The sign is a variant on the famous Martin Niemöller poem. "First they came for the socialists, and I did not speak out—because I was not a socialist. Then they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak out— because I was not a trade unionist. Then they came for the Jews, and … Continue reading Journalists Under Threat

Ontario spends less per post-secondary student relative to our GDP than any other province in Canada, and Canada is lagging far behind other nations in innovation. (Canada ranks 12th of 16 peer countries and earns a C on innovation, per Conference Board of Canada, May 2018). This is ***exactly*** the wrong direction from our provincial … Continue reading Ford Musings (Various)

A bachelor apartment in Toronto in 2000 used to be $685. The minimum wage in 2000 was $6.85. Now, the average bachelor is $1,700 and the minimum wage is $14. While rent prices have gone up almost 37% in Toronto since 2000, average wages have only increased 10% between 1998 and 2011 according to Statistics … Continue reading Housing Crisis in Toronto

During this election cycle, I am really troubled by a pretty persistent urban myth that I see online and in everyday conversation. It has been debunked a 1,000 times but I'm going to try yet another attempt. This myth is that somehow immigrants and refugees get *a free ride*. This is just patently, empirically, plainly, … Continue reading Immigration in Canada

I completed a recent research project and I realized that there are a lot of people out there with an incorrect understanding of Ontario's social safety net. Here are some facts about Ontario Works and Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSP), programs (that are about to face $1 billion in further cuts by the Doug Ford … Continue reading Welfare in Ontario