With the possible exceptions of whether to buy or lease a car or if Adele sucks, nothing gets the blog steerage section fussed more than Trump. The mere mention of his name propels our discussion to daycare levels. The insults, closed-mindedness and outrage, feigned or real, are legion. Let’s try to rise above it this time. (Not holding breath.)
As I write, Americans vote. At stake is every seat in the House of Representatives, a hunk of the Senate and three dozen state governorships. Polling suggests the red guys will hang onto the Senate while the blue guys take the House. But polls are often wrong and people surprise. Plus – as we have seen – it was possible for Trump to become president and Trudeau to grab the prime ministership even when a majority voted for other people. It’s a highly imperfect system in which first-past-the-post, voter suppression and gerrymandering can distort the will of the people.
Regardless, what does this midterm thingy mean for your portfolio? Will markets swoon or soar on Wednesday?
If history’s any guide, a nothingburger. After almost every similar event markets haven’t moved more than 1% in either direction. In general, equities gain ground in the weeks following a midterm. In fact, there’s almost always been a run-up during the third year of a presidential cycle, which bodes well for 2019.
But is it different this time? We’ve never had a character like Trump in the White House. And never in memory has a sitting president so made the midterms into a referendum on his personal performance, nor engaged in such fierce campaigning leading up to the vote. This also happens in a poisoned political environment, with Trump the poster guy for global populism. America, Italy, France, Germany, Britain, Venezuela all bear witness to the power of the disenfranchised. Wealth disparity, voters think, can be settled with ballots. How cute.
Most blog commentators this week have predicted a ‘red wave’ and unbridled Trumpism for the next two years. They see Republicans sweeping both chambers as the deplorables punt the Dems. It’s now more a religion than politics. Us-and-them at its most visceral, emotional level. Looks like 43% of the US population agrees.
So what happens if Trump emerges the victor, controlling both the White House and all of Congress?
Well, it’s what markets hope for. In that case investors expect more gas to be thrown on the US economy. More tax cuts (the big guy just promised a 10% middle-class hack – and the mother of all budget deficits), aimed at creating more growth. More spending, especially in the military, homeland security and infrastructure. More hardball with China and other trading partners. The ratification of the USMCA deal with Mexico and Canada. More inflation. Higher bond yields. More Fed tightening. Sustained corporate profits. Full employment. Wage gains. Robust consumer spending.
The worst outcome for markets would see the Democrats taking control of both the House and the Senate. That might lead to a repeal of the corporate tax cut, since more money would be required for social spending and the expansion of Obamacare (the blues campaigned massively on health care). The Dems might launch a new inquiry into the controversial appointment of Judge Brett Kavanaugh, or even start the impeachment process against Trump. In other words, political instability would flow from a war between the Oval Office and Congress, while stimulus was removed from the economy leading to reduced corporate profits and lower stock values. But this might also mean a smaller budget shortfall, cooling inflation and no rate hikes as the Fed backs off.
More likely (if you believe polls) is the split. A blue House. A red Senate. Trump is spanked, but stays unrepentant. (Nothing is ever his fault.) This outcome is generally seen as a good one for markets and investors. Over the sweep of history stocks have done well during times of government gridlock, since a more balanced approach emerges. In this case Trump would still do exactly what’s he’s done for the economy, but have a harder time with issues like immigration – which he just used to mercilessly fire up his base of supporters.
So, for Canada?
If you have a balanced, globally-diversified portfolio it’s all just amusing. Do nothing. The rest of 2018 should put a smile on your face.
But if most of your net worth is in real estate, no smiles. Trump firmly in control of the executive branch and the Senate means his nationalist agenda will continue. Maximum growth, more protectionism. America-first, more jobs, inflation and – yes – Fed tightening. An interest rate increase in December, three more in 2019 and pressure on our hawkish Bank of Canada to do the same. It would be prudent to prepare for five more quarter-point hikes before our guy lays down his tools, saying the job is done.
Of course, if the rabid blog dogs are correct, and it’s wall-to-wall red, you might wish you’d never heard of Brad Lamb.
145 comments ↓
No.
You’re not first.
Trump is already chumming the waters with lies just in case the Democrats take over anything tonight.
It is voter fraud apparently? See the mark 3.32 on the
Cspan video.
https://www.c-span.org/video/?454134-1/president-trump-meet-vladimir-putin-paris
Hey Garth, Do you really hate Adele or do you have all her albums playing on repeat?
Also, thanks for the great blog!
Bandit bought them. His Spotify account is now yanked. – Garth
Ross Kay on HoweStreet.com Radio:
Canada’s Housing Correction Continues Since 2016 Warning.
Fake News lead to Bad Decisions.
https://www.howestreet.com/2018/11/05/canadas-housing-correction-continues-since-2016-warning/
So glad that our political culture in Canada is not quite so poisonous. In the end, we all have to live together.
Best wishes to our southern neighbors. And thank you Garth for doing your part to maintain a healthy, tolerant public dialogue on issues that matter to all of us.
There is HYSTERIA in the USA. A RED WAVE all the way. People see Trump as their Saviour YIKES….
This is all about division.
The herd has been long tricked into believing it has to be: The Left VS the Right.
When In fact it should be: The Left, UNITED with the Right, VS the system that oppresses the working class citizens of all leanings and has for multiple decades (centuries?).
As long as we waste our energy pointing fingers at each other and bitching about our differences when in fact we agree on 95% of societal policies, the system just rolls along, doing what ever the hell it wants, just like it always has, all while we stay distracted.
Wealth disparity, voters think, can be settled with ballots. How cute.
–
What would you recommend voters use to settle wealth disparity?
TFSA, RRSP with 6% yield, because the million they may get in four decades, will make them catch up with the billionaires for the rest of their life? How cute is that?
In the spirit of rising above – anyone who runs for office or even just has an interest in politics is typically passionate about doing what’s right for their community. So I salute all of you politically minded folks – even the ones I am diametrically opposed to. At least you’re paying attention and have your heart in the game.
Enjoy the show.
BUU
Red wave confirmed. Also, it is NOT populism that is spreading world wide it is NATIONALISM. Big difference if you understand. In your list you forgot Brazil as well. Looks like Trump will hold the House by 3 seats and extend the GOP’s hold on the Senate by 15 seats. Nationalism will triumph over Globalism. Sadly for Canada she will be the proverbial wall flower forever waiting to be asked to the dance.
“Try using a mortgage calculator. I did. “
Don’t need a mortgage calculator to tell you that the cost of a loan doubles when the interest rate doubles. That’s common sense.
What changes with the interest rate is that, over time, payments into equity have a greater impact in reducing the principal on the back end. However, if you start with a 25-year amortization, and pay on it for 5 years, the expectation upon renewal is that your subsequent 5-year term will be for a 20-year amortization, 15 years, 10 years, so on and so forth. So when you’re using one of those mortgage calculators, you need to shorten the amortization accordingly on the renewal.
Why? Because houses naturally wear out over time, and so does the ability of a mortgage borrower to pay on the mortgage. Its just not a reasonable assumption to assume that lenders will indefinitely renew a mortgage loan at a long amortization and a favourable spread, especially if the economy heats up in other areas and they’re looking to shift their investment elsewhere.
Agreed, not so sure if markets will be happy enough with the “most likely case” scenario of each party taking one legislature, but definitely the other two scenarios where the republicans take both houses (boom) or democrats take both houses (bust) seem bang on.
LIVE LIFE….
HAVE FUN….
RICH OR POOR YOU CAN GET IT DONE.
DONT WORRY ABOUT THE RICH MAN’s SORROW.
EVEN HE TO ONE DAY SHALL HAVE TO BORROW.
TIME’S A TICKIN SO BE BRAVE.
EVENTUALLY WE WILL ALL END UP IN A GRAVE.
#7 black sheep
You’re absolutely right. Booze, smokes, pro sports, porn, marijuana….bread and circuses. Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain.
#8 ubul
Teach your kids about money. Set a good example. Create a legacy.
