Quote:
Originally Posted by grumpy old man
^ I'd speculate a galloping global economy is what drove growth in Manitoba more so than the NDP most of those years. We must keep in mind that despite that galloping economy Manitoba is mired in monstrous debt. This despite ever-increasing transfer payments all those years.
|
We have a winner! It doesn't take the best jockey to make a good horse place with the wind up its ass.
Also, Spocket, when you talk of Manitoba not being able to compete with Alberta, that doesn't really hold water in a ubiquitous sense. For example, it is true, that if we had a more relaxed business environment, we still wouldn't be an option for major financiers, etc. as a location, because the money IS in Alberta. However, if we had a relaxed environment, and perhaps didn't feel hell bent on driving minimum wage through the roof for shits and giggles, we could be appealing to industrial, power intensive firms, that if we were smart, we'd whore subsidized power to, in order to entice them to set up shop here. So, indirectly we wouldn't be competing for the types of employers that Alberta is interested in, but Manitoba could in and of itself be a far more productive place than it is now, becoming relatively more competitive with Alberta. As of today, we're a bit of a business backwater, by western Canadian standards.
Because I feel the need to qualify my minimum wage comment:
- it isn't that we should be chasing firms that only pay minimum. There are plenty of golden arches around town
- however, when minimum wage rises by $0.50 or whatever, it doesn't actually rise by $0.50 in the truest sense, but rises as a percentage.
- for industrial, labour-intensive (lots of employees) firms, that percentage rise often (for the ethical ones) gets transferred through the ranks. So, if the lowest tier gets a 3% bump or whatever the case may be, that is costly in and of itself when inflation is non existant, but is much, much more expensive, when you have to start bumping experienced employees, middle-management, etc. by 3%.
- 3% on $20, $30 or whatever an hour becomes extremely costly, and hence why a minimum wage hike because Mr. Selinger thinks its a good deal to buy votes is very negative.