The following text may have been generated by Optical Character Recognition, with varying degrees of accuracy. Reader beware!

OPINION There has been plenty of talk lately about the expanding Sunshine List of public sector workers earning six-fi gure salaries. Certainly, matters of concern surround the Sunshine List, but what really needs attention is the growing number of Halton residents who could be placed on a 'Poverty List'. Metroland West Media Group's four-part se- ries, Living in Poverty: A Special Report, exam- ines the complex social issue of poverty in Hal- ton, a region not as affl uent as you might think. According to Statistics Canada data analyzed by non-profi t group Community Development Halton, the number of low-income families living in the region increased from 8,700 to more than 10,000 between 2006 and 2009- a jump of 19 per cent. The subsequent economic downturn is be- lieved to have infl ated that statistic even further. In the series, Halton Poverty Roundtable co- chairs Marc Hamel and June Cockwell inform us that poverty does indeed exist here in no small numbers and will continue to grow unless the community can come to terms with it and work together to address it. Perhaps that's the ultimate goal of this series-- to open the eyes of readers to a situation that isn't going to improve unless a solid plan is executed. That fi rst requires education, an attitude of compassion and non-judgment and a willingness to take action. Living in Poverty looks at the issue's multiple dimensions, those who deal with it on a regular basis, contributing factors and barriers, possible solutions and resources that can offer assistance. The series begins in today's paper and will con- tinue in three consecutive Thursday editions. We hope you fi nd it enlightening and signifi - cant, and that it inspires you to become part of the solution to this dark spot in humanity. The Independent & Free Press is published Tuesday and Thursday and is one of several Metroland Media Group Ltd. community newspapers. Edi- torial and advertising content of The Independent & Free Press is protected by copyright. Unauthorized use is prohibited. The Independent & Free Press Poverty exists Steve Nease Letters to the editor Dear editor, As a young woman who enjoys the various aspects of the media, I fi nd it sad that lately within the me- dia there seems to be an ongoing joke about violence against women. Recently, I watched the Oscars and the host made a crack about the Rihanna and Chris Brown scandal. It was offensive that domestic violence can become a joke of worldwide proportions. Too many women continue to be victims of abuse and the media doesn't shy away from making jokes or nega- tive comments about it. The shocking part of it all, is that a lot of cases aren't reported to the police, many women feel power- less, and are in a never-ending vicious cycle. There needs to be more positive advocating for this issue, it isn't something that we should turn a blind eye to and not openly talk about. It needs to be done sooner rather than later. Victoria Bello, Georgetown Letters policy 905-873-0301 Publisher: Dana Robbins General manager: Steve Foreman (sforeman@theifp.ca) Retail advertising manager: Cindi Campbell (ccampbell@theifp.ca) Managing editor: John McGhie (jmcghie@theifp.ca) Distribution manager: Nancy Geissler (ngeissler@theifp.ca) Classifi eds Kristie Pells (classifi ed@theifp.ca) Accounting Rose Marie Gauthier Editorial Cynthia Gamble: News editor (cgamble@theifp.ca) Ted Brown: Photography (tbrown@theifp.ca) Lisa Tallyn: Staff writer (ltallyn@theifp.ca) Eamonn Maher: Staff writer/sports (emaher@theifp.ca) Metrolinx has come up with a short list of ways to possibly pay for expanded transit. Which of these ways is the best option? • Development charges on projects (24%) • Highway tolls (14%) • Gas tax on motorists (6%) • Employer payroll tax (3%) • Sales tax (1%) on all consumer goods in GTA (2%) • None of the above (51%) WEB POLL RESULTS (Go to www.theifp.ca) Issue of violence is no laughing matter Bylaw exemptions available-- mayor Manes a good choice Letters must include an address and daytime phone number. Anonymous letters will not be published. Letters should not exceed 150 words and may be edited for content and/or length. Publication is not guaranteed. Email: jmcghie@theifp.ca Mail or drop off: Independent & Free Press, 280 Guelph St., Unit 29, Georgetown, ON., L7G 4B1. •T he I FP • H al to n H ill s •T hu rs d ay , A p ril 1 1, 2 01 3 6 Dear editor, Re: April 9 letter Parking ticket sends wrong message by Tim Ab- bott. Tim, I read your letter in Tues- day's paper with respect to your guests getting parking tickets. We do have a program where you can have guests visiting and your guests can be exempt of the parking bylaw. It is on our website http://www.haltonhills.ca/parking- exemptions.php. Of course there is a limited amout of times you can be exempt to avoid a party palace showing up in the neighbourhood. This pro- gram has been in effect for a few years now. In future, if you have guests coming over you can call the Town of Halton Hills or go on the website and give your address etc. and they won't get parking tickets. Rick Bonnette, Mayor, Town of Halton Hills Dear editor, The performing arts groups in town were pleased to see that the Manes family of Acton Home Hard- ware won the Chamber's Business of the Year award. Not only is Acton Home Hard- ware a great supporter of sports and Acton in general, they also sell tickets for Globe Productions, Georgetown Little Theatre and most recently, the Georgetown Cho- ral Society's May 4 performance of Brahm's Requiem. The owners of this business and their staff are generous to the arts. Thanks, Val and Bill! Lois Fraser, Globe Productions