Canadian Social Research Newsletter
March 14, 2010

Welcome to the weekly Canadian Social Research Newsletter,
a listing of the new links added to the Canadian Social Research Links website in the past week.

The e-mail version of this week's issue of the newsletter is going out to 2,235 subscribers.

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Haiti Relief - from the CBC
- links to information resources, more organizations accepting donations

Canadian content

International content

12. Poverty Dispatch: U.S. media coverage of social issues and programs (Institute for Research on Poverty - U. of Wisconsin-Madison)
13. [U.S.] Assets for Independence (AFI) Program
14. [U.S.] Political Economy: Drawing a New Line - March 6
15. [United Kingdom] The Robin Hood Tax: Tobin Tax Redux?
16.  From the latest CERC Bulletin: (Council for Employment, Income and Social Cohesion (Paris)
--- 17 % of European Union citizens were at-risk-of-poverty in 2008
--- Child poverty and child well-being in Italy
--- [U.S.] Low income and impoverished families pay more disproportionately for child care
--- [U.K.] Protect, support, provide : Examining the role of grandparents in families at risk of poverty
--- Global wage inequality and the international flow of migrants
--- [Netherlands] Child care subsidies revisited
--- Fiscal and pension sustainability : Present and future issues in European Union countries
--- [U.S.] Supporting parents of young children in the child welfare system
--- The gender inequalities index (GII) as a new way to measure gender inequalities in developing countries
--- The gender pay gap in the United Kingdom, 1995 -2007
--- [U.S.] The gender wage gap : 2009
--- [Europe] Report on equality between women and men : 2010
--- [Europe] Revisiting poverty measures towards individualisation
----[U.S.] The unemployment gender gap during the 2007 recession
17. Australian Policy Online - recent content
18. State of Australian cities 2010 (Infrastructure Australia) - March 8
19. CRINMAIL (children's rights newsletter)

Have a great week!
Gilles

************************
Gilles Séguin
Canadian Social Research Links
http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net

"Rahim Jaffer pleads guilty to careless driving: Former Conservative MP fined $500; cocaine possession charge dropped." --- A Bronx Cheer for the Conservative Party of Canada: Tough on Crime! (except when it's one of our own.)

Canada Ratifies UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities
March 11, 2010
The Honourable Lawrence Cannon, Minister of Foreign Affairs, and the Honourable Diane Finley, Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development, today announced that, with the support of all provinces and territories, the Government of Canada has ratified the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities at United Nations headquarters in New York City.
(...)
The Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities is an international human rights instrument of the United Nations intended to protect the rights and dignity of persons with disabilities. Parties to the Convention are required to promote, protect and ensure the full enjoyment of human rights by persons with disabilities, and to ensure that they enjoy full equality under the law.There are approximately 4.4 million persons with disabilities in Canada—about 14.3 percent of the population.
Source:
Canada News Centre

Departments responsible:
Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada
------- [ * Permanent Mission of Canada to the United Nations ]
------- [ * Canada's International Human Rights Policy ]
Human Resources and Skills Development Canada
------- [ HRSDC Disability Issues ]

Related link:

Canada Ratifies Historic U.N. Treaty on Disability Rights
New York and Toronto
March 11, 2010
Today, at the United Nations headquarters in New York, Canada ratified the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. This is a historic and profound moment in our country’s history. It is Canada’s declaration to Canadians and the international community that disability is at last to be recognized as a matter of fundamental human rights – at home in Canada and internationally. By ratifying this first international treaty that comprehensively recognizes the rights of persons with disabilities, Canada binds our governments to its implementation. The Canadian Association for Community Living (CACL) applauds the Government of Canada for this landmark decision, and indeed all Provincial/Territorial Governments for their support in taking this step. The Convention creates a new and lasting foundation on which to build an inclusive and accessible Canada where rights can no longer be diminished on the basis of disability. (...)
Source:
Canadian Association for Community Living (CACL)
CACL is a Canada-wide association of family members and others working to advance the human rights and inclusion of persons of all ages who have an intellectual disability. Founded in 1958 by parents of children with intellectual disabilities who wanted supports and services within the community instead of in institutions, CACL has become one of Canada's ten largest charitable organizations, and has grown into a federation of 10 provincial and three territorial associations comprising of 420 local associations and over 40,000 members.

