Front line issues: Poverty in Canada ...

Above are three of the books I've recently read on Poverty in Canada ... I've discovered that the issue of Poverty seldom has voices of those who are living in it speaking about it ... ALL three of these books, as well as "On The Edge" by the late Lindalee Tracey, are eloquent, painful, powerful and cutting books examining the many issues that comprise the issues of poverty and homelessness in Canada.

They are written by people who wanted to understand more fully the many factors and issues that come into play for people who are shelterless, chronically precariously housed, dependent upon the system, or simply part of the ever growing mass of the working poor. Writing from different backgrounds, in different time frames and with different lenses all three authors have come to a remarkably similar set of realizations about poverty, homelessness and the many issues that these topics embrace ...

For starters, ALL of the authors note that too often the money used to address the issues of poverty, serve to create, promote, perpetuate and even expand an industry to serve the poor and less fortunate. The money that actually reaches those who need it pales in comparison to the money spent setting up Government offices and agencies, establishing checks and balances to minimize abuse and misuse, and promoting the programmes themselves. Even the not-for-profits use the meagre income for fund and volunteer raising appeals ... Over and over, these authors note that the real dollars reaching those in need are far less then the grandiose announcements made by officials and leaders who say they are tackling the problems. A simple shift to a minimum income through income tax refunds, tax credits, and other direct support that could be monitored by a simple programming switch within the vast computer system that guides our Government could solve this problem without spending MORE money on programming and offices while delivering money directly into the hands of those who need it.

A conversation recently with one of the local service providers revealed that the shelter allowance increase of a whopping 35 dollars a month in Manitoba saw an additional 35 to 70 dollars being spent on EACH 35 dollar increase to ensure that this service isn't being abused. The 35 dollars to those on the bottom rung of the social assistance ladder sees the government spending 50 to 100% MORE MONEY every single month to ensure that these people are not abusing the system. To take a reasonable step back, one needs only to consider the income level of these folks, the costs of housing for these folks, and the desperate and DOCUMENTED circumstances many of them find themselves in to realize that the Government would be better off spending ALL of the money in direct services rather than wasting it trying to catch a half a dozen cheaters.

Instead of paying out 350 additional dollars every month to people who don't qualify and who have found the loopholes the Government has wisely set up a gatekeeping system that spends a MINIMUM OF 35 dollars for every 35 dollars they give out, to ensure that those 10 people get caught ... I was never strong at math, but this simply makes no sense to me, and strikes me as an incredible waste of money, time, resources and people ...

The second finding that all three authors share in their reflections on poverty is the insidious and devastating power that SHAME has on those who are impoverished ... As I read their words I not only understood them, I realized I have for the last couple of years been living them ... It is embarrassing to admit that you are unable to make ends meet ... it is exhausting to make excuses to creditors and bill collectors who call repeatedly wanting to know when you will be able to make a payment ... it is hard to make the step into a food support programme and ask for help ... doubly so when you have been one of the people who has worked to craft, create and support those programmes in the first place.

Previously in this blog, I shared the comments by Senator Hugh Segal who noted that our system is still based on a Victorian era judgment that renders the poor and those on assistance as lacking ... As one who has over the last year worked no less than nine different jobs, and who has experienced over and over and over the averted gaze, the angry glare and the condescending stance of those who would rather shun the uncomfortable things I tend to stir up by my mere presence under stand completely the debilitating effects of SHAME.

I did not chose to be poor. I did not chose to be fired from the United Church Congregation in Minnedosa. I did not chose to be rejected by my "Christian" colleagues and friends. I did not chose to work part-time minimum wage jobs to make ends meet ... BUT, I do actively chose each day to live, to move forward and to speak out about the experiences I have had. Over and over in the writings of these four books, I've encountered the blindness that accompanies the invoking of shame upon those who the "good people" in our society chose to reject and over look in their "generous" charity.

