[Sundaycommunity] Fwd: Ontario's hidden $22 billion

[Catherine Walther]

Please consider signing. Thanks, Catherine

---------- Forwarded message ---------
From: Rivka Goetz – Leadnow <leadnow at leadnow.ca>
Date: Wed, Jun 14, 2023 at 6:53 PM
Subject: Ontario's hidden $22 billion
To: <catherine.walther at gmail.com>


Catherine , I’m outraged.

*The Ford government is sitting on $22.6 billion of so-called “excess
funds” – money stashed away from the public purse that they have no plan to
spend any time soon.* [1] While people across Ontario are struggling to
afford groceries, find housing, and access healthcare and other basic
services, year after year our government is hiding away more money – while
cutting funding to public services.

We only know about these “excess funds” because the Financial
Accountability Office, an independent watchdog, discovered a pool of
taxpayer dollars left unaccounted for in the Ontario budget. Finance
Minister Peter Bethlenfalvy claims the FAO’s report doesn’t reflect new
government spending. [2] But

*if the province’s growing budget surpluses haven’t been allocated to any
public programs, where is this money going? The reality is that our public
services are crumbling, and austerity and spending cuts are only making
them fall apart faster.* [3] Thanks to the FAO’s report, we now know that
Ford’s government and the Ontario Ministry of Finance could be doing so
much more to *invest in Ontarians – starting with a transparent plan to put
this $22.6 billion towards desperately-needed public services and support.*

That’s exactly what we’re calling for today. A massive petition from
thousands of Ontarians – *demanding that Finance Minister Bethlenfalvy and
Premier Ford* stop stashing away billions of dollars and instead *invest in
public services for Ontarians* – can ensure these “excess funds” are put to
good use. *Will you add your name today?
<https://identity.leadnow.ca/clicks/link/9797/6a651a19-de85-442c-876d-ed3a5bc05a78?url=https%3A%2F%2Fyou.leadnow.ca%2Fpetitions%2Finvest-in-ontarians%3Futm_source%3Dleadnow%26utm_medium%3Demail%26utm_campaign%3Dblast2023-06-14&member_guid=72fa0a0a-9f31-490c-aaec-98562e38b6be&identity-signature=658d818dbc3781b8605ea3546b0e9545cfa1c83bd1723c04558fa55e7430817f>*

SIGN THE PETITION
<https://identity.leadnow.ca/clicks/link/9797/6a651a19-de85-442c-876d-ed3a5bc05a78?url=https%3A%2F%2Fyou.leadnow.ca%2Fpetitions%2Finvest-in-ontarians%3Futm_source%3Dleadnow%26utm_medium%3Demail%26utm_campaign%3Dblast2023-06-14&member_guid=72fa0a0a-9f31-490c-aaec-98562e38b6be&identity-signature=658d818dbc3781b8605ea3546b0e9545cfa1c83bd1723c04558fa55e7430817f>


Between the crises Ontario faces in healthcare, housing, and
cost-of-living, *there are so many ways that $22.6 billion could make a
difference.* Ford and Bethlenfalvy could use it to:

   - *Pay healthcare workers fairly and better fund public hospitals*,
   instead of paving the way for private, for-profit healthcare [4]
   - *Build more housing*, bringing us closer to the province’s stated goal
   of creating 1.5 million homes by 2031 [5]
   - *Increase the Ontario Disability Support Program’s allowances* for
   shelter and basic needs, ensuring a liveable income for people with
   disabilities [6]
   - *Fund the public transit infrastructure* that millions of Ontarians
   rely on [7]
   - *Invest in our education system* — after years of underspending [8]


