Where does someone on ODSP find safe housing?
Regarding A Question Of Human Rights (NOW, February 13-19). I work with the homeless doing outreach. In October, I saw half a dozen people back on the streets that I have not seen in seven to 10 years. Their landlords had evicted them. ODSP allocates $497 for rent, less with Ontario Works. Where is someone going to find a safe, clean place to live for that amount? Bachelors are $1,300. It’s beyond ridiculous. No rent control will equal more homeless people.
Stephanie M., From nowtoronto.com
Homelessness crisis looking worse
Regarding Ground Zero: Time For Toronto To Get Serious About Homelessness (NOW, February 13-19). Toronto’s homeless situation is looking worse than Detroit’s or New York City’s. So many homeless people. Something needs to be done about this emergency.
Joan Murchison, From nowtoronto.com
Checking my privilege on standing ovations
I don’t tell actors how to express the words delivered to me in a performance, so I am rather hurt to read Glenn Sumi’s critique of my role as an audience member (NOW Online, February 15, Toronto Theatre Audiences Give Too Many Standing Ovations). More often than not, I have been moved to express how a performance has affected me. Confused as to who is to check their privilege here. It must be me. So sorry, won’t let it happen again.
Michael Harvey, From nowtoronto.com
Speaking of conservative billionaires
Letter-writer Warren Brubacher claims “media in today’s world is being controlled by conservative billionaires” (NOW, February 13-19). This is simply not true.
The majority of Canadian and U.S. media, as well as academia and the entertainment industry, is left-leaning. Speaking of conservative billionaires, Hollywood moguls such as James Cameron and Silicon Valley multi-billionaires like Mark Zuckerberg and Sergey Brin, proclaim their progressivism every chance they get. The Left are not the underdog rebels they claim to be. They are the dominant cultural force.
Yuliya Blokhina, From nowtoronto.com
Canada’s misguided UN bid
I’m not sure what the point is of letter-writer Cate Stoker’s rant about PM Trudeau trying to score a seat on the UN Security Council (NOW, February 13-19). But it’s a waste of time and money for our PM to be travelling around the world brown-nosing for a seat.
Canada doesn’t need a seat at the UN Security Council, nor should it want one. The United Nations is a dysfunctional, bloated, misguided organization.
David Honigsberg, Toronto
Fare evasion effort missing budget mark
The TTC’s very public war on fare evasion is a campaign that is wrong-headed (NOW Online, February 10).
First of all, the campaign is accusatory and confrontational. And just how much did the TTC spend on signs, etc., to reduce fare evasion?
Fare evasion represents less than 1 per cent of the TTC’s revenue. On this issue, Mayor John Tory is behaving as if he is still head of Rogers – nobody’s favourite monopoly.
George Perry, From nowtoronto.com
