This is an open letter to all political candidates and particularly to Christy Clark.
You have stated that you and your government have done such a great thing by reducing the medical premiums. That statement is a boldfaced deception in light of the reality that the rates were raised just last year and the only cut to those premiums was to the previous rate that was already at a crippling amount. So where is the truth that you and your caucus is supposed to be noted for?
The cost to acquire a vision test and then glasses is vastly beyond the scope of anyone on disability, much less a pension. Please don't say "then save for it." The question then becomes one of where does a person find the coins to save and more specifically what do we deprive ourselves of - rent, hydro or food? Then how do we provide an address so that we can continue to receive these finances?
Then there is the cost of dentistry. Regardless of the attempts of government to say that these are paid for, the payments are only in part and not in full, therefore the statement that saving up for these items is redundant by the most obvious fact that politicians seem to be more interested in fueling the pollution problem than in dealing with the spatial reality that requires the facts, not opinion.
Then there is all this blather about money for retraining.
Where? Unless a person is living in a hostel or in a cardboard box, those on Employment Insurance do not qualify.
There are so many conditions linked to most of the funding that the majority of case workers who are responsible to assist those on Employment Insurance to be retrained are unaware (or chose not to be aware) of the protocols involved in assisting those to gain retraining. Please do not say that I do not know what I am talking about. Unfortunately, I know only too well how diverse the knowledge is among some of the workers who do not bother to ask the questions of their more experienced co-workers in an effort to more effectively assist their clients.
Finally, how does tearing down the esteem of a client enable that client to want to better themselves? How does making a person homeless for two years before they can qualify for retraining help that person to survive in a healthy manner?
Government wonders how come we have such a population of homeless - this is your first clue. I hope someone in your caucus is good at reading clear English.
So how is all this political palaver enabling anyone who does not want to either remain on assistance or EI?
The inquiring minds require an honest answer.
Florence J. Schultz
Prince George
