The following may be particularly interesting to those of us in health who think
that we know what's going on among the poor.  It is also a testimony to how
little we have communicated our message about income and health, and the extent
to which we as health promoters are actually promoting health among those most
in need!



  To           Dennis Raphael/Atkinson

  From:        "Brian C. Grant" <[log in to unmask]>



  Subject      Re: "Inequality is Bad for your Heart"
  :







Thanks You Mr. Raphael for today's doc.

We appreciate the "Inequality" report you gave us last week.   Your report
was quite revealing and projected on our worst fears.   We had no idea that
heart disease and other health illnesses were so connected as clearly as you
group has reported.

CANE has performed research about the impact of poverty on general health in
house and in concert with other local anti-poverty organizations.  We had
examined a lot of anecdotal research on health concerns on low income people
living in poverty (working poor, single parent poor, disability, aged, young
adult, new immigrants and of course welfare recipients or EIA).  But we have not
performed research like your report.

We had speculated that there was damage being down to people from their not
having "control" over their lives (destiny).  In case of Welfare - the
'culture of welfare' (i.e. case management processes, staff biases-behaviour,
job search or education-training expectations, 'job expectation contracts'
an so on) have all helped to perpetuate what these people have touched on -
lack of control over my life.

Many of our own members mentioned how their "hearts" were being by their
situation.  At support meeting people talked about having a variety of
symtoms - anxiety, feeling burdenness in the chest and shoulders, lack of
energy, fatigue, lifelessness, purposelessness, a sense of doom, even death
wishes, suicide and so on.

We are very grateful that your report was more professionally done then we
could ever hope to do.  My Co-Chair, Von Haywood and myself see our Prov.
Finance Minister next week to lobby for an increases: general social
assistance (EIA) rates, minimum wages, housing options, other health
benefits, and GAI - basic annual income.

I thank you ver much.  Give our best wishes to your colleagues in the
anti-poverty movement in Ontario from all of us in CANE.

Brian C. Grant
Co-Chair of CANE
Winnipeg, Manitoba

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