The American dream is alive and well — in Canada

National Post ^ | 11/21/2012 | Jesse Kline

[SeekAndFind]

Speaking at an event in Burlington, Ont., on Monday, Liberal Senator Art Eggleton warned the audience about the growing level of income inequality in Canada.

“I think our future level of prosperity depends on us addressing our current level of poverty,” he said. And who would disagree? Most people would prefer not to live in a society where people suffer in poverty. But, he continued, “I think in the income inequality context we are able to reach out to a much larger part of the population, who see the unfairness in the way we are going and the danger in the way we are going, both to our social fabric and the vigour of our economy.”

To back up his case, he cited statistics saying that in 1980, the average CEO’s salary was 40 times greater than the average worker, but that number has jumped to 189 times today. OK, but so what? If my neighbour has 189 times more money than I do (which he probably does), that does not mean that I’m doing badly. Measuring your success relatively to someone else’s can only ever show which one of you two is better off. The issue that should be on the minds of everyone — poor and rich, Occupier or Tea Partier alike — is whether our poor have enough to not just survive, but live comfortably. In the vast majority of cases, that’s so.

Looking beyond the material needs of the poor, what really matters is income mobility: How easy it is for people to better their lot in life by moving up the economic ladder, and whether the structure that’s in place creates a permanent underclass of destitute citizens. And the answer is good news:

[SeekAndFind]

The Fraser Institute examined Statistics Canada data on groups of people over five, 10 and 19 year periods. In all the time periods, those in the lowest income bracket experienced the highest degree of income mobility.

Between 1990 and 2009, 87% of those in the bottom 20% of income earners moved into a higher income group; 21% managed to move all the way up to the top 20% of earners. The average salaries of people at the bottom increased by 635% over that same period of time.

[Buckeye McFrog]

Again going to prove that there are fewer rings around Saturn than the ones Stephen Harper could run around Obama when it comes to understanding economics.

[gettinolder]

Drove back up through British Columbia catching a ferry boat back home to Southeast Alaska arriving yesterday.

From what I observed, based on freight movement including semi trucks, trains, logging trucks and supercargo ships anchored in Prince Rupert Canada is kicking our butts.

Logging, Agriculture, Retail and Infrastructure all appear healthy and vibrant.

I will say however, that their finer trivia's such as the public libraries I observed were old and out of date..../s

[Squawk 8888]

Canada Ping!