...Frail Seniors?
Well....
Of course.
You already know the answer.
Right?
****
Here's the latest of these endless "We have to cut services to the bone for those who need them most because the cupboard is bare!" stories, as reported by the GStraight's Yolande Cole:
A TransLink program that has been used since 1990 as a transportation option for people with disabilities will be phased out beginning this summer.
Coupons for the TaxiSaver program, which allows HandyCard holders to call a taxi directly and get service at a 50 percent discount, will no longer be accepted as of June 2013....
{snippety doo-dah}
...The Council of Seniors Citizens’ Organizations of B.C. (COSCO) and the B.C. Coalition of People with Disabilities said in a statement today (May 16) they are “extremely disappointed” that the TaxiSaver program is being phased out.
“This will definitely have a negative impact on seniors living on low income and frail seniors who use taxi savers,” said Lorraine Logan, the vice president of COSCO.
Jill Weiss, the chair of the City of Vancouver’s Persons with Disabilities Advisory Committee, said the TaxiSaver coupons have two important functions.
“One is to enable people to have rides on the same day, which right now, with the HandyDart system, seniors and people with disabilities can’t, and it also provides rides when the HandyDart system is too booked,” Weiss told the Straight by phone.
“It’s a very important system, and it’s the cheapest system the government has to provide rides to seniors and people with disabilities who can’t use the bus.”...
Any minute now, despite the front-end spin that the savings will go into improved Handi-Dart services, I'd be willing to take pretty short odds that a Translink spokesthingy will soon back-end defend this egregious cut on the basis that the (not)Premier told them they have to cut $30 million out of their budget to come up with the money to help finish the Evergreen line.
Sheesh.
_____
Meanwhile, what the heck is "BC Ideas" all about....And whose snouts are in the trough on that one?...(more later)...
.
4 comments:
Mom just talked about the coupons when I visited on Mother's Day (I did not know about them)....about how that was really helping her out every once in a while...she just gave up her car and was more that willing to make use of alternatives...I am dismayed to hear of this...I do not think this government understands the wrath of people like myself who have older people in their lives that are being targeted....that goes double for the wrath of the older people that have made it all the way through life paying taxes to be treated with such callousness
mcg--
All politics aside, I completely agree with you and understand.
And I really do have to ask, flummoxed the following....
Why are we doing this kind of stuff to the folks that need our help most?
It reminds me of that awful situation when we suddenly started throwing disabled adults out of their care homes for no good reason at all when some had lived there for 10 or even 20 years.
Stephen Quinn got to the heart of the matter on his CBC radio show yesterday afternoon. Apparently, Translink is saying that people are giving these things to friends and family members who are abusing them.
Well, if that's (really) the case then just tighten the rules. Make folks who use them show their ID and make the cabbies look at them. End of story.
(and thanks for the note about components on the earlier thread - the new bike pedals really are better)
I didn't realize it was a TransLink thing...jeez...tightening rules relating to fares will be out of their area of expertise. You are right about all poltitics aside...it is not a left, right up or down thing....it is just a thing.
(good to hear about the pedals...perchance did you risk being looked at sideways by asking for locally made ones?...I'm on a bit of a mission to get people to at least ask!)
they are obviously attacking the poor and relatively voiceless, as the fascista always attack the weak and defenseless......................status quo!........poopheads!!!!
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