Post by Dean Robinson on Jul 1, 2008 10:26:38 GMT -5
Action needed in Ontario, not just words
Updated 1 day ago
www.theobserver.ca/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=1094732
Sir:The Ombudsman's Annual report 2007-2008 has been released. Even Mayor Mike has made the report: "The Ombudsman takes no prisoners and that is what municipalities need . . . he's a pit bull."
This year, the infamous Family Responsibility Office (FRO) is number two out of 20 provincial government organizations complained about.
In the Ombudsman's 2006- 2007 annual report, Mr. Marin states, "A year after the government's promise of improvements, we investigated a complaint from a parent who was owed substantial child support. We found an organization marked by carelessness and a lackadaisical attitude. Defaulting parents were able to circumvent the system because of the FRO's wooden view of its own rules. And in the Ombudsman's 2007-2008 annual report, Mr. Marin says, "Customer disservice syndrome continues to plague the FRO where the FRO refused to remove a writ it had improperly filed against a man's property even though the man had made all his family support payments."
At Queen's Park, government opposition questions the FRO's failure to enforce court orders. The Minister responds by claiming their government has invested $46 million. While government applauds himself or herself, lawyers struggle with endless amounts of paperwork, judges shake their heads and families continue to go without while tensions continue to rise.
Regardless of what government says or how much money is invested, the FRO will continue to make their own rules, even after the Ombudsman's office intervenes and censures the FRO for their practices. Although the McGuinty government continues to voice that improvements have been made, for many this is nothing but cheap talk.
The request has now been made to expand the Ombudsman's role to include municipalities, universities, schools, hospitals and the Children's Aid Society. If the Ombudsman's office does investigate these agencies, will Ontarians continue to see the systematic problems as we have seen with other agencies that are currently investigated by the Ombudsman's office? Positive changes happen only when government is publicly scrutinized by the media forcing accountability and transparency -- this was seen with the Ontario Lottery Corporations exposure. Like a pit bull, the Ombudsman's office needs to dig their teeth in and hold on till the bitter end -- no mercy.
As done back in 1997, a province-wide lobby has commenced where I have begun to collect people's experiences with the FRO. This is not a man-against-woman situation, it is a systematic problem to where both men and women have faced the negative effects of the FRO's incompetencies and condescending attitude. Communications have already taken place with Andrea Horwath, MPP for Hamilton Centre about working on solutions to these systematic problems. People have suffered enough and changes are needed now.
We, as Ontarians, do not want to hear government saying that they will do this or that; Ontarians want action and they want it now.
Anna Moscardelli
Point Edward
Updated 1 day ago
www.theobserver.ca/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=1094732
Sir:The Ombudsman's Annual report 2007-2008 has been released. Even Mayor Mike has made the report: "The Ombudsman takes no prisoners and that is what municipalities need . . . he's a pit bull."
This year, the infamous Family Responsibility Office (FRO) is number two out of 20 provincial government organizations complained about.
In the Ombudsman's 2006- 2007 annual report, Mr. Marin states, "A year after the government's promise of improvements, we investigated a complaint from a parent who was owed substantial child support. We found an organization marked by carelessness and a lackadaisical attitude. Defaulting parents were able to circumvent the system because of the FRO's wooden view of its own rules. And in the Ombudsman's 2007-2008 annual report, Mr. Marin says, "Customer disservice syndrome continues to plague the FRO where the FRO refused to remove a writ it had improperly filed against a man's property even though the man had made all his family support payments."
At Queen's Park, government opposition questions the FRO's failure to enforce court orders. The Minister responds by claiming their government has invested $46 million. While government applauds himself or herself, lawyers struggle with endless amounts of paperwork, judges shake their heads and families continue to go without while tensions continue to rise.
Regardless of what government says or how much money is invested, the FRO will continue to make their own rules, even after the Ombudsman's office intervenes and censures the FRO for their practices. Although the McGuinty government continues to voice that improvements have been made, for many this is nothing but cheap talk.
The request has now been made to expand the Ombudsman's role to include municipalities, universities, schools, hospitals and the Children's Aid Society. If the Ombudsman's office does investigate these agencies, will Ontarians continue to see the systematic problems as we have seen with other agencies that are currently investigated by the Ombudsman's office? Positive changes happen only when government is publicly scrutinized by the media forcing accountability and transparency -- this was seen with the Ontario Lottery Corporations exposure. Like a pit bull, the Ombudsman's office needs to dig their teeth in and hold on till the bitter end -- no mercy.
As done back in 1997, a province-wide lobby has commenced where I have begun to collect people's experiences with the FRO. This is not a man-against-woman situation, it is a systematic problem to where both men and women have faced the negative effects of the FRO's incompetencies and condescending attitude. Communications have already taken place with Andrea Horwath, MPP for Hamilton Centre about working on solutions to these systematic problems. People have suffered enough and changes are needed now.
We, as Ontarians, do not want to hear government saying that they will do this or that; Ontarians want action and they want it now.
Anna Moscardelli
Point Edward