Canadian Social Research Newsletter

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 2,314 subscribers.

Scroll to the bottom of this newsletter to see some notes, a disclaimer
and other stuff that has nothing whatsoever to do with social policy...

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IN THIS ISSUE OF THE
CANADIAN SOCIAL RESEARCH NEWSLETTER:

1. Barely Surviving: The Predicament of Toronto’s Poor Single Adults - July 2010
(John Stapleton)

Barely Surviving:
The Predicament of Toronto’s Poor Single Adults (PDF - 105K, 3 pages)
By John Stapleton, Principal, Open Policy Ontario
PDF file dated July 9, 2010
(...) Most Torontonians are not aware that it would take a 55% increase in benefits to Ontario Works (welfare) to bring them in line with the value of benefits in 1993. Similarly, single disability benefits (ODSP) would have to be raised almost $250 a month to bring them in line with the value of benefits paid in the mid-1970's. (...)
In fact, over 50,000 single adults in our city (7,000 higher than last year) are having a very difficult time meeting their most basic needs while receiving welfare benefits. (...) Job one is to make sure that all single persons are adequately housed, are able to eat nutritiously, and able to access transit, clothing and personal care. To a government and public that remains suspicious of large welfare increases, a housing benefit payable through the tax system offers a promising alternative.
Source:
Discussion papers <=== links to 10 more papers from Toronto Debates 2010
"To learn more about the issues facing our city, read these papers by Torontonians who know about the challenges and are clear about our options in the years ahead."
NOTE: John Stapleton's paper is one of five under "Debate 1: Prosperity and the Economy" (the other authors in this debate are Joe Berridge, Jim Stanford, Tony Coombes and Richard Florida). The other two debates are "Finance, Transportation, and Managing the City" and "Sustainability, the Environment, and Community" - the second of which includes a link to:
Put Food at the Top of the Municipal Election (PDF - 122K, 4 pages)
By Debbie Field, Executive Director, Food Share Ontario

Source:
Toronto Debates 2010 --- "a forum for strong and intelligent debate among the leading mayoral candidates in the October municipal election"

Related links:
VoteToronto2010
Toronto Board of Trade
Open Policy - John Stapleton's website
Food Share Ontario

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

2. 136 media links: THE CENSUS LONG FORM QUESTIONNAIRE JUST WON'T GO AWAY.

#1 Recommended Census issue resource:

datalibre.ca
datalibre.ca is a blog that's maintained mostly by Tracey Lauriault.
It's inspired by civicaccess.ca, which believes all levels of Canadian governments should make civic information and data accessible at no cost in open formats to their citizens.

Latest blog posts from datalibre.ca:

* 2 days – Census Media Roundup - August 12 (41 links)
* Tuesday Census Media Roundup - August 11 (24 links)
* Monday Census Media Roundup - August 10 (34 links)
* Weekend Census Media Roundup - August 8 (37 links)

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Stand up for good government, MPs (PDF - 34K, 2 pages)
August 2010
Mel Cappe, Pierre Fortin, Michael Mendelson and John Richards*
This op ed discusses the importance of the long-form census for good government. It puts forward the perspective of several premiers on the federal decision to substitute a voluntary National Household Survey. The authors call on the three federal opposition leaders to agree on the text of a resolution in defence of preserving the mandatory long form and to state their intent to move it upon the reopening of the House of Commons.
---
* Mel Cappe is president of the Institute for Research on Public Policy. Pierre Fortin is emeritus professor of economics at the University of Quebec at Montreal. Michael Mendelson is senior scholar at the Caledon Institute of Social Policy. John Richards is a professor in the school of public policy at Simon Fraser University.
Source:
Caledon Institute of Social Policy
[ Link to the op-ed in the Globe and Mail, August 11 issue ]

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Harper's Latest Step in Building 'Tea Party North'
His census stance is meant to fan populist anger while killing a key tool for social advocacy
By Frances Russell Murdoch
12 Aug 2010
Cut to the scary bit:
(...) He [Harper] also appreciates the need to dumb them [Canadians] down to facilitate stripping government back to its core functions: a strong military to defend the nation abroad, more police, prisons and tougher justice to defend the citizen at home and an unfettered free market to create wealth and employment through ever-lower taxes, especially on business and the well-to-do. Addressing social and economic inequality should be left to individual initiative and private charity.
Source:
TheTyee.ca

- Go to the Census 2011 questionnaire links links page: http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/2011_census_questionnaire.htm

3. Bibliography : The Cost of Poverty
(National Council of Welfare)

National Council of Welfare
The National Council of Welfare (NCW) is an arm's length advisory body to the Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development on matters of concern to low-income Canadians.

The National Council of Welfare recently re-launched its website with a new domain name and new interactive features. While I was updating my links to the Council's reports, I came across this bibliography on the cost of poverty for Canadian society that they posted to their site early in 2010. I was impressed by the content when I first saw this extensive bibliography this past winter, and I thought it would be a worthy addition to any social researcher's summer reading list.

