The Great Economy

Sunday, September 25, 2005 03:45 AM

-by Jack deWit

I have to admit I am far from the brightest light bulb in Prince George. Deciphering the figures reported by economic experts, their institutions, and all three levels of government, could best be left to those who make it their profession. However, let me make an attempt at putting it into a perspective that some of us not-so-influential individuals can understand.

Our federal government has told us for the past eight years Canada has been blessed with an annual surplus. Things are great, they say. Furthermore, our Liberal government in B.C. has been bragging of its balanced budgets and how wonderful the economic growth has been. They even claim that the state of the economy has increased the population of our province (it couldn’t have anything to do with the weather, could it?). Colin Kinsley continues to believe that living in Prince George is the next best thing to winning the Super 7 or Lotto 6/49 with its continuous growth in the retail and industrial sectors.

Do you believe it?

All you have to do is check your bank balance and examine your standard of living. I would lay a wager that 80% of us have experienced a much tighter budget over the last ten years or so. Unless you are fortunate and have a good employer, you will have noticed that your take-home pay has increased much less than your expenses, and it’s not because we are purchasing more luxury items. Every necessary staple has made a bigger mark in our budget. The luxury items have increased even more on the expense side of the ledger. Energy prices affect us all, however, the smaller your budget the more the affects are! That holds true for all our purchases.

So how do we combat this unique imbalance of wealth?

The quality of food we eat is lower as we shop for sale items but we attempt to consume all the nutrients we require for a healthy life. We travel less by vehicles and use our foot power, bikes, and horses more frequently (if we are lucky enough to have them). We don’t take in the movies or other entertainment we used to. Golf, what’s that? I haven’t done that for years. We wonder why attendance is down at the Cougar games, but the experts say it is the caliber of the team. We certainly don’t take vacations! We put plastic on our windows to conserve energy. We burn more wood to heat our homes (Colin loves this one!).

Industrial and retail markets may have seen good times lately. Governments have had “great” opportunities to increase their wealth through taxation and user fees. On the other hand, the average wage is at best below what is needed to experience a booming lifestyle.

Well I may have over-exaggerated the issue a little. However, check out some of our seniors and those who have minimum wage jobs and see how they respond. The fact is that what the experts keep telling us about this great economy just doesn’t fit in with our personal lives. It doesn’t matter what social class we fit into, we have all had to make some sacrifices. Those with smaller incomes just notice it much more.

In my view, the larger corporations, particularly in natural resources, communications, finance, and import/export have so much control that we the public are totally left with little or no choice. As Canadians we should have some influence in how our resources are utilized (exploited). Perhaps the nationalization of energy resources would be a good start. We must have a voice in the media. We must have some control of our destiny.

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Posted on Sunday, September 25, 2005 03:45 AM in Views by 250 News

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Comments

Posted by: acrider54 on September 25 2005 6:57 AM

Both governments are lining their pockets and or giving it to their corporate backers. As for a raise....I've had a measely 2% in the last 15 years. Everything goes up in this country and province but wages. So I'll stay home turn down the heat and try to keep warm with extra blankets.

Posted by: acrider54 on September 25 2005 7:00 AM

Another thing....Since our dollar has gone up conciderably, has anyone seen any change in the price of U.S. imported items. I don't think so, retailers are filling their pockets there.

Posted by: gypsy on September 25 2005 7:33 AM

Right on the money Jack!!!!
People are doing with less, and wondering what this struggle is all about with this so called "robust" economy.
Peoples standard of living had to go down. The money just was not coming in to even costs out.
Insurance, city utilities, gas, natural gas, groceries, repairs and maintenance, taxes,repairs to vehicles etc. etc., just name it-and at times the sky seems the limit.
I know this is perhaps an exageration, but I know some people feel desperate!!!!
Of course retailers are trying to stay alive. All their costs are up, and having the goods transported to their outlets have increased, plus all the costs that hit us, hit them also, only on a bigger scale.
Try heating 5000 square feet instead of 1000.
Every other expense they have is higher also.
They simply take, and say "We are not paying," and we appear to be saying "O.K."
Our governments are so willing to cater to the U S. and seem to forget the taxpayers that keep them living the "good life."
Charity begins at home. Before we start handing out to others, should we not make certain our own home is safe and secure???
We have been exploited by the U S and our governments are lily livered, weak knee'd and spineless when they attempt to deal with the abuse of our resources, and due payment not delivered.
What is the answer-as Canadians do not stand up to be counted either!!!
Is it any wonder we are not respected???
Will we ever have any control of our destiny???
Not with our existing attitudes!!!
Both at home, and with the governments we elect.
So if we suffer-ask yourself-
Do we have it coming???

