Pavlov suggested that overall tax increases are hurting affordability.“If you’re a buyer, the fact that the home price is cheaper does nothing to help you.”Fellow panellist Seain Conover concurred, addressing the argument that homeowners were only being asked to pay “a little bit” more.“That’s a very disingenuous argument because when you pile on a whole bunch of expenses to an asset, the asset becomes less desirable,” he said.
Some great lessons in economics right there
― the bhagwanadook (symsymsym), Sunday, 10 June 2018 23:33 (six years ago) link
a friend of mine made this:
It's @swanson4council and her big box of Jeanex for mansion owners complaining about higher taxes #vanpoli #bcpoli pic.twitter.com/QU9KIPuiiN— Michal Rozworski (@michalrozworski) June 9, 2018
― the bhagwanadook (symsymsym), Sunday, 10 June 2018 23:35 (six years ago) link
https://www.straight.com/news/1087731/jean-swanson-shows-theatrical-side-announcing-her-candidacy-vancouver-city-council
The tax will create many unintended victims, according to Wood.“It’s not going to affect me,” he said. “I know you want to get me because you don’t like me, but your fake school tax doesn’t hurt me at all. It just cost the B.C. hospitals and schools because I just cut out my charitable contributions.”
“It’s not going to affect me,” he said. “I know you want to get me because you don’t like me, but your fake school tax doesn’t hurt me at all. It just cost the B.C. hospitals and schools because I just cut out my charitable contributions.”
Cool philosophy brah.
― Van Horn Street, Sunday, 10 June 2018 23:44 (six years ago) link
https://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2018/06/10/trans-mountain-spill-48-times-larger-than-bc-government-first-reported.html
The B.C. Ministry of Environment says the spill volume reported from the company’s Darfield station north of Kamloops on May 27 has been revised to 4,800 litres from 100 litres.It says 100 litres is the minimum threshold under the company’s spill reporting obligations, so that’s why the ministry estimated 100 litres at the time.Trans Mountain spokesperson Ali Hounsell says the company never provided an estimate of how much medium crude oil escaped, other than to confirm with regulators that it was over the reportable threshold.“Trans Mountain had not provided an estimate of the volume spilled, other than to confirm with regulators that it was over the reportable threshold, until cleanup had sufficiently progressed to a stage where an accurate estimation could be provided,” she said in an email.
It says 100 litres is the minimum threshold under the company’s spill reporting obligations, so that’s why the ministry estimated 100 litres at the time.
Trans Mountain spokesperson Ali Hounsell says the company never provided an estimate of how much medium crude oil escaped, other than to confirm with regulators that it was over the reportable threshold.
“Trans Mountain had not provided an estimate of the volume spilled, other than to confirm with regulators that it was over the reportable threshold, until cleanup had sufficiently progressed to a stage where an accurate estimation could be provided,” she said in an email.
― Van Horn Street, Monday, 11 June 2018 01:50 (six years ago) link
Great.
― No purposes. Sounds. (Sund4r), Monday, 11 June 2018 02:13 (six years ago) link
Looks like sensible taxes and landlord-tenancy regulations are actually working to cool rents in Vancouver: https://globalnews.ca/news/4267960/vancouver-rental-costs/
― No purposes. Sounds. (Sund4r), Thursday, 14 June 2018 15:42 (six years ago) link
check out those median prices, it's crazy:
The median rental rate for a two-bedroom unit was $2,800 in May, representing no change from the month before.
Meanwhile, the median rate for a studio was $1,700, up 0.59 per cent month-over-month, and it was $1,952 for one-bedroom units, which were up 0.13 per cent from the previous month.
― the bhagwanadook (symsymsym), Thursday, 14 June 2018 15:50 (six years ago) link
Oh, not denying that. That said: https://www.rentcafe.com/average-rent-market-trends/us/ma/boston/
― No purposes. Sounds. (Sund4r), Thursday, 14 June 2018 15:53 (six years ago) link
that site is a cool resource
― the bhagwanadook (symsymsym), Thursday, 14 June 2018 15:56 (six years ago) link
i guess i should be happy that the high prices are now rising more slowly lol.
not looking forward to my next apartment search, which is immanent, probably in the fall
― ( ͡☉ ͜ʖ ͡☉) (jim in vancouver), Thursday, 14 June 2018 16:34 (six years ago) link
No wonder François Legault is doing so well in the polls: https://www.ledevoir.com/societe/530632/les-quebecois-et-leur-systeme-de-sante
Approximately 48% of Quebecers, women more so than men, believe immigration poses a 'great risk'.
― pomenitul, Tuesday, 19 June 2018 13:12 (six years ago) link
Disgusting and reactionary but hardly surprising.
