Canada’s proximity to the US is a blessing and a curse. They’re an amazing trading partner and close ally, but they also have quadruple the capital and can easily pay workers more. I don’t think we can compete with worker pay scales, so I think we have to offer people a better life in general.
Unfortunately, the cost of living crisis is putting a bit of a downer on that front, and cuts to healthcare are a two-for-one deal with Canadian health professionals moving to the US for better pay and the remaining Canadians receiving worse healthcare due to worker shortage.
Money money money money.
I left Canada for America in 1999, riding that pre-y2k boom. I stayed for about 5 years.
To be clear, I gladly chose to make less money and move back.
I submit that there’s, oh, so fucking much more to calculate than fucking stinking lucre.
I also submit that the people who leave for raw unadulterated greed above all other things can fucking go. Canada is an objectively happier country on the list despite our lower raw dollar wage numbers.
If people figure that out, like I think I did, it’s very cool to come back. Doesn’t make news headlines though.
Now, offer a chance to go live in a country objectively happier than us and I’d consider it.
I don’t usually agree with the CD Howe Institute, but
Other circumstances, however, are well within Canadian policy makers’ scope. Canadian living standards are stagnating. Weak capital investment is hurting productivity and incomes. Canadian businesses tend to stay small. Canadian governments rely relatively heavily on personal income taxes, with high rates that apply at relatively low income levels
isn’t wrong.
The problem is, the Howe institute isn’t going to look at the logical alternative, which is punitive taxation on non-productive wealth, like real estate, finance and, well, cash hoarding in general.
They’re sooooo close, though.