#8 Ubul:
Wealth disparity isn’t just about assets – it’s also about debt. Get rid of any debt you have, and avoid further debt in the future.
The joy of not feeling the pressure of the boot on your neck every month when the bills come in is something that many ‘millionaires’ will never know.
Child care” Precious!!!!!….We need to make note of the fact that politicians have screwed everything up anyway no matter which way it goes…..And here we are blog talking…..So what does all this mean…..Discontent and or agreed….Watch what real estate you buy the balance and diversified have growth and hopefully a good government to help you get there in one piece your piece Lol that is!
“Most blog commentators this week have predicted a ‘red wave’ and unbridled Trumpism for the next two years.”
I think because most people who comment here are Canadians, and it is largely immaterial who wins congressional elections in a foreign country. We don’t post about a ‘blue wave’ because it’s meaningless to us.
Despite being a proud Albertan, I still shake my head when I see Trump bumper stickers in Edmonton, and read the bizarre posts of my fellows like Ryguy, ex-cowtown, etc. proclaiming him the 2nd coming of something. He’s not even running in this country…
This is a blog majoring in Real Estate, with a minor in personal finance. I can see discussing politics so far as it impacts those two topics, but I find it pointless to proclaim a red wave and triumph over the liberal left or whatever as being relevant to a discussion on Vancouver RE. Unless it’s pointless trolling, then carry on, I guess. Everyone needs a hobby.
DELETED
I read that a man proposed to his girlfriend while she was running the NY marathon. He jumped over the barricade and proposed on mile 16. He put the ring on her finger and she kept running. In the pictures she looks elated!
Naturally this has people upset because it is 2018. People saying that he did it because his small ego could not allow his GF to be in the spotlight. People saying he was trying to make the marathon about him.
Someone even said something along the lines of “this is everything that is wrong with men.”
It is honestly difficult to not get angry at BS like this. What was intended to be a gesture of undying love and life long commitment was spun into something negative. These commentators do not realize the irony. THEY ARE THE ONE’S MAKING IT ABOUT THE MAN!
I hate this culture. What a ******* JOKE.
For reference since I would not blame anyone for accusing me of making this up:
https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/new-york-marathon-proposal-video-man-engagement-running-miles-video-a8620981.html
Adele is Phil Collins in drag?
Whistler is taking a whack too, with the local realtor’s calling the market “eerie”, like the night before Halloween. 8152 Alpine Way, listed 1.8, sold 1.4. That’s quite the haircut!
@#170 Lorne
“An excellent summary in support of Proportional Representation so neither of those parties will ever have dictatorial powers again!”
++++
Proportional Representation?
Pffft.
So we’ll be like Italy or Greece with endless minority govts. constantly bickering and squabbling for special interest scraps….achieving nothing?
No thanks
Its hard enough to get people to vote.
looking forward to the adele Celine Xmas album
“Well, it’s what markets hope for. In that case investors expect more gas to be thrown on the US economy. More tax cuts (the big guy just promised a 10% middle-class hack – and the mother of all budget deficits), aimed at creating more growth. More spending, especially in the military, homeland security and infrastructure. More hardball with China and other trading partners. The ratification of the USMCA deal with Mexico and Canada. More inflation. Higher bond yields. More Fed tightening. Sustained corporate profits. Full employment. Wage gains. Robust consumer spending.” – Garth
You make it so hard for those on this side of the border to keep quiet. Everything you portray as bad I see as good.
Tax cuts – last one increased tax revenue to record highs.
Deficits – true but it’s because of spending. Cut that and watch what happens. Undocumented people and their associated cost will be reduced, record tax revenues, more fair trade deals which he did including Having China reduce their tariffs on over 1500 items plus reducing the cost of military protection for many other countries and less welfare spending as more and more people get back to work will make a big difference.
Infrastructure spending is needed. Compare our disrepair to how beautiful Canada is!
Markets going up will help everyone with their retirement accounts.
Let’s hope for a red wave. We’ll know tomorrow if the American dream is dead or not.
What Robert De Niro said.
regardless of outcome, I wish I never heard of Brad Lamb
I absolutely LOVE your picture tonight, hopefully it won’t be the best part of November 6!
A number of years ago we went to Poland…we have never seen so many Daschounds all the same shape but still so much variety as far as colour, wire haired, short haired, long haired etc, if you lived in Warsaw, you had this dog….so cute!
Tucked into the couch to watch the insanity tonight in the USA.
“If voting mattered, they wouldn’t let us do it.” – Albert Einstein
Bold as F prediction.
Many Democratic upset victories tonight. Even in Texas.
#7 Blacksheep
“when in fact we agree on 95%…”
Yes that’s how I see it now too. 95% is one very big venn diagram crossover. And the noise involved in pushing the false narrative of polarization and division eventually causes people to disbelieve it.
I love this one: “propels our discussion to daycare levels”. However children are not interested in interacting socially with other children until they are 4-5 years old. The interactions before that age consist in fairly physically brutal toy takeovers and territorial claims. :-D
Point is – if there will be a red sea in these elections – I am afraid the rule of law south of us will be replaced by the rule of Trump. I do not put beyond him to start taxing any foreign investments in the US, if he gets unchecked power…
#24 BobC
Record tax revenue – it’s up 18 billion in a year on spending north of 3.5 trillion. Cutting spending, two thirds of U.S. federal spending is mandatory – Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid. Deficit at the highest level since 2012.
U.S. fiscal situation is going in the wrong direction. Not the most credible source, but if these numbers are anywhere near correct the U.S. is in the usual bad position when right wing governments get elected. Tax cuts without spending cuts are meaningless. That’s an ugly deficit in an expansionary point in the business cycle.
https://www.cnbc.com/2018/10/15/us-budget-deficit-expands-to-779-billion-in-fiscal-2018-as-spending-surges.html
Go Trump Go!!
Been getting a lot of Tea Party mail in my inbox the last couple of days.
Then on the day of the midterms I get my first visitor from Russia on my blog.
Coincidence, I think not.
Sorry guys, I’m not eligible to vote for President Tide Pod…
M44BC
*picks up 5lb pail o’popcorn*
Let see now, who do we get to blame?
Its probably more fun to observe American elections than actually participate in them; most of my friends in the USA gave up trying to change anything by voting a long time ago.
I do agree that today’s vote can be construed as a referendum on Trump’s governing skills, or lack thereoff…the electorate will “vote” for (or against) whatever “issues” the MSM has put in front of them, and for whatever candidate mirrors their own value system.
Us vs. Them…Blue against Red…Dems or GOP…the left and the right…commies and socialists taking on the capitalists and free enterprisers…libertarians vs. fascists…populists campaigning against authoritarians…nationalists fighting globalists…did I leave anyone out?
The only prediction I’ll make on this election is that a few actors will lose their jobs; several others will gain one. The stage managers & production teams will of course remain the same, and the artistic direction will continue as before.
@#17 Fluorine on 11.06.18 at 5:37 pm
“Most blog commentators this week have predicted a ‘red wave’ and unbridled Trumpism for the next two years.”
I think because most people who comment here are Canadians, and it is largely immaterial who wins congressional elections in a foreign country. We don’t post about a ‘blue wave’ because it’s meaningless to us.
Despite being a proud Albertan, I still shake my head when I see Trump bumper stickers in Edmonton, and read the bizarre posts of my fellows like Ryguy, ex-cowtown, etc. proclaiming him the 2nd coming of something. He’s not even running in this country…
This is a blog majoring in Real Estate, with a minor in personal finance. I can see discussing politics so far as it impacts those two topics, but I find it pointless to proclaim a red wave and triumph over the liberal left or whatever as being relevant to a discussion on Vancouver RE. Unless it’s pointless trolling, then carry on, I guess. Everyone needs a hobby.
______________________
So true.
folks love to pontificate anonymously on the internet.
“Then on the day of the midterms I get my first visitor from Russia on my blog.”
IP-based geolocation schemes are notoriously inaccurate.
