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3 ways America should be more like Canada

#301
::::BASSIST:::: said:
I am from Vancouver Canada and I can add a couple things. Keep in mind these are generalizations from my point of view.

1. yes, our smaller population makes it easier to thrive... it assists us in having a better education system, healthcare system and ultimately better standard of living compared to most other countries in the world. If you look at the top countries in the world, the majority of them have a smaller population which helps tremendously.

2. The US pays lower taxes almost exclusively across the board than Canada. People hate taxes but hey if you want good stuff you gotta pay for it.

3. Comparatively speaking Vancouver hasnt really been hurt from the recession... at least from what I've seen. Some parts of the US are really hurting. Vancouver has not felt it nearly as bad.

4. The US education system needs a major overhaul. Your teachers are under paid (raise the taxes!) and your children are under-educated. I was talking with a friend's sister and she did not even know what a resume is and she is almost finished grade 12 and will soon be entering the work place. She said she was never taught that at school. Up here we have a mandatory course in high school called Planning 10 where students learn how to write a resume, cover letter, how to read a pay cheque, what deductions are, what a budget is, the basics of investment, exploring career options etc etc. She said high schools where she was from dont teach that. To me that stuff is essential.

YMMV / IMHO etc
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generalizations,...you bet...accurate...nope.....while vancouver thrives due to things like proximity to pacific rim nations climate,it is dense in population comparative to the rest of the country......most of the country lives within a short drive from a border of around 3000 miles.....canada gets away without paying for the defense of that and all it's other borders ,courtesy of the american taxpayer,which allows for a lot of that social spending....but while some areas thrive others have been devastated by lost manufacturing sectors and fishing etc....

your view on social programs seems to omit the reality of massive amounts of debt ......to sustain that level is no longer an option..while your daughter is learning budgeting in class i find it ironic that dad cannot seem to extrapolate the same reasoning to the big national picture......try looking at the actual numbers instead of the rosy view of the ocean.....
 
#305
::::BASSIST:::: said:
They treat them as 'pets'. A couple years ago we had a family immigrate from an Eastern European country (cant remember which one) with a little girl who is autistic. They said in their home country children with a brain difference are treated as pets. Fed, bathed etc but kept home with next to zero effort to develop the child. They specifically came to Canada so their daughter could have a chance for a better life.
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I can't help but think it's expensive to provide for these children. And with a limited ROI providing for those with a future seems to make better sense.
 
#308
will33 said:
Basically. There is the NEA (national education agency) but cirriculum can vary some from state to state.

The companies that publish the textbooks are big, national companies though, so they don't want to publish 50 versions that may vary somewhat. They'd rather publish one big run for everybody, so, the larger the state, the more effect you can have on what ends up in the book. Of course then, various political views end up influencing things.
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Actually, that used to be true but now curriculum can vary a bit from district to district within some states due to print-on-site. My wife has been telling me how more and more of their curriculum, which is "compiled" by a 3rd party company, is then licensed to be printed by the school not as purchased workbooks and such. It's like a licensed PDF where they can subtract or add/edit sections.
 
#309
BawanaRik said:
Or provide for your own needs. When my dog required spinal surgery I bite the bullet and paid. I am amazed at how many people wouldn't be willing to do the same for their kids.
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my point....time was they would....now it is expected that others will.....and for some things fine....but we have created a whole culture of dependency on government where every need must be addressed.....canada actually has or had an immigration policy specifically designed to bring aging family members of immigrants here and thereby cover their costs with public money..........people that advocate that sort of thing love to crow about how "progressive" we are but forget that others,who may be struggling themselves, have to give up half of their wages to pay for it all....a lot of them live on the west coast....
 
#310
Jim Campbell said:
my point....time was they would....now it is expected that others will.....and for some things fine....but we have created a whole culture of dependency on government where every need must be addressed.....canada actually has or had an immigration policy specifically designed to bring aging family members of immigrants here and thereby cover their costs with public money..........people that advocate that sort of thing love to crow about how "progressive" we are but forget that others,who may be struggling themselves, have to give up half of their wages to pay for it all....a lot of them live on the west coast....
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I think most of the world has gotten smarter than this. It's my understanding that applying for need based assistance will result in having a visa revoked in most of Europe.
 
#312
will33 said:
Basically. There is the NEA (national education agency) but cirriculum can vary some from state to state.

The companies that publish the textbooks are big, national companies though, so they don't want to publish 50 versions that may vary somewhat. They'd rather publish one big run for everybody, so, the larger the state, the more effect you can have on what ends up in the book. Of course then, various political views end up influencing things.
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The NEA is the teachers' union, and while they certainly advocate and lobby, they do not directly create policy.

BawanaRik said:
I think most of the world has gotten smarter than this. It's my understanding that applying for need based assistance will result in having a visa revoked in most of Europe.
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This is one of those times when some sort of source would be helpful.
 
#317
Jim Campbell said:
my point....time was they would....now it is expected that others will.....and for some things fine....but we have created a whole culture of dependency on government where every need must be addressed.....canada actually has or had an immigration policy specifically designed to bring aging family members of immigrants here and thereby cover their costs with public money..........people that advocate that sort of thing love to crow about how "progressive" we are but forget that others,who may be struggling themselves, have to give up half of their wages to pay for it all....a lot of them live on the west coast....
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There's no such thing as a free lunch. I wonder how that group in the Rockies is getting along.

Taggart Transcontinental is doing an IPO soon.
 
#319
BawanaRik said:
There's no such thing as a free lunch. I wonder how that group in the Rockies is getting along.

Taggart Transcontinental is doing an IPO soon.
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here there are a lot of people who are convinced that there is a free lunch.....it's like when you are five and go to a restaurant......the kid doesn't quite understand that dad has to pay on the way out....unfortunately a lot of those folks never quite made the connection.....
 

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