Charity not the best way to counter inequality
Re Our beautiful and absurd food bank system, Dec. 22 The Dec. 22 articles by Edward Keenan and Dr. Ryan Meili (“TD report on inequality warns of growing divide,” Opinion, Dec. 22) are fantastic. But they really miss hammering home the real challenge we face: that of showing people how better social policy is the most suitable and potent tool at our disposal for addressing the root causes of growing inequality.
We need to stop using our valuable charitable contributions in attempts to make up for low wages and welfare rates. These systems are operating at levels of inadequacy that place them far beyond the scope of our donations, however generous, to address effectively.
Instead, this holiday season, more of us need to urge our politicians to use the powerful tools that can match the scale of the job — progressive taxation, adequate public investment in housing, child care, health care, pharmacare and income support, and regulations that ensure our labour market provides a living wage for everyone.
And we could spend precious volunteer hours sharing our invaluable gifts of companionship and mutual support, instead of sorting and distributing food. Giving ourselves good social policy would result in a merrier holiday for all. Rob Howarth, Toronto Neighbourhood Centres, Toronto
“When we have a system where charity is necessary . . . life with dignity is impossible.” REV. CANON MICHAEL PATTERSON OAKVILLE
The spirit of charitable giving surrounds us during this season and countless messages remind those of us who live with plenty to remember the poor and less fortunate at Christmas.
Even as I attempt to spread those messages myself, I am uneasy. At our parish and in our community in Oakville, where poverty is hidden and may be far from our minds, need is present and constant throughout the year.
The system described by columnist Edward Keenan is not “beautiful.” The system is more than “absurd.” It is also inefficient and perpetuates the divide between those in need and those who give that is more commonly written about in this publication in terms of income inequality and the growing gap between the rich and poor.
When we have a system where charity is necessary to fill the ever-broadening gap between society’s determination of an adequate level of assistance for shelter and food for members of our communities and what is actually needed, life with dignity is impossible. Rev. Canon Michael Patterson, Oakville Edward Keenan has done a great service by providing an indepth look at the food bank system in Toronto. The absurdity of the system will surely not be lost on your readers.
Unfortunately, Mr. Keenan’s conclusion will only serve to perpetuate the myth that food banks provide a valuable service to the community because of the “feel good” nature of their existence.
Every one of us has the capacity to be kind, generous and good. The personal nature of either buying food to donate or donating funds to buy food for food banks makes us all feel good. We are not bad people if we want to help.
But Mr. Keenan clearly shows us that the food bank system is the wrong sort of help. Even the people who work for and with the food banks agree on this, as quoted by Pirrette Praden, “In a city as big and as rich as Toronto, there shouldn’t be a place like this.” She may well have added that in a province or country as rich as Ontario or Canada, this should not be either.
Mr. Keenan’s article could have made a real difference when he praised the Daily Bread Food Bank for providing jobs, training and advocacy along with food. If the amount of time, energy and resources (both monetary and human) spent on the food bank’s alternate food distribution system were, instead, directed at putting pressure on our governments (provincial and federal) to make real systemic changes, then we would have the proper tools to end our neighbours’ hunger.
An immediate increase in social assistance rates and a fair minimum wage will help to address what Mr. Keenan rightly identifies as a money shortage not a food shortage. We all have the ability to help our neighbours who struggle and it is a simple as writing a letter to your MPP and MP asking for a fair deal for everyone. The best Christmas gift of all would be to close each and every food bank in Canada. Annette Graydon, Terra Cotta The food bank economy response to poverty is like any humanitarian aid/ disaster economy response. Aid creates its own economy, structure and jobs. Good intentions deny those affected to make real decisions for their future; they raise costs and divert priorities.
Those in poverty do not want aid distributed by food banks. They want justice where they make their own decisions with higher rates in government support and livable wages. Margie Sumadh, Toronto It is amusing rather than surprising that Ryan Meili believes the big banks have found their inner conscience gnawing at them over inequality. Before ya know it, Prime Minister Stephen Harper will start concerning himself with green initiatives — unsurprisingly, as oil prices collapse. Will second thoughts begin to appear about the wisdom of global free trade now that everything is made by the largest group of victims of inequality?
The root cause of this global spread of inequality is the same reason big banks and PMs are “finding their soul” now: greed. Back in the heyday of the middle class, the 1970s, the corporate world decided middle class workers and their unions wanted too much pudding. And America was unable to raise a standing army because the draft had turned into the third rail of U.S. politics and everyone had a job. They couldn’t draft them.
As a win-win solution, along came Ronald Reagan, Brian Mulroney and free trade to trim some of that job fat from the first world economy. Politicians won with a larger pool of unemployed to create an army with while Corporate America won with slave labour wages offshore.
Fast forward to 2014. The pendulum has swung way too far and now the politicians and their corporate masters realize they have shot themselves in the foot. Why? Because they’ve killed the middle class goose and there is no one left that can afford to borrow all the money the world’s central banks are printing for the commercial banks to lend, nor the oil produced to fuel it all.
There are only two emotions the market reacts to: greed and fear. It is now in fear mode. Gord Deane, Mississauga Ryan Meili’s praise for the TD Bank report is misplaced. There is nothing in this report that has not already been publicly presented.
We all know that income inequality exists and the public investments recommended to reduce it including affordable housing, health and social services, early childhood development and decreasing barriers to all levels of higher education have all been proposed before.
This report is simply a public relations exercise to portray TD Bank as having a social conscience — an opinion, I believe, confirmed by the glaring omission of any suggested methods of financing these investments that would negatively affect the profitability of the banking industry or offend its more wealthy clients.
There’s also no strong support for increasing income taxes on the top 1 per cent of earners and no mention of increasing corporate income taxes or reducing excessive executive salaries and bonuses. This is not a classic Christmas tale of a bank’s redemption as suggested by Mr. Meili but rather a story about a more sophisticated and manipulative Scrooge. Greg Sheehan, Mississauga Inequality is only a problem for the privileged after it is too late. History shows that when inequality reaches an unsustainable level, a major upheaval ensues and the very rich are left holding only their head. Think French and Russian Revolutions. The 1 per cent must lead the change to share sufficient of our wealth and political privilege to maintain an accepted equilibrium or eventually lose it all. Peter Pinch, Toronto Edward Keenan misses an important issue. Food donations are purchased at retail prices. If the food banks only accepted cash donations, they could use the same money to buy more food at wholesale prices and design rational food packages that would require much less sorting and processing. More food distributed for the same money is a win for their clients. David Wortman, Don Mills Thanks to the Star for exposing the absurdity of food banks.
We now have enormous warehouses with paid staff, trucks, fork lifts, pallets and shrink wrap, as well as thousands of generous volunteers and donors, all to maintain a separate food distribution system for some of those deemed undeserving of a decent enough income to afford both food and shelter.
Premier Kathleen Wynne: raise the social assistance rates. Teresa Porter, Newmarket