Wolbert: Feds trim funding for disabled groups

Wolbert: Feds trim funding for disabled groups

JUST ONE MORE DAY TO GO! JOIN US AS WE TAKE A STAND FOR SOCIAL JUSTICE (DON'T FORGET TO BRING THE POTS)

STANDING-UP and SPEAKING OUT for SOCIAL JUSTICE in CANADA

Join me on July 14th, in Winnipeg, MB. as I stand-up, and speak-up, for social justice in Canada. A colleague of mine has said that social policy is homeless in Canada. And that needs to change! Millions of Canadians are unemployed, homeless, and living in poverty. More than one million Canadians living with disabilities are not in the labour force. Most of these people really do want to work and make a contribution to their communities. Employment is just one of the measurements of "inclusion" in Canadian society. While much has been accomplished over the last four decades, more still needs to be done! On July 14th, advocates will send that message to all 3 levels of government.

Valerie Wolbert - one of the leaders in Manitoba's disability community

Profile: Valerie Wolbert
President: People First of Manitoba

Valerie Wolbert was born in Winnipeg, Manitoba and has two foster sisters and one foster brother.  She was raised in the small community of Poplar Point and attended school there. As a person with an intellectual disability, Valerie has become an advocate for herself and many others. She is unstoppable in her commitment to making life better for all people who have been labelled with an intellectual disability.

Valerie began volunteering with her local People First chapter in 2006 and soon was elected as the President. She currently represents Manitoba on the People First of Canada board.

Valerie has accomplished many things in her lifetime. She has fought for and won her legal capacity and the right to make her own decisions and choices, she has travelled to Israel – a lifelong dream, she is married, and she is active and involved in her community.

Valerie is particularly proud of her involvement in the making of the People First of Canada documentary film The Freedom Tour. Valerie gives of her energy, time, and skills to many organizations in the Winnipeg area.

 

    

Along with her People First work, Valerie is an active volunteer with her church, the DisAbled Women’s Network, and the Canadian Human Rights Museum. Valerie is a well-known disability activist in her home town of Winnipeg where she lives with her husband and two cats.

Persons with disabilities need not apply!

 On Jan. 01, 2010 I had a commentary in the Winnipeg Sun called, If only we'd get hired. I would like to re-visit that topic. It always disgusts me whenever somebody says that the poor or people living with a disability are lazy and don't want to work.   Over 21 years experience as an advocate and frontline worker tell me this just isn't true . . . People really do want to work!!!

I am a person who has a disability and happens to be poor. But I am not without any gifts or talents. For the last 8 years, I have been a strong advocate for persons with disabilities and those who live in poverty. I have excellent oral and written skills too! Over the last four and a half years I've written well over 100 letters, op-ed. pieces and commentaries in both our local newspapers (Winnipeg Free Press and Winnipeg Sun).

In December 2011, I just happened to come across an advertisement in our local community newspaper called The Lance. The newspaper was looking for people interested in becoming "community correspondents."

I thought that I'd apply for the position in St. Vital. I am well-connected to my community as well as the surrounding areas.  And besides, I love to write. On Tues., Dec. 13, 2011 I posted a tweet stating that I applied for the position. Within 10 minutes I received a reply from The Lance saying they "tentatively had someone in place for the St. Vital area," but would get back to me if the situation changed. That was 3 months ago. The ad has run non-stop since then. And guess what? According to the ad they are still looking for a community correspondent in St. Vital. I'm not Lying!

I am poor. I am disabled. I am also outspoken. Sometimes I may be a bit too outspoken for some people. Persons with disabilities (like me) really do want to work. But if employers like The Lance refuse to even give us a chance, then how will our situation ever change? I do have something to contribute to my community . . . whether The Lance believes it or not!

HELP US . . . STOP WINNIPEG'S 20-CENT TRANSIT FARE HIKE!

The op-ed. the Winnipeg Free Press refused to publish

Winnipg Free Press editor Margo Goodhand said to me in an email that could pitch the occasional op-ed. piece on an issue that's in the news.  The 20-cent transit fare increase is one such story. I submitted an article which I had hoped would get publishished.The following is the op-ed. which the paper refused to publish. The voice of the poor and people living with a disability deserve to be heard on this very important issue. Tell me, why should politicians and criminals get all of the press? Shame on the Winnipeg Free Press!  I expected better from them.

Transit fare increase hurts our most vulnerable citizens

Stop the twenty cent transit fare increase! This is a message that Winnipeggers will be hearing a lot of in the coming weeks. Advocates for the poor, people with disabilities as well as other community based organizations have been gearing up for a show down with city hall over this issue.

On the surface it's an issue that does not appear to affect that many people. In actuality, it does. It affects some of our community's most "vulnerable" citizens who least can afford another hike in transit fares. Such an increase will only add to the finacial burden faced by so many university students, seniors, people with disabilities and others living on a fixed or low income.

It's a common misconception that individuals who receive social assistance automatically receive a monthly bus pass. Unfortunately, this isn't the case.

In my opinion, the 20-cent transit fare increase, which was passed last fall, amounts to a "declaration of war" against some of our city's most vulnerable citizens. Persons with disabilities and those living in poverty understand that government budgets need to be balanced and infrastructure projects, like bus rapid transit, need to be paid for. However, we believe that this is something which should never be done on the backs of those who can least least afford it.

On July 14, 2010 I made a presentation before our City Council's Executive Policy Committee on behalf of Make Poverty History Manitoba. I called upon our city to "take responsibility for its poorest and most vulnerable citizens." I pointed out that our city used to disavow any responsibility for Aboriginal people and newcomers. It has outgrown that excuse. I said, "Wouldn't it be refreshing if the city treated poor people the same way, as full-citizens?" As an advocate for the poor and persons with disabilities, I am appalled at city council's attitude towards the poor. The transit fare hike does nothing to help the poor. In fact, it has the opposite effect. It hurts us!