Pat Capponi describes her experience of trying to do banking after the successful publishing of her first book. She couldn't provide any appropriate id, and was being treated with distain by the bank employee until Pat called a high ranking bank official she had met at a speaking event ... Pat had said to this man that there is NO LEVEL PLAYING field when it comes to poverty issues - there are haves and have nots ... the bank employee called the number for this high powered exec, who confirmed Pat's identity, and assured the clerk that she was who she claimed ... Pat was then handed the phone and asked what he thought about the Level Playing Field now?

Pat's experience is not unique ... the sting of rejection is acute and painful and strips away hope ... it causes you to stay home, to lurk in the shadows, to withdraw from public settings ... to be blunt - it simply hurts too much to see the pity in the eyes of those you meet, and it is even more pronounced when you meet someone who you once worked along side as a contemporary or colleague ... so, you withdraw ... you hide ... and the SHAME increases and deepens and crushes you and takes away you hope ...

A third common thread between these writers is the realization that poverty brings with it a stigma that is almost immediately and very viscerally recognized ... the shabbiness of clothing ... the worn and frayed jackets, jeans and shoes ... the general grubbiness of appearance, coupled with what Lindalee Tracey identified as the effects of a heavily carbohydrate laden diet means the poor become a visible target for immediate judgment ... the ability to buy simple necessities like soap, detergent, and deodorant immediately sets you apart ... the roundness that comes with consuming the empty calories of bread and carbs like pasta supplied through various food support agencies renders you "LAZY" by those who fail to see ...

Judgment kicks in, and shame settles over people who are already feeling crappy about thier circumstances and themselves ... the long term effects of a carbohydrate heavy diet lacking in fresh fruit and vegetables, and without a balance of foods are less certain ... the ability of the children to cope in school, and to succeed is very much open for debate ... Tracey contends that this form of malnutrition may be having a far greater and far longer lasting impact then we can even realize ... a child being fed a carb-laden diet may well be experiencing developmental set backs that affect their wellness, their mental capacity and their ability to live a full life ... this slow steady decline may be a major factor in the generational dependence on social assistance ... the whole nature versus nurture debate may crash on the systemic malnutrition that we've imposed on the most vulnerable among us ... the generational dependency may well be a creation of the circumstances we as a society have imposed upon the diets of those who are most vulnerable.

There are more reflections ... and in the coming days, I will continue to share them as I work on compiling my personal experiences, writings, reflections and discoveries into something more than a scattering of pages, note books and musings ... Over the last four years as I've found myself marginalized, cast out, and out cast from the "good people" of society, and as I've struggled to simply make ends meet, I've come to realize that too often those who speak of poverty, even though their voices have credibility and their findings are smack on, are people who can step free of the chains of poverty and precarious housing.

As good as these authors and their books are, they each can make a call and leave. Each of them, in their own way acknowledge this freedom that others lack. One American writer who explored working for minimum wage in various big block retailers openly struggled with the idea of whipping out her American Express Gold card and solving her financial problems ... when you have no safety net left it's a different experience then consciously choosing NOT to pull the escape lever ...

I'm not arrogant enough to say my voice is THE VOICE on poverty, but I have over the last 27 months as my life has spiraled downward come to realize how challenging and difficult living on the margins can truly be ... having been writing a monthly column on poverty has opened my eyes to what being poor means ... and in the last year living on part-time wages, and at least a half a dozen occasional jobs, I will be bold enough to say I've learned a few things about what being poor, with no means of escape can mean ... SO, in the coming days, I will write ... and I will write from my heart and from my experience and I will share what I've learned about poverty from first hand experiences ...

The truth will not be comfortable for some ... and it WILL be rejected by many, including those within the Church who've grown comfortable and complacent in their status quo word ... but it is a message today that needs to be shared because there are truly lives in the balance if we fail to address the poverty that exists all around us ... Like they used to say in X-files: the truth is out there ... the challenge now is to be willing to see and acknowledge it ...