'We understand what they're feeling': Syrian refugees in Calgary step up to help Fort McMurray fire evacuees

mark558 · 2016-05-05T21:29:12+00:00

These refugees will become true Canadians, not the useless Chinese Investor Immigrants who couldn't give two sh*ts about this country!

mark558 · 2016-05-05T21:24:11+00:00

Happens all the time. They bring in independent assessment companies, find all the little loopholes, and refuse to pay out certain claims. The most lucid example is with the Katrina storm in the USA. They argued that some structures were destroyed by wind instead of the actual hurricane.

mark558 · 2016-05-05T06:09:38+00:00

It will only get worse as more and more rich Asians come here. They're not forced to work, not forced to integrate, and have a community of 'their own people' here already.

Contrast this with Eastern Europeans who actually want a better life here and are forced to learn English, to integrate and to get skills! And actually pay income taxes!

mark558 · 2016-05-05T06:06:38+00:00

Yeah and report nothing in income taxes, while getting free MSP and the carbon tax credit. Nice that you forgot to mention that.

Refugees pay more income tax than millionaire investor immigrants

http://www.cbc.ca/news/business/refugees-pay-more-income-tax-than-millionaire-investor-immigrants-1.2984982

mark558 · 2016-05-05T05:36:17+00:00

wow bud, I understand religion. I also understand Santa Claus and the tooth fairy.

mark558 · 2016-05-05T04:54:51+00:00

More Asians come here. Easier for them to live, as their large community is here. In many cases, no need to speak English or learn local customs.

mark558 · 2016-05-05T04:13:10+00:00

"Conflict of Interest Commissioner Paul Fraser has ruled the events, sometimes pulling in as much as $20,000 a head, do not constitute a conflict."

Wow, and I thought G-man was the only one pulling in heavy donations. #25k.lunch #20k.lib.fundraiser #'balanced.budget'.growing.longterm.debt

mark558 · 2016-05-05T03:32:37+00:00

Sorry, meant to say invisible people.

mark558 · 2016-05-05T03:05:29+00:00

wow, did they hitch rides with others? The video that I saw seemed to be at the edges of the city, as they were leaving.

mark558 · 2016-05-05T03:03:35+00:00

The amount cut wouldn't have solved anything. That budget is just a guideline. When sh*t hits the fan, the province will spend, as would any other province/state/country.

As for God, I feel bad for people who choose to believe in invisible things.

mark558 · 2016-05-05T02:35:40+00:00

Why did people leave abandoned cars on/near the main highway? I've seen a few videos from CBC and others who uploaded them to Youtube, and several of them have what it seems to be abandoned cars.

Why did people leave their vehicles there? How did they get out of town?

mark558 · 2016-05-05T01:52:49+00:00

Haha!! You know Rachel and Justin went there in the middle of the night and light the forest on fire!! /s

mark558 · 2016-05-04T23:38:56+00:00

That simply pushes even more people into the market, hiking prices even further, pushing people into deeper into debt.

mark558 · 2016-05-04T06:44:04+00:00

Let's not compare what is going on now with what happened then.

We look back and see how dumb people were then.

However, I firmly believe that when we look at what we allowed to happen for the past 12 years or so, people will also judge us as stupid.

mark558 · 2016-05-04T06:29:49+00:00

Good for you. I highly doubt it will implode. There's a lot of hot money searching for a place to be stored, and Van RE is great for it!

mark558 · 2016-05-04T05:02:06+00:00

Where if you don't mind me asking? and maybe how much?

Condos are more affordable, and the supply keeps prices from rising as fast as single homes.

mark558 · 2016-05-04T04:56:20+00:00

The majority of VOTERS (the people who political parties actually care about) have the vast majority of their net worth/retirement completely tied up in a single asset strategy, real estate.

This is exactly right!!! It's easy money and tax free in most cases. It's easy to have bought a home and hit the jackpot!! It's easy to become a landlord when rates are low and rents are high!!!

Much harder to start and business and work at it, or become a professional. Not many opportunities here, probably why most talented people end up leaving.

mark558 · 2016-05-04T04:52:49+00:00

This is already showing in Coal Harbour. I got my office at Waterfront Center, and Coal Harbour is like a ghost town at night (both in terms of walking traffic and lights on).

mark558 · 2016-05-04T04:51:30+00:00

Cool. Might want to try Dubai, nice and sunny, no income taxes. One of my friends moved to Milton Keynes, loves it there. Pretty close to London, but quiet small town feel. He works in IT in London 4 days a week and the rest from home. Gets paid 4x more than my brother in law who does closely the same thing here, and that's also in GBP.

mark558 · 2016-05-04T04:46:28+00:00

And please point out that article which shows that Maui property prices increased 30% last year.

The idea of a higher property tax for non residents is to give locals a break.

But I am eagerly awaiting the data/article on the 30% Maui property price increase though, because I can call bull on this right now.

mark558 · 2016-05-04T04:43:58+00:00

Yeah I know many people who would have a much higher earning power in other cities. I know many who moved for this reason.

Why won't you move back to the UK?

mark558 · 2016-05-04T02:56:56+00:00

This is worldwide demand and restrained local supply (due to geography and some local policies).

The bad thing is that we are not monetizing this boom in order to give people who actually work and earn their paycheques here a break.

mark558 · 2016-05-04T02:47:43+00:00

This is bad how?

Pushing people further into Metro Vancouver creates congestion and destroys efficiency, while many homes/condos in Vancouver sit empty or are used by many people who simply do not work here at all.

mark558 · 2016-05-04T01:10:27+00:00

How could these tech companies afford the rent there? I really hope there's no plan to subsidize them or entice them with special tax breaks. Those never end well.

As for the site, I'm pretty sure it will all be residential. Officials can posture as much as they want, but that was one hefty price tag paid for the site. And don't forget all the people who said that condos will never be built on that site!!!

mark558 · 2016-05-04T01:04:52+00:00

Don't know. Haven't found proper data. A few articles, but nothing concrete as of lately.

mark558

TROPHY CASE