Ontario's tenants' movement history.
Template -->> Address & comments template was pasted in = J. Gilbert, 411 Duplex Ave., Toronto. Summers: RR3, Picton, Ont, Can, K0K 2T0. I am 2.0 K east of LITTLE BLUFF Conservation Area, OR 7.9 K west of 'Ducksdive' - Map: www.ducksdive.com/directions.htm
_ I am the inaugural Chief Organizer [1969] "Metro Tenants Association" (Toronto, 1969). I chose Mel Watkins as my guest speaker at the inaugural meeting. The MTA definitely is not the current FMTA. (Federation of Metro Tenants Association)
As chief organizer of the MTA, I went against everyone's advice and in hindsight, mistakenly placed Norm Brudy on the executive committee. My departure had the effect of leaving an anti-union Libertarian, Alex Eaglesham, in charge of the MTA. I had no choice but to counter Eaglesham's influence. Brudy, President of The Toronto Communist Party, was head of the only group who had shown any interest in leafleting. The closest Norm Broody ever came to pushing his views on me was his comment: "Did you notice that the law says that you pay your landlord before you live in his place, but your boss gives you your paycheck after you work". Mr. Brudy was a noble humanitarian, merely on a different path.
I ignore corporatism, communism and politicians. I admire communal-ism, the "variety of tactics" and accomplishments from the neo-primitive Green Zerzan students of Eugene, Oregon - their 'Seattle Battle' blossomed resulting in all the world's small countries to adopt anti-globalization.
In 1970 I was elected as the chief organizer for the MTA. 2000 tenants demonstrated at Queen's Park and scared the politicians. I worked hard with others to get the 1971 "Landlord Tenants Act", as a result of managing the door to door outside work, building the 'MTA' membership from scratch. I know that one person with a popular issue can put a statute on the books easier than the politicians who won't.) Mel Watkins of 'The Waffle' and 'Praxis Institute for Social Change' gave free rent at ?274 Brunswick Ave, Toronto (until torched by the right wing) to the 3 most promising prominent Ontario activist groups -- "Metro Tenants Association", 'Stop Spadina Expressway' and 'The Just Society'. I invited Mel Watkins as my guest speaker at the first MTA public general meeting. The MTA jump started from a rent strike on the west side of Broadview Avenue. They had MTA flyers just printed but no MTA organization, and no one to distribute the leaflets, so I went to work most evenings for about a year. Any pizza delivery person with wheels, some sales experience and a passion for social action could have done the same thing. The effect was to lower everyboby's rent in Ontario from 1971 to 1988 via the 1971 "Landlord Tenants Act". I want my lower class and muddle class brothers and sisters to take back all that 17 years lost rent owed them by the upper class. ((if you want me to help you lower your rent again, call me. I'm an old guy now, but much smarter.))
(The only other position I ever held in any group - Chair, Social Action Committee, First Unitarian Church, Toronto, where a torching of the church was attempted a week after a Palestinian came to speak.). Unitarian members and attendees included many Jews and many non-thiests like myself because the church has no creed. I haven't been there for over 25 years, but under the marxist leaning minister John Morgan it was the Sunday morning gathering of all the middle aged progressives of Toronto in the late sixties - Doris Anderson (whose quaint squeaky voice saved my skin with her 3 words), June Callwood to name a few.
In conclusion the current FMTA funded by the city, sometimes stifles attempts to reform or radicalize the Toronto tenants' movement. This information is posted for those who may wish to contact me to investigate further: godha4legs@gmail.com . <-- br="" template.="">
I discovered following advice while surfing. Although ideological, it seems reasonable:
[ http://oat.tao.ca/node/view/259 - includes my pasted I.D. re MTA: [exerpt]: ( http://www.rebelion.org/petras/english/ngo170102.htm ) ]
... To be part of the solution and not part of the problem, progressive NGO's must draw a clear line of distinction between themselves and the millionaire NGO's, like Foster Parent Plan which collects $300 million a year, MISEREOR $214 million a year, World Vision $500 million, CARE with $50 million budgets. These millionaire agencies collaborate with Euro-American imperialism and are funded to undermine social movements via class collaborationist "community" and "family development". Today the foundations of multi-national corporations, the World Bank and the Euro-American empires invest over $7 billion for NGO's to undermine comprehensive public development and anti-systemic movements. Progressive NGO's can only engage in popular struggles to oppose war and resist globalization by rejecting funding from these sources which limit their commitments. All funding from the power structure carries "strings" -- limits in struggles, program, tactics and strategy. To think otherwise is self-delusive. To truly become an independent force, progressive NGO's must go to their roots, and win the allegiance of their people in order to become self-financing and live and work on voluntary donations from the people they purport to service.
...[ the following excerpt is revised to shorten it: NGOs funded by rich power structure interests via "family values" carrying "strings" -- limits in struggles, program, tactics and strategy. To think otherwise is self-delusive. To truly become an independent force, progressive NGO's must go to their roots, and win the allegiance of their people in order to become self-financing and live and work on voluntary donations from the people they purport to service.]
