What Were They Thinking

A plan to give free 72-hour emergency survival kits to some of Ontario’s highest-paid civil servants at taxpayer expense has been quashed by Community Safety Minister Rick Bartolucci.

The move came after the Toronto Star obtained an internal government document on the plan, part of emergency preparedness week and “especially timely given the current H1N1 flu virus,” said the memo, which also cited recent emergencies such as last summer’s propane explosion in North York.“We are not impressed,” said Laura Blondeau, a spokesperson for Bartolucci.

See Full Story http://www.metronews.ca/toronto/local/article/226828--minister-nixes-plan-to-give-free-survival-kits-to-civil-servants

Who needs the kits most are the people on Ontario Works, Ontario Disability Support Plan, Canada Pension Disability Plan or any others on a fixed income without additional support from family and friends.

The rate for a single on Ontario Works is under $600.00 monthly. They do not have the financial resources to store enough items to last an additional 72 hours let alone the next day. Kits should be available for those in need when needed for free. Money should be made available to the support systems already in place to hand these out when disaster strikes. Red Cross, Salvation Army, St. John Ambulance and many other organizations assist when they are needed to supply support. Unfortunately they are always struggling for money to support those in need.

Past employment of mine has included looking after Ontario Works and Ontario Disability Support clients. Their cupboards and fridges were often bare when visits were made. Monies they received often had to go to pay rent to keep them housed. There is no way any of them would have been able to hoard 72 hours worth of food and save it for a rainy day. It would be gone long before a crisis hits because their life is in a constant state of crisis.

http://durhamregion.typepad.com/emergency_planning/2009/05/free-survival-kits-for-those-who-really-need-them.html

For more stories go to http://welfarelegal.blogspot.com/

Ron Payne
Welfare Legal
Hamilton, Ontario
Email welfarelegal2004(at)hotmail(dot)com welfarelegal2004@hotmail.com