As a liberal with a social progressive bent, I get very happy when I see governments fight very important social issues that often have been overlooked - and Ontario appears about set to do that by announcing a new dental plan for the poor in our society:
McGuinty is giving his anti-poverty initiative teeth with a $45 million dental care plan for the working poor… The new dental program…will help about 500,000 low-income workers unable to afford private insurance coverage for their teeth. It will cover preventive care, including fluoride treatments and cleanings by dental hygienists, and fillings and extractions by dentists.
That’s not all there is though: the Liberal plan to help fight poverty extends into other areas as well:
The government is expected to tout “creative financial options” to build non-profit and co-operative housing and launch special programs with banks to make it easier for low-income Ontarians to save for a house.
These initiatives are based on what Tony Blair and the Labour Government did in England, with the premier personally going over there to study the programs Blair put in place. I don’t like what Tony Blair did in Iraq, but I’m willing to give him credit for attacking the poverty problem and making a difference, even if it hasn’t so far met the lofty targets he set. If Premier Mcguinty can duplicate their results, then it’s a good start, and I think all people of all political persuasions should be wishing the Ontario government well on attacking this problem.
This is a much better initiative than the "$10 minimum wage now" campaign. This is more beneficial and will help a lot more people. Good work McGuinty.