The Cost of Poverty and the Value of Investment:
Comprehensive Bibliography (PDF - 280K, 34 pages)
February 2010
- 300+ links divided into three main sections: Canadian studies, American studies and International studies
- six categories: General, Policies and Programs; Housing; Early Education programs; Education; and Health.
- incl. (at the end of the bibliography) a chronology of newspaper articles on the subject.

Top Ten Picks (PDF - 67K, 3 pages)
If you think that 300+ links all at once is daunting, the nice folks at the Council have bundled their top picks from the collection for you.
Start there.

Source:
The Cost of Poverty and the Value of Investment
Can we afford to solve poverty?
Can we afford not to?
Canadians want an end to poverty, but even those most committed to the solutions can still wonder if we can afford to. We know there is a correlation between poverty and other areas of spending like health, education and justice, but just how much is poverty costing us? (...) The National Council of Welfare is seeing a growing number of reports and articles addressing the costs associated with poverty and we’ve set out to find what has been done and what it tells us.
- includes more info about the Council's February 2010 initiative on the cost of poverty and a link to the complete report in PDF format.

Related links:

Solving Poverty: Four cornerstones of a workable national strategy for Canada * (PDF file - 1MB, 29 pages)
Winter 2007
"(...) When the National Council of Welfare started looking into anti-poverty strategies, it became quickly apparent to us that if there is no long-term vision, no plan, no one accountable for carrying out the plan, no resources assigned and no accepted measure of results, we will continue to be mired in poverty for generations.
The four cornerstones:
1) creating a national anti-poverty strategy with targets and timelines;
2) developing a coordinated plan of action;
3) ensuring accountability; and
4) establishing official poverty indicators.
[ Related Press Release - January 25, 2007 ]
____________________________________
* IF YOU CAN'T ACCESS
THE ABOVE FILE, PLEASE READ THIS:
As at Aug. 15/2010, the National Council of Welfare's new website still has a few bugs under the hood. Depending on the web browser you use, clicking the above filename *may* open a text box that refers to "octet-stream". If that's the case, your simplest solution is to select the "Save File" option and double-click on the filename once it is downloaded to your hard drive; then you should be able to the file open in your PDF reader. I'm sure this issue will soon be resolved...
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From the Parliamentary Library Research website:
(Note: the two files below are very slow to open, but well worth the wait. Gilles)

Senate committee recommends that the federal government
develop a federal strategy to combat child poverty
April 26, 2007
(...)
Recommendation 14 : Pursuant to articles 26 and 27 of the Convention on the Rights of the Child, the Committee recommends that the federal government develop a federal strategy to combat child poverty that should be put into effect as soon as possible, accompanied by clear goals and timetables. Among other things, such a plan should include preventative measures aimed at high-risk families and a comprehensive housing strategy.

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Debate in the House of Commons on a national anti-poverty strategy
(Private Member's Bill - Tony Martin, NDP)
February 20, 2007

- Go to the National/Federal and International Anti-poverty Strategies and Campaigns page: http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/antipoverty2.htm

August 12, 2010
Canadian Economic Observer:
Historical Statistical Supplement 2009/2010
1. Tables
* National accounts
* Labour markets
* Prices
* International trade
* Goods-producing industries (manufacturing, construction and resources)
* Services (trade, transportation, travel and communications)
* Financial markets
* Provincial
2. User information
3. Related products

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

What's new online:
[This section archives documents that
have been featured on the CRRU homepage..]

The timing of motherhood, mothers' employment, and child outcomes
11 Aug 10
- Research findings from the British Millennium Cohort Study suggest that while child care in the first year may have "both positive and negative associations", "policies that make child care available to mothers across the spectrum are likely to benefit both mothers and children."

Cheaper child care, more children
11 Aug 10
- Swedish study examined parent fees and fertility; finds that reduction in child care fees led to a 4-6% increase in the birth rate.

Rewriting equality at the Women's Court of Canada
11 Aug 10
- A collection of academics, litigators and activists have re-written Supreme Court decisions to offer an alternative vision of Canadian equality jurisprudence. Among the re-written ruling are Symes v. Canada (tax treatment of child care expenses) and Eaton v. Brant County Board of Education (integration of disabled students).

more WHAT'S NEW ONLINE »

child care in the news
[This section features interesting and noteworthy
news about ECEC and related issues in Canada and internationally.]

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.

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.

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.

August 13:
TANF Program Cuts - Washington state
Stimulus and TANF Emergency Funds - Nebraska
Jobs Bill and Aid to the States
Tax Refund Anticipation Loans

August 12:
Global Youth Unemployment
Welfare Reform - Australia
Emergency Room Use in the US
Unemployment and Home Foreclosures

August 11:
SSI and Eligibility for Food Stamps - California
State Medicaid Programs - Kentucky, Ohio, West Virginia
State Cuts to Preschool Programs

August 10:
Released Prisoners and Homelessness - Toronto, CA
Housing Program for the Homeless - New York City

August 9:
Recession and Access to Health Care - Wisconsin, Colorado
General Assistance Medical Care - Minnesota
Need for Food Assistance in the US
Hunger and Malnutrition - India

Policy Basics:
Top Ten Facts about Social Security on the Program's 75th Anniversary
August 13, 2010
“[Social Security] remains one of the nation’s most successful, effective, and popular programs. It provides a foundation of income on which workers can build to plan for their retirement. It also provides valuable social insurance protection to workers who become disabled and to families whose breadwinner dies.”

