Canadian Social Research Newsletter

Canadian Social Research Newsletter
October 23, 2005

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 1512 subscribers.

Scroll to the bottom of this newsletter to see some notes and a disclaimer.

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IN THIS ISSUE:

Canadian Content

1. Health Services Restructuring: New Evidence and New Directions - Conference (John Deutsch Institute / Institute for Research on Public Policy) - November 17-18
2. Meeting of Ministers Responsible for Social Services - October 20, 2005
3. Study: Who's missing out on the Guaranteed Income Supplement?, 1999 to 2001 (Statistics Canada) - October 21
4. Encouraging Choice in Work and Retirement Project Report (Policy Research Initiative) - October 2005
5. National Conference on Caregiving promotes pan-Canadian dialogue (Social Development Canada) - October 18
6. Housing Again Bulletin (Raising the Roof) - October 2005 issue
7. What's New From the National Advisory Council on Aging (NACA):
--- Seniors on the margins: Aging in poverty in Canada (October 2005)
--- The changing face of long-term care (Fall 2005)
8. The World and Canada: Trends Reshaping Our Future (Conference Board of Canada) - October 18
9. Presentation to the (federal) Standing Committee on Finance Pre-Budget Consultation (Canadian Council on Social Development) - October 5
10. From the Canadian Feminist Alliance for International Action:
--- Women's Civil and Political Rights in Canada 2005 (September 2005)
--- Civil and Political Rights in British Columbia 2005 (October 2005)
11. PovNet Website Updated - October 2005
12. What's New from Statistics Canada - October 18
--- Socio-demographic factors in the current housing market, 1997 to 2003
--- Leading indicators, September 2005
--- Food Consumption, 2004
13. Volunteer NWT (Canada Volunteerism Initiative)
14. New Funding from Social Development Canada:
--- Opportunities Fund for Persons with Disabilities (Halifax) - October 13
--- Understanding the Early Years (British Columbia) - October 12
15. Poor in Saskatchewan need more than Transitional Employment Allowance (Saskatchewan Office - Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives) - October 14
16. What's New from the Childcare Resource and Research Unit ( University of Toronto) - October 21

International Content

17. Poverty Dispatch Digest : U.S. media coverage of social issues and programs --- October 20
18. What's New from the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities (U.S.):
--- Larger reconciliation cuts would put low-income programs at greater risk - October 21
--- Impact of Additional Entitlement Cuts: A State-by-State Analysis - October 21
--- New IRS Data Show Income Inequality Is Again On The Rise - October 17
--- What Does the Safety Net Accomplish? July 2005
--- The Earned Income Tax Credit: Boosting Employment, Aiding the Poor - August 17
19. United Nations Human Rights Committee Opens 85th Session - October 17

Have a great week!
gs

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

E-mail:
gilseg@rogers.com

1. Health Services Restructuring: New Evidence and New Directions (Conference) - November 17-18
(John Deutsch Institute / Institute for Research on Public Policy)

Health Services Restructuring: New Evidence and New Directions
Conference
November 17-18, 2005
Kingston, Ontario
Organized by the John Deutsch Institute and the Institute for Research on Public Policy
"The principal objective of the conference is to shift debate away from polarizing issues and focus instead on use of evidence and empirical analysis to examine specific structural innovations to better understand impacts on service delivery and to help identify what works and what doesn’t."

Program (PDF file - 64K, 3 pages)
Registration form
Register online

Source:
John Deutsch Institute
Institute for Research on Public Policy

- Go to the Conferences and Events Links page: http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/confer.htm
- Go to the Health Links (Canada/International) page: http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/health.htm

2. Meeting of Ministers Responsible for Social Services - October 20, 2005

Ministers meet to discuss collaborative work on social issues
"OTTAWA, October 20, 2005 — Federal, Provincial and Territorial Ministers responsible for Social Services met today to talk about progress made on the Early Learning and Child Care initiative, disability issues, caregiving, and child poverty. The Federal/Provincial/Territorial Forum of Ministers responsible for Social Services is co-chaired by Minister of Social Development, Ken Dryden, and Minister of Health and Social Services for Prince Edward Island, Chester Gillan. Both Ministers agreed that governments will continue working together to address important social policy issues."
Source:
Canadian Intergovernmental Conference Secretariat

