The ridiculous US - Canada consumer goods price difference investigated

[hudson bay rules]

Keep in mind regarding food quality in the States is disgustingly low compared to ours.

[Electro Rock]

there are a lot of countries you can live in paying less!! Some off the top of my head would be Syria, Iran, North Korea, Burma... not sure how good their public libraries are though.

[Lockout Casualty]

This is Canada vs the U.S., not Canada vs the 3rd world.

Anyway, its a fact that, with the exception of NYC and a few other areas, an average income in the U.S. will allow you to live what would be basically considered an upper middle class lifestyle by Canadian standards.

For me I'd have to take home another $20K per year or have my housing costs paid for to cover the difference, and that still wouldn't compensate for the fact that the U.S. simply has a lot more to offer, for the competent at least.

[Electro Rock]

What is holding you in Canada?

[taxi]

The dairy industry is also heavily subsidized in the US, hence the lower prices on cheese, milk etc.

[Lockout Casualty]

The huge difficulty of getting a long term work visa and ultimately permanent resident status, especially with the economy being the way it is now.

It sucks because I had it all in the palm of my hand years ago, before the laws changed and made it very difficult, however some of my family members went and sabotaged it for me.

Now I have major health issues, and am not sure if I'm I'm going to make it, however I'm going to make damn sure that I don't die in Canada!

[aGENT]

The huge difficulty of getting a long term work visa and ultimately permanent resident status, especially with the economy being the way it is now.

It sucks because I had it all in the palm of my hand years ago, before the laws changed and made it very difficult, however some of my family members went and sabotaged it for me.

Now I have major health issues, and am not sure if I'm I'm going to make it, however I'm going to make damn sure that I don't die in Canada!

[Aladeen]

Stupid Obama and his pre-existing conditions coverage, amirite.

Well, I guess enjoy that socialist healthcare in Canada until you're ready to kick the bucket, what can I say. Oh, and don't appreciate it.

[Electro Rock]

And you want to leave a country with socialized medicine....?

[aGENT]

I don't know what your ailment is but I nearly died a few years ago from cancer and our apparently sub-par medical system managed to turn that around for me....

[Wetcoaster]

I don't know what your ailment is but I nearly died a few years ago from cancer and our apparently sub-par medical system managed to turn that around for me....

[Electro Rock]

I don't know what your ailment is but I nearly died a few years ago from cancer and our apparently sub-par medical system managed to turn that around for me....

[aGENT]

I can also put my Big C diagnosis and treatment in the same category. Heck I was even considered terminal at one point and was placed in an experimental drug program that worked.

My uncle in Texas was virtually bankrupted with heart problems whereas my father here in BC who had serious heart issues as well saw no effect on his personal finances.

[The Colt 45s]

The dairy industry is also heavily subsidized in the US, hence the lower prices on cheese, milk etc.

[The Colt 45s]

The dairy industry is also heavily subsidized in the US, hence the lower prices on cheese, milk etc.

[The Colt 45s]

What a terrible system we have

[aGENT]

Don't believe the BS from the Canadian dairy board monopoly. The USA does receive subsidies, but they are small when compared to the industry as a whole. Subsides in the USA vary wildly by year, they range from 1 million to 1 billion dollars a year:

http://farm.ewg.org/...&progcode=dairy

There are, however, 300 million people in the USA. Even during the years with the highest subsidies you are talking about $3 per person. Is that really going to impact prices? Consider how much each person spends every year on dairy. Include milk, cheese, yogourt, cream, butter, ice cream, etc...

The real reason prices are so high in Canada is the Dairy Board. It started out as way to protect small dairy farmers, but has now become a way to enforce a monopoly. They limit new people from entering the business. They fix prices. They fix supply. They control imports.

The USA's system is much much better than ours. We need to axe the board immediately. It would increase revunues, and, thereby, taxes. We could then afford to give a small portion of those taxes back via subsidies, if need be. We've recently axed the wheat board and need to do the same for dairy.

[Wetcoaster]

Keep in mind regarding food quality in the States is disgustingly low compared to ours.

[silverpig]

So the taxes in Canada/Bc are too high?

Want equal prices with the States?

It can be arranged just do the following:

get rid of universal medical care

get rid of ICBC

get rid of bc Hydro

grow Canada's population by 10 times.

Feel free to add to the list of things that need to go to become our southern neighbours.

[RUPERTKBD]

Its great for easily identifiable problems, but it sucks for issues that are not, my not being suffiently fluent in speaking "Canadian" when describing symptoms  doesn't help I'm sure.