The Party for People with Special Needs

Toronto Disability Pride March

2011-10-26T11:14:00.001-07:00

Join us at the square, and come down to Occupy Toronto if you can! They're making great efforts to be accessible down there.

Why Disability Pride?

As a recognition of recent injuries and deaths of people with disabilities in interaction with Toronto Police. This march is not against police services, but recognizes the need for increased disability awareness training. No one should be dying in police interactions in Toronto! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yhhkOMTgq30

Under the administration of Mayor Rob Ford, the annual International Day of Persons with Disabilities Celebrations, which recognizes the achievements of people with disabilities in Toronto, has been cancelled without community input. http://www.toronto.ca/diversity/intl_day_disabilities.htm

It is also to recognize that when cuts happen, people with disabilities are often the first to be hit. Under the Rob Ford administration, Wheeltrans services were almost on the chopping block, and social housing still is.

Not only are people with disabilities part of the 99%, they are typically part of the lowest 1% of the 99% - even in Canada.!

It's time we showed Toronto that Torontonians with Disabilities have a voice, and we will not be sold out or discriminated against!

https://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=150322745067099

About the Leader Running in Trinity-Spadina

2011-09-26T21:43:00.000-07:00

Born a blind, Pakistani, albino to immigrants parents on welfare; Danish Ahmed has beaten all the odds. He has been involved in countless model parliaments and special programs like Forum for Young Canadians, Presidential Classroom, the Future World Leaders Summit, and the Inauguration of then U.S. President, Bill Clinton. He’s founded a dot-com, wrote a best-selling book, is a keynote speaker, and is a respected icon in the personal development industry.

The Party for People with Special Needs was established in 2007 and ran in the provincial election. While not elected, the party still helped families with disabilities receive over $2.4 million from the government. Danish Ahmed has several family members with disabilities, and his family has already been noted in the press as causing certain laws to change for people with disabilities. He is a social media expert, and his “Love Movie” has been seen by over a million people.

Our Leadership Values

Overcoming Adversity
The ability to deal with whatever happens.

Working Outside the Box
Knowing that anything is possible.

Diversity of Experience
Being able to relate with all people on all levels.

Results
Following through on projects, promises, and passions.

Compassion
Understanding the purpose of our humanity.

Vision & Hope
Exercising the human spirit to manifest
a world that works for everyone.

Watch our platform videos here:
http://ontarioelections2011.blogspot.com/

The Ultimate Youth Source to Change the World

2011-09-12T21:46:00.001-07:00

This may be for Ontario, but the entire world needs to see this.
http://ontarioelections2011.blogspot.com/

Hi there everyone!!

It’s funny how things happen. When Student Vote 2011 originally asked me to answer ten questions from the student body, I had no idea what a string of serendipitous events would come together, and have us produce this masterpiece!

It’s an incredible resource. With music, video clips, movie excerpts, relevant quotes, and links to cool sites that most people have never heard about!

It’s a phenomenal curriculum of ideas, possibilities, and specific routes of action, that show each person how they can make their contribution in transforming our world.

Visit and share:
http://ontarioelections2011.blogspot.com

I am proud of this creation. We don’t know what’s in us, until we take the time to listen, and allow the universe to channel through us, the co-creative process of fulfilling our destiny.

Here are some highlights of our site:

- Music from Black Eyed Peas, Paul Hoffman, and Garret LoPorto.

- Feature-length movies like “Oh Canada: Our Bought & Sold Out Land”, “Into the Fire” and “Money As Debt”

- Viral Videos like “The Story of Stuff”, “The Story of Cap & Trade” and the special “Pay It Forward” extended trailer

- Discover how to get a FREE Life Coach

- Download of the Scholarship Training Guide & the Youth Entrepreneurship Info-Guide

- Travel the world through Youth Exchange Programs

- Get access to Accelerated Learning technologies

- Find dozens of other links most people don’t know about

- More resources are added all the time!

Visit and share:
http://ontarioelections2011.blogspot.com

Let’s love the world together...

Love,
[)anish /|hmed, blind visionary

P.S. Like Barack Obama's success was largely due to the grass-roots social media movement, you too have the power to make a substantial difference, right at your fingertips! How about sharing this with your parents or other relatives? Share this with your past teachers. Forward it to your friends.

Watch Our Party Videos!!

2011-09-08T00:59:00.001-07:00

Hi there everyone!!

I was asked to create 90-second video responses to questions by students across Ontario on subjects of energy, employment, taxes, the economy, the medical system, education, and politics!

