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Monthly Archives: April 2007
Should Women Pay Less Tax?
Economists are always thinking, and nothing gets those brains churning like tax incentives.* Alesina and Ichino recently published an article in the Financial Times arguing that the income tax rate for women should be lower. Download their paper (and brace … Continue reading
Tagged Labour research
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CN profit drops, but don’t worry about that trusty dividend
CN announced today that their profit dropped 10% last quarter, down to a disappointing $324 million. The company said that if it wasn’t for the ongoing strike, profits would be up 10%. But don’t worry shareholders: the company is keeping … Continue reading
Tagged Labour research, The Market!
1 Comment
Banking on short-term memory: the ATM fee debate
Travis Fast Canadian banks are so aristocratic in their attitude that when they are actually forced to defend themselves they always come up sounding flat and disingenuous. To be sure there is no doubt that it costs some money to … Continue reading
Tagged Banking/Credit
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Why small independent businesses should be pro union
The traditional hostility of small independent businesses (SIBs) to unions has never made much sense to me. In short, it seems to be an irrational ideological hostility. Why irrational? Glad you asked. The fact is that most SIBs will never … Continue reading
Posted in Small Business
7 Comments
Thinking of Investing in Canada Post’s Permanent Stamps? Think Again!
Canada Post recently launched it’s permanent stamp. Purchase the stamp now and never have to worry about increases to stamp rates that force you to buy those pesky 1 cent stamps. Thinking of hedging against future stamp price increase by … Continue reading
Tagged The Market!
2 Comments
Government as Payday Lender?
Last November, Manitoba began it’s crackdown on payday loan companies by forcing them to license. The business model is pretty simple: those that live paycheque to paycheque are short some weeks and need to borrow money. The companies in this … Continue reading
Tagged Banking/Credit
5 Comments
North Bay P3 Math
It hasn’t been covered in southern Ontario, but there is an emerging controversy over the cost of a public-private-partnership (P3) arrangement undertaken to expand and manage the North Bay hospital. See the article here. Those following my regular rants on … Continue reading
Posted in Infrastructure
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CN Workers on Strike
Just a couple of quick and dirty facts about the financial health of CN. According to the Report on Business CN is the 34th largest employer in Canada with 21, 540 employees. Their reported revenue per employee was $333,676 and … Continue reading
Tagged Labour research
3 Comments
US Manufacturing and Labour income shares of value added
Travis Fast Over at Relentlessly Progressive Economics (no-affiliation) Erin Weir has commented on the absurdity of Neil Reynolds* proposition that the key to productivity growth in manufacturing is slashing workers. The absurdity lies in the contradiction between short term gains … Continue reading
Tagged Labour research
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When the business lobby (and their economists) do and do not embrace the law of supply and demand
Travis Fast British Columbia and now Alberta have removed restrictions on the employment of teenagers under the age of fifteen. In both cases, it was business lobby groups that demanded, and got, the changes to the provincial labour standards acts. … Continue reading
