Economics
Homeless Outreach
Carmichael Outreach sent me a press release. I like to pass those along for interesting events, so here it is. {I was also tickled that a little ol’ blogger like…
Econ 101 is killing America – Salon.com
Econ 101 is killing America – Salon.com. Salon.com In the Middle Ages, people looked to the Church for certainty. In today’s complex, market-based economies, they look to the field of…
The deeper reasons for the “war on drugs”
There is a deeper reason for the war on drugs, which is the central reason for the policy, even outweighing profits from private prisons and seizure of property by law…
Mining Magnate calls for end of growth economy
Ross Beaty Read this surprising Sept. 22 Vancouver Sun guest op-ed from one of Canada’s top mining tycoons, Ross Beaty, arguing for the end of growth and a new focus…
BC LNG: The Real Story – exclusive series, presentations all this week
British Columbians have been hearing a lot of glowing rhetoric from their political leaders about the economic promise of building a new liquefied natural gas (LNG) industry. We’ve heard that…
Pennsylvania’s fracking boom goes bust
Fracking operation in southwestern Pennsylvania (photo: Mark Schmerling) Read this Sept. 12 story from Philly.com describing how Pennsylvania’s fracking boom is going bust. Meanwhile, The Common Sense Canadian reported recently…
Know your branches of economics
This comic does in one cartoon what the first chapter of Debt, the First 5000 Years does (pretty well) in one chapter. Alltop is a macro-humor generator.
No flood insurance without better maps, factoring in climate change
Calgary’s flooded Bow River on June 22 OTTAWA – Insurance executives say homeowners will never have access to comprehensive flood insurance in Canada unless there are new maps of flood-prone…
Climate Change is the ultimate ‘Moral Hazard’
Former US Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan Moral Hazard, Part 1: The Cost of Risk and Reward One of the factors compromising our prospects for a stable and secure environmental…
Got PTSD?
September 12, 2013 PTSD, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, is thankfully becoming less stigmatized due to increased awareness, but like most mental health issues, there stigma that prevents open discussion about…
Massive power bill increases due to Liberals’ failed IPP scheme
BC Energy Minister Bill Bennett (photo: CP) I told you so! My colleague Damien Gillis told you so! Independent economist Erik Andersen told you so! The Campbell/Clark government has taken…
‘Massive’ rate increase coming for BC Hydro customers, leaked documents show
Read this Sept. 11 story from The Vancouver Sun, confirming what The Common Sense Canadian has been predicting for years: massive rate hikes for BC Hydro customers due to the…
With all this Oil and ‘Energy Security’, where’s the Money?
Prime Minister Stephen Harper, discussing trade on a visit to China (Sean Kilpatrick/CP) Ask yourself this: why, if Canada has the third largest proven oil reserves in the world, is…
Untangling the Temporary Foreign Worker Knot
Banks as predators? Surely, no! Temporary foreign workers have become a lightning-rod topic in Canadian labour in recent months with the high-profile news of the Royal Bank of Canada replacing…
Why does BC Hydro get their demand forecasts so wrong?
BC Hydro’s $8 Billion proposed Site C Dam – artist’s rendering Energy Minister Bill Bennett has invited citizens to review and presumably submit thoughts about the recently released BC Hydro…
Fraser Institute rakes in foreign funding
Read this Aug. 30 story from The Vancouver Observer on the $4.3 million in foreign funding accepted since 2000 by BC’s right-wing think tank, The Fraser Institute. Unlike environmental groups,…
Chemical Weapons in Syria? Merely a Pretext [Iran, Shhh.]
” It’s the Economy, Stupid.” If you think you know why Syria is happening , you’re probably missing a number of the elements at play. Don’t expect western governments or…