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Open Letter to Federal/Provincial/Territorial Ministers Responsible for Early Learning and Child Care
October 20, 2005
"We are writing to urge you to embark on a policy review of the important issue of ownership of early learning and child care services. We believe that there is overwhelming evidence that public and non-profit delivery is the best way to ensure that Canada’s newest social program will meet the high expectations we all share for Canada’s children and families."
Source:
Canadian Council on Social Development

3. Study: Who's missing out on the Guaranteed Income Supplement?, 1999 to 2001 - October 21
(Statistics Canada)

What's New from The Daily [Statistics Canada]:

October 21, 2005
Study: Who's missing out on the Guaranteed Income Supplement?, 1999 to 2001
- short summary only --- the full study report is available only in the October online edition of Perspectives on Labour and Income, Vol. 6, no. 10 (75-001-XIE, $6/$52).
"The vast majority of Canada's senior citizens who qualify for benefits under the federal Guaranteed Income Supplement (GIS) program receive them, according to a new study published today in Perspectives on Labour and Income. However, a significant portion of low-income seniors are missing out on benefits to which they are entitled, simply because they have not applied for them. The study, based on a variety of sources, found that 86% of seniors who were eligible for the GIS in 2000 received it. But about 206,800 eligible individuals missed out. The theoretical annual cost of payments for these people amounted to roughly $300 million."

Related Links:

The changing face of long-term care
Expression Bulletin, Issue 18-4*
Fall 2005
HTML version
PDF version (8 pages, 423 KB)
Table of contents: The changing face of long-term care - What is a long-term care facility? - Who resides in LTC facilities? - Trends for change - Beacons for the future - The best for all - For more information...- Insert: The National Advisory Council on Aging demands improvements to Canada’s long-term care institutions
[*Expression is published four times a year by the National Advisory Council on Aging. The bulletin is available on the NACA Web site.]

2005 Annual Meeting, Canadian Association on Gerontology
Halifax, October 20-22
- Program (PDF file - 625K, 37pages)

- Go to the Seniors (Social Research) Links page: http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/seniors.htm

8. The World and Canada: Trends Reshaping Our Future - October 18
(Conference Board of Canada)

Canada continues to lose ground in global rankings
News release
October 18, 2005
"Canada is losing ground in comparison to other developed countries, according to the Conference Board’s 10th annual Performance and Potential report released today."

Complete report:
Performance and Potential 2005–06
The World and Canada: Trends Reshaping Our Future
"This tenth anniversary edition of the Conference Board’s flagship socio-economic report, Performance and Potential 2005-06, takes a critical look at Canada’s performance and potential. It evaluates our progress since the mid-1990s and examines the global trends that are reshaping our future prosperity and well-being."
NOTE: you must register your e-mail address in order to be able to download the complete report; the Conference Board promises not to misuse your personal information.
The publication is available both as a full report and as key findings, with English and French versions available. Also included on this page is media coverage of the report's release.

Facts & figures:
Performance and Potential 2005-06:
The World and Canada: Trends Reshaping Our Future (PDF file - 19K, 2 pages)

Media Backgrounder:
Performance and Potential 2005-06—The World and Canada:
Trends Reshaping Our Future (PDF file - 27K, 4 pages)

- Go to the Banks and Business Links page: http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/bookmrk3.htm

9. Presentation to the (federal) Standing Committee on Finance Pre-Budget Consultation - October 5
(Canadian Council on Social Development)

Let's Make Productivity Work for Canadians:
Presentation to the House of Commons Standing Committee on Finance
Pre-Budget Consultation
October 5, 2005
Peter Bleyer, President
"The growing shadow of social exclusion has to be tackled head on: child poverty, the racialization of poverty, aboriginal poverty, and growing inequality between have's and have nots. These are barriers to labour force entry that compromise any aspirations to being a truly productive society, they taint our collective quality of life and clash with our core values."
Source:
Canadian Council on Social Development

