Don’t biame poor for their poverty TERRACE — Poor people don’t cause poverty but they are often blamed for it, says an anti- poverty advocate, Dealing with that blame is one of the biggest challenges facing the poor, adds Pam Fleming who works for Vancouver-based End Legislated Poverty. This’ makes it important for poor people to organize and work together, said Fleming who was. in Terrace recently to give a workshop. | What's needed is an increase in the minimum wage to at least $9.05 an hour to bring the work- ing-poor up to what is considered necessary for a reasonable stan- dard-of living and increasing wel- fare rates, she said, “There’s been an increase in poverty, directly affecting women and children, while the corpora- tions make the profits,’ said Fleming, “Poverly is time consuming, You walk instead of drive. All of . your time is spent just getting food, shelter and clothing. It doesn’t leave a lot of resources to do anything else,’’ she said. And while the middle class may feel it is doing fine, added Flem- ing, she pointed out that the aver- age Canadian worker pays 35 per cent of the tax load while corpo- tations contribute 12 per cent. “There’s a small group of people not paying their fair share. We need a balanced and fair taxa- tion program,”’ said Fleming. “Personal responsibility is focused on low income people, Abuse tackled TERRACE — The Kitsumkalum band here is benefitting from an ’ infusion of money for alcohol and drug and family violence pto- grams. It’s ‘included i in . $623, 000 given by: the provincial government for - programs concentrating, on north- * westmatives, ~ .,,.2 reo! ee ‘«This is new money. Ws to we .o ws the: money: into the regions ‘and __ here, specifically for the * abétiginal community. in - the northwest, ”” said Louise Kilby of ‘4: the Smithers Dze ] K’ant Fricnd- - ship Centre which is administer- ing the programs. Kitsumkalum band is getting $58,030 for. drug and alcohol _ work and $4,000 for family violence work. “Just over half of the $623, 000 is going toward dmg and alcohol programs and the rest to family violence. All told, 60 projects are getting money in the northwest, Pam Fleming but nobody has asked why thc rich — the people of privilege —— why they don’t pay taxes,” she continued. Fleming fecls the number of working poor will increase be- cause of the free trade deal with the United States and with the prospect of a similar deal involv- ing Mexico. © Dealing with the poor can’t be done by bureaucrats but can be helped by educating and finding allies, she says. Fleming's philosophy is based on the idea that every person deserves the right to food, shelter, clothing and health care. And although she does not ob- ject to charily efforts such as soup kitchens and food banks, she feels they mask the symptoms. ‘People resent having to stand in the lineups and rely on the whims of charity. There should be adequate incomes so people can choose their own food,’ said Fleming. Fleming’s group, End Legis- - lated Poverty, pushed for the creation of school lunch programs such as the one now covering Clarence Michiel and ELT. Ken- ney schools. But even the amount of bureaucracy involved in setting up the programs and running them can work against the people they are intended to help, she said, “Only low income people are the experts on poverty. They have to be involved in the implementa- tion of any programs,’’ said Fleming. Mes INTRODUCING OUR vere SUNDAY BREAKFAST BUFFET | Every Sunday from 10:00 am til 2:00 pm FEATURING... 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