While I think every member of our society, should be treated with respect; and those in difficulty offered at least sympathy, but preferably constructive help....
I do understand how people become hardened to the tougher realities out there.
I think the sheer size/ubiquitousness of certain problems, homelessness included, brings on a sense of helplessness in many. What difference will my lone effort make?
One can also see where the risk of guilt becomes an issue....(if you help one, should you help them all?) the moral answer is yes, the optimistic answer is you shouldn't have to because others should be doing their part too; but the practical part says, I walked past 15 pan handlers and if I gave them a toonie each that would be $30 per day, every day.....
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I think where people rhapsodize either about small towns or the odd larger city with greater social infrastructure.....is that if the problem is relatively small.....if you only see 1 panhandler once in a week or month......its much easier to be help. Not only because its affordable or you have the time, but because you believe you can make a difference this once. You're not jaded.
That's harder in a big city with a big problem.
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Personally, while I endeavour to be respectful, I rarely if ever give. I do actively support by voting/lobbying etc. government doing more to address the needs of society's most vulnerable. I sometimes wish I would take the time to see if I could truly help even 1 person dig themselves out of their situation, but I become resigned to the notion that I'm not an expert, and lack the time and resources to do that properly, whether or not I'm just letting myself off the hook....I don't know
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What I do think all of us can and should do, (sorry if this sounds preachy)...
is lobby government to address where it can, the most prominent causes of homelessness and serious poverty in general. We also ought to be prepared to pay more taxes in the short-term to achieve this (I would contend in the long term we will make money back off getting people off the streets and into jobs).
Best I can figure, the leading causes of severe poverty are:
Mental/Illness and addiction:
- For this we need to ensure that any one in need of care receives it, in a timely fashion, for free.
- This includes addiction treatment for which there ought to be no waiting lists.
- We also need to have more 'supervised' care to ensure people are just released as soon as they are cured/sober and then dumped back on the streets where to no one's surprise they stop taking meds with no money to afford them, and no one to remind them....or start imbibing or getting high again to make the pain go away.
There needs to be intermediate care, post-institutional where people are properly housed, given the tools to succeed and receive on-going supervision and emotional support for months after their release from treatment.
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Joblessness:
We also need a system to help the chronically unemployed get jobs. I think we do an OK job of helping people who can basically help themselves. But if you lack basic ID or a phone or email; if you lack a good outfit for a job interview or a place to shower; if you have never been employed or don't know how to fill out a resume, the help we offer is far less effective.
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Jobs that don't meet basic needs:
We also need to provide an employment market with jobs that pay enough that people can actually save for a rainy day so to speak.
In fairness to the current government, minimum wage is on the rise.
But if any of us had to live on $9.50 an hour...even if we got 40 paid hours....we'd be in very tough.
Its not just a function of wage rate, but of the fact in my circle most people are salaried or get a full 40 hours paid (paid lunches); or get paid so much that it doesn't matter.
But when at the bottom in retail, you are quite likely to get only an unpaid 30min. break (if your shift is long enough) meaning there are only 35-37.5 paid hours to be had, assuming you can get full time work.
At such low wage levels losing that amount is tortuous. Of course an absence of ANY paid sick days, when you clearly don't make enough to pay daily expenses as it is.....means that if you get genuinely sick you may lose your ability to pay rent or to eat; starting a terrible downward spiral.
In any event, I would argue for at least 5 paid sick days by law, with the money being generated the same way your holidays are (as a % of your cheque). I would argue for a fairer minimum wage and tax regime. At the very minimum $12.00 per hour; and for a paid meal break law that essentially guarantees full time or near-full time workers, 40 paid hours.
There are a host of other important measures as well, such as Pharmacare, so no one ever goes off their meds for lack of money.....
But all that belongs to another thread, another day.