“Record tax revenue – it’s up 18 billion in a year on spending north of 3.5 trillion”
Good lord I must be getting old — I remember when people were freaked out about the first $1T year.
On that note, gold likes what its seeing right now. Whatever that might be.
#32 Keith
Like a pendulum we go back and forth. After 8 years of Bush followed by 8 years of Obama we were ready to topple.
I know there’s a world of difference between running a business and running a society. I just don’t understand why we need to be one world wide society. We needed a Trump to get us not to the far right but just back to the middle.
Trump still has us in the Middle East which I’m against but I totally agree with his domestic policies.
Cut the US some slack. I think we all lean a little left down here and we’ll go back after Trump is gone.
Pink Pumpkins being carved in Coquitlam,
Here’s one for the guys in Coquitlam that I will watch to see what happens.
I thought they would have been able to cash out by now and so did probably they.
Picked up for 1.23 pretty much at the detached peak in June 2016, after originally starting at 1.55, the ask has been whittled down to break even territory after expenses and they’re not done yet.
Hopefully they don’t get rolled like an Apple Turnover…
M44BC
2091 Turnberry Lane Coquitlam.paid 1.23 June 2016
Now asking 1.31
https://www.zolo.ca/coquitlam-real-estate/2091-turnberry-lane
Pink Pumpkins being carved in Coquitlam,
Here’s one for the guys in Coquitlam that I will watch to see what happens.
I thought they would have been able to cash out by now and so did probably they.
Picked up for 1.23 pretty much at the detached peak in June 2016, after originally starting at 1.55, the ask has been whittled down to break even territory after expenses and they’re not done yet.
Hopefully they don’t get rolled like an Apple Turnover…
M44BC
2091 Turnberry Lane Coquitlam.paid 1.23 June 2016
Now asking 1.31
https://www.zolo.ca/coquitlam-real-estate/2091-turnberry-lane
Say it ain’t so, Tony.
Early reported electoral results show the Dem ahead in House seats & the Rep ahead in Senate seats. Of course, all that may change as the evening progresses. Question for those who know – does the Electoral College weigh in during mid-terms or only during actual presidential elections?
The guys down the hall at howmuch had immaculate timing for this one…
M44BC
“America’s Middle Class is Vanishing. Nearly Half of Workers Earn Less than $30,000
The U.S. economy is booming. Republicans think President Trump deserves much of the credit for cutting business and individual tax rates combined with a deregulation agenda. And Democrats believe former President Obama rightfully deserves ownership for America’s recovery. Regardless of who gets credit, our newest visualization of net compensation levels for American workers demonstrates that the economy is indeed delivering, but not for as many people as the headlines would have you believe.
The Social Security Administration (SSA) tracks net income numbers after taxes through the Average Wage Index (AWI). We broke the AWI into a three-part hierarchy of $5K increments, letting you easily see the reality of income inequality in the U.S.. Astonishingly, 13% of workers make less than $5K, and nearly half, or 48%, take home $31,561 or less in net compensation (the dark red on our visual). If your mind isn’t spinning yet, consider the fact that these numbers are all after a multi-year economic recovery. The U.S. is allegedly at or near full employment but wages are barely growing, meaning these numbers are probably the best case scenario. Imagine what a recession would do to worker paychecks.
There is one important caveat to keep in mind when thinking about our dataset. The SSA numbers include any wage earners whatsoever, even part-time workers like students and teenagers. If the worker reports his or her income to the IRS on a W2 form, he or she is included in these stats. This drags down the aggregate wage numbers for full-time working adults, which reach $61,372 for households last year.
All that being said, the picture is still depressing. 1.4% of workers make between $250K – 50M, and another 8.2% bring home between $100K – 250K. Remember, these numbers reflect individual earners, meaning they don’t take into account household earnings. We mention this only because wealthy people tend to get married at higher rates than poor people. In other words, wage earners at the top of the income ladder are probably much wealthier than even these numbers would suggest since their spouses are generally highly educated and well-compensated too.
Our visualization makes it plain to see that most people take home very little money from their jobs. The federal poverty level for a family of 4 is $25,100, which officials believe is the bare minimum needed to purchase subsistence food, clothing and shelter. To put this another way, our visualization indicates that enormous chunks of the workforce make a substandard wage, putting them at extreme risks if unpredictable financial problems occur.”
6 November 2018
Visualization
https://howmuch.net/articles/how-much-americans-make-in-wages
@# 20 Trojan Horse
“If voting mattered, they wouldn’t let us do it.” – Albert Einstein”
++++++
Samuel Clemens aka Mark Twain
https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/400040-if-voting-made-any-difference-they-wouldn-t-let-us-do
” … and the mother of all budget deficits” — Garth
Well do debts matter? Is this an ominous sign of bad things to come, or should we just keep whistling past the graveyard with our “balanced & diversified” stuffed in our back pocket?
#9 BUU
Your kidding right? Please tell me your not that naive
RATM
**** HAPPY New Year 2019****
https://www.timeanddate.com/countdown/to?msg=****+HAPPY+New+Year+2019****&month=1&day=1&year=2019&hour=&min=&sec=&p0=55
#8 ubul – yes actually. Invest for 40 years. Live a balanced life. Enjoy yourself. Stop whining. Worry about ehat you can actually control. There are only 1500 billionaires in the world. So your chances of joining them are around 1 in 5,000,000…
Oops! Tony Clement just resigned after sending some saucy pics, then promptly being blackmailed for his thoughtful gesture.
The British Columbia government is Now tracking assignment sales and forcing developers to divulge information on assignments to the government so that the fraudsters will now have to pay tax. This is one of the fairest policies that any government could possibly implement.
The trouble is after 10 years or more of this fraud going on how could have possibly taken this long. So many young lives have been ruined by the house pumping aspect of assignment sales.
You can be sure that all of those long lines in front of presale show homes were assignment fraudsters of which I doubt even 5% of them had paid any tax on what they earned.
When you force people into an extra 200 or $400,000 worth of debt you’re really stealing that much of their life from them. Divide that debt into the hourly wages that people are earning and you will get how many hours they have to work for nothing to pay it off when it all could have been fair in the first place!
There is nothing inherently fraudulent or illegal about assignment sales. In the GTA, for example, such transactions are common and routine. They expand market choice. – Garth
#7 Blacksheep on 11.06.18 at 4:39 pm
This is all about division.
The herd has been long tricked into believing it has to be: The Left VS the Right.
When In fact it should be: The Left, UNITED with the Right, VS the system that oppresses the working class citizens of all leanings and has for multiple decades (centuries?).
As long as we waste our energy pointing fingers at each other and bitching about our differences when in fact we agree on 95% of societal policies, the system just rolls along, doing what ever the hell it wants, just like it always has, all while we stay distracted.
**********
Nicely done, Blacksheep! I couldn’t agree more.
#49 ImGonnaBeSick on 11.06.18 at 8:26 pm
#8 ubul – yes actually. Invest for 40 years. Live a balanced life. Enjoy yourself. Stop whining. Worry about ehat you can actually control. There are only 1500 billionaires in the world. So your chances of joining them are around 1 in 5,000,000…
—
There are maybe 5 billion people as poor as the ones making up the caravan, heading to the US.
“Wealth disparity, voters think, can be settled with ballots. How cute.”
Enjoy yourself. Worry about what you can control. Stop whining.
Cute, very cute.
The root cause of all this recent upheaval can be of course traced to the main issue of greed. Corporations found cheap labor in Asia but decided to continue selling their junk in developed economies to get greater than ever returns. Next, companies started to bring in TFW as wages could be suppressed more at home. Same with skilled labor like IT, nurses, etc. Later, an increased immigration scenario to bring more people in to sell tiny condos with an ever increasing property taxes, while pushing feminism and diversity. Finally we have an opioid epidemic, housing unnofordability, rental unnofordability, suppressed wages, more traffic, more crime, more taxes, more parking meters, more casinos, more beurocrats. Our youth are giving up on the north American dream, suicide epidemic is exploding. But why care about the poor, the sad, the angry. Let’s distract them some more with new Vegas nights team, the Mexican caravan, record corporate profits, and the red wave! It’s all a mere distraction for the slaughterhouse where the sheep is being led to. Just wait until the automation takes full swing, no need for teachers, pharmacists, lawyers, cashiers, etc. Bring in more fentanyl, they deserve their dignity.