- Go to the Disability Links page: http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/disbkmrk.htm
- Go to the Federal Government Department Links (Fisheries and Oceans to Veterans Affairs) page: http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/fedbkmrk2.htm
- Go to the Human Resources and Skills Development Canada Links page: http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/hrsdc.htm
- Go to the United Nations Links page: http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/un.htm .

New from the
Caledon Institute of Social Policy:

Student Aid Meets Social Assistance
March 11, 2010
This series of five commentaries on post-secondary education derives from an in-depth study entitled Student Aid Meets Social Assistance (PDF - K, 72 pages) published by the Caledon Institute in September 2009. Each commentary deals with a core theme linked to easing access to post-secondary education for low-income students, including welfare recipients.
Sherri Torjman prepared all four reports, and each report is a small PDF file two or three pages in length dated March 2010.

* The Power of Post-Secondary Education
* Le pouvoir de l’éducation postsecondaire
-
* Barriers to Post-Secondary Education
* Obstacles aux études postsecondaire
-
* Welfare Rules and Post-Secondary Education
* Les règles de l’aide sociale et l’éducation postsecondaire
-
* Welfare Routes to Post-Secondary Education
* Les divers parcours de l’aide sociale à l’éducation postsecondaire
-
* Proposed Reforms to Post-Secondary Education
* Réformes proposes en matière l’éducation postsecondaire

Source:
Caledon Institute of Social Policy
The Caledon Institute of Social Policy does rigorous, high-quality research and analysis; seeks to inform and influence public opinion and to foster public discussion on poverty and social policy; and develops and promotes concrete, practicable proposals for the reform of social programs at all levels of government and of social benefits provided by employers and the voluntary sector.

- Go to the Education Links page: http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/education.htm
- Go to the Key Provincial/Territorial Welfare Links page: http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/welfare.htm

Triage: top three social policy stories of the week
By Havi Echenberg, Social Policy Cafe
1. How many homeless people are there in Canada? (incl. references to homeless counts in the U.S. and Australia)
2. Caledon releases five short papers on the interaction of student financial aid and social assistance.
3. TD Economics has just issued a report on the future of the labour force, echoing many of the same themes raised in a Canadian Chamber of Commerce report a few weeks ago.
Click the link above to read all three stories.
- includes 10 links to related resources
Source:
Social Policy Cafe

- Go to the Non-Governmental Organizations Links page: http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/ngobkmrk.htm

Federal Budget 2010 - Benefits to Provinces and Territories
"Discover how your tax dollar benefits your province or territory here."
March 2010
(Posted to the Finance Canada site March 11)
Overview:
* Reducing the Tax Burden of Canadians
* Knowledge and Innovation
* Protecting Jobs, Supporting the Unemployed and Those in Need
* Business and Communities
* Infrastructure
* Agriculture
* Fisheries
* Federal Transfers to Provinces and Territories
NOTE:
You must click the teeny-tiny drop-down menu that says "Overview" to access links to the provincial and territorial pages.
Source:
2010 Federal Budget
[ Department of Finance Canada ]

- Go to the 2010 Canadian Government Budgets Links page: http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/budgets_2010.htm

The Progressive Economics Forum (PEF) at the
Canadian Economics Association 2010 meetings
March 10, 2010
The PEF will once again be hosting panels at this year’s Canadian Economics Association meetings, May 28-30 in Quebec City. The lineup for the PEF events includes panel discussions on the following broad topics:
* Was Financialization Rational for Capital?
* Canada’s Economic Security and the Great Recession: What Have We Learned?
* Is There a Market Fundamentalist Message in the Introductory Textbooks?
* Labour in a time of crisis, comparing experiences and prospects in Canada and the US.
* Perspectives on Happiness in Canada and the United States
* Integrating Climate and Industrial Policies
* Canadian Public Finances and Monetary Policy: Sound Finance or Functional Finance

Click the link above to see the complete program, including the list of speakers and all sub-topics.

Source:
Progressive Economics Forum Blog

Related link:

44th Annual Conference of the CEA
Friday, May 28 - Sunday, May 30, 2010
Quebec City

- Go to the Non-Governmental Organizations Links page: http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/ngobkmrk.htm

Call for Proposals:
Research on Immigration, Housing and Homelessness

The Metropolis Project of Citizenship and Immigration Canada, and the Homelessness Partnering Secretariat of Human Resources and Skills Development Canada are very happy to announce the launching of a joint Call for Proposals for research that examines the intersection of Immigration, Housing and Homelessness. Up to $275,000 will be delivered by the Homelessness Partnering Secretariat for successful projects. We are seeking a better understanding of housing outcomes as a key indicator of newcomer integration. This is a priority area of both the Metropolis Project and the Homelessness Partnering Secretariat.
[Click the link above to download the Call for Proposals, the application form, and the budget notes in French and English from the Metropolis Project web site.]