Posted by: Willywozy on September 25 2005 8:15 AM

Well said folks, shame the rest of PG can't or won't speak as you do. I have live in PG for almost half of my life. Why?, well when we bought our place PG was in some sort of a boom. Today we just sold it, and for not much of a profit. Why did we sell?, only because we could without loosing our shirts. PG and the KLAN that run it seem to think of BIG business before the residents that have made it. I feared the cost of heating our home this winter. Being disabled I know I will not get a raise any time soon. And with OUR nat. gas company going south, I can't see it getting any better. How long will it be before BC Hydro is sold to the USA? and why stop there? We have a ton of things the USA would love to own. I can't see the situation getting any better in the future, and only want my family to have what is best, and BC can't or won't give us this.
Where are we going? Well the only province that our Gov. considers Canadian. Ontario!! 22 more sleeps in BC then we can say good-bye.

Posted by: gypsy on September 25 2005 8:40 AM

You are not alone Willy!!
There are many residents who fear the cost of heating their homes will be a heavy drain on their finances.
Buying gas to go to and from work will prove a hardship.
Croceries are hitting home.
Butter at $3.49 plus a pound is just one example.
Cottage chhese, (used to be the garbage) is now $4.98 for a, what I consider, small container. Ridiculous!!!
It is probably not the cheese one is paying for. It is the labor, the container, the shipping, as I do not believe the curds and whey have increased that much. If you like that product, one must stop and make the big decision-can one afford it???
Time to buy oatmeal for a decent breakfast, and forget those expensive cereal boxes, which do not provide the same food value anyhow.
Yes, changes are on the horizon, and if they are not for improvement to bring back a relatively decent standard of living, I believe Canadians will eventually lose the pacifist attitude and become stressed to the point of revolting, and becoming militant.
Something has to give-and when parents see their children suffering for their lack of action-the switch will come on, and they will be turning the tables somehow.
In the meantime-good luck.
May the grass be truly greener on the other side of the fence!!!!

Posted by: Opatcho on September 25 2005 9:11 AM

My wife and I have just lost a $1000.00 in b enifits. Being a retired government employee the Province even cut our benifits that were in our retirement package. We still own our home but I dont know for how long as out taxes and utilities keep going up. We used to love our Province and thought it was the best place in the world to live. But Im begining to wonder what the future will be.
When will we ake up and smell the coffee. As one writer has pointed out perhaps we will become the Middle East of the West.

Posted by: acrider54 on September 25 2005 9:14 AM

Willy I sympathize, yes we are being sold out to the States. BC Hydro has been dismantled for that very purpose. Accenture will soon be run out of a foriegn country where they can lay off BC workers and pay next to nothing for wages. As a matter of fact they have already closed call centers in both PG and Nanaimo laying off former BCH employees. BCTC is set up to sell off to the States in the near future otherwise why would they seperate from BCH and tell us it is still a public owned utility. If so why is not still BCH? You can see the transmission end going to the States and Campbell and buddies will be lining their pockets not the peoples of BC.

Posted by: acrider54 on September 25 2005 9:17 AM

Opatcho, we will soon be the Peons of the north.

Posted by: owl on September 25 2005 12:20 PM

I do not know how many frequently go to Vancouver. I do and have been for most of the time I have spent in PG. I think that is one of the reasons I am still here. I consider it to be able to have the best of both worlds.

The fact is, the economy of this province is strong. The number of hammerhead cranes hovering over the GVRD is till staggering to me. It just does not stop.

For those who do go to Vancouver, have you ever noticed the cars people drive? Have you ever noticed how it is difficult to get seats in restaurants, and if not, how they are virtually operating at capacity?

There is, of course, a flip side to the coin as well. East Hastings is still there and it will continue to be there. That is the nature of an urban centre.

People in Prince George have become hermits. Entertainment venues are poorly attended. Restaurants, other than Earls and Moxies and possibly one or two others, are struggling to get their seats filled. In my opinion it is not because there is no money in PG. It remains a fact that we have close to the highest participation rate in the labour market here since we have a relatively young population. It is, of course, aging. In addition, we still have a higher per capita income than other communities our size and larger. Compared to the same group of urban centres, we have the lowest real estate values. The cost of living in PG is one of the lowest of those urban centres.

My theory is that this town does not want to spend. This town does not keep the money flowing or it keeps it flowing in other places than in PG.

Did you know that movie prices have gone down, as they have across the country? By something like 20%.

As far as imports from the USA??????? fruit and vegetables .... yes...

jeans???? very few are made in the USA ... they are made in China, etc.

Electronics??? cars????
waht exactly is it thst we import from the USA?

California wine ... and comapred to the prices for a VQA bottle from Canada, they are typically less, as are European wines.

This province is booming, it is just that we appear not to be part of the boom, or those people here who are part of it do not want to share it with the rest of the community and isntead spend it elsewhere.

