The Manitoba Provincial Politics Discussion

[esquire]

Originally Posted by vid

It might be $600 less in Cobourg but Ontario has pricing by postal code. Try insuring that car in Yorkdale, it won't be so cheap anymore. My insurance broker told me if I moved I'd save $20 a month. I told her no.

If someone retired (changing their insurance from all purpose to the pleasure category) and moved to a small town, they'd probably save a few hundred bucks on insurance in Manitoba too.

[Hecate]

I don’t know why everyone thinks MPI is cheap. It was costing me almost $2400 a year to insure a 2012 Honda Civic. I changed my plan around and got it down to $2000. Then I apply my discount of 25% for good driving and I pay $1500 Yay. So my reward is to pay what I’d pay in other provinces normally. That’s bullshit! How stupid is that? Fuck MPI I can’t wait until private insurance.

[Hecate]

What makes MPI even worse is the demerits. if you get a traffic ticket for speeding or something else, Your insurance will go up because you will lose a certain percentage of your discount. Ummm you already paid your fine and debt to society by paying off the ticket, But now they will get more money out of you when you go to insure your vehicle. So it’s like an added fine on top of the fine that you already paid. It will take years to earn that discount back. That shit should be illegal.

[vid]

If you're in Ontario, you'd be paying over $3,000 for that civic, easy. It's not unusual for young people with "commonly stolen" cars (like the Civic) in Ontario to pay $3000+ for insurance. Ontario has demerits on its insurance too, if you get in an accident or get too many tickets (or a ticket that's considered "bad" by the insurer) your premium jumps up a lot. If you've got a ticket and a Civic, you're not going to pay less than MPI for insurance if you go to Ontario, I can guarantee that.

I think the main difference between the state insurance and the private insurance provinces, is that in Ontario it is possible to get really cheap insurance if you're old, drive a beater, and rarely use the vehicle, while your insurance will be outrageous if you're young and male because it's still legal to discriminate against us. In Manitoba, the low threshold is higher and the highest rates are lower, so it's rewarding those who are more likely to claim and the expense of those who are less likely to.

[Riverman]

Originally Posted by esquire

If someone retired (changing their insurance from all purpose to the pleasure category) and moved to a small town, they'd probably save a few hundred bucks on insurance in Manitoba too.

No.

$600 saving after the discounts. I was retired for 8 months before I moved.

Just saying there is NO REASON for the government to be in the insurance business. It makes things worse for everybody just to support an overstuffed and bloated bureaucracy.

The government could lose money in a diamond mine.

[vid]

You're retired, so there is no fair comparison between the two of you, or even between you and me despite the fact that we live in the same province.

Considering the rates of auto theft in Winnipeg, even if they had private insurance, it would absolutely cost more for you to be insured there than Cobourg. Tell your insurance you now live in Brampton and see how much your insurance jumps.

[jmt18325]

Auto insurance is actually one of the few places it makes sense for the government to be, seeing as it's mandatory.

[vid]

Originally Posted by jmt18325

Auto insurance is actually one of the few places it makes sense for the government to be, seeing as it's mandatory.

That's a point I've made many times: in situations where something is mandatory (either by law or necessity), or where duplication of an infrastructure results in needless waste (such as water treatment or telecommunications systems), the service or utility should be under control of the people through the state.

Car insurance, since it is mandatory as a condition to be allowed to drive on roads, should be provided by the state, at cost. No duplication. No shareholder dividends to Arizona. No profit margin. Just necessary service, provided efficiently.

What we've seen in Ontario is that privatization of essential services, like electricity, only leads to excessive waste, high cost, and profits leaking out of the province. It's unfair to the people.

[Dengler Avenue]

Originally Posted by vid

That's a point I've made many times: in situations where something is mandatory (either by law or necessity), or where duplication of an infrastructure results in needless waste (such as water treatment or telecommunications systems), the service or utility should be under control of the people through the state.

Car insurance, since it is mandatory as a condition to be allowed to drive on roads, should be provided by the state, at cost. No duplication. No shareholder dividends to Arizona. No profit margin. Just necessary service, provided efficiently.

What we've seen in Ontario is that privatization of essential services, like electricity, only leads to excessive waste, high cost, and profits leaking out of the province. It's unfair to the people.

