>Date: Sat, 4 Dec 1999 08:55:02 -0800 >From: "Michael Gurstein" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >Subject: Fw: New Book >To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >Mime-Version: 1.0 >Precedence: Bulk >Sender: [EMAIL PROTECTED] >Reply-To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > >----- Original Message ----- >From: d.raphael <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >Sent: Friday, December 03, 1999 6:32 PM >Subject: New Book > > >> Pay the Rent or Feed the Kids: >> The Tragedy and Disgrace of Poverty in Canada >> by Mel Hurtig (McClelland & Stewart). >> >> >> >> >> Hurtig continues to fight >> the good fight in crusade >> against poverty in Canada >> >> MICHAEL VALPY >> >> Thursday, December 2, 1999 >> >> It is breakfast-time in a downtown Toronto >> hotel. Across the table from me is Mel Hurtig. >> I have two thoughts. One: His shirts are the >> most dazzling white in the country. Two: The >> country still has definitive Canadian heroes. >> >> A third thought, a question, comes later. It is >> this: >> >> What keeps Mel Hurtig at it -- years after >> Canada's elites (in which Mr. Hurtig has >> platinum-card membership) have ceased >> admiring people who write about the country >> with love, who write about economic activity >> as if it should serve the goal of national glue, >> who write about the mythology of a Canadian >> compassionate society as if it should exist, >> who write about Canadian poverty? >> >> The answer, in all certainty, is that the notion >> of being in or out of fashion has never >> occurred to him. >> >> Between us on the breakfast table is the >> 67-year-old Mr. Hurtig's new book: Pay the >> Rent or Feed the Kids: The Tragedy and >> Disgrace of Poverty in Canada >> (McClelland & Stewart). >> >> It started out to to be a book exploring >> Canadian myths and reality. Just three of its >> chapters were going to be on poverty. The >> rest undoubtedly would have tilted at those >> who assault the iconography of Mr. Hurtig's >> creed: the nation's social programs, the tatty >> garments remaining of economic sovereignty, >> the frail last stand of government to protect >> Canadian identity and distinctness from global >> capitalism's careening Zambonis. >> >> But as he travelled across the country doing >> research, interviewing people, visiting >> socio-economic nooks of Canadian society >> formerly alien to him, Mr. Hurtig got angry. >> He discovered -- the italics are his -- what >> poverty really means. >> >> He discovered, at a downtown school, a >> seven-year-old girl sneaking her two >> preschool siblings into the school's hot-lunch >> program. The family had no father. The >> mother had been sick in bed for months. They >> always ran out of money before the end of the >> month. There was a utility bill to be paid or >> the threat of child welfare taking the children >> away. There was nothing in the house to eat. >> >> Mr. Hurtig discovered, at another inner-city >> school, the story of the businessman who >> donated six pairs of warm winter boots. Out >> of 240 children at the school, probably 150 >> needed the boots. So the school held a draw. >> One little girl -- who had been coming to >> school in minus-30 weather wearing running >> shoes, won a pair. Once having put the boots >> on, however, she refused to take them off, >> even for gym class. Several days passed >> before her principal discovered why: The little >> girl whispered to her that she didn't have any >> socks. >> >> Mr. Hurtig discovered the mother -- >> consumed with guilt -- who had lost her >> temper at her daughter for eating a piece of >> toast after school that was supposed to be >> next day's lunch. >> >> He wrote a book that was all about poverty in >> Canada. About how poverty is growing, >> about how government supports are declining, >> about how the rich are getting richer. >> >> It is a book with charts, graphs, tables, >> numbers comparing Canada -- dismally -- >> with other member-countries of the >> Organization for Economic Co-operation and >> Development. It is a book written by the great >> guardian of Canada who feels betrayed. >> Several times through breakfast, Mr. Hurtig >> identifies the villain as Finance Minister Paul >> Martin. >> >> It is a book of barely restrained rage. >> >> "How is it," he writes, "that, as our country's >> economy has expanded, as our gross >> domestic product has increased every year, >> there have been growing numbers of poor >> men, women and children in Canada? >> >> "How is it that somehow Canadians seem >> prepared to tolerate so much hunger, >> homelessness and suffering in such a relatively >> well-to-do country? >> >> "How is it that, as the country's economy has >> grown, the income gap between the rich and >> poor has widened? >> >> "And how is it that, while our government tells >> us repeatedly how well we're doing, there are >> growing numbers of families and individuals >> across Canada who are increasingly insecure >> about their future." >> >> Canada's elites will smile fondly at Mr. Hurtig, >> and ignore him. >> E-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] >> >> Copyright (c) 1999 Globe Information Services >> >> >> Visit our Web Sites for information and reports from all of our Quality of >Life >> Projects! >> http://www.utoronto.ca/qol http://www.utoronto.ca/seniors >> >> ****************************************************************** >> Where a great proportion of the people are suffered to languish >> in helpless misery, >> That country must be ill-policed and wretchedly governed: >> A decent provision for the poor is the true test of civilization. >> >> -- Dr. Samuel Johnson, 1770 >> ****************************************************************** >> >> Dennis Raphael, Ph.D. >> Associate Professor and Associate Director, >> Masters of Health Science Program in Health Promotion >> Department of Public Health Sciences >> Graduate Department of Community Health >> University of Toronto >> McMurrich Building, Room 101 >> Toronto, Ontario, CANADA M5S 1A8 >> voice: (416) 978-7567 >> fax: (416) 978-2087 >> e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >
