Politicians are there for us.

In the old days, holding public office was considered an honorable pursuit because the politician was there to address injustices and create change. These days, many people have become career politicians, or seek to be. After all, the pay is not bad, the benefits are generous, and the perks are rewarding. If they make politics their source of income, and because they want to hold onto their jobs, they don’t want to rock the boat. Often it is that boat rocking that directs us to the stream for change and justice. In the best case scenario, a community enjoys having elected representatives who don’t mind making waves. In the worst case scenario, politicians are willing to say anything to secure their positions and go with the flow. In their wake, many are left to tread water, and some are going under.
It is election time. Instead of asking our politicians where they stand in the sea of social issues plaguing our communities, there is just cause to turn the tide and tell our politicians where we stand. I believe in the goodness and kind spirit of most of my fellow citizens. Despite different opinions about why people are poor, I think we are all probably on the same wavelength about how we want our community members to live.
With Statistics Canada data showing that BC has had the highest level of child poverty in Canada for the last five years, it’s clear that British Columbia is not the greatest place on earth. Child poverty is very much about low wages. It is not about kids having lazy parents. More than half of BC’s poor children live in families where at least one person has a full-time, full-year job. The problem is that the social safety net is not being maintained in a way that offers smooth sailing for these families. People are drowning in the costs of living, their minimum or low wages do not meet the poverty line, their income assistance and disability pensions do not provide for a basic standard of living, and some people have to survive on no incomes because welfare is no longer an anchor. People choose between food and medicine. People live without electricity. People pull out their own teeth. People lose their children to foster care because they do not have the funds to provide for them. People live outdoors not because they choose to, but because the government has chosen not to provide the supports and opportunities they need to stay indoors. People are sick. People are dying. People are trying to cope with addictions and mental illness without help and being blamed for their situations. We are in the perfect storm.
We are all in the same boat. If there is a hole in the hull, I don’t think we need to be concerned about swabbing the decks and polishing the bell when it is only a matter of time before we sink. We need to tell our politicians to fix the hole. Now.
This begins with paying low income and no income community members a living wage. This will help those in the hold to avoid having to make impossible choices, buy food or heat the house, feed the kids or pay the rent, get the prescription filled or buy winter boots. It would not allow people to buy a house, save for retirement, or go on an annual vacation, but it would give them some dignity in their lives.
Studies show that two people would need to work full-time at an hourly wage of about $16.00 in order to pay for necessities, support the healthy development of their children and participate in the social and civil life of their communities. Imagine how this works out for single parents? Full time work should not keep people in poverty, but it does.
We need to tell our politicians that they must repair the hole in our hull with this living wage, universal child care, reduced public transit costs, increased affordable housing, and instant supports for those with mental illness and addictions. No waiting lists, no gate keeping, no making addictions and mental illness a criminal issue when it is a health issue, because we cannot afford to wait. If they make us wait, or ignore our distress calls altogether, then maybe it is time for some of these career politicians to walk the plank. Keep that in mind on election days.