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

10. Women's Civil and Political Rights in Canada 2005 - September 2005
Civil and Political Rights in British Columbia 2005 - October 2005
(Canadian Feminist Alliance for International Action)

Women's Civil and Political Rights in Canada 2005
The Canadian Feminist Alliance for International Action submission to the United Nations Human Rights Committee
on the occasion of its review of Canada’s 5th report on compliance with the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights
September 2005
Introduction - HTML
Full Report (PDF file - 179K, 55 pages)
Source:
Canadian Feminist Alliance for International Action

Civil and Political Rights in British Columbia 2005
The Poverty and Human Rights Centre submission to the United Nations Human Rights Committee
on the occasion of its review of Canada’s 5th report on compliance with the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights
October 2005
Introduction
Full Report (PDF file - 140K, 48 pages)
Source:
Poverty and Human Rights Centre

NOTE: see #19 below for links to the United Nations Human Rights Committee meetings

- Go to the the Canadian Non-Governmental Sites about Women's Social Issues page: http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/womencanngo.htm

11. PovNet Website Updated! - October 2005

PovNet Website Updated! - October 2005
Highlights include:
* October 17 - World Day to Overcome Extreme Poverty
* Divided and Distracted: Regionalism as Obstacle to Reducing Poverty and Inequality
* On Our Streets and In Our Shelters
* If Welfare Owns You You Can't Do Nothing
* Reducing Child Poverty to Increase Productivity: A Human Capital Strategy
* Welfare Incomes
* Welfare-to-Jobs Program a Bust, Reveals Delayed Report
* Survey Shows New Child Labour Rules not Enforced
* Much more...

Source:
PovNet
"PovNet is an internet site for advocates, people on welfare, and community groups and individuals involved in anti-poverty work. It provides up-to-date information about welfare and housing laws and resources in British Columbia and Canada. PovNet links to current anti-poverty issues and also provides links to other anti-poverty organizations and resources in Canada and internationally."

- Go to the Non-Governmental Sites in British Columbia (C-W) page: http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/bcbkmrk3.htm

12. What's New from Statistics Canada - October 18
--- Socio-demographic factors in the current housing market, 1997 to 2003
--- Leading indicators, September 2005
--- Food Consumption, 2004

What's New from The Daily [Statistics Canada]:

October 18, 2005
Study: Socio-demographic factors in the current housing market, 1997 to 2003
Social and demographic forces, including the maturation of the baby boom echo, declining household size and rising immigration, increased the number of new households and the demand for housing over the first half decade of the new millennium, according to a new study in Canadian Economic Observer.

Complete Study:

Study: Socio-demographic factors in the current housing market, 1997 to 2003 (PDF file - 237K, 9 pages)
Social and demographic forces, including the maturation of the baby boom echo, declining household size and rising immigration, increased the number of new households and the demand for housing over the first half decade of the new millennium, according to a new study in Canadian Economic Observer.

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Leading indicators, September 2005
Driven by strong domestic demand, the composite leading indicator posted a 0.3% increase in September, matching the gain in August.

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Food consumption, 2004
Canadians continue to lay off their veggies, but they are reaching for more fresh fruit, according to the latest data on food consumption.
Per capita consumption of fresh vegetables fell for the third consecutive year in 2004, hitting its lowest level since 1992.

Complete document:

Food Statistics 2004, vol. 4, no. 2 (PDF file - 543K, 36 pages)
October 2005
- incl the following tables: Canada's food sector at a glance - Food available by major group, per person - Food consumed by major group, per person - Food disappearance, by commodity - Food consumed, by commodity - Nutrients available from the Canadian food supply - Nutrients consumed from the Canadian food supply - Comparison between Canada and United States

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- Go to the Food Banks and Hunger Links page: http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/foodbkmrk.htm
- Go to the Homelessness and Housing Links page: http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/homeless.htm

13. Volunteer NWT
(Canada Volunteerism Initiative)

Volunteer NWT "...promotes and supports volunteers and voluntary groups in the Northwest Territories.
We are the Northwest Territories Network for the Canada Volunteerism Initiative (CVI), a national program funded by the Government of Canada."
- incl. links to : What's New? - About Volunteer NWT - NWT Voluntary Sector - Resources - Events - Research & Policy - Feedback - Keep Connected - Contact Us - Site Map

