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Pa-ge 4, Wbilby Fee..Pross., Wocnesday, August 1 61995 ippo M. Wefaecuts p ainful butecesaY By Me Kowaiski Despite a planned slashing of webfaro rates, the Ontario governmont i. not out Wo punieli the poor, insiste Durham Centre MPP Jim Flaherty. Athougli a fortlicoming roduction in social assistance benefits will be painful, Flaherty concedos, the cuts are necessary if- the government -i. tW have any sucoese in weaning recipients off the system. "ld be the firet Wo agree that this kcind of roduction will make life dimfcult," said Flaherty cf the 21.6-por cent cut whicli takes effeot Oct. 1. "I thought it waes (difficult) oven before the cuts." lie admitted. "But tho objoct cf the exorcise is not to hurt people on welfare, itss W get thiem off cf welfare" and into the " Safe, comfortable environments " Stimulating daily programs " Trained, pro fessional Pro viders workforce. A significant factor which contributed te its stunning victory in last June's election, Ontario-a new Progressive Conservative govormoent lias embarked upon welfare reform witli a vengeance. Effective Oct. 1, a single person wlio je able Wo work will get $143 blss per month, for a total maximum of $520. A couple with two chidren will get $335 a montli boss,- for a total maxtimum allowance.of $1,214. The measure will save the province $469 million tins year. and $938 million in 1996. In addition, 'Community and Social Services Minieter David Teubouchi je soon expected Wo announco furtlier measures such as a tightening of eligibility rules and a clampdown on welfare fraud. Wbile thore lias been some " Reliable local back-up for Pro vider's holidays or illness " Complete insurance cove rage " Income tax receipts supplied opposition to the goverrnment's plans, Flaherty said most people ho encounters applaud the government for foilowing through on its election promise. "The major point we tried to make was that any .reduction in welfare 'payments would be coupled with recipients being able to earn it back with no penalty. That opportunity je now there." (Under current rules, any money from a part-time job, family member or eleewliere je doducted dollar for dollar from a recipient's welfare choque.) "Also, there are no cutbacks for persons with disabilities and seniors, I think that je reflective of the community's values," Flaherty added. Despito a campaign promise ta that effect, Teubouchi confirmed laet week that seniors and the disabled on general welfare assistance will face the same 2 1.6-per cent cut as most other recipiente. Only those seniors and disabled persona on family- benefits allowance wiJl be exempt. While critics daim the government je forcing welfare rocipients into dead-endminimum wage and low-paying jobs because it lias aiso gutted job-training programa, Flaherty eaid this je not the case. "Everybody has to start somewhere," he adxitted. "I worked for $1.40 an hour at my firet job. Granted, it was a long time ago, but we all have Wo enter the labour force at some stage." But according ta, Flaherty, the govorrnmont!s'srol e isonly tW "provide opportunity, not guarantee rosuits," and the best way Wo do that je Wo croate a climate "where people are willing to inveat, take risks and croate jobs." To that offect, the government intends tW dismantle ail vestiges of the former Now Democratic Party regime'e "job-kcilling" begilation sucli as payroll taxes and certain labour lawvs, Flaherty said. However, ho rejected a suggestion that business will simply bank the'savinge and not use it to bure more workers, for example. By Mike KowasM Whilo Durham Centre MPP Jim Flaherty concedes that life will be touglier for webfare recipionts corne October, the administi'ator of Durhiam Region'e bargeet food bank anticipates tho werst. John Bolas, operations manager cf Simcoe Hall Settlement Heuse in Oshawa, eaid hie organizatien abready lias difficulty, meeting the neede cf its clients. "Thoy can't make cuts and expect it wibl have ne effect," ho said. "People only have se mucli money for rent, clothes and foed. When they're cut back, they'll corne ta, us." Even thougli Simcee Hall limite its clients te one-week's feod supply every six weekS, it's bareby adequate to satisfy the demand, Bolas said. "If it's the first week of the month and the choques are out, we see about 60 families in here," lie said. "Me second week there's mare, the third week there's etill more and the week before the choques corne eut wo have, up te 300 families." Funded 60 per cent by the United Way and 40 per cent by "Mr. and Mre. Smith ceming in with food and money," Simcoe Hall "I expect we will have some employer. pleased that we are getting iid of payroll taxes and will pocket somo or al cf it," said Flaherty. "But there' no question payroll taxes kil jobs, so lot'. get rid of it." The 1 lardy Boy 1 louse d-l sir à imsay & Fraser L a w 0 f f i c e s r i vr,; (el A ilorni, i Main Office - Whitby Branch Office - Port Perry Illil'll)t" Ont. 1'()rl Oni. L9L IH7 (90,'i) 985-4141 (,-,ýoýi) 1,6(-) 3-233 Iý-7csimilc: (90,1i) Q85-4598 You can entrust your 0 9 child s ca're to We. é Watch. Food bank manager exp ects the worst. muet not only contend with feeding Durhams poor, but lias been forced Wo compete with Metro Toronto'. Dafly Bread food bank in recent years. . Even thougli people in Oshawa, Wihitby and Clarington have been good Wo us, Daily Bread je making inroada here and nortli cf Metro, wherever they can get hlp," said Bolas. .For instance, mucli cf the food collected outside local grocery stores at varioue times during the year doos net stay in the community, ho noted.* "People wilb give to Price Choppers, IGA, but that's net going ta Simcoe Hall Settlement House or the Salvation Army," ho eaid. "It'. been going on for years and ite a very sore subject with my board that a lot cf the food je going back Wo Metro." Capt. Margaret Locke cf the Salvation Army's VWtby brandi expects an increaso in tho nuniber of people turning te lier organization for lielp. Howover, having only recently moved- from Manitoba with lier husband, Dean te assume command of the Whitby brandi, Locke coubd net 'comment knowledgably about the local situation. TIm net familiar with what happens in Onta rio," she said. "I don't know how it will affect us in Whitby, but it probabby won't b. as bad as ini Toronto or largor cities." Flydro. feeder FROM PAGE 1i So until repairs were made, the station could net be put back on bine, he says. A $3-rnillion System Central and Data Acquisition (SCADA) installation should also make hydre service more reliable. The system, which Whitby Hydro lias already purchased, wibb enable crews te pinpoint the location cf a problem. However, it can't be instabled u.ntil the lower demand for hydre in the faîl. Using SCADA, crews can "isolate an outago te practically the homo that je affected or one or twe hemes rather than a whoee area," says Whitby mayor Tom Edwards, the Tewn's ropresentative on the commission. "Our crows, instead of geing down with an infrared lamp up and down the line te find eut where the breaks are, or te visually se. it, will b.ý able Wo go (diroctly) to the thing." That will provide "more security and more effective, more prompt rsos"àte a proLrn. Reliable, supervised day care at a home in yoiir neighbourhood. a Monthly home inspections and, we weicome fuit or part-time care for ctildren from 6 weeks of age! For information Cati e 686-3995 .WatC-h® a lIcensed Agency Whitby Mall Dentul Office