That’s it. Going walkies. – Garth
#22 crowdedelevatorfartz on 11.06.18 at 5:56 pm
@#170 Lorne
“An excellent summary in support of Proportional Representation so neither of those parties will ever have dictatorial powers again!”
++++
Proportional Representation?
Pffft.
So we’ll be like Italy or Greece with endless minority govts. constantly bickering and squabbling for special interest scraps….achieving nothing?
No thanks
Its hard enough to get people to vote.
**********************
Italians and Greeks will argue regardless. Debate is good and a minority governments is more accountable for fear are getting tossed. We have seen what majority governments run by special interests can do. I get the achieve things part but look at what they have achieved in BC for the last 16 boom years and the Harper finale, Trump, Quebec etc.
I always find myself voting strategically. Fiscal conservative/heart/pull your own weight individual. If I could vote for who I want and get representation it would make voting more rewarding. The real conservatives might get a seat in BC.
Hell I’ll go one step further and allow voters to choose the party leaders. Regardless of your political leaning all get to vote for the leader and the opposition leader. It is our democracy and we should start applying some maintenance. Just like an old collectors muscle car.
Wow. A moment to think about lives and things more interesting than the composition of Congress down south.
Just saw an interview with Scotty Bowman. He is 85 years old. Looks 68. Started coaching shinny at age 19 (66 years ago). Coached major junior at 25 (60 years ago). Coached in the bigs at 32 (53 years ago).
Still sharp and on the ball.
Turner will be the same. Advising balanced and diversified investing to humans born today when they enter their 20’s. And I’ll be here commenting and broke.
“There is nothing inherently fraudulent or illegal about assignment sales.”
Sure, if they were legitimate assignments of pre-construction or under construction buildings, then I agree.
However, the sort of ‘assignments’ that were being heavily abused in the lower mainland were that of the landlord families doing what was known as “assignment flipping” of existing units amongst themselves, with the express intent of market price manipulation. Mostly so the landlord families, leveraged up to their eyeballs, could remain on-side on their mortgage loans with their lenders. Since it was well known that the Vancouver RE market peaked in 2013 (along with the GTA, coincident with Flaherty’s policy of stopping CMHC expansion), and cashflows were minimal or negative, something had to be concocted to create the allusion of house price growth when nothing of the sort had happened.
This sort of ‘assignment flipping’, although not fraudulent or illegal, certainly created the perception of housing pricing that really didn’t exist when individual arms-length buyers actually went to purchase properties. However, it made a complete mockery of the MLS “data” in Vancouver, and even fanned racial tensions as some less-than-intelligent people blindly blamed “Chinese” instead of looking at the obvious market manipulation that was occurring. Almost never even involving anyone of Chinese ancestry (Canadians or otherwise), but rather and quite often, a different ethnicity from a different part of Asia.
I think that we all get it, in Canada our current political parties no matter which way you vote is so far out of touch with the ordinary folk. Same could be said south of the border; what makes the difference, media! We know it, times are changing.
Invest properly!
Poor Bandit, so picked on for his music choices. I think he does it on purpose just to piss off Garth! :)
9.27pm
That’s it. Going walkies. – Garth
Next post 9.35pm,Back on.
How was the walk around the block…
M44BC
@#170 Lorne
“An excellent summary in support of Proportional Representation so neither of those parties will ever have dictatorial powers again!”
++++
Proportional Representation?
Pffft.
So we’ll be like Italy or Greece with endless minority govts. constantly bickering and squabbling for special interest scraps….achieving nothing?
No thanks
Its hard enough to get people to vote.
…………
Then again we could be like Germany, Denmark or New Zealand, where, in solid PR countries voter turnout is 86%, 87% and 88% respectively….because your vote means something!
#43 Linda,
Electoral College has no role in midterms. Advantage Dems in House due to number of seats in richer Coast states.
American political division becomes weaponized within 24 hours.
PREPARE.
proportional rep sucks. Our system works – we get 5-10 of one side, then 5-10 of the other. The country generally stays centered. nothing wrong with the system as-is.
That’s it. Going walkies. – Garth
————————
In the unusually warm November rain….
Dems got her by the throat
gridlock is back
“In this case Trump would still do exactly what’s he’s done for the economy, but have a harder time with issues like immigration – which he just used to mercilessly fire up his base of supporters.”
I assume by this you mean the caravan of migrants planning to storm the border, as you mentioned in your November 4 column:
“As Trump now tries to divert attention to an ‘invasion’ of ragtag migrants hundreds of miles from the border …”
It’s not Trump that’s politicizing the invasion (no quotes), it’s the Democrats/left, as discussed here:
American Thinker (Nov. 5, 2018): “Left’s canard about Trump politicizing the caravan rings hollow”
https://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2018/11/lefts_canard_about_trump_politicizing_the_caravan_rigs_hollow.html
Recent sale report.
Just as the one I put up in Kitsilano was important for people wanting to possibly buy in there one day, these Eastside detached ones are just as important.
I featured these guys a couple of times possibly in a Race to a million post and then maybe a Race to 900k post but sales like this show there is no secure footing at the bottom of the market anymore.
The details…
3360 Parker st,Vancouver.
Original ask 1.09
Just sold for 830k
It’s o.k to lowball in Vancouver again…
M44BC
2018-07-05 : $1,099,000
2018-08-05 : $1,038,000
2018-09-18 : $988,000
2018-10-15 : $938,000
https://www.zolo.ca/vancouver-real-estate/3360-parker-street
GOP keeps the Senate.
GOP leading 137 to 136 in the House.
Garth sez: “America, Italy, France, Germany, Britain, Venezuela all bear witness to the power of the disenfranchised. Wealth disparity, voters think, can be settled with ballots. How cute.”
————————————————
So if the rabble can’t change things with votes, how can they change them?
Guillotines?
Just found your blog. Where have you been all my life~? Senate GOP. House Dems. More of the same. Except increased jaw muscle toning.
A PhD in Herdonomics looks a lot more tarnished tonight. No red wave. No blue wave either. But a branch of government that can be a powerful check on a dangerous megalomaniac. Better, but still a seriously divided America.
crowdedelevatorfartz on 11.06.18 at 5:56 pm
@#170 Lorne
“An excellent summary in support of Proportional Representation so neither of those parties will ever have dictatorial powers again!”
++++
Proportional Representation?
Pffft.
So we’ll be like Italy or Greece with endless minority govts. constantly bickering and squabbling for special interest scraps….achieving nothing?
No thanks
Its hard enough to get people to vote.
>>>>
Elected dictatorship is better? If so then why bother electing an MP or MLA? Just set up the election system to vote for el presidente.
#63 -=jwk=- on 11.06.18 at 10:17 pm
proportional rep sucks. Our system works – we get 5-10 of one side, then 5-10 of the other. The country generally stays centered. nothing wrong with the system as-is.
…….
So having a party that gets 40% of the vote (which is pretty common in Canada) being handed dictatorial powers is fine with you?
I’m not going to make any predictions about how the midterm election results will affect the markets, but they sure went up nicely today. Did I hear something about a recent stock market correction? You’d never know that today, it must have happened briefly on Friday and I missed it while taking a short afternoon nap. In other words, a tempest in a teapot.
Checks and Balance. The founding fathers understood the herd.
Ultimate power corrupts absolutely. Never give it to anyone.
Dems get the house. Trump gets the Senate.
Hopefully, with the dems little win, we can roll back the polarization that’s making people crazy.
Risist communism at all costs.
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Red wave lol, no surprises tonight except to the faithful.
hey look, a lot of pollsters were bang on!
and no Red Wave after so many said it was confirmed?
your amateur armchair antics were WRONG
admit math is your superior.
