Basic Income ... Good? Bad? Ugly?

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I don't know about Alberta, but in Ontario, all of the NarAnon, AA, and AlAnon groups have moved to an on-line format.

Whether you agree or not, this cuts off access to a number of people, and reduces the accountability for those who continue to attend virtually.
 
BetteTheRed said:
I don't know about Alberta, but in Ontario, all of the NarAnon, AA, and AlAnon groups have moved to an on-line format.

Whether you agree or not, this cuts off access to a number of people, and reduces the accountability for those who continue to attend virtually.
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So an ON issue.
 
In Ontario, anyway, the vast majority of these groups meet in churches. Which are all closed. So, as far as you know, in AB, the anon groups continue as usual, in person?
 
I agree that for many people the CERB payment was a wind fall and our area has seen a big increase in drug use. Drug busts and hospitalizations. Certainly the lack of in person AA meetings must logically contribute

for me, I think the CERB payments has shown the negative side of regular payments. I recognize there are positives and I don’t know how to compensate for the negatives

here, people who would normally work, and therefore fill their days and feel productive are not. They are getting pretty good money and so don’t work. is that pushing the surge in drug admissions to hospitals and drug busts by police? Is it surging the accident rate in the highways? It is always issue of what causes what.

there is a need to support people who need it. Whether they are addicted people or young families who can’t make ends meet. But what is the happy median
 
I think you have to do SOMETHING when the whole economy dries up. EI rules are so restrictive that very few in this gig economy/multiple part-time jobs situations qualify.

I think when people are stuck at home for months on end, then addiction/violence problems worsen; that seems a logical cause/effect.

More safe consumption sites would help, as well.
 
Things are so heated up in our area that we are paying high school students $25 to do some labour jobs during our construction. No one up here works for $20 let alone minimum wage. Cash please

it won’t last but construction is wildly booming here
 
JayneWonders said:
Although still allowed in some regions some groups chose to close.

AA temporarily closing some meetings to help combat spread of COVID-19

Alcoholics Anonymous is temporarily closing many of its meetings across Canada in an effort to curb the spread of COVID-19.
beta.ctvnews.ca beta.ctvnews.ca
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Many would be forced to close when churches and other meeting spaces close their doors to users groups. Our choir faced that last year. Our church congregation faced it when another church decided to close their building. (We would have used their space for one in person service)

AA and other 12 step groups are more than their meetings. They are an informal network that reaches out to and supports those who are still suffering. They've struggled with online meetings due to the challenges with anonymity, a very important part of their program.

So while meetings may not be happening, AA is likely still open for business.
 
Northwind said:
Many would be forced to close when churches and other meeting spaces close their doors to users groups. Our choir faced that last year. Our church congregation faced it when another church decided to close their building. (We would have used their space for one in person service)

AA and other 12 step groups are more than their meetings. They are an informal network that reaches out to and supports those who are still suffering. They've struggled with online meetings due to the challenges with anonymity, a very important part of their program.

So while meetings may not be happening, AA is likely still open for business.
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When the local AA group went online last year, their attendance increased.
 
The organizer of the AA group shared that it was easier to participate, partly because the members were scattered across town and the rural township making travel to meetings a challenge for some. They had one person start attending their group who lived somewhere else.

I am not sure what difference there would be in terms of accountability, just as I am not sure what difference there is between virtual and live worship services. I did a funeral for a member of St. Andrew's UC in Calgary who had participated in worship most Sundays or every Sunday for over 40 years. He stood over 6 feet tall. The only person who knew him was the retired minister.

When you mention accountability, what do you mean?
 
jimkenney12 said:
When you mention accountability, what do you mean?
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There are barriers to communication electronically. You can mute yourself, turn off your video, it's easier to mask your emotions. Showing up in a location, appropriately dressed, at the correct time, and sitting in a chair/pew is a different level of engagement than turning on your computer.
 
On the other hand, being brave enough to attend a AA meeting, particularly if you are well known, is a very big step. So I can see that the anonymity of on line could help some people

i am reminded of a story line in The West Wing. Where Leo is an alcoholic but doesn’t attend AA meetings cause he just can’t be out there with his high profile job. And the VP tells him of a secret meeting in the basement for other high profile government employees
 
But people can sit through services, pay close attention to the service and have no connection to the people around them, not even really look at their faces. On Zoom, participants actually see each other unless they have their video turned off. I see Zoom worship as providing a different kind of engagement. However, we do not provide Zoom worship. Our online is asynchronous
 
Our church does a zoom 8 am service. And then an on line regular service That you just watch. One thing they do which is fun is coffee hour. They set up rooms on zoom and you join into a room to chat to the people there

my one niggling concern is what if someone volunteered to host a room and no one logged on to chat to them. Kind of like a big high school snub
 
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