RSS FeedMapping Homicides in the GTA
Remember our discussion about crime rates in “Scarlem” early last year?
The Toronto Star released an interactive map that plots all the homicides, not just in Scarborough, but across the GTA. The stats can be broken down by year (to 2005), age, gender, and type (shooting or otherwise).
Do Conservative Fiscal Policies Fulfill Their Promise?
It’s not quite topical or typical of what we normally post at Law is Cool, but an article appearing in the New York Times yesterday was so interesting to me that I thought it worth mentioning. Given that we are on the cusp of the most exciting American elections in my lifetime, I’m going to allow myself to delve into U.S. politics for a moment (before I get back to writing OCI application cover letters).
I have often wondered about the relative effectiveness of conservative versus liberal economic policies. During my relatively short lifetime, my suspicion has been that although the Republicans typically bill themselves as the “fiscally responsible” party, the United States has seen better economic growth under Democratic leadership. Were my suspicions accurate?
The Republican Plan
The classical Republican strategy involves granting tax cuts to the wealthy and to big corporations. The theory is that these tax cuts put money directly into the coffers of businesses, which can be used for expansion. The expansion creates jobs and the increased business spending stimulates the economy. All this prosperity somehow trickles down to the poorest members of society. Voila, happiness abounds.
With a tip of my hat to South Park, the strategy can be summarized as follows:
- Phase 1: cut taxes for the rich.
- Phase 2: ???
- Phase 3: profit.
The Democratic Plan
In contrast, the Democratic strategy typically involves implementing social programs coupled with tax cuts that are either aimed at the poor, or distributed more evenly among families regardless of the tax bracket they fall into.
The theory here is that social programs and safety nets reduce income disparity and also mean that people don’t have to maintain significant savings to prepare for unforseen crises like loss of a job or a serious illness. At the same time, the tax cuts put money into the pockets of consumers who can be comfortable going and spending their new-found wealth as they please. Consumer spending at all income levels pumps money up the chain to businesses, and the economy grows like a tree being watered.
The basic difference between the Democrats and the Republicans comes down to the question of who drives the economy. The Democrats believe that it is the average American consumer, while the Republicans think it is the rich and the corporations that really fuel America’s economic engine.
Both theories sound pretty promising, but who’s right?
The Mystery is Afoot: Sixth Severed Foot Found in BC
Another foot, the sixth in ten months, has washed has up on a BC island.
This latest foot was found on Vancouver Island by a woman who was walking along the beach.
The severed foot was found inside a size 10 men’s Adidas running shoe. The other feet were also found inside running shoes, apparently because the air pockets inside keep them buoyant.
While I personally think that all these feet turning up over 10 months in a relatively small area is too great a coincidence to be an accident, the Globe and Mail explains that:
Police have released few details on the sixth and fifth feet, but the other four showed signs of disarticulation, which means the foot separated naturally from the leg, not through severing that would prompt speculation of foul play.
Updates
Foot number 6 appears to be a fake, probably the work of a copy cat.
CNN reports,
A “skeletonized animal paw” had been placed in a sock and athletic shoe that was packed with dried seaweed, the British Columbia Coroners Service announced.
But a real 6th foot was discovered on Aug. 4.
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