New Taxi License Debate - Half to Brokers?

[GP_Matt]

A goofy loophole for the dairy quotas is for frozen cheese.
The cheese on a frozen pizza is 30% cheaper as long as the company is going to freeze the cheese before selling it. It is the exact same product but for whatever reason if they promise to freeze it it is cheaper. I heard that McCain's has to separate their factory to make sure that the cheese that is destined to be frozen is kept separate from the identical cheese that will be sold fresh.
A system like this forces poor people to buy prepared food instead of raw ingredients.

[SebC]

Originally Posted by GP_Matt

I don't disagree with you but at the same time, I don't think there is a more powerful lobby group in the country than outraged farmers.

Which means everyone else needs to get way more outraged that we pay double or so what we should so those guys can get rich.

[GP_Matt]

I am surprised that there isn't more outrage, but newspapers all seem to run a few articles a year detailing how much extra it costs us to buy supply managed products in Canada and most people simply don't care. The restaurant industry is always trying to fight it but have never really gained traction.

I think it might rear up in the future if Canada is kept out of an EU free trade agreement because we are unwilling to budge on supply management. But even that is a longshot, most likely people simply won't care.

[SebC]

Originally Posted by GP_Matt

I think it might rear up in the future if Canada is kept out of an EU free trade agreement because we are unwilling to budge on supply management. But even that is a longshot, most likely people simply won't care.

That's already happened/happening with the Trans-Pacific Partnership.

[Bunk]

City council changes Calgary taxi rules</H1>

'It's moving to a whole new regulatory regime,' says Mayor Nenshi

By Sherri Zickefoose, Calgary HeraldMay 29, 2012 12:01 AM

Read more: http://www.calgaryherald.com/technology/City+council+changes+Calgary+taxi+rules/6692314/story.html#ixzz1wFZ7rYSk


===


Directly from Nenshi

Improving taxi service: A statement from Mayor Nenshi

It’s no secret in Calgary: taxi service in our city must get better. While we generally have a safe and reliable system, we've heard from Calgarians time and time again that our taxi system needs improvement. Taxis need to be available when and where we need them. But our regulatory regime has not been able to make this happen as well as it should.

Today, your City Council took a significant step toward improving taxi service in Calgary. Here are a few highlights:

• First, Council authorized the issue of 55 new accessible taxi plate licenses to eligible drivers. These include a number of performance conditions, including that the holder of the plate personally drives a minimum of 981 hours per year and that these plates be in service between 10pm and 4am on Friday and Saturday nights.
• Second, Council approved performance benchmarks to reinforce reasonable levels of taxi service. In the past, Council approved a certain number of cab licenses issued based on a ratio to Calgary’s population, but did not really enforce when and how these cabs would be in service. This hasn't worked as well as it should to create consistent and reasonable service. A benchmark for acceptable service means The City will be able to ensure that cabs are in use when customers need them.
• Third, The City will rely much more on data for good regulation. We will require that industry share vehicle GPS and other data from existing taxi meters so that The City can determine if the plates are in use when they are supposed to be in use. This data will also be a great resource to Council for making good future decisions about the taxi industry including whether more taxis are actually required on city streets.
• Fourth, The City will hire two additional taxi inspectors and a data analyst to monitor compliance. These new positions will be covered by a modest increase to license fees.
• And, fifth, Council approved the introduction of stiff penalties for non-compliance with licensing conditions such as when a plate must be in operation to serve customers.

An important result of these changes will be better data for Council so we can make better decisions to improve taxi access and availability for Calgarians. Smart benchmarks, measurement, and enforcement will ensure that the taxi industry will provide a higher level of service.

It’s reasonable for Calgarians to expect a high-quality and reliable taxi service as a transportation option in Calgary. Today, we’ve taken a major step to ensure that.

- Mayor Naheed Nenshi

http://blog.calgarymayor.ca/2012/05/...ment-from.html