And that's just to name a few. We need to tell Ford and his government
that *this
isn’t their money to hide away – not while our province is in crisis. It’s
the government’s duty to invest in Ontarians.* They can’t keep starving
public services and underpaying workers, then expect us to believe that
there’s a $22 billion “excess.” *If you want to see this money put towards
public services and supports, will you sign the petition now?
<https://identity.leadnow.ca/clicks/link/9797/6a651a19-de85-442c-876d-ed3a5bc05a78?url=https%3A%2F%2Fyou.leadnow.ca%2Fpetitions%2Finvest-in-ontarians%3Futm_source%3Dleadnow%26utm_medium%3Demail%26utm_campaign%3Dblast2023-06-14&member_guid=72fa0a0a-9f31-490c-aaec-98562e38b6be&identity-signature=658d818dbc3781b8605ea3546b0e9545cfa1c83bd1723c04558fa55e7430817f>*

SIGN THE PETITION
<https://identity.leadnow.ca/clicks/link/9797/6a651a19-de85-442c-876d-ed3a5bc05a78?url=https%3A%2F%2Fyou.leadnow.ca%2Fpetitions%2Finvest-in-ontarians%3Futm_source%3Dleadnow%26utm_medium%3Demail%26utm_campaign%3Dblast2023-06-14&member_guid=72fa0a0a-9f31-490c-aaec-98562e38b6be&identity-signature=658d818dbc3781b8605ea3546b0e9545cfa1c83bd1723c04558fa55e7430817f>

* https://you.leadnow.ca/petitions/invest-in-Ontarians
<https://identity.leadnow.ca/clicks/link/9797/6a651a19-de85-442c-876d-ed3a5bc05a78?url=https%3A%2F%2Fyou.leadnow.ca%2Fpetitions%2Finvest-in-ontarians%3Futm_source%3Dleadnow%26utm_medium%3Demail%26utm_campaign%3Dblast2023-06-14&member_guid=72fa0a0a-9f31-490c-aaec-98562e38b6be&identity-signature=658d818dbc3781b8605ea3546b0e9545cfa1c83bd1723c04558fa55e7430817f>*

