Cake For Campbell At Anti-Poverty Rally

Saturday, December 04, 2010 01:36 PM

8th Annual 'Chili & A Blanket' rally protesting poverty and homelessness

Prince George, B.C. - There was cake to go along with the chili at this year's annual anti-poverty rally in front of the courthouse in downtown Prince George,

And one of the rally's organizers, Jan Mastromatteo, says the cake is for Gordon Campbell. Speaking to the crowd in a foggy Wilson Square, Mastromatteo says, "This year, we've got something special -- we've got Campbell cake. Gordon Campbell's not any longer going to be able to tell the people of B.C. to eat cake -- we're telling Gordo, 'Gordo, you can eat cake.'"

She points out that for the 7th year running, B.C. has the highest rate of child poverty in the country and says, as a result of the 2010 budget, there have been $26-million dollars in cuts to income assistance...cuts, she says, that affect women disproportionately.

Mastromatteo says the Northern Women's Forum has been hosting 'Chili & A Blanket' since 2003. "It's a rally against increasing poverty in B.C. and the draconian policies of the Liberal Government all of these years -- we've just seen continuous cutbacks of social programs and services."

"This year, our particular focus is the continuing cutbacks to services for women," she says. "We've been cited in the UN -- B.C. has -- for the violation of human rights against women, in general, and aboriginal women, in particular."

Sussanne Skidmore with the North Central District Labour Council and BCGEU says the number of welfare recipients in our province has dropped by 40-percent since 2002. "This isn't because all these people are working, it isn't because they have successfully exited the welfare system, it is because the regressive policies of the Liberal Government make it impossible to qualify for assistance."

Skidmore says, "These people are going without food, they're going without money and they're going without shelter, so that means members of our community -- human beings -- are going without their basic human right of food and shelter."

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Posted on Saturday, December 04, 2010 01:36 PM in News by 250 News

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Comments

Posted by: supertech on December 4 2010 10:04 PM

Maybe, just maybe, you voters may decide to stop voting for socialists. We've had nothing but lies, deciet, scandals after scandals for the last 23 years. During that time the wages for our elected officials and their chosen buddies has probably doubled and pensions are gold plated even thicker. Dismissal payouts are far more than most of us take home in ten years. This is eventually going to implode unless the predictions of 2012 are correct; in which case, we will be relieved.

Posted by: govsux on December 5 2010 1:04 AM

And the alternative is????
Oh I get it 23 yrs. Socreds right?
Y'mean all the people in the Liberal Party?

Posted by: Brownshoe on December 5 2010 1:23 AM

sniff

Posted by: twinbell91 on December 5 2010 3:08 PM

Here is a suggestion for the left wing agenda- get a job.

Posted by: Harbinger on December 5 2010 3:29 PM

No dampness on the left side of my shirt and I don't hear violins. Which should mean--get a job.

Posted by: weaksauce on December 5 2010 6:57 PM

Personal responsibility, look into it.

Posted by: Surefire on December 5 2010 10:38 PM

never voted liberal federaly or provincialy and I've been right so I'm happy.

Posted by: anniemartin on December 6 2010 12:54 PM

I for one have always paid taxes willingly, knowing as a Canadian that we take care of those who can't take care of themselves, for the equal opportunity of all Canadians to access heathcare and education, so that we build a strong country where every child has the same opportunity.

The BC Liberal idea is to give the breaks to businesses, businesses will in turn give jobs, out of the kindness of their hearts, and that will make it all better -

"for the 7th year running, B.C. has the highest rate of child poverty in the country"... 26-million dollars in cuts to income assistance..."We've been cited in the UN -- B.C. has -- for the violation of human rights against women, in general, and aboriginal women, in particular."

Just get a job? What job, an $8 per hour job? After taxes that leaves about $1000 per month for daycare, sheltre, food, utilities, healthcare, dental, clothes, school fees and transportation. In other words, even with a job they live in poverty (The poverty line is about $1700 per month) Discrimination is not a factor? So, they're poor 'cause they're just not trying hard enough? What about an education to better yourself - that'll run you about $20 grand for a 2 year program, how do you save that trying to survive on minimum wage and raise a family?

Who cares if kids live in poverty? We will, one day they may turn on society out of anger at all the hunger and lack of empathy and opportunity they received. These hungry children don't understand why they aren't good enough to have food & sheltre like the other kids in their class.

Its not a "left-wing adgenda" to care about people its a Humanist adgenda.