(Toronto) Tim Maguire, President of CUPE Local 79, Toronto Inside Workers, criticized the City’s 2013 operating budget for failing to address the rapidly growing need for recreation services, childcare spaces and affordable housing.
“This budget ignores the growing social infrastructure deficit the City is facing. We are one of the fastest growing cities in the Western world yet the services we need to provide to youth at risk, parents and our most vulnerable citizens are failing to keep up,” said Maguire.
Maguire pointed to three areas where the budget fails to meet service needs:
- Recreation – Budget reductions ignore the fact that program wait lists, now tens of thousands long, grow by 3% each year.
- Childcare – Over 22,000 children and their families are waiting for subsidized spaces – and the outlook for 2014, when provincial subsidies are set to end, is much worse.
- Shelters – Thousands of people in Toronto are still homeless, and this budget actually reduces the number of shelter bed nights available.
“Aside from a few small adjustments this budget shows no vision or compromise when it comes to dealing with Toronto’s growing social service needs, “ stated Maguire. “Unfortunately, it does show how bereft of vision the Ford administration continues to be,” he added.
CUPE Local 79 represents about 20,000 City of Toronto employees working in all City divisions, including public health, city inspectors, homeless hostels, transportation, childcare centres, offices, recreation programs, and long term care homes.
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For further information, contact: Tor Sandberg at 416-655-8338 or Katrina Miller at 647-272-5024.