Category: Economics
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Reduced Pensions and Lost Severance At Sears
There appears to be some sorrow among the laid off Sears employees who “feel” betrayed by a company in trouble. I have news for all employees. You have a “job” and you serve at the pleasure of your employer. By pure definition, if you decide to take a “job” you are giving up some of…
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Comments On Sears Decline
This is a company that never revitalized in the face of competition. Clerks were indifferent, the computerized check out system was antiquated, and the “Arnold Palmer” brand was mediocre. The company did nothing special to make customers feel welcome. It’s becoming a real blight on the urban landscape with all these empty big box spaces.…
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Three Prominent Doomsayers
As part of my financial education, I took a course called “macroeconomics”. The discipline was certainly more interesting than its cousin “microeconomics” because macroeconomics dealt with topics such as the money supply in association with fractional reserve banking, central banks, interest rate policy, inflation, gross domestic product, international trade, and government fiscal policy. To this…
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Canadian Bail Out of Softwood Lumber
When you first embarked upon your career, you may have stumbled, adjusted, retooled, and re-evaluated. Then you found your path. If you are a highly capitalized business in Canada burdened with plant and equipment and a claim that jobs will be lost in the face of market forces, you get teary eyed and whine to…
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Ryerson Reports Modern Day Slavery
The Star this morning has reported on the plight of immigrants working through temp agencies. It should be no surprise that take home pay for such workers are a pittance when factoring in day care costs, taxes and the “pimp”. I have a client who introduced me to this label which I actually find quite…