Thread by @JustinPicheh

1/6 What could $22 million going towards free tuition for 480 police recruits a year go towards that would actually enhance community well-being and safety? Here are a few ideas #IfWeHad22MillionDollars per year...

https://twitter.com/CBCQueensPark/status/1650858982184038400

2A/6 #IfWeHad22MillionDollars - INVESTING IN YOUTH

@fordnation could provide 22,000 kids with a breakfast and snack program, allowing them to concentrate & learn better, diminish behavioural issues + help stop the school detention to suspension to expulsion to prison pipeline.

2B/6 For that money @fordnation could fund enrolment for 11,000 youth in a mentoring program per year at a cost of $2,000 per kid.

For that money the Ford govt could fund enrolment for 22,000 youth in a six-week leadership training course at a cost of $1,000 each.

2C/6 For that money @fordnation could provide 3,055 youth with 9 weeks of full-time employment at $20 an hour during the summer when they are not in school.

3A/6 #IfWeHad22MillionDollars - INVESTING IN HOUSING

For $22 million a year, @fordnation could fund 550 permanent and supportive housing spaces that cost $40,000 a year each.

3B/6 For that money you could fund more than 880 emergency housing spaces at $25,000 a year each.

The average rent for a 1-bedroom apt in #TO right now is $2,500/month. For $22 million a year @fordnation could cover rent to over 730 people trying to keep a roof over their heads

4/6 This may piss off the Gaylen Weston Jr's of the world but #IfWeHad22MillionDollars @fordnation could fund the establishment and operation of over 1,800 community gardens (at 12k each) to address food insecurity and hunger which is a rising problem in these inflationary times.

5A/6 #IfWeHad22MillionDollars - INVESTING IN COMPASSION AND CARE

For $22 million, @fordnation could fund 35 days of drug treatment and a year of aftercare to more than 1,150 people at a cost of $19,000 each per year.

5B/6 For that money, @fodnation could fund intensive case management for over 1,650 people living with mental health issues at a cost of $13,300 each per year.

5C/6 For that money, @fornation could fund 110,000 hours of counselling at $200 an hour to those seeking care and compassion.

5D/6 For that money, @fordnation could fund the hiring of over 420 peer support workers at an annual salary of $52,000 per year to walk with people struggling in the community in need of care and compassion, not cuffs and cages.

6/ Any way you slice this, covering tuition to get people into very well paying jobs in policing is a terrible idea if community safety is the objective. We must say #NOPE | No to Ontario Police Expansion + #YES | Yes to Equity & Supports. We need to #BuildCommunitiesNotCopShops.