[homeles_ot-l] Feds cut low-income access to computers and the internet

[Linda Lalonde]

Hi folks,



 
As many of you know, the federal and provincial budgets contain many hidden items that are just starting to come out as people either get notified of them or find them by wading through budget documents.



 
This morning I heard about one that will have a drastic effect on the low-income community. CAP, the Community Access Program, which covered those computers with internet that are in community centres, libraries and community resource centres is being cut. Many of these sites also have telephones, fax machines and printers. Although the centres often have other funding on top of the federal amount, it is usually the pivotal funding and with it gone, other sources will not be able to sustain the services.



 
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/story/2012/04/06/ns-cap-funding-cut.html



 
"Margaux Stastny, director of communications for Industry Canada, said the service was no longer required. "The vast majority of Canadians are now connected to the internet at home, while many more have access through their mobile devices," she said. "Schools, libraries and not-for-profit learning organizations will continue to benefit from other federal initiatives such as the Computers for Schools Program." She said the government was also improving Canada's internet infrastructure. The funding will run out at the end of March.”



 
This is how a lot of people who can't afford a computer and/or the internet have been able to look for jobs, find housing, get schoolwork done, contact their worker, apply for government programs, write & print resumes and many other things. These sites also help break down isolation by getting people out of their homes. For people with family at a distance, it also helped them stay in contact whether it was B.C. or Botswana. While 97% of higher income Canadians do have internet access at home, only 54% of the lowest-income fifth of Canadians have it.



 
I have watched dozens of kids with no computer at home use the CAP computers to do their homework. They aren't among the "vast majority" with internet access at home or the "many more" with access through a mobile device. These are elementary, high school and university students. How are they supposed to keep up at school? 



 
I can give you a very good example of what these computers mean to people. Did you receive anything from me by email prior to November 2010? That came to you via a CAP computer. Did I provide you with any information from the government or research from any other source? That more than likely came to me via a CAP computer. Did I pass on information about events and activities here, across the province or around the world? That came to me and went out to you via a CAP computer. 



 
My only access to the internet then was through various CAP sites, some of whom let me sit at the computer for hours on end and provided me with paper so I could print out vital reports to read at home. If you called me on my cell phone and I said I would call you back shortly, I was more than likely going to a CAP site to use the phone there. If I called you anytime during the day, I was probably at a CAP site - this is still the case.



 
I know at least one of you is saying you wish you'd known that you could have shut me up by shutting off the CAP sites. That wouldn't work because I have options. But there are thousands of others who don't have any other way to get to a computer, phone or the internet and for them this will be devastating. And guess who'll be blamed if they don't do the things they need a computer to do?



 
In the same budget, the government announced that they will be moving more things off paper and onto the web. If you go to various government websites and publications, they tell people that if you don't have the internet, you can go to your local library or community centre to access the internet. This was a cost-saver in the provincial budget too.



 
Ottawa's municipal government has already stepped up to the plate once to fill in when the feds pulled back on their funding a number of years ago. This is not a municipal responsibility and the city shouldn't be left holding the bag when higher levels of government dump programs and services. They have plenty to do in order to meet their own bills without paying someone else's.



 
This cut is disgraceful and should be reversed. We have until March to make that happen.



 
Linda.
 
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