Guaranteed Annual Income

Michael Enright interviewed Hugh Segal this morning on CBC's The Sunday Edition. Here is an excerpt from his intro re a Guaranteed Annual Income for those in need:

The Sunday for October 18th. , 2009

Welcome to The Sunday Edition for Oct. 18, 2009. I'm Michael Enright. Living in one of the richest countries on earth, we don't like to think about the poor among us; it makes us feel uneasy. Across Canada this past Thanksgiving Day, the food banks and the missions were full. The shelters for the street people and the homeless were at capacity. Yet poverty is not on any political agenda, it is not part of any party's core policy platform. It is a silent issue and like the poor themselves, one that is with us always.

Over the years, we have examined, studied, planned, held conferences, passed legislation, tried every formula and new idea designed to reduce poverty. And the poor among us today are better off than the poor of decades ago. This season The Sunday Edition is, from time to time, going to explore poverty and inequality in all their various aspects. We begin this morning in conversation with a Conservative senator, trying to get poverty on the national agenda. Hugh Segal admits his is a lonely undertaking. Politically, it is not a sexy subject for discussion and action. Plus we look at a remarkable social experiment that wiped out poverty from the prairie town of Dauphin Manitoba in 1974. Everybody in the town was given a guaranteed annual income and for four years the people flourished.

A podcast of the interview should be made available within the next few days on CBC Radio's web site. It's an interview not to be missed to my mind.


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Co-opcracy will slowly be winding down. I have said mostly what I felt should be said regarding the democratic process in the housing co-operative movement. I will be posting updates on the subsidy issue and other co-op related topics if I feel that they need to be aired.

Reprieve

We, and other subsidized members, received a notice dated September 24, 2009 from the Office Co-ordinator, indicating that the Board of Directors is reviewing the subsidy calculations formula with regards to the utility allowances and the notice given for the housing charge increase. Housing Charges will, therefore, increase on November 1st and not on October 1st as previously stated.

The Board of Directors received several complaints from concerned members about the formula used and the timing of the increase. Let's all hope for a good outcome.

The CMHC credit for utilities is there for the working poor. The Shelter Component for members on ODSP and/or Ontario Works allows for payment of rent as well as utilities. The co-op must align themselves with this formula.

ODSP also deducts 50% of earnings, border fees and other pensions such as CPP penny per penny. The co-op cannot double dip using the 30% or 35% formula as they do for the working poor.