Why Canadian Cities Should Look to Phoenix
– November 7, 2012
Residents of Canadian cities constantly hear rumours of shady dealings between municipal politicians and developers. The only way to prevent against this is to remove politicians from day to day operations – just like the City of Phoenix, Arizona, has done.
Evaluating the McGuinty Legacy: The Good and the Bad
– October 26, 2012
Dalton McGuinty has had as much of an impact on public policy in Ontario as virtually any of his predecessors. This article summarizes the best and the worst decisions he made as premier.
Micro-Targeting Alberta Electorate Obscures Economic Questions
– April 23, 2012
The on-going Alberta election campaign is focused on micro-targeted policies rather than matters that affect the long term economic prosperity of Alberta, such as strengthened property rights and a fully functioning water license market.
Alberta Dividends Could Restrain Government Spending
– April 20, 2012
Alberta’s Wildrose plan to pay out energy dividends may bring some structure to the provinces random spending, and may result in greater savings for Albertans.
Co-operation Win-Win for Unions, Taxpayers
– March 7, 2012
Winnipeg City Council should be applauded for dipping its toes into the waters of real reform. Under managed competition, a system that allows management and unions an opportunity to cut costs and improve services before the city considers going to competitive bidding.
City Can’t Be Its Own Watchdog
– January 9, 2012
Recent sewage spills into the Red River could have been prevented if the utility was privately-owned as it would have actually faced fines, instead of a slap on the wrist.
Removing Socialism From the NDP
– June 23, 2011
Beyond the political implications of modernizing its image, removing old ideological baggage from its party constitution would help the NDP enter the world of smart policies.
Ending a Century of Parking Problems
– June 8, 2011
Rather than use flat hourly rates for parking, Canadian cities need to set price according to demand, as technology is increasingly allowing this to happen.
Diversity in Governance: A New Deal for Cities (Part 3 of 8)
– January 30, 2011
Manitoba must adopt a new deal with its cities which is reflected in provincial legislation and changed attitude on the part of provincial leaders.
Municipal Amalgamation ... Where’s the problem?
– December 31, 2010
New Zealanders still have time to correct problems with municipal amalgamation that have been identified in large amalgamated Canadian municipalities.
How to Kill Traffic Congestion
– August 11, 2010
Traffic in Canada could be more evenly spread out during the day the roads more efficiently—if market pricing was used.
Your Taxes: Code for 'Collateral Damage'
– April 19, 2010
Taxes have their place—but there are plenty of harmful unintended consequences when imposed improperly.
Ten Wishes For Ted Morton
– January 19, 2010
Alberta has the chance to do some spectacularly good things for the province and the country because of its latest cabinet shuffle.
Transforming Manitoba
– January 16, 2010
Manitoba’s old style public sector model has placed the province firmly outside of western Canada's mainstream.
Spending Rule a Long-term Solution to Spending Woes
– December 17, 2009
Saskatchewan should look to adopt a quasi-constitutional convention that limits the growth in expenditure to population growth plus inflation.
Municipal Governments Best in West
– December 9, 2009
A look at why British Columbian Municipalities performed well in the 2009 Local Government Performance Index.
Two Useful Questions About That $50,000 Raise
– November 29, 2009
Public sector management can expect fair market remuneration; however their pay should be linked to performance. In the case of Regina city manager Glen Davies his $50,000 per year increase would be easier to swallow if the city adopted better and more transparent performance measurements.
Seeing Through a Glass Darkly--At City Hall
– November 15, 2009
Saskatchewan residents could have real issues to vote on if their cities reported their performance more transparently.
Bringing Taxi Regulation out of the Dark (Ages)
– September 15, 2009
Taxi regulation is almost unique in Canada because it controls the price and quantity supplied to market, rather than just the quality or safety. This approach creates quasi-monopolies at the expense of the public and of drivers.
How About a New Coalition—To Dump the Bloc’s Subsidies
– August 13, 2009
The Tories, Liberals and NDP should work together to end political party subsidies for all parties—a sensible policy clearly now in their favour but not the Bloc’s. |