BTW, my trips are not to spend money there, but to bring money into the community by doing consulting work elsewhere. :-)

Posted by: gypsy on September 25 2005 6:05 PM

opatcho-that is NOT fair.
If that money was part of your retirement package, I believe you are entitled to it, and it is damn low that they clawback on money you were dependent on.
People can work for 45 or 50 years, and retire under the false impression they will receive so much a month, plus a small increase occasionally for inflation, so it is natural to budget for that.
So even when you age and receive retirement benefits-you have no real security.
That is not right, nor is it fair.
Is there any way to fight back???
Governments surely do play "dirty pool."
And you are supposed to be able to survive in your so called "golden years."
What a crock that can be???

Posted by: YamaDooPolCat on September 25 2005 11:42 PM

My mom said when it costs five bucks to fill up the car she's going to park it. That was in 1968. She's still driving.
The point is we never really get ahead unless you are Mr. MicroSoft or whatever. We are always going to *** about how things are getting worse, as we live better that our folks did.
Just because you were a government employee doesn't make you immune to the same fate other retire's face.
Some like me do not even have a pension plan, but that's our look out. At least I won't be able to join in the whine about how the pension plan didn't work, ha ha!
Some hard working union carpenters retired and found out the union invested poorly, funny how they can't run a business eh, and have nothing to lean on but worn out bones.
A 45 yr old lady I know just bought her first place in GVRD and pays $1,415 a month for a 565sf condo!
Colin's right, PG is a good place live and a lot better than most places. Better learn to make the most of the time we have left.

Posted by: Chadermando on September 26 2005 2:26 AM

IMO two things need to be done ASAP.

#1 It is no longer affordable to heat your home. Therefore, my solution is for the government to provide relief in the form of allowing for a tax write off for the basic home. A flat rate for renters to write off as a home allowance, and for home owners the full amount paid in interest should be tax deductable as it is in the United States.

Lets level the playing field and maybe Canadians will be able to compete in their home heating costs with Americans.

#2 Canadians can no longer afford to fuel up their vehicles. The government is getting rich off the taxes. Lets give some of it back to our fellow citizens. I propose that primary vehicles should be a tax deduction from your gross yearly income. This fuels the vehicle market, and levels the playing field between the 'haves' (small business owners no matter how frivolous the business), and the 'have nots' (those with out tax accountants to get them the tax deductions for vehicle expenses).

The facts are that the Canadian federal government collected $7.9 Billion more in taxes then it needed in the preceeding three months, and its about time we get at least a little bit of a break on the illegal income tax.

That my opinion and my vote.

Posted by: YamaDooPolCat on September 26 2005 8:11 AM

CHARMANDO - Good one! But you going to create a debt blob that will wobble the economy. Keep working on it I think you are on to something.

Posted by: Opatcho on September 26 2005 9:33 AM

None of us are immune from poor Government policy or ripp-offs. My point is that there are many seniors out there that are affected by by an increased cost of living like my wife and I.
We have more then a lot of older people , we still own our home many have to pay rent which is a costly item.
Yes our province is booming if you measure it by the return on shares in a large corporation. We are following the American model where the rich get richer and the poor get poorer. Until we stop the sale of our infastructure to the Amercans and the flow of profits out of our country we will forever be on the slippery slide to have nots.

Posted by: Chadermando on September 26 2005 9:09 PM

Opatcho, I agree. You have to look no further then the speech David Emerson gave today in the House of Commons.

Emerson said, and I paraphrase, 'Its all about global supply and demand, and Asia has demand growing therefore we have to pay more for the oil to meet demand.'

He neglects to acknowledge that Canada is a net exporter and thus world demand is not our countries strategic concern, rather Canada's strategic concern should be the quality of life of Canadians and our purchasing power to afford our own natural resources like oil and gas.

Is it to much to ask that we only pay a cost plus rather then a cost plus what ever crazy bid is out their in the world from some desperate dictator in the other side of the globe.

Emerson and the Liberals view Canada from the lenses of Power Corp and other multinational corporations who view Canada as a source of multinational wealth as the top priority and this maximization objective sees the rights of Citizens as a secondary concern.

IMO you have to look no further than our appointed head of state who is foreign born, and holds a France Citizenship claiming citizenship to no less then three different countries. IMO its an affront to the idea of Canadian independence.

Then you get the planned 40% increase in immigration so the multinationals can get the work force required of industry. What happens is the immigrants all go to the big cities and vote liberal, while the rural parts of the country are ignored and abused simply as a generator of wealth for the multinationals. The result is a slow erosion of corporate responsibility that coincides with an increase in the cost of government to its citizens which in turn leads to the squeeze on the family, which in turn leads to more immigration to keep the cattle moving and the meaning of citizenship is further diminished as a result.

The End

Posted by: Opatcho on September 27 2005 9:58 AM

Chadermando, you said it all. There were other good coments. So what can we do? The Liberals believe in a Global economy and Harper just loves the Mr Bush. So we have Jack. Nice image wrong history. I liked Mel Hurtig but no one else did. So I guess we will just keep muddeling. Someone once said democracy is not perfect.

Posted by: acrider54 on September 30 2005 6:25 AM

Charmando great comments!