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1) What do you think are possible solutions for the rising inequality? 2) Since the rich are taking a higher percent of overall income and Canada is in debt, do you agree with lowering their taxes?

The article talks about how inequality may have decreased worldwide but it is increasing more and more in specific countries, Canada has fairly high inequality and there are propositions to tax the rich or redistribute income using other strategies. 

1. Can you use the economic concepts to explain what is happening in the rare earth market? (Hint: Supply and Demand determinants, the relationship of supply and demand etc. Feel free to use other concepts.) 2. Can you explain what type of interventions the government is using to solve the negative externalities in this case. What may happen in the market as a result?

- The price of commodities has been going up and down the past week as negotiations over the U.S budget continues. - Oil rose while natural gas fell. Silver rose 2%, gold raised $10.70, copper gained 6.8 cents, palladium ended up at $12.25 and platinum gained $7.80 - Investors are hoping a new budget is agreed upon so that tax doesn't increase - There is a possibility that the economist believe that U.S could be pushed back into recession if a budget is not agreed upon. - During the second quarter, the economy grew at a faster rate than initially thought by the commerce department. - More Americans starting buying homes due to the job gains and low mortgage rates. The National Association of Realtors said an index measuring pending contracts to buy homes jumped last month.

do you think that the new budget will make a difference in the commodities prices ?

From the mid 1990's - late 2000's Canada had the fourth largest increase in income inequality among it's peers. Income inequality, along with corruption, were named as the two most serious challenges facing the world at this year's World Economic Forum in Davos. the impact of the growing income gap has gather little attention in Canada market forces and globalization are increasing disparity, along with institutional shifts such as dwindling unionization rates and stagnating minimum wages.

Canadian Natural Resources Ltd. and Suncor Energy Inc. added at least 0.9 percent as crude rose to a three-month high. Yamana Gold Inc. gained 4.5 percent as gold rose the most in six weeks. The market today is moving primarily on the Chinese data, so gold is up and crude is up which is very good for the Canadian market," said John Kinsey, fund manager with Caldwell Securities Ltd. in Toronto. His firm manages about C$1 billion ($1.01 billion). "Those are the two areas that have been dragging." Yamana climbed 4.5 percent to C$17.06 and Eldorado Gold Corp. advanced 3.3 percent to C$12.61 as gold futures for February delivery gained 1.4 percent to $1,678 an ounce in New York, the biggest gain for a most-active contract since since Nov. 6.

Questions: 1. Do you think that eventually Canada will have no choice but to sell its natural resources to the other world powers? Can this be a good change? 2. Canada and the USA share a lot of history and do a lot of activities together, do you think that being financially independent will make us rely less on the US ?

1. What affect do you think the american stockpiles of crude oil have on the supply and demand graph of crude oil? 2. Since the middle east contributes to most of our oil resources, what are the possible solutions to the price increase of crude oil if the conflict between israel and palestine continues?

Q1: Do you think putting up their uninhabited islands is a good recompensation method in case Greece doesn't pay off their loans and are the Germans indebted to Greece for their misactions during World War 2? Q2: Do you think Greece should be toughening it's austerity measures even though it might mean increasing Greece's current unemployment rate?

1. If Greece's economic situation worsens I believe putting up their uninhabited islands would be a great way to compensate because they are likely to be worth a lot and currently are not being used. 2. In my opinion, I feel Greece's unemployment rate is at a very risky point and doing anything to further detriment that would be unwise.

The average public servant costs taxpayers $114,100 a year in total compensation. "Total compensation (per full-time employee) in the federal workforce outpaced not only CPI (inflation), but also that of the Canadian business sector and provinces and territories over the study period," the report states. Although the government has recently announced new restraint measures that will cut the number of public servants, the PBO estimates that average compensation for salaries and benefits will reach $129,800 in the next three years. Canadian Taxpayers Federation federal director Gregory Thomas said he found some of the numbers "staggering," particularly since average household income growth is in the neighbourhood of one per cent. "This government has been in office for six years, you wonder when are they are going to get serious about controlling payroll costs," he said. Ottawa recently announced it has already shed about 11,000 in the first six months of the program. When the current austerity measures are completed, the public service will decline to 349,000, if Ottawa sticks with the program. "The period between 2012-13 and 2014-15 resembles those of the mid-1990s, as both personnel expenses and federal employment (are) reduced," the report states. "The PBO expects a significant slowdown in personnel expenses, given assumptions about baseline employment." Compensation is expected to continue to grow, although not at the rate of the past 13 years. The report projects that by 2014-15, the average annual compensation for a federal employee will rise to $129,800, a growth rate of 4.4 per cent per annum. That is a few thousand dollars less than would have been the case without the restraint program. The PBO complains, however, as it has in the past, that it has not been given sufficient information about how the restraint program is being implemented, or its impact. "As such, parliamentarians do not have the resources with which to determine areas of priorit

Questions: With the government cutting off public servant, how will this effect the distribution on public services provided to Canadians Is there other alternatives the government can consider rather than laying off public servants to decrease the government's expenditure?

This article talks about how the government is doing very good with reducing the inequality with the tax cuts and all but that they could be more aggressive. It's suggesting that we need a new redistribution plan but mainly focuses on what it counts to be the most important thing in getting rid of the debt, the governments role in all this. Asks questions like what if the government had made different decisions. 

Canadians are more than ever drown in debt. When it comes to comparing with the neighbor (US) we are carrying more debt than them. Market observers argued that Canadian consumers will no longer be able to hold up rising household debt.

Consumer debt is becoming a larger threat to the Canadian economy as a whole. Meanwhile, businesses stopped expanding due to weak global growth.

Canadian debt/income ratio isn't as bad as it looks. Because Canadians pay for their health care through their taxes, their disposable income is distorted relative to the U.S. In terms of personal income, the ratio is actually closer to 118%, rather the scary 165%. Canadian household debt relative to assets (19%) and net worth (24%) is below prior peaks of 20% and 25%, respectively. Rosenberg estimates Canada would need to see a 20% drop in the housing market to get net worth/income ratio down to the U.S. level. Canadians have more equity in their homes - 69% of the value compared with 43% in the U.S. "This equity gap is a prime reason why Canadian household net worth/income ratio (at over 500%) is some 35 percentage points above U.S. levels," Rosenberg writes. Canadians are better able to service their debts. Canadian wage growth at 4% a year is about double what it is in the U.S. - a rise that pretty much matches the average interest rate they are paying. The debt-servicing ratio in Canadian households is now just over 7% - a level it has only been below in the past 15% of the time. So even though Canadian interest rates are 75 basis points higher than in U.S, it is not hampering our ability to handle debt.