Why does the American rust belt do so much more badly than the Canadian side

[Mister F]

lol...conservative "small" governments (in quotes because it never actually ends up that way) aren't any better for business than left wing governments. Corruption in Canada is pretty insignificant and anyone suggesting that Ontario is somehow more currupt than any other province is fooling themselves.

Ontario is struggling because it's an export oriented economy and its biggest market is in its biggest funk since the Depression. Plus a little Dutch disease never helps. It has nothing to do with political ideology or supposed corruption.

[BevoLJ]

Originally Posted by vid

In Ontario it is mostly limited to either:

If it is a Liberal government, the Premier creates an agency of the provincial government, operating at arm's length, to do essentially nothing and staffs it with his friends, who all earn $100,000+ salaries

If it is a Conservative government, the Premier half-privatizes government departments by splitting them into a half dozen or so companies operating at arm's length, and appoints his friends to run them for $100,000+ salaries

There is also a third option:

The NDP is elected and all the teachers and nurses start earning $100,000 salaries. Hundreds of provincial agencies that don't do anything are created, but not staffed.

We also have that weird phenomenon where any project started by a previous government is cancelled and replaced with an identical programme when power changes hands. For example the 1990s NDP government planned new highways around my city. The PC government that was elected after them cancelled the project just as construction started, and then made a new plan for highways around my city. Just after construction started, the Liberals were elected, and they promptly cancelled that project then made a new plan for highways around my city. Construction has just begun, which is a good sign that the government is going to change hands so that they can be cancelled again, and then replaced by a new plan in about 8 years. Government's call this "commitment". Those of us who aren't blinded by partisan hackery call it "bullshit".

LOL! Like literally. I actually laughed reading that.

Sorry about your highway. lol. But at least y'alls government changes occasionally. In Texas we had Democrats from like the Civil War until late 90's early 00's. God help us if we end up stuck with these wackjob Republicans for that long.

[Doug]

Originally Posted by suburbanite

Moving Canada's financial sector to Calgary would be more comparable to Wall Street moving to Houston during an oil boom.

Except Wall Street would be free to make the move if it saw the business opportunity. Canada does not allow new Charter 1 startup banks, severely limits competition from foreign banks and would likely intervene to prevent on of the big five from moving.

[brickell]

Originally Posted by BevoLJ

In Texas we had Democrats from like the Civil War until late 90's early 00's. God help us if we end up stuck with these wackjob Republicans for that long.

Most of them are the same wackjobs. They just use a different letter behind their name.

[BevoLJ]

Originally Posted by brickell

Most of them are the same wackjobs. They just use a different letter behind their name.

Lol, ya. Rick Perry was even a Democrat back then. And he is the wackiest of all the wackjobs.

[vid]

All politicians are the same. I realized this shortly after Stephen Harper, the "Change Canada Needs after Jean Chretien", started acting almost exactly like Jean Chretien. Which, unfortunately, was the day after he was elected.

[yaletown_fella]

Originally Posted by vid

In Ontario it is mostly limited to either:

If it is a Liberal government, the Premier creates an agency of the provincial government, operating at arm's length, to do essentially nothing and staffs it with his friends, who all earn $100,000+ salaries

If it is a Conservative government, the Premier half-privatizes government departments by splitting them into a half dozen or so companies operating at arm's length, and appoints his friends to run them for $100,000+ salaries

There is also a third option:

The NDP is elected and all the teachers and nurses start earning $100,000 salaries. Hundreds of provincial agencies that don't do anything are created, but not staffed.

We also have that weird phenomenon where any project started by a previous government is cancelled and replaced with an identical programme when power changes hands. For example the 1990s NDP government planned new highways around my city. The PC government that was elected after them cancelled the project just as construction started, and then made a new plan for highways around my city. Just after construction started, the Liberals were elected, and they promptly cancelled that project then made a new plan for highways around my city. Construction has just begun, which is a good sign that the government is going to change hands so that they can be cancelled again, and then replaced by a new plan in about 8 years. Government's call this "commitment". Those of us who aren't blinded by partisan hackery call it "bullshit".

Good point.
Authentic conservatism and classical liberalism has died. It's all been replaced by authoritarian corporatist regimes. The political spectrum is an illusion.

[montréaliste]

Originally Posted by Austinlee

Isn't Vancuover up there with a lot of Asian immigrants? Also, does French Quebec still get new immigrants from France/Europe much?

Yes, we do get a fair bit of immigration from eastern and western Europe. A lot from Russia and the old republics and quite a lot of folks from African countries and Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia. Lots of people from latin american countries in the past ten years especially Mexico and Brazil.

[someone123]

Originally Posted by Doug

Except Wall Street would be free to make the move if it saw the business opportunity. Canada does not allow new Charter 1 startup banks, severely limits competition from foreign banks and would likely intervene to prevent on of the big five from moving.

Frequently I hear people complain about how much Toronto and Ontario subsidize the rest of Canada, but few people seem to be aware of policies like this. Protectionist policies are often cast as necessities from a national perspective but they are enormously beneficial to Ontario in particular and the rest of Canada pays subsidies in the form of higher prices for goods and services.

As trade barriers fall I think Ontario will lose a bit of its advantage and the historically "peripheral" parts of Canada, like BC and Atlantic Canada, will do a bit better.