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www.insideHALTON.com | OAKVILLE BEAVER | Wednesday, October 23, 2013 | 6 Editorial The experience of the working poor There is de nitely something wrong when many people who work full-time still live below the poverty line. As we look to the pages of this newspaper in recent days, we see fundraisers and drives for the basics -- food, shelter and advanced medical treatment. Oakville's Fareshare food bank is just wrapping up its Thanksgiving food drive -- for nearly 400 clients who use its service monthly. Most of those clients are the working poor and their children. A coat drive was held in Bronte last weekend to help local people in need of clothing to protect against the harsh winter coming. Empty Bowls, the soup kitchen-style fundraiser, helps local people, primarily families, avoid homelessness. A letter on this page, describes the fundraiser to bene t a family seeking the best advanced medical care for their son who will now live with severe physical damage. These needs really do exist in one of Canada's wealthiest towns. It is both socially unacceptable and just plain bad for an economy that needs consumer spending to thrive. Some 534,000 Ontarians work 35 hours or more each week in fast-growing retail and service industries, earning the provincial minimum wage of $10.25 an hour. Indeed, with annual earnings under $20,000, these workers will never even crack the paltry ofcial low-income measurement of $23,000 a year. This doesn't bode well for Ontario. And the province's Liberal government hasn't helped matters by freezing the minimum wage for the past three years. It needs to stop stalling. To both alleviate poverty and increase consumer spending, the government should move as quickly as possible on minimum wage reform. It should speed up the work of the advisory panel it set up last summer and get ready to tackle the complex issue of Ontario's minimum wage. Activists are pushing for an immediate increase to $14 an hour -- a level that would bring earnings just above the poverty line. However, that would mean a hike of almost 40 per cent, far too huge a burden on so many small businesses. The government, though, needs to strike a fair balance between helping the working poor and ensuring small business is able to withstand whatever increase the Province considers. Giving poorest workers a few extra dollars in their pockets could actually help create jobs, particularly when the economy needs additional consumer spending. Unlike many corporations, low-income workers aren't going to hoard their extra cash. Instead, it will go right back into local businesses on necessary purchases. And we all know where consumer spending begins, job growth ensues. "Connected to your Community" Letters to the Editor 467 Speers Road, Oakville ON, L6K 3S4 General Inquiries: (905) 845-3824 Editorial Department: (905) 632-0588 Classi ed Advertising: (905) 632-4440 Circulation: 5300 Harvester Rd., Burlington (905) 631-6095 Volume 51 | Number 126 The Oakville Beaver is a division of Editorial and advertising content of the Oakville Beaver is protected by copyright. Unauthorized use is prohibited. Vice ­President and Group Publisher of Metroland West Regional General Manager Halton Region Editor in Chief Advertising Director NEIL OLIVER DAVID HARVEY JILL DAVIS DANIEL BAIRD Managing Editor ANGELA BLACKBURN RIZIERO VERTOLLI Photography Director Business Manager Director of Production SANDY PARE MARK DILLS MANUEL GARCIA Production Manager Director of Distribution CHARLENE HALL KIM MOSSMAN Circulation Manager Oakville's Andrew Fielding, 10, donated his trampoline to a garage sale aimed at raising funds so Oakville resident Juan Torres can get the best rehabilitation possible. Torres slipped into a coma over the summer, but is now out of it, but considered seriously brain damaged. His parents hope to send him for specialized rehabilitation in New Jersey. | submitted photo Community -- and one boy -- help Juan Re: Oakville ESL class fundraising to help Juan in recovery, Oakville Beaver, Oct. 17, 2013 We were all humbled by the community's response to the garage sale for Juan Torres thanks to the article written by David Lea in the Oakville Beaver. In particular, a little boy's huge heart touched us all, especially Juan's father. The story of Juan Torres became the story of a 10-year-old boy named Andrew Fielding and the generosity of a community. Although the weather forecast for Saturday's fundraising garage sale didn't seem too promising, the spirit of giving and compassion ran high and the tables of donated items ran down the long driveway of Isaura Alcantara. On Saturday, Juan's father arrived to meet with the constant stream of people and thank them from the bottom of his heart. Probably the most moving part of the day was the arrival of a brown-eyed boy from next door, Andrew. He had been so touched by Juan Torres's story he felt he wanted to contribute in some way. He offered his large, netted trampoline that had been a Christmas gift as well as a portable basketball net to sell. Andrew's two donations became major attractions and were quickly purchased. To the ESL and LINC students from Oakville's Thomas Merton Centre who organized and ran this event, this was an example of the Canadian social conscience at its nest. A more profound lesson could not be taught in the classroom. Our heartfelt thanks to everyone in the Oakville community for their prayers, donations and numerous acts of kindness. We are proud that our fundraising efforts have raised more than $4,600 for Juan Torres. Judy Temporale, teacher Thomas Merton Centre, Oakville Proud Official Media Sponsor For: Canadian Circulations Audit Board Member Recognized for Excellence by Ontario Community Newspapers Association Canadian Community Newspapers Association Proud Official Media Sponsor For: The Oakville Beaver welcomes letters from its readers. Letters will be edited for clarity, length, legal considerations and grammar. In order to be published all letters must contain the name, address and phone number of the author. Letters should be addressed to: The Editor, Oakville Beaver, 467 Speers Rd., Oakville ON, L6K 3S4, or via e-mail to; ablackburn@oakvillebeaver.com. The Beaver reserves the right to refuse to publish a letter. The Oakville Beaver is a member of the Ontario Press Council. The council is located at 80 Gould St., Suite 206, Toronto, Ont., M5B 2M7. Phone 416-340-1981. 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