Comment 41992

By A People (anonymous) | Posted June 15, 2010 at 16:08:56

Just to add to Kiely's point above, I'd like to point out that an industrial economy is based on a surplus of low-skilled labour. A surplus means "cheap". We may have lost sight of this due to the success of labour unions driving up industrial wages in past decades, but we should be reminded every time we think of the more recent industrial success of Asia. Industries have fled North America, attracted mostly by the surplus of cheap labour there. They will not return to North America (not even an express-way ringed, airport serviced beauty like Hamilton) unless local wages drop to less than $1/day, and/or can be automated to equivalent cost. Why we'd pursue that route is questionable.

An information-based economy is based on a resource of high-skilled, well educated labour, people smart enough to know they want more out of life than just a job. They want things like health care, employment security, good parks and recreation, entertainment options and a good place to raise children. They decide where they want to live based on quality of life and either create their own jobs, or companies pursue them. These jobs tend to pay more than $1/day.

And while I'm at it Ryan, why the emphasis on "leadership?" In a democracy, aren't our elected officials supposed to be our representatives? It seems to me that effective representation is what you've been after, not someone to tell you what you need (an airport) and what you need to do to get it (vote for me.) This is more than semantics. This city is constantly looking for leaders, and constantly disappointed when it gets a council packed to its brand new rafters with people who lead but don't listen.

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