Thursday, March 26, 2009

Begging on the streets of Hamilton

I see him again. Obviously a senior, who has a scooter. He sits near the C.I.B.C. bank and has his empty coffee cup in his basket, waiting for people to drop in spare change.

This upsets me very much. As a senior, he gets the Old Age Security, the Guaranteed Income Suppliment, and whatever work pension he has contributed to over his working life. The Guarantee Income Supplement is only for seniors who are below a certain amount of money.

I know that the city will pay the 25% that the province does not pay for the scooter and that may be how he got his scooter.

It is probable that he also has subsidized housing which will be 30% of his income.

Even if he does not have subsidized housing, the rents are cheaper here in Hamilton.

It really bothers me to see him begging. He drives a car as well. If one is really poor, one does not have a car!

I hate this begging on the street. As my friend Rosie puts it, we were both single-again mothers bringing up children on what we earned, and we did without many of the necessities of life so that our children would have a roof over their heads and food in their stomach! Neither one of us begged, we made do!

That fellow is at least as old as we are and should not need to be begging at this stage of his life.

It is either a disgrace on him or a disgrace on society. Take your pick!

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