#51 NEVER GIVE UP on 11.06.18 at 9:09 pm
The British Columbia government is Now tracking assignment sales and forcing developers to divulge information on assignments to the government so that the fraudsters will now have to pay tax. This is one of the fairest policies that any government could possibly implement.
The trouble is after 10 years or more of this fraud going on how could have possibly taken this long. So many young lives have been ruined by the house pumping aspect of assignment sales.
You can be sure that all of those long lines in front of presale show homes were assignment fraudsters of which I doubt even 5% of them had paid any tax on what they earned.
When you force people into an extra 200 or $400,000 worth of debt you’re really stealing that much of their life from them. Divide that debt into the hourly wages that people are earning and you will get how many hours they have to work for nothing to pay it off when it all could have been fair in the first place!
There is nothing inherently fraudulent or illegal about assignment sales. In the GTA, for example, such transactions are common and routine. They expand market choice. – Garth
————
The goal is to catch the cheaters who don’t claim capital gains on their returns.
Why would anybody be against that?
#61 Herb – thanks for the electoral college info:) Just checked CNN; the latest update is saying Democrats have the House & Republicans the Senate as predicted by those who study this stuff. Now all that remains is to see whether the markets act as predicted.
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Aryan Sisterhood? Garth, I glad you deleted that post but why is Canada becoming so racist? It’s probably because the cops police different people in different ways emboldening cowards. Good on you for not letting stains like that get on here.
Say it’s not so . Smouldering guy is wrong . Surprise surprise.
Looks like his PhD is as good as all the other educated fools he claims .
Quasi-saddened about the election result, only for missing the joy of watching the Left spin-up to 100,000 rpm – but satisfied. Trump needs some balance; now he’ll have to stop flapping his jaw and get-on with governing.
“Whadda you MEAN I can’t do that???” “Well you see Sir, elections have consequences…”
As Karl Denninger points-out, Trump could’ve dealt with the Obamacare mess AND eliminated the deficit the day he took office – all he had to do was enforce existing black-letter anti-trust law (some of them >100 years old) on the U.S. medical establishment – but he didn’t. What the U.S. REALLY needs is a return to spiking anybody – small, medium or multi-billionaire – who breaks the law; but no candidate in the last couple’a elections has shown ANY interest in doing that and it’s pushing them into the poorhouse, just as it is everybody else.
Popcorn?
Looks like polls were right. That said, I think the greatest development in addition to the stress test is price disclosure. You can see the market manipulation that was playing out. Houses listed. Terminated listed again. Terminated. All under the charade of a new listings and you can see what they paid and the way prices bounced around and down. Why would I pay a higher price for a house when it didn’t trade at the lower price? Oh. Because that’s what the market says? The market was blind. Now it can see. Let’s see the market price now.
So whats happened to red vawe??? Anyone???
Tony, tony, tony. tsk, tsk lol.
Hilarious that guys in public office and married with kids would even consider sullying themselves like this.
and so much for the red wave, can’t wait to read all the conspiracy theories from sm
“What happened to the Red Wave” is real simple; just about the same thing that happened to last week’s “Blue Wave”, when you stop to think about it.
Trump won because of the Electoral College system; but the Electoral College system only works for Presidential elections, not for the mid-terms. With the House elected solely on # of votes, the blues were almost guaranteed a win – the only surprising thing being that it wasn’t bigger, especially as all the “Didn’t Bother Voting” types from 2016 learned the hard way why they should go to the effort to vote.
My take – the American Public showed anybody who called ’em “sheeple” that they aren’t nearly as stupid as pundits claim – this might just prove to be the best possible result. Although I note that Obie just kept-on doing whatever he wanted, even after both the House and Senate were other-Party, so it might not make a whole lot o’ difference.
Abe Lincoln for the win – “… but you can’t fool All of the People, All of the time.”
Still waiting for your payment, Garth and Bandit, running low on cash…..
At least do me a solid since I’m being so patient – what’s your old cabinet BFF Tony Clement’s email address?
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#63 -=jwk=- on 11.06.18 at 10:17 pm
proportional rep sucks. Our system works – we get 5-10 of one side, then 5-10 of the other. The country generally stays centered. nothing wrong with the system as-is.
—————————————–
Pure FPTP (as in Canada) and pure PR are two extremes.
Why not something in between, such as a run-off election in ridings where the winner of the first round did not receive 50% of the vote? or perhaps PR but with a 5-8% popular vote threshold to keep out the ultra fringe parties while simultaneously prevent giving the top party absolute power if it did not win a majority of the votes?
We have not heard much from Mueller as of late,, we will now after the mid terms.. Keep your head up Mr.Comb-over and your stick on the ice..
honey pot
Longtime Conservative MP Tony Clement is resigning his post as his party’s justice critic after admitting to sharing sexually explicit images and a video with an individual online.
“Over the last three weeks, I have shared sexually explicit images and a video of myself to someone who I believed was a consenting female recipient. The recipient was, in fact, an individual or party who targeted me for the purpose of financial extortion,” Clement said in a statement.
#85 NoName on 11.07.18 at 6:35 am
So whats happened to red vawe??? Anyone???
………
It happend. Winning the house is no big deal, anything they vote on needs to be passed by the GOP Senate, hopefully this false sense of victory will caulm down the lonny left. The GOP seat gain is a huge red wave.
Now the GOP will appoint conservative judges insuring the constitution as the boomers die off and young communist gain power.
Smoking Man —————– Nurse Ratched would like to have a word with you..
#93 – way to move the goal posts… man up and admit you got it wrong
Consider an IRS auditor who finds that a real estate family reported, say, $10 million of negative income on which no tax is due but really had only $1 million of negative income. Either way, no tax is due immediately. That means the IRS auditor has no incentive to pursue that unwarranted $9 million of negative income, as some auditors have told me in vivid detail.”
The cheating real estate family, on the other hand, gets to carry that bogus $9 million forward until a year when they can use it to offset actual income—so it has real value to them….
“Jerry Curnutt, the retired IRS partnerships specialist, figured out two decades ago
Within this system where cheating predominates, there is a black hole of income that it is especially hard to detect. That hole is real estate, especially closely held real estate partnership income.
http://prospect.org/article/trumps-riches-and-real-estate-tax-racket
Ex-I.R.S. Agent Says Tax Evasion by Real Estate Partners Is Huge
By DAVID CAY JOHNSTONDEC. 7, 2007
Cuts in Enforcement Cost the States Billions in Lost Revenue
By DAVID CAY JOHNSTONAPRIL 12, 2002
Affluent Avoid Scrutiny on Taxes Even as I.R.S. Warns of Cheating
By DAVID CAY JOHNSTONAPRIL 7, 2002
https://www.dcreport.org/2018/11/01/tax-cheating-its-not-just-the-trumps/
https://www.ratespy.com/got-a-heloc-your-mortgage-options-are-about-to-shrink-11067208
“What happened to the Red Wave?” Republicans pick up +6 in the Senate. That IS a red wave. The Senate is the upper house. It is where the power is via the legislature. The house was going to go for the democrats but the real question was by what margin. All in all it was a good night for Republicans and the market likes the gridlock. S&P doing nicely.
#95 yorkville renter on 11.07.18 at 9:55 am
#93 – way to move the goal posts… man up and admit you got it wrong
Historically who ever wins the white house loses the house and senate at the midterms.
Trump gained 6 at senate
Lost 26 in the house
Obama lost 57
Clinton lost about the same.
Its a huge win. It was a red wave.
What’s even more interesting many Democrats don’t want nacey as speaker for obvious reasons. Trump will make sure republicans vote her in..
Watching the Arizona Fox News 10 local channel down here in Phoenix this morning.
Now THAT’S entertainment!!!
Talk about a circus.
The U.S. is like an amusement park for adults.
Fun for a while, until you’re sick of it, then glad you can just leave.
#29 conan on 11.06.18 at 6:41 pm
“Bold as F prediction.