On that note, I’ve been thinking for a while:
What are considered essential services? I want an exhaustive list.

[Dengler Avenue]

As for public auto insurance...
http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/showthread.php?t=236784

EVERYONE in BC (especially in the Lower Mainland) has an irreparably bad impression of ICBC.

In that case, is the failure of ICBC simply due to mismanagement (and incompetency), insurance fraud and other secondary factors, or does it show that public auto insurance isn't the way to go?

[Riverman]

Originally Posted by vid

What we've seen in Ontario is that privatization of essential services, like electricity, only leads to excessive waste, high cost, and profits leaking out of the province. It's unfair to the people.

Now THAT is horseshit.

Electricity rates were caused by the Green Energy Act, ensuring unreliable renewals were used first. This ensured all other methods of electricity could not operate efficiently. Plus the rates for renewables are sky high due to crooked contracts being given to companies with Liberal connections.

I know for a fact Pickering generates power for $0.02-$0.03 per kWh.

A good example of hydro waste is the Wesleyville generating station, built for no good reason and unused. During public ownership.

[Riverman]

Originally Posted by vid

That's a point I've made many times: in situations where something is mandatory (either by law or necessity), or where duplication of an infrastructure results in needless waste (such as water treatment or telecommunications systems), the service or utility should be under control of the people through the state.

If this is true then the state should supply groceries.

[plrh]

The biggest upside to MPI is "no fault insurance". It keeps litigation to a minimum which keeps costs down across the board. But overall I hate MPI and I am willing to pay more for insurance for the ability to walk away from one company and go to another.

I also hate how MPI issues driver's licenses but is a crown corp so it is not in any way accountable to voters. I wish it was like a co-op so we could vote on leadership as shareholders.

[headhorse]

Originally Posted by Riverman

If this is true then the state should supply groceries.

you're getting it bud! do you know how much waste and $ we would save?

[optimusREIM]

Originally Posted by headhorse

you're getting it bud! do you know how much waste and $ we would save?

Do you know how ridiculous this sounds?

[headhorse]

access to food is a human right. how is capitalism and private property synonymous with freedom when it's illegal for me to use nature and the earth to fulfill my human right to food, shelter, and water?

[cllew]

Originally Posted by plrh

The biggest upside to MPI is "no fault insurance". It keeps litigation to a minimum which keeps costs down across the board. But overall I hate MPI and I am willing to pay more for insurance for the ability to walk away from one company and go to another.

I also hate how MPI issues driver's licenses but is a crown corp so it is not in any way accountable to voters. I wish it was like a co-op so we could vote on leadership as shareholders.

PUB hearings are where you can hold them accountable if you want to appear. I somebody brings up a valid point PUB has the ability to get changes. Some though do require changes to the MPI Act so those take longer.

[optimusREIM]

Originally Posted by headhorse

access to food is a human right. how is capitalism and private property synonymous with freedom when it's illegal for me to use nature and the earth to fulfill my human right to food, shelter, and water?

It is not enshrined in the charter of any country I can think of.

Capitalism is free. It's people participating in a free economy. If the state controls the economy then I'm not really free to do anything I want. Imagine a system that has zero rules. People will eventually coalesce into some sort of system or groups of people. How is it unfree it they get to decide the rules of the game they're playing?

Backwards af

[vid]

Originally Posted by optimusREIM

Capitalism is free.

Then why do I need permission to take an hour off work to see the doctor?

Profit is unpaid labour. Prove me wrong.

[optimusREIM]

Originally Posted by vid

Then why do I need permission to take an hour off work to see the doctor?

Profit is unpaid labour. Prove me wrong.

Hey it's a free market. You're welcome to take your talents elsewhere if you feel something is unfair. No one is forcing you to work for someone. Be your own boss if you dont like the rules from one employer. The reason that businesses get to set the terms is that they take on all the risk. So... yeah, it's pretty free. Not sure you can get much freer than being able to start your own business if you want... or looking after yourself however you see fit. I mean, technically no one is stopping you from leaving for a doctor's appointment, even if you work for someone, but they're also free to get rid of you for just walking out unannounced, no matter how justified you feel the reason is.

Profit is the reward for taking on risk, not some conspiracy to put down your beloved proletariat.