The Official 2017 Provincial Election Thread

[Mr.HappySilp]

Originally Posted by MarkyMark

You make less than 60k a year and you saved up for an apartment how? What was your rent during these years of saving, how much was your apartment? What was your down payment? How long did it take? Did anyone else contribute or was it all you?

Need the info pal

How? Easy
-Live with parents. Pay utilities, Cable/TV, grocery and some other stuff that's around 750 to 900 monthly.
-Cell phone bill $60
-bus pass $124 monthly
-entertainment $150 to 200 monthly

that's all the spending I generally have every month. Bonus and Overtime income goes into vacation funds.

That's what I pay now. When my sister still lives at home the Utilities and the other stuff is share between us. Parents cover the rest property tax insurance etc etc...... They also rent the basement so that helps.

When I was younger (in the mid to late 20s). I didn't have to pay so there were a lot of savings. Since I work graveyard for a long time it actually helps to save since when people go out I will be working and too tired to go out on my days off. So you could say during my 20's I save a ton.

I know lot's of people who save a lot than me and able to purchase much bigger place. Is a trade off really. Enjoy life and rent or save hard and have a bit of a life. Is your choice.

[quasi]

So a couple of items on that list, get rid of MSP cutting about 440 million a year in premiums and reforming the electoral system moving the financial burden from contributors to the tax payer? I'm curious what the plan is to fund this stuff, is there one?

[jasonturbo]

Originally Posted by quasi

So a couple of items on that list, get rid of MSP cutting about 440 million a year in premiums and reforming the electrical system moving the financial burden from contributors to the tax payer? I'm curious what the plan is to fund this stuff, is there one?

The plan is more debt.. followed by more taxes.

[Bouncing Bettys]

Living with parents is an optional privilege fewer and fewer have available as the housing market and cost of living worsens. I'm sure many people would gladly move in with their parents if the option where there. Governments should not rely on this as a way to address the issues at hand and parents should not have to take on that burden as policy.

[Liquid_o2]

Originally Posted by Mr.HappySilp

How? Easy
-Live with parents. Pay utilities, Cable/TV, grocery and some other stuff that's around 750 to 900 monthly.
-Cell phone bill $60
-bus pass $124 monthly
-entertainment $150 to 200 monthly

that's all the spending I generally have every month. Bonus and Overtime income goes into vacation funds.

Nice and easy when you can live with your parents for $1,000 a month total.

How about for people in their late 20's or early 30's who don't have the ability to live with their parents for various reasons? Some people's parents aren't local, or they don't have the room, or the desire to have their kids living at home. Or maybe their kids are married and don't want to live with their parents in their 30's? Not everyone has the situation that you described. So easy, why doesn't everyone do it. Thinking your way is completely closed minded.

[MarkyMark]

Originally Posted by Mr.HappySilp

How? Easy
-Live with parents. Pay utilities, Cable/TV, grocery and some other stuff that's around 750 to 900 monthly.
-Cell phone bill $60
-bus pass $124 monthly
-entertainment $150 to 200 monthly

that's all the spending I generally have every month. Bonus and Overtime income goes into vacation funds.

That's what I pay now. When my sister still lives at home the Utilities and the other stuff is share between us. Parents cover the rest property tax insurance etc etc...... They also rent the basement so that helps.

When I was younger (in the mid to late 20s). I didn't have to pay so there were a lot of savings. Since I work graveyard for a long time it actually helps to save since when people go out I will be working and too tired to go out on my days off. So you could say during my 20's I save a ton.

I know lot's of people who save a lot than me and able to purchase much bigger place. Is a trade off really. Enjoy life and rent or save hard and have a bit of a life. Is your choice.

Pretty much what I expected. So to those who don't have the option to live with their parents they can all get fucked I suppose?

[inv4zn]

Originally Posted by quasi

So a couple of items on that list, get rid of MSP cutting about 440 million a year in premiums and reforming the electrical system moving the financial burden from contributors to the tax payer? I'm curious what the plan is to fund this stuff, is there one?

I struggled with this a bit, but here's my opinion.

