Sometimes when you have a good thing you take it for granted and often treat it quite badly. As I type that sentence I don't know how many pop songs are flitting through my head. It's quite a common theme.
We do it to cities too. Let's take Edmonton it's had it's booms and busts over the years. Many complain about traffic, cost of living, lack of service, increasing taxes and house prices flattening out. Well if you look at all those things objectively they are signs of a great economy. Don't scoff.
Traffic - Increased traffic means population growth. The city is working hard to improve infrastructure and the LRT and Anthony Henday are huge projects that will relieve congestion.
Cost Of Living - It's low. Albertans still pay the lowest taxes in Canada. What you pay $1.07 for at your local Walmart might cost up to $1.13 in Ontario, $1.12 in B.C and poor souls $1.15 in PEI. Having the highest salaries in Canada doesn't hurt either.
Lack Of Service - This means the economy is booming. It's sad you can't get served as quickly anywhere but that's because we can all get great jobs at high wages. No one wants to work for $17/hr at McDonalds anymore.
Increasing Taxes - Like it or not increasing taxes is good. It means your property values are going up. I don't like and I don't look forward to that time of the year but it's unavoidable.
House Prices Flattening Out - Well if they didn't we would be in a sorry state. Affordability would drop, immigration would peter out and our great economy would slow right down. One year of healthy adjustment is worth all of that believe me. Just wait for 2009 when prices start to inch up again.
The next time you start to complain about Edmonton think of the big picture and maybe you will smile.
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