Many Democratic upset victories tonight. Even in Texas.”
=====================================
You must have been watching CNN and MSNBC.
So the Dems take the House (228 – 207).
Will they Legislate or Investigate. ?? Based on their track record, they will probably choose the latter.
So much for all prognostications. Neither a RED nor a BLUE wave. Small majorities in each legislature for each party. Nothing will get done for the next two years except finger pointing and squabbling. But it may be okay for the market if investors feel that the “balance of power” brings stability.
97 & 98 – keep moving those goal posts… it demonstrates your ability to be honest and upfront. none of you Red Wavers qualified your guess as a Senate win
keep spinning that yarn… you can then pull the wool over your own eyes.
It’s probably going to get pretty bloody toxic down in the US for the next couple years with the House Blue and Senate Red.
I’m thinking the US media is going to sound like a nest full of baby starlings just as their mother touches down with a belly full of food to regurgitate. Where all you can see is wide open beaks raised into the air, and all you can hear is a cacophony of frantic screeching. It’ll be even worse than the last two years (if that’s possible).
I’m probably going to have to tune out completely – like 100%. I really hope some sanity can return to Western Politics without a SHTF event having to force it upon us all.
Seriously, I wonder how much longer it’s going to be before folks start killing politicians and reporters again in the West. Polarization and political anger is boiling hotter than I have ever seen in my life time. If things keep building pressure like they have been – it can’t be too much longer before someone blows a gasket and goes ape$h!t in an irreparable way – and kicks off something really bad.
All it’s going to take is some marginalized, angry individual with nothing to lose – and we’ve got plenty of those available for upper limit testing in the West.
I think I’ll be concentrating on de-funding my political representatives even more than originally planned this winter…
#92 jess on 11.07.18 at 9:20 am
honey pot
Longtime Conservative MP Tony Clement is resigning his post as his party’s justice critic after admitting to sharing sexually explicit images and a video with an individual online.
“Over the last three weeks, I have shared sexually explicit images and a video of myself to someone who I believed was a consenting female recipient. The recipient was, in fact, an individual or party who targeted me for the purpose of financial extortion,” Clement said in a statement.
____
What a moron. This horny old bastard is sending **** pics and vids to some random unknown “female” online?
With all the meetoo stuff aimed especially at Politicians these days?
When a simple allegation of inappropriate behavior could end his career (and family even) in its tracks (as it now has)?
When he’s damn near 60 years old?
With a wife and 3 kids at home?
How bloody stupid does a guy have to be to entertain this type of stuff?
I hope you young guys are learning from dolts like TC about what not to do – no matter if politician or electrician.
All male career politicians should just go ahead and assume any and all female attention of this nature in any form while in office is a setup. They should also assume that there is a camera and mic on him at all times no matter where they are.
Especially if working for a right wing party.
I hate to agree with Smoking Man, but Trump won this midterm.
Nate Silver didn’t accurately predict WHY the democrats would win the House. He thought people were fed up with Trump but if that were true, Trump/Republicans should have lost in a similar fashion to Obama’s 2014 midterm election (188 Dems, 247 Rep and 46 Dems, 54 Rep)
http://graphics.wsj.com/midterm-election-results-2014/
Democrats won because 52% of voters this midterm were women and at least 60% of them voted Democrat (numbers keep changing, is anything finalized yet?). There are 38 – 40 congress women elected into the house, many breaking barriers in their district as they have seen first hand “if Trump can make it, so can I”.
https://www.axios.com/2018-midterm-elections-races-made-history-0c44017a-7a09-4429-90b0-ca25a2629fbf.html
https://www.axios.com/2018-midterm-elections-sets-record-for-women-in-congress-81061258-95b2-4b08-a62f-1bb55133f136.html
Even Republicans had female representatives (e.g. Young Kim) that did well and broke barriers.
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/midterms-2018/midterm-elections-alexandria-ocasio-cortez-ilhan-omar-rashida-tlaib-democrats-a8622051.html
https://www.npr.org/2018/11/07/665019211/a-record-number-of-women-will-serve-in-congress-with-potentially-more-to-come
The common theme from the Democrats on Trump is he is morally corrupt and unfit to lead but this not the reason why he loss the House. Also, the Obamas, Oprah, LeBron James, Taylor Swift, Alyssa Milano, Ellen, Beyonce and Hillary Clinton did not help democrats win the governor elections for Texas, Florida or Georgia. Democratic candidate Beto O’Rourke spent $70 million on his election in Texas, the largest in senate history.
https://www.foxbusiness.com/politics/orourke-falls-to-cruz-despite-70m-fundraising-windfall
Women have an unspoken rule in their sisterhood book when it comes to helping other women and marginal people in society (minority groups). What happens in 2020 when there are not enough women or minority groups running to help Democrats win the election? Or will Democrats increase their focus on women and minority groups and cause men to leave Democrats and vote Republican because they feel like the “Forgotten Man”?
That was hilarious. – Garth
Re: Tony Clement, he was on the committee that meets with the intelligence community, so he had even more reasons to be cautious. He is without a doubt an idiot.
#7 and #14
Yes, you people see it.
” winning the House is no big deal.” – SM
In this case it is. This was a huge defeat for the Trumpster, and a big win for the nation.
America was finished if Trump held the House. A one way ticket to nation fragmentation.
#90 Howard on 11.07.18 at 8:34 am
#63 -=jwk=- on 11.06.18 at 10:17 pm
proportional rep sucks. Our system works – we get 5-10 of one side, then 5-10 of the other. The country generally stays centered. nothing wrong with the system as-is.
—————————————–
Pure FPTP (as in Canada) and pure PR are two extremes.
Why not something in between, such as a run-off election in ridings where the winner of the first round did not receive 50% of the vote? or perhaps PR but with a 5-8% popular vote threshold to keep out the ultra fringe parties while simultaneously prevent giving the top party absolute power if it did not win a majority of the votes?
……….
This threshold idea is exactly what is included in the BC Proportional Representation referendum …they have delineated the line at 5% to keep out these fringe parties (which has not deterred the “NO’ side from spreading rumours that we will be controlled by a neo-Nazi party!)
Plus, of course, if one party does not receive at least 50% of the vote, they must cooperate with another party in order to govern. Seems pretty reasonable to me…but not to others who love to completely govern with only 40% of the voters supporting them.
@#98 Smoking Man on 11.07.18 at 10:16 am
#95 yorkville renter on 11.07.18 at 9:55 am
#93 – way to move the goal posts… man up and admit you got it wrong
Historically who ever wins the white house loses the house and senate at the midterms.
Trump gained 6 at senate
Lost 26 in the house
Obama lost 57
Clinton lost about the same.
Its a huge win. It was a red wave.
What’s even more interesting many Democrats don’t want nacey as speaker for obvious reasons. Trump will make sure republicans vote her in..
_____________________________
bwahahaha, you’re so predictable.
gotta be satire
#106 Capt. Serious on 11.07.18 at 12:04 pm
Re: Tony Clement, he was on the committee that meets with the intelligence community, so he had even more reasons to be cautious. He is without a doubt an idiot.
————————————————————-Indeed, given his political resume and current duties, one who should have had multiple opportunities to be briefed on this type of catfishing / dangers of providing compromising information of any type, not least of which being sharing pix of your naughty bits, to a new “friend” over any media format…
Welcome to day one of the 2020 presidential campaign!
Here are the takeaways:
– Everyone can claim a win, but the Senate is the most important chamber by far.
– The Never-Trumper Repubs are mostly gone. (Think McCain, Ryan)
– Trump will almost certainly have a *third* SCOTUS justice by 2020.
– If he is smart, he will be able to trade DACA for his wall.
– Voter ID laws are state level, and there are lots of Republican governors out there.
– Maxine Waters is going to make a fool of herself.
– Dementia might catch up to Pelosi.
– Who will be the next AG?
Interesting times.