Check all videos out here:
http://ontarioelections2011.blogspot.com

The front page is my open letter to everyone. You can use the navigation on the right to watch the videos of your choice.

Each video further contains the text, and additional information/resources about that particular topic. Some topics include short videos or feature-length movies. It’s a great self-contained curriculum to inspire local transformation and global shifts in consciousness.

Some people say, “I can’t vote.” You don’t need to. Sharing possibilities is the biggest vote of all.

Some people say, “You can’t win.” I don’t need to. Inspiring others is the biggest win of all.

Anything is possible, but what about the vision of using viral (the power of sharing through social media), to significantly change the political landscape?

We don’t need a political structure to shift mass consciousness. We only need a willing spirit.

Share the videos here:
http://ontarioelections2011.blogspot.com

Let’s love the world together...

Love,
[)anish /|hmed, blind visionary

2011 Ontario Provincial Elections

2011-09-06T13:08:00.000-07:00

Hey there everyone!!

There are many different platforms that we can leverage to get exposure, shift consciousness, and ultimately transform the world.

Much of society is still fixated on the win/lose paradigm that has most people stay in competition.

Having a conversation, creating a new possibility, and inspiring another person is at the heart of true activism and spiritual co-creation.

Even a conversation like I’m having with you now.

I’m officially registered as the Leader for the Party for People with Special Needs in Ontario, Canada -- but it really doesn’t matter where you live.

Today, you can vote with your mouse by sharing our message through your social networks. Use the Facebook, Twitter, or StumbleUpon icons at the top left of this web page.

We’ve already helped families with disabilities receive over $2.4 million! Imagine what a difference that makes for people who are the most disadvantaged.

You can also support us by making a donation on the site, or becoming a member of That Free Thing (revenues from that position are used by PPSN for operations and outreach). You can also setup your own non-profit or charity to be the beneficiary of a TFT position, building awareness as it builds income for your cause/mission.

Let’s love the world together...

Love,
[)anish /|hmed, blind visionary
The Party for People with Special Needs
Where all people are part of our community.

P.S. I’ll speaking Las Vegas at the official launch of That Free Thing, and will be out-of-town during my birthday. If you’re near Las Vegas, come party with me. Or check here for the details about the party in Toronto:
https://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=157543257660442

$20,000 to $90,000 available FREE!

2011-07-13T08:05:00.000-07:00

Government supervised and regulated.
You deal with the major banks.

Conditions:
* must have or know someone with a disability and be resident in Ontario, Canada.
* must be under 49 years old to participate
* must be under 29 years old to get entire $90,000
* $20,000 Free even if no money is contributed at all to your program
* all contributed funds are guaranteed refundable by the major banks

Contact Dan King, 1-877-382-1986

Already we have helped families with disabilities receive over $2.4 Million!

Un message du chef du Parti pour les personnes ayant des besoins spéciaux

2011-05-30T10:38:00.000-07:00

Je m'appelle Danish Ahmed. Vous ne vous en êtes peut-être pas rendu compte, mais en réalité, je suis Pakistanais. Comme je suis albinos, mes cheveux et ma peau sont très clairs. Par ailleurs, je suis aveugle au sens de la loi en raison de mon albinisme. Malgré ces handicaps, je mène une vie à la fois très fonctionnelle, riche et épanouissante.

Le Parti pour les personnes ayant des besoins spéciaux a été créé pour servir la population de personnes handicapées qui méritent de mener une vie à la fois fonctionnelle, riche et épanouissante. En quoi cela vous concerne-t-il? La population vieillit rapidement, et vos parents finiront probablement par souffrir d'un handicap. Plus important encore, sans le savoir, vous avez probablement un ami ou une amie, voire un ou une collègue, qui souffre de troubles physiques ou émotifs. Si mes handicaps sont évidents pour certains, il n’en reste pas moins que la plupart des handicaps ne sont pas aussi apparents.

Un bon gouvernement doit être en mesure de trouver des solutions à long terme pour remédier aux problèmes qui existent aujourd’hui, ainsi que pour relever les défis qui se présenteront dans un avenir prévisible. Les personnes ayant des besoins spéciaux veulent une solution à long terme. La bonne nouvelle, c'est que les personnes handicapées continueront à faire partie de notre réalité. En fournissant des accommodements aux personnes, en tenant compte des besoins spéciaux et en favorisant la diversité, nous stimulons l’économie et créons un environnement propice à la création, où les individus peuvent tisser des liens avec plus de monde et s’épanouir pleinement. C’est une occasion en or pour le gouvernement de faire une différence dans la vie de tout le monde.

