USD

[sunward-hobbies]

Has anyone seen the current value?

yahoo finance show 1.1793 / .8480

OUCH!

[shoplineca]

Latest predictions are calling for Cdn dollar to be on par with US dollar in 2-5 years.

Resource, high tech industries and businesses that ourchase from the US will prosper however at the expense of Cdn manufacturing and retail that sells to US.

Canada is being warned about "Dutch" disease for our dollar where Holland's oil industry flourished as its currency strengthened and it nearly killed all Dutch industry.

City of Ottawa politicians just voted themselves a 25% increase, municipal taxes looking at another 8% increase, gas prices are up, electricity, postage looking at another increase and on and on and on. Who is going to be around to pay for all these increases?

Malcolm

[llee2]

Alright, just to add fuel to the fire...

Who wants to bet final value fees will be going up in January too? This is pure speculation on my part, but for the past couple of years, January has brought either insertion fee increases or final value fee increases. Since last year was listing fees, my money (literally and figuratively I suppose) is on a final value fee increase. My guess (again pure speculation and guess work) is 5.5% for the first $25 and 3% for the rest - I think there is another tier after that but I haven't sold anything that expensive, so maybe 2% for that tier?

Lincoln

[rd1000]

Don't worry Malcolm. Government assures us rate of inflation is 2.5%. I guess I don't buy the same basket of goods they do.

Reports are beginning to emerge that inflation figures have been purposely manipulated to be far lower than actual so they can keep increases to social programs, pensions and salaries low. Apparently municipal council in Ottawa does not rate their increases to the "actual" rate of inflation. Then again, maybe they are.

Rob

[shoplineca]

Rob
Being in Ottawa I guess you and I listen to the same new reports. I think this was the one where the guy wrote into CFRA and listed all the things that have gone up between 15% and 200% over the last couple of years (like essentials) yet inflation is only being pegged at 2.5%.

Of course we all know that government employees and politicians live in another world. DId you hear on tonight's news how all Ottawa Federal employees will be getting a 15% break on their bus passes?

The stupidity is why lower the rates for the majority of people who are already your passengers when you should be lowering rates to attract new business.

I didnt know that federal employees are now considered to be part of our social service industry clients.

Wouldnt that be a taxable benefit to them?

Malcolm

[rd1000]

I missed that report. I work for Federal government, although I am not unionized thankfully, and it drives me crazy. It has to be a real kick in the rear for hard working private industry folks who never get these kind of discounts. Many do not get anywhere near the benefits of government employees, and it must be frustrating to see them get even more.

I think we have a two-tier working class in this country. Those that work in, or are connected to, the government and those who are not.

Last I heard, OCTranspo was running a huge deficit this year. How will a 15% discount in fare for a select group help that? This city has gone looney since amalgamation.
I also thought it was very strange that city council would convert a non-taxable portion of their salary to an increased taxable portion. Having a tax-free portion really meant part of their salary was being subsidized by Provincial and Federal goverments. Then someone called CFRA and explained. By increasing the total income, their pensions will be higher. Now it all makes sense. Screw the tax-payer. That is what it is all about.

I could rant on! It is all getting very frustrating.

Rob

[shoplineca]

Rob
You only have to run for 2 terms and get a full pension. People wonder why would anyone give up 6 years of their life to be a councillor. Well where else could someone put in only 6 years and get a full pension and go back to what they were doing before or do something that provides even less of an income being fully supported by a pension courtesy of the taxpayers of the City of Ottawa.

A couple of them are still holding down full-time jobs elsewhere while they are on counsel, so 2 salaries and a big pension when they put in their time.

Oh yeah, no accountibility for overspending and breaking election promises.

Sometimes I want to run away but I honestly dont know where I would run to.

Malcolm

[rd1000]

Yes but now the full pension will be higher because it is based on a higher gross salary.

Pretty sneaky in my books. I am usually pretty tuned in to politics, but this one completely slipped by me until it was mentioned on the radio.

I hear you about running. I have 2 years left in my contract and I will be looking for work outside Canada. It is a great country, but it has just moved way to far to the left for me.

I have to wonder as we keep reducing the number of those who pay tax dollars and increasing the number of those who collect tax dollars, who is going to be left to pay all these taxes?

I know it won't be me.

Rob

[shoplineca]

Rob
I have moved to the US several times. The last time was in 1981 when I, with a couple of partners purchased a $40 USD million manufacturing company HQ in Atlanta.

After disolving my relationship with my partners (messy) I started a couple of other businesses there but never felt part of the US. Maybe it was becuase I was in the South and while they warmly welcome you, unless you are born in the south and a couple of generation before you, you are always a northerner (Canadian or New Yorker is the same difference to them).

