Canada: An Example of Administrative Success

I recently went to visit my in-laws in Canada. I had been to Canada once before in 1995. This time though I paid more attention to observe how Canada and the US are similar and different. We all know about the Universal Health Care System that makes Canada an attractive country to live in. But my 5 day-long trip did not have anything to do with such issue. Also my article is not an attempt to compare the two countries with extreme scrutiny. My main point is to show how Canada has improved its position in so many ways, and I could assess that based on my previous experience. Here I will try to summarize my observation:

Environment friendliness :

We talk a lot about the need for recycling and adopting the way of life that should be environment friendly. On some occasions we have seen cities in the US banning plastic bags. Such attempts have generated nationwide awareness. For example, if I go to shop at "ShopRite" the "Green Bags" are carefully positioned along the aisles for us to "purchase" ! It is amazing that even the environment friendly attitude is aimed at making money. However, in Canada, I did not see the over-enthusiasm in banning the use of plastic bags. Instead, they put more emphasis on implementing the laws for recycling. I saw my sister-in-law sort out the garbage in at least 4 different categories (e.g., paper, plastic bottles and bags, tin cans and simply any leftover food, etc.). She informed me that the slightest negligence in following the rules is met with hefty fines. Also, gallon plastic cans for milk are non-existent in Canada (well, at least in Ontario). You either get milk in the paper carton or in plastic bags that are easy dispose of. I have not seen such meticulous policies in place for garbage disposal in the US. We have something to learn from them.

Strength of the Currency :

Yes, I did hear that the US economy has been going down the drain. Everyday I am reminded of that. However, I felt the 'ouch' in Canada, which kind of reduced my enthusiasm. In '95, I received $145 CD in exchange of $100 USD. But this time it was $95 CD. I was shocked to see how much devaluation of the US dollar has taken place over the years. Like always I asked myself : "what were we thinking when we decided to fix the infrastructure of other countries when we are in such economic hardship ourselves?"

Overall Economy :

You cannot imagine how much the real estate market in Canada has boomed and is still booming. It is a shame that the US real estate market is no longer giving the investors the steady source of income. It is pathetic that people are struggling to keep their primary residence. Thinking about investment is a luxury now. Millions of people have been facing foreclosure and that curse has not spared even the millionaires. The real estate market has gotten so unpredictable that it is now 'flip flopping' (I know this term is being used more in politics, but I decided to apply it here ! ). Investors in the past have flipped properties to gain profit but cannot come up with any sound investment plan anymore. They are scared to 'flip' the properties because the strategy now can turn out to be a 'flop'. Many investors have already started to look for opportunities to invest in other countries like Canada, which is a shame.

When I went to the Niagara Falls, I observed that a lot of businesses have been developed around it to reap the benefit of this natural wonder. That, in turn, has contributed a lot to the economy. It takes a lot of planning. Our states have adopted such prudent policies in the past. Unfortunately, it takes an incompetent administration to squander the resources.

Here, I have to mention that even the Canadians are expecting some sort of economic downturn since its economy is closely tied to that of the US. However, the Canadian government is trying its best to maintain the current surplus to prevent nationwide economic disaster.

Overall, my trip to Canada was a sad realization of our economic hardship. As citizens we have the responsibility to make an informed decision. Whatever happened in the past cannot be changed, but we can change our lifestyle and elect the right government to steer us back to our original position. We need to consider the basic priorities when we take part in the voting this November. At the same time, whoever gets elected has the obligation to attend to the needs of the citizens. After all, we don't want to be the leader of the world in theory and then have a bunch of homeless people representing the country.

Sources :

1. Starting Tuesday, plastic bags illegal at big S.F. grocery stores : Wyatt Buchanan, Chronicle Staff Writer : November 19, 2007 : http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2007/11/19/BA2BTE64K.DTL (accessed on 06/22/08)

2. San Francisco Plastic Bag Ban Interests Other Cities: David Gorn : March 27, 2008: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=89135360 (accessed on 06/22/08)

3. US May foreclosures rise 48 pct on year-RealtyTrac : June 13, 2008 : http://www.reuters.com/article/bondsNews/idUSN1338497320080613 (accessed on 06/22/08)

4. Commentary: McMahon shouldn't be the face of foreclosure : Glenn Beck : June 5, 2008 : http://www.cnn.com/2008/US/06/11/beck.foreclosures/index.html?iref=newssearch (accessed on 06/22/08)