I sympathize with the writer of recent letter to the editor of the Times & Trash-script entitled N.B.’s poor need help. The gentleman laid out a well articulated case for increasing social assistance to New Brunswick’s poor. The cost of…
Continue ReadingUsing government to prop up the economy
I most likely am going to take some flak for this blog from my good friends in the public service. Most of them are credible, highly qualified and competent workers trying to make the world a slightly better place from…
Continue ReadingA Tale of Two Tory Premiers
I have been a vocal critic of the lack of focus on economic development in the province over the past number of years. I believe that it has led directly to the population crisis, the EI problem, youth out-migration and…
Continue ReadingBoomtown USA
I just started reading a new book called Boomtown USA – 7 1/2 steps to big success in small towns. In this book, the author looks at over 300 small, rural towns, picks out the successful ones and then trys…
Continue ReadingCollapse takes a few years
I recently finished reading Jarod Diamond’s new book, Collapse which is an in depth look at why societies, in his words, choose to succeed or fail. His angle is mostly environmental – deforestation, depleting of natural resources, soil erosion, etc.…
Continue ReadingWhere are the Anglos?
Whenever someone mentions language in Moncton, people bristle. It’s a taboo subject. Everyone’s worried that any kind of analysis will erode the many positive steps that have been taken in the past few decades to make Greater Moncton a vibrant…
Continue ReadingPatronage & Economic Development
I have said before and I’ll say it again – patronage and economic development don’t mix. If you (i.e. the Premier) feel compelled to give a former MLA a high paying job in government, put them in charge of parking…
Continue ReadingTimes & Trash-script goes way too far
I am not sure what’s worse. The province for trying to massively exaggerate its small business tax break or the Times & Trash-script for printint it – without even thinking for a minute about the absurdity of what they are…
Continue ReadingBenefits of the big fish
I have always believed that you need to attract large anchor companies to support a region’s economic development – especially economically depressed areas such as Atlantic Canada. My pleas have gone unnoticed as the projects being attracted to the region…
Continue ReadingSo heavenly minded, no earthly good
My father, a former Baptist minister, used to say that people could be so heavenly minded they were no earthly good. The interpretation of this saying is simple. For a Baptist, people are put on this world for a reason.…
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