Notre gouvernement s’est avéré être un chef de file en matière d’égalité des droits et d’accessibilité pour tous. Mon objectif est d'inspirer les gens et de leur faire savoir que, peu importe l’adversité à laquelle ils font face, nous vivons aujourd'hui dans une culture qui nous permet de poursuivre nos rêves et nos visions individuelles.

Le Parti pour les personnes ayant des besoins spéciaux
-- Où tout le monde fait partie de notre communauté

Tax Deductions

2011-05-01T12:07:00.000-07:00

Thank you for your support:

Your Donation costs less due to Ontario Political tax credits!

You can support our movement generously, and for the most part, expect a 75% refund. This comes in the form of an Ontario Political Tax Credit which is refunded in cash at tax time, April of next year. See the numbers below.

The government is generous in often refunding 3/4 of your donation to you because there is a pressing need to engage more Canadians in making political donations. Only 2% of Canadians donate to political parties.
There is a need to increase this to improve participation and increase the legitimacy and credibility of our democratic system.

The sample numbers below demonstrate how you can support the political voice we create for the community of people affected by disabilities, and how little it actually costs you:

DONATION:	CREDIT:	YOUR COST:
100.00	75.00	25.00
*414.00*	*300.00*	*114.00*

CORPORATE/TRADEUNION TAX INFORMATION

Corporations making political contributions can deduct up to a maximum of $16,800 from the Ontario portion of their taxable income in any fiscal period.

Thank you for your listening, your compassion, and your generosity.You will be mailed an official Ontario Political Tax Receipt prior to tax time next year.

Love,
The Party for People with Special Needs

Justice Committee Bill 140

2011-04-30T00:44:00.000-07:00

To: Trevor Day, Clerk
Re. Justice Committee, Bill 140
Response to a request to recommend amendments to Bill 140                 April 6, 2011

Dear Sir,
Last week some members of the Justice Committee requested of me, Dr. Jane Pritchard, some recommendations for amendments to Bill 140, based on my deputation, March 31,2011.

Attached please find my recommendations for amendments.

I have prepared these recommendations in collaboration with Dan King, who is a tenant and former director of Toronto Community Housing Corp.

If it pleases the Justice Committee, we would be very honoured to be summoned to present our recommended amendments and to respond to questions from the Committee.

In view of how important we consider Bill 140 to be for the future of hundreds of thousands of citizens living in social housing, we would be happy to make ourselves available, at the pleasure of the Committee, to provide an in-depth understanding of our recommendations for the legislation.

We look forward to hearing from the Chair regarding our appearance before the Committee.

Sincerely,
Dr. Jane Pritchard
Dan King

Dr. Jane Pritchard is a family physician, serving the tenants of Toronto Community Housing. Since 1990, she has been attending weekly clinics on-site at two buildings comprised mostly of low income seniors. She also works extensively with the homeless population of Toronto, providing medical services at the 416 Community Drop In Centre for Women, and Evergreen Health Centre for street youth over a similar time frame. Dr. Pritchard is the chairperson of Lazarus Rising, a joint project of the Mennonite Central Committee and Sanctuary Ministries of Toronto, accompanying homeless folk in downtown Toronto. She considers that three years spent working in rural Bangladesh in the early 1980s was good preparation for working with the urban poor of Canada. . M. Jane Pritchard M.D., CCFP, FPFC

M. Jane Pritchard, M.D.
795 Eglinton Avenue East Toronto ON M4G 4E4
416-424-3145 fax 416-424-2611
cell 416-568-8299 home: 416-421-7079
99 Woodmount Avenue Toronto ON M4C 3Y3
jane.pritchard@utoronto.ca

Dan King, MBA
Dan has lived in TCHC as a market rent tenant since 1979.
In the fall of 2007 Dan was elected as a tenant director of Toronto Community Housing Corp and has since served four years on the board. He has served on the Audit committee, the Finance committee, the Building and Investment Committee and the Corporate Affairs Committee.
He runs his own business and also serves on the board of four registered Canadian Charities in the Toronto community.

Dan King
505 - 341 Bloor W   Toronto ON M5S 1W8
416-595-1782    danking@sympatico.ca

RESPONSE TO A REQUEST FOR AMENDMENTS- Bill 140:                         Apr. 6, 2011

We are at a crossroads as we consider legislation that will have a profound effect on the safety and even survival of the most vulnerable members of our society over the next ten years.
Our responses to Bill 140 reflect our concern for their welfare.

