Ford’s cuts hurt children
Re PCs cut funding to children’s aid societies, and Tories working with lobbyists to get beer into corner stores, May 23
It is just too ironic that two of your front-page stories reflect that, on the one hand, our provincial government has decided to withdraw some funding to our Children’s Aid Societies and, on the other hand, continues to promote beer sales in corner stores.
The money is in the budget to pay for any breach of its contract with the beer stores, so alcohol can be more available to parents who have addiction issues — parents who often become directly involved with Children’s Aid Societies.
Money to pay the beer stores but no money to pay for the safety of children in harm’s way. Tom Dart, Barrie I just saw the Star’s article about PC funding cuts to the Children’s Aid Society. I am sick to my stomach.
After cuts to child care, health care and everything we hold dear, it is high time to think of cuts to the legislature.
With a cut of 40 per cent across the board for everyone in the legislature, including the premier, and no expenses, benefits or bonuses for our elected representatives, we should be out of debt in no time.
Now, Premier Ford, show us some guts! Erdmute Gottschling, Mississauga Premier Doug Ford believes the province should reduce spending and, in so doing, has cut many critical services to health care, education and social services. His party stands behind him. The Conservatives want the gaps in service to be filled by finding efficiencies, volunteerism and private enterprise.
Given that, I would like to see all Conservative members be required by law to give a certain percentage of their own money to helping make up the difference.
The costs of cuts are immense, but this would at least be a token of support. Jim Jackson, Oshawa
Re Ford booed at ceremony for Special Olympics, May 16
The time has come for Premier Doug Ford to step aside. This man is simply out of his depth and has no understanding of what truly governing a province involves.
His simplistic, shallow and knee-jerk actions are too damaging to Ontarians to be allowed to continue. Is there a genuine Conservative ready to step in? Frederic Wieler, Oakville Most Ontarians have probably come to some conclusions about the motivations for Premier Doug Ford’s cuts: If the Liberals did something, Ford has to undo it, no matter how much damage he causes. And Toronto must be punished, even if it is the economic engine of the province.
Many of us also suspect that the true cause-and-effect scenario is exactly the opposite of what Ford and his ministers say. They aren’t cutting because of the deficit. They inflated the deficit so they could rationalize making cuts.
Former Ontario government chief accountant Cindy Veinot resigned last year because she thought the Ford government’s financial statements materially overstated the Ontario deficit.
In 2017, a panel of expert pension accountants agreed with Veinot, disputing Auditor General Bonnie Lysyk’s opinion — a reversal of her own previous position — that the pension benefits of the Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan and the Ontario Public Service Employees’ Union Pension Plan should not be counted as government assets.
If the Ford government actually cared about the deficit, whatever the true figure is, it would not be giving tax breaks to people who can afford to pay their fair share, creating and distributing false advertisements and stickers, launching expensive and futile court battles, incurring penalties by breaking contracts, or running its own partisan news channel.
So why is inflicting unnecessary pain on the most vulnerable people, especially children, so important to Ford and his minions? Patricia Wilmot, Toronto In the Toronto District School Board’s attempt to cut $2.5 million from its budget, outdoor education for Toronto west end students is at risk. The four centres threatened with closure see more than 20,000 students per year.
This cut is unfair and short-sighted. Outdoor education gives students the opportunity to have adventures and challenges in the natural environment away from the concrete jungle of Toronto and away from screens.
Children’s motivation levels are higher in environment-based education settings than in classrooms. Through programs in nature, students develop the confidence to solve outdoor problems and acquire new skills, which in turn gives them the confidence to tackle many other stressful situations at school and at home.
The school board will rob the poor by cutting this program. For many years, inner-city teenagers have had the opportunity to spend a day in an outdoor setting under the guidance of specially trained outdoor education teachers.
For many, this is their first opportunity to spend time in nature and learn valuable skills, including collaboration, team building and creative thinking, which are important in the workforce.
Please don’t take these special places away from Toronto’s children. Carol Sevitt, Toronto Send email to lettertoed@thestar.ca; via
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