I think it is a catch 22.. monitoring and enforcing welfare fraud is a game of diminishing returns.
With the DTES gentrification issue.. I find it easier to gain a better perspective by volunteering at soup kitchens.. not at the back end doing things like making meals and serving, but actually sitting down at the table interacting with the people.. (there are soup kitchens all over downtown and East Van every day of the week, serving a lot of the same people, basically there is no excuse to say there is no time if you are really curious).
A lot of the people in need lack basic life skills like meal planning / plan ahead of issues, or be BFF with Mr Clean etc. There is just no easy way to fix that... short of institutionalize people again.. the most places can do is to have cleaners as part of the rent.. Some of the people on the margins spend really insane amount of money on fast food, just because they don't have to skill to cook or plan meals.
To the gov sweeping things underneath the rug is easiest and most cost effective unfortunately. Especially most of the workers are in unions.
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Originally Posted by Graeme S
Which is why I wish that the government would spend more on monitoring and enforcement. Enforcement of tax and money spent are some of the best ways that the government can spend money. As a huge supporter of a proper social support network, there is very little that pisses me off more than milkers and leeches.
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