#108 conan on 11.07.18 at 12:26 pm
” winning the House is no big deal.” – SM
—————————————————
He’s 1980s visualize your goals and achieve them self-help hokum personified…
2010s version is visible in RE investment seminars – lead by celebrity renovators and 80s/90s movie actors…
Like Jackson Brown said…
They sell us the president the same way
They sell us our clothes and our cars
They sell us everything from youth to religion
#45 Mark Twain never said that either.
https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/mark-twain-voting-quote/
Asking the Smoking Troll/ Putins Troll /Trumps Troll to man up is laughable… try reading his book. He is clearly still a juvenile.
Barely a Blue Wave, no real red wave but here is what I find interesting.
With Mitt Romney now in Washington, I have to wonder if he will take a shot at Trump in 2020 or if he will wait. My guess, he tries in 2020 if the next 2 years are a disaster for Trump. And he may have the support of the caucus.
The DEMs by taking the House have the power of subpoena now and I am thinking we may get to see those tax returns after all. Bobby 3 Sticks now has an ally if he produces a report that is even a little bit damaging to Trump. Based on Trump’s threats this morning, he is clearly worried about the power of the DEMs in the House. Will be interesting to see how many more White House staffers/Trump appointees jump ship in the coming weeks to save their hides and avoid inquiry.
You want to know what happened to the red wave?
https://www.cnn.com/election/2018/results/house
Seems to have inundated the country, except for the fringes on the east and west coasts and islands in between. Those “fringes” are rich in population and economies. The population determines the number of Representatives in each state, the economy the relative satisfaction of the population with government. Therefore, no reason to change the status of the quo, keep voting for what you’re satisfied with.
The red parts are known as “flyover America”, where populations are thinner on the ground, less well-off economically, hence more rebellious. Because those states have smaller populations, they have fewer seats, are outnumbered in Congress, and whichever party they vote in, has less of a chance to have its way in the House. That part of the country stayed red because they still see Trump as their best chance of improving their economic lot.
(Kind of coincides with the cultural divide between eastern “bluestockings” and western “rednecks”. Might even reduce that to economic causes, since it takes prosperity for culture.)
Each of the 50 states has 2 Senators, so the political playing field in the Senate is level. Hence, the “reds” rule there. The “blue” Dems will fall into the bull trap of pushing their advantage in Congress and obstructing Trump at every turn. And that will allow him to point to the Dems as the reason for lack of progress, get the “reds” even more riled up and, with the Electoral College levelling the playing field in presidential elections, has an excellent chance of winning again. (Mark and “Bring Forward” in two years.)
As to markets, don’t worry. Flyover America does not make markets, the coasts do.
The Red Wave predicted turned out to be more of a Purple Dribble, eh?
With all the voter intimidation, gerrymandering and malfunctioning vote machines I’m surprised that the Democrats did as well as they did. Even when the corrupt methods, widely reported across multiple news agencies, were ramped up to ten they still couldn’t defer the loss of the House.
And just a reminder…the Mueller investigation was begun by the Republicans and is headed up by a life long Republican. Now it will get interesting.
I love the smell of barbed wire in the morning.
#98 Smoking Man on 11.07.18 at 10:16 am
#95 yorkville renter on 11.07.18 at 9:55 am
#93 – way to move the goal posts… man up and admit you got it wrong
Historically who ever wins the white house loses the house and senate at the midterms.
Trump gained 6 at senate
Lost 26 in the house
Obama lost 57
Clinton lost about the same.
Its a huge win. It was a red wave.
What’s even more interesting many Democrats don’t want nacey as speaker for obvious reasons. Trump will make sure republicans vote her in.
___________________________________________
Hey old man you cannot even spell Pelosi’s first name correctly, no wonder you are so incompetent. Where is the red wave you delusional old man? There was no blue wave and no red wave. Since you’re an uneducated fake American and don’t comprehend American politics then let me enlighten you. There was a change in the senate where the Republicans gained 3 seats and lost one in Nevada. Meh, democrats were not expected to take the senate so there is a nothing burger in this event. There were 7 gubernatorial gains on the democratic side and one on the republican side. Perhaps another nothing burger but these races will have national implications during the upcoming census in 2020. In the majority of states, the legislature redraws congressional districts, while the governor has veto power. Could be interesting with a wall around the republicans for a change. The house in now in control of the democrats and that is NOT a nothing burger. Even house 48 in your neck of the woods is democratically controlled. The democrats have 222 seats and the republicans have 198. That old man is a win. The democrats can now subpoena Trumps tax returns, they now control the house oversight and intelligence committees to investigate the white house unfettered and with that your friend Devon Nunez is history. All of the Republican obstructions during the last two years are up for grabs. Since they now have the power to essentially subpoena the president and the administrations for whatever answers they are seeking Trump is essentially now a Lame Duck President.
So there you go old man!
Re: Tony Clement
Dumb to get catfished, but smart to fess up and
“Mea Culpa” as soon as he realized it.
Much preferable to allowing yourself to be blackmailed.
I look upon the US election results, and I am reminded of the following quote:
History is hard to know, because of all the hired bullshit, but even without being sure of “history” it seems entirely reasonable to think that every now and then the energy of a whole generation comes to a head in a long fine flash, for reasons that nobody really understands at the time—and which never explain, in retrospect, what actually happened.
There was a fantastic universal sense that whatever we were doing was right, that we were winning. . . .
And that, I think, was the handle—that sense of inevitable victory over the forces of Old and Evil. Not in any mean or military sense; we didn’t need that. Our energy would simply prevail. There was no point in fighting—on our side or theirs. We had all the momentum; we were riding the crest of a high and beautiful wave. . . .
So now, less than five years later, you can go up on a steep hill in Las Vegas and look West, and with the right kind of eyes you can almost see the high-water mark—that place where the wave finally broke and rolled back.”
― Hunter S. Thompson, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas
The only ‘Red Wave’ that mattered to me was the one that was spreading through my portfolio. It appears that last night’s results are well on their way to addressing that issue.
Play on!
Basically a tie… markets happy ……….onward…
with delightful gems…
“On Monday, the Nevada brothel owner Dennis Hof was laid to rest in a lipstick-red casket strewn with roses. A floral arrangement approximating the silhouettes of two mating rabbits marked his grave.
The next day, he was elected to the Nevada State Assembly.
Hof, the owner of several legal brothels including the Love Ranch and the Moonlite BunnyRanch, died in his sleep at the age of 72 on Oct. 16, four months after winning the Republican primary for his district. On Tuesday, unofficial results from the Nevada Secretary of State showed him beating Democrat Lesia Romanov with 63 percent of the vote.”
https://nationalpost.com/news/world/a-dead-republican-pimp-dubbed-the-trump-of-pahrump-has-won-a-state-assembly-seat-in-nevada
A lot of deleted comments including my own. Apparently you are only allowed to post negative things about Trump but not the Democrats.
Your post was anti-immigrant and vile. Hence, deleted. – Garth
#104 IHCTD9 on 11.07.18 at 11:37 am
With all the meetoo stuff aimed especially at Politicians these days?
———————————————————
Point of order there buddy…
What you call “meetoo” is all about unsolicited advances (to put it mildly in many reported cases), from someone in a position of power to a subordinate for something, like getting to keep their job, in return…
From reports this looks more like its about what the Russians call kompromat – luring a dupe, (or a huge dupe if you think that 20 something is interested in your 60 year old’s personality and life wisdom) into a compromising situation for gain through subsequent blackmail…
#160 Bottoms_Up on 11.06.18 at 12:54 pm
anyone get their Loblaws bread payout yet?
///////////////
long, long time ago
#117 James – You nailed it perfectly with a sense of intelligence, and political savvy. Unlike the pretender who drinks himself into an illusion of reality, spewing nonsense day and night. Bravo James!
#104 IHCTD9 on 11.07.18 at 11:37 am
#92 jess on 11.07.18 at 9:20 am
honey pot
Longtime Conservative MP Tony Clement is resigning his post as his party’s justice critic after admitting to sharing sexually explicit images and a video with an individual online…
_ _ _
Gee thanks, there’s a mental image I didn’t need.