Resources - For volunteers and voluntary organizations
- includes links to online resources in the following areas: Board Governance and Management - Community Resources - Event Management - Freebies - Fundraising - Marketplace - Organization Development Resources - Resources for Volunteers - Societies Registration Resources - Training Opportunities - Volunteer Management

- Go to the Northwest Territories Links page: http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/ntbkmrk.htm
- Go to the Voluntary Sector Links page: http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/voluntary.htm

14. New Funding from Social Development Canada:
--- Opportunities Fund for Persons with Disabilities (Halifax) - October 13
--- Understanding the Early Years (British Columbia) - October 12

Government of Canada supports employment for Persons with Disabilities in the Halifax Regional Municipality
News Release
October 13, 2005

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Government of Canada announces funding for six new Understanding the Early Years (UEY) communities in British Columbia
News Release
October 12, 2005

Government of Canada announces funding for Understanding the Early Years North Shore in British Columbia
News Release
October 12, 2005

Related Links:
Understanding the Early Years (UEY)
- UEY Pilot Projects

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Source:
Social Development Canada

- Go to the BC Government Links page: http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/bcbkmrk.htm
- Go to the Disability Links page: http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/disbkmrk.htm
- Go to the Nova Scotia Links page: http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/nsbkmrk.htm
- Go to the Social Development Canada Links page: http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/sdc.htm

15. Poor in Saskatchewan need more than Transitional Employment Allowance - October 14
(Saskatchewan Office - Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives)

Poor in Saskatchewan need more than Transitional Employment Allowance:
Province’s Building Independence Program forces the poor into “low wage” trap
Press Release
October 14, 2005
"Monday, October 17th has been declared International Day for the Eradication of Poverty by the United Nations. However, anti-poverty groups and researchers at the University of Regina say Saskatchewan has lost a significant opportunity to eradicate poverty. Rather than using larger than expected budget surpluses from oil and gas royalties to deal with poverty, the province has extensively reduced social assistance (welfare) benefits. 'The government claims there has been a 41% reduction in welfare caseloads in Saskatchewan since they introduced their Building Independence Program in 1997 and that they are making progress in dealing with poverty,' says Dr. Garson Hunter, co-author of a new research report on poverty in Saskatchewan released today by the Social Policy Research Unit at the University of Regina and the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives."

Complete report:

Poor need more than T.E.A.: Saskatchewan’s Building Independence
Program forces people into “low wage” traps (PDF file - 239K, 4 pages)

Source:

Saskatchewan Office - Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives
--- Publications
[Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives (CCPA) - National Office]

- Go to the Saskatchewan Links page: http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/skbkmrk.htm

16. What's New from the Childcare Resource and Research Unit - October 21
( University of Toronto)

What's New - from the Childcare Resource and Research Unit (CRRU) - University of Toronto

Each week, the Childcare Resource and Research Unit disseminates its "e-mail news notifier", an e-mail message with a dozen or so links to new reports, studies and child care in the news (media articles) by the CRRU or another organization in the field of early childhood education and care (ECEC). What you see below is content from the most recent issue of the notifier.

21-Oct-05

---------------------------------------------------
WHAT’S NEW
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>> Early learning and child care in Saskatchewan: Past, present and future
SIPP Public Policy Paper No. 36
by Martha Friendly
Paper by Martha Friendly for the Saskatchewan Institute of Public Policy evaluates ELCC in Saskatchewan; identifies steps the province should take to build a high quality ELCC system.

>> For-profit child care: Past, present and future
Occasional Paper 21
by Susan Prentice
New report by Susan Prentice reviews current Canadian evidence and arguments that point to the limitations of for-profit care.

>> An open letter to Federal/Provincial/Territorial Ministers Responsible for Early Learning and Child Care
Letter signed by over 30 social and labour organizations urges the federal government to ensure child care is delivered through non-profit and public services.

