Albertans are tops again (and it aint a good thing)

[Qafir Arnaut]

Here's a tweet from celebrity ABeconomist Todd Hirsch

Albertans buy more new vehicles than (almost) anywhere in the country, with 44 per 10,000 people. Only Newfoundland edges us out at 48.

No wonder Newfies feel at home in Alberta's so called cities.

[MrOilers]

I don't think this is a bad thing. The number of new vehicles on the road in an area roughly correlates with economic prosperity. Alberta and Newfoundland have been doing well.

[SHOFEAR]

blah blah blah, cars are evil, blah blah blah.

[Qafir Arnaut]

Originally Posted by MrOilers

The number of new vehicles on the road in an area roughly correlates with economic prosperity

How is it 'prosperity' to waste money on a depreciating asset on a triple(if not quadruple) declining scale? And who exactly is doing well? Them kids who end up not completing high school, yet their pockets are full of cash to squander in booze, casinos, and car dealerships?

[Daveography]

Originally Posted by SHOFEAR

blah blah blah, cars are evil, blah blah blah.

From this poster, it's not that cars are evil, it's that everything about Edmonton and Alberta sucks and is evil, and where would we be without his keen insight into how much we suck, despite the fact that the poster seems to live here and has no qualms taking part in our provincial prosperity despite how evil it actually is.

[240glt]

Ugh. Not Q A again

[DKaz]

For a province so obsessed with automobiles, Albertans don't take very good care of their cars. Probably why they need to be replaced so frequently. If I was living in Edmonton my car would be waxed and polished four times a year. I know the sand on the roads don't help with anything much but I wouldn't allow dirt to accumulate for more than a few days, that stuff eventually eats away at the paint and allows the car to start rusting.

I guess the only thing that can't be helped is the potholes... man those potholes are killer. They don't seem to be bad this year but I remember dodging them left and right downtown in my rental Nissan Versa back in 2008, that was a bad year for potholes.

[Qafir Arnaut]

Originally Posted by RTA

From this poster, it's not that cars are evil, it's that everything about Edmonton and Alberta sucks and is evil.

No not evil..just stuck in a time warp unnecessarily due to the squandering of its fortune. Why does Alberta squander...that is a very interesting anthropological question.

[240glt]

When I moved to Calgary from Vancouver in '01 It was wierd to see so many cars on the road with smashed up windshields (product of this ridiculous insurance system we have here) and farting blue smoke (product of no emissions regulations).. plastic, cardboard & duct tape windows were also very popular... stuff you just never saw in Van.

The weather is hard on cars here, as well as the amount of driving that is done. My poor '99 Tacoma looked like a million bucks when I bought her, but 8 years and 370,000 km's later she looks a little tough.

The 30 year old Volvo, on the other hand, is very well preserved due to not being driven in the winter and washed very regularly.

[Yume-sama]

So, Alberta helps keep another industry alive~ What else is new You're welcome Ontario

[DKaz]

That's probably the trick then, having a winter beater so that the good cars remain in good condition.

[MrOilers]

Originally Posted by Qafir Arnaut

How is it 'prosperity' to waste money on a depreciating asset on a triple(if not quadruple) declining scale?

Prosperity = more disposable income to replace other depreciating assets (i.e. old vehicles) with new ones. And cars don't retain value, but they are darn useful. And like it or not, they are indicators of economic prosperity. You don't see new cars on the streets where people can't afford them.

And who exactly is doing well?

The entire provinces are doing well, economically speaking.

Them kids who end up not completing high school, yet their pockets are full of cash to squander in booze, casinos, and car dealerships?

Perhaps. But "them kids" who don't finish high school will often end up in trades or other on-the-job training for careers that universities don't offer training for. Not everybody needs, nor can have, a univerisity education. We still need people to drive loaders, work secretarial positions, work as general laborers, and be porters in hospitals.


But you're obviously trolling, so I don't expect a response without more anti-Alberta biases and mud-slinging.

[hilman]

Wow, your hate for Alberta is disgusting. Who cares if Albertans buy more cars, isn't this a good thing for the economy and more importantly gives people from Ontario jobs. You sure don't mind taking the billions and billions in transfer payments........truly pathetic.

[Xelebes]

This thread isn't going anywhere fast. Closed.