Quote of the Day: “Darwinian adaptation to environment applies not only to nature but also to society. Just as you don’t find eagles living in the ocean or fish living on mountain tops, so you don’t find leftists concentrated where their ideas have to stand the test of performance.” Thomas Sowell
In Waterloo Region (or Ontario, or Canada…) we do not have a “Housing Crisis”. (I capitalize “Housing Crisis” since it seems that this concept has taken on a life of its own and is now alive and well… Soon, it will be known as Housing Crisis, Esq.) What we have here is a temporary mismatch between supply and demand for housing brought on by a number of economic shocks to the housing market. Prices, as always, are moving towards equilibrium. However, if you actually believe there is a housing crisis and want to know why where is a housing crisis, and you want to know how to solve the housing crisis, then all you have to do is to read Jeff Outhit’s article on the Front Page today. He reports on four proposals what went before Waterloo City Council this week that would add close to 5,000 new dwellings in Waterloo, if approved. I assume that would put a good bump in the supply of housing for Waterloo. Oh, but wait… Outhit reports: “’We can and must do better’, environmental advocate Kevin Thomason told Waterloo council Monday” on the proposed project near Laurel Creek. And “The towers are proposed at up to twice the permitted height, Councillor Royce Bodaly noted. He asked why the developer is not sticking to the allowed height.” And also: “Councillor Jen Vasic asked why the tower plan does not put parking underground.” And finally: “Council will not decide on new housing until later. Approval requires council to permit taller buildings in some places and more crowded buildings in some places, and to tweak a variety of setbacks, distances and parking spaces.” *cough*
The Editorial on the Editorial Page today talks about the Ontario government’s just announced plan to expand delivery of insured health services by private sector clinics. This is long overdue and a small but meaningful step in the right direction. Of course, the Editorial refused to acknowledge that our so-called “free” health care system is morally and fiscally bankrupt. But basically a good Editorial.
Also on the Editorial Page today, we have for the third time in three weeks, an op-ed by Andrew Phillips. He tells us about a book he read called “The Persuaders” by New York Times columnist Anand Giridharadas. Phillips calls Giridharadas a “journalist”, but whatever… He tells us that: “Increasingly, politics doesn’t involve the traditional task of reaching out to the other side and trying to bring them over to your way of thinking… Giridharadas, calls this ‘the culture of the write off’ and he argues that it’s potentially fatal for democracy. And as someone who identifies firmly with the left, he says it’s especially dangerous for self-styled progressives who these days are more likely to ‘call out’ their opponents than try to coax them over to their side.” Well, Giridharadas is certainly correct on that point. Didn’t President Biden, just yesterday call anyone who wanted to reduce spending “fiscally demented”? Nice. Phillips continues and says: “And the fact is Canada just isn’t as politically polarized as the United States. There’s still a big persuadable middle ground of voters in this country, and thank goodness for that. But the basic point applies and the dangers are apparent here as well. Pierre Poilievre, to take the most obvious example on the right, seems (at least so far) to have decided that it’s not worth his time to reach out beyond his conservative base… But refusing even to engage with those on the other side risks driving everyone deeper into their own political solitudes.” Oh right. Without a single example of “refusing even to engage”, Phillips does exactly what Giridharadas warns against.
On the Insights Page today, Tyler Firth talks about the word ‘elite’ and how (he claims), it is misused today. He asks: “How is it then, that populist, conservative politicians have successfully hijacked the word to such an extent that, other than in sport, art, or fashion, it is hurled about with derision at people who have attained excellence in their fields?” His examples: “Premier Doug Ford and federal Tory leader Pierre Poilievre snarl and sneer as they rail against the so called elites, particularly those from well respected media outlets or academic institutions.” Ford and Poilievre. Got it. Thank you Tyler. Now do an op-ed on the hijacked word “gay”.