_ I am the inaugural Chief Organizer [1969] "Metro Tenants Association" (Toronto, 1969). I chose Mel Watkins as my guest speaker at the inaugural meeting. The MTA definitely is not the current FMTA. (Federation of Metro Tenants Association)
As chief organizer of the MTA, I went against everyone's advice and in hindsight, mistakenly placed Norm Brudy on the executive committee. My departure had the effect of leaving an anti-union Libertarian, Alex Eaglesham, in charge of the MTA. I had no choice but to counter Eaglesham's influence. Brudy, President of The Toronto Communist Party, was head of the only group who had shown any interest in leafleting. The closest Norm Broody ever came to pushing his views on me was his comment: "Did you notice that the law says that you pay your landlord before you live in his place, but your boss gives you your paycheck after you work". Mr. Brudy was a noble humanitarian, merely on a different path.
I ignore corporatism, communism and politicians. I admire communal-ism, the "variety of tactics" and accomplishments from the neo-primitive Green Zerzan students of Eugene, Oregon - their 'Seattle Battle' blossomed resulting in all the world's small countries to adopt anti-globalization.
In 1970 I was elected as the chief organizer for the MTA. 2000 tenants demonstrated at Queen's Park and scared the politicians. I worked hard with others to get the 1971 "Landlord Tenants Act", as a result of managing the door to door outside work, building the 'MTA' membership from scratch. I know that one person with a popular issue can put a statute on the books easier than the politicians who won't.) Mel Watkins of 'The Waffle' and 'Praxis Institute for Social Change' gave free rent at ?274 Brunswick Ave, Toronto (until torched by the right wing) to the 3 most promising prominent Ontario activist groups -- "Metro Tenants Association", 'Stop Spadina Expressway' and 'The Just Society'. I invited Mel Watkins as my guest speaker at the first MTA public general meeting. The MTA jump started from a rent strike on the west side of Broadview Avenue. They had MTA flyers just printed but no MTA organization, and no one to distribute the leaflets, so I went to work most evenings for about a year. Any pizza delivery person with wheels, some sales experience and a passion for social action could have done the same thing. The effect was to lower everyboby's rent in Ontario from 1971 to 1988 via the 1971 "Landlord Tenants Act". I want my lower class and muddle class brothers and sisters to take back all that 17 years lost rent owed them by the upper class. ((if you want me to help you lower your rent again, call me. I'm an old guy now, but much smarter.))
(The only other position I ever held in any group - Chair, Social Action Committee, First Unitarian Church, Toronto, where a torching of the church was attempted a week after a Palestinian came to speak.). Unitarian members and attendees included many Jews and many non-thiests like myself because the church has no creed. I haven't been there for over 25 years, but under the marxist leaning minister John Morgan it was the Sunday morning gathering of all the middle aged progressives of Toronto in the late sixties - Doris Anderson (whose quaint squeaky voice saved my skin with her 3 words), June Callwood to name a few.
In conclusion the current FMTA funded by the city, sometimes stifles attempts to reform or radicalize the Toronto tenants' movement. This information is posted for those who may wish to contact me to investigate further: godha4legs@gmail.com . <-- br="" template.="">
I discovered following advice while surfing. Although ideological, it seems reasonable:
[ http://oat.tao.ca/node/view/259 - includes my pasted I.D. re MTA: [exerpt]: ( http://www.rebelion.org/petras/english/ngo170102.htm ) ]
... To be part of the solution and not part of the problem, progressive NGO's must draw a clear line of distinction between themselves and the millionaire NGO's, like Foster Parent Plan which collects $300 million a year, MISEREOR $214 million a year, World Vision $500 million, CARE with $50 million budgets. These millionaire agencies collaborate with Euro-American imperialism and are funded to undermine social movements via class collaborationist "community" and "family development". Today the foundations of multi-national corporations, the World Bank and the Euro-American empires invest over $7 billion for NGO's to undermine comprehensive public development and anti-systemic movements. Progressive NGO's can only engage in popular struggles to oppose war and resist globalization by rejecting funding from these sources which limit their commitments. All funding from the power structure carries "strings" -- limits in struggles, program, tactics and strategy. To think otherwise is self-delusive. To truly become an independent force, progressive NGO's must go to their roots, and win the allegiance of their people in order to become self-financing and live and work on voluntary donations from the people they purport to service.
...[ the following excerpt is revised to shorten it: NGOs funded by rich power structure interests via "family values" carrying "strings" -- limits in struggles, program, tactics and strategy. To think otherwise is self-delusive. To truly become an independent force, progressive NGO's must go to their roots, and win the allegiance of their people in order to become self-financing and live and work on voluntary donations from the people they purport to service.]
posted by godhas4legs at 11:51 PM
3 Comments:
Click here to see how corrupt a Toronto tenants association can be and how they sold out tenants to the Ontario Liberal Government and how they even supported the Harris government in making big cutbacks to legal aid for the poor in Ontario.
If those other items didn't scare you then click on this history of the FMTA that outlines their corruption and how they have undermined and even had services for tenants killed so they would be the only government funded game in town!
DISCLOSURE: The first three comments appear to be from B. L. ...Bob, please stop crapping on the FMTA and instead try working for a city wide massive RENT STRIKE-tENANTS UNION, or I'll simply moderate(delete) all 3 comments. A couple of years ago G. Dent said he would join the FMTA inTO THE ACTION if a mass march to Queen's Park happens.
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