#11 The Real Mark on 11.06.18 at 5:06 pm
“Try using a mortgage calculator. I did. “
Don’t need a mortgage calculator to tell you that the cost of a loan doubles when the interest rate doubles. That’s common sense.
What changes with the interest rate is that, over time, payments into equity have a greater impact in reducing the principal on the back end. However, if you start with a 25-year amortization, and pay on it for 5 years, the expectation upon renewal is that your subsequent 5-year term will be for a 20-year amortization, 15 years, 10 years, so on and so forth. So when you’re using one of those mortgage calculators, you need to shorten the amortization accordingly on the renewal.
Why? Because houses naturally wear out over time, and so does the ability of a mortgage borrower to pay on the mortgage. Its just not a reasonable assumption to assume that lenders will indefinitely renew a mortgage loan at a long amortization and a favourable spread, especially if the economy heats up in other areas and they’re looking to shift their investment elsewhere.
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Says someone who has never had a mortgage.
Trump still in control….will likely win in 2020 as well….this blog should stop complaining about him and invest accordingly….enjoy the ride….US economy on a roll…
@93
Ok i can agree that winning the house is not big of a deal, but problem is dem now can and probably will ne making inquiries in to inquiries and hold hearings abou this and that in hope that they dug something out that was their plan all along.
Yes they need 3/4 majority to bypass senat and make lawas in house, as it stands now they can make things bit/much more interesting for other two levels of gov.
The Race To The Bottom
123 Greatness on 11.07.18 at 2:07 pm
#117 James – You nailed it perfectly with a sense of intelligence, and political savvy. Unlike the pretender who drinks himself into an illusion of reality, spewing nonsense day and night. Bravo James!
……
I love the comments section.
trump fires sessions!
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2018/nov/07/jeff-sessions-fired-us-attorney-general
oh la la don’t tell me he is putting lindsay graham in there!
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Tuesday Was a Huge Night for Expanding Voting Rights
Ballot initiatives passed in a half-dozen states to make it easier to vote and crack down on gerrymandering.
https://www.aclu.org/blog/voting-rights/trump-administrations-census-cover
The trial, which coincided with Tuesday’s momentous midterm election, could help rewrite the nation’s political map for a decade or more. Census results are used to apportion U.S. congressional seats and divvy up the Electoral College votes that determine the winners of presidential elections. The data are also used to distribute hundreds of billions of dollars a year in federal aid to states and localities.
U.S. District Judge Jesse Furman, an appointee of former president Barack Obama, is overseeing the two-week trial without a jury. The outcome could give either Democrats or Republicans an edge as soon as 2021 and through at least 2031, just after the next decennial census. Given the stakes, an appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court is all but inevitable.
https://www.bnnbloomberg.ca/ross-accused-of-slanting-expert-s-view-of-citizenship-question-1.1164562
#105 SimplyPut7 on 11.07.18 at 11:38 am
Garth, if all the things Trump has said and done while president didn’t change voters minds, if the biased left MSM with their celebrity and former president friends couldn’t convince enough voters to vote for only democrats, that is considered a win for Trump.
I’m sure once the dust is settled, the majority of votes being women voting for candidates who are also women will show as the main reason the Democrats were able to take back the House.
Yeah, those damn women. Who gave them the vote? – Garth
By Josh Kovensky
November 7, 2018 3:39 pm
Matthew Whitaker, Jeff Sessions’ chief of staff who will take over as acting Attorney General with his boss’ ouster, has been an outspoken advocate of limiting — or even ending — the Mueller investigation.
In an August 2017 op-ed published on the CNN website, the former federal prosecutor argued that Mueller had come “dangerously close” to crossing a “red line” in the investigation by looking at Trump’s personal finances and those of his business.
Sessions resigns at Trump’s request. The man with small hands is circling the wagons. Don’t tell me it was a victory when not even 24 hours later Trump makes this defensive replacement to ensure he has a stooge at justice who will do his bidding. So much for the checks
& balances of democracy.
It seems the small hands man has already been summoned.
https://nationalpost.com/news/world/how-a-careful-reading-of-court-documents-suggests-robert-mueller-has-already-subpoenaed-donald-trump
Your time is short before you will face me to answer my questions. Worried much!
#104 IHCTD9 on 11.07.18 at 11:37 am
Agree with everything you said but the last sentence. If Conservatives are right wing then what would you call the Liberals, communist? Party moved so far to the left Hugo Chavez and Fidel Castro are foxtrotting in hell… Even NDP is at a loss for words.
DELETED
@#131 SimplyPut7 on 11.07.18 at 3:23 pm
#105 SimplyPut7 on 11.07.18 at 11:38 am
Garth, if all the things Trump has said and done while president didn’t change voters minds, if the biased left MSM with their celebrity and former president friends couldn’t convince enough voters to vote for only democrats, that is considered a win for Trump.
I’m sure once the dust is settled, the majority of votes being women voting for candidates who are also women will show as the main reason the Democrats were able to take back the House.
Yeah, those damn women. Who gave them the vote? – Garth
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LOL, just stop already.
#121 Remembrancer on 11.07.18 at 1:58 pm
#104 IHCTD9 on 11.07.18 at 11:37 am
With all the meetoo stuff aimed especially at Politicians these days?
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Point of order there buddy…
What you call “meetoo” is all about unsolicited advances (to put it mildly in many reported cases), from someone in a position of power to a subordinate for something, like getting to keep their job, in return…
From reports this looks more like its about what the Russians call kompromat – luring a dupe, (or a huge dupe if you think that 20 something is interested in your 60 year old’s personality and life wisdom) into a compromising situation for gain through subsequent blackmail…
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Obviously the guy was getting blackmailed. It should have been obvious to TC that there was no 20 year old hottie on the other end trying to get into his pants. Let’s get freaking real here.
The blackmail would probably have taken the form of an anonymous, no official complaint made; metoo tweet posted with the pics and vid. In Canada, this would be more than enough to sink his career. That’s probably what the blackmailers planned on doing since no one in Canada would try to verify who was behind the tweet, or if any of it was even true in the first place.
That was my point. TC should have had the brains to realize this. It should have been a quick chuckle and a “delete/block” at the initial contact. Instead he took pics of his ****, and made videos of [censored] and emailed them right over.
Unfreaking believable…
#131 SimplyPut7 on 11.07.18 at 3:23 pm
That’s not what I meant.
When you hate the tactics of the left and right, but see a chance to help a female candidate out, women will choose to support other women, despite the party they represent.
Metoo movement, misogyny from both parties and Kavanaugh’s outburst during his US Supreme Court hearing fuelled the female voter which caused more women then men to vote during this midterm election. Given that Democrats had more female candidates than Republicans, Democrats were able to secure more seats in the House.
If the Democrats cannot keep up the momentum that lead to more women than men voting, Trump will win the 2020 election.
Can’t understand how people can say Trump and the Republicans are the winners here when they have lost more power than they have gained. In what world is losing power, winning? The spin is great on this one. Democrats and Republicans should now focus on affordable healthcare, period.
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/investing/personal-finance/household-finances/article-a-quiet-rule-change-will-make-it-tougher-for-canadians-with-a-heloc-to/
“Katelyn, as you might imagine, was ticked. In colourful moister language she asked how the @%#&! any of this makes houses less expensive or helps a young person like her. I had no answer.”
It helps prevent new people from buying a mortgage they can’t afford. It doesn’t help people like Katelyn, who are already over leveraged and trying to get out.
The anti-foreigner tax has zero to do with mortgage debt. – Garth
Trump has some things in common with Dems. I think trump would be more open to significant universal health care reform as long as it is seen that he is the architect. Certainly moreso than the typical establishment republican. He’s already actually far left on the issue of trade. On infrastructure we already know that he will spend like there’s no tomorrow and Dems will likely be in agreement there. Yes he’s vulgar and tries to appeal to his base with respect to abortion and trans rights but he’s certainly more amenable to some leftist policies than a typical republican would be.