This letter was presented as a deputation to the Scarborough Community Council by CUPE Local 79 President Tim Maguire. In it, Maguire details the impacts that the proposed 2012 Budget will have on Scarborough residents.
Dear Councillor Paul Ainslie, Chair
And Members of the Scarborough Community Council
RE: Agenda Item SC12.23 – Budget Matters Affecting the Scarborough Community (Wards: 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44)
If the 2012 Budget is passed by City Council – as is – Scarborough residents stand to lose a lot of services they need and rely on.
So many of the proposed cuts will cut deeply into neighbourhoods and communities here in Scarborough. Many of these service cuts are targeted at the poor, the sick, the elderly and children.
Councillors for Scarborough cannot allow this to happen. You must not pass this punitive Budget next week at City Council. You must stand up to protect the citizens and communities from the harm this budget will cause.
Here’s what’s in store for Scarborough, if the 2012 Budget passes:
- Closing of Birchmount Shelter – home and shelter for 60 men
- Recreation – higher user fees and reduced services
- Pool closures, reduced arena hours, charging fees at priority centres, (like Oakridge), changes to the Welcome Policy that create more barriers for struggling and vulnerable families trying to access recreation
- Front-line workers in Long Term Care Homes and Services are losing their jobs and the potential sell off of 9 of the 10 City-run long term care facilities is still in the fine print of the 2012 Budget
- The waiting list for child care spaces will get longer with the City planning to close three child care centres – children in Scarborough and across the City need more child care, not less. The 2012 Budget threatens to destabilize the City’s child care system
- Cut backs on home visits by public health nurses
- Youth Outreach programs will be decimated
- Hundreds of cleaning jobs in City facilities will be lost
All of these cuts to services could be avoided if Council voted to use the ever-growing budget surplus to protect these valued services.
The time to act as Scarborough Councillors is now – make your voices heard at the Executive Committee meeting on Thursday January 12 and at City Council next week January 17th, 18th and 19th .
Thank you,
Tim Maguire
President, CUPE Local 79