>> Alberta expands programs, adds new services to benefit kids six and under
by Government of Alberta. Ministry of Children’s Services.
Press release from the government of Alberta announces their five-point plan to invest funds secured in their recent bilateral agreement with the federal government.

---------------------------------------------------
CHILD CARE IN THE NEWS
---------------------------------------------------

>> Activist groups want Ottawa to expand EI system [CA]
Globe and Mail, 21 Oct 05
Activist groups say they will press the federal government to beef up the employment insurance system after the Supreme Court of Canada's ruling that Ottawa has legitimate constitutional power to create add-ons such as parental leave.

>> Human rights violated [CA-BC]
Letter to the editor
Penticton Herald, 19 Oct 05
As the chairperson of a non-profit childcare society, a former ministry employee, parent of four and a foster parent, I have watched with growing interest the government's policies regarding children's issues.

>> Extra cash should go to child care [CA-BC]
Letter to the editor
Kamloops Daily News, 17 Oct 05
I know for many parents in this province that the government's refusal to negotiate with the BCTF has resulted in their unwanted expense of scrambling to find extended day care for their children. I believe that Premier Gordon Campbell and his Liberals are responsible for this cost to parents.

>>There's no place like home when it comes to child care, studies show [CA]
Vancouver Province, 17 Oct 05
“In what's being described as the ‘most in-depth study of the subject to date,’ Oxford University professors have concluded that children raised by stay-at-home mothers are more socially and emotionally advanced than those cared for by nannies or grandparents.”

>>Cashing in on kids [CA]
St. John’s Telegram, 16 Oct 05
During a forum in St. John's last week, Australian social policy analyst Lynne Wannan shared her story of government policy gone awry, and of corporations reaping millions and millions in profits - not from mining gold, nickel or oil, but from child care.

>>Alberta plans higher child care pay; Stay-at-home parents to get extra cash [CA-AB]
Globe and Mail, 15 Oct 05
Extra cash for stay-at-home parents and higher pay for child care workers will be the result of federal money Alberta from Ottawa. But those wanting to see tax credits for parents who stay at home with their children will be disappointed, according to Alberta's Children's Services
Minister, Heather Forsyth.

National child care: Important part of fight against child poverty [CA]
SooToday.com, 13 Oct 05
While early childhood education and care is not primarily an anti-poverty program, it must be an important part of any serious plan to fight child poverty. Sault Ste. Marie MP Tony Martin is to be commended for taking a leading role in the campaign for a national early childhood education program across Canada.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
This message was forwarded through the Childcare Resource
and Research Unit e-mail news notifier. For information on the
CRRU e-mail notifier, including instructions for (un)subscribing,
see http://www.childcarecanada.org
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Related Links:

What's New? - Canadian, U.S. and international resources from Jan 2000 to the present.
Child Care in the News - media articles from January 2000 to the present
ISSUE files - theme pages, each filled with contextual information and links to further info
Links to child care sites in Canada and elsewhere
CRRU Publications - briefing notes, factsheets, occasional papers and other publications

Also from CRRU:

Towards a national system of early learning and child care
Regularly updated
"(...) On April 29, 2005 the governments of Canada and Manitoba struck an historic Agreement-in-Principle on early learning and child care. This was followed by a similar agreement between the federal government and the province of Saskatchewan. These agreements are the beginning of what is hoped to be a series of strong bilateral agreements between the federal government and the provinces/territories. These historic agreements build on a meeting of the Federal-Provincial-Territorial Ministers Responsible for Social Services in November 2004 and a subsequent meeting in February 2005. They (with the exception of Quebec) agreed to shared principles to guide the development of a new national system of early learning and child care."
NOTE: this is a large (and growing) collection that includes government and non-governmental reports, press releases, news articles and other documents dealing with the new federal-provincial-territorial arrangements for early learning and child care in Canada.

