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TO Families getting Poorer: StatsCan
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| Orko |
Just came across this. It seems that TO families are getting poorer by the day.
Original Article
| quote: | Poverty rate soaring, United Way reports
Toronto — The number of poor families in Toronto has increased close to 70 per cent since 1981, according to a United Way report released Monday.
Poverty by Postal Code analyses Statistics Canada data collected between 1981 and 2001, and sets the poverty line at $23,000 a year for a family of two.
It found that suburban areas of the city have been hit hardest, with people in Etobicoke, North York and Scarborough living in dramatically poorer conditions than they used to.
Most of the people affected are immigrants and visible minorities, the report said.
United Way Toronto president and chief executive Frances Lankin says the city is now suffering from the same suburban poverty problems that U.S. cities have been facing for decades.
She says governments need to do more to create affordable housing, and to increase assistance for new immigrants.
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To be very honest i had no idea this was such a large problem. We have all heard the saying "the rich get richer, while the poor get poorer", which i completly agree with. But i had no idea it was getting so bad.
I do realize that it is increasingly more difficult for the poor to get out of their low income lives(not insulting anyone, i was a poor new immigrant for a long time) because of how our society is setup. For those of you who may not understand how this actually takes place, i will try and explain.
Capitalism rewards those with capital(saved money, or assets such as buildings and equipment) by allowing them to invest and further reap the rewards. The best way to make extra money in Canada, and any other capitalist country is to INVEST. This way you are rewarded with interest, for simply lending out your assets. The less fortunate, do not have that money to invest. They are living paycheck to paycheck, and putting them selves in further debt, trying to pay their bills.
People are getting further into debt these days, with the average canadian borrowing 102% of this disposable income(income after taxes). That means for every $100 you get from your paycheck, you have borrowed $102. This all means, that somebody is lending you money, as i said earlier these people are rewarded with interest, the interest you pay on your loan.
well if you are paying more to buy stuff (like %3 interest) how can you save to invest yourself? You cant. This is why there is such a large gap between the rich and the poor.
Im not sure where i am going with this, but i just thought id give you some food for thought, as a student is is currently in debt $13,000 for tuition(annual disposable income is just less than that) so the stat holds true for me.
PS - remember most millionares are stingy, they save and save and save, so they can invest, and the average millionaire does not have a million dollors, just asses(which are invested) worth a million dollars. |
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| Orko |
| please no "down with capitalism" or "screw you fat cats" replys. constructive comments, and insight welcome:) |
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| dEsidEL |
but it's so easy to blame capitalism !! it's the ultimate scapegoat..
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| starsearcher |
| :D True it's really easy to blame everything on capitalism...it's the cliche....the "in" thing to do right now...but i'm not even surprised...Toronto is rediculously expensive, without a good reason mind you. Toronto I find it thinks quite often it's mini new york...and yet it's so far off from it...the price of life in TO is unreasonable IMO. :rolleyes: |
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| AmbiguousBliss |
| quote: | Originally posted by starsearcher
Toronto I find it thinks quite often it's mini new york...and yet it's so far off from it... |
Funny, I've thought the exact same thing about Toronto before.
The article though, and the point of it, don't surprise me at all. Also, just to comment, it bothers me when people say things to the tune of 'oh well, if he/she just got a job and started saving money, then he/she wouldn't be poor', etc. Some people have a hard time seeing what goes on around them without rose-coloured glasses. :thepirate
By far, however, Toronto is not the worst. It's not news to any of us that there are a great number of nations around the world facing much tougher conditions. Different standards of living command different 'necessities', or what we view to be necessities. It's such a complicated topic but at least there are many organizations and individuals in the GTA that set out to help those who are experiencing financial difficulties. |
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| Orko |
| quote: | | Originally posted by AmbiguousBliss It's such a complicated topic but at least there are many organizations and individuals in the GTA that set out to help those who are experiencing financial difficulties. |
I agree. A lot of people say that people in Canada are not truly poor, because all you have to do is look at third world countries, such as India and Ethiopia to know real poverty. But this study, was conducted to give a relative measure of living standard. The people in the survey are poor in comparison to others around them.
I am very thankful for living in Canada, and having so many charitble organizations who strive to improve the lives of the less fortunate.
I was just hoping that this article, and my brief explanation might shed some light on why its so hard to keep up with bill, and even more difficult to get ahead and save some money. |
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| Durafei |
Canada is really great for smart people. There are plenty of opportunities. Less talented people, however, are often the ones suffering, mostly due to the indifference of the smart ones.
One thing that I don't like about Canada is that nobody really gives a about anyone but themselves. Everyone is very polite and , but when it comes down to actually helping someone they don't know, most people don't.
Here is a great example. Say you are out in the road and wanna get a ride. How many cars will pass by before someone will stop ? Well, when I was in vacation in Cuba, very very poor country, it's a common courtesy to stop and give a ride. |
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| d!abolic |
| That's pretty sad. Not surprising, since most people are inherently stupid, but sad nonetheless. The 'average millionaires' you mentioned aren't much different. I know some who live like they make 10 times less than they do. In the end of the day, they're just as stressed out as the average person, and not really taking advantage of their money. They're just piling it up, getting older, and watching their lives pass them by, while they're making grand plans for them - as someone has said. The problem with both group is greed. The first group wants to buy more stuff that they can afford. The second wants more money they can spend. |
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| Ninjapimp |
| quote: | Originally posted by Durafei
Canada is really great for smart people. There are plenty of opportunities. Less talented people, however, are often the ones suffering, mostly due to the indifference of the smart ones.
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{I'll put the flame-suit on now}
Brilliant quote Durafei. I think this sums it up, and as unfortunate as it may be, this is reality.
I for one, LOVE capitalism and I LOVE the opportunities this country affords me. It rewards people who rely on themself. I personally can't stand the general mentality of people in Canada who think the world owes them something...Who think their being in Canada equates to guaranteed happiness and success. It's so easy to pick on people who succeed as being the cause of the woes of the general public.
It's very foreign for me to blame anything that happens in my life on someone else. Ultimately, I'm the vessal to both my happiness and my success in life. :toocool: |
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| Pettiscool |
| quote: | Originally posted by d!abolic
That's pretty sad. Not surprising, since most people are inherently stupid, but sad nonetheless. The 'average millionaires' you mentioned aren't much different. I know some who live like they make 10 times less than they do. In the end of the day, they're just as stressed out as the average person, and not really taking advantage of their money. They're just piling it up, getting older, and watching their lives pass them by, while they're making grand plans for them - as someone has said. The problem with both group is greed. The first group wants to buy more stuff that they can afford. The second wants more money they can spend. |
^^I like this one..
I know im happier then rich ppl. |
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| mot10n |
| :disbelief "MUST... CRUSH... CAPITALISM !!" -Lenin :disbelief |
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