NOTA:
Cet Appel de propositions
est également disponible en français.

The deadline for receipt of proposals is 4:00pm EST, May 5th .
Completed applications are to be sent to mona.marshy@cic.gc.ca

Related links:

* The Metropolis Project
* Citizenship and Immigration Canada
* Homelessness Partnering Secretariat
* Human Resources and Skills Development Canada

- Go to the Homelessness and Housing Links page: http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/homeless.htm
- Go to the Human Resources and Skills Development Canada Links page: http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/hrsdc.htm

The OSAP diet and the student lifestyle
Just how well should students expect to live while in school?
By Jeff Rybak
March 8, 2010
Okay, I’ll be the one to say it. I have no problem at all with the “OSAP Diet” as exposed by the Toronto Star. Apparently students funding their studies entirely on government loans are expected to survive on $7.50/day for food. And my reaction, mainly, is a big “so what?”
(...)
Source:
Macleans OnCampus

Related link:

$7.50 a day is all you get on the student OSAP diet
By Louise Brown
March 7, 2009
Source:
Toronto Star
NOTE: Don't forget to click the "Comments" link at the top of the article to access 100+ reactions.
The most pathetic comments are the well-intentioned food shopping suggestions from frugal shoppers (Tsubouchi Tuna, anyone?).
The commenter who said "My family of 5 lives on about $4 per day for food" should be summarily dispatched to the Ontario Association of Food Banks (OAFB) to help them re-draft their food cost reports. Case studies in a 2008 OAFB study (see the link below) show that the cost of healthy food purchased from the grocery store was almost $40 per week for a single person and, for a family of two adults and a 7-year-old child, $85 weekly. Maybe the commenter's "family of five" consisted of one adult and four cats. Curiously, though, the $40/wk. amount for a healthy diet for a single person would actually leave $12.50 in the OSAP student's pocket at the end of each week.

Related link:

A Gathering Storm: The Price of Food, Gasoline, and Energy,
and Changing Economic Conditions in Ontario, 2008 (PDF - 1.2MB, 24 pages)
We can end hunger. Think about it.
Source:
Ontario Association of Food Banks

- Go to the Food Banks and Hunger Links page: http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/foodbkmrk.htm
- Go to the Ontario Municipal and Non-Governmental Sites (D-W) page: http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/onbkmrk3.htm

The Déjà Vu
All Over Again Budget (PDF - 60K, 13 pages)
by
Ken Battle, Sherri Torjman and
Michael Mendelson
March 8, 2010
The 2010 federal Budget arrived with less drama than usual. Why? Because we have seen echoes of it before – notably last year in 2009, four years ago in 2006 and 15 years ago in 1995. The 2010 Budget is effectively the second year of the stimulus package introduced in 2009. There was a thin sprinkling of new measures in 2010 related to Employment Insurance, youth, First Nations education, the Registered Disability Savings Plan, the Enabling Accessibility Fund and New Horizons for seniors. Aside from that, the Budget was déjà vu...
Source:
Caledon Institute of Social Policy

Related link:

Federal budget child-care tax break causes new headache for feds
By Heather Scoffield
March 10, 2010
OTTAWA — The federal budget's key anti-poverty measure cures one headache and causes another. Changes to the tax treatment of the $100-a-month Universal Child Care Benefit to help single-parent families "will create new inequities," says the Caledon Institute of Social Policy, an Ottawa-based think-tank known for its work on social security.
Source:
Canadian Press

- Go to the 2010 Canadian Government Budgets Links page: http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/budgets_2010.htm

New Horizons for Seniors Program
- The call for proposals for Community Participation and Leadership Funding is now open for all of Canada except Quebec until April 16, 2010.
Source:
Human Resources and Skills Development Canada

- Go to the Human Resources and Skills Development Canada Links page: http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/hrsdc.htm
- Go to the Seniors (Social Research) Links page: http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/seniors.htm

Selected content from
The Daily [Statistics Canada]:

March 12, 2010
Canada at a Glance, 2010
PDF version (3.3MB, 27 pages) - complete report in one file
HTML version
- incl. links (in the left margin) to sections on:
* Population * Health * Education * Crime * Housing * Income, spending * Government * International comparisons * Labour * Economy * International trade * Energy * Manufacturing * Agriculture * Environment * Travel, transport

Canada at a Glance presents the current Canadian demographic, education, health and aging, justice, housing, income, labour market, household, economic, travel, financial, agricultural, international trade and environmental statistics.