What the Trustees’ Report Shows about Social Security
By Kathy Ruffing and Paul N. Van de Water
August 13, 2010
“On August 5, the Social Security Board of Trustees issued the 70th annual report on the program’s financial and actuarial status. The trustees’ report shows some mild deterioration in the program’s short-term outlook — a finding that was widely expected — and a mild improvement in its long-run finances, thanks largely to the recent enactment of health reform.”

Social Security Keeps 20 Million Americans
Out of Poverty: A State-By-State Analysis
Paul N. Van de Water and Arloc Sherman
August 11, 2010
(...) Although most of those kept out of poverty by Social Security are elderly, nearly a third are under age 65, including 1.1 million children. Depending on their design, reductions in Social Security benefits could significantly increase poverty, particularly among the elderly.

Source:
Center on Budget Policy and Priorities
The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities is one of the nation’s premier policy organizations working at the federal and state levels on fiscal policy and public programs that affect low- and moderate-income families and individuals. The Center conducts research and analysis to help shape public debates over proposed budget and tax policies and to help ensure that policymakers consider the needs of low-income families and individuals in these debates. We also develop policy options to alleviate poverty

With Obama address, Democrats revive specter of GOP threat to Social Security
By Michael D. Shear and Lori Montgomery
August 15, 2010
Reviving a political tactic that Democrats have used before, President Obama said in his radio address Saturday that "some Republican leaders in Congress" want to privatize Social Security -- even though few GOP lawmakers today support the idea.
Source:
Social Security - A washingtonpost.com special report detailing the debate over proposed changes to Social Security, the nation's largest entitlement program.
- also includes links to :
* A Glimpse of Older America
* Aging Population Poses Challenges
* more similar articles...
Source:
Washington Post

Selected content from CERC Bulletin N°211 (August 9, 2010)
(Click on this link to see the complete list of studies in that issue...)
TIP : for similar research, click the links below to the source organizations, then find the links to "Reports" or "Publications"]

[United States]
Young disadvantaged men : Fathers, families, poverty and policy
An introduction to the issues (PDF - 641K, 28 pages)
June 2010
By T. M. Smeeding et al.
Source:
Institute for Research on Poverty, Madison
Summary : This paper introduces the major themes associated with young disadvantaged men, including low educational achievement, joblessness, out-of-wedlock childbearing, and incarceration. By age 30, between 68 percent and 75 percent of young men with a high school degree or less are fathers. Half of them are married when their first child is born and far fewer continue their education post-high school. The paper briefly reviews four major forces that help shape social and economic outcomes for young men who are fathers and for their partners and children: employment and earnings prospects; multiple-partner fertility; incarceration; and finally public policy, especially as it is reflected in the income support system and the child support system. The paper ends with an exploration of policy solutions to the many challenges facing young disadvantaged men.

Concepts of social justice in the welfare state
Great Britain and Germany since 1945 (PDF - 126K, 27 pages)
July 2010
By C. Torp
Source:
European University Institute, San Domenico di Fiesole
Summary : Concepts of social justice are at the very heart of the welfare state. From the perspective of the history of institutions, the article reconstructs the principles of justice which underlie the architecture of the social security systems in Great Britain and Germany and analyses how they have changed since 1945. It turns out that in general both welfare states are based on mixtures of different concepts of justice...

Online Information Service
Information and online resources organized under five themes:
* Poverty *Means-tested benefits * 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

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 (see below)
appear in a dark box in the top right-hand corner of each page.

1. Closing the gap on Indigenous disadvantage
2. Time is money...
3. Are incentives for employing older workers ageist?
4. Belonging, being and becoming - the early years learning framework for Australia
5. Density and localised economies

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

1. Closing the gap on Indigenous disadvantage
2. Time is money...
3. Belonging, being and becoming - the early years learning framework for Australia
4. Density and localised economies
5. Hearing directly from vulnerable young Australians

11 August 2010, issue 1187
In this issue:
- African Committee: Concluding Observations (Burkina Faso, Kenya, Mali, Tanzania and Uganda)
- Tunisia: first African State to ban corporal punishment
- Violations of indigenous children's rights
- Global campaign to end the institutionalisation of children
- Iran: 18-year-old faces the death penalty
- Children's Rights Principles for Business
- Factsheet: the right to adequate housing
- Also includes:
* World news * Reports * Events * Laws * Issues
* Advocacy * Challenging breaches * Take action * Campaigns * Toolkits

Links to Issues of CRINMAIL
- links to hundreds of 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.
NOTE: see http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/chnrights.htm for the table of contents for, and links to, several months' worth of issues of CRINMAIL.

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!

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You can unsubscribe by going to the same page or by sending me an e-mail message [ gilseg@rogers.com ]

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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...

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Cheers!
Gilles

E-MAIL:
gilseg@rogers.com

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My dog ate my alarm clock.

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