It’s quite common to hear that Americans (and Canadians) are not much better off today than they were in the 1970s. This assertion is based on income levels in real terms among the lower and middle income segments of the…
Continue ReadingThe comforting world of Constantinople
I really enjoy the writings of UNB economist Constantine Passaris. The dismal science in New Brunswick seems to be heavy laden with left wing economists and I find Passaris to be a breath of fresh air. Specifically, he doesn’t seem to…
Continue ReadingAsk the right question
From Yarmouth to the Miramichi politicians are running around trying to reassure communities that the government is committed to help them. Then comes the train of solutions – new cash, small business support, bailing out questionable companies, building infrastructure –…
Continue ReadingDon’t mess with the boomers
I suspect we will see this in increasinly frequency in the coming months and years. This is from the Daily Gleaner today: Letters to the editor: I’m a baby boomer, but I am not a drain on society. This retiree…
Continue ReadingFederal election speculation
Someone asked me what I thought about the federal election speculation and its potential impact on New Brunswick. Who knows? I guess if I was a betting man, I might put the odds of a federal election in 2011 at…
Continue ReadingGraduate level education
I was in a meeting this week where a university leader lamented that fact that many of the best and brightest minds leave the New Brunswick university system to pursue graduate degrees and research opportunities because there are just not…
Continue ReadingBenefits of the bus: Thoughts on partisans
Someone asked me this week what I thought about some of the government’s high profile appointments (and rumoured appointments). I realize that Premier Alward said he would be ‘doing things differently’ just as former Premier Graham talked about ‘bringing in top…
Continue ReadingMoneySense city’s list: GoodSense or BadSense?
I have been watching these rankings come out since the early 1990s and the response is always the same. If a city, province, university, whatever ranks well – it gets wide citation and makes numerous Powerpoint slidedecks. if not, the…
Continue ReadingLearning from Robbie Burns
Malcolm Gladwell stirred up controversy last fall when he asserted “the revolution won’t be tweeted” postulating that the weak and limited commital networks of social media (confirming ‘I Like’ something for example) are not enough to bring real social change. …
Continue ReadingIs it time to put Ontario first?
I listen to The Agenda quite a bit on TVO – I find it an interesting window on the ideas swirling around in Canada’s most influential province. Like clockwork, there is a show on how Ontario is aggrieved by the…
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