Chasing Beaver

Stimulus Packages Around The World

Share Of Energy From Renewable Resources

[source]

Sunday Reading

CEO Pay Rewards What Was Going To Happen Anyway
Refusing To Play Dead For Big Banks, Warren Gives Fellow Senators 17 Chances To Put Consumers First
Scott Walker Does Not Respect Democracy
Stock Buybacks Are Soaring To Record Levels - And Cory Booker Wants To Stop It
Neoliberalism: How Seeing Markets As Perfect Turned Into An Ideology Justifying Crony Capitalism
Republicans Say They Favor Free Markets. Yeah, Right.
Across 20,000 Pages, The Pursuit Of Foxconn Unfolds
Wisconsin Supreme Court Candidate Screnock Says He Wouldn't Hear Cases About Legislative Maps
Foxconn Deal Gets Even Worse
Hundreds Of Canadian Doctors Demand Lower Salaries (Yes, Lower.)
Larry Summers Makes The Case For A Governmental Bailout Of The American Heartland
America Is Giving Away The $30 Billion Medical Marijuana Industry
Why Is California Rebuilding In Fire Country? Because You're Paying For It

Americans Voters Defy Reason

[source]

Many of us Canadians are confused by the U.S. midterm elections. 

Consider, right now in America, corporate profits are at record highs, the country's adding 200,000 jobs per month, unemployment is below 6%, U.S. gross national product growth is the best of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) countries. 

The dollar is at its strongest levels in years, the stock market is near record highs, gasoline prices are falling, there's no inflation, interest rates are the lowest in 30 years, U.S. oil imports are declining, U.S. oil production is rapidly increasing, the deficit is rapidly declining, and the wealthy are still making astonishing amounts of money. America is leading the world once again and respected internationally — in sharp contrast to the Bush years. Obama brought soldiers home from Iraq and killed Osama bin Laden. 

So, Americans vote for the party that got you into the mess that Obama just dug you out of? This defies reason. 

When you are done with Obama, could you send him our way? 

Richard Brunt
Victoria, British Columbia

Put That In Your Pipeline & Smoke It

We're broke.  We're drowning in debt. We must sacrifice.

We don't have money for living wages, improved transportation infrastructure, or green energy projects.

But we have - seemingly unlimited - money for continuing tax breaks for the wealthy, corporate giveaways, continued building of new roads to nowhere, and billions for filthy energy sources.

To help the already heavily subsidized fossil fuel industry, we (along with TransCanada) are now planning on building a pipeline to deliver crude from Canada down to the Gulf Coast.

"There will be jobs!"

Indeed. But not nearly the amount the boosters claim.

And, wouldn't green infrastructure jobs be a better investment for the future of the U.S.? Wouldn't such a green investment place the U.S. and our industries in a better competitive position? Couldn't such a green initiative be the leap forward (which the U.S. needs) to positioning America as an attractive place to live and work versus our global competitors?

We can continue subsidizing old, obsolete industries and maintain our steady downward spiral into insignificance. The other option is to actually put our money where our mouth is by building sustainable, efficient infrastructure and assuring the relevance of the U.S. into the next century.

For Further Reading:
Economic Value Of Green Infrastructure
Dirty Oil From Canada To Texas
Green Infrastructure
Green Water Infrastructure
Pipeline Bad For Environment

Weekend Reading

Are Doctors Leaving Canada to Practice in the U.S.?

Beastly Numbers

In and Out of School

In Defense of Canada

Obesity Balloons Health Care Costs

The Truth About Health Care: Government Works

Would Tort Reform Equate to Cost Control?

Your Commute is Killing You

How U.S Health Care Compares Internationally