Updated yearly, Canada at a Glance is a handy pocket reference for anyone who wants quick access to current statistical information on the Canadian economy, environment and society. The pamphlet has undergone a complete makeover for the 2010 edition. It now boasts a simplified layout, a new colour scheme and 37 small, easy-to-read tables. As well, 20 new charts illustrate at a glance what is happening with a wide range of key indicators, including demographic, education, justice, health and labour market statistics

[ earlier editions of this report ]

Source:
Canada at a Glance - main product page

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March 12, 2010
Labour Force Survey, February 2010
Employment rose by 21,000 in February, with large gains in full-time work partly offset by losses in part time. The unemployment rate edged down 0.1 percentage points to 8.2% in February.
- incl. links to four tables:
* Labour force characteristics by age and sex
* Employment by class of worker and industry (based on NAICS)
* Labour force characteristics by province

Related report:

Labour Force Information - February 14 to 20, 2010
March 12, 2010
1. Highlights 2. Analysis — February 2010 3. Tables 4. Charts 5. Data quality, concepts and methodology 6. User information 7. Related products
8. PDF version (423K, 57 pages)

[ earlier editions of this report ]

Related subjects:
* Labour
* Employment and unemployment
* Hours of work and work arrangements
* Industries
* Wages, salaries and other earnings

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March 9, 2010
Study: Projections of the diversity of the Canadian population, 2006 to 2031
All growth scenarios considered, the diversity of Canada's population will continue to increase significantly during the next two decades, especially within certain census metropolitan areas.
- includes a table entitled "Proportion of foreign-born and visible minority populations by census metropolitan area, 2006 and 2031"

Related report:

Projections of the Diversity of the Canadian Population, 2006 to 2031
PDF version (386K, 78 pages) - complete report in one file
HTML version - incl. links (in the left margin) to the following sections:
* Main page * Acknowledgements * Highlights * Methodology * Assumptions and Scenarios * Cautionary Notes * Analysis of results * Conclusion * Appendix *
Bibliography * Glossary * More information

Related subjects

* Ethnic diversity and immigration
* Visible minorities
* Population and demography
* Population estimates and projections

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March 8, 2010
Foreign control in the Canadian economy, 2007
Foreign acquisitions of Canadian-controlled firms, particularly in manufacturing and oil and gas, drove a 10.6% increase in Canadian assets under foreign control in 2007. Canadian assets under Canadian control rose 9.9%, led by the depository credit intermediation industry.
- incl. links to the following three tables:
* Growth in total assets, operating revenues and operating profits in Canada
* Total assets, operating revenues and operating profits, and shares under foreign control, by industry 2006 2007 2006 2007
* Total assets, operating revenues, and operating profits under foreign control, by major country of control, all industries

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March 8, 2010
Canadian Social Trends, March 2010
The March 2010 online issue of Canadian Social Trends released today celebrates International Women's Day with three articles.
1. Life satisfaction of working-age women with disabilities - This article examines factors that can affect satisfaction with daily activities, with relationships with family and friends, as well as with health.

2. Precautions taken to avoid victimization: A gender perspective examines the role gender plays on precautionary actions taken to avoid victimization for the core working-age population living in large urban centres.

3. The Census and the evolution of gender roles in early 20th century Canada looks at how the role of women in society changed over the early part of the 20th century and how these changes were reflected in the Census of Canada.

Also, this issue includes two fact sheets that contain various social and economic data for women and men.

Click the link above to access the three articles.

[ earlier editions of this report ]

---------------------------------

The Daily Archives
- select a month and click on a date for that day's Daily

Source:
The Daily
[Statistics Canada]

- Go to the Federal Government Department Links (Fisheries and Oceans to Veterans Affairs) page: http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/fedbkmrk2.htm

What's new from the
Childcare Resource and Research Unit (CRRU):

March 14, 2010

What's new online

This section archives documents that have been featured on the CRRU
homepage. Items are in chronological order by posting date from the most
recent to the least recent. Follow the title link for details.

