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The Progressive Economics Forum: Public Policy and Homelessness: The Case of Calgary

Feb

22

2017

Over at the web site of the Calgary Homeless Foundation, I’ve written a blog post titled “Public Policy and Homelessness: The Case of Calgary.” Points raised in the blog post include the following: -Calgary experienced explosive growth in the size of its homeless population from the mid-1990s until 2008. -Though causation is hard to establish, ...

The Progressive Economics Forum: Poverty Reduction in Alberta

Feb

17

2017

Over at the web site of the Calgary Homeless Foundation, I’m co-author of a blog post titled “Poverty Reduction in Alberta.” Points raised in the blog post include the following: -The NDP government of Premier Rachel Notley has undertaken important poverty-reduction initiatives since forming a government in 2015. -Alberta (relative to other provinces) has a ...

The Progressive Economics Forum: Social Housing in BC, AB and QC (1975-2015)

Feb

1

2017

Over at the web site of the Calgary Homeless Foundation is a transcript of a recent discussion I had with Dr. Maroine Bendaoud. His recently-defended PhD thesis looks at social housing in BC, Alberta and Quebec from 1975 until 2015. Points raised in his thesis include he following: -After Canada’s federal government stopped funding new ...

The Cracked Crystal Ball II: Changing Education Curriculum

Jan

28

2017

The Alberta Government kicked off a major review and overhaul of the province's school curricula in June of 2016. Given that large tracts of the curricula haven't been reviewed or changed in a very long time, this seems to be a perfectly reasonable task for any government to undertake. The current curriculum used by students ...

The Cracked Crystal Ball II: Changing Education Curriculum

Jan

28

2017

The Alberta Government kicked off a major review and overhaul of the province's school curricula in June of 2016. Given that large tracts of the curricula haven't been reviewed or changed in a very long time, this seems to be a perfectly reasonable task for any government to undertake. The current curriculum used by students ...

Alberta Politics: Alberta’s right doubtless dismayed as The Economist boots the U.S.A. off its list of ‘full democracies’

Jan

26

2017

PHOTOS: Democracy has been downgraded in the U.S.A. … (Azerbaijan Press Agency photo). Below: A recent copy of The Economist, U.S. President Donald Trump and Wildrose Alliance Leader Danielle Smith in her political heyday. Hmmm… The venerable Economist Magazine’s research arm yesterday booted the United States off its list of “full democracies,” demoting Ronald Reagan’s ...

Accidental Deliberations: Wednesday Morning Links

Jan

18

2017

Miscellaneous material for your mid-week reading. – The Star argues that a crackdown on tax evasion and avoidance is a crucial first step in reining in inequality. Susan Delacourt wonders when, if ever, Chrystia Freeland’s apparent interest in inequality will show up in her role in government. And Vanmala Subramaniam reminds us why the cause ...

Views from the Beltline: Pipelines, good-looking liberals and Hanoi Jane

Jan

13

2017

Jane Fonda is unhappy with our prime minister. She has announced that “we shouldn’t be fooled by good-looking liberals.” Rachel Notley says Fonda doesn’t know what she’s talking about. I’m with Rachel. Ms. Fonda, an ardent environmentalist, believes that by supporting pipelines, Prime Minister Trudeau “has betrayed every one of the things that he committed ...

Views from the Beltline: Pipelines, good-looking liberals and Hanoi Jane

Jan

13

2017

Jane Fonda is unhappy with our prime minister. She has announced that “we shouldn’t be fooled by good-looking liberals.” Rachel Notley says Fonda doesn’t know what she’s talking about. I’m with Rachel. Ms. Fonda, an ardent environmentalist, believes that by supporting pipelines, Prime Minister Trudeau “has betrayed every one of the things that he committed ...

Dead Wild Roses: Sexism Alive and Well in 2016 – as its always been.

Dec

5

2016

I would like to thank a recent commenter here on DWR for the placement of a tidy swarm of bees squarely in my bonnet. The honour, of course, goes to Godless Cranium for this nugget of wisdom shared on a previous thread: “And I’m not saying sexism doesn’t exist or doesn’t play a factor sometimes, ...

The Progressive Economics Forum: Enumerating Homeless Persons

Dec

1

2016

Over at the web site of the Calgary Homeless Foundation, I’ve written a blog post titled “Ten things to know about Canadian attempts to count homeless persons through Point-in-Time Counts.” Points I raise in the post include the following: -Efforts to enumerate homeless persons in Canada often have mixed objectives. In part, an attempt is ...

The Progressive Economics Forum: Calgary Homeless Foundation’s Research Agenda

Nov

10

2016

The Calgary Homeless Foundation (CHF) has just released its updated Research Agenda (which I co-authored). CHF is a non-governmental organization that disburses funding to non-profit organizations in Calgary to help persons experiencing homelessness. Our Research Agenda is a bit like an annual report (except it typically comes out once very two years). The following points ...