Every year rates have gone up for MSP, citing rising health care costs and blah blah.

Now suddenly, election year, the new plan was to get rid of MSP premiums (the liberals campaigned on this too, but it was a 50% cut to gradually get rid of completely).

So wtf, unless health care costs suddenly plunged, the remaining alternative was that the money was always there, and rate increases went to other things. This, coupled with constant news of Liberal's corruption, really makes you wonder.

They accept corporate "donations", cut corporate taxes and regulations, then raise costs for citizens saying there's no money.

I, did not flourish under liberal rule. All my adult life was under liberal reign, and not having experienced the alternative first-hand, the liberals are looking pretty shitty right now. I'm not some entitled SJW bitching about everything - I like to think I fall in the demographic that's hit hardest: I'm 29 years old, about to get married soon, pulling in 65K, and I haaate the liberals. Yes, I choose to live here and all that other jazz, but that's not to say things aren't fucked up a little bit.

I remain cautiously optimistic about BC under new leadership, and if the NDP/Green fuck things up as they apparently did 20 years ago, well then I'll change my vote next time.

Or get the fuck out, I donno.

[Jmac]

Originally Posted by Mr.HappySilp

How? Easy
-Live with parents. Pay utilities, Cable/TV, grocery and some other stuff that's around 750 to 900 monthly.
-Cell phone bill $60
-bus pass $124 monthly
-entertainment $150 to 200 monthly

that's all the spending I generally have every month. Bonus and Overtime income goes into vacation funds.

That's what I pay now. When my sister still lives at home the Utilities and the other stuff is share between us. Parents cover the rest property tax insurance etc etc...... They also rent the basement so that helps.

When I was younger (in the mid to late 20s). I didn't have to pay so there were a lot of savings. Since I work graveyard for a long time it actually helps to save since when people go out I will be working and too tired to go out on my days off. So you could say during my 20's I save a ton.

I know lot's of people who save a lot than me and able to purchase much bigger place. Is a trade off really. Enjoy life and rent or save hard and have a bit of a life. Is your choice.

Good on your parents for doing that for you, but your situation is unavailable as an option to the vast majority of people. Most parents can't afford to support their children payment-free for a decade after high school and many who can won't.

[CivicBlues]

Originally Posted by Jmac

Good on your parents for doing that for you, but your situation is unavailable as an option to the vast majority of people. Most parents can't afford to support their children payment-free for a decade after high school and many who can won't.

Actually, the option to stay at home into your 30s is most available to Asians, much more so for 0-1st generation immigrants, which going by Mr. Happyslip's postings, he falls into.

And you wonder why each and every condo pre-sale is filled with black-haired devils

[Jmac]

Originally Posted by quasi

So a couple of items on that list, get rid of MSP cutting about 440 million a year in premiums and reforming the electoral system moving the financial burden from contributors to the tax payer? I'm curious what the plan is to fund this stuff, is there one?

If you go by the NDP's proposed budget estimates (from their absolutely brutal-to-read-through platform):

- End Clark's tax cut from the top 2% will save $125M in partial year 2017/18, $250M for 2018/19 and 2019/20
- Increase tax on corporate profits by 1 point will increase revenue by $125M in 2017/18, $250M for 2018/19 and 2019/20
- Empty housing speculation tax will increase revenue by $100M in 2017/18, $200M for 2018/19 and 2019/20
- Eliminate Clark's LNG Fantasy Fund will save $120M in 2017/18, $190M in 2018/19 and 2019/20
- Federal government's carbon price mandate will increase revenue by $140M in 2019/20
- Cleaning up BC Liberal waste and growing the economy will increase revenue by $60M in 2017/18, $260M in 2018/19, and $360M in 2019/20

Yes, these are literally the words from the NDP platform for those who haven't had the displeasure of slogging through 118 pages of it.

[inv4zn]

^on paper, to me at least, those sound reasonable and almost like common sense.

I also like how they called it the Clark Fantasy Fund lol

[Ch28]

Originally Posted by Liquid_o2

This has nothing to do with differentiating themselves from the pack or doing more than the status quo. The argument that people didn't put in the work to get ahead is the biggest bullshit excuse, and it always comes from people who have a stable job and own a home.