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

17. Poverty Dispatch Digest :
U.S. media coverage of social issues and programs --- October 20

POVERTY DISPATCH Digest
Institute for Research on Poverty - U. of Wisconsin
This digest offers dozens of new links each week to full-text articles in the U.S. media (mostly daily newspapers) on poverty, poverty, welfare reform, child welfare, education, health, hunger, Medicare and Medicaid, and much more...
The Institute for Research on Poverty (IRP) at the University of Wisconsin-Madison offers a free e-mail service that consists of an e-mail message sent to subscribers each Monday and Thursday, containing a dozen or so links to articles dealing with the areas mentioned above. The weekly Canadian Social Research Links Poverty Dispatch Digest is a compilation, available online, of the two dispatch e-mails for that week --- with the kind permission of IRP.

Here's the complete collection of U.S. media articles in this week's Poverty Dispatch Digest:
(click the link above to read all of these articles)

October 20, 2005
Today's subjects include: No Child Left Behind Annual Assessment // Hurricane Katrina and Poverty - Editorial // Hurricane Katrina and Medicaid // Minimum Wage // Low-Income Family Survey // Poverty and Income - Indiana // Proposed Federal Cuts - Wisconsin // Medicaid - Iowa, Florida, New York // Social Services Restrictions - California // No Child Left Behind Annual Assessment - Selected States // Low-Income Students - Illinois // Child Support - Michigan

October 17, 2005
Today's subjects include: Attitude toward Poverty after Katrina - Opinion // Dealing with Poverty - Editorial and Opinion // Effect of Evacuees on Poor Delta Towns // March on Washington and Poverty // Unwed Mothers and Poverty // Unwed Mothers and Poverty - Iowa, Georgia // Poverty Rate - Fresno, CA, New Hampshire // Antipoverty Effort - North Dakota // Welfare Caseload - Georgia // Household Income - Indiana // Low-Income Workers - Oregon // Work Poor - New Jersey // Medicaid Red Tape - New York // Individual Development Accounts - New Mexico, Massachusetts // Homelessness - Salt Lake City

Each of the weekly digests offers dozens of links or more to media articles that are time-sensitive.
The older the link, the more likely it is to either be dead or have moved to an archive - and some archives [but not all] are pay-as-you-go.
[For the current week's digest, click on the POVERTY DISPATCH Digest link above]

The Poverty Dispatch weekly digest is a good tool for monitoring what's happening in the U.S.; it's a guide to best practices and lessons learned in America.

Subscribe to the Poverty Dispatch!
Send an e-mail message to John Wolf [ jwolf@ssc.wisc.edu ] to receive a plain text message twice a week with one to two dozen links to media articles with a focus on poverty, welfare reform, child welfare, health, Medicaid from across the U.S.
And it's free...

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

For the current week's digest, click on the POVERTY DISPATCH Digest link at the top of this section.
Recently-archived POVERTY DISPATCH weekly digests:

- October 13, 2005
- October 6
- September 29
- September 22
- September 15

POVERTY DISPATCH description/archive - weekly issues back to January 2005, 50+ links per issue
NOTE: this archive is part of the Canadian Social Research Links American Non-Governmental Social Research page.

- 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

18. What's New from the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities:
--- Larger reconciliation cuts would put low-income programs at greater risk - October 21
--- Impact of Additional Entitlement Cuts: A State-by-State Analysis - October 21
--- New IRS Data Show Income Inequality Is Again On The Rise - October 17
--- What Does the Safety Net Accomplish? July 2005
---The Earned Income Tax Credit: Boosting Employment, Aiding the Poor - August 17

Larger reconciliation cuts would put low-income programs at greater risk
October 21, 2005
HTML
PDF 8pp.

Impact of Additional Entitlement Cuts: A State-by-State Analysis
October 21, 2005
HTML
PDF 4pp

New IRS Data Show Income Inequality Is Again On The Rise
October 17, 2005
HTML version
PDF version (66K, 6 pages)
"New figures from the Internal Revenue Service show that income disparities grew substantially from 2002 to 2003. After adjusting for inflation, the after-tax income of the one percent of households with the highest incomes shot up in 2003 by an average of nearly $49,000 per household while the after-tax incomes of the bottom 75 percent of households fell on average. (...) Data from the Congressional Budget Office that go through 2002 show that income inequality that year was wider than in all but six years (1988 and 1997-2001) since the middle of the 1930s. This backdrop is worth noting as Congress proposes to tackle “reconciliation” legislation that will likely result in cuts to programs for the poor and the middle class but new tax reductions of greatest benefit to the wealthy. The net effect of such an approach would be to widen further the gulf between high-income households and other Americans."

