MEDIA RELEASE: The S-CAP 11 to Return to MPP Bartolucci’s Office as part of anti-poverty rally and march on Oct. 18th

Photo by Larson. John Clarke of the Ontario Coalition Against Poverty with Anna, Gary, Danielle, Brendan, David, Phil, Pam and Martin of the S-CAP 11 outside MPP Rick Bartolucci’s office on Nov. 22, 2012.

The S-CAP 11 to Return to MPP Bartolucci’s Office as part of anti-poverty rally and march on Oct. 18th. 

As part of the raise the rates anti-poverty action on Friday, October 18th members of the S-CAP 11 will be returning to the same office they were arrested in and charged with “trespassing” in on Nov. 9, 2012 . They will be reading a statement that will include “asking why Bartolucci has never responded to any of the concerns raised by the Sudbury Coalition Against Poverty regarding the cutting of the Community Start Up and Maintenance Benefit (the CSUMB); why he deceived people about what the consequences of this cut would be; and why he had us arrested” said Anna Harbulik of the S-CAP 11.  The S-CAP 11 court case will be taking place this coming Oct. 28th and 31st

The CSUMB was the benefit that allowed people on Ontario Works (OW) and the Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSP) to prevent themselves from becoming homeless, to flee violent and abusive relationships, to better their housing and to move. The Liberal government, of which Bartolucci was then a Cabinet Minister, abolished this Benefit on Jan. 1, 2013. 

In Nov. of 2013 Bartolucci refused to speak to the protestors in his office who he characterized as "rabble rousers." He told the media that the cut to the CSUMB was a "streamlining" of the system that he claimed would actually lead to “an enhancement of services.” He asserted that the cut of the CSUMB would lead to “no reduction in services.” But this is exactly what has happened.

The CSUMB was replaced by the Community Homelessness Prevention Initiative (CHPI) which is administered by OW. “Despite Bartolucci’s claims S-CAP and our allies have had to fight hard to even have the basic provisions of the CSUMB maintained within this CHPI funding. Across the province what is available through CHPI funding varies markedly from centre to centre. What you get depends on where you live as the Ontario-wide character of this social program is destroyed. And last spring the City and OW tried to dramatically cut back the exceptional circumstances funding under CHPI that had clearly existed under the CSUMB. It was only a major community mobilization that got this funding restored for people facing homelessness and trying to flee violence. But even this fall S-CAP had to assist someone on OW who was denied exceptional circumstances funding in getting it. And now the City is planning major cuts to CHPI funding in 2014” said Phil Marsh of the S-CAP 11.

On Friday, Oct. 18th supporters of the Raise the Rates campaign will be gathering at 2pm in Memorial Park to call for the restoring of the badly needed provincial CSUMB program and until this is done that CSUMB rates and policies are maintained under CHPI. This event is supported by Mamaweswen, The North Shore Tribal Council. At 1:30pm a free meal will start in the park. At 2pm we will here from Liisa Scofield an organizer with the Ontario Coalition Against Poverty, City Councillor Claude Berthiaume, people who have struggled to get CHPI funding and others. There will then be a march to Rick Bartolucci’s office where the S-CAP 11 will deliver a statement and then to the Provincial Building

Other events during the week of action in Sudbury are:

•  Monday, Oct. 14th – 'Thanksgiving'  Raise the Minimum Wage action. People will meet at 12 noon at McDonald's on Notre Dame and walk to Tim Horton's downtown. Both McDonald's and Tim Horton's oppose raising the minimum wage.

• Tuesday, Oct. 15th  –The Graduate Student Association (GSA) anti-poverty film showing  of  “Invisible City” at the downtown Mackenzie Library, 6:30pm.  Free snacks.

• Saturday, Oct. 19th – Province-wide Rally and March, with people coming from across the province.  The focus will be on defending people on the Ontario Disabilities Support Program (ODSP) from attack and for First Nations control over ODSP in their communities. The free pizza and salad serving will start at 1:30pm. The rally starts at 2pm sharp, in the Sheridan Auditorium (Sudbury Secondary School). Please come to the College Street Entrance. There will be ASL Interpretation. Speakers will include John Clarke from the Ontario Coalition Against Poverty, Shannon Balla from Poverty Makes Us Sick in Kitchener-Waterloo, Laurie McGauley on Kimberly Rogers and more. Music will be provided by Streetwise and OB. The rally is followed by a march through downtown streets led by people with disabilities. 

This week of action is supported by: the Sudbury and District Labour Council; the Sudbury District Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) Council; the Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC) Sudbury and District Area Council; the Northern Initiative for Social Action (NISA); UTE Local 00042; the Sudbury Workers' Education and Advocacy Center; the Labour Studies and Women’s Studies programs; the Graduate Students Association, and the Poverty, Homelessness and Migration research project at Laurentian University.  Provincially the event is supported by: the Ontario Coalition Against Poverty; the Canadian Union of Public Employees-Ontario; and the Public Service Alliance of Canada-Ontario.