[homeles_ot-l] FW: [Ottawabudgetcoalition] PRESS CONFERENCE CITY HALL

[Lynne Browne]

FYI
Lynne Browne 
Coordinator, Alliance to End Homelessness 
147 Besserer Street, Ottawa ON  K1N 6A7 
613-241-7913 x 205, lbrowne at ysb.on.ca 
www.endhomelessnessottawa.ca 
-----Original Message-----
From: ottawabudgetcoalition-bounces at list.web.net
[mailto:ottawabudgetcoalition-bounces at list.web.net] On Behalf Of Shellie
Bird
Sent: September 17, 2007 10:03 AM
To: ottawabudget
Subject: [Ottawabudgetcoalition] PRESS CONFERENCE CITY HALL

*For immediate release*

*September 17, 2007*

* *

*Cracks in Ottawa’s social fabric more serious than cracks in Frank 
Clair Stadium** *

/Residents urge Council to protect and enhance city services/

OTTAWA – No member of City Council has a mandate to cut vital city 
services, residents tell Council on the eve of crucial budget 
deliberations that will determine how the City will find $27 million in 
budget shortfalls.

“Cracks in our city's social fabric are a more serious threat to our 
city’s health and wellbeing than cracks in Frank Clair stadium,” said 
citizen Yvette Fournier.

“Every Councilor and even the Mayor himself talked about the importance 
of maintaining and improving municipal health and social services 
through the last elections and through the priority setting sessions,” 
Fournier said. “Providing services to residents from all walks of life, 
from our youngest residents to our newest residents and to our oldest 
residents is the most effective way of building a strong, vibrant 
healthy safe and clean city.”

“Years of provincial downloading, and our City’s own under-spending, 
means that Ottawa is lagging behind most other Ontario municipalities 
when it comes to adequate spending levels in a wide range of city 
services,” Cecile Mbaya, from Karibu Canada and City for All Women 
Initiative (CAWI).

Mbaya pointed to a recent study by economist David MacDonald that 
compared municipal spending levels across Ontario, revealing that in six 
of nine key program areas, the City of Ottawa falls into the low- or 
mid-range of spending levels. */Where Ottawa Stands /*looks at spending 
levels in administration, public health, ambulance services, employment 
and financial assistance, assistance to aged people, parks & recreation, 
child care, social housing, libraries and transit. Ottawa is doing quite 
well in transit but is doing particularly poorly in public health and 
assistance for aged people.

"Many of us are very concerned about the health and safety of our City 
due to the havoc in our health and community services created from a 
decade of provincial downloading, funding cuts and budget constraints,” 
said business owner Randy McIntyre. "Nobody wants Ottawa to be known as 
a city with a decaying social fabric - yet that's what will happen if we 
don't take action to protect and improve community services."

"The debate is no longer about whether or not there will be a tax 
increase,” said Richard Girard, a parent of Glebe Parent’s Day Care. 
“The mayor and practically all councillors agree that rising costs will 
result in a rising tax bill. The question now is how much and for which 
services. We're here to call for a balanced approach where we keep our 
eye on the ball – thinking of ways to ensure Ottawa is a livable city."

Today's press conference was organized by citizens and community groups 
who want to ensure that Council listens to the overwhelming majority of 
Ottawans who want municipal services protected and improved.

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