I was really hopefully that the messaging around the carbon tax would have been better, and Canadians would realize most of us earn money overall with the carbon rebates.
I was hoping that could lead us into more Pigouvian taxes to financially encourage people to make better choices. For example, a Pigouvian tax on clothing to reduce our reliance on fast-fashion and encourage consumers to buy more high-quality, long lasting clothes.
I heard lots of stories from my friends who were students in engineering, and there were a lot of f'd up stories about Canadian trained PEs too. The pattern I noticed wasn't where they were trained, but how much they were paid (you get what you pay for).
we're looking for competence, not equivalence. That actually doesn't change the bar, we're still looking for a competent physician, but it broadens the number of people who [can] apply.
I think you're making a lot of assumptions here, many of which I have contentions with.
we had very little moderation in the early days of the internet and social media
It differed from site to site, but in my experience of the Internet in the '90s and '00s, a lot of forums were heavily moderated, and even Facebook was kept pretty clean when I got on it in ~2006/2007.
and yet people didn’t believe the nonsense they saw online,
I fully dispute this. People have always believed hearsay. They're just exposed to more of it through the web instead of it coming verbally from your family, friends, and coworkers.
unlike nowadays were even official news platforms have reported on outright bullshit being made up on social media.
We live in a world of 24-hour news cycles and sensationalization, which has escalated over the past few decades. This often encourages ratings over quality.
Mainstream media has always had problems with fact-check. I'm not trying to attack the news media or anything, I think most reporters do their best and strive to be factual, but they sometimes make mistakes. I can't remember the name of it, but I there's some sort of phenomenon where if you watch a news broadcast, and they talk about a subject you have expertise in, you're likely to find inaccuracies in it, and be more skeptical of the rest of the broadcast.
To me the problem is the godamn algorithm that pushes people into bubbles that reinforce their correct or incorrect views
Polarization is not limited to social media. The news media has become more and more tribal over time. Company that sell products and services have been more likely to present a political world-view.
Overall, I think you're ignoring a lot of other things that have changed over the years. It's not like the only thing that has changed in the world is the algorithmic feed. We are perpetually online now and that's where most people get their news, so it's only natural that would also be their source of disinformation. I think algorithmic feeds that push people into their bubbles is a response to this polarization, not the source of it.
I love your dream, but besides being former Commissioner of the TTC, does Byford have any ties to Ontario? (EDIT Or any signs of having political ambitions?)
I’m not suggesting BC purchase $600 millionbillion in housing all at once. More non-market is a medium/long-term goal. I’m just demonstrating that governments can purchase/build real property at very little cost to their budget, since you’re worried about BC misusing your tax dollars. It “costs” a lot to buy or build property but that is paid for with debt not general funds. That debt is very cheap to finance since governments typically have good credit ratings and the debt secured against assets.
I’m also not sure why you think the government would charge market rates, I never said that.
From your other comments, you seem to want a quick and simple solution to a complex problem that has been growing for decades. I agree that LVT is a good idea and would help but it’s not a solution unto itself. And your ideas about abolishing income tax are right out of the southern states; not exactly the examples we want to follow.
The cost of real property to governments is almost inconsequential. Governments can often get loans against assets at below inflation, and usually well below the increases in real estate market value. There are many cases of municipalities that bought property, then changed their plans and resold that property for a profit, even when factoring in maintenance, legal fees, and borrowing costs.
At last reading, some 25,000 Viennese were on waiting lists with approval times varying between two months and two years.
And the conclusion is:
Vienna’s model does not rescind the law of supply and demand. Vienna was able to keep costs low for many years in large part because demand remained low.
Which I fully agree with. As the report shows, in recent years Vienna has also failed to keep up with demand. Vienna isn't perfect, but if their model is actually followed, and supply scales with demand, then costs can be low.
I really wish people would be civil, and I do believe trans rights are human rights.
The thing that bugs me most is the coach's inappropriate outburst, and the lack of response by PACWEST. I know trans people in sports is a contentious issue, but presumably Harriette is an eligible player. If you don't like the rules, you should get mad at the rule makers, not your opponents. And PACWEST's silence is deafening. From the sounds of it, the coach's actions would have resulted in disciplinary actions if the subject was different.
What three are you talking about?