What about all the kids who came out of universities over the past 5 years and are now establishing themselves? Or the ones who are coming out of school just now? Are there the right jobs for them in this market? Does Metro Vancouver have a well diversified economy that provides jobs that pay enough for people to make rent or buy a starter condo near their place of employment? Do people have good work/life balances?

Easy to spout off a throne that your family and your friends are doing great.

[Jmac]

Originally Posted by inv4zn

^on paper, to me at least, those sound reasonable and almost like common sense.

I also like how they called it the Clark Fantasy Fund lol

It's just too much focus on Christy Clark and the Liberals to stand over 118 pages, at least for me.

Just from that one sub-section:

Responsible and fair revenue and savings
We will make the following revenue and savings measures to pay for our
platform commitments:
›› We will end Christy Clark’s billion dollar tax cut for the wealthy. In 2015,
Christy Clark eliminated the top income tax bracket for incomes over
$150,000. We will reverse this tax cut, generating revenue of $250
million each year.
›› We will increase the general corporate income tax by one percentage
point, from 11 per cent to 12 per cent. British Columbia will still have the
third lowest general corporate income tax rate in Canada. We will reduce
the small business tax rate to 2.0 per cent from 2.5 per cent, as shown in
Budget 2017.
›› We will tax speculation in our housing market. People who buy property
in BC but don’t live or work here and leave their property empty will be
charged a two per cent tax on speculation, with optional municipality
participation. All revenue collected will go into our BC Housing
Affordability Fund.
›› We will eliminate Clark’s bogus $500 million LNG Fantasy Fund. Christy
Clark has not collected a single penny from LNG. Instead, in 2016 she
raised your fees and put that money into her LNG Fantasy Fund. We
will give that money back. We will take the $500 million from the LNG
Fantasy Fund and apply it directly to eliminating the tolls on the Port
Mann bridge and Golden Ears bridge, as we work with mayors to find a
fair and equitable solution for all regions over the long term.
›› We will increase the carbon tax in accordance with the federal
government’s carbon pricing mandate. Revenue raised from the
carbon tax will go directly to providing families a climate rebate cheque
and investing in climate solutions that reduce carbon pollution and
create jobs.
›› We will redirect BC Liberal waste and partisan government spending to
programs that matter, like education and healthcare. We believe there
is a lot to be gained by reviewing how Christy Clark’s spending benefits
the wealthy and well connected. For example, we will review oil and gas
subsidies, eliminate partisan government advertising, end patronage
positions like Gordon Wilson’s LNG sales gig, ground Air Christy, achieve
administrative savings from eliminating MSP, and implement a fraud
and tax avoidance task force. We will protect vital services and programs
through any review.
›› We will also grow the economy and generate additional tax revenue by
building schools, hospitals, roads, housing and transit. The econometric
study that supports our capital plan estimates that for every dollar
spent on public infrastructure $0.29 is recovered in additional provincial
tax revenue.

[Mr.HappySilp]

That's just me but there are others who came to Vancouver who are able to start from 0 to getting their own place. Maybe instead of working one full time job take another part time? Maybe volunteer to work on holidays to get holiday pay?

As I mention earlier the family that rents the basement most likely make less than 80k a year yet after 5 to 6 years the save enough to purchase a townhome with 3 kids. Yea the dad works 3 jobs at least and goes out collecting cans and bottles as well. Sometimes you have to do things you hate to get where you want to go. He doesn't have a choice. He got 3 kids and parents to take care of oversea. Is just sad when people complain about not being able to afford a place while going to into Starbucks getting a latte.

I am very lucky to have my parents' support. I always like to think how much people are willing sacrifice their lifestyle to save? Not too many I bet are willing to change. I see two side of the spectrum. I see friends who already purchase multi units working 7 days 2 to 3 jobs constantly. Sure they don't get to enjoy life now but when they retire or decided to sell they are going to be the one smiling. I also have friends who live pay cheque to pay cheque, going out for dinner every week, leasing cars that doesn't fit their income all for the glory on FB/Wechat, buying new clothes weekly but puts nothing into saving or RRSP. When shit hits the fan they are going to be one crying. I don't know I always feel like how or what you do/act now will affect your future and there is one to blame but yourself.