― Simon H., Tuesday, 19 June 2018 17:59 (six years ago) link
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ABc8ciT5QLs
― the bhagwanadook (symsymsym), Wednesday, 20 June 2018 02:28 (six years ago) link
great song
― lost in sublimation (Ross), Wednesday, 20 June 2018 05:19 (six years ago) link
Yeah, legalization is the right thing but I hope it doesn't distract from the pipeline. This is unsurprising but still disappointing: https://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2018/06/18/trudeau-trump-child-migrant_a_23462117/ . Really, the Safe Third Country Agreement should have probably been suspended when a country-based travel ban was first attempted.
― No purposes. Sounds. (Sund4r), Wednesday, 20 June 2018 14:39 (six years ago) link
Absolutely.
― Simon H., Wednesday, 20 June 2018 15:47 (six years ago) link
He has condemned it now but no word on suspending the Safe Third Country Agreement (which even Chris Alexander wants to do at this point): https://globalnews.ca/news/4285443/justin-trudeau-donald-trump-child-detention-cages/
― No purposes. Sounds. (Sund4r), Wednesday, 20 June 2018 15:50 (six years ago) link
"He has condemned it" where "he" = Justin Trudeau and "it" = separation of undocumented adults and children travelling together into the US
― No purposes. Sounds. (Sund4r), Wednesday, 20 June 2018 15:51 (six years ago) link
As usual with him, just fuckin' words. I'd be surprised if any concrete steps were ever taken.
― Simon H., Wednesday, 20 June 2018 15:53 (six years ago) link
Justin is a great advocate for any refugees who don't come to Canada
― the bhagwanadook (symsymsym), Wednesday, 20 June 2018 16:09 (six years ago) link
He's barely even that tbf.
― No purposes. Sounds. (Sund4r), Wednesday, 20 June 2018 16:30 (six years ago) link
Lol @
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said today the Trump administration's policy of separating illegal migrants from their children is "wrong," just hours before the U.S. president signalled he's prepared to change course and end the practice.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/trudeau-trump-children-separated-1.4713984
― No purposes. Sounds. (Sund4r), Wednesday, 20 June 2018 17:34 (six years ago) link
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/hamilton/peter-khill-not-guilty-in-shotgun-shooting-of-jon-styres-1.4723854?cmp=FB_Post_News
Another travesty. The First Nations' life seen by our judicial system as basically worthless.
― Van Horn Street, Wednesday, 27 June 2018 17:09 (five years ago) link
Kind of interesting to remember when a 20something female bartender became an MP in an upset election and the Canadian press mostly loled.
― No purposes. Sounds. (Sund4r), Wednesday, 27 June 2018 23:22 (five years ago) link
(I'll acknowledge that it was a little different in that she didn't campaign and didn't visit her riding during the election.)
― No purposes. Sounds. (Sund4r), Wednesday, 27 June 2018 23:25 (five years ago) link
God, that feels like a million years ago.
― Simon H., Wednesday, 27 June 2018 23:32 (five years ago) link
None of it surprising, but the swiftness with which Ford is repealing education bills (infrastructure, sex-ed, and native-related curriculum) is, um, impressive. Glad I won't be there (I hope--he moves fast) when he moves on to teachers.
― clemenza, Thursday, 12 July 2018 20:00 (five years ago) link
I'm mad about it as it is; can't imagine how livid I'd be if I was raising a kid here.
― Simon H., Thursday, 12 July 2018 20:02 (five years ago) link
The similar dedication to reversing 15 years of environmental progress (cap and trade, Green Ontario fund, an almost-complete wind farm) in a month's time has honestly been so stunning that I've been too demoralized to even, like, post on the Internet about it.
― No purposes. Sounds. (Sund4r), Thursday, 12 July 2018 22:37 (five years ago) link
It's just such naked revanchism. I've never seen anything like it in Canadian politics - not this blatant, not this swift.
― Simon H., Thursday, 12 July 2018 22:39 (five years ago) link
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/opinion/article-the-deceit-that-was-the-bc-liberals-case-for-power/
― the bhagwanadook (symsymsym), Saturday, 14 July 2018 16:37 (five years ago) link
Hearing that the TO anti-Ford rally this past weekend was kind of a bust in terms of attendance, both I suspect due to delays (it was originally supposed to happen two weeks back) and general demoralization. Also heard via other activists that some organizers were recommending that members of "privileged groups" consider not attending, which is just spectacularly wrongheaded in my opinion.
