As some of you know I’m the federal NDP candidate in the riding of Davenport.
I’m very happy to announce our first official fundraiser for the campaign
Friday January 22, 8pm
Lula Lounge, 1585 Dundas Street West (about a block and a half west of Dufferin). Get direction
Featuring Skydiggers, Jason Collett, Luke Doucet and the Beauties plus special guests.

Tickets are $100 however you’ll get back about $70 in the form of a tax receipt for political donations.
So the actual ticket price will be about $30!

You can book tickets through via ac@andrewcash.net or at CashForToronto

It should be a great night and it would be an honour to have you all there.

Sincerely
Andrew Cash

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Andrew Cash well known singer-songwriter and journalist for Now Magazine is the federal NDP candidate for Davenport.

Self-employment, freelance contract work and part-time jobs leave most urban workers vulnerable with no workplace benefits or pension security. The arts and culture sector, a huge part of the local economy and the lifeblood of the city, is under attack as governments look for ways to cut spending.  TTC riders face increased fares for a system that is over capacity and underfunded. Plans for safe bicycling lanes grow dust on the shelf. Proposed dirty diesel trains running up the west side of the city threaten an already choking air quality. And while affordable housing remains the key to solving growing poverty in our vulnerable communities the federal government has no national housing strategy.

So why are so many Toronto issues being ignored by the federal government? Maybe it’s because many of the Toronto MP’s we’ve been sending to Ottawa lately aren’t doing their job. After all aren’t they supposed to be standing up for this city and fighting for our communities. Instead they quietly take our vote and their seats for granted. With so many issues demanding urgent attention from the federal government we need stronger Toronto representation in the House of Commons. We need MP’s who will fight for the needs of this city. That’s why we need to help send Andrew Cash to Ottawa.

Throughout his 30 year career as a musician, activist and journalist Andrew Cash has articulated a deep understanding of Toronto, its communities, its complexities and its promise. Committed to a new deal for cities he will be an unabashed, unapologetic fighter for Toronto, for urban workers, for green jobs, clean, well funded transit, affordable housing and vibrant arts and culture communities.

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I am thrilled, if hardly surprised, that Andrew Cash is entering Public Service. I say; ‘what took you so long?’ Those who know Andrew might say he was born to do this. Andrew is a fiercely intelligent and highly committed person. He will present a steady and articulate vision for the city and its place, alongside every other ‘real’ community in this country. Andrew’s extensive travels throughout Canada will also bring valuable and necessary perspective to the ongoing National conversation; whither Canada. I heartily endorse the candidacy of Andrew Cash and I appreciate this opportunity to crow his virtues and applaud his intent.

- Gordon Downie of The Tragically Hip

We live in a time when more and more people are becoming cynical about politicians and the political process.  Corruption, party bickering, and inflated egos have replaced hard work, imagination, and constructive ideas.  We desperately need a new generation of leadership.  We need individuals who care about entering politics not for personal gain or self promotion, but for the common good and public service.  Andrew Cash is one of these new leaders.  He is a champion of fairness, community empowerment, learning, and the arts.  He understands the civic virtue of public spaces, be they parks, beaches, neighborhoods, or the media.  Andrew is at once a citizen of Toronto, Canada, and the World.  I endorse his candidacy in the highest possible terms, and look forward to providing support to his campaign.

Ron Deibert, Director the Citizen Lab, Munk Centre for International Studies, the University of Toronto

Since first meeting  Andrew Cash over 25 years ago, when he was a musician raising funds for Women’s Shelters, I have always been impressed with his consistent commitment to social justice and his focus on equality, economic and racial equity issues.
I am pleased to endorse Andrew’s candidacy and am very excited about the possibility of our city having a new activist voice at the national level.

Maureen Adams
Feminist Activist

Andrew Cash has been a proud worker of the Toronto’s culture industry, a community leader and a public intellectual. He has been a voice of Toronto, singing our songs, discussing our future and generating ideas that has demonstrated his depth of knowledge. Andrew Cash has helped us to imagine a better Toronto, better Canada and better world. His sensitivity to concerns and issues of Torontonians from all walks of life, his willingness to listen and his ability to articulate these broad concerns effectively make him a great candidate for the NDP.  I enthusiastically support his candidacy.

Mustafa Koc
Associate Professor, Ryerson University

I first met Andrew Cash over 20 years ago as renegade musicians in the underground Toronto music scene when he was the co-leader of our most inspiring political band L’Etranger.  Our paths have continued crossing and I am forever amazed at Andrew’s relentless passion for a just society, of his deep care for the vulnerable people of our community, city and country, and of his seemingly endless pursuit for knowledge and idea. He has always had his finger on the pulse of our most pressing and poignant social issues and has never been afraid to stand up to those in power and challenge the status quo with wise and often brilliant perspective. Andrew is a wonderful friend, neighbour and citizen and we will all be better off when he is representing us in the House of Commons.