COST REDUCTION FOR EMERGENCY SERVICES
1. Affordable housing strengthens the foundations of communities and is an important public asset.
Social housing is a necessity for all communities, literally to prevent needless and costly deaths that will happen in the streets.

There is a high cost to an absence of social housing sufficient to meet the needs of the

disadvantaged. In one documented example, "Million Dollar Murray", a homeless man in Las Vegas in one year, cost the State of Nevada over a million dollars in emergancy services.
http://homelessalliance.files.wordpress.com/2007/10/milliondollarmurray.pdf
We know of many examples of daily visits by police and paramedics to vulnerable tenants in Toronto with inadequate social supports. These could be largely prevented by in-house support services for tenants.

RECOMMENDATION: [a cost improvement]
That the Province implement a strategy of reducing costs for emergency services by reducing the need for these services by meeting the needs of vulnerable tenants using social housing.
Expanding effective delivery of supports in social housing will reduce emergency costs.

2. HOUSING AGENCIES MUST BE EMPOWERED to access the support services their tenants need, provided in-house. Local sourcing will reduce barriers and mistrust among a needy population and increase voluntary engagement in receiving needed services. Vulnerable tenants are often unwilling or unable to travel to obtain the services they need to stay housed.

Housing and services must be provided simultaneously to minimize disruption to stable communities.

RECOMMENDATION: [revenue neutral]
This can be done by first reducing the funding of a range of agencies that could provide these services. This money can then be allocated by population to social housing providers who must be forbidden to spend the money themselves, on their own budgets. These moneys could only be reallocated to those same external service providers, who have the in-depth expertise to deal with problems requiring specialized skills.

To meet their needs, housing providers can allocate the monies to the agencies they have selected.

3. Social Housing agencies must be able to provide CASEWORKERS IN-HOUSE.
RECOMMENDATION:
There will be a mix of in-house workers as well as workers from outside agencies with higher skills qualified to deliver the services.

4. Many EXPERIMENTS IN TENANT DEMOCRACY have been effective in delivering engagement and communication between the tenant community and management.

RECOMMENDATION:
Maintain existing tenant participation programs that exist in some social housing venues and add more to meet the needs of the community for community engagement. This will support a long-term trend to reduce the cost of emergency services.

Examples of programs already in place in Toronto Community Housing Corp:

Tenant participation programs - Tenants elect their own representatives in their buildings or unit.
Participatory Capital budgeting allocation program - tenants get to design and advocate local improvements.
Social investment fund grants - money is available for local community-building projects. eg. Youth employment programs and resume workshops.
Eviction prevention programs - many more alternatives are negotiated when a tenancy agreement is violated.

81 recommendations of the Lesage Report were compiled at public expense as a blueprint for improving social housing to a standard that meets its mandate.

RECOMMENDATION:
All of these have been experimented with in some social housing, and should be expanded to meet community needs. These will save money in the long run and avoid a build-up of a costly social deficit that will be paid in increased demand for emergency services.

5. BED BUG STRATEGY.
Bed bugs are an emerging menace that must be dealt with comprehensively or we will lose this battle. What happens to the poor happens to all of us.

RECOMMENDATION:
Publically funded projects must lead the way to non-toxic structural pest control, bed bugs in particular.
Tenants inevitably resist toxic sprays, especially second or third followup applications.
This already causes tension, threatened evictions, and raises real questions of toxic liability.
Effective methods, notably heat, dry ice, and detection by dogs, face no such resistance from tenants. Furthermore, only buildings pest controlled in these ways are LEED certifiable.

http://www.city.waterloo.on.ca/DesktopDefault.aspx?tabid=2060
This is a major factor in attracting both public and private investment.

By keeping vulnerable tenants in social housing we can create accessibility to effective monitoring and sustainable treatment of these problems, reducing service costs.

BUREAUCRACY LEADING TO DEATH
6. There have been many many examples of how the burden of paperwork has led to an unjustified "failure to qualify" by a needy person for their Rent Geared to Income program. The consequences of this have been eviction, homelessness and sometimes death.

RECOMMENDATION:
The Rent-Geared-to-Income program qualification process must be simplified.
Simply signing a CRA T1013 form should give housing authorities all of the access they need to monitor a tenant's annual income through the Canada Revenue Agency online system.
Any expanded system that looks at tenants' income in more detail is not cost effective.

