Letter: Everyone contributes to society

By Letter to the Editor on January 29, 2021.

Dear editor,

I have been on AISH since 2003 and it has been my observation that a lot of Albertans have a negative view of people who receive AISH – that we are lazy good-for-nothing people who have lied to get on the program and should be working for a living just like them. I have never met anyone of that description on AISH, and if anyone has, that person is probably lying about how easy it is to get on AISH to save face. It has been said by our premier that there are too many people on AISH and that people shouldn’t be on AISH if they just have adult ADHD or anxiety. I don’t believe anybody with only adult ADHD or anxiety would have qualified for AISH. When I got on AISH you needed at least two major medical issues that were severe and permanent. That was 2003 and I’m sure the system has been made more difficult. Reviewing programs like AISH is fine, but if it is done to limit those receiving AISH it’s not a good idea because people can’t help being disabled. If you give people enough money to live on, they will put it back into the local economy which is what we need right now. I have taught my son that it’s his job to be a consumer and buy local so he puts his little bit of spending money into buying from local stores. We make a conscience effort to buy from local stores. I don’t know if the trickle down economics of supporting big corporations has the same bang for the buck of supporting a few thousand people on AISH.

Diane MacNaughton

Redcliff

5
-4