Rod Cohen
Executive Director of Blake Boultbee Youth Outreach Service
Past-President, Ontario Society of Psychotherapists

I work with children and youth in the city of Toronto who have been impacted by grief and loss.  Many of these young people are struggling with the intense grief that follows death as a result of violence and are living in underserved communities that are additionally plagued by multiple and ongoing loss.

Two years ago, I reached out to Andrew Cash for support when it  looked like our summer youth program (Soul 2 Soul) would not have the funding it had been promised to continue.  At that time, Andrew was a stranger, known only to me in name for his music and his journalistic integrity.  When I asked him to participate in a fundraising event for our Soul 2 Soul youth program, he not only returned my call immediately and responded with interest, grave concern and energy for the cause, but played his heart out and helped us to raise the $5,500 we needed to run the program.  And he didn’t stop there.  Several weeks later, Andrew showed up with a photographer at an event intended to bring programs and funders together.  He was there to explore why current funding wasn’t creating sustainable programming for youth, published alternatives ideas and amplified the voices of the marginalized young people in Toronto.  Andrew Cash does not make empty promises, he listens, makes himself available and responds.  He moves far beyond discourse to action and on behalf of myself and the youth of this city who have benefitted directly from his spirit and support-  we stand behind him on his journey.

Sarah Henderson, MA
Bereaved Families of Ontario-Toronto

The Cash For Toronto campaign is very excited about becoming a Community Partner in an original Canadian
web comedy series: ‘NOW Magazine – The Movie’!

As a series of nine weekly episodes, our ‘episode’ is set to go live at 10:30 a.m. today!  We’re asking supporters to click on the link to the episode. Now Magazine-The Movie  If you enjoy it, please forward the link to others, because the partner with the most clicks per episode gets a NOW ‘THINK FREE’ ad at the end of the series! This kind of advertising will bump up my profile in the city as we work towards winning the riding of Davenport in the next federal election.

The series chronicles the history of Toronto’s #1 free weekly, a publication I’ve been proud to write for for over a decade.  The producer of the series, You and Media, has assembled a star-studded cast of  Canadian notables from the world of the arts, politics, and journalism such as Margaret Atwood, Moe Berg, Jim Cuddy, David Miller, Wayne Roberts, Sarah Harmer, Jian Ghomeshi & David Mirvish.

Thanks for your help

AC

Well, we knew there had to be a hitch when Stephen Harper got up at the National Arts Centre in Ottawa to sing a Beatles song. Setting the bar sufficiently low – it was a song Ringo sang, after all – is a Harper specialty.

But as the country woke up to the image of our wooden PM at the piano, many Canadian recording artists were twigging to yet another arts cut – one they say will hobble Canada’s specialized music community.

And like Harper’s arts misstep in the last election, this one – the chopping of the Canada Music Fund’s Canadian Musical Diversity component – has once again engaged and enraged a grassroots arts revolt. (more…)

By Andrew Cash

A flash of deja vu hits me as i sit in the beautiful Victoria College Chapel at U of T on October 20 last week listening to the Council of Canadians’ Maude Barlow talk about free trade.

My first awareness of this human rights champion was during the great debate in the 80s over Canada’s free trade deal with the U.S. I can’t help feeling a little nostalgic for that simple time when the story was a bit clearer: you were either for or against closer ties with our huge neighbour to the south.

But Barlow and fellow panelist Sid Ryan tell the almost 200 people in attendance that while 20 years ago there were very few bilateral trade deals, there are now 2,600 around the world. (more…)

Reminds me of the black cats/ white cats Tommy Douglas riff.

Our Mulroney: the last year of the Mulroney reign Canada posted, a record deficit for its day of $42 billion

George W. Bush–stratospheric debt and deficits

Harper–debt and deficits as far as the eye can see.

But that doesn’t seem to worry the Reform/Conservatives who never see a tax dollar they don’t think can be used for partisan purposes. To wit, this piece which surfaced in the dailies at the top of the week. Seems those tight fisted fiscal fighters don’t bat an eye when they can drop 100k on a photo op though they could have announced their fiscal update for free in the House of Commons.

For a lot of folks that is a very good question. After this summer’s garbage strike in Toronto I heard many people grousing about unions. It’s understandable given that so few people in Toronto get any sick leave at all let alone 18 days…oh ya, and bankable ones at that. If you’re not in a union chances are you’re not so sure these days how a victory for unionized workers is a victory for all Canadians.

That’s why I love this little spoof–you laugh and you learn. We need more like this.