CANADIAN POLITICS-TORONTO:

OCAP'S FALL FIGHT BACK:
The following event notices are from the Ontario Coalition Against Poverty (OCAP).
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[ocap] Fall Fight Back - October 23rd and November 5th:
JOIN US!‏:
Fall Fight Back
1) October 23rd: Mass OW/ODSP case action
2) November 5th Meal and March on the Financial District.
All Details are below.
GET INVOLVED!
OCAP Meets every other Monday - contact the office to meet up and get involved for these two important actions and beyond.
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1) Mass Case Action:
Come out and defend people on social assistance. Friday, October 23rd
From Downtown:
11:45 Meeting at Kipling Station
*Tokens Available through the Office
Atwell:
12.30 PM
North East Corner of Atwell and Dixon
Coming from downtown: meet inside Kipling Station at 11:45am (tokens provided)
Wilson:
Get on the bus at 2pm at:
- Jane and Finch
- Jane and Sheppard
- Falstaff
or, the corner of Jane & Wilson at 2:30pm




As a lead up to the November 5th Campaign for a Poverty Free Ontario Province-Wide Day of Action, OCAP, Jane Finch Action Against Poverty and a number of people on social assistance will be conducting 2 mass case actions on October 23rd at two of the most notoriously bad welfare offices in Toronto: Atwell and Wilson.




Today, more people than ever are being forced to live on welfare in Ontario. They face two major problems. First of all, the income they receive does not let them pay their rent and feed their families properly. Secondly, welfare offices like Atwell and Wilson do all they can to deny even the small benefits people are supposed to get. When they apply for Special Diet, Community Start Up and other benefits, they are denied their rights.
This must stop.
To the Government, we say "Raise Welfare Rates by 40% Right Now!"
To Toronto Social Services and its Atwell and Wilson Offices, we say, "Give people all they are entitled to and treat us with dignity and respect".
Come out and help us deliver this message and build an organization in our community that can force the Atwell and Wilson offices to stop the abuses it presently gets away with.
For more info contact the Ocap office: 416-925-6939
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2) No More Band-Aids or Bail-Outs for the Rich
OCAP Meal and March on Financial District As part of the Campaign for a Poverty Free Ontario
Province-Wide Day of Action
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Thursday, November 5th, 2009
1:30 pm
St. James Park (King St. East and Jarvis St.)
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For years, they have been telling us no money exists for decent wages, proper housing, childcare, education or health care and, certainly, no money to ensure that poor people on assistance can pay the rent and eat properly. Yet when the banks and corporations ask for help, public money suddenly becomes available to them. Money that lines the pockets of CEO's while thousands are laid off, forced in to precarious work,or living in total poverty.




For poor people in Ontario, this economic crisis has rubbed salt in our wounds. We've been living with too little for far too long. This downturn is unfolding in a context where social supports have already been cut back and devastated. All three levels of government have made clear they will not put resources into social programs crucial to our survival. In fact, as the downturn cuts into revenues, governments will likely try to cut vital programs in order to balance their books. As this system moves into crisis, those in power move to profit once again at our expense.




This is capitalism's crisis - they broke it, and we’re not paying to fix it!




For the needs of poor and working class people, nothing will be provided unless we fight together. We should not wait for a corrupt and brutal system to fix itself, we should organize and fight to win real and just demands.




Join us on Thursday, November 5th!
We demand:
-Affordable and Accessible Housing: immediate increase to social housing and access to proper shelter supports
-Decent Income: immediate increase to Social Assistance by 40%, immediate increase to (Un)Employment Insurance and Minimum Wage
-Status for all immigrants and refugees: access to services without fear
-Justice For First Nations: stop economic warfare and recognize sovereignty
-Affordable and Accessible Education
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Ontario Coalition Against Poverty (OCAP)
416-925-6939
www.ocap.ca
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