Jeffrey Aho

We now have another Conservative minority. Dion will be gone (and Garth Turner!). We’ve added Garneau and Trudeau. I think that things are finally heading in a good direction for the country and the Liberal Party.

I’d like to list a few requests for change that I’d like to see occur over the next few administrations. Some are more provocative than others and I’d love to hear your thoughts on them.

Eliminate the Penny: The penny costs almost as much to produce as its fiat value. Rising commodity prices mean we are just throwing away capital. We should head the way Australia did and leave the nickel as the smallest currency denomination.

Legalize Marijuana: The costs of enforcing the currently criminalized drug use is absurd and creates a black market. Legalize, regulate, and tax like tobacco. We’ll be better off and people won’t have overbearing criminal records for a relatively harmless activity.

Suffrage for 16+ Years of Age: Current suffrage ages are arbitrary, as is the selection of 16, but I see no disadvantage in extending it. We allow consensual sexual relations and driver’s licenses at that age, why not the vote?

Eliminate the Tiered Minimum Wage: I’m pragmatic enough to know we can’t eliminate the minimum wage all together, but there should not be tiers as there are for youth and liquor servers. I do hope that the laws remain under the provincial governments. A national minimum wage is absurd and does not factor the differential cost of living in different regions.

Legalize Prostitution: A current black market exists resulting from a law trying to impose one view of morality. I would like to see, along with legalization, a form of brothel system similar to Nevada where workers can be safe, tested regularly, and properly taxed on their income.

Tax shift from Income to Consumption Taxes: Gradually phased in, hopefully with any income, capital gains/corporate taxes and estate taxes eliminated. I think it is misguided to cut gas taxes and the GST (as Harper has proposed and done, respectfully) and I do believe a “Green shift” to Carbon taxes over income taxes is needed.

A Two-Tier Health Care System: I’m not saying that people opting to be part of the private services should pay reduced taxes, but it should be their freedom to spend their money on private in Canada service. Too many situations exist where people just head to the US for services where it could be done here. Hopefully it will result in a reduction of the public system’s burden.

Elimination of Tariffs: We need to embrace free trade and stop squabbling over little clauses in NAFTA. The only use for tariffs should be for economic sanctions or national defense as determined by the Government.

Senate Term Limits: I believe 8-year term limits is a good suggestion. I haven’t made up my mind if the Senate should be appointed, elected or abolished, but I do believe in term limits. When a government wins consecutive governments, there should be a shift of power in the Senate. I will emphasize my support for regional representation in the Upper House.

Eliminate Agricultural Subsidies: It causes too much distortions in the market and doesn’t encourage free trade. Protectionalist policies need to end. Subsidies for any field are misguided distortions.

Those are a few items that come to mind. I also am not a fan of Employment Equity/Affirmative Action (believing it to be based on racism). I don’t see it likely that it will change soon. I would love to see us try to implement Education Vouchers, but I feel that that may be a little radical. I strongly feel that any of these actions is a step in the right direction; incremental steps may be all we need.

Currently Listening to: What a Catch, Donnie – Fall Out Boy

Random Wikipedia Article: Fingerstyle Guitar

While it seems that my comment on Mike’s post about him making pumpkin pie has disappeared, I decided to fire back with a Butter Tart post (BTW, I know Tartmaker doesn’t really keep with his Pushing Daisies reference).

Above you can see the collected ingredients and supplies. Between the lard, butter, maple syrup, and brown sugar you can get the impression that these aren’t the healtiest thing to eat.

Here’s the pastry dough. Off to the fridge to cool!

Now to roll out thin and cut out circles for the shell. Remember to flour the surfaces to keep from sticking!

Fit the dough circles into the baking tray. Once again off to the fridge to cool!

Whisk the filling ingredients…almost all butter and sugar (Brown and Maple Syrup).

Fill the tarts and into the oven they go. (Okay, I screwed up a little. 5 mins after I put them in and as I was putting away ingrediants I noticed I forgot the golden raisins and pecans. I threw them in quickly and I think they turned out fine.)

And there it is. Tastes great. I think that if I were to make them again I would make more dough and have a higher tart with crimped walls.

Currently Listening to: A Clockwork Orange – Anthony Burgess

Random Wikipedia Article – Ride of the Valkyries

Well, the Conservative Party has finally decided to release a platform with one week left in the campaign and after advanced polls (at least in TBay-SupNor) have already occurred. The Liberal Party platform has been out for several weeks and the NDP platform shortly after. I’m just going to cherry pick on the issues that I care about, and while I read the Green Platform, nothing stood out as being of interest to me. You can read the Globe and Mail’s comparison, which includes the Greens and the Bloc.

The Economy is the top issue for me. Flat out: I’m a fan of the Liberal’s Green Shift. Shifting the tax burden from income to consumption taxes is a great idea. The environmental benefit is secondary for me as it is solid economics. There are provisions in it for corporate tax incentives to improve manufacturing efficiency, and items that address rural issues. Read the whole thing. The only thing that I dislike is the little cap-and-trade measures that I believe are useless. My views have been influenced by Prof. Mankiw, who advocates Pigovian taxes, and discussed the Green Shift with the Ottawa Citizen. To note, I believe that the option of a federal deficit should be open to address the economic crisis.

Now, as the Globe and Mail notes, the Conservative Platform document is “a slim, glossy, 41-page booklet printed in huge blue font and includes 22 colour photos of Mr. Harper.” The things that stick out in the platform for the economy is reducing excise taxes on diesel and aviation fuel. As seen above, I prefer income tax cuts over cutting excise taxes. Other than that, I see nothing bad on the economic policy. I think the Liberal policy, along with Dion’s announced action plan, is better than the Conservative plan. The NDP come in third with policies that will crush industry with raising corporate tax is a possible recession, and a federal minimum wage, despite my objections with minimum wages, also ignores regional differences.

Now, I would love to have seen some more interesting topics. Harper raises the senate issue, though with one week left there isn’t really time to debate. I support an appointed, term limited (e.g. 8 year senate terms, one reappointment?), and regional representation senate. Parliamentary reform would have been a good issue to discuss, but it’s too late now. Legalization, regulation, and taxation of marijuana and prostitution could have been great domestic issues. Lower age of majority (e.g. 16) would have been great to see, and I always love the elimination of the penny like Australia.

Finally, a shoot-out to FiveThirtyEight.com, which is my favourite site on the US Election. Go Obama/Biden! Oh, and apparently it is impossible to get a copy of the Economist in TBay.

Currently Listening to: 2nd US Presidential Debate.

Random Wikipedia Link: Franklin Gothic