More Stories To Read

I've been doing a lot of reading online and in newspapers. In doing so, I find all kinds of interesting stories some of which I want to let you know about. 

WILL CITIES FAVOUR TOLL ROADS 

It really should be interesting if politicians will support toll roads themselves or will their civil servants effectively be the ones who will suggest strongly that the roads are introduced with no other real alternative.   

I'm not sure that politicians necessarily want taxpayers to pay the costs. They may try to impose fees instead on the users of the highway rather than having taxpayers pay for the road using their taxes.  Take a look at this story about what may happen in Toronto: 

"Toronto studying road toll technology for Gardiner, DVP

A consultant will look at various road pricing scenarios for the Gardiner and Don Valley Parkway.   

Road tolls being studied would be designed to recover the estimated $2.5 billion cost of rebuilding the east end of the Gardiner Expressway, and potentially reducing congestion and raising money for other infrastructure projects.  

Politicians, including Toronto’s mayor, don’t like them. But the prohibitive cost of rebuilding the east end of the Gardiner Expressway means the city is moving forward on a study of road tolls... 

The tolls, which would be a tough sell on city council, would be designed to recover the estimated $2.5 billion cost of rebuilding the east end of the Gardiner and potentially reducing congestion and raising money for other infrastructure projects. 

A mayor’s spokeswoman reiterated Tuesday that John Tory doesn’t particularly like the idea. 

“A broader discussion around new ways of raising revenue will begin in April when the city manager presents his long-term financial plan. Road and congestion pricing will almost certainly be part of that as one item on a long list of possibilities,” said Keerthana.  

“The mayor does not wish to pre-empt that discussion but his views on road tolls are well documented: it would not be his preferred way to pay for road infrastructure,” she said."  ( Tess Kalinowski, Toronto Star, Mar 15 2016 ) [NOTE: problem opening Star websites now.  Will make a link later]

HOW TO GET LOW HOUSE INSURANCE RATES 

Here's a very interesting story that you ought to go and read for yourself about how to obtain a low price for House insurance rates: 

"Home Insurance Savings Guide: 21 Things That Impact Your Rate

Save money. Compare your rates 

Your home is probably your biggest investment and the best protection for that investment is home insurance. Your home insurance policy is basically broken down into two main components: coverage for your property (e.g. the home itself, your contents and possessions) and liability (e.g. if someone slips and falls on your stairs and they sue you for lost wages). There are varying levels of coverage from the very basic to comprehensive, and the more protection you have the more you'll pay in premiums. 

But what specifically affects your home insurance rate? As you make your house your home, we break down some of the things that may influence the rate you pay for your home insurance coverage." 

Go out and check the Kanetix.ca website to find out some very interesting information. Just go here to do so ( https://www.kanetix.ca/home-insurance-savings-guide?utm_source=Kanetix.ca&utm_campaign=436f5b9649-MY_KX_March_NL_03_15_2016&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_74fcb583d3-436f5b9649-122899297 )

Their website also shows stories about "Tips for preventing water damage" and "Fire prevention tips."  Speaking about fire, the website claims that there were about 24,000 house fires per year across Canada. 

PROBLEMS FOR SENIORS ARE STARTING TO GROW 

There is no doubt at all that if people are living longer to a much older age than before, then we are going to see a lot of new medical problems arising. If those problems are to be solved, they will require big dollars to do so because new approaches will have to be found and new equipment purchased. Yet, at the same time, we're spending lots of money to deal with present medical needs while at the same time are cutting back funds for a number of medical needs in general and especially for hospital costs. 

How many times have we seen that money for hospitals are being cut back significantly? Yet, there are also new approaches that require funds to be found for them to be introduced to help out patients especially older ones because people are living longer.  

Will private funds be the solution to some of these problems: 

"A new report from the Ontario Chamber of Commerce says the province needs to tap into the private sector and take a serious look at how to deal with changing demographics. 

It found nearly four in five Ontarians are worried our health-care system isn’t sustainable. 

The number of seniors in the province is projected to double in the next 20 years. Although health spending is nearly half the provincial budget, it’s not increasing with inflation or growing to meet needs of an aging population, according to the report. 

The report outlines several key challenges facing Ontario’s health-care system: an aging demographic suffering from chronic illnesses, unsustainable growth in costs, a disjointed system where knowledge isn’t always shared and a growing life and sciences sector lacking investment." (Carolyn Thompson, Windsor Star, March 15, 2016)  

DOES ANYONE REALLY KNOW WHAT OUR UNEMPLOYMENT NUMBERS ARE 

Frankly, I just find this all very confusing. I don't really remember people telling us that the Federal Government unemployment information may not be right. It just seems to come when Windsor's data seemed more positive. 

It appeared as if Windsor's unemployment rate dropped so that it did not have the worst rate in Canada again. Well, when you read this, it could be that this information was not correct at all: 

"Economists disagree on true meaning of Windsor's jobless rate

Statistical fluke or the result of increased manufacturing exports 

As the latest unemployment figures rolled in Friday, Windsor shed its title of being the unemployment capital of Canada. 

The southern Ontario city has long held the top spot on the country's jobless list, so it's no surprise city officials celebrated when Windsor recorded a 7.7 per cent unemployment rate. 

That figure is down from the 9.3 per cent rate reported last month. But there are differing opinions about what the numbers mean.

One economist calls the drop a statistical fluke, while another says Windsor is finally reaping the benefits of increased manufacturing exports. 

Economist Mike Moffat says he doesn't want to be "Dr. Buzzkill," but he cautions officials about celebrating just yet because of the small survey sample that Statistics Canada uses to come up with the monthly unemployment rates. 

"We'll need to wait a few months to find out whether or not this is real," he told CBC News. "Almost always when there's a sudden, unexplained changed in a city's employment figures it reverses itself in a few months." (CBC News Mar 12, 2016)  

That theory doesn't sit right with economist Ian Lee, associate professor at Sprott School of Business. He "respectfully" disagrees with Moffat, suggesting that Windsor is finally reaping the benefits of a low Canadian dollar and rising manufacturing exports." 

I just don't get it. Here we have conflicting statements about Windsor. Is this really the way we function with the statistical information? I don't remember anybody talking about this when our rates kept on increasing making us the number one unemployment city Canada. The negative point of view seems to have come out when Windsor's information looks positive.