7. IMPROVE FAIRNESS FOR TENANTS:
Rental offices frequently make miscalculations in determining the amount of rent a tenant should pay from year to year.
Since we are dealing with a vulnerable population that may not be empowered to challenge their housing office, greater accessibility to fair process is required.

RECOMMENDATION:
Tenants need an independent review process when disputing decisions made by housing providers, such as revoking a rental subsidy. The people reviewing the decisions should not be the co-workers of the people who made them in the first place. Bill 140 should mandate the creation of an independent reviewer to consider these disputes.

8. SOCIAL HOUSING PROVIDERS NEED A FAIR APPEALS PROCESS TOO:
Similarly, under existing legislation, co-ops and non-profits have not had the ability to seek an independent review of Municipal Service Manager actions or decisions that did not involve costly court proceedings.
RECOMMENDATION:
The Bill 140 must introduce an independent, fair and transparent appeals process for housing providers.

9. RESTRICT PUNITIVE RENT-GEARED-TO-INCOME RULES:

Tenants on social assistance who live in social housing should not be worse off if they find a job.

They may need some breathing room to pay off old debts and get their life in order andy pay for the expenses of starting new employment.
This may include accumulated credit card debts or new work clothes required for their new position.
RECOMMENDATION:
The Bill 140 should protect tenants from rapid rent hikes if their income rises.

SECURITY
10. Means must be found to improve security in social housing buildings.
Currently there is no recognition of a portion of the population that can be designated as "hard to house". This has a disproportionate impact on those communities receiving our most vulnerable citizens, often with quite a disruptive impact.

RECOMMENDATION:
Enabling legislation must recognize the needs of the "hard to house", especially when they return to their homes after an episode in an institutional setting.
We need to provide a means to prepare serving professionals in their community for their return.
This can be done in one of two ways.

By setting up "outreach workers" in an institutional setting, nurses or physicians, who are qualified to go out and serve tenants in their homes and communities.
- or -
Transfer of files from the institution to in-house professionals. eg. CAMH to certified visiting medical professionals or housing staff medical professionals.
Followup services will be delivered in their homes eg. the administration of medication.

Improve Security
RECOMMENDATION:
One of the most effective means of improving security is to ensure that social housing consists of mixed communities, RGI and normal market rent tenants. Market rent tenants will have a fulfillable demand for security in their homes and provide diversity to their community.

Improve Security
RECOMMENDATION:
Introduce Inclusionary housing:
One of the fastest and fairest ways to create safe, stable, equitably accessible, affordable housing is to ensure that it is built into any new development.

Improve Security
The government needs to amend the Planning Act to allow municipalities to introduce inclusionary housing policies.
RECOMMENDATION:
Change the Planning Act and the Condominium Act to permit mixed of condos and social housing suites in a single building.

11. COMMUNITY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT is an essential component of social housing.
Economic opportunities to create their own small businesses and jobs in the economic activity of the housing operation must be made available to tenants. Restoring their place in our society and the economy will relieve social problems and improve self-sufficiency.
RECOMMENDATION:
Make programs for jobs and training to be made available from the economic activity surrounding housing delivery.
eg. A Unit refurbishment contract has a specified formula for dollars spent against the number of jobs created for tenants.

RECOMMENDATION:
Introduce the world famous "Micro-loans program" into social housing all over Ontario.
Paradoxically, the sentiment is increasing that if it worked in Bangladesh, it will work here in Ontario in social housing.

DELIVERY OF SOCIAL HOUSING
12. THE DEMAND FOR SOCIAL HOUSING will only increase with the current demographic trend - aging population.
Passing control to municipalities must not be used to dismantle it and sell the assets.

Transfer of mandate from Province to municipality must not mean transferring responsibility for standards, which will only mean an incentive to erode service. Individual municipalities will find that they will save money if they to allow the poor and the needy to become "somebody else's problem". The disadvantaged will be given "bus tickets to Toronto".

RECOMMENDATION:
The Bill 140 should make it illegal for municipalities to reduce the number of units of social housing offered in their communities.

RECOMMENDATION:
We need provincial standards and requirements for social housing as delivered by municipalities.
There should be a freeze on the reduction of social housing.

RECOMMENDATION:
Eventually, the federal government should take control over national standards.
The Funding source - must be regional or provincial to prevent inter-regional negative competition.
The best plan is for a balance of service, offered by all communities.

