The timing is impeccable considering my last post, and validates my arguments in a very gross way. I read in this morning's paper that the BC Liberals are clawing back the one little benefit that kids on welfare have always been able to look forward to - summer camp.

BC has the highest child poverty rate in the country, and has done so for almost a decade despite enormous economic growth in the province. These children have grossly underfunded food, shelter, healthcare and clothing, yet those in power have now decided that given the government's budget shortfall that they will take back the only thing these children could look forward to once a year-summer camp.
The deplorable conditions this kids live in is unimaginable, especially considering that Canada is one of the richest countries in the world. And yet the government seems to think that it is moral to deal with a fiscal problem by clawing back benefits from the province's poorest kids.
There is no way this can be fiscally or morally justified. BC is staring down a price tag for a big party -the olympics - to the tune of a couple billion dollars, but this is where they look to save money? I wonder what those in power would say to welfare recipients who blow a massive load of money they don't have on a party they cannot afford and then take money from their already-deprived kids to try and balance the account?

If the province is in deficit (it is) than how about raising taxes to the top 10% of earners a couple of percentage points? Surely they should pay rather than kids on welfare, especially since many of them will benefit handsomely from the coming olympics.

It is an example of the points i made in the earlier post:

• The arrogance of those in power - if you're poor it's your fault and so you are undeserving. I'm wealthy because of my merits.
• The complacency and  lack of compassion towards those who are weak- people act more or less in what they see as their OWN interest.
• The more people have, the more they want. Although the wealthy in this province are VERY wealthy, the government not only protects their wealth, they spend billions of tax dollars helping them accumulate more (olympics), even if it means clawing back summer camp form poor kids.
• Throughout history the wealthy and powerful have fed upon, destroyed, used, and blamed the poor. How can this be seen in any other light? If BC was poor, of course we couldn't afford summer camp for these kids. But if we can afford a half billion dollar convention centre, a 2 billion dollar party, we can afford summer camp for massively underprivileged kids.

I've started a facebook group about this. I'm also gonna start a letter writing campaign.