Many people have ask where I stand on issues that affect this community and the city of Kitchener. I am running for Regional Council for three major reasons.
1. Transportation. I am strongly opposed to the Light Rail because of the exorbitant cost, limited use (corridor runs only between the two malls), the design to have the rails above the level of the road, the current system could be retooled to cover the whole of the Region for less money. We need to focus our Bus system to meet the needs of employment. Making our current system timed to the schedule of the industrial areas to ensure people can get to the available work with out the need to have a car. This would also encourage people to think Green long term.
2. Housing. There is a real shortage of affordable Housing in the Kitchener-Waterloo region. This is an area I feel it's neglected to often which forces people to choose between paying rent, or feeding a family. If we were to take existing units and subsidise them up to market rent for families and singles it would allow people to feel safe and encourage them to look forward to more opportunities to remain in this area. We also need to help are seniors to be able to maintain their homes and to be able to receive help from government programs already existing without being penalized because they are retired.
3. Poverty Reduction. We need to find ways to help people become self-sufficient. This may mean an opportunity for companies that require specialized skills to offer apprenticeship programs or start-up funds to help retrain or encourage training of people in need of sustainable employment. Coming out of a recession, we need to be more creative and spend money wisely. Investing in the people of community is a good long-term investment and I would hope to encourage the council and the city to support initiatives like the ‘Living Wage’. As a community I feel our focus should be on attracting jobs for everyone who wants to work and stay in this region. Making homes affordable for every family and individual that needs a safe clean place to live, and finally the ability to retire with dignity comes hand in hand with making available the supports to stay in your own home as you age.
On October 25, 2010 please vote for someone who knows your community and can represent your concerns in council: Barbara da Silva.