Teachers’ union raise alarm about more cuts to public education in Ontario budget

PAUL JUNOR

The five teachers’ unions are not happy with the Ontario budget that was released on Thursday, March 23rd, 2023. One of the largest unions, the Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario (ETFO) has expressed strong opposition to the budget in a press release issued on Wednesday, March 23rd, 2023.

ETFO has consistently voiced its displeasure at the consistent and sporadic cutback to public education that has characterized the time that the PC-led government has been in office. It has expressed disapproval at the government’s attempts to: mandate compulsory online courses, reduce the number of support services available to students and eliminate full-time time support workers.

In many ways, it was the COVID-19 pandemic that compelled the government to invest more in education especially in mental health support.

The press release opens with concerns about impending cuts to public education. It states, “The provincial government had the opportunity to strengthen public education in Ontario through this year’s budget, but instead they are forcing school boards to make cuts to services, which means cuts to support schools. This budget ignores rising costs due to inflation and ongoing pandemic-related pressures on public schools. Instead of supporting workers and the public services Ontario relies on, the Ford government has chosen to continue to provide billions of dollars in tax giveaways to corporations, and end workers’ access to three paid sick days.”

ETFO is troubled that the Ontario government has totally ignored its 38 budget recommendations which would improve the quality of public education.

Some of the recommendations include:

• Allocate funding to school boards for the hiring of additional educational assistants, psychologists, behaviour therapists, child and youth workers, school support counsellors, and speech and language pathologists

• Implement mandatory on-going training and professional development for all administration, school board trustees and teacher candidates on recognizing and addressing anti-Black racism, including microaggressions

• Develop and deliver-in consultation with mental health experts, teachers, education workers, unions and other education stakeholders-long term, fully funded, comprehensive culturally responsive mental health supports to students

• Provide funding for a provincial standardized funding online reporting system to all school boards to use for reporting injuries and illness, safe school incidents, exclusions, and workplace violence

• Provide additional funding for professional learning and resources for educators to support the implementation of the revised Mathematics curriculum

ETFO is particular about the lingering effects of the COVID pandemic in schools.

The press release notes,

“The COVID-19 pandemic created unprecedented challenges for people across the province and disproportionately impacted individuals and families from marginalized communities, including Black, Indig- enous, racialized, disabled, and low-income communities. As we emerge from the pandemic, these communities are also bearing the brunt of inflation. To alleviate these inequitable burdens, avert a recession, and build a more just and equitable province, the Ford government must invest in public services, including public education.”

ETFO is aware of the financial situation of Ontario as revealed by Ontario Finance Minister Peter Bethlenfalvy on Thursday, March 23rd, 2023. Ontario is expected to end 2023 with $200 billion in revenue that would be greater than the $20 billion that it anticipated last year.

This is largely attributed to inflation and the economic recovery that is currently occurring. In addition, Ontario has about $4 billion set aside in its contingency fund with about $1.75 billion carry over from last year.

“Ontario’s current fiscal position provides a unique opportunity to adequately fund public education services and reinstate funding that has been cut from public education over the past four years. Unfortunately, the government chose to withhold billions of dollars in contingency. Ontario students, education workers and families deserve a fullyfunded, high-quality equitable and inclusive public education system.”

MICHAEL THOMAS michael@carib101.com TC REPORTER

As of April 24th, 2023, Toronto Dominion Bank (aka TD) is informing the Canadian public that they are going to be changing the terms and conditions of doing banking whether the customer likes the bank’s position.

“If you’d like to talk about the changes, please contact us. If you don’t think they fit your needs, you can refuse them by contacting us by May 24th, 2023. If you decide to refuse these changes, you won’t be able to use Easy Web Online banking, the TD app, or your TD Access Card.” Just in case you are wondering, this is a quote from TD Banking Services.

TD in its document states clearly that they have combined the terms and conditions for Easy Web Online banking, the TD app, and some of its features into the “Digital Banking Agreement,” again without the banking public’s consent.

Take notice that even though it is your money we are talking about here, you the public were left out of any decision as to how this plan falls on your plate. Yet TD calls it an agreement.

Just like the COVID injection, refusal will result in you being refused by your banking institution, remember take the injection, or lose your job?

Here are some of the carrots TD has decided to dangle in front of you to entice you to go along with this financial plantation scheme.

TD Mobile Deposit, TD For Me, TD MySpend, TD Clari aka automated bank teller; these are the app features offered. Some of the privacy terms for digital banking have been consolidated to be easier to find and read. The terms themselves have not changed substantially. You may be reminded about them, or asked to consent to additional terms from time to time when using digital banking.

Readers, please note here that “The terms themselves have not changed substantially,” but yes, they have been changed, again with whose consent? This is your financial privacy we are talking about here.

TD has also combined the terms of your TD Access Card, PIN, and credentials from CEFST into the Access Agreement and updated some of the terms and conditions.

TD has released a 28-page document in fine print just to inform you of the changes they have made, all in the name of convenience and safety.

