Big League Little League

I like to watch big league politicians in action. Last week, I watched Barack Obama talking to Republicans about working together to solve the nation's problems.

In wartime, governments form coalitions. They set aside philosophical differences because nothing less than survival is at stake.

The President said he had read opposition ideas. Some he agreed with. But in one instance because Democrats supported it, Republicans defeated a bill they themselves put forward.

His Republican audience already knew about that. They did it. The President was talking to millions of Americans who had lost jobs, health care and homes, who vote Republican.

He was talking over the heads of the Media, Republicans, Lobbyists and recalcitrant Democrats. If the people hurting the most were listening, he has a chance.

If President Obama meets the challenges of his time, and he has little option, he will have all historical status of Franklin Delano Roosevelt and more.

He talked to the people.

As did Winston Spencer Churchill .

As did Pierre Elliot Trudeau .

Now we get to watch another real drama unfold. The stakes are horrendous. The end is not yet written.

And we don't have to pay over a hundred dollars for a ticket and drive to the city.

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A letter in The Auroran this week from a Food Bank spokesperson about all the caring and helping organisations in Aurora providing support for people in need, was both gratifying and informative.

It is history in reverse.

Fifty years ago, the Children's Aid Society and Association for The Mentally Retarded were
charitable organisations created by people and parents who saw need and responded.

It's what it took for senior levels of government to acknowledge not only need but community' support for the program and institute social assistance and education for children with differing abilities.

Early in Ontario's history, Volunteer Fire Brigades were the all-round helping agency .They still are in some places. It would be a fascinating history to unearth.

But look where we are now! Children's Aid is under a cloud for questionable administrative spending and a growing number of people are having to put their pride in their poocket and turn to food banks and churches to keep body and soul together.

We know more than half the poor are Canadian children

Who knows their living conditions? We do know there has been no social housing for families built in twenty years. We know basement rents are more than fifty per cent of retail wages.

We know the region is keen to add basement apartments to the "inventory" of "affordable housing" so they can claim to have fulfilled the Official Plan requirement that 24% of housing in the Region must be "affordable"

We know all that because it is documented.

We also know the Aurora Heritage and Culture Centre has a new grand piano.