With determination,
Rivka and Ellen, on behalf of Leadnow

Sources:
[1]
https://globalnews.ca/news/9762549/ontario-government-22-billion-excess-funds-fao/
<https://identity.leadnow.ca/clicks/link/9797/6a651a19-de85-442c-876d-ed3a5bc05a78?url=https%3A%2F%2Fglobalnews.ca%2Fnews%2F9762549%2Fontario-government-22-billion-excess-funds-fao%2F%3Futm_source%3Dleadnow%26utm_medium%3Demail%26utm_campaign%3Dblast2023-06-14&member_guid=72fa0a0a-9f31-490c-aaec-98562e38b6be&identity-signature=94d381a3e4ac74435ee92250e7ace13cb719d2f07d63066e0961acac7ec5be80>
[2] See [1
<https://identity.leadnow.ca/clicks/link/9797/6a651a19-de85-442c-876d-ed3a5bc05a78?url=https%3A%2F%2Fglobalnews.ca%2Fnews%2F9762549%2Fontario-government-22-billion-excess-funds-fao%2F%3Futm_source%3Dleadnow%26utm_medium%3Demail%26utm_campaign%3Dblast2023-06-14&member_guid=72fa0a0a-9f31-490c-aaec-98562e38b6be&identity-signature=94d381a3e4ac74435ee92250e7ace13cb719d2f07d63066e0961acac7ec5be80>
]
[3]
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/newfoundland-labrador/austerity-nl-oates-1.5641993
<https://identity.leadnow.ca/clicks/link/9797/6a651a19-de85-442c-876d-ed3a5bc05a78?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.cbc.ca%2Fnews%2Fcanada%2Fnewfoundland-labrador%2Fausterity-nl-oates-1.5641993%3Futm_source%3Dleadnow%26utm_medium%3Demail%26utm_campaign%3Dblast2023-06-14&member_guid=72fa0a0a-9f31-490c-aaec-98562e38b6be&identity-signature=5fc1482bd513bb15bae1a4a56761988775af4fe6679e63c8053f2112760493bf>
[4]
https://toronto.ctvnews.ca/ontario-unlikely-to-meet-health-care-goals-due-to-underspending-and-staffing-report-finds-1.6303801
<https://identity.leadnow.ca/clicks/link/9797/6a651a19-de85-442c-876d-ed3a5bc05a78?url=https%3A%2F%2Ftoronto.ctvnews.ca%2Fontario-unlikely-to-meet-health-care-goals-due-to-underspending-and-staffing-report-finds-1.6303801%3Futm_source%3Dleadnow%26utm_medium%3Demail%26utm_campaign%3Dblast2023-06-14&member_guid=72fa0a0a-9f31-490c-aaec-98562e38b6be&identity-signature=2de907870f8e76cc26cad4b4c991130ade3c5c8665ec664d90ea1a131cb0ab2d>
[5]
https://globalnews.ca/news/9574132/ontario-1-5-million-homes-2031-target/
<https://identity.leadnow.ca/clicks/link/9797/6a651a19-de85-442c-876d-ed3a5bc05a78?url=https%3A%2F%2Fglobalnews.ca%2Fnews%2F9574132%2Fontario-1-5-million-homes-2031-target%2F%3Futm_source%3Dleadnow%26utm_medium%3Demail%26utm_campaign%3Dblast2023-06-14&member_guid=72fa0a0a-9f31-490c-aaec-98562e38b6be&identity-signature=22407069ed37d1736da7cecb155da910de553bc5bc33fcb3a5705b3bea7dd499>
[6]
https://www.thestar.com/opinion/contributors/2022/10/31/doug-fords-math-on-social-assistance-doesnt-add-up-and-doesnt-solve-the-problem-of-legislated-poverty-for-people-on-odsp.html
<https://identity.leadnow.ca/clicks/link/9797/6a651a19-de85-442c-876d-ed3a5bc05a78?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.thestar.com%2Fopinion%2Fcontributors%2F2022%2F10%2F31%2Fdoug-fords-math-on-social-assistance-doesnt-add-up-and-doesnt-solve-the-problem-of-legislated-poverty-for-people-on-odsp.html%3Futm_source%3Dleadnow%26utm_medium%3Demail%26utm_campaign%3Dblast2023-06-14&member_guid=72fa0a0a-9f31-490c-aaec-98562e38b6be&identity-signature=44642ba0867422aa2c84263f7d38e4c3761f0c155503fcc7d1d03c4ac11dfce3>
[7]
https://cutaactu.ca/ontario-misses-an-opportunity-to-rebuild-and-grow-transit-ridership-in-budget-2023/
<https://identity.leadnow.ca/clicks/link/9797/6a651a19-de85-442c-876d-ed3a5bc05a78?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcutaactu.ca%2Fontario-misses-an-opportunity-to-rebuild-and-grow-transit-ridership-in-budget-2023%2F%3Futm_source%3Dleadnow%26utm_medium%3Demail%26utm_campaign%3Dblast2023-06-14&member_guid=72fa0a0a-9f31-490c-aaec-98562e38b6be&identity-signature=b79b4d1c0df64dc453d9f3fd0ddb170a831cf4e33883853eb3fe352ca8e9ac44>
[8]
https://pressprogress.ca/doug-ford-quietly-reduced-education-spending-by-nearly-a-billion-dollars-last-year/
<https://identity.leadnow.ca/clicks/link/9797/6a651a19-de85-442c-876d-ed3a5bc05a78?url=https%3A%2F%2Fpressprogress.ca%2Fdoug-ford-quietly-reduced-education-spending-by-nearly-a-billion-dollars-last-year%2F%3Futm_source%3Dleadnow%26utm_medium%3Demail%26utm_campaign%3Dblast2023-06-14&member_guid=72fa0a0a-9f31-490c-aaec-98562e38b6be&identity-signature=fb72b18149169c3b4913dd7311b3d1e692eae108a1c56cdb6b75037f2ed2162f>
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