, but WHERE ARE THE JOBS these tax cuts are supposed to lead to? Matthew, it is not big business that create jobs. We do. The more cuts made to the economy, the less spending any of us has, so who is going to have the discretionary funds to spend at small businesses, restaurants, stores, dealerships, etc., if we are all forced out of work or to take low wage, temporary insecure jobs? I can’t see businesses sticking around very long when nobody has the money to buy the goods and services that they are selling. Further, it is not general government spending that gets cut, it is health care, services to the poor and other types of service cuts especially felt by people without a lot of money to begin with, and the less money these people have … you know. They are simply not going to buy anything.
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A lack of concern for the underlying immorality of government programs in general is alarming to me. Human beings have a right to their property, including their money. No group of individuals have the right to take any of that money without the owner’s consent. So, taxation, by its very nature, is theft and is immoral. So, we can debate all day long about what programs or services should be cut, but the whole thing is based on theft and the threat of force!
Instead of government, all services should be provided by private companies. Private companies do a better job anyway, because of competition.
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