Back in 2000, the PC government of Ralph Klein purported to “deregulate” the electricity industry, with the promise that more competition and the free market would provide more choice and better prices for Albertans. But something went wrong. Today, although many power plants have been built and the total installed base of power generation …
Category Archive: Politics
Jan
23
The Decline of America
In Mark Steyn’s recent treatise, After America, he makes the case that American society is doomed unless the people of the United States very rapidly repudiate the social welfare state and expansive federal government that they have voted for repeatedly over the last fifty years. This data, which I found at Zero Hedge, shows …
Jan
18
The City of Calgary shouldn’t waste time on “sustainable food”
The other day on my drive home, Angela Kokott (CHQR 770 drive home show host) interviewed Calgary alderman Giancarlo Carra (Ward 9) about the City of Calgary’s efforts to consider the “Sustainability of the Food Supply”. Carra droned on about the need for the City to have a food plan to make sure that all Calgarians …
Dec
08
There will be no Deus Ex Machina
Tyler Durden at ZeroHedge has provided a link to a very good article at Gold Switzerland: With most of the world’s major economies as well as the financial system bankrupt, there is only one solution that can save the world economy. Like in the Greek tragedies, Deus ex Machina is now the only way that …
Nov
21
Calgary Budget 2012
Calgary city council is currently debating the 2012-2014 budget, and all the news is about whether or not they can maintain a property tax hike of 5%, or will it have to go higher. None of the city councilors seem to think that increasing spending at a rate well above inflation + population growth is …
Nov
18
On Government Spending and Debt
Recently, the discussion in Europe about the need for austerity programs and higher taxes has continued to use the original Euro currency agreement, which allowed governments to run deficits of 3% of GDP. This was foolish from the beginning, but is especially foolish now that the governments of Europe find themselves nearly bankrupt. How does …
Nov
13
Occupy, the Keystone XL non-decision and Mob Rule
In recent days, there has been a number of actions that caused me to piece together something. First, the Occupy movement, which has taken over city squares and parks across North America, is generally a rag-tag band of socialists, communists, anarchists and other people who don’t understand economics. I do not begrudge anyone their …
Nov
01
Let the Greek people vote
The markets in turmoil, and European leaders are crying foul over Papandreiou’s pledge to hold a referendum on the bailout package. Yet the right answer is to let the Greeks vote. Greece gave us democracy and we should honour their rights. All economic actors, whether individuals, corporations or nations, should be free to act in …
Oct
22
On Canadian History in the Schools
My eldest daughter is in the eighth grade, and she is a fairly typical 13 year old. She likes and excels at math, likes to read and enjoys most of her classes. At her school, they long ago merged what were once Grammar, Literature, History and Geography into one giant mess called “Humanities”. While I …
Oct
22
On the “Occupy” Protests
Today on Roy Green’s radio show, he discussed the Occupy protests in New York and other cities, and he had on a caller who argued that (my paraphrase): Our elected representatives should be the People’s representative, not the Corporations’ representatives. The government shouldn’t pass laws that limit individual freedoms. I could agree with that – …