The deja vu all over again budget
10 Mar 10
- Analysis of the federal budget by the Caledon Institute of Social Policy finds that despite taxation change, the UCCB remains a "complicated and inequitable" social program.

Global gender gap report 2009
10 Mar 10
- Canada ranks 25th in report from the World Economic Forum that assesses how well countries divide their resources and opportunities among men and women.

Commemorating International Women's Day
10 Mar 10
- News, resources and an IWD 2010 message from CRRU.

Why play?
10 Mar 10
- Brochures for parents and child care providers from the Canadian Association of Family Resource programs offer information on play and child development in 11 languages.

Pre-budget updates on child care in Ontario
3 Mar 10
- Leading up to the Ontario provincial budget, CRRU is collecting news stories and reports on current issues in child care in Ontario.

more WHAT'S NEW ONLINE »

child care in the news

· Federal budget child-care tax break causes new headache for feds
[CA] 10 Mar 10

· US ranks 31 in the global gender gap
9 Mar 10

· From a woman's perspective: Canada's place in the world
[CA] 9 Mar 10

· Windsor urged to review child care closures
[CA-ON] 9 Mar 10

· Recommit to women's liberation
8 Mar 10

· Funding our childcare crisis
[CA-ON] 6 Mar 10

· Mothering research centre to close
[CA-ON] 5 Mar 10

· Still a long way to go
[CA] 4 Mar 10

more CC IN THE NEWS »

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Subscribe to the CRRU email announcements list
Sign up to receive email notices of updates and new postings on the CRRU website which will inform you of policy developments in early childhood care and education, new research and resources for policy, newly released CRRU publications, and upcoming events of interest to the child care and broader community.

Links to child care
sitesin Canada and elsewhere

CRRU Publications - briefing notes, factsheets, occasional papers and other publications
ISSUE files - theme pages, each filled with contextual information and links to further info

Source:
Childcare Resource and Research Unit (CRRU)
The Childcare Resource and Research Unit (CRRU) is a policy and research oriented facility that focuses on early childhood education and child care (ECEC) and family policy in Canada and internationally.

- Go to the Non-Governmental Early Learning and Child Care Links page: http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/ecd2.htm

Poverty Dispatch (U.S.)
- the content of this link changes several times a week
- scan of U.S. web-based news items dealing with topics such as poverty, welfare reform, child welfare, education, health, hunger, Medicare and Medicaid, etc.

Latest issues of Poverty Dispatch:

March 12:
Children’s Health Insurance Coverage - Ohio
The Census and Federal Spending on the States
Editorials: Child Support Guidelines - Maryland
State Minimum Wage - Texas
Haiti Earthquake and the Poor Elderly

March 11:
Iowa Community Empowerment Program
National Academic Standards
Food Aid Distribution - Somalia

March 10:
Long-Term Unemployment, Temporary Work, and Recalculation of Jobless Benefits
Welfare-to-Work Program - Mississippi
Welfare Reform - Australia

March 9:
Extension of Jobless Benefits
Millennium Villages - Africa
Dental Coverage for Low-income Children - Iowa
General Assistance Medical Care - Minnesota

March 8:
Suburban Poverty - Twin Cities, MN
Enrollment of Children in Medicaid - Alaska
Medicaid Coverage and Childless Adults

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Past Poverty Dispatches
- links to dispatches back to June 2006

Search Poverty Dispatches

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To subscribe to this email list, send an email to:
povdispatch-request@ssc.wisc.edu?subject=subscribe

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Source:
Institute for Research on Poverty (IRP)
[ University of Wisconsin-Madison ]

- Go to the Links to American Government Social Research page: http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/us.htm
- Go to the Links to American Non-Governmental Social Research (A-J) page: http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/us2.htm
- Go to the Links to American Non-Governmental Social Research (M-Z) page: http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/us3.htm
- Go to the Poverty Measures - International Resources page: http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/poverty2.htm

Assets for Independence (AFI) Program
- incl. links to:
* About AFI * Prospective Grantees * Current Grantees * Guidance, Policies, and Procedures * Publications and Reports * Contact AFI * Frequently Asked Questions

The Assets for Independence (AFI) is a Federal program that provides grants to enable community-based nonprofits and State, local, and Tribal government agencies to implement and demonstrate an asset-based approach for offering low-income families help out of poverty. (...) Asset building is an anti-poverty strategy that helps low-income people move toward greater self-sufficiency by accumulating savings and purchasing long-term assets. The theory behind this approach is that helping people purchase an asset, as opposed to simply increasing their income, provides stability that may allow them to escape the cycle of poverty permanently. Examples of long-term assets include a home, higher education and training, and a business.

