Economic and political issues in NS

[Antigonish]

Originally Posted by Keith P.

Just a comment about Avery's: on some items their business model is to buy the produce that the supermarket chains reject, due to size or cosmetics. Not necessarily past its prime stuff, but stuff that is either too big or too small or otherwise not cosmetically up to their standards.

What you say about buying local is really just a smaller-scale version of any sort of commerce. The Walmart model of lowest-cost provider has driven much manufacturing to China and consumers continue to lap it up. I don't think food is much different. Paying more for locally-produced products will always be limited to a fringe group of relatively well-off consumers.

Very true. Re: the bold part, a lot of the time it comes down to buying appropriately rather that stuff that seems cheaper at face value. About a month or two back my room mate and I went to the store to buy salmon. After compairing the price of the salmon per weight compaired to something as trivial as a bag or doritos, and working out the math it was something like 4 or 5 times cheaper to buy the salmon.

Now you would have to buy a few bags of doritos to equal a salmon steaks but the point is still there and quite a shocking reality. It's all about how you buy in todays market. The problem is a lot of people would rather skip the effort and buy ready made crap off the shelf then put a bit of effort into making a quality meal for cheaper. I've lived under the poverty line my entire adult life so far and have been able to live pretty comfortably and healthy (minus the smoking), so it's more do able than people think.

[someone123]

Doritos also aren't real food.

I think the idea of "eating local" tends to be a bit over-simplified. It's an idea that in its modern North American form arguably originated Berkeley, California. Basically it was a prescription from semi-retired rich people who own lots of land in region with a nearly perfect climate that allows for year-round produce. What do you do if you have limited means and you live in an inner-city or northern area? Eat rice and beans for 10 months of the year? Basically you are limited to a "Russian peasant" lifestyle.

I really like the trend toward thinking a bit more about food and placing more emphasis on eating well, but it's important to be realistic and to realize that not everybody is in the same situation.

[someone123]

The labour market in Halifax has been doing well lately: http://www.statcan.gc.ca/tables-tabl...fss04a-eng.htm

4,000 new jobs from June 2012-June 2013. The unemployment rate has not gone down but this is because a larger percentage of the population has entered the workforce.

It seems pretty likely the economy will do well for the next few years as offshore exploration and the shipbuilding contract ramp up.

[RyeJay]

Originally Posted by someone123

The labour market in Halifax has been doing well lately: http://www.statcan.gc.ca/tables-tabl...fss04a-eng.htm

4,000 new jobs from June 2012-June 2013. The unemployment rate has not gone down but this is because a larger percentage of the population has entered the workforce.

It seems pretty likely the economy will do well for the next few years as offshore exploration and the shipbuilding contract ramp up.

Shipbuilding contract, offshore resources exploration, a higher provincial credit ranking, with a balanced provincial budget.

Nova Scotia finally has momentum again!
Thank you, NDP !!

[Haligonian88]

Originally Posted by RyeJay

Shipbuilding contract, offshore resources exploration, a higher provincial credit ranking, with a balanced provincial budget.

Nova Scotia finally has momentum again!
Thank you, NDP !!

I think we should thank Irving for the shipbuilding contract, Shell and BP for the exploration, and the NS taxpayers (among the highest rates in Canada) for the balanced budget, not the NDP. We could thank them for keeping the dying paper mills alive though. Not much longer until an election thankfully!

[ILoveHalifax]

Originally Posted by Haligonian88

I think we should thank Irving for the shipbuilding contract, Shell and BP for the exploration, and the NS taxpayers (among the highest rates in Canada) for the balanced budget, not the NDP. We could thank them for keeping the dying paper mills alive though. Not much longer until an election thankfully!

I don't think we need to thank any NDP for a fake balanced budget. We all know it will not really balance. 4 years with an extra 2 percent sales tax, that has mostly been wasted. We should be in surplus with the extra 2 percent.

[RyeJay]

Originally Posted by Haligonian88

I think we should thank Irving for the shipbuilding contract, Shell and BP for the exploration, and the NS taxpayers (among the highest rates in Canada) for the balanced budget, not the NDP. We could thank them for keeping the dying paper mills alive though. Not much longer until an election thankfully!

Irving was subsidised by the NDP, in order to win the shipbuilding contract.

The NDP are going against part of their base by supporting the initiatives of Shall and BP.

And NS taxpayers, who have paid the highest rates under the Progressive Conservatives and the Liberals, should hold the provincial governments to account: and produce more balanced budgets. This won't happen under the Liberals.

[RyeJay]

Originally Posted by ILoveHalifax

I don't think we need to thank any NDP for a fake balanced budget. We all know it will not really balance. 4 years with an extra 2 percent sales tax, that has mostly been wasted. We should be in surplus with the extra 2 percent.

You're suggesting a conspiracy theory. I'm interested if you have any evidence that the government and the banks are lying.

Nova Scotia's credit ranking was boosted because of the NDP balanced budget. Are both the government and the banks lying?

I don't think it's reasonable to demand a surplus from the NDP, when they had to deal with a projected 1.3 billion dollar Tory deficit.

