Dear friends

Regarding possible letters at Budget times - here's a draft that could 
be used/modified/what-ever:

    -------------------------------

*Draft letter to Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty concerning the 2007 
Ontario Provincial Budget *

STARTS 

With the 2007 Ontario Provincial Budget in prospect, we write to you, 
from our leadings – to call upon you to reduce the income gaps and 
income insecurities that exist among Ontarians, today.

Specifically, we urge you to:

a)      Institute an annual, independent Review Commission and process 
into the level of a liveable Ontario Minimum Wage, and to raise it, 
immediately to – at least - $10 per hour;

b)      To institute a similar independent Commission and process to 
annually recommend levels of Ontario Works (OW) and Ontario Disability 
Support Program (ODSP), while, at the same time, immediately ending the 
claw-back of the Federal Child-Benefit Program.

We are aware that individual and family incomes arise from a mix of: 
paid work; ‘as-of-right’ incomes (such as OW, ODSP, EI, Old-age and CPP 
pensions, etc); income from capital assets (rent, interest and 
dividends, often through multiple channels); and gift income, often from 
differing sources.

Furthermore, we note that the aggregate incomes from these sources – for 
individuals and for families – can be highly unequal and, often, highly 
insecure: both of which are not conducive to personal, family and social 
peace.

More-over, faith teachings and discernment inform us that inequalities 
of income, and of income mix (ie: from paid work, as-of-right income, 
income from capital sources and gift income – as listed above) are 
deeply harmful to social peace, human well-being and environmental 
integrity – the lack of any of these being an affront each one of us – 
and to God.

Accordingly, we call on your Government to institute regular (annual, 
semi-annual, or otherwise, as appropriate) Provincial Commissions of 
Enquiry to report into the best ways by which family and individual 
incomes may be best made equal and secure.

Finally, we note that non-coercive programs of rehabilitation, therapy, 
training and education are essential to ensure fullest participation of 
all Ontarians in relevant, beneficial, productive activity, all within a 
peaceful, secure and equal social environment, where affordable housing, 
child-care and so on are equally provided for all.  Accordingly, we are 
led to encourage the Ontario Government to sustainably ensure that such 
non-coercive, peaceful and peace-making, programs are efficiently 
established, overseen, operated and adequately – generously, even, in 
love – funded.

In closing this letter, we affirm that we write continuing to uphold the 
historic role of living for, and in, peace, equality,  and, we hope, 
integrity: clear that peace is the way to all being well:

- As love asks of us all.

Your friends, in peace, for love.

ENDS

    -------------------------------

Love 2(u) all

john

*****************************

Sivan Bomze wrote:

>
> Might be of interest to some.......
>
>
> Sivan Bomze B.Sc., H.D.
> Research Assistant
> The Change Foundation
> 200 Front Street West, Suite 2501
> Toronto Ontario M5V 3M1
>
> [log in to unmask]
> Phone: (416)205- 1394
> Fax: (416)205-1440
>
>
>
>
> Forwarded in turn from: [log in to unmask] 
> [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
> On Behalf Of James Turk
> Sent: February 6, 2007 5:22 PM
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Code Blue Federal Budget campaign / la campagne Code Bleu 
> pour les
> services de garde
>
> CAUT is a supporter of Code Blue for Child Care – a Canada-wide 
> campaign for
> a strong pan-Canadian child care system. The campaign brings together
> national, provincial and territorial child care organizations, labour,
> women's and social justice groups along with Canadians from all walks of
> life.
>
> This morning [Feb 6], Code Blue launched a national on-line initiative 
> with the
> release of a report card on the Federal Government’s performance on child
> care. The report card can be seen at www.buildchildcare.ca
>
> We are asking all our member associations to consider signing the report
> card as soon as possible. We also encourage you to circulate this
> information to your members so that they may also sign on as individuals.
>
> Part of what will make this campaign successful is that Code Blue is not
> only collecting signatures, but also stories and comments about the 
> state of
> child care in Canada.
>
> Also, if you are not already a member of the Code Blue for Child Care
> coalition, we encourage your association to become a member. 
> Information is
> available at http://www.buildchildcare.ca/background/aboutcodeblue
>
> Sincerely,
>
> James L. Turk
> Executive Director/Directeur général
> Canadian Association of University Teachers/Association canadienne des
> professeures et professeurs d'université
> 2705 promenade Queensview Drive
> Ottawa, Ontario K2B 8K2
> Tel: 613-820-2270, ext. 176
> Fax: 613-820-7244
> Email: [log in to unmask]
>
>  _____  
>
> L’ACPPU appuie le Code Bleu pour les services de garde – une campagne
> nationale visant à mettre en place un véritable réseau pancanadien de
> services de garde à l'enfance. La campagne rassemble des organisations
> nationales, provinciales et territoriales qui militent pour les 
> services de
> garde, des syndicats, des groupes de femmes et des groupes de justice
> sociale, ainsi que des Canadiennes et des Canadiens de tous les horizons.
>
> Dans le cadre d’une action en ligne lancée à l’échelle nationale, le Code
> Bleu a rendu public, ce matin, un bulletin qui évalue le rendement du
> gouvernement fédéral dans le dossier de la garde d’enfants. Le 
> bulletin est
> publié sur le site  <http://www.garderiespubliques.ca./>
> www.garderiespubliques.ca.
>
> Nous invitons toutes nos associations membres à signer ce bulletin le plus
> tôt possible. Nous vous encourageons également à diffuser cette 
> information
> à vos membres pour qu’ils puissent aussi signer le bulletin à titre
> individuel.
>
> La campagne Code Bleu portera ses fruits non seulement par les signatures
> qu’elle permettra de recueillir, mais aussi par la mobilisation de
> déclarations et de témoignages sur l’état actuel des services de garde au
> Canada.
>
> Si vous n’êtes pas déjà membre de la coalition Code bleu pour les services
> de garde à l’enfance, nous encourageons votre association à y adhérer. 
> Vous
> trouverez plus d’information à ce sujet à l’adresse
> <http://www.garderiespubliques.ca/background/aboutcodeblue.>
> www.garderiespubliques.ca/background/aboutcodeblue.
>
> Veuillez agréer mes salutations distinguées.
>
> James L. Turk
> Executive Director/Directeur général
> Canadian Association of University Teachers/Association canadienne des
> professeures et professeurs d'université
> 2705 promenade Queensview Drive
> Ottawa, Ontario K2B 8K2
> Tel: 613-820-2270, ext. 176
> Fax: 613-820-7244
> Email: [log in to unmask]
>
>
> ----- End forwarded message -----
>

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