PRIVATIZATION OF DELIVERY COMPONENTS ALREADY EXISTS
13. Some components of privatized delivery of services have been experimented with.
eg. Private management, private contracting of some services.
Best is to gradually implement a mix of public and private delivery rather than an all-out conversion to a private system without any knowledge that it can work.

Desire to experiment with privatization to get costs savings continues to exist.
RECOMMENDATION:
Every experiment must be carefully evaluated in terms of the savings obtained versus negative impacts on stable communities.

14. NEEDS TO BE CLARIFIED
Sec. 4(1)d "has a role for the private market in meeting housing needs"
Considerable apprehension is felt on this issue. Public discussion is needed before any untested expansion or major changes in this area are made.
Many private services are currently implemented already in the delivery of some components of public housing. These are already standard practice and well-accepted.

15. Initiate measures to introduce some equalization between communities. "416" has much greater social housing than "905"
This will permit people who need social housing to stay in their own communities, rather than having to switch communities. Additionally, with a municipally funded system, this will introduce some equity between municipalities.

Finally, a provincially-organized pool of funding for social housing, once in place, now discontinued, was a stop-gap measure to spread out the burden of social housing between all municipalities in a region.

RECOMMENDATION:
This should be resurrected and continued until the burden is equally distributed among all communities.

16. A ROYAL COMMISSION is needed.
RECOMMENDATION:
A Royal Commission on the development of a provincial or national housing policy would be useful at this time, for the following reasons:

•    Social housing is clearly in crisis right now
•    many alternatives are currently being proposed
•    population demographics point to massive increase in demand to meet the needs of an aging population.

So what can we do to save and fix TCHC?

2011-04-25T23:20:00.000-07:00

Beinformed, get involved- find out for yourself what’s going on, go to meetings,check online and alternative media as well as the news, and talk to your familyand neighbours.

Electedofficials respond to pressure, it only takes a few minutes to send an email ormake a phone call

Weall have the right to defend our rights to affordable, decent, secure housingthat is managed within a democratic and accountable framework.

Tenantsneed:

ReformedProvincial housing laws to allow TCHC to function better and be able provideneeded services and community investment.

Action:Call/email your MPP and tell them you want social housing to be protected bynot allowing the number of units to be reduced (and other issues you wantaddressed)

We need to keep publicownership and management:

Tokeep programs and services like eviction prevention, tenant budget process,youth councils, scholarships and employment programs

Toget more elected tenants on the board, at least many as there are councillors,including youth- who have a long-term stake in the issue.

Therecommendations of the Lesage Inquest to protect vulnerable tenants must beimplemented….

Anyform of partnership set up to manage TCHC must include tenant and publicparticipation as it is a valuable public asset.

All social housingcommunities need:

Adequatefunding from the city, province and federal government to maintain and retrofithealthy energy efficient housing, and to provide more housing for the 75,000people still on the waiting list.

Action: Attend all candidates meetings and askwhy Canada does not have a social housing strategy like all other westernnations, tell them stable funding for social housing is an investment inhealthy communities, ask if they will commit to supporting social housing.

Wedo not need our homes and leases to be exploited by private companies. Privatecorporations are only accountable to their owners and shareholders and cannotafford to deliver services to vulnerable tenants.

Publiclyowned Housing is an investment in healthy families and communities, not a costto society! Homelessness and broken families are more costly in every way.

Action: Call and or emailyour councillor as well as Mayor Rob Ford. Send your letters (keep them short) tothe media as well….it’s easy! google the City of Toronto and find your councilor’scontact info, and or look up newspapersonline and look for letters to the editor, or send emails to the CBC, CTV etc.

Don’tbe afraid to stand up for your rights, it is against the law to threaten peoplewith eviction or firing for speaking up to defend their human rights.

Getadvice from community legal clinics to be sure of your rights andresponsibilities, ensure you have legal support if needed. Call 211 to find outwhere your local legal clinic is. Some can also help you organize yourcommunity!

Socialhousing has been sold off in other places and many people lost their homes. Ifyou don’t get involved, you may find yourself asking what might have happenedif you had!

Public Sector & TCHC Supporters to Make Noise at Council Vote

2011-03-07T21:26:00.000-08:00

Monday, March 7, 2011

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Coalition, Public Sector and TCHC Supporters To Make Noise at Council Vote: Create Toronto's "Wisconsin Moment"

The Coalition To Protect Toronto Community Housing will be present at City Council on Tuesday 9:30 am, to denounce a motion that calls for the resignation of the two tenant Directors of the Toronto Community Housing Corporation board. The Coalition invites Public Sector and TCHC workers, supporters, and tenants to save Toronto's public sector - and make noise at Tuesday's vote inside City Hall.

