On Monday, November 5th, Saskatoon City Council will be voting on cancelling the Discounted Bus Passes and Leisure Cards that are currently available for social assistance recipients. Despite arguments made to the city’s Finance and Administration Committee last Monday, it is recommended that the Discounted Bus Pass and Leisure Card be discontinued as of January 1, 2008.
What can we do about this?
1. Attend the council meeting at 6:30pm, Monday, November 5th. Buttons will be handed out for people to wear. We want to fill the gallery to overflowing to send the message to city council that cancelling the subsidized bus passes and the leisure passes is not the will of the people of this city. If nothing else, it will adversely impact the health of those who are currently in receipt of these passes.
2. Contact your city councillor and express your concern.
3. Write letters and/or call your MLA; this is a city/provincial partnership and the MLAs also need to support this program.
4. Write a letter to the editor of the Star Phoenix.
5. Make this an election issue. Ask your candidate where they stand.
Thank you.
Gwendolyn Gresham, BSW, RSW
Saskatoon Anti-Poverty Coalition member