AFI Project Locator
Individuals interested in building assets through participation in an AFI program can browse the Project Locator to find opportunities in their communities.

AFI - Eighth Annual Report to Congress PDF (897K, 90 pages)
File dated June 2009
The Eighth Annual Report to Congress provides an update on the status of the Assets for Independence (AFI) program through the end of Fiscal Year (FY) 2007. The program was established by the Assets for Independence Act in Title IV of the Community Opportunities, Accountability, and Training and Educational Services Act of 1998.
(...)
The FSA program allows participants to use FSA savings to purchase the three AFI allowable assets: homeownership, postsecondary education or training, and business capitalization. Authorized uses of funds also include home repair and car purchase, computer purchase, or day care (if the car, computer or day care is related to employment or education). Federal AFI funds may be used to match savings for any of these asset purchases.
Source:
Office of Community Services
[ Administration for Children and Families ]
[ U.S. Department of Health and Human Services ]

- Go to the Asset-Based Social Policies Links page: http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/assets.htm
- Go to the Links to American Government Social Research Links page: http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/us.htm

[U.S.] Political Economy: Drawing a New Line
March 6, 2010
By John Cranford, CQ Columnist
This story highlights the role of Rebecca Blank (a member of the National Academy of Sciences’ Poverty Panel during the 1990s, and now Undersecretary of Commerce for Economic Affairs, overseeing the Census Bureau) in developing the new Supplemental Poverty Measure.Rebecca Blank’s fingerprints are all over this decision. She is one of those single-minded individuals whose career finally brought her to a place where she could actually practice what she has been teaching for decades.

Source:
CQ Politics
(U.S. Congressional, presidential and political news)

- Go to the Poverty Measures - International Resources page: http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/poverty2.htm

The Robin Hood Tax [ United Kingdom ]
The Robin Hood Tax is a tiny tax on bankers that would raise billions to tackle poverty and climate change, at home and abroad. By taking an average of 0.05% from speculative banking transactions, hundreds of billions of pounds would be raised every year. That’s easily enough to stop cuts in crucial public services in the UK, and to help fight global poverty and climate change.
(...)
Who’s in?
Gordon Brown, Angela Merkel (the German Chancellor) and Nicolas Sarkozy (the French President) have all spoken out in support of a tax on financial transactions. Plenty of business bigwigs are on-board too. Like Lord Turner (from the Financial Services Authority), George Soros (the philanthropist) and Warren Buffet (US businessman extraordinaire). And then there are the hundreds of economists who have backed the idea, too. This isn’t some crazy pipedream. It’s a simple and brilliant idea which transcends party politics and which – with your support – can become a reality.

Isn’t this the Tobin Tax?
Posted February 11, 2010
The Robin Hood Tax differs fundamentally from James Tobin’s original concept as its principal motivation is the raising of revenue as opposed to being a way of regulating speculative financial activity.

James Tobin first proposed his tax in the 1970s as a way of ‘throwing sand in the wheels’ of currency markets rather than harnessing their extraordinary volumes as a means of generating income. More recently the idea of a wider Financial Transactions Tax covering the full range of products traded in the financial markets, has gained ground. Even levied at a very low rate, a yield of $400 billion a year could be realised.

The media as a means of shorthand refer to the Financial Transaction Tax as the Tobin Tax. In fact, Tobin made his proposal specifically about currency transactions. When he made his proposal 30 years ago, the foreign exchange market had a daily value of $18 billion. The market is now worth more than $3,000 billion per day. Tobin’s proposal was for a 1% levy, 200 times the rate the Robin Hood Tax campaign is proposing for the taxing of foreign exchange. The purpose of his tax was to impede daily currency trading and to discourage speculative activity, not as we propose to be a means of raising new revenue to fight poverty, at home and abroad.

The Robin Hood Tax differs markedly from the Tobin tax in that it is born of a different time, proposed at a different rate and designed for a different purpose.