"Forcing the two tenant Directors to resign will create a 'domino effect'. This precedent will lead to the destruction of Toronto's public sector as we know it," says Danish Ahmed. Danish is disabled, blind with albinism, and is a former TCHC tenant leading the Party for People With Special Needs. "Wiping the TCHC Board clean will allow Ford to decimate its management, losing years of valuable experience. His proposal to privatize TCHC will lead to problems across the public sector."

With the recent musings by Ford to privatize TCHC, Ahmed calls on public workers to save the public sector by coming out to support the Coalition's fight. "Let's stop Ford now and ensure the public sector is saved."

The Coalition calls for rational decision-making at TCHC. Instead of wiping the board clean, TCHC should retain the tenant Directors and implement Baltimore's proven CitiStat program and create a high level of accountability in the public sector. In fact, the tenant Directors had called for CitiStat's implementation in 2010, and their proposal was eventually ignored by Mayor Ford. "The CitiStat program as proposed by the Directors would have stopped the TCHC misspending in it's tracks. It is ironic that the Mayor, who did nothing on that matter, even when given the opportunity, is calling for their resignation," Ahmed says. "Let's save community housing, keep Toronto's public sector thriving, and send a message that rational decisions can be made with systematic improvements in accountability."

- 30 -

For media information, contact Harrison Jordan at 647 868 2267 or Danish Ahmed at 416-500-0216, or email coalition@ppsn.on.ca

The Party for People With Special Needs
Where all people are part of our community.
ppsn.on.ca

Protest Mayor's Call for TCHC Tenant Directors to Step Down

2011-03-06T23:01:00.000-08:00

Sunday, March 6, 2011

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Coalition to Protest Against Mayor's Call for TCHC Tenant Directors To Step Down

The Coalition to Protect Toronto Community Housing Corp. (TCHC) will hold a protest and press conference on Monday, March 7th at 1pm at 931 Yonge St. to rebuff calls from Mayor Rob Ford that TCHC's elected Tenant Directors resign.

The Coalition believes that it is imperative that these two directors remain on the board in order to ensure continuity of tenant representation at the Toronto Community Housing Corporation. If they are in fact removed from the board, the Coalition contends that tenant representation will soon become non-existent.

The two have been elected by tenants to serve a full term up to December 31, 2011. Even though the City has ultimate control over who serves on the Board, none of the tenants who voted had an expectation that their elected directors would be terminated early without cause or without fault found.

"In fact," says Danish Ahmed, leader of the Party for People with Special Needs and former TCHC tenant, "We call on the two of them to serve as interim co-chairs on the board of TCHC."

In November 8, 2010 and January 1, 2011, the two directors made a pair of requests to Doug and Rob Ford that an equivalent of Baltimore's CitiStat accountability program be established in Toronto, starting with TCHC. The program would save hundreds of millions of dollars and would ensure accountability at TCHC on a bi-weekly basis. Mayor Ford ignored this request and called on the tenant directors to resign.

The Party for People with Special Needs is a leading voice in the Coalition, and its leader points to the CitiStat proposal as an example of the tenant directors' dedication to accountability at Toronto Community Housing Corporation.
http://www.americanprogress.org/issues/2007/04/pdf/citistat_report.pdf

"The removal of the two elected directors would spark discontinuity at TCHC. The pair have shown that they are committed to serving their tenants and the City competently," Ahmed says. "Our proposal is that they be appointed interim co-chairs to bring the innovations they have recommended for accountable government to Toronto."

Further information on the Coalition and its protest can be found at:
http://specialneedsparty.blogspot.com/

For media requests regarding the coalition, contact Danish Ahmed
at 647-439-5011 or cell 416-500-0216 or coalition@ppsn.on.ca

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LIVE Events

2009-12-14T21:29:00.002-08:00

Press Box

2009-12-14T21:29:00.000-08:00

Toronto Sun, Some TCHC board members refuse to quit
http://www.torontosun.com/news/torontoandgta/2011/03/07/17528431.html
Video: http://www.torontosun.com/video/featured/toronto-and-gta/5745370001/some-tchc-board-members-refuse-to-quit/817579448001

CTV, Tenants say they're against privatizing TCHC
http://toronto.ctv.ca/story/th/20110307/tchc-press-conference-110307

NewsTalk 1010, Tenants On Community Housing Board Won't Resign
http://www.newstalk1010.com/News/localnews/blogentry.aspx?BlogEntryID=10212691

680 News, Group of tenants want community housing to remain public
http://www.680news.com/city%20hall/article/193835--group-of-tenants-want-community-housing-to-remain-public

John Dowson - Registered Disability Savings Plan
More info: www.life-trust.com

$2 million press release coming soon...

