Absolutely no regrets because, in the end, we got poor people in this town 2.7$ million dollars - put directly into their pockets - and we all see how much hope and relief this brought! If someone had asked me if netting 2.7 million was worth six months in jail, obviously I'd had answered "yup".

FREE SAM KUHN - Tenant Action Group
Submitted by Anonymous on Sun, 2006-04-09 14:09.
Poverty | Ontario | Press Release

1.THE SPECIAL DIET ALLOWANCE STORY
2.A PLEA FOR HELP FOR SAM
3.A LETTER FROM SAM THAT IS HARD TO READ

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Comrades...One of our best comrades has gone done...please read the story, read Sam's heartwrencing letter, and send some solidarity in this very difficult time!! Please reseach Tenant Action Group of Belleville Ontario at (www.ocap.ca/tag) and the Ontario Coalition Against Poverty (www.ocap.ca)...thanks great...joey

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1.THE SPECIAL DIET ALLOWANCE STORY
It's with a heavy heart that I am speadin the news that a very dear comrade has been taken down by the Police. Sam Kuhn was one of the two people to start Tenant Action Group in Belleville before more of us got involved around 2000. TAG has been responsible for preventing probably close to 1000 evictions under the 'Tenant Protection Act', 1263 Hydro Cutoffs when Belleville's utilities were privatized, fought and defended numerous welfare cases and was part of a slew of squatting actions to combat the homelessness which kills hundreds every year in Ontario's cities. Not bad for a poor peoples group with anarchist politics, no funding, no office, and the majority of its members being single moms.

This past year TAG, the Ontario Coalition Against Poverty and other militant anti-poverty groups began to exploit a loophole in welfare legislation called the Special Diet Allowance. With the aid of doctors TAG managed to sign about 1000 people up for this Special Diet Allowance, which gave an extra $250 to each person on welfare...who would normally get only $521 if they were a single person. A single mom with three kids would get the $250 for each kids. Doctors agree that poor diet is a health concern for the poor, poverty in Ontario is now at staggering proportions. Doing this TAG managed to put $2.7 million into poor peoples pockets in Hastings County.

The McGuinty Liberal Government changed the legislation and now people are being stripped of their Diet Allowance. So TAG threatened action against a local MPP named Ernie Parsons, Parsons promised he would take TAG's concerns to Sandra Paputulo (at the Ministry of Social Services). When he failed to meet his promises he found his office under attack. Several members of TAG were rounded up...and arrested...Sam managed to avoid escape until he was caught in Guelph last weekend.

Sam is being held now in the Belleville jail, TAG members believe he might be up for bail tomorrow, but the chances look good that he will not be let out. Sam is a great friend, a father of two, a hard workin anti-poverty activist, and a hero to many of us in Belleville. Please send encouragement, bail money, or anything you can do help TAG in this crisis. Without a lot of solidarity it will be difficult for TAG at this time.

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2.WHERE TO SEND YOUR CONCERNS AND PHONE CALLS

Jamie: autum760 (at) hotmail.com.
Andrew: nuclearguru (at) gmail.com
Niki: niki_tag@hotmail

Jamies phone number is (613) 967-0675.
Andrew can be reached at (613) 968-9473 - this is my home number.

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3.A PRE-WRITTEN E-MAIL FROM SAM KNOWING HIS ARREST WAS IMMINENT

Everyone: This is an e-mail I've drafted in case they put me in the "big house". I've asked my best friend and comrade, Jamie, to send this out and respond to people's concerns if necessary.

We've been very busy upping the ante prior to the release of the provincial budget. Actions in Kingston, Belleville, Peterborough, Guelph, Kitchener, Toronto and Sudbury have made it very clear to the McGuinty government what is at stake and what the Ontario Common Front is prepared to do if we don't get a meaningful raise in welfare and disability rates; let's cross our fingers, eh?

No one of credibility is talking about hurting anyone...

Unfortunately, if you get this e-mail I've been arrested. This will mean probably a couple of months in jail - three square meals, regular sex and the chance of an education of a life time! Not to belittle the downside, but jail is an occupational hazard for anarchists and this has been a long time in coming.

Anyways, we can all be so very proud of ourselves with the certainty that if every town did as much as our little collective then there wouldn't be a hungry kid in this province.

Please make sure that my kids are given a positive spin to this insanity - let 'em spend weekends in my room and with you guys if you can and no sadness, ok? They are proud of me and understand our cause. Keep them in the loop, ok?

My rent should be covered for at least two months - so I'm fine financially.

Absolutely no regrets because, in the end, we got poor people in this town 2.7$ million dollars - put directly into their pockets - and we all see how much hope and relief this brought! If someone had asked me if netting 2.7 million was worth six months in jail, obviously I'd had answered "yup".

Attacking Parson's office was part of that - it was militancy that got us the money - remember, the County at first refused to process the money for our people and we had to threaten them to get them to listen to our doctors. Same thing with Parson's: we threatened and carried out that threat. I don't think it is possible to dissect tactics and say this action was good but that was bad - the very worse thing is that if we regret our actions as not worth it; like we are Nostradamus and can predict where things will lead.

I do feel bad for The Sophs...so if anyone can help make things easier in anyway that would be great.

The issue is devastating poverty - kids goin hungry. We didn't use rhetoric - we were always upfront - and we didn't hurt anyone. However, you can be honest and criticize and I'll take it in a spirit of concern.

I love you all deeply. Samuel