For years now we have been warning the public that this kind of dance was coming to a stage near you, and now it has finally arrived. Like Jamaicans would say, “See it deh now!”

Just in case you have not read some of the warnings we gave, here is a refresher. Digital IDs, CBDCs, and all that’s connected to them are the tools of totalitarians. In these times these are what governments, corporations, and Big-Pharma are going to be using to enslave nations. Please do not participate in your enslavement.

If you forget everything else, remember paragraph two of this article. (If you decide to refuse these changes, you won’t be able to use Easy Web Online banking, the TD app, or your TD Access Card.) Does this sound democratic to you??

Everything starts somewhere. Do you remember two weeks to flatten the curve??

Supreme Genes Series; Reigniting the love for Hip Hop in the city of Toronto

hip hop scene exploded with the emergence of several high-profile artists, including Drake, The Weeknd, and Tory Lanez. These artists have helped to bring attention to Toronto’s vibrant hip hop scene, which continues to thrive today.

What is interesting is that these high-profile artists only became high-profile when they were embraced and celebrated outside of Toronto. It was then and only then that many of us would even recognize them for their talents.

Hip hop has played a significant role in Toronto’s music scene for several decades, and it is why the story I am about to share is so important. In fact, Toronto is known for producing some of the most talented hip hop artists in the world, but let’s take a short trip down memory lane, and then we can speak to the exciting news that hip hop heads in Toronto have to look forward to.

In the 1980s, Toronto’s hip hop scene was heavily influenced by New York City’s hip hop culture. As a result, many early Toronto hip hop artists incorporated elements of East coast hip hop into their music.

In the 1990s, Toronto’s hip hop scene became more diverse, with artists incorporating elements of reggae, dancehall, and R&B into their music. Notable Toronto hip-hop artists from this era include Choclair, Saukrates, and Kardinal Offishall. It is important to note here that Toronto was still being heavily influenced by artists from the New York city hip hop scene.

In the 2000s and beyond, Toronto’s

I say this; Toronto has a love for hip hop that is bigger than our city; this love for hip hop has not changed, but there has been a hole in the industry, one that cannot be filled with the new sounds of hip hop. This hole could only be filled with something that reminds all of us about why we fell in love with hip hop.

This is where Supreme Genes, represented by: DJ Mercilless, Asun Eastwood, Jason Frost, Koolie Hi and the ever-famed Lord Fury.

Anyone who knows me has seen the relationship that I have with Lord Fury. I appreciate him because unlike other people who speak about what they are going to do, he does what needs to be done. I had a chance to speak with him about what he has been up to this year, and he shared what seems to be a fruitful year for hip hop lovers in Toronto.

“Why the name Supreme Genes Fury,” I questioned.

“Supreme Genes relates to the fact that we do things on the highest level possible. It is in our DNA. All of us have a love for hip hop, and what we have set our minds to do this year has been nothing but supreme.”

“What made you decide to start the Supreme Genes Series?”

“Well, let’s start with the fact that no one is getting any younger. A lot of the artists that our team is bringing down here have not been heard from for a minute, but this does not take away from the mark that they have made on hip hop.”

I was privileged and honored to be invited to the first concert of the Supreme Gene Series. It was with the one and only Killah Priest. What a night it was. From beginning to end, I was hearing hip hop that brought me back to simpler times. Dj Mercilless was doing the most that night. Killah Priest and Fury both performed that night, and wouldn’t you know it; I received a Supreme Genes Journalism Award. It was touching, and I was truly humbled by the experience.

Since then, the Supreme Genes team has brought other celebrated artists to grace the stage at BSMT 254.

“My next concert,” Fury shares, “was with Carlton Livingston. That was another sold out event. I hosted the whole event, and Supreme Genes Sound held it down. Every major European Vinyl collector was there. What made it special is that Carlton Livingston sang all his songs, and as he sang them, he presented the stories behind them. It allowed the crowd to embrace the song even more.”

Fury opened the show and brought Papa Levi on stage who sang two new songs and from what I heard; it was hard to follow him.

“Trust me Simone, Papa Levi made the place. Then we brought up Ras Yunchie and he electrified the crowd. He was on stage with myself and Papa Levi, with Koolie Hi and Supreme Genes Sound. More madness.” His next show was with the one and only Group Home, and once again, it was sold out.

“We had the No Face Crew , Usual Suspectz, and the Fuego Gawds open the show with DJ Mercilless spinning the whole night, no breaks. He played everyone’s set and kept the place jumping.”

There were some celebrity sightings that night. The one and only Knia Singh came to represent at the event, and received a big up from Group Home.

“What do we have to look forward to for the summer Fury?”

“Well, I do have some things lined up, but I don’t want to speak on them quite yet. I will give you a heads up on one thing; in August, we are bringing: Onyx, M.O.P. and Group Home across Canada.”

All I can say at this point is that thanks to Supreme Genes for ensuring that hip hop remains a staple in the fabric of the Toronto music scene.