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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2012-03-22, Page 7THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, MARCH 22, 2012. PAGE 7. THE EDITOR, How could two departments of the federal government be so diametrically opposed? I ask this question because there are two economic support programs for our veterans in play here. One is the Service Persons Income Security Insurance Plan Long Term Disability (SISIP LTD), a mandatory insurance program for Canadian Forces (CF) members, and the other is the Veterans Affairs Canada Earnings Loss Benefit (VAC ELB). Before October 2011 the New Veterans Charter (NVC) and the Service Person’s Income Security Insurance Plan (SISIP) provided for 75 per cent of a Canadian Forces member’s salary at release – the two programs were exactly the same, injured members were on one or the other. Last year, in response to appeals from veterans’ groups, such as The Royal Canadian Legion, the federal government announced they would increase the benefit to ensure basic needs as shelter, food, clothing, etc., could be met. VAC implemented the increased amount to the ELB program on October 3, 2011. The Department of National Defence (DND)/CF did not. Therefore, there is now a huge inequity. Through no fault of their own we have some veterans who have been injured attributable to their military service being paid $40,000 per year and some at less than $20,000. This is an unacceptable situation and needs to be fixed now. We have given DND and the CF ample time to fix this inequity but there has been no commitment to date. Now, with the federal government deficit reduction a certainty,, the Royal Canadian Legion is looking for a commitment and a firm date. This is a substantive example of how the federal government’s deficit reduction program is being run on the backs of our veterans. Surely our veterans deserve better treatment than this. Those who have been injured in the performance of their duties with the CF deserve the same income support regardless of which program they are on. This is only fair. It is inconceivable that institutions such as the CF and the federal government can stand up and say we care for our troops and we care for our own when they treat the most vulnerable of our veterans shoddily. Young men and women today Petition circulated protesting centre closureTHE EDITOR, For 23 years I have driven down the long laneway off Highway 21 to go to my job at the Bluewater Youth Centre. It’s important to understand that the profession of being a peace offer is quite different from other professions in that the bonds developed between each other are so much stronger as we depend on each other for our very lives. On Tuesday, March 6, all the staff were informed their services were no longer required and told to gather personal belongings and leave the building. The Friday before that a film crew from CTV News showed up at the gate at Bluewater and we learned on the 6 p.m. news that we were closing. For several days no one would answer questions about the news story and if it was true. When I began working for the Ministry of Correctional Services in 1989 we were told that the staff were the most valuable asset to that ministry. If we as staff were such valuable assets, why were we treated so terribly? No decency, no respect, no consideration. A few years ago we were moved to the Ministry of Children and Youth Services and things went steadily downhill from there. The law was changed and the number of youth coming into custody was cut in half. While we, as staff knew there were still the same amount of youth committing crimes, they were now not being put into custody. A few months ago we began to hear rumours that the transfer payment agencies were overflowing and we had several empty beds. Transfer payment agencies take the same youth but the government pays their staff much less and the youth do not have the programming and rehabilitative opportunities that were offered at Bluewater Youth Centre and other similar facilities in Coburg and Simcoe. Then staff heard from several different sources, London Police, Huron Special Constables and other police departments that they were directed not to take youth to Bluewater anymore. Several staff began to ask questions as to why we were not receiving youth anymore when we had room for several more and we knew that the transfer payment agencies were overflowing. No one would respond or answer these questions, not even our own administrator. I have watched over the last several years as millions of dollars of upgrades have been made to that facility and even on the day they told staff they were done working there, contractors were in doing work. This doesn’t even make sense since staff were told by management that the building was being decommissioned and torn down? Something is definitely fishy! The other two facilities in Coburg and Simcoe are older and in need of repairs and upgrades which Bluewater did not! The fact that there are 200 good paying jobs that Dalton McGuinty has removed from the already tornado-devastated Goderich and the loss of 300 Volvo jobs a few years ago shows that he doesn’t value or care about rural Ontario. This closure will take eight to 10 million dollars out of this local economy. Kudos to Central Huron Mayor Jim Ginn who has been very proactive for the county and looking at other possible options for the facility. There is a petition available to be signed at several locations in the county including Sparling’s Propane, The Gift Cupboard, the Blyth Festival, Scrimgeour’s, The Citizen’s Blyth office, as well as Stickers Restaurant in Auburn. Please consider signing to support those jobs not leaving Huron County. Thank you, Cathy Nethery. Letters to the Editor Legion upset with government Continued on page 19