The Progressive Economics Forum: Do Calgary and Edmonton need more power and resources?

Nov

3

2016

Over at the web site of the Calgary Homeless Foundation, I’ve written a blog post titled “Do Calgary and Edmonton need more power and resources?” The blog post comes as the Government of Alberta considers the possibility of, well, giving more power and sources to both Calgary and Edmonton. Points raised in the blog post ...

Saskboy's Abandoned Stuff: Wall Took Money From Who?

Nov

1

2016

Who has the Saskatchewan Party accepted donations from? The UofR, City of Regina, Regina Public Library, etc. Most of the cash came from oil companies such as Crescent Point, Cenovus, Encana and PennWest, though the Canadian Energy Pipeline Association, the Canadian Western Bank and construction company PCL also contributed. …The NDP last year campaigned on getting big ...

The Progressive Economics Forum: Guaranteed Annual Income

Sep

30

2016

Over at the web site of the Calgary Homeless Foundation, I’ve written a blog post titled “Ten things to know about Canada’s guaranteed annual income debate.” Points raised in the blog post include the following: -There are people and groups on both the left and right of the political spectrum who favour a Guaranteed Annual ...

Montreal Simon: Scottish Independence and Some Lessons For Alberta

Sep

21

2016

Last Sunday was the second anniversary of Scotland's independence referendum, which as you may know, was for me a day of great disappointment.And one I'll always remember.But I haven't dared even mention the anniversary when talking to my family in the Scottish highlands, because for them it's a day best forgotten.They don't want to talk about it. ...

Carbon49 – Sustainability for Canadian businesses: Canadians Prefer Businesses with Green Vehicles

Sep

20

2016

Should your company cars and long distance fleets go green? 90% of Canadians believe businesses should reduce transportation related emissions and 82% feel having an environmentally friendly fleet is an important factor when choosing vendors. I look at the findings to see if turning your fleet green may make business sense. Commissioned by Bullfrog Power ...

Accidental Deliberations: New column day

Sep

15

2016

Here, following up on my earlier column on racism in Saskatchewan with a look at the lessons we can learn from responses to similar issues in Alberta and the U.S. (And no, “do nothing” still isn’t an acceptable answer.) For further reading…– Jesse and Julia Lipscombe’s #MakeItAwkward campaign site is here. And Jason Markusoff’s interview ...

The Progressive Economics Forum: Canada’s National Housing Strategy Consultations

Sep

8

2016

Over at the web site of the Calgary Homeless Foundation, I’ve written a blog post about Canada’s National Housing Strategy consultations. The link to the blog post is here. Points raised in the blog post include the following: -In Canada, public social spending as a percentage of our GDP is well below the OECD average. ...

Accidental Deliberations: Monday Morning Links

Aug

22

2016

Miscellaneous material to start your week. – Martin Jacques writes about the inescapable failings of neoliberalism, along with the question of what alternative will come next: (B)y historical standards, the neoliberal era has not had a particularly good track record. The most dynamic period of postwar western growth was that between the end of the ...

Saskboy's Abandoned Stuff: Alberta

Aug

14

2016

I spent the last week touring around Alberta. Gull Lake Campground, Dinosaur Provincial Park then Drumheller. Stettler, Camrose, Wetaskawin’s Reynolds Museum, and WEM.

Accidental Deliberations: Friday Morning Links

Aug

5

2016

Assorted content to end your week. – Melisa Foster points out why millennials should be strongly interested in a national pharmacare program: Today, young Canadians are searching for jobs in an economy with high levels of precarious employment, unemployment or underemployment. According to a recent Statistics Canada labour force survey, approximately 39% of workers 15 ...

Accidental Deliberations: Tuesday Afternoon Links

Jul

12

2016

This and that for your Tuesday reading. – David Dayen highlights the treatment of workers as the most fundamental difference between Scandinavian countries which have achieved both prosperity and social justice, and the U.S. and others which have sacrificed the latter for false promises of the former: But societies make choices at a more elemental ...

The Progressive Economics Forum: How to Solve a Problem like Internal Trade Barriers?

Jul

5

2016

The updated agreement on internal trade, which had been moving along nicely, has hit a snag. Negotiators had wanted to open up all government procurement (meaning, not allowing any preferential treatment for local contractors). Alberta has asked to be allowed to require 20% local employment in government procurement. The other feature that is particularly troublesome is ...

daveberta.ca – Alberta Politics: What President Obama said about Canada, Alberta and Climate Change

Jul

4

2016

During his address to the Canadian Parliament on June 29, 2016, United States President Barack Obama singled out Alberta as a leader in the fight against climate change. Here is the excerpt from his speech where he spoke about climate change:… Continue Reading →