A lot of pre-sales now are actually international students or people who already got citizenship and have parents overseas helping to pay. Is funny someone bring this up I went to the inspection last weekend and there were like 5 to 6 groups of people there waiting to do inspection as well. All are black hair and speaks mandarin. One of them is actually an agent coz the buyer she works with isn't in Vancouver so she is doing the inspection.

From NDP's proposed budget all I see is tax increase. I don't see any benefit for myself or the mass population. The rich will have a way evade tax the corporate will just pass the tax along down to us. Empty housing speculation tax lol. How do you define if a house is empty? One month? Six month? A year. How will you even target if the house is empty? By BC hydro? They didn't cut their grass? Also what if it is a vacation home? How about I put it in the market to rent but put a price that no one will ever rent it. is that consider empty? What if I have renters but I keep rejecting them coz they didn't meet my expectation. So many loopholes and so many unanswered questions.

[Jmac]

Originally Posted by Mr.HappySilp

That's just me but there are others who came to Vancouver who are able to start from 0 to getting their own place. Maybe instead of working one full time job take another part time? Maybe volunteer to work on holidays to get holiday pay?

As I mention earlier the family that rents the basement most likely make less than 80k a year yet after 5 to 6 years the save enough to purchase a townhome with 3 kids. Yea the dad works 3 jobs at least and goes out collecting cans and bottles as well. Sometimes you have to do things you hate to get where you want to go. He doesn't have a choice. He got 3 kids and parents to take care of oversea. Is just sad when people complain about not being able to afford a place while going to into Starbucks getting a latte.

I am very lucky to have my parents' support. I always like to think how much people are willing sacrifice their lifestyle to save? Not too many I bet are willing to change. I see two side of the spectrum. I see friends who already purchase multi units working 7 days 2 to 3 jobs constantly. Sure they don't get to enjoy life now but when they retire or decided to sell they are going to be the one smiling. I also have friends who live pay cheque to pay cheque, going out for dinner every week, leasing cars that doesn't fit their income all for the glory on FB/Wechat, buying new clothes weekly but puts nothing into saving or RRSP. When shit hits the fan they are going to be one crying. I don't know I always feel like how or what you do/act now will affect your future and there is one to blame but yourself.

A lot of pre-sales now are actually international students or people who already got citizenship and have parents overseas helping to pay. Is funny someone bring this up I went to the inspection last weekend and there were like 5 to 6 groups of people there waiting to do inspection as well. All are black hair and speaks mandarin. One of them is actually an agent coz the buyer she works with isn't in Vancouver so she is doing the inspection.

From NDP's proposed budget all I see is tax increase. I don't see any benefit for myself or the mass population. The rich will have a way evade tax the corporate will just pass the tax along down to us. Empty housing speculation tax lol. How do you define if a house is empty? One month? Six month? A year. How will you even target if the house is empty? By BC hydro? They didn't cut their grass? Also what if it is a vacation home? How about I put it in the market to rent but put a price that no one will ever rent it. is that consider empty? What if I have renters but I keep rejecting them coz they didn't meet my expectation. So many loopholes and so many unanswered questions.

You generally aren't going to get that kind of detail from a 100ish-page platform document. Most plans usually range from a paragraph to a couple of pages providing a basic, high-level overview.

The Green Party had the only thoroughly-detailed plan in any platform document of any of the 3 main parties spending 15 pages of their platform on their climate action plan.

[Mr.HappySilp]

Originally Posted by Jmac

You generally aren't going to get that kind of detail from a 100ish-page platform document. Most plans usually range from a paragraph to a couple of pages providing a basic, high-level overview.

The Green Party had the only thoroughly-detailed plan in any platform document of any of the 3 main parties spending 15 pages of their platform on their climate action plan.

