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1) do people drive to the US that often to buy "everything"? I know for a fact that Toronto is not within 2 hours drive to anywhere in the US, when you account for the gas cost, time spent at the customs, it is usually not worthwhile. Plus, you get a limit of $200 for trip under 24 hours (anything more than that it requires a night in the US). Not to mention you can't buy service in the US.
Ohhh jeez.
I live in Buffalo. This couldn't be more wrong. The amount of people from Niagara / Hamilton / Toronto who shop in Buffalo, fly out of Buffalo airport, or go to Bills / Sabres games is astronomical.
-Roughly 40% of Buffalo Airport Customers are from Southern Ontario
-Roughly 20% of Bills ticket holders are from Southern Ontario
-Roughly 25% of cars at the Walden Galleria Mall are from Southern Ontario
-Roughly 80+% of cars at Niagara Falls Outlets (American side) are from Southern Ontario.
90% of Canada's population lives within 100 miles of the US border.
Yes, if you jack the price of Canadian goods, they will spill into the US to shop where applicable.
I live in Buffalo. This couldn't be more wrong. The amount of people from Niagara / Hamilton / Toronto who shop in Buffalo, fly out of Buffalo airport, or go to Bills / Sabres games is astronomical.
-Roughly 40% of Buffalo Airport Customers are from Southern Ontario
-Roughly 20% of Bills ticket holders are from Southern Ontario
-Roughly 25% of cars at the Walden Galleria Mall are from Southern Ontario
-Roughly 80+% of cars at Niagara Falls Outlets (American side) are from Southern Ontario.
90% of Canada's population lives within 100 miles of the US border.
Yes, if you jack the price of Canadian goods, they will spill into the US to shop where applicable.
that doesn't change the fact that the vast majority of Canadians hardly rely on the US retailers for shopping.
Except for a small number that can really get into the US within an hour, I doubt more than 5% of Canadian visit the US often just to buy things.
The point is, cheaper US prices don't make Canadian cost of living any lower.
that doesn't change the fact that the vast majority of Canadians hardly rely on the US retailers for shopping.
Except for a small number that can really get into the US within an hour, I doubt more than 5% of Canadian visit the US often just to buy things.
The point is, cheaper US prices don't make Canadian cost of living any lower.
What people fail to see is that the average Canadian who come to shop in the U.S. are only coming for certain goods that are marked up, sometimes double in Canada just because of the brand name or they want to buy from stores and brands that are not sold in Canada. They are still going to do the majority of their shopping in Canada. I worked in retail in a local mall that was a hot destination for Canadians during the time period when most American's were flocking to Canada to shop. The shoppers who were interested in things like Prada, Gucci, Coach even lower level brands like Tommy Hilfiger, Ralph Lauren, Calvin Klein, were grabbing up things here because there was a limited supply and only found in places like Toronto, Montreal. They could afford to pay whatever they wanted but they could not always find their sizes or color preference after the first week of release for a season in Canada, so they came here. Retailers loved it because the stock would sell quickly instead of sitting on the rack while American women waited for it to get marked down. Now there are WAY more middle class Canadian shoppers who come to buy clothes, electronics, toys, groceries on sale now, weekends are insane with shoppers. But for the majority, it's a once or twice a year event and they go back home to shop.
I live in Buffalo. This couldn't be more wrong. The amount of people from Niagara / Hamilton / Toronto who shop in Buffalo, fly out of Buffalo airport, or go to Bills / Sabres games is astronomical.
-Roughly 40% of Buffalo Airport Customers are from Southern Ontario
-Roughly 20% of Bills ticket holders are from Southern Ontario
-Roughly 25% of cars at the Walden Galleria Mall are from Southern Ontario
-Roughly 80+% of cars at Niagara Falls Outlets (American side) are from Southern Ontario.
90% of Canada's population lives within 100 miles of the US border.
Yes, if you jack the price of Canadian goods, they will spill into the US to shop where applicable.
Sometimes it doesn't even make sense to drove across town to buy something at a reduced price because of fuel costs, let alone drive a couple of hours to Buffalo. I'm sure there are many Ontarians in there at any given moment, but I am so ready to bet that it's just planned holidays or a very rare shopping trip. Nobody thinks it's worth it to drive several hours and sit at customs, feed themselves, etc. just to pick up some everyday items every now and then. If that happens, it's got to be for several expensive goods or a sports game.
Because Australia is incredibly expensive to live in, so it evens out.. a high minimum wage in Canada would most probably collapse its economy.
Australia incredibly expensive to live in? That's the first I've ever heard of that. Also, why would a high minimum wage in Canada collapse their economy?
Australia incredibly expensive to live in? That's the first I've ever heard of that. Also, why would a high minimum wage in Canada collapse their economy?
Australia is an expensive place in which to live. At least Western Australia, the part that I have visited, is a very expensive place.
Australia incredibly expensive to live in? That's the first I've ever heard of that.
On a global scale, Australia is VERY expensive. Fine, it's not NYC, but not many places are. The major centres are significantly more expensive for all services from housing to food and shopping than most comparable cities in North America.
This "within 100 miles of the US border" saying is misleading. Nearly all of Ontario's border with the US is over water, mostly over the Great Lakes, which have no crossings except at the rivers which connect them. It's not very convenient to travel to the United States for everyday needs, except maybe for people who live right on the border, which are not the majority of people.
Minimum wage is more about ideology than doing anyone any good.
Your theory obvious doesn't fly. Germany has no minimum wage while France's is $14/H, one of the highest in Europe. The French didn't scramble to Germany to buy things.
I don't know why people think high minimum wage is a good thing (implied by the word "enjoy"). Employers respond to higher minimum wage by hiring less, as they are not stupid and will maintain a certain profit margin. Whoever think high minimum wages are protecting the poor working class has been misled.
Also: Australia has a higher average wage than Canada, which partly explains the difference too.
Notice the chart is in PPP, as Australia is more expensive, it means Australia has an even higher nominal $ income.
Are you serious? What?? So you don't mind that increasing numbers of people are working full time, sometimes even two jobs, just to pay their bills. Well I for one DO mind. If you care to review the economic literature on this topic, I would recommend any works by Prof. Richard D. Wolff and many others who have written on this topic.
Here's the gist of their argument: A higher min. wage basically diverts wealth that has been produced away from those with higher incomes, most of whom have a greater propensity to save in favour of poorer people who spend most of their money. Paying poorer people more money tends to reduce turnover at minimum wage jobs which save money for both workers and companies.
A higher minimum wage is kind of forced redistribution of income from those with higher incomes (the winners) to those in the lower strata of society. For example, real per capita productivity has risen 400 percent since 1955 in north america or thereabouts yet most that increase in wealth has accrued to the upper strata of society in the form of higher wages and dividends...the rich own the vast majority of the shares in this society. That's just not fair and certainly not morally defensible and it wouldn't even really impact negatively on economic performance if some of that increase in productivity were recirculated downwards to the poor, as this would enable people to spend this money and create the demand that would then feed into higher employment ...etc. etc. I would immediately raise the minimum income in Toronto to $15.00/hr.
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