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Home My WebLink AboutThe Goderich Signal-Star, 2009-12-02, Page 7Page 6 - Goderich Signal -Star, Wednesday, December 2, 2009 www.goderichsignalstar.com Proprietor and published by Bowes Publishers, P.O. Box 220, 120 Huckins Street, Goderich, Ontario N7A 486 ■ EDITORIAL We must come to the aid of children and working poor It has been 20 years since our parliamentarians in Ottawa voted unani- mously to eliminate child poverty. And since that noble proclamation, it must leave Canadians wondering just how far we've come in terms of eliminating any kind of poverty and elevating the fortunes and lives of the disadvantaged and less fortunate. The sad reality is that we haven't achieved much of anything. And statistics will bear out the truth that when it comes to eliminating poverty, we have failed the children. A national coalition dedicated to the eradication and elimination of child and family poverty, released its annual report card this week that highlights the inactivity of government to achieve any semblance of headway on the issue and, in fact, clearly demonstrates that Canadian families and children are los- ing ground. Campaign 2000, the coalition on poverty, says that one in 10 children in this country still live in poverty and in Ontario the number is closer to one in nth,. The Ontario government has now launched a concerted effort to reduce child poverty by 25 per cent over the next five years, an ambitious effort that must be given priority. . Common misconceptions that child poverty is caused by broken marriages and a lack of effort on the part of parents to find work are unfounded. In fact, over half of the children living in poverty, come from two-parent families and 40 per cent of those families have at least one parent working full-time. What the study points out is that more families have a full-time working parent but are unable to break the cycle of poverty. These statistics also come from 2007 data, a year when the economy was at its height and a time before jobs were lost and many more full-time workers turned to part-time solutions to work. Today, hundreds of thousands of Canadians are out of meaningful work and forced to live on welfare and employment insurance. If we are going to make strident gains on the poverty. issue then the govern- ment has to make a commitment and make clear choices now, even when the economy is serving up large deficits. People who work full-time should be able to offer reasonable financial support to sustain themselves and their families. The economy has shed hundreds of thousands of good paying jobs an Iseople are forced to accept part-time work and jobs that pay $10 to $12 an hour. It will simply perpetuate the cycle of poverty and create a generation of children, who having been raised in poor families will grow to be poor adults with low family income. Government action is required now. Or we will continue to see a widening disparity between the haves and have-nots in this province and country and a deepening cycle of poverty. (DS) THERE'S A BANK MANAGER AT CANADA TRUST THAT '(N1►JKS ITS irkpORTANr To MA1NTAIki TIES W tTN ^ME BRITISH MoNARCNY • • • i THINK WE- GOT ROYALLY SCREWED Support Alzheimer's Society during annual Walk for Memories To the Editor; Do it for the person who went that extra mile .for you. Each year, Alzheimer's disease and related disor- ders claim the memories and lives of thousands of Cana- dians. This January you can help the Alzheimer Society of Huron County get a step closer to better care in your community. Step up to the challenge and The Goderich Signal -Star, published every Wednesday at Goderich, Ontario is ane of The Signal -Star Publishing Group of C immunity Newspapers, a division of Bowes Publishers. The Goderich Signal Star shall not be liable for failure to publish an ad for typographical errors in publication except to the extent of the cost of that portion of the ad in which the ermr occurred. The Goderich Signal -Star reserves the right to reject or edit any advertisement. The Goderich Signal -Star is 0 proud member of the Canadian Community Nel,•cpap,''-c A%Am id/ion (CCA) ,nrrl 711e (1;7!(1,-i,, Community Newspapers Association (OCNA). OIMINDIONIMIA Editorial Deadlines... All Advertising Deadli Entertainment, Births, In Memoriams... Classifieds... Display Advertising... Telephone Fax.... Publisher... Reporters... Friday at 2 pm nes... Deaths, • Friday at 2 pm 519-524-2614 519-524-5145 Dave Sykes Dominique Milburn Gerard Creces • Denny Scott Letters opinion join the Alzheimer Society of Huron County on January 23rd for the 2010 Manulife Walk for Memories. Pledge sheets are now available for the 15th an- nual Indoor Manulife Walk for Memories. A walk will be held in Wingham, Clinton, Sea - forth, Exeter and Goderich. For more information or to register for an event near you, please visit www.walk- formemories.ca or call Karla at 482-1482 or 1-800-561- 5012 Cathy Ritsema Executive Director Alzheimer Society of Huron County Classifieds & Subscription... Accounting... Office Manager... Display Sales... Advertising Manager... 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