True. At least NPD is not like Trump who only use note form and doesn't like to read anything that's over a page lol

[Hondaracer]

Originally Posted by Liquid_o2

Nice and easy when you can live with your parents for $1,000 a month total.

How about for people in their late 20's or early 30's who don't have the ability to live with their parents for various reasons? Some people's parents aren't local, or they don't have the room, or the desire to have their kids living at home. Or maybe their kids are married and don't want to live with their parents in their 30's? Not everyone has the situation that you described. So easy, why doesn't everyone do it. Thinking your way is completely closed minded.

So because you're 30 and married you're too good to live at your parents?

Some of those points are understandable, some are personal choices. Dat entitlement doe..

I was in a similar situation to Happyslip.. caucasian family who enabled me to succeed via supporting me through a roof over my head. They never gave me lump sums of cash for downpayments, nor did they cut me a substantial break on rent. However, with the breaks they gave me and my work ethic i was able to own two seperate properties before i was 30. One was a total mistake which almost ruined me but i continued to push through and it ended up working out. In the time i got into the first two properties i never made more than 72K a year.

One of the most expensive cities in the world doesnt have much room for excuses when it comes to finances.

I'm at the point with all this bullshit that I care moreso about my friends and family continuing to do well than i care about a barista's rent.

One more point to add to the jobs which "young professionals" so desperately seek referred to on the last page. My brother who is under 30 is a mechanical engineer, my sister who is 25 is a registered nurse, my Dad works within the construction industry, as do i, and my mom works at a mortgage broker. My younger siblings both got jobs right out of school and have had 100% solid employment since, my dad and I have worked at solid, steady employment for basically our entire working lives, and my mom has had the same employer for nearly 30 years.

There are jobs out there which are guaranteed solid employment, regardless of political climate. the NDP isnt going to get you a job just because you went to school for 5 years.

[adambomb]

My NDP friends are out celebrating. Posting pics of them buying growlers of craft beer, tacos, quirky art pieces and blu-ray sets. They appear to be ecstatic right now.

My Liberal friends are concerned. Posting pics of them doing home cooked meal prep, washing cars and reading stories about bitcoin futures. They appear to be tame right now.

I look forward to see how both groups adjust to the potential tax increases that are on the horizon.




My caucasian friends are embarrassed and hesitant to tell people they are 30 and still live with their parents.
My asian friends have no objections to telling people they are 30 and still live with their parents.

[MarkyMark]

Originally Posted by Hondaracer

So because you're 30 and married you're too good to live at your parents?

Some of those points are understandable, some are personal choices. Dat entitlement doe..

I was in a similar situation to Happyslip.. caucasian family who enabled me to succeed via supporting me through a roof over my head. They never gave me lump sums of cash for downpayments, nor did they cut me a substantial break on rent. However, with the breaks they gave me and my work ethic i was able to own two seperate properties before i was 30. One was a total mistake which almost ruined me but i continued to push through and it ended up working out. In the time i got into the first two properties i never made more than 72K a year.

One of the most expensive cities in the world doesnt have much room for excuses when it comes to finances.

What year was this in? What were the prices like compared to now? It still stands that without some kind of help you're screwed.

[MrPhreak]

Originally Posted by MarkyMark

I understand life was probably good for you with the Liberals, but that doesn't mean it was great for everyone.

Yeah, but life was much much worse under the NDP in the 90's

I kind of want to see how this nightmare NDP-Green alliance plays out in the eyes of the public. I think a lot of younger people in their 20's and early 30's were too young to realize the kind of real damage the NDP can do.

12 months of insane taxes, the disappearance of starter jobs due to a hiked minimum wage, heavy handed anti-business policies that result in huge layoffs and reduced wages... that will likely be enough for those who voted for the NDP to realize what they've done (one can hope anyway).

Then we can finally unite against them and get back to having one of the best provinces in the country.

[Hondaracer]

Originally Posted by MarkyMark

What year was this in? What were the prices like compared to now? It still stands that without some kind of help you're screwed.

