Dennis,
I ran in the 2003 Ontario election and the 2004 and 2006 federal elections 
for the NDP.  I have seen this as an extension of my antiprivatization work 
in health care.  I wanted to share with you my impressions on the eve of the 
2004 election:

There is so much I could say about the experience of this campaign but I 
think the thing that stays with me the most is the realization in the final 
days of the campaign that poverty, though it remains such a pervasive 
problem for Canadians especially aboriginal Canadians, received so little 
attention.



On my last night of canvassing I visited an apartment building not unlike 
those depicted in films and TV shows about inner city America.  I met many 
friendly people some of whom worried that this housing would soon no longer 
be affordable to them as a new owner was making some improvements.



From the doorway of a dank and dark hallway stripped bare of any adornment I 
peered into a warm and cozy apartment, the home of a single middle-aged 
woman with two sons one of whom was disabled.  She spoke of the family's 
travails with remarkable patience and dignity.  She seemed to have little 
expectation that things would improve anytime soon but she seemed prepared 
to persist.



I ran into her again later as we left the complex, our final day of 
canvassing complete.  She was walking an old dog with one eye sown shut. 
She explained that the dog's previous owner no longer wanted him.  She 
couldn't let him go to the Humane Society knowing that his prospects would 
be poor.  She had to walk him frequently as he had little bladder control.



And I was saddened by the realization that despite the vote that was to take 
place the following day it was unlikely that much would be different in her 
life.  And I knew that I must not forget her and I thought of Tommy Douglas' 
words that I had repeated to myself and to others throughout the campaign. 
"Courage my friends, it's not too late to make a better world!"



I wish I had some powerful new insight as to how to get poverty onto the 
political agenda but I don't!  The people in power have a very different 
conception of what that "better world" looks like!  I am heartened by the 
activism and thankful for the wisdom of those who post here and I will carry 
on in my own small way.
Marlene Rivier

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Dennis Raphael" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Saturday, March 18, 2006 8:58 AM
Subject: [SDOH] Poverty and what to do...


>I despair at times as well. One of my biggest beefs is that in addition to
> the absolute lack of concern by elected representatives, is the failure of
> supporters to take the necessary action.  What I mean by this is:
>
> 1) How many of you on this list take the time to send letters to editors,
> your elected MPs or others?  If you do, great, if not, why not. They will
> not fire you.  They simply count letters, emails, etc.
>
> 2) In addition to members of this list, there are literally thousands of
> people who read our stuff, attend our lectures, see themselves as
> supporters, but do nothing.
>
> The reason the Globe and Mail, Toronto Star, other media, elected reps --
> the Sandra Pupatello's, Gerard Kennedy's the Jack Laytons (whose platform
> is good, but dare not speak the word poverty in public)  get away with 
> this
> is that they see NO consequences for their actions.
>
> If Edward Greenspon and Paul Taylor -- the evil editor and health editor 
> of
> the Globe and Mail respectively were told  - repeatedly -- that their
> health coverage is crap, they might be more receptive to doing something
> about it.
>
> So, let's begin right now!
>
> [log in to unmask]
> [log in to unmask]
> [log in to unmask]
>
> Ontario
> [log in to unmask] -- Minister of Community and Social
> Services
> [log in to unmask] -- Former Director Daily Food Bank, now
> Minister of Education
> [log in to unmask] - Premier of Ontario
>
>
> Provide similar emails to the list for your province/state!
>
> By the way, the following appeared yesterday in the Toronto Star, but not
> in the internet version...
> ------------------------------------------
> Re: Protecting our social programs, March 16, 2006.  While in Opposition,
> Sandra Pupatello made the rounds of anti-poverty and Faith groups groups
> commiserating with them about how awful the Conservative government was
> treating people on social assistance.  Her party promised to end the
> claw-back of the National Child Benefit to families on social assistance.
> Once elected, they changed their mind. Enough said.
>
> Dennis Raphael
>
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