Related links:

The Tobin Tax - from Wikipedia

For 50+ links to Tobin Tax information, go to the The Tobin Tax Links page: http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/tobin.htm

From the Council for Employment, Income and Social Cohesion - Paris
Conseil de l'emploi, des revenus et de la cohésion sociale - CERC [version française]

Selected reports from
CERC Bulletin N°200 (March 8, 2010)
(Click the link to see the complete list of studies in that issue...)

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. 17 % of European Union citizens were at-risk-of-poverty in 2008 (PDF - 8 pages)
By P. Wolff
Eurostat
2010

. Child poverty and child well-being in Italy (PDF - 16 pages)
By D. Del Boca
Dipartimento di Economia "S. Cognetti de Martiis"
Torino
2010

. [United States] Low income and impoverished families pay more disproportionately for child care (PDF - 4 pages)
By K. Smith and K. Gozjolko
Carsey Institute
University of New Hampshire
Durham
Winter 2010

. [United Kingdom] Protect, support, provide : Examining the role of grandparents in families at risk of poverty (PDF - 76 pages)
By J. Griggs,
Equality and Human Rights Commission London, and
Department for Social Policy and Social Work, Oxford
March 2010

. Global wage inequality and the international flow of migrants (PDF - 32 pages)
By M. R. Rosenzweig,
Yale University
Economic Growth Center
New Haven
January 2010

. [The Netherlands] Child care subsidies revisited (PDF - 68 pages)
By E. L. W. Jongen,
CPB Netherlands
Bureau for Economic Policy Analysis
The Hague
January 2010

. Fiscal and pension sustainability : Present and future issues in EU countries (PDF - 7 pages)
By A. Zaidi,
European Centre
Vienna
February 2010

. [United States] Supporting parents of young children in the child welfare system (PDF - 24 pages)
By K. A. Beckmann and alii,
National Center
for Children in Poverty
New York
February 2010

. The gender inequalities index (GII) as a new way to measure gender inequalities in developing countries (PDF - 44 pages)
By G. Ferrant,
Centre d'Economie de la Sorbonne
Paris
February 2010

. The gender pay gap in the United Kingdom, 1995 -2007
Part I (PDF - 127 pages)
Part II (PDF - 57 pages)
By W. Olsen and alii,
Government Equalities Office
London
February 2010

. [United States] The gender wage gap : 2009 (PDF - 4 pages)
From the Institute for Women's Policy Research
Washington
March 2010

. [Europe] Report on equality between women and men : 2010 (PDF - 56 pages)
From the European Commission:
Directorate-General Employment,
Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities
Brussels
2010

. [Europe] Revisiting poverty measures towards individualisation (PDF - 43 pages)
By D. Meulders and S. O'Dorchai
Dulbea
Bruxelles
February 2010

. [United States] The unemployment gender gap during the 2007 recession (PDF - 7 pages)
By A. Sahin, J. Song and B. Hobijn
Federal Reserve
Bank of New York
New York
February 2010

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More studies like this
- this link takes you to the table of contents for Bulletin #200.
- Bulletin #200 contains links to over 30 studies, only 14 of which appear above.

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CERC Bulletin - links to all CERC semi-monthly bulletins
Subscribe - To be informed of CERC activities and to receive the bulletin

Online Information Service
Information and online resources organized under five themes: Poverty * Social minima * In-work benefits * Minimum wage * Unemployment and return to work .
- includes links and resources for Canada...
HINT: click on the links in the right-hand margin of each theme page for more content

CERC Bulletins/Reports/Studies/Working papers
- Click on the links in the left margin of the CERC website home page for access to a large collection of online resources

- Go to the Government Social Research Links in Other Countries page: http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/internat.htm

Australian Policy Online (APO)
APO is a news service and library specialising in Australian public policy reports and articles from academic research centres, think tanks, government and non-government organisations. The site features opinion and commentary pieces, video, audio and web resources focussed on the policy issues facing Australia. [ About APO ]
NOTE : includes links to the latest APO research; the five most popular downloads of the week
appear in a dark box in the top right-hand corner of each page, and the downloads vary depending on the topic you select.

