Obama’s Reactionary Jobs Plan
– February 21, 2013
Does it bother anyone else that the president of the United States seems to believe that our collective future entails assembling battery parts in a government-subsidized factory for $9 an hour? Is that really what Americans envision for their kids -- an assembly line? Because when you look past Barack Obama's mesmerizingly hollow rhetoric, what he's proposing is a return of jobs that progress and prosperity have left behind.
Hey, Mitt, Voters Aren't the Obstacle
– September 26, 2012
Voters are not the primary obstacle to reform. Forty-five-year-olds don't rise in revolt because somebody proposes raising the retirement age decades from now. One of the fastest growing federal liabilities is the Social Security disability system. Advocates for the disabled actually criticize the program for not doing more to get recipients back into jobs and off the dole.
The Trials of a Democratic Reformer
– September 13, 2012
Former Los Angeles Lakers Coach Phil Jackson once referred to Sacramento as a "cowtown," but Gloria Romero, a pro-labor Democrat who served as California's Senate majority leader from 2001 to 2008, takes exception to the belittling description. The capitol building in Sacramento, she says, has "the eighth most powerful economy in the world under that dome," and it operates not unlike other wealthy kleptocracies. "There's no other way to say it politely. It's owned."
Why not let Quebec manage its own EI?
– August 28, 2012
PQ Leader Pauline Marois says that if she becomes the next premier of Quebec she will demand that Ottawa transfer jurisdictions to Quebec, starting with employment insurance. In her mind, she wins either way. Ottawa’s agreement makes the “Quebec state” more powerful and readier for independence; Ottawa’s refusal proves that Quebec can never fulfill its legitimate aspirations within Canada.
Ontario's Tories take on the Unions — and It's About Time
– June 29, 2012
Recently the Toronto Star has been entertaining its readers with a series of stories on how work gets done at the Toronto District School Board: $143 to install a pencil sharpener, $2,900 to install an electrical outlet, that kind of thing.
Obama Abandons (Private) Labor
– November 18, 2011
The decision by the Obama administration to "delay" building the Keystone XL pipeline is a watershed moment in American politics. The implication of a policy choice rarely gets more stark than this. Put simply: Why should any blue-collar worker who isn't hooked for life to a public budget vote for Barack Obama next year?
Qantas' Final Destination
– November 1, 2011
Given its current direction, Qantas as an airline brand will most probably disappear. Its likely future is as an owner and manager of franchised other branded airlines. The transition could happen with a comparative speed that may surprise.
We Don’t Have to Surrender to Public-Sector Unions
– October 27, 2011
In the Great Depression, Franklin Roosevelt declared categorically that he would not give government workers the right to strike. “A strike of public employees manifests nothing less than an intention on their part to obstruct the operation of government until their demands are satisfied,” he said.
Revitalizing Manitoba (Updated)
– September 25, 2011
Special Frontier publication authored by Law Professor Bryan Schwartz discussing a variety of topics affecting Manitoba competitiveness, well-being and prosperity that present a practical roadmap towards a less politicized and more successful province.
The Fall of the Midwest Economic Model
– August 22, 2011
President Obama has kicked off a three-day bus tour of Minnesota, Iowa and Illinois, where the corn is high and at least some factories are spewing smoke. He's holding town-hall meetings on the economy, putting the unemployed back to work and "growing wages for everyone." He won these Midwestern states handily in 2008, but he's not taking anything for granted these days. The Midwest is the region with the largest number of target states.
State of the Unions
– July 26, 2011
A statistical snapshot of Canada's union landscape shows declining membership with an overwhelming and growing bias towards the public sector.
Canada's Contract Killer
– July 24, 2011
If there's a distinct link between self-employment and entrepreneurial innovation, the greater the legal and administrative hurdles for entrepreneurs, the greater the obstacles to entrepreneurial creativity and to economic development.
Good Bye Forced Funding of Union Advertising
– July 22, 2011
Paycheque protection legislation which requires that union dues be spent solely on collective bargaining, not partisan politics and advertising is looming on Canada’s policy landscape.
Media Release - Telecommuting and Working at Home in the Emerging Work Environment
– June 24, 2011
Wendell Cox documents the rise of telecommuting and working from home in Canada, arguing that these trends hold the potential to bring substantial economic, social and environmental benefits.
A Welfare State or a Start-Up Nation?
– June 17, 2011
Who you vote for in the next election will largely be determined by how you answer the following question: Should we encourage more productive use of resources or more social welfare?
Who Determines Entrepreneurship?
– June 9, 2011
When self-employed individuals are forced to convert into employees by the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA), individuals lose portions of their freedoms and the Canadian economy suffers.
Can Canada Increase Entrepreneurship?
– June 9, 2011
In doggedly downgrading self-employed individuals to employees, the Canadian Revenue Agency (CRA) is exhibiting a strong bias against entrepreneurship, creating a series of negative consequences for the Canadian economy.
Beware of Politicians Bearing “Green” Gifts
– May 3, 2011
Many activists and politicians promise to improve economic performance through government spending on “green job” creation. Economic theory and empirical evidence from Europe both suggest that such efforts are unlikely to strengthen the economy.
The Environmentalists Need to Stop Crying Wolf
– April 28, 2011
A study released this week concludes that government “green-job” programs aren’t the yellow-brick road to happiness in Europe.
Green Jobs
– April 26, 2011
Many activists and politicians promise to improve economic performance through government spending on “green jobs.” Economic theory and empirical evidence from Europe both suggest that such efforts are unlikely to strengthen the economy. |
