Reclaiming The Streets: Downtown Eastside Women's Groups Protest Living Conditions

Jordan, Good stuff, Me being a fiscal conservative by nature.

I do believe in everyone should have a decent living wage and a healthy lifestyle including affordable housing.  Unfortunately some people who feel work is a dirty four letter word feel "affordable" means they wish to pay minimum rent or none at all, as they feel entitled to a free ride on Welfare, and feel those welfare payments should not go towards housing.  I know I will get a lot of flack by some, but I too spend considerable time in DTES as some of Now Public Staffers are aware.  I have seen some truly horrific conditions, as well as kindness to others.  Unfortunately I have seen more DTES "Feel sorry for me scams than you can shake a syringe at"!

My stance is this:

If you make less than 20K your rent will be subsidised. After all 7-Eleven and Starbucks staffers and others in the service industry need to be close to their work and have some semblance of a friggin life, or how else would we get our Lattes? 

You want a home, and you are fit and mentally able, then you also get a Job.  If you do not meet this criteria presently you need a decent home, then to comply you must either take one or all of the government paid (you'll recieve Housing, Health and Welfare included) which may apply of the following:

Alcohol/Drug Treatment 

Back To school high school GED (1year)

Job training (1 year) or apprenticeships after one year apprentices get paid.

Single Parents (Free Daycare regardless of your situation) even after full time employment until you make 35K per year (If exspouse refuses to  make child support payments, Gov't will hunt them down). If you decide while on this program to shack up with someone and/or have another kid, you're out immediately!  Make a wise choice and don't screw up.

Domestic Abuse (free counselling) then get a job or the above mentioned.

Runaways, Housing, counselling, education, JOB! 

Disabled (Counselling, Education, JOB) My neighbours (6) are mentally and physically disabled and they have Jobs, alibeit low paying, but their Group housing is free, complete with home care workers.  They are happy and productive people. So what' the protesters excuse?

My upbringing, so some won't think I grew up with a silver spoon up my ass.

I have 3 brothers and three sisters, My Irish Catholic Mom at 33 years old (1968) became a single parent of 7 kids and worked long thankless hours in a cafeteria and at Eatons on weekend, No welfare, no handouts, Dad a military man, making low wages himself was 1,000 miles away, though he paid a small amount of child support when he could, which helped a bit, we lived in a extremely modest 3 bedroom walkup. Our neighbourhood is where some consider the bad part of town. No car, no TV, no luxuries ever. The Sally Ann was our Clothing boutique and Xmas store where clothes were under $2.00.   

After we all left home to begin our lives in 1978, My Mom went off to pursue her dream to be a writer, moved away, remarried and ended up living in Oregon. 

We all went to University, got degrees, all which we paid for ourselves by working part time and to help support the household. 

My siblings became all productive people and have jobs. 1 Fireman, 1 Policemen, 1 Bar Manager, 1 Bank Manager, 1 Systems Analyst (Computer Geek) 1 Air Force Officer, Me, Military

In ending, in 2001 my Mom finally became a successful writer, with some modest success, her last book which was quite successful titled  "In The Midst of Darkness" was published soon after her death in 2000 and is now required reading in some major Universities in the US and Europe. All book sales proceeds went various Charities.

Our Society, especially Vangoovy has become as some say a Nanny State, whereby everyone feels they are owned something without the benefit of working for it. If they do not get it, they protest as witnessed in previous months.

By the way I as a single Dad have raised my three kids on my own for the last 10 years, with the last one finishing high school this June and leaving this summer for CFB Wainwright, no welfare, no handouts, no support payments.  I worked for everything. So will my kids.  I have no regrets,one daughter is a police officer, the other daughter is an emerg nurse, and now my son will be in the military full time when he turns 19 next year. They all have work ethic and values.

So in ending, against all odds my Mom endured and did it, and so can those protesters, you just need to want it for yourself and your kids.

 So now, Now Public know a bit of Artiste and my position in all this in saying "Been there, Done that!"

And there was much honking, from the cars trapped behind the protest, some of
which ducked into the alley to get around the blocked intersection.