Tax-wise it was a real eye opener though. I made more than twice my Cdn salary and paid half the taxes I paid in Canada without taking advantage of all the tax deductions available.

The 2nd business I started, I negotiated a health plan for my family and staff and the monthly cost was under $400 and that included dental, pharmaceuticals and life insurance in addition to medical, oh yes also chiropractors, eye glasses and psychiarty.

I would pay $5 per doctor visit (any doctor I chose), $5 for prescriptions and $5 for dentist visits but everything was covered including ambulance.

So $5,500 per year in medical-related insurance expense was peanuts in relation to the difference I saved in paying State and Federal taxes over living in Canada.

My hidden plan is to slowly get this business nicely established, running without me having to physically be here and sell my 26' sailboat for a 46' sailboat and live off the coast of Mexico in the Gulf.

I'll charter her 1 week every 6-weeks to cover my living expenses and just relax in the warm sun without worrying about all the political scandals in Canada or the US.

Malcolm

[rd1000]

I hear you. I am trying to complete a University degree by the time my contract expires so I can look for work south. I am afraid my qualifications as a Romanian exotic dancer won't help me get a Visa to the US, even if I was to volunteer at Immigration or donate a few thousand to an official's election campaign. X-)

Unfortunately, they are choosy.

$400.00 per month is a steal. That is the first thing Canadians say when I mention going to the US. "Well, here we get free health care". If people only stop to think what it actually cost us. And my reply is always " Yes we have a great health care system, if only you could get a doctor, a hospital bed, an operation, an MRI...". And thanks to good ol' Dalton, we get to pay $70.00 per month in premiums on top of the high taxes, with no expectation of better service.

I am leaving for lower taxes, less government interference in my life, real property rights, and higher standard of living.

The warm weather will be a bonus.

Rob

[shoplineca]

My goal is Mexico where you dont need health insurance and the cost of most doctor's visits is under $10. Everything else is really inexpensive and there are some wonderful places to live.

I have alot of friends in Mexico (some now in Canada but they will return home to retire in Mexico). My problem is no pension so I need to get a business going to generate perpetual income to replace the missing pension.

Dont fool yourself in believing that there is less government in the states or less interference from them.
I found quite the opposite and the litigation issues there are horendous and severity and frequency of crime, mind boggling.

I know that the grass always seems greener on the other side of the fence but dont be fooled about how wonderful things are in the US.

You will have to accept giving up some things that you took for granted here in exchange for a few pluses there and I honestly cant say it is worth it and believe me I had the best that you could hope for when I last lived there.

I went for an got the so-called American dream (Jaguar and 4-wheel drive Jeep plus a 3rd car in the garage of my 6,500 sq ft Georgian home in an ideal climate a short 3 hours drive to the beach).

Yet something was missing that you just couldnt put a finger on. Maybe it was family and friends. Maybe the change (in the South) was just too dramatic or the change in lifestyle. But 3-years later, it sure was nice driving across the border back into Canada and home to Ottawa.

Malcolm

[ospreylinks]

Malcolm,

I don't think I would count on an Ebay business as being the source of perpetual retirement wealth.

Honestly, everything has a life and I think before you know it the social experiement known as Ebay will be done. Of course it will be replaced, but by what????

Look at it and how it is evolving. Fees are becoming to be a greater influence, service by the vendor (ebay itself) has become weak and market forces are interfering with the potential for prosperity (US$).

Jeff

[shoplineca]

Jeff
Its nothing more than a stepping stone for me.

Because of eBay, I forged a relationship with a buyer to get my product line where I can sell for less than what retail stores pay for the same product.

So in addition to listing on eBay, I hold the international rights to franchise a line music of stores, sell to distributors and music stores directy and have sales agents selling my lines, 90% of which are private label.

And because of this, I have dabelled with other suppliers and manufacturers seeing what other lines and products I want to get into although none of what I have tested so far gives me the same return or satisfaction I am presently getting.

I am planning to open a retail outlet in 2005 with a small attached warehouse for packing and shipping products as I dont have the facilities for putting my items on pallets to save on freight (I have a couple of stores in Quebec wanting to purchase 20-40 sets of drums per month from me if I can get my shipping costs down).

I have turned down so much business as a TA to sell on a commission basis because I have not been set up to handle other lines even though I have taken on some consignments over the last couple of years.

So one way or another, I have a business that I didnt intend to become full-time that is becoming full-time so I may as well see how far I can drive it.

... and yes, eBay is nothing more than a web site where we list products and pay them fees and get an occassional pink slap with little gratitude for the money we pay in increasing fees and decreasing service.

Malcolm