China overtakes Japan as world's second-biggest economy

[David E]

OK Maxx...no more Politics...lips are sealed 

ps...I dont get my opinions from the media.....they come from a high level "think tank" that my Company has been invited to Manage....driven and paid for by the Treasury Department !!!

[maxx]

David who's treasury department?

[RobertBfrom aust]

Naughty David E , but one just has to look at the Australian dollars strength to know where the grass is greener , oh and the following article ha ha .
Aussie cities dominate Most Livable Cities surveyYahoo!7 February 21, 2011, 5:44 pm 141 CommentsSend
 
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Vancouver has topped the list of the world's most livable cities for the fifth straight year, while Melbourne claimed second place from Vienna in a list dominated by Australian and Canadian cities.

Melbourne, Perth, Sydney and Adelaide received perfect scores on education and healthcare.

Melbourne is the cream of the Aussie crop, pipping Sydney (no. 7) to second place.

Perth and Adelaide are ranked joint eighth.

Health care and education are among Perth's strong points in the survey by the Economist Intelligence Unit which compared 140 cities.

The survey is based the findings on five categories: stability, health care, culture and environment, education and infrastructure.

"What the survey does tell people is we are doing a lot of things right and as we continue to create precincts such as the Waterfront and the Northbridge Link, we are hopefully going to remain in a high position for many years," Lord Mayor Lisa Scaffidi said.

Top scorer Vancouver scores 98 per cent on a combination of stability, health care, culture and environment, education, and infrastructure - a score unchanged from last year.

"Mid-sized cities in developed countries with relatively low population densities tend to score well by having all the cultural and infrastructural benefits on offer with fewer problems related to crime or congestion," Jon Copestake, editor of the report, says in a statement.

Pittsburgh is the top US city ranked 29 while Los Angeles has moved up three places to 44th and New York retains its 56th spot.

London has climbed up a place to 53rd while Paris comes in at number 16.

The top Asian city is Osaka at number 12, a joint position with Geneva, Switzerland. Japanese capital of Tokyo, comes in at 18.

Hong Kong is rated 31 but Beijing, capital of the world's No. 2 economy, struggles in at 72.

Following is the full of list of the top 10 most livable cities:

1. Vancouver, Canada 2. Melbourne, Australia 3. Vienna, Austria 4. Toronto, Canada 5. Calgary, Canada 6. Helsinki, Finland 7. Sydney, Australia 8. Perth, Australia 8. Adelaide, Australia 10. Auckland, New Zealand
The bottom 10 cities were: 1. Harare, Zimbabwe 2. Dhaka , Bangladesh 3. Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea 4. Lagos, Nigeria 5. Algiers , Algeria 6. Karachi, Pakistan 7. Douala, Cameroon 8. Tehran, Iran 9. Dakar, Senegal 10. Colombo, Sri Lanka

[maxx]

I'm not to sure about you Aussies.You guys elect a politician with the last name of Stoner.In the states somebody calls you a Stoner.That means you smoke allot of marijuana.

[RobertBfrom aust]

Good one Maxx , that is what keeps our economy going along with the boat people , we have almost as many of these as you have Mexicans jumping the fence ha ha , regards Robert .

[David E]

Australian Government...trying to get to grips with a strategy to get through the next crash...if and when it happens !!!

[seagull]

Australian Government...trying to get to grips with a strategy to get through the next crash...if and when it happens !!!

There's no strategy from this government, they put the country in record debt just so the economy looked good for one quarter. They have made us more vulnerable than ever before and we will become like a Greek/Irish basket case should there be a big crash in Asia which is what has been carrying the Australian economy under Labor's "strategy".

[shaun]

I was wondering when someone was going to say we are not suppose to be political.  This conversation is about economics which is impossible to speak about without mentioning politics.   I do not see anyone talking about politics except as it relates to economics.  I think as long as we stay with that stream of conversation we should be OK; I hope.

That being said I think the only way to overcome these issues in the government is to do term limits and stricter regulations on political representatives that if violated invoke harsh penalties including imprisonment.  No trials only mandatory penalties.  That would straighten things up in a hurry.  I mean that is how the government penalizes business owners when they step outside of the law even when it is committed in ignorance.