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New Research : Social Policy | Poverty
- topics include:
* Community * Cultural diversity * Families & households * Gender & sexuality * Immigration & refugees * Population * Poverty * Religion & faith * Social problems * Welfare * Youth

- Go to the Social Research Links in Other Countries (Non-Government) page: http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/internatngo.htm

State of Australian cities 2010
08 March 2010
This report draws together existing data and information across a range of economic, social and environmental parameters to provide a national snapshot of the 17 Australian cities with populations over 100,000 at the 2006 Census. It also highlights emerging trends and issues to promote discussion and debate on managing growth and change in our urban centres.
Source:
Infrastructure Australia

Complete report:

State of Australian cities (PDF - 9MB, 161 pages)

Related link:

State of Australian Cities…could be better
The Green Building Council of Australia said the Australian Government’s State of Australian Cities 2010 report would support the property and construction sector’s drive to Sustainability.
Source:
The Fifth Estate (Australia)
"Sustainable Property News and Forum"

Green Building Council of Australia
Launched in 2002, the GBCA is a national, not-for-profit organisation that is committed to developing a sustainable property industry for Australia by encouraging the adoption of green building practices. It is uniquely supported by both industry and governments across the country.

- Go to the Government Social Research Links in Other Countries page: http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/internat.htm

From the Child Rights Information Network (CRIN)

Latest issue of CRINMAIL (children's rights newsletter):

NOTE: The CRIN website was experiencing some technical problems on March 14 when I went to copy the past week's issues of the CRINMAIL newsletter.
I'll have links to the missing content in next week's newsletter, or you can try this link if you're impatient:
Links to Issues of CRINMAIL

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4 March 2010 - CRINMAIL 1154
* PAKISTAN: First child rights portal launched [news]
* IRAQ: Fallujah doctors report rise in birth defects [news]
* UNITED ARAB EMIRATES: 10-year-olds forced to risk lives racing camels [news]
* INDIA: Panel moots minimum age for children on reality TV shows [news]
* TURKEY: Children detained for exercising right to freedom of expression [publication]
* ROMANIA: Starting Early on Human Rights With School Textbook [news]
* CRIN NOTICEBOARD
**NEWS IN BRIEF**

2 March 2010 - CRINMAIL 1153
* EARTHQUAKES: Haiti – Chile – Kyrgyzstan [update]
* EGYPT: Rights group slams Education Minister's comments on corporal punishment [news]
* NETHERLANDS: Eviction of undocumented children unlawful [news]
* INDIA: Children not included in "inclusive" budget [publication]
* UGANDA: Last chance to shelve Anti-Homosexuality Bill should not be missed, warn UN human rights experts [news]
* EDUCATION: Africa Education Watch - Good governance lessons for primary education [publication]
* SOUTHERN AFRICA: Children that slip across borders [news]
**NEWS IN BRIEF**

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Links to Issues of CRINMAIL
- links to 200+ weekly issues, many of which are special editions focusing on special themes, such as the 45th Session of the Committee on the Rights of the Child, the Convention on the Rights of the Child and the launch of the EURONET Website.

Source:
CRINMAIL(incl. subscription info)
[ Child Rights Information Network (CRIN) ]

- Go to the Children's Rights Links page: http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/chnrights.htm

I am solely accountable for the choice of links presented therein and for the occasional editorial comment - it's my time, my home computer, my experience, my biases, my Rogers Internet account and my web hosting service.

I administer the mailing list and distribute the weekly newsletter using software on the web server of the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE).
Thanks, CUPE!

If you wish to subscribe to the e-mail version of newsletter, go to the Canadian Social Research Newsletter Online Subscription page:
http://lists.cupe.ca/mailman/listinfo/csrl-news
...or send me an email message.
You can unsubscribe by going to the same page or by sending me an e-mail message [ gilseg@rogers.com ]

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The e-mail version of this newsletter is available only in plain text (no graphics, no hyperlinks, no fancy bolding or italics, etc.) to avoid security problems with government departments, universities and other networks with firewalls. The text-only version is also friendlier for people using older or lower-end technology.

Privacy Policy:
The Canadian Social Research Newsletter mailing list is not used for any purpose except to distribute each weekly issue.
I promise not share any information on this list, nor to send you any junk mail.

Links presented in the Canadian Social Research Newsletter point to different views about social policy and social programs.
There are some that I don't agree with, so don't get on my case, eh...

To access earlier online HTML issues of the Canadian Social Research Newsletter, go to the Newsletter page:
http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/news.htm

Please feel free to distribute this newsletter as widely as you wish, but please remember to mention Canadian Social Research Links when you do.

Cheers!
Gilles

E-MAIL:
gilseg@rogers.com

English Pronunciation

And, in closing...