From: gld@cunixb.cc.columbia.edu (Gary L Dare)
Subject: Re: Canada Has Pneumonia!
Reply-To: gld@cunixb.cc.columbia.edu (Gary L Dare)
Organization: Curious Goods (formerly Louis Vendredi Antiques)
Date: Sat, 22 Aug 1992 18:28:01 GMT

GCTHORNE@idbsu.idbsu.edu writes:
>
>     I visited Toronto last weekend.  Totally illuminating!
>     Cool phrases on Canadian news channels like:
>
>       " And the Art Museum of Ontario may reopen next year "
>       " with the petitioning of the Toronto Symphony for
>         bankruptcy "
>       " if layoffs continue at their present rate, 1992 will
>         supersede the 1990 all-time record for layoffs "
>
>    11% unemployment!?

Canada normally carries 4-6%, just like European societies.  Hey,
I don't like it either but let's put everything into perspective.

>    $7.40 for two ice teas and fries!?
>    $10 / hour for PARKING!?
>
>     Holy CHRIST!

Yep, it's just as bad as we'd have it in Paris, London, Tokyo,
New York City, San Francisco, L.A., etc.!  Gee, Toronto is a 
major world city, isn't it?

Don't forget that things look higher because the Canadian dollar is
worth less (85 cents US) and a buck is still a buck on this continent.
Also, we run higher interest rates up north so it's not comparable to
what is being seen in the U.S. (heck, I wish I could borrow from the
Fed and then sock it all into a savings account back up north for one
year!).

>    The couple I stayed with:
>
>       " Our property tax was raised 5% this year, but we were lucky,
>         some places it went up 14% "

Canada is like Switzerland in that we pay a lot into maintaining civic
infrastructure.  That's why Toronto looks like it just came out of the
box, all the time ...

>       " Our income tax was raised $20 / week this year "

Please see again my note on higher interest rates in Canada.  But
$20 a week sounds mighty high unless you were staying in Ro$edale
or a Harbourfront condominium ...

>       " Well, the General Sales Tax [ Federal government tax on just
>   about every goddamn thing under the sun ] was raised from 8 % to
>   15 % last year "

What most Canadians can't grasp (besides our real benefits from the
existing Free Trade Agreement) is that the federal sales tax added 
on top of the provincial sales taxes *replaced* a previously hidden
wholesale tax ... as the commercial goes, "So where are the savings?"
That prices remain high are due to retailers and distributors taking a
free price hike during the overnight transition (a very stupid move by
the Tories, but what else is new?), and a baroque distribution system
that is being reconfigured due to market pressures (let's clap for the
invisible hand here).

>      " Can you help us get a job in the States? "

The grass is always greener on the other side ... Amdahl is growing
in Toronto, faster than at its Silicon Valley headquarters (resumes
to Toronto will get an answer, but there are too many local resumes
to go through in The Valley so I'm out of luck there for now).  And
someone was complaining about Nortel pulling up some factories here
in favour of newer ones in Canada.

>      " Our condo has lost about 25% of what we paid for it "

They're lucky they weren't living in New York City like those suckers
who are desperately trying to rent theirs out to keep their heads
above water after their job left town.  If we could afford $1300 rent
rather than $1000, we could take two orders of magnitude leap in our
living conditions (Columbia graduate apartment for two, versus a huge
2 bedroom condo in The Montana on 90th and B'way -- if we get a third
friend, they'll have the 2nd bedroom and the dining room will be our
office).

>   Christ.  Not to mention the GANGS!  It was like being back in L.A.
>   except it was CLEAN!

What kind of gangs?  With guns?  Or is it just the funnily dressed
people up there?  If you weren't listening to the radio, you might
not have found out that British music is very popular up there, and
as a result a lot of the "alternative" styles.  Toronto is a big
business city, but it can be as funky as Greenwich Village.

>       Luckily, everyone has health insurance.  Ulcers are covered.

The health insurance is a redeeming factor.  That there are other
things wrong is not related, since by spending less and getting the
same middle-class care with private doctors and hospitals we must have
done something right there, at least.  If we can curb some of active
government spending (the health insurance is passive and earmarked)
where it's not necessary, everyone would be happy ...

Oh, and FYI ... our federal government is run by Conservatives.
But by our standards, so is Bill Clinton ...

gld
--
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Je me souviens ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Gary L. Dare				Elections 1992-93:
> gld@cunixB.cc.columbia.EDU		* Jean Chretien (Canada)
> gld@cunixc.BITNET			* Perot^H^H^H^H^H Elvis! (USA)
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