Now if you think that is political then let me delete it before you close this thread.  It isn't political but it is a way of bringing economic integrity as you mentioned David, from the top down.

[maxx]

Shaun relax nobody is pulling the plug on the thread.It was a joke.

Shaun you speak of term limits.Which I think is a good idea.As long as the guy who they elect knows what he is doing.A few years ago.New Mexico elected a guy who had no political experience.This guy hadn't even served on a city council anywhere.So new Mexico wanted to try something new.The guy's name is Gary Johnson.Now Gary didn't do a damn thing while he was in office.But he also didn't hurt anyone either.He just kind of showed up for work everyday.And attended allot of charity events.But beyond that he didn't do anything.Because he didn't know how to make the government work for the people.

I do agree that there should be term limits.It puts a stop to the buddy system.And the good boy attitude that politicians have toward each other.But you are going to need somebody who doe's know what is going on.

On a side note the Navajo nation has thrown there last three presidents out the door.And locked them up.For 2 to 5 years for embezzlement.And for tacking kick backs.I don't know why they would do such a thing.They are always stealing from each other.And it isn't a crime until the federal government steps in.The Navajos have a state fair every year.Every year the head guy of the fair.Tells the people that the fair didn't make any money.It cost you 10.00 bucks a person to get threw the door.And for each parade entrant it cost 250.00 the parade lasts about 2 hours.Oh yeah and the parking fees.Is like 5.00 a day.The fair lasts a total of seven days. The Fair attendance is usually up around 300,000 people.And the vendors inside the fair.Have to pay a fee to sell what ever they are selling.

The Navajo nation owns the land.And the water.They even own the toilets.But every year this fair looses money.The money goes to the president and his family members.Along with his cronies.

They have a farm on the Reservation.That is completely supported by B.I.A. B.I.A. pays for everything.The seed the cows the water,The helpThe equipment.All of the buildings.And the trucks to haul the produce.B.I.A. Evan made sure they had contracts with different companies to sell the stuff they grow.The first four years of the farm.It was broke.They Finlay fired the guy they had running it.And brought some guy out from Texas.The farm now makes millions every year.And the Navajos are paying back B.I.A.

The guy they fired he was so entrenched in the Navajo government.That he was never charged.Evan after they found where he had Ben embezzling the money for years.The Navajos have built themselves a casino.It has only Ben open a couple of months.So they haven't figure out how to steal the money yet.I have little doubt.In a couple of months.I will read in the paper.How that the new casino is going bankrupt.

[shaun]

Pssssst....    maxx, I'm not worried about you...  It is some of the others!  Remember I didn't say anything.

[Alex_Lee]

In China, the government is very rich, but majority population is suffering from the pain of inflation, people in China is not happy, they are always worried, and their feeling of happiness ranks very low.

[Kiwi303]

As far as my take on the financial crisis and bailout? theres one guy that I trust for stock market advice, because he's been doing it for decades without screwing up, instead of screwing up and starting a new company with a new IPO and starting again every few years.

Warren Buffet of Berkshire Hathaway inc.


when he was asked what to do in the opening stages of the crisis when the govt over there was scrambling to work out what to do... his advice? "Let them all fail, the pikers will go belly up, and the good guys will step in to their empty shoes and carry on growing."

Now, instead of some crashing and some growing, the govt splashed out money and the companies that should be decently dead are dragging down the market and blocking out the smart and good companies, and the taxpayer is going through hell to cover the Govts cheques.

[halfpint]

Did any of you guys notice that 3 of the top 5 cities are in Canada?  I'm just saying.

[Kiwi303]

and 4 aussie cities and a kiwi city

[shaun]

I read in our local paper yesterday that we are on the rebound.  People have let loose a little money, income tax return money but I don't see a true rebound.  Reading the article it will be government jobs saved with a few new government jobs.  There will also be a couple of large companies move in 2011.   ADP and Sprint moved here grew the average minimum wage from around $10.00 per hour to $7.50 per hour.  People can't find anything over $8.00 right now.