Poverty is being normalized
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Today on NOW and NEXT:Call it wilful ignorance or indifference. Either way it's led to a pattern and culture of inaction that all levels of government have normalized. Our governments have normalized poverty.The Ford government and the Official Opposition at Queen's Park stand by mumbling meaninglessly while poverty grows at an historic and alarming rate in the City of Toronto. Ontario's MPP's choose to pay lip service, at best, to address what is well past a crisis.Pre-pandemic research indicates poverty costs Ontario as much as $33 billion annually) and no one who sits in the legislature appears prepared to do anything about it. That's a budget cut we should all get behind. Eliminate poverty. Eliminate $33 billion in spending.How can we possibly afford poverty when we have such financial pressures on Heathcare, Education and the cost of servicingin the provincial debt? Imagine what we could do with an annual boost to the bottom line of $33 billion!The latest numbers from the Daily Bread Food Bank make it clear the province, the feds and the city have all failed to curb poverty. In fact, under the collective watch of Trudeau, Ford and Tory, the number of monthly food bank visits have quadrupled in less than three years. And there's no indication those numbers will slow down anytime soon.In fact, it's clear that demand will outstrip the resources of groups like Daily Bread to meet the needs of those who can't afford to put food on the table. The Food Bank is now spending $1.8 million per month on food. That's more than 12 times the budget spent in 2019. Pre-pandemic, Daily Bread spent approximately $1.5 million A YEAR.There are more than 12 thousand new clients walking through the food bank's door every month. And a third, 1 out of 3 food bank clients have a full time job. Neil Hetherington, CEO at the Daily Bread Food Bank is demanding the province reinstate the emergency support programs offered at the outbreak of the pandemic. It was an income top up for all Ontarians who are on social assistance, Ontario Works and ODSP.The response from Queen's Park has been predictable, tone-deaf and insulting to those who are struggling to feed themselves and their kids. A "spokesperson" in an "email" response boasts about the government's commitment to increase the monthly ODSP payments. That amounts to about $50-60 bucks.Whether it's the violence on the streets, the safety concerns at the TTC, or the inability of families to put food on the table, the issues facing Toronto all stem from the increased number of people who live in or near poverty. The answers may not be simple but they are clear - affordable housing and basic income support.Our governments have failed to address the solutions. Instead, they have normalized poverty.