The NDP have proven they are pro-business, and that the typical 'socialist' rhetoric applied to them from the opposition is delusional. The Nova Scotia NDP implemented the smallest healthcare spending increase of any province. That is certainly not being a lover of socialism.

The Nova Scotia NDP have balanced the books -- unlike past Liberal governments.

[resetcbu1]

it's all matter of opinion ...... I say they all are corrupt liars out for their own good, but hey that's just me.

[Aya_Akai]

Originally Posted by resetcbu1

it's all matter of opinion ...... I say they all are corrupt liars out for their own good, but hey that's just me.

[SignalHillHiker]

Thanks for this, N.S.:

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/newfou...-uarb-pay.html

I genuinely hope it's a big benefit for you guys too.

[someone123]

Somewhat random, but ANS reported that NS attracted more foreign investment per capita in 2012 than any other province or state in North America. Two of the big examples were IBM and Admiral Insurance setting up shop.

[RyeJay]

Originally Posted by resetcbu1

it's all matter of opinion ...... I say they all are corrupt liars out for their own good, but hey that's just me.

I think it's a matter of facts, too. Unfortunately, our system is corrupt, so ultimately politicians must be as well -- that is, if they want to survive.

This isn't a reason to give up and not vote; this is a reason to vote for reform. Or at least in Nova Scotia's case: a government that can deliver balanced budgets.

[Antigonish]

Originally Posted by SignalHillHiker

Thanks for this, N.S.:

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/newfou...-uarb-pay.html

I genuinely hope it's a big benefit for you guys too.

Ugh. UARB is a scam. If it wouldn't result in Emera scamming its customers I'd be all for it.

Problem is we already have the technology for tidal power in the Bay of Fundy we simply need to develop ships large enough to harvest it. My Engineer co-worker says on his life we are only about 5 years away from this blowing up.

I'd rather we went with tidal power together with New Brunswick in the long run.

[teddifax]

Originally Posted by Antigonish

Ugh. UARB is a scam. If it wouldn't result in Emera scamming its customers I'd be all for it.

Problem is we already have the technology for tidal power in the Bay of Fundy we simply need to develop ships large enough to harvest it. My Engineer co-worker says on his life we are only about 5 years away from this blowing up.

I'd rather we went with tidal power together with New Brunswick in the long run.

I say $1.5 Billion would go a long way to set up Tidal power in the Bay of Fundy, a renewable resource in OUR control, not subject to anyone else, why not spend the money on that rather than a subsea pipeline carrying power in the control of another province, leaving us to live under their terms.

[OldDartmouthMark]

Originally Posted by RyeJay

I think it's a matter of facts, too. Unfortunately, our system is corrupt, so ultimately politicians must be as well -- that is, if they want to survive.

This isn't a reason to give up and not vote; this is a reason to vote for reform. Or at least in Nova Scotia's case: a government that can deliver balanced budgets.

What? Politicians must be corrupt if they want to survive?

I must say this is the strangest NDP commercial I've ever seen!

[RyeJay]

Originally Posted by OldDartmouthMark

What? Politicians must be corrupt if they want to survive?

I must say this is the strangest NDP commercial I've ever seen!

This topic would be more suitable for a Conservative commercial, I think.

Do you think desperation to out fundraise each other, to exaggerate about the character flaws of each other, is so intense that if you don't cheat and lie a little in the Canadian political system -- you're toast?

I would like to think not. We have such a horrible lack of transparency in this country, though...

[Drybrain]

Originally Posted by RyeJay

Do you think desperation to out fundraise each other, to exaggerate about the character flaws of each other, is so intense that if you don't cheat and lie a little in the Canadian political system -- you're toast?

I do, sadly. We seem to be at a point where every party must insist that all of its policies, past and present, are sound, and every policy ever peddled by every other party is ruinously horrible. There is little discussion, merely accusation and recrimination.

[OldDartmouthMark]

Originally Posted by RyeJay

This topic would be more suitable for a Conservative commercial, I think.

Do you think desperation to out fundraise each other, to exaggerate about the character flaws of each other, is so intense that if you don't cheat and lie a little in the Canadian political system -- you're toast?

I would like to think not. We have such a horrible lack of transparency in this country, though...

You make a good point in that it seems that direct character assaults by all the parties seem to be disturbingly on the increase. None of the parties are angels, however, including the NDP (sorry).

That said, perhaps I'm idealistic but I don't think you have to be corrupt to survive in today's political system. In fact, I feel that those who exhibit honesty and good values through their actions tend to fare well in the public's eye, but not necessarily in their party's eye.

It just seems like there are few who can resist the temptation of reaping the fruits of corruption... and towing the line of their party. This, plus the media is always playing up the negative which has an effect of distorting perception even further...

Hopefully the honest politician isn't a dying breed.

[Antigonish]

Originally Posted by teddifax

I say $1.5 Billion would go a long way to set up Tidal power in the Bay of Fundy, a renewable resource in OUR control, not subject to anyone else, why not spend the money on that rather than a subsea pipeline carrying power in the control of another province, leaving us to live under their terms.

Precisely. Nova Scotia absolutely can not invest in Muskrat Falls, it would be irresponsible financially and we already know what Emera will do once it's finished, raise rates.