Contact Us

2009-12-14T21:18:00.000-08:00

Dan King, Executive Director
505 - 341 Bloor Street West
Toronto, Ontario
M5S-1W8
E-Mail: info@ppsn.on.ca
Tel: (416) 595-1782
Fax: (416) 960-9460

Danish Ahmed, Leader of the Party, Toronto Trinity-Spadina
Tel: (647) 439-5011
Facebook: facebook.com/MrDistinct

Dan King, Whitby-Oshawa
Sujith Reddy, Eglinton-Lawrence
John Redins, Ottawa South
Julia Stellings, Kitchener-Waterloo

Policy Statement

2009-12-14T21:11:00.000-08:00

Suspension of the 10-year Backfiling Limits for People with Disabilities:

On January 1st. 2010 the Tax Department will take away back-filing privileges for people with disabilities for the 1999 tax year. Their tax credits will be lost forever!!

Government actions have resulted in an annual COUNTDOWN FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES. On December 15th families will have only 16 days left to file an application for the 1999 Disability Tax Credit or lose $1067!

After December 31st 2009 over 1 million Canadian families who care for a disabled relative will be denied their 1999 income tax refunds -- denied in an arbitrary "administrative" ruling.

The largest group of taxpayers in Canada with outstanding tax matters going back more than 10 years, is people with a disability. Their legitimate tax refunds are their property.

PPSN demands a 5-year suspension of the 10-year tax deadline in order that our community can communicate with the vast majority of people with a disability to help them recover what is theirs.

If they wish, the federal government can reinstate the "administrative" regulation after we have eliminated all arbitrary confiscation of refunds, and ensure that all Canadians with a disability have recovered everything they are entitled to.

MORE COMING SOON...

Party Issues

2009-12-14T21:05:00.000-08:00

See detailed recommendations to Justice Committee, Bill 140

Ontario Housing - $904 Capital maintenance budget.

Registered Disability Savings Plan - no clawback.

Time Bomb - Where to street people come from?

Qualifying street people for ODSP - outreach Welfare to ODSP - Let's speed up the slow path.

ODSP - A provincial responsibility

ODSP delays - Ontario Ombudsman's report ODSP Operations - Shelter Allowance and unqualified tax advice re. rental revenue

Audiology - where is a national standard?

Regional displacement of people with disabilities to Toronto.

Problems with diet supplements and OCAP.

DTC 1986 - $1B lost to PWD in 2004

CRA and DTC trick letters, trick questions DTC requalification Audits on DTC Clients re. other matters - the need for assistance ODSP allowance - liveability calculations Accessibility in Ontario

A single qualification standard for Canadians - DTC, ODSP, CPP

A National Disabilities Card

CRA Mischief - tax advice from your government Disability and Divorce - families at the breaking point Disability and Bankruptcy - a booming business

A Message from the Leader of The Party for People with Special Needs

2009-12-14T20:02:00.000-08:00

My name is Danish Ahmed. You may not realize it, but I'm actually Pakistani. I'm an albino, which makes my hair and skin white. The albinism also causes me to be legally blind. And although I have these disabilities, I lead a very functional, rich, and fulfilling life.

The Party for People with Special Needs was created because we have a population of people who have disabilities and who deserve to lead functional, rich, and fulfilling lives. Why is this important to you? We have a growing elderly population, and your parents will likely end up with a disability. Most importantly, without knowing it, you are likely to have a friend or co-worker who does have a physical or emotional impairment. My disabilities may be obvious to some people, but most people’s disabilities are not so obvious.

Good government can be about long-term solutions to problems we can see today, and to challenges that are foreseeable in our future. Our population of people with special needs needs a solution that is long-term. People with disabilities aren’t going away, and that’s good news. By accommodating people, by being conscious of special needs, and by embracing diversity, we stimulate our economy for people to create more, for people to connect with more people, and for people to be more. This is the opportunity government has to make a difference for all people.

Our government has been a leader in equal rights and access for all people. I want to inspire all people, to know that no matter what the adversities are of their life, that we live in a culture today that allows us to pursue our individual dreams and visions.

The Party for People with Special Needs
-- Where all people are part of our community.