Source:
Poverty and Income Publications
[ Center on Budget and Policy Priorities (CBPP) ]
"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."

Also from CBPP:

What Does the Safety Net Accomplish?
- special Series on accomplishments of the safety net (incl. individual reports on medical coverage/Medicaid, food and nutrition programs, the Earned Income Tax Credit [see the link below], Supplemental Security Income, etc.)
- links to the individual reports appear in the grey box near the top of the page
News Release - July 19, 2005

Sample report from this series:

The Earned Income Tax Credit:
Boosting Employment, Aiding the Working Poor
Revised August 17, 2005
"An innovative tax credit that was established in 1975 for low-income working families and has long enjoyed bipartisan support, the Earned Income Tax Credit has been found to produce substantial increases in employment and reductions in welfare receipt among single parents, as well as large decreases in poverty. Research indicates that families use the EITC to pay for necessities, repair homes and vehicles that are needed to commute to work, and in some cases, to help boost their employability and earning power by obtaining additional education or training."

- Go to the Links to American Non-Governmental Social Research (A-J) page: http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/us2.htm

19. United Nations Human Rights Committee Opens 85th Session - October 17

From the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights:

Human Rights Committee Opens Eighty-Fifth Session
Press Release
17 October 2005
"The Human Rights Committee, which reviews the implementation of the provisions of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights by its 153 States parties, this morning opened its eighty-fifth session, hearing an address by a Representative of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, following which it adopted its agenda and programme of work."

Human Rights Committee - "Monitoring civil and political rights"
The Human Rights Committee is the body of independent experts that monitors implementation of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights by its State parties.

Human Rights Committee
85th Session (17 October - 3 November 2005)
Geneva

Consideration of Reports Submitted by States Parties Under Article 40 of the Covenant
Fifth periodic report : CANADA (PDF file - 607K, 154 pages)
[27 October 2004]
NOTE: I can't offer you a link to this file because the link is broken when I test it immediately after creating it.
On the Human Rights Committee page ( http://www.ohchr.org/english/bodies/hrc/hrcs85.htm ), click the "E" under State Reports next to the word Canada to open the 154-page report (PDF file - 607K) which is dated 27 October 2004"The present report outlines key measures adopted in Canada from 1995 to April 2004 to enhance its implementation of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (the Covenant). The report is focused primarily on issues raised by the Human Rights Committee in its Concluding Observations, issued after review of Canada’s Fourth Report in 1999, and on significant developments and case law since this review."

List of issues to be taken up in connection with the consideration
of the fifth periodic report of CANADA
July 25, 2005

- Go to the Human Rights Links page: http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/rights.htm
- Go to the United Nations Links page: http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/un.htm

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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 include a link back to the home page of Canadian Social Research Links.

Gilles

E-MAIL:
gilseg@rogers.com

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Classified Ads

Regrettably phrased classified ads placed in newspapers throughout the world.

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Man wanted to work in dynamite factory. 
Must be willing to travel. 

Two female Boston Terrier puppies, 7 wks old, perfect markings, 
555-1234. Leave mess. 

Washing machine: free to good home. 

No matter what your topcoat is made of, 
this miracle spray will make it really repellent. 

Great Dames for sale. 

Hummels - largest selection ever. 
'If it's in stock, we have it!'

Free Yorkshire Terrier. 
Eight years old. Hateful little dog. 

German Shepherd 85 lbs. 
Neutered. 
Speaks German. 
Free. 

Free ducks. You catch. 

1 man, 7 woman hot tub -- $850/offer 

Amana washer $100. 
Owned by clean bachelor who seldom washed. 

Snow blower for sale...only used on snowy days. 

2 wire mesh butchering gloves: 1 5-finger, 1 3-finger, pair: $15 

Tired of working for only $9.75 per hour? 
We offer profit sharing and flexible hours. Starting pay: $7 - $9 per hour. 

Vacation Special: have your home exterminated. 

Source:
http://rinkworks.com/