Toronto - Fight the Ford Cuts: People's Delegation to Budget Committee

Date: February 10
Time: 10am-1pm EST
Location: Toronto City Hall (100 Queen St W., Toronto ON)

Fight the Ford Cuts!
People’s Delegation to the Budget Committee

Rod Ford’s Budget Committee is right now working out the details of the opening round of his attack on poor and working people in this City. Ford campaigned on the basis of stopping the ‘gravy train’ at City Hall, but his Budget plans show how exactly he defines ‘gravy’.

The proposed cuts are real and they are deep- this is the information we have managed to gather so far, but can imagine are only the tip of the iceberg.

With a record 76, 549 people on the affordable housing waiting list in Toronto, Ford intends to slash spending on shelter beds for the homeless. The Budget Committee is looking to CUT 40 000 shelter beds (approximately 100 beds PER night), replacing 6 000 with motel rooms for ‘refugee claimants’ who according the them ‘need less support’. Cutting these beds also means cutting the supports of food and shelter services that people depend upon. 34 000 beds will be completely lost, 6 000 motel spaces will mean total isolation and lack of support. Apparently to Ford, the basics of food and shelter for those on the streets is a part of the infamous ‘gravy train’.

The cops however, as we might have expected, qualify for preferential treatment. The Toronto Police share of the City Budget is already approaching a billion dollars and they can expect to be spared any serious measures to reduce this massive drain on resources. This is Rob Ford’s Toronto – more cops, tax breaks for the rich, cut services for poor and working people.

Tenants who face eviction in record number are being handed a $100,000 cut from the fund that assists them in obtaining representation when landlords try to put them on the streets. Now, not only will tenants not have proper support in fighting abusive landlords, but when people do end up on the streets (as will inevitably happen), there are no shelter spaces left for them to turn to. This is will escalate the already existing crisis in housing and shelter for poor people in the City of Toronto.

People seeking services at Community Centres, families who use recreational facilities, parents who use after-school programs, will be hit with user fees.

Ford claimed there would be no service cuts – but what we are seeing from shelters, to tenants, to community services, to transit is that this is nothing but a blatant lie.

It is time to challenge this opening round of cuts that Ford plans to impose on us. The needs and demands of our communities are clear – we will accept NO cuts and we intend to fight for what we deserve. We say: cut the cops, fund services!

We are calling on communities to confront Ford and his budget plans at all public consultations this week, and also COME OUT on February 10th for a People’s Delegation at the final meeting of the Budget Committee to bring our anger and our demands directly to them.

Get involved!
Contact: Ontario Coalition Against Poverty
www.ocap.ca / 316-925-6939

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Mass Call-in to City Councillors
February 14th – 18th

On Wednesday, February 23rd the Toronto City Council will begin debates on the proposed Ford Budget for 2011. Council is meant to vote on the Budget by Monday, February 28th. Every City Councillor has a vote at Council and need to be held accountable for what will come of the 2011 Budget and the proposed cuts by Ford to shelter services, tenant rights resources, and transit – and this is just the tip of the iceberg.

Tell your City Councillor to Vote AGAINST Ford’s Budget and FOR

We want real action on poverty, not lip service and sound bites.

Find your local councillor’s contact here:
http://app.toronto.ca/wards/jsp/wards.jsp

FB Event: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=161558207224887