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McGuinty and Harris Smash Poor Linda McQuaig - Rabble News \|\| March 31, 2006 [KDR: No matter how many times they tell you that they are two completely opposite political ideologies it won't come true. This is just another example of how these two parties (the NDP as well, so make it three) are exactly the same except for the rhetoric. A few other examples that come to mind: cutbacks to healthcare - Mulroney 25% and Finance Minister Paul Martin 40% which is because both the conservatives and liberals are pushing for privatized healthcare. All three parties are also working together on a disasterous policy of further bank mergers.] The thing about Mike Harris was that he always seemed mean. As he happily trampled the powerless under foot and delivered the goods to his right-wing base, the former Ontario premier came across as a kind of Canadian Dick Cheney. So when Harris slashed Ontario's welfare rates by almost 22 per cent as one of his first orders of business, you knew what you were dealing with. Dalton McGuinty, on the other hand, seems like a ridiculously nice guy — the kind of neighbour who would clip your side of the hedge. It's impossible to imagine him shooting a quail, let alone an old friend who was shooting quail. Hence the amusement when McGuinty was once characterized by the Opposition as a “kitten-eater.” You knew that if McGuinty found a stray kitten, he'd not only refuse to eat it, he'd take it straight to the Humane Society. All this explains how McGuinty has managed to dodge the image of being cruel to the poor, even as he's effectively carried forward the attack on the poor launched by Harris. In fact, unbelievably, McGuinty has actually made the plight of the poor worse. Even with a $3 billion revenue windfall this year, he came up with almost nothing for the poor in last week's provincial budget. Article Posted at www.KnowledgeDrivenRevolution.com A single mother and her two children will get an extra $23 a month — less than a dollar a day to split between the three of them — leaving them worse off, in real dollars, than they were under Harris. This is because McGuinty hasn't even allowed the extremely low welfare rates set by Harris to rise with inflation. As a result, the buying power of the poor — if you want to call it that — has declined significantly. Here's how truly mean-spirited the McGuinty government is: It effectively intercepts federal child benefit cheques that are sent to Ontario welfare recipients. It does this by “clawing back” the value of the cheque from the recipient's welfare payment. This clawback deprives the single mother and her two children of $2,700 a year — an amount that would make a significant difference in their struggling lives. In the budget, the government proudly announced that it won't “claw back” recent increases in the federal child benefit. But the government has no business taking any part of this federal benefit, which would otherwise go to the poorest children in the province. So it's absurd for McGuinty to pat himself on the back for letting the poor keep a portion of it. Incredibly, McGuinty actively campaigned on ending the “clawback,” denouncing Harris for having introduced such a heartless policy. Isn't it great that we got rid of that mean old Mike Harris? Now we've got a guy who wouldn't harm a kitten or shoot a hunting pal, but who refuses to use his almost god-like power over the lives of the poorest Ontarians to ensure that they get food to eat and a place to live. Originally published by The Toronto Star Linda McQuaig's column usually appears every Monday. About KDR \| \| Home \| \| Weekly Features Archive	Weekly Weekly Features Archive
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McGuinty and Harris Smash Poor

Linda McQuaig - Rabble News || March 31, 2006

[KDR: No matter how many times they tell you that they are two completely opposite political ideologies it won't come true. This is just another example of how these two parties (the NDP as well, so make it three) are exactly the same except for the rhetoric. A few other examples that come to mind: cutbacks to healthcare - Mulroney 25% and Finance Minister Paul Martin 40% which is because both the conservatives and liberals are pushing for privatized healthcare. All three parties are also working together on a disasterous policy of further bank mergers.]

The thing about Mike Harris was that he always seemed mean. As he happily trampled the powerless under foot and delivered the goods to his right-wing base, the former Ontario premier came across as a kind of Canadian Dick Cheney.

So when Harris slashed Ontario's welfare rates by almost 22 per cent as one of his first orders of business, you knew what you were dealing with.

Dalton McGuinty, on the other hand, seems like a ridiculously nice guy — the kind of neighbour who would clip your side of the hedge. It's impossible to imagine him shooting a quail, let alone an old friend who was shooting quail.

Hence the amusement when McGuinty was once characterized by the Opposition as a “kitten-eater.” You knew that if McGuinty found a stray kitten, he'd not only refuse to eat it, he'd take it straight to the Humane Society.

All this explains how McGuinty has managed to dodge the image of being cruel to the poor, even as he's effectively carried forward the attack on the poor launched by Harris.

In fact, unbelievably, McGuinty has actually made the plight of the poor worse.

Even with a $3 billion revenue windfall this year, he came up with almost nothing for the poor in last week's provincial budget.

Article Posted at www.KnowledgeDrivenRevolution.com

A single mother and her two children will get an extra $23 a month — less than a dollar a day to split between the three of them — leaving them worse off, in real dollars, than they were under Harris.

This is because McGuinty hasn't even allowed the extremely low welfare rates set by Harris to rise with inflation. As a result, the buying power of the poor — if you want to call it that — has declined significantly. Harris

Here's how truly mean-spirited the McGuinty government is: It effectively intercepts federal child benefit cheques that are sent to Ontario welfare recipients. It does this by “clawing back” the value of the cheque from the recipient's welfare payment.

This clawback deprives the single mother and her two children of $2,700 a year — an amount that would make a significant difference in their struggling lives.

In the budget, the government proudly announced that it won't “claw back” recent increases in the federal child benefit. But the government has no business taking any part of this federal benefit, which would otherwise go to the poorest children in the province. So it's absurd for McGuinty to pat himself on the back for letting the poor keep a portion of it.

Incredibly, McGuinty actively campaigned on ending the “clawback,” denouncing Harris for having introduced such a heartless policy.

Isn't it great that we got rid of that mean old Mike Harris? Now we've got a guy who wouldn't harm a kitten or shoot a hunting pal, but who refuses to use his almost god-like power over the lives of the poorest Ontarians to ensure that they get food to eat and a place to live.

Originally published by The Toronto Star Linda McQuaig's column usually appears every Monday.