“Price gouging” during crises is a sensitive issue. Comments on a recent Huffington Post piece by my colleague Peter McCaffrey illustrate just how angry some people get over the issue. As mean spirited as raising prices to “take advantage” of soaring demand may seem, the case for price increases during natural disasters is incredibly straightfoward.
Year: 2013
Zombie Democracy
The competitive economic gap that existed between Manitoba and its western neighbours at the time of the last provincial election (2011)has grown further, and, just as worrisome, the democracy gap is growing as well.
A Frontier Conversation with The Hon. Edward Schreyer, Premier of Manitoba, 1969-1977
A Conversation on the Frontier with a former Premier of Manitoba from June 25, 2013.
Are we misreading the Arab Spring?
Property rights and a basic commitment to the rule of law would be a part of extending freedom to these countries.
Featured News
Higher Mortgage Hurdles Beat up on Working Class
There is no mystery in why Canada has seen a record-setting housing spike in the past year: negative real interest rates and monetary debasement from federal deficits. Rather than considering fiscal austerity and getting inflation under control, Ottawa has opted to...
The Next Supermodel: Politicians from both right and left could learn from the Nordic countries
Smallish countries are often in the vanguard when it comes to reforming government. In the 1980s Britain was out in the lead, thanks to Thatcherism and privatisation. Tiny Singapore has long been a role model for many reformers. Now the Nordic countries are likely to assume a similar role.
Environment Canada quick off the mark with global warming propaganda
Besides trying to generate good media coverage in the wake of Obama’s climate pronouncements, EC officials are working to soften Canadians up to more costly CO2 regulations to supposedly help stop climate change. 2013 is the year the Conservatives promised oil and gas companies will be hit with new emission rules.
Obama’s Path Toward Energy Poverty: Shoddy science backs damaging policies
In his recent inaugural address, President Barack Obama promoted the use of the least reliable and most expensive sources of energy: wind and solar power. He notes that the transition to these energy sources would be difficult, but he also presented the move as having economic benefits that would support the country’s energy independence. In reality, such a transition would ruin the country’s economy.
Renowned journal Science endorses Keystone pipeline
Opponents of the Keystone pipeline often seem to assume that stopping the project would do something it simply will not: stop oil sands development in Alberta. Fortunately, Science, one of the most respected scientific journals on earth, published an article that put...
Desperately trying to derail Canadian oil sands: Radical activists launch more attacks on oil sands, Keystone pipeline, jobs and revenues
The Alberta-to-Texas pipeline would create more than 5,500 Nebraska jobs during its construction period and support 1,000 permanent jobs through 2030. During the project’s lifetime, KXL would generate $950 million in labor income, $130 million in property, sales and other state and local taxes, and $679 million for the state’s gross domestic product, by bringing Canadian oil sands petroleum to Texas refineries.
The State Tax Reformers: More Governors look to repeal their income taxes.
Washington may be a tax reform wasteland, but out in the states the action is hot and heavy. Nine states—including such fast-growing places as Florida, Tennessee and Texas—currently have no income tax, and the race is on to see which will be the tenth, and perhaps the 11th and 12th.
‘Loonie’ Slips on Oil Patch: Plunging Canadian Crude Prices, Worsening Trade Deficit Pressure the Currency
Canada’s oil reserves helped buoy the country’s currency during four years of financial-market turmoil. Now, those oil supplies, Canada’s biggest export, are becoming a liability for the Canadian dollar, investors said, even as crude prices globally have stayed high.
Beware snap judgments on U.N. climate conferences’ successes or failures – it is more complicated than most people think
The most realistic assessment to appear in main stream media was that published about a week after the conference ended, written by Connie Hedegaard, European commissioner for climate action in the European Commission. She told climate campaigners:
“Yes progress was slow and frustrating, but the main goal was to prepare the ground for the big 2015 talks. Job done.”
How would Canadian Prairie Agri-Business deal with a Dalton Minimum Repeat?
Ray Garnett analyzes recent data and discusses the role that solar activity plays in shaping summer climates in the Prairie Provinces.