greetings,

To read an article on promoting civic participation amongst low income
persons and new Canadians in this week's Echo Magazine (Waterloo Region,
Hamilton and Niagara Region) go to:

http://www.echoweekly.com/

“People frequently respond by saying that their
vote doesn’t matter,” says Parkinson. “Across
Canada, confidence in political leaders has
been on a steady decline, mirroring the decline
in voter turn–out. Our job includes pointing out
that each vote does count, that a person or
family’s quality of life is directly tied to
participation in civic affairs. Politicians know
who votes and who does not, and they cater
their activities accordingly. Paul Martin and
every other smart politician knows this.”
And it is precisely because politicians monitor
the demographics of who votes and who does
not that some of the most pervasive problems
in our communities persist.

“Income inequality in Canada is real — it kills
people prematurely and is unhealthy
throughout the lifespan,” says Parkinson. “Yet
because it is a policy decision, very little action
has been taken, except when it comes to
federal and provincial governments taking
more away from those surviving on a low
income. There is a reason we still have food
banks and soup kitchens in Canada —
governments and others have yet to recognize
basic needs like food, housing and an
adequate income as a fundamental human
right.”

michael
www.promotethevote.org

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