Sunday, February 18, 2007

Rally Rant

We came .
We rallied.
We waved our signs.

But I'm not very sure that many people noticed.......

There was a red carpet out on the steps of the Legislature, but it wasn't for the thousands of people protesting nasty cuts to the child-care system in British Columbia, that's for sure.

One thing I learned this past Tuesday at one of the province-wide rallies: if it's not a Slow News Day, you probably aren't going to make a big splash on the evening news.

Way to get eclipsed by the Throne speech and Valentines Day lead-up articles!

Bah! Bah, I say!

Daycare fees are going up. (The hundred dollar a month gesture nicknamed The Beer & Popcorn Money Plan that Harper is replacing the old system with is dismally inadequate for most families who need childcare. It's about six hundred dollars a month for daycare 'round these parts...)

Childcare worker wages are going down. ( At the end of June my wage will be lower than when I joined this profession ten years ago. I knew this wasn't a high-paying profession when I went to college for it, but I didn't expect the future to be a few bucks from minimum wage and going backwards. Grrr!)

The waiting lists for getting in to most daycares are so long.... that your child may have to be a foetus when you sign up. (Yes, it's literally true, we've had unborn babes waiting to get into our centre and it doesn't necessarily mean they'll get a spot in time.)

The government is closing every Childcare Resource and Referral Centre in B.C. by the end of September-- people are losing their jobs and daycare providers are losing job training, lending libraries, and the people who keep an eye on licensing requirements and criminal-record checks and a whole lot of other important things.

Yeah, the whole fragile child-care system in B.C. is getting a little more dodgy, I'd say.

On the bright side, even if I got up early and trekked to the Parliament Buildings in Victoria for very little effect (and less a day's pay), at least the sun was shining and I had a nice walk around Beacon Hill Park to show for it.

Oh, and I got to see a whole lot of Mounties, parading politicians, and the Lieutenant Governor herself. Dang it, the red carpet was for them, wasn't it?
































7 comments:

Anonymous said...

Time for a new career sister...wages are supposed to go up...not down....nice pictures of signs though

Anonymous said...

I think it's disgusting that your rally was ignored by the Government and by the Media. I thought it would be covered and managed to get Dad to switch from CNN to Global.But I guess Pomp and Ceremony are more important then real issues. Love,Mom

BostonPobble said...

Screw 'em ~ pretend the red carpet *was* for you, dammit!

And may I say how cool it is that your mom leaves comments?

kimber said...

SpiderMom is pretty darn cool.

Perhaps it is time for a reinvention of the ol' career, although I know from watching you, you're great at your job and with the wee ones. There have been so many strikes against this government, and it always seems to be those least able to fight back who are the victims of their cuts: the elderly, children, and those who are physically and mentally challenged. Grrrr.

blackcrag said...

Welcome to the democratic process. I'll try not to be too cynical about this. maybe you can take a little pride in 'registering' your dissapproval.

Jocelyn said...

Well, at the very least, the signs were amazing--and you actually are doing good here, in this blog, by writing about the issue and publicizing the rally.

Darn it. I like to look to Canada as an example of how things should be done. But maybe NO country does childcare right?

Pol* said...

Bah! Don't get me started on this one!!!!! We need trained, caring childcare providers, and parents need the resource centres to find them!
If everyone who is good (like you) has to leave in search of better money, what are our kids going to be left with?
Oh I am scared of the the future.
Between the education system being screwed at every turn, and the ECE being robbed of wages, and the parents left with no way to find the good from the bad...... while holding down 2 jobs to cover the crazy cost of diapers and babyfood, whoah is Canada!