2008 and 2011

[Jmac]

Originally Posted by MrPhreak

Yeah, but life was much much worse under the NDP in the 90's

I kind of want to see how this nightmare NDP-Green alliance plays out in the eyes of the public. I think a lot of younger people in their 20's and early 30's were too young to realize the kind of real damage the NDP can do.

12 months of insane taxes, the disappearance of starter jobs due to a hiked minimum wage, heavy handed anti-business policies that result in huge layoffs and reduced wages... that will likely be enough for those who voted for the NDP to realize what they've done (one can hope anyway).

Then we can finally unite against them and get back to having one of the best provinces in the country.

When you look at the unemployment numbers, the Liberals performed only marginally better than the NDP.

NDP was in power from 1991 to 2001. Liberals have been in power since. With a 1-year offset (taking power midway through year and it takes time for policies to be implemented), we see compared to the Canadian national average:

1992: -1.1%
1993: -1.7%
1994: -1.3%
1995: -1.0%
1996: -0.9%
1997: -0.6%
1998: +0.5%
1999: +0.7%
2000: +0.4%
2001: +0.5%

BC NDP average: -0.45%

2002: +0.8%
2003: +0.4%
2004: 0.0%
2005: -0.9%
2006: -1.5%
2007: -1.7%
2008: -1.5%
2009: -0.6%
2010: -0.5%
2011: +0.1%
2012: -0.5%
2013: -0.5%
2014: -0.8%
2015: -0.7%
2016: -1.0%

BC Liberal average: -0.59%

The NDP performed much better than the Canadian average under Harcourt (and worse than the Canadian average under Glen Clark, Miller, Dosanjh).

Meanwhile, the BC Liberals performed much better under Gordon Campbell than Christy Clark overall (though Clark still bested the Canadian average).

As for life being much worse, it depends on who you ask. Not everyone has benefited from the Liberal policies again, as indicated by the 44% popular vote and 43/87 seats.

How do you address the resentment of 5 of every 9 voting British Columbians? You reference younger people in their 20s and 30s, yet we know this is overwhelmingly the lowest turnout group.

In 2013, 18-34-year-old voters represented only 17% of the votes. I highly doubt that number changed significantly this go around.

Let's say 2/3 of these young voters didn't vote for the Liberals. That would mean the other 80% of the voters who voted against the Liberals were 35 and older (and would mean roughly the same number of 35+-year-olds voted against the Liberals as did for the Liberals).

[inv4zn]

^GTFO with facts, calculations, and educated assumptions!!!

lol, seriously. I enjoy these discussions on RS, but we're such a skewed sample size that's not as nearly as representative of the general population as we think.

[carisear]

Originally Posted by inv4zn

I, did not flourish under liberal rule. All my adult life was under liberal reign, and not having experienced the alternative first-hand, the liberals are looking pretty shitty right now. I'm not some entitled SJW bitching about everything - I like to think I fall in the demographic that's hit hardest: I'm 29 years old, about to get married soon, pulling in 65K, and I haaate the liberals. Yes, I choose to live here and all that other jazz, but that's not to say things aren't fucked up a little bit.

I remain cautiously optimistic about BC under new leadership, and if the NDP/Green fuck things up as they apparently did 20 years ago, well then I'll change my vote next time.

Or get the fuck out, I donno.

Hey Inv4zn, I enjoy reading your posts. you clearly laid out why you voted ndp and why you don't vote for another party. what i'd like to know is how you, personally, are hit hard by liberal policy? With what you described, you should be reaping the benefits of a liberal gov't.

(please don't just say 'social programs! healthcare! education! housing!' people who say those things without offering any details are a waste of air.)

[MrPhreak]

Originally Posted by Jmac

When you look at the unemployment numbers, the Liberals performed only marginally better than the NDP.

