AN OPEN LETTER TO DALTON MCGUINTY

AN OPEN LETTER TO DALTON MCGUINTY

At the present time sir, you have a series of commercials running over the airwaves in Ontario, telling us all that what Ontario has accomplished in the last eight years is “SIMPLY AMAZING.”

It is “SIMPLY AMAZING” all right, considering you promised NO TAX INCREASE when you were first elected in 2003.

Where have we gone from there?  Well, let us count the things that to you are SIMPLY AMAZING.

1)      Increased all licensing fees from your car to your boat, which includes fishing and hunting.

2)      A health care tax, which takes an extra $1,500.00 a year out of my families pocket, and you can bluster all you want, but this sir, IS A TAX! It is calculated on your Federal Tax Return every year….so it is a TAX!

3)      You brought in the HST , even though your KNEW it was a bad tax, and then you sneakily covered up the ECO tax, which, oh, by the way…people in Ontario are still smart enough to look at their receipts when making a purchase.  Did you really think we are that stupid?  Dumb question.  Next!

4)      A disposal tax came back on tires and then came one on electronics.

5)      Then we have those lovely things that were attached to our homes called a SMART Meter.  Yes, sir, your people came by our homes when a lot of us were out working for a living, not noticing anything, and eventually we noticed them.  Now you want to charge us to have them on our house.  WE DIDN’T WANT THEM IN THE FIRST PLACE, but no…again, you like to believe you know what is best for Ontario.

6)      The E-Health scandal-an incredible waste of 1.2 Billion dollars and you have the GALL to tell us “if the people of Ontario don’t like it, they can show it in the next election….you have no idea how much I really want to show you, and the sooner, the better!

7)      Why, please tell me why, did we award a 7 billion dollar contract to Korea for windmills?  INCREDIBLE WASTE!

8)      The emergency rooms in Port Colborne and Fort Erie needed money, but you gave it to the riding that was replacing Smitherman.  You really cared for Ontario families in Southwestern Ontario with that stupid move. 

9)      You have increased your own personal salary by $40,000.00 and then you expect us to live with less?  You own MPPs are no better with their 14% raise, and while I am on the money issue, why did you claim $11,000.00 in accommodation when you live in a Liberal party owned mansion in Rosedale and from published reports, you do not pay rent on these swanky digs.

10)You have increased the taxes on hydro, liquor and wine in the last year by 10%, not to mention your HST has increased taxes on everything from toilet paper to the pet food for our furry family members.

11)Just a mention, our senior population has received ZERO raise in the last 18 months, while having to deal with all of the taxes above!

      Now, I will mention something that is non-monetary to you, and it pertains to your appointed people at the WSIB, whom I have had the JOY of dealing with after I found out my former employer, Ryder Logistics, never reported my hijacking/assault to the WSIB, which is illegal as per a legal opinion I have received, and they don’t want to do a damn thing about it, even though Ryder broke the law, and what do I get?  More aggravation for my PTSD and unable to get ANY KIND of financial assistance while waiting for these turtles to make my life hell by dragging me through the mud, much like my assailants did in the summer of 2008.

Charles Sousa said on some YouTube footage that “as an injured worker you are entitled to dignity and respect.” YEAH RIGHT!!!!!! Show me when….show me when.  Haven’t seen any yet.  By the way, Mr. Sousa…neither Mr. Mahoney or Mr. Marshall have yet answered my concerns about my file and the fact that I was a victim of crime on the job.  Therefore, abuse from the WSIB victimizes me TWICE!

I suggest you rattle their chain again, 1) because so far, they have ignored me, and 2) that is what I pay you for.

Let’s see…I have had my car repossessed, I had to look for my own treatment for my PTSD because WSIB refused to help me get treatment,  I have had my hydro shut off, my water shut off, my credit is destroyed, my husband is carrying the house with a full-time job and part-time business….shall I go on?

Yeah this province is simply amazing, isn’t it?  Bury us in taxes and bury me by allowing the WSIB to have its way with me, much like 2 parties did on July 9th, 2008, when they hijacked my work vehicle, hit me in the back of the skull near the artery leading to the brain, needing 4 staples to close, dragged me through the mud, and sat on me.  As a woman, shall we say humiliating and degrading?

How would you feel sir, if your daughter was subject to this type of assault?  Would you have her deal with this kind of treatment….employer discovers PTSD is showing up, they keep quiet, and because they haven’t reported to WSIB (which is illegal) let’s fire her, shall we?

I’ll be at Queens’ Park between 12 and 4 on September 23^rd, Mr. Premier, hanging out with a bunch of ordinary Canadians with a lot in common.  Do you care enough to come see us face to face, employer to employee, or are you going to run and hide, coming out for only photo ops?

The offer is there.  Prove to us that “love is better than anger, hope is better than fear, and optimism is better than despair.”

Give Ontario a reason to hope and be optimistic, because right now, I am definitely not feeling any love from your government of 8 years.

Laura Feeney

Courtice, Ontario

Let the shafting begin - March 2009

In March 2009 we were told that we were going to undergo "job audits" - meaning someone would be
riding with the drivers to determine how to make the routes more efficient in regards to deliveries.
What they did not tell us was that there was another cloud on the horizon...a dirty word called "downsizing" which in a later blog I will disprove.
At the time I did not know how much more efficient we could get as a team.  According to Joe I. and MES, the client was happy with the work we were doing, and as far as I was concerned, that was the most important thing.
All I saw at the time was an opportunity to shaft somebody out of their job, and it turns out later that I was right.  During this time, my trust factor was gone, and unknown to me, I was showing the early manifestation of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder....irratability, confusion and a quick temper when people would not let me do my job...particularly MES, who, as per his Lebanese culture, believed women belonged at home with the children and also broke Ontario laws several times by smoking in my worktruck.  He also smoked in the crossdock office, but this is all denied by Ryder Logistics, so it must be true, right? 
Sure...and my dog can fly.
Back to the job audits issue....later on known as "right sizing process" as per the Canadian Human Rights Commission.
Talk about leading a lamb to the slaughter - in my opinion. 
Of the four drivers who went out on so-called "job audits" in the first week of April - three lost their jobs on April 14th, 2009...including me.  
The only woman, one who just came back from a back issue, and the oldest driver of all of us.  If I were an outsider looking in, this would look awfully fishy.

I have decided this blog will become a manuscript.

Therefore, it might not be as updated as often as I like.

The situation is becoming somewhat complicated and although it is still legal for me to
air my views on the current state of affairs, eventually, it will be made into a manuscript
to be sent out for publication.

I will update it when more information becomes readily available.

Laura