[Wamvan] Fwd: [rtrc-bc] Take action to raise welfare rates!

[Tami Starlight]

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Jean Swanson <jean.swanson at gmail.com>
Date: Fri, Mar 9, 2012 at 5:05 PM
Subject: [rtrc-bc] Take action to raise welfare rates!
To: rtrc-bc <rtrc-bc at povnet.org>, welfare-bc <welfare-bc at povnet.org>


Hi everyone,



Raise the Rates is taking advantage of the publicity from the MLA Welfare
Challenge (look at http://mlaonwelfare.com/ for news and reports about the
Challenge) and the fact that there are only 14 months left until the next
provincial election to pressure both the Liberals and NDP to:

·      Increase welfare rates a lot;

·      Increase the minimum wage to $12 an hour;

·      Build at least 2000 units of social housing a year;

·      End 100% clawbacks of earnings and child support from people on
welfare;

·      End the 3 week wait for welfare

·      Pay for this by increasing taxes on people and corporations who can
afford to pay more.



So, we need you help. Please consider taking some action and supporting
Raise the Rates and the folks who depend on welfare in BC.



*Activities*

Check out the 'Take Action' section of the mlaonwelfare website (
http://mlaonwelfare.com/take-action/) and there you will find ideas and
materials for activities including downloading our great coffee poster
(pdf), band aid flyer (pdf), letter to MLA, Do the Math sheets, fact
sheets, etc.

·      The poster could be copied, and put up in your community. Or email
me, saying how many you need, and I’ll send you some.

·      Arrange to meet with your local MLA and try to persuade them to
implement the demands above.

·      Invite Jagrup Brar to you community to speak on his experience
living on $610 a month.  Call or email Ruby Bhandal at 778-878-1293
Ruby.Bhandal at leg.bc.ca  to set this up;

·      Set up your own “Do the Math” action using the attached “Do the
Math” sheet. You could do it on a busy street or set up a table outside an
MLA’s office.  You could combine this with an appointment with the MLA and
ask the MLA to “Do the Math” for a single person on welfare or a single
parent.  If the MLA will or won’t meet with you, set up a table outside
his/her office and ask passers/by to “Do the Math.”  Invite the media and
ask them to “Do the Math” and hold a little news conference explaining why
welfare rates should go up. Use the poster and band aid flyer as part of
your publicity

·      Invite Raise the Rates to speak to one of your meetings or event you
organize.



*Political action*

We would like to have resolutions passed in support of Raise the Rates
demands to tackle poverty in BC.

·      If your organization can pass a resolution that would be great. Send
a copy to Raise the Rates and also to your MLA.

·      If you are active in a union, get your local to pass a resolution
and forward it to your union for consideration at the BC Federation of
Labour's convention in November, resolutions need to be submitted to the
Fed in by October.

·      If you are a councillor why not see if your municipality would
submit a resolution to the Union of BC Municipalities conference in
September

* *

*Support Raise the Rates*

If you are not yet a supporter of the Raise the Rates consider becoming a
supporter.

You can add your name to the supporters, make a donation, and get involved
in Raise the Rates activities.



If you can do any of these, have any questions, would like further
information or if you have more ideas, please contact me either by e-mail:
jean.swanson at gmail.com or phone 604 729-2380.

Let’s see if we can get a welfare increase before the next election. Please
forward this to anyone you think might be able to help out on the campaign.




Thanks,

Jean
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://lists.resist.ca/pipermail/wamvan/attachments/20120309/5d388ece/attachment.html>