The possibility of an underground Broadway SkyTrain all the way to UBC has been in the news again lately. I so hope that this does not come to pass. Let me explain why. First, let’s talk briefly about some of … Continue reading
Category: economy
Power + expense accounts = Moral drift
The report by BC’s Speaker of the House, Darryl Plecas, was released Jan. 21st to the legislative committee looking into the alleged misdeeds of Sergeant-at-Arms Gary Lenz and clerk Craig James. Sadly, it confirms what many in the legislature already knew and most people rightly suspect: That an atmosphere of entitlement is created in the…
Here’s to a progressive and ferocious 2019!
Happy New Year, everyone! May your New Year’s resolutions be successful. In keeping with the season, here are a few of my wishes for 2019. Progress on the basic income front Last summer, the provincial government appointed a three-person panel of experts to look at the viability of guaranteed basic income in BC. CBC Radio…
Secure renters make for a better Vancouver
COPE Councillor Jean Swanson’s motion [PDF] to give tenants protection from landlords during renovations was referred to committee at city hall November 27 so that members of the public would have an opportunity to speak to it. The motion proposes immediate changes to the city’s Relocation and Protection Policy. There are a number of changes,…
Support “shop local” when you “vote local”
With “for lease” signs popping up everywhere in Vancouver’s commercial districts, it’s become crystal clear just how difficult the situation is for our city’s small businesses. Online retail is part of the reason so many small businesses are closing shop. Many of us now find the convenience of shopping with our keyboards much preferable to…
Turn up the taps & cool housing prices more
For many years now housing prices in Vancouver have been moving up at a very fast pace — so fast that most of us have been priced right out of the market. Economists will forever debate the causes of this phenomenon. However, it would appear that at long last relief finally may be here. Provincial…
Better to debate than deliberately disrupt
The provincial NDP are proposing a new school tax on homes worth more than $3 million. The revenue projections are in the vicinity of $200 million and would largely be used for seismic upgrades for school buildings. Many of the homes that would be affected by this new tax are located in the Vancouver-Point Grey…