Writers adamant about province pulling back on child care funding
Cariboo Press -- Kelowna Capital News
31 Jan 2007
Letters -- John Ryder, Kelowna

To the editor:

The federal government's $100 per month day care supplement, though rightly popular with stay-home moms, is pathetically inadequate in the hands of working parents.

However, our B.C. Liberals have seized upon it as an opportunity to cut their own programs, such as they are. The letter from Ms. Linda Reid, our caring Child Care Minister was a treat to read. (Child Care Subsidy to Remain: Minister, Jan. 12 Capital News). OUC professors should use it as a good example of political-speak.

She diverts readers' attention brilliantly from the crass business of withdrawing much-needed day care help from beleaguered working parents, while showing off her "caring nature" in explaining that there are no cuts in the Supported Child Program. How wonderful. No increases though.

She goes on to show that all her child care cuts, although offset by the federal $100 benefit, are, in fact due to cutbacks by that same federal government (whose politics she probably agrees with anyway).

She finally lulls us nicely with smooth references to "flexible child care that works for B.C. families and is sustainable," which probably really means everyone for himself because that costs least and that's the way we do things round here.

I'd like to know what pills people like Ms. Reid take in order to sleep at night.