A8 - The Terrace Standard, Wednesday, December 25, 2002 Cuts anger advocate SOCIAL SERVICES cuts and new regulations are hurting women and child- ren, says a local anti-pov- erly advocate. It’s now to the point where their health is in danger, says Gerry King of the Skeena Anti Poverty Society. “] had a young lady come in with a child in her arms, just 30 days old,” says King of a recent en- counter. _ “She can't be seen for three weeks [by the human resources ministry]. No ex- ceptions.” “She’s paying minimal rent in a good place. She’s breastfeeding, but she couldn’t eat a full healthy meal a day. The baby has nothing except for breast milk.” King’s angered thal while new social services regulations involving wail- ing, periods to make claims and cuts to benefits seem to be saving money, the cost is to the most vulner- able is too much. “Just wait for the resid- ual impact of ail this to take place,” King adds. “He's got to know who is feeling the brunt of this. It*s the children, the women and the children,” said King of Premier Gar- don Campbell. The advocate is also critical of regulatory and benefit changes to people on various disability pay- ments, saying cuts affect- ing them don’t make Sense. “This has nothing to do with with a guy that’s too lazy to get off the couch and go to work or anything else,” said King, He’s also seeing people he has never seen before, primarily people who had steady employment in the forest industry. And he says the situa- Compusaa7r? Correction notice Please take nate af the errar that appeared in the CompuSmart “Boxing Weak Blowout" flyer, The Sale starts December 26, valid unt December 31, 2002, white quantities last. To aur customers: The following change was not confirmed in time to be corrected in the CompuSmart flyer distributed this week. We apologize for the inconvenience. Correction Notice The Toyota BC Dealers ad appearing the week of December 5-12, 2002 in this pares featured the 2003 Echo 4-door with power door locks and cofour-heyed bumpers & door handles. These accessories are not available for the model advertised - BT123M(A). The 2003 RAV4 AWD was featured with keyless entry and cruise control. These accessories are Not available on the modet advertised - HHZOVMAKA). Your Toyota BC Dealers apologize for any confusion this may have caused for our valued customners. CE TOYOTABC DEALERS Sv ascage Northwest Smile Design Center BrP A Okimi, bx. Fly Dest FulFoxe rhodes, 1M + Serving the Northwest for 10 years 5 Full Fate Orthodontic Core * Invisalign - the lavisobla browes «TMJ. Treatment * Porcelain Crowns and Veneers * Teeth Whitening (Bleaching) * Lotex Free Ofice Dr. Peter, A, Okimi 200-4619 Park Avenue, Terrace, B.C, VBG 1V5 (250) 635-7611 Did you know that 0 child should be seen for helt fist arhadonti¢ screening before age 7# tion would be much worse had not the [WA opened ils strike fund to make Payments to those mem- bers affected by the one- year-plus clasure of the Skeena Cellulose sawmill here. King regularly accom- panies people making claims to government ministries. He says the application process is fairly brutal - given the new. regulations making it more difficult to get benefits. “As much frustration as there is, don’t take it out on the [social service] workers. The stress is pret- ty hard on them, too.” “These ladies go home at night, half of them in tears, because of what they have to do.” King also points out that tight- ened require- ments to col- lect so- cial services benefits began-under the previous NDP government and have accelerated under the Lib- eral government. “But I didn’t think I'd see it happening at the rate it is happening,” he said. “It’s important to re- member that people didn’t create the welfare state; politicians did.” Gerry King It could be a gas NATURAL GAS customers are going to be given a chance to play the field. Energy minister Richard Neufeld says the pro- vince’s energy policy will allow small consumers to choose who is going to supply their gas. At present, while Pacific Northern Gas is not al- lowed to add any mark up to the price it pays for the gas, homeowners and commercial businesses have to purchase their gas from the utility. Under the proposed system, Neufeld said PNG will still be required to deliver any gas purchased independently by the consumer and will charge the user the cost of transmission. He pointed oul that would be similar to what's happened with telephone service where consumers choose who their long distace carrier will be. Neufeld said the province would put a licencing system in place where “legitimate, bonded compa- nies” could go out, purchase pas, sell it ta small consumers and have that gas delivered by PNG. “] think that’s a great part of the whole plan,” he added. “There are some marketers in Vancouver and have been for quite some time.” Neufeld said the change would allow small con- sumers to lock in as a hedge against future price spikes. However, he cautioned, if a gas seller knew prices were likely to rise, it wouldn’t commit to a multi-year contract. es. 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