We have been told that the money collected from the fare hike will be used to complete the Bus Rapid Transit corridor all the way to the University of Manitoba. I agree with those who say that it's not fair to charge our transit users, many of whom will never use the rapid transit line, what amounts to an additional fee to pay for building Winnipeg's infrastructure. No other Canadian city, which I'm aware of, makes its transit users pay for the cost of expanding their infrastructure. City council needs to find other ways paying for this project.

Some groups have proposed the creation of a fare-free transit system. The Green Party and Occupy Winnipeg are among them. While I believe that there is nothing free in this world, I do think that this idea deserves closer examination. We need to have a dialogue around the entire issue of public transportation and how this service is delivered. The bus fare increase has presented Winnipegger's with the opportunity to make their views known. A good, efficiently run public transit system, benefits us all.

In the end, what we want to have is a transit system that's safe, affordable and accessible for all of our citizens. Raising transit fares by an additional twenty cents won't translate into an increase in ridership. If city council's decision to increase transit fares is not rolled back, then I am afraid many individuals will end up having to use some of their food or rent money in order to meet their transportation needs. This is one "choice" that people should NOT have to make.

In the St. Vital by-election held last fall, voters sent a clear message to city council. We want to be consulted before politicians raise our taxes or any fees for services. All ten of the candidates said that they would have voted against the fare increase if they were on council at the time. So, when the City's Public Works Committee meets on February 28th, we will be asking that our city councillors roll back their earlier decision to raise our transit fares by an additional 20 cents in June. It's the right thing to do!

Harry Wolbert is an anti-poverty and disability advocate. He serves on the Executive Committee of Make Poverty History Manitoba and is a member of Occupy Winnipeg.   



Persons with disabilities speak-out against the 20-cent transit fare hike!

On  June 1, 2012, City Council will raise bus fares by another 20 cents on top of the 5 cent increase which took effect on Janury 1, 2012. We believe that a transit fare increase will only add to the financial burden faced by so many of our seniors, students, the poor, and people with disabilities. It is tantamount to a declaration of war against some of Winnipeg's most vulnerable citizens. Persons living with disabilities call upon Winnipeg Mayor Sam Katz and City Council to roll back the 20-cent transit fare increase.  We call upon City Hall to: STOP The Unfair Fare Hike!  Good public transit benefits everyone. No other city makes its transit riders pay the cost of expanding infrastructure. Councillors Harvey Smith and Ross Eadie will introduce a motion to "roll back" the fare increase at City Council on February 22, 2012.

WHAT CAN YOU DO?

Tell City Hall to

STOP THE UNFAIR FARE HIKE

CALL, MAIL OR E-MAIL YOUR CITY COUNCILLOR TODAY!

For more information go to http://fairbusfares.wordpress.com

Attend the Public Works meeting

Date: Monday, March 5, 2012

Time: 1:00 p.m.

Place: City Hall, 510 Main Street

Euthanasia: Another word for murder?

Note: The following article was published in the Winnipeg Sun on Thursday, January 05, 2012.

Euthanasia is once again in the spotlight.

The Carter case, now before the courts in B.C., seeks to legalize ethanasia and assisted suicide in Canada. It's a constitutional challenge which seeks to legalize these practices as medical treatment and to be regulated within provincvial health-care regulations.

On April 21, 2010, Canada's parliament soundly defeated Bill C-384, which sought to ammend the Criminal Code, allowing the right to die with dignity. It was a bad piece of legislation which, had it passed, would have directly threatened the lives of persons with disabilities.

We won this battle. However, Canada's right-to-die lobby aren't giving up that easily. In November, the Royal Society of Canada released its report on end-of-life decision-making. The report repeats the phrase "life is not worth living." In addition, it suggests dropping "terminal illness" as a prerequisite for death by euthanasia or assisted suicide. It says, "There are many individuals whose lives are no longer worth living to them who have not been diagnosed with a terminal illness."

Right to kill

When society defines a human life as "no longer worth living," then it can justify a right to kill that individual. Advocates of euthanasia are using some of the same language and rhetoric in use when the former eugenics movement was around. Persons with disabilities have reason to be concerned. It is a misconception we are somehow "suffering" and in need of state-sanctioned assistance to end our lives. 

Language commonly used by the disabled community has been hijacked. Words such as "choice" and "autonomy" are being redefined by the advocates of euthanasia. It has been said all social engineering is preceded by some form of verbal engineering, so we need to reclaim our language. The Netherlands is often referred to as a nation where euthanasia laws have worked well. However, we've learned from recent reports that many euthanasia deaths there go unreported. We have also learned 20% of Dutch general practitioners were willing to euthanize a patient who was "tired of life."

What about consent?

Recently, the Dutch Medical Association approved euthanasia for people with dementia, Alzheimer's and loneliness. Whatever happened to euthanasia requiring consent or the person having capacity? The irony of history is during the Second World War, the Netherlands was the only occupied country whose doctors had refused, en masse, to participate in the German euthanasia program.

Euthanasia is a very emotional issue. It's one of those issues for which there are no easy answers. Canada's euthanasia lobby failed to legalize euthanasia through democratic process and are now looking for a sympathetic, activist judge. I am opposed to any action or legislation that may serve to further devalue the lives of persons with disabilities. It's this devaluation of our lives which has often been used to justify acts of violence against us - even murder.

The last thing we need is for more negative stereotypes about persons living with disabilities. And while I'm opposed to the practice of euthanasia, I do believe Canadians need to have a dialogue around this important issue.