Quote:
|
You don't live in the same political subdivision you represent?
|
Nope. Though my first home up here (bout 13 years ago)was in the ward I now represent. You have to be a resident of the borough, but you don't have to be a resident of the ward. Bear in mind wards are quite small subdivisions, around 6000 households. Living in the ward is an advantage and desirable, but not a necessity. As long as you spend a reasonable mount of time there and make yourself available to the constituents who live there it seems to work.
Quote:
|
Can you work on narrowing the gap by concentrating on services to the poor--and getting the rich to pay for it?
|
We already target services and help to those most in need and those services are usually funded by general taxation, so in effect yes. But...the causes of deprivation are complex, they require a range of solutions including ways of empowering people to help themselves. Much of the emphasis of the Narrow the Gap initiatives are to do with education and outreach. Schemes to engage the unengaged, help retrain those who need it, specific assistance to parents coping with financial strain or family breakdown, schemes to encourage better diet and exercise etc etc etc.
More needs to be done. It is not important that every child have access to branded trainers and a wii, it is important that they have the same opportunities for success and happiness and aren't stunted by a series of invisible walls and traps.