― Simon H., Monday, 16 July 2018 13:49 (five years ago) link
Have to say I didn't expect the Tories to roll over so quickly on this: http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/ontario-sex-ed-changes-1.4748650
― No purposes. Sounds. (Sund4r), Tuesday, 17 July 2018 00:55 (five years ago) link
Unsurprising but still infuriating and exhausting how fast they do this: https://toronto.ctvnews.ca/ontario-government-cancels-758-renewable-energy-contracts-1.4012449#_gus&_gucid=&_gup=Facebook&_gsc=4ipXTEh
― No purposes. Sounds. (Sund4r), Saturday, 21 July 2018 17:35 (five years ago) link
FUCK.
https://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2018/07/22/toronto-danforth-pape-shooting-injures-several-people_a_23487321/?utm_hp_ref=ca-homepage
― wayne trotsky (Simon H.), Monday, 23 July 2018 03:32 (five years ago) link
Hoping all the ilx Torontonians are safe and sound.
― Van Horn Street, Monday, 23 July 2018 03:56 (five years ago) link
CBC says police confirmed shooter is dead.
― Van Horn Street, Monday, 23 July 2018 03:57 (five years ago) link
Some people I met recently live v close to that intersection and I'm trying to get in touch
― wayne trotsky (Simon H.), Monday, 23 July 2018 03:58 (five years ago) link
God, I hope the child is going to be fine.
― Van Horn Street, Monday, 23 July 2018 04:04 (five years ago) link
Moved the discussion to a new thread: Mass Shooting in Toronto
― No purposes. Sounds. (Sund4r), Monday, 23 July 2018 04:18 (five years ago) link
Any takes from ilx Torontonians on the Doug Ford cuts to the Toronto Council? Seems absolutely nuts to me and don't know how he has such a mandate.
― Van Horn Street, Saturday, 28 July 2018 01:19 (five years ago) link
Exactly what I posted on Facebook today. Sund4r says that city councils are indeed the domain of Queen's Park.
Isn't that insane? I can see where they'd have some oversight, if one side started gerrymandering in a really obvious way, but cities ought to be able to organize themselves as they choose. Ford's motivations aren't hard to figure out.
― clemenza, Saturday, 28 July 2018 01:31 (five years ago) link
I am beyond enraged over this.
― Mad Piratical (The Cursed Return of the Dastardly Thermo Thinwall), Saturday, 28 July 2018 01:44 (five years ago) link
It's horrible and it's going to work.
― wayne trotsky (Simon H.), Saturday, 28 July 2018 02:09 (five years ago) link
I honestly don’t see how this is do-able without pushing the election back. The province still needs to vote on it and then that leaves very little time to basically reorganize a massive bureaucracy. People - who have already started campaigning and taking donations, will be out that money and everyone will have to re-register etc. the timing alone makes the logistics impossible - and I’m sure if it comes to it, a court might have to weigh in.
Then there’s the fact these new boundaries contravene a recent Supreme Court rulling that Toronto has to have even representation (ford’s plan would skew too heavily to the suburbs). So even long term, his thing could get killed before ford is voted out of office.
― Mad Piratical (The Cursed Return of the Dastardly Thermo Thinwall), Saturday, 28 July 2018 02:20 (five years ago) link
Do you have a link about that Supreme Court ruling?
― No purposes. Sounds. (Sund4r), Saturday, 28 July 2018 02:30 (five years ago) link
i can't seem to find anything, sorry.
― Mad Piratical (The Cursed Return of the Dastardly Thermo Thinwall), Saturday, 28 July 2018 04:51 (five years ago) link
I think it's time we revisit the governmental dichotomy of province/federation and let cities decide a little more for themselves.
― Van Horn Street, Saturday, 28 July 2018 18:33 (five years ago) link
Also I felt that was otm:
https://www.macleans.ca/opinion/the-secret-no-government-wants-you-to-know-no-leader-has-a-mandate/
Whether the leaders’ ideas are good or bad in these cases is moot—it’s the mechanisms by which powerful politicians turn their ideas into policies that is troubling. Citing a mandate and leaving it at that is simply inconsistent with how we do democracy, which is why mandates are sneaky tools for manipulation. Governments should be accountable and responsive to all the people they serve. Merely citing a mandate chosen by some mythical voter runs counter to this democratic imperative. Instead of offering an open, responsive, inclusive politics, when a politician like Ford cites a “mandate,” he is preparing to steamroll through some policy or law by citing some fabricated moral authority. As voters, if we dislike what the premier and his cabinet are doing, we can protest. We can write scathing opinion pieces. We can write to our representatives to voice our displeasure. We can launch court challenges. We can run for office ourselves. We can vote for another party in the next election. We can dedicate ourselves to reforming the system. That is what we can do. And before we start, we can understand how our system works so that we are prepared to counter the sophistry or ignorance of cynical or lazy politicians who dare wield the wobbly sword of the “mandate.”
― Van Horn Street, Saturday, 28 July 2018 18:34 (five years ago) link