NDP was in power from 1991 to 2001. Liberals have been in power since. With a 1-year offset (taking power midway through year and it takes time for policies to be implemented), we see compared to the Canadian national average:

1992: -1.1%
1993: -1.7%
1994: -1.3%
1995: -1.0%
1996: -0.9%
1997: -0.6%
1998: +0.5%
1999: +0.7%
2000: +0.4%
2001: +0.5%

BC NDP average: -0.45%

2002: +0.8%
2003: +0.4%
2004: 0.0%
2005: -0.9%
2006: -1.5%
2007: -1.7%
2008: -1.5%
2009: -0.6%
2010: -0.5%
2011: +0.1%
2012: -0.5%
2013: -0.5%
2014: -0.8%
2015: -0.7%
2016: -1.0%

BC Liberal average: -0.59%

The NDP performed much better than the Canadian average under Harcourt (and worse than the Canadian average under Glen Clark, Miller, Dosanjh).

Meanwhile, the BC Liberals performed much better under Gordon Campbell than Christy Clark overall (though Clark still bested the Canadian average).

As for life being much worse, it depends on who you ask. Not everyone has benefited from the Liberal policies again, as indicated by the 44% popular vote and 43/87 seats.

How do you address the resentment of 5 of every 9 voting British Columbians? You reference younger people in their 20s and 30s, yet we know this is overwhelmingly the lowest turnout group.

In 2013, 18-34-year-old voters represented only 17% of the votes. I highly doubt that number changed significantly this go around.

Let's say 2/3 of these young voters didn't vote for the Liberals. That would mean the other 80% of the voters who voted against the Liberals were 35 and older (and would mean roughly the same number of 35+-year-olds voted against the Liberals as did for the Liberals).

Looks like a nice create set of stats you got there, lol. Who published that, the Tyee?

How about we look at something more meaningful, like the actual unemployment rates?

The NDP held power in B.C. from 1991 to 2000. After they took power, in 1992... the heavy corporate taxes they burdened the provinces businesses with, caused employment to sky rocket to a whopping 10.1%. To give you an idea of just how incredibly shitty that is, right now Calgary is a fucking nightmare for people to find work and they are at around 9.3% right now. That is just one city, not an entire province.

Now to the NDP's credit, unemployment eventually dropped to 7.7% (still fucking horrible btw) by the end of the second term.. but then again, the province was basically on life support by the end of the NDP rein... average wages had dropped, and a lot of people had either just moved to another province or given up looking for work.

Now in comparison... this year, BC's unemployment dropped from 5.4% to 5.1% in January.... that is the lowest in the entire country. One of the reasons we are even having a housing crisis is because people are moving here, and mostly because we have a stellar economy.

How does that translate into tangible meaning for normal everyday people?

Let's put it this way... I was unfortunate enough to finish my schooling while the NDP was still in power. It was time to find a job, and get my life started.

I literally went up against hundreds of people for every single job, and employers had so many applicants they came up with creative awful ways to sort through them. Getting a job in my field was next to impossible, so I resorted to getting a job just to survive. I had to do an IQ and Dyslexia test for a part time teller job at Canadian Tire, I also had to do a 1000 question ethics test for a summer job with Telus. By the way, both of those interviews were held in a competitive classroom format. The shit that was going on was utterly unbelievable. Eventually I had to leave BC, I had no more money for rent, I was down to eating a single meal a day, it was either take a job in AB or basically end up on the street.

Meanwhile in Alberta the unemployment rate was 4.7%... I was able to find a job, and it turned into a pretty good career. Although it took a deep personal toll being away from my friends and family, and of course having to put up with Flames & Oilers fans. I certainly would have preferred to stay in my home province had there been any possible way for me to do that.

Flash forward to a year ago... NDP got into power, and suddenly unemployment in Calgary went to typical NDP levels. I watched as literally hundreds of people I know were laid off with no possibility of finding work. I personally got laid off, and I ended up working 2 part time jobs trying to make ends meet. The interviews I got for work also changed from pleasant meetings, to full on interrogations.

What I am trying to say here is, this is what 10% unemployment feels like. And without any reservation, I can tell you the NDP bring it every single time they get into power in every province.

You can blame downturns, or economic factors, or whatever else helps you justify this obscene track record they hold... go full Tyee retard if you want, but at the end of the day, the fact remains that the NDP are oblivious to how their feel good short sighted polices negatively impact the provincial economy.