It's The Economy, Stupid

There is nothing like a good ‘stat’ to take out some of the emotion surrounding an issue and inject some perspective. On the Census in 2001 people where asked about the language used at their place of work. Over 37,000…

Like Alabama, Kentucky was once considered a ‘New Brunswick’ of the United States. It was a backwater, rural place with low incomes, uneducated folks and the like. Well, times, they are a changin’. From 1990 to 2000, the state added…

Young people have played a pivotal role in societal change all over the world – from the U.S., to Europe to China. Nothing brings fear and loathing to a politician like watching a demonstration of young people. After hearing last…

For those of you, like me, that follow how journalists cover politicians it is interesting when they seem to change their position. I am particularly interested in journalists in New Brunswick and how they cover economy-related issues. As I have…

At 2 AM on Sunday morning I got a craving for a guilty pleasure – a McDonald’s Big Mac. As I was waiting for the 24 hour Drive Thru to serve up my arteriosclerosis-accelerating burger, CBC was playing news from…

CBC Radio took a gentle poke this morning at the long standing tension that runs just under the surface here in Moncton regarding language. There are some in the anglophone community (across New Brunswick) that think you have to speak…

An editorial in the Telegraph Journal today suggests that Saint John must ‘think smaller’. It refers to a recent letter to Saint John common council from retired business professor Gary Davis that suggests the city reduce its size by 50…

The Government of New Brunswick has a web page called Components of Growth. You can find it here: http://www.gnb.ca/0160/Economics/ComponentsofGrowth.htm. These components include: births, deaths, Immigrants, Emigrants, Returning emigrants, Net temporary emigrants, Net interprovincial migrants, Net non-permanent residents and a residual…

Al Hogan over at the T&T was gushing again this morning about the New Brunswick government’s move to make student loans more accessible. On this one we agree (less the gushing). However, I will bring up the additional caution that…

A top story in today’s Globe & Mail entitled Canada’s auto labour advantage evaporates reports that DaimlerChrysler Canada assembly plants in southern Ontario are operating at a disadvantage of $8.81 (U.S.) an hour, compared with U.S. plants operated by the…