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Admittedly illegal immigrants is a big problem for the US, but US residents are better off with them considering the low cost services they are providing.
With respect to language, we adapt to the environment. When people around your speak Spanish or Chinese, you learn them. Nobody says the US has to be English speaking. It is not even the official language. I think Angolophones are too used to speaking their native language and seeing foreigners struggle with it. Things change, some US States are not even Caucasian majority any more, and this will continue to happen. The spaniards have way more kids than the White, I can see what the US will be like in 50 years, especially in the West, the South and large cities.
So, what do you think Canada will be like in 50 years?
I think Vancouver and Toronto are the most expensive cities to live in North America, yes, more expensive than New York!
I'm not really sure about Vancouver being the most expensive (think San Francisco, for example), but I do think Vancouver is more expensive than NYC. I live in NYC and visited Vancouver many times. Wanted to move there some time ago, but settled for Seattle, instead. Don't think I'll able to make it in Vancouver. The salaries just don't support the lifestyle and the cost of living.
Canada may not have all those 'illegal immigrants thinking we have to adapt to their language and their bull' but in New Brunswick, we DO have the French. (Now don't blast me about being racist about French people, my sister in law is French, and my cousin married a Quebecer.)
As a former New Brunswick resident, I can speak with some authority on how the French speaking residents promoted an official second language there. While outside looking in it may appear 'progressive', it wasn't in many respects. It cost NB a fortune to convert every single road sign and all public places with new signage with both languages. That barely scrapes the surface of the conversion. Then came the added requirement that you have to speak and write both languages to get a job in the government. This required current employees to 'upgrade' their second language skills at another cost to the taxpayers and ruled out anyone out of school that didn't have French as their major. It also ruled out 3/4's of native NBer's. Instead, we got an influx of Quebecers to come and take the best paying jobs in the province because they 'qualified' with their fluent French and very poor English skills. NB has a high unemployment rate as it is, and is not a wealthy province like ON or AB.
Am I unhappy about this? You bet. Do I personally have a vendetta against the French? No. I do not. But I am resentful of the negative changes that have taken place in NB because of some of the poor choices the government made in pressure to a minority.
I could go on the changes in the schools, about the pressure on all parents for their children to have the second language so they can even get a job. About CSR's and how hard they are to understand - just like the ones in India. Or the rudeness. Or how some native NBer's are resentful of these changes and how this has divided the province on a local level in some areas. But I won't. I've said enough.
Thank you for listening to my rant. I think I will go garden now.
(Note; I have lived in Carleton County, Charlotte County and Fredericton itself, including having worked in the government over a 17 year time frame.)
You make it sound as though the French speakers in New Brunswick are johnny-come-latelys and their language some recent importation, when in fact both were there long before the anglos.
Bilingualism in New Brunswick is all about righting historical wrongs, and not about people moving to an established English-speaking place and expecting everyone to bow to the language of the newcomers.
Pardon me. Perhaps I didn't state my opinion very well. Perhaps this wasn't the place for that.
"Let's civilly state our preferences and not-so-favorite components of each country." as quoted from the first post in US vs. Canada pros and cons. The comment by KickAssArmyChick touched a nerve. I guess my real problem is with how the government handled bilingualism. Perhaps it would have been better if it had be in another manner and less intrusive. Both sides of our families still live in NB, so we still hear a lot about it. I have nieces, nephews and grandchildren in the school system there.
In response to Acajack, you are right. They were there first. However, just because the Indians were here first in the US doesn't mean we needed to have their language as an official language. They certainly didn't get that right in NB, even though they preceded the Acadians. (Search 'Acadians' in Wikipedia for a history. They get my sympathy vote.)
As far as 'bilingualism righting historical wrongs', that may be true to a small extent. IMO, it had more to do with economics and politics. But that's just my opinion.
Again, my apologies. I didn't wish to offend, just state an opinion.
In response to Acajack, you are right. They were there first. However, just because the Indians were here first in the US doesn't mean we needed to have their language as an official language. They certainly didn't get that right in NB, even though they preceded the Acadians. (Search 'Acadians' in Wikipedia for a history. They get my sympathy vote.)
(...)
Again, my apologies. I didn't wish to offend, just state an opinion.
I wasn't offended, and I am actually a supporter of native language rights. Unfortunately, in most parts of North America native languages are too far gone and not even spoken by the majority of the members of the various aboriginal groups (with a few exceptions like Cree and Inuktitut in Canada, Navajo in the SW US).
But just because aboriginal languages can't in most cases be revived doesn't mean something shouldn't be done for languages like Acadian French that were/are still spoken by most everyone in that community.
So, what do you think Canada will be like in 50 years?
Instead of being dominated by Hispanics, Canada will definitely see a much larger presence of Chinese, Korean and Indians. Look at some parts of Vancouver like Richmond. The entire city becomes chinatown.
On the other hand, this is the only way Canada can continue to exist. For every 3 white Canadians who die, only one baby is born. I won't be surprised to see Caucasians cease to be the majority in major Canadian cities such as Vancouver and Toronto in a few decades.
Instead of being dominated by Hispanics, Canada will definitely see a much larger presence of Chinese, Korean and Indians. Look at some parts of Vancouver like Richmond. The entire city becomes chinatown.
On the other hand, this is the only way Canada can continue to exist. For every 3 white Canadians who die, only one baby is born. I won't be surprised to see Caucasians cease to be the majority in major Canadian cities such as Vancouver and Toronto in a few decades.
There are some good qualities, but my point was it is not a bargain to live in Toronto compared to NY. If you immigrate to Canada you can live there for 5 years, and you don't have to pay any taxes on your worldwide income, so if you have a large investment income outside Canada it might be a good option.
I have never lived in Toronto (I would love to live there and Montreal sometime). 10th Ave and what street? with that money you can get a very good place at Upper West Side or Brooklyn. Why does he need parking in NY? You don't need a car in the city.
Toronto is not a bargain, Salaries are far lower than NY, taxes are higher in Toronto (NY has one of the highest taxes in the whole US and they are still lower than Toronto), everything in Toronto costs about 10 to 50% more: internet, cable, phone, clothes, electronic stuff, etc. So a person living in NY who has the same salary as someone in Toronto is better off.
Do you know Manhattan as well =as you 'know' Toronto? He has a bargain for what he pays in the area esp since he lives in a modern building with a doorman. He needs parking as he DRIVES to work in NJ. So YES you do need a car in the city.. depending on where you work. Some people DO have cars in the city for weekend getaways. I did when I lived in the city.87
AS FOR TAXES:
Income tax for NYC residents is 7.85 for State (rate for people making between 20k-200k) plus 3.15 (or 3.20 if making over 90k) for city income tax. So in effect that is 11% plus Federal rate (34k to 171k of income is taxed at 25%)
Federal rate for Canada is 15% on first 40,726, 22% on next 40,726 , 26% on next 44,812. Ontario is 9.15% on income of 36,849-73,698.
So on income of 75k USD and 75k CAD:
Ontario resident 6109+7549 (Federal) + 6862 (Province) = 20520 tax
NYC resident 18750 (federal) + 5888 (state) + 2362 (city) = 27000
NY resident, outside of NYC 18750 (Federal) + 5888 (State) = 24638
New Yorkers are taxed higher, not counting deductions. A resident of Toronto pays lower taxes and this includes health cover.
Quote:
Originally Posted by dmnari
I think Vancouver and Toronto are the most expensive cities to live in North America, yes, more expensive than New York!
Last edited by minibrings; 10-14-2009 at 08:01 PM..
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