http://www.economist.com/news/leaders/21659741-global-movement-toward-much-higher-minimum-wages-dangerous-reckless-wager
Unfortunately a $15 minimum wage is the wrong solution to the problem.
The "correct" solution is to reduce the cost of living/working so that people don't need $15/hr to survive. This is what is NEEDED to make Canada competitive.
America/Canada are unnecessarily expensive places to live and work. We are car dependent with incredibly inefficient urban redevelopment.
Car dependence requires each worker to earn an additional $5/hr just to cover this cost. Without car dependence people
$15 - $5 = $10/hr
Impractically small lots prevents efficient redevelopment and requires land speculation to accumulate larger lots required for redevelopment. And "practically" prevents the development of transit communities necessary to over come car dependence. The net result is property speculation is the default retirement investment.
This is a problem for 2 reasons. First, it insures choosing to live in transit oriented community will cost more negating the previous $5 hour saving. Second, property speculation is extremely growth inefficient. Property Speculation Sucks money out of the Economy.
Canada partially saved itself from the 2009 housing crash. And now suffers from property speculation sucking money out of the economy. Lowing the interest rate to stimulate growth is NOT happening. Instead money is flowing into the property speculation.
http://tdwebste.blogspot.com/2015/07/property-speculaton-sucks-money-out-of.html
Just to add driving is subsidized in Canada/US.
Americans don't pay nearly enough in gas taxes to offset the social costs of driving—of
which time lost to traffic is a biggie. As driving became more
expensive over time, local agencies could meet additional mobility
demands with new investments in public transportation.
http://www.citylab.com/cityfixer/2015/02/americas-infrastructure-crisis-is-really-a-maintenance-crisis/385452/
GOOD LUCK, I don't see any hope, Canada cost too much to live and work.
Tuesday, July 28, 2015
Property Speculaton Sucks money out of the Economy.
Property Market - Unproductive Credit
The concentration of credit and investment into the Property Market sucks money out of more productive Technology, Business, Manufacturing, Renewable/Non-Renewable Resource and Agricultural development. The constrained Property Market most negatively effects Agricultural Investment and Food Sustainability.
A lot of Vancouver people have made their fortunes through property -- many still do -- but it has arguably come at the expense of a vibrant and healthy economy.
As the Vancouver economy continues to struggle -- and the likelihood of a recession grows by the day.
Governments have refused to do anything about the property parasite that continues to suck the life out of the economy.
Similar problem in Australia and California.
http://www.businessspectator.com.au/article/2015/5/29/australian-news/property-investment-sucking-life-out-economy
http://www.lao.ca.gov/reports/2015/finance/housing-costs/housing-costs.aspx
Building Less Housing Than People Demand Drives High Housing Costs. Vancouver is a desirable place to live. Yet not enough housing exists in the Greater Vancouver area to accommodate all of the households that want to live there. In these areas, community resistance to housing, environmental policies, lack of fiscal incentives for local governments to approve housing, and limited land constrains new housing construction. A shortage of housing means households wishing to live there compete for limited housing. This competition bids up home prices and rents. In addition to a shortage of housing, high land and construction costs also play some role in high housing prices.
The property transfer tax does NOT solve the 2 problems creating and sustaining unfordable housing and the inefficient car culture. Farmland speculation and micro land parcels speculation creating artificial land price pressure.
The first problem is when agricultural land is taken for housing and commercial development no money is set aside in a trust fund to return the land back to large efficient agricultural land plots. A result when communities population reduces the land remains unusable. This of course will be more critical as agricultural areas move with climate change. Actually the biggest problem here is farm land is sold at housing and commercial development prices. Which is much higher than the agricultural earning capacity of the land. The net result is land speculation becomes the major source of income for farmers. And farmers become less farmers and more land speculators.
The second problem is the land ownership is parceled up as small as possible to maximizing the developer/speculator profit. The land is parceled up so small that it cannot be redevelop with larger buildings without land speculators collecting connecting land into larger usable parcels at very high profits. The last house sold sets the price.
The solution is simple do NOT parcel land ownership to less than a block. Home owners are coop share owners of the block and vote as shareholders regarding redevelopment. And as shareholders the home owners share in the profits. This will eliminate the land speculation required to create larger connected lots necessary for larger buildings.
The concentration of credit and investment into the Property Market sucks money out of more productive Technology, Business, Manufacturing, Renewable/Non-Renewable Resource and Agricultural development. The constrained Property Market most negatively effects Agricultural Investment and Food Sustainability.
A lot of Vancouver people have made their fortunes through property -- many still do -- but it has arguably come at the expense of a vibrant and healthy economy.
As the Vancouver economy continues to struggle -- and the likelihood of a recession grows by the day.
Governments have refused to do anything about the property parasite that continues to suck the life out of the economy.
Similar problem in Australia and California.
http://www.businessspectator.com.au/article/2015/5/29/australian-news/property-investment-sucking-life-out-economy
http://www.lao.ca.gov/reports/2015/finance/housing-costs/housing-costs.aspx
Building Less Housing Than People Demand Drives High Housing Costs. Vancouver is a desirable place to live. Yet not enough housing exists in the Greater Vancouver area to accommodate all of the households that want to live there. In these areas, community resistance to housing, environmental policies, lack of fiscal incentives for local governments to approve housing, and limited land constrains new housing construction. A shortage of housing means households wishing to live there compete for limited housing. This competition bids up home prices and rents. In addition to a shortage of housing, high land and construction costs also play some role in high housing prices.
The property transfer tax does NOT solve the 2 problems creating and sustaining unfordable housing and the inefficient car culture. Farmland speculation and micro land parcels speculation creating artificial land price pressure.
The first problem is when agricultural land is taken for housing and commercial development no money is set aside in a trust fund to return the land back to large efficient agricultural land plots. A result when communities population reduces the land remains unusable. This of course will be more critical as agricultural areas move with climate change. Actually the biggest problem here is farm land is sold at housing and commercial development prices. Which is much higher than the agricultural earning capacity of the land. The net result is land speculation becomes the major source of income for farmers. And farmers become less farmers and more land speculators.
The second problem is the land ownership is parceled up as small as possible to maximizing the developer/speculator profit. The land is parceled up so small that it cannot be redevelop with larger buildings without land speculators collecting connecting land into larger usable parcels at very high profits. The last house sold sets the price.
The solution is simple do NOT parcel land ownership to less than a block. Home owners are coop share owners of the block and vote as shareholders regarding redevelopment. And as shareholders the home owners share in the profits. This will eliminate the land speculation required to create larger connected lots necessary for larger buildings.
Monday, July 27, 2015
But our fight for freedom is not over. The souls given fighting for our freedom will not rest and neither should we.
But our fight for freedom is not over. The souls given fighting for our freedom will not rest and neither should we.
Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.
Stop Bill C51, creating laws to allow torture is never acceptable.
The poem is, flanders fields of John McCrae who live in Guelph Ontario, close to where I grew up.
John McCrae and his friends gave their lives in WWI so that we could live to enjoy the privilege of Democratic freedom.
Every Remembrance Day we wear a poppy in honour of John McCrae and his friends, personal sacrifice. When we wear the poppy we remember our promise to take up the Torch and fight for Freedom and Peace.
Personal note.
Westfield church on Westfield Rd, has stain glass windows in honour of soldiers who gave everything.
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