Category Archives: 3- SOLVING WORLD PROBLEMS

3- SOLVING WORLD PROBLEMS, Uncategorized

ELIMINATING MICRO E-VEHICLE BIAS IN LEGISLATION

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Ontario’s current micro e-vehicle legislation is dangerous, and someone is going to be seriously hurt or killed. Not only is the legislation unsafe, but it is also biased against gas-powered equivalent vehicles and mobility aids. On top of that, a patchwork of municipal bylaws makes it a chaotic mess.

None of the e-vehicles shown above requires a driver’s license or insurance to be used on either public roads or sidewalks in most parts of Ontario. For example, because it is classified as a mobility device, under current legislation, it is perfectly legal for a vision-impaired adult to drive the 670lb Gio Bommer buggy (bottom left in photo above) at 29 kph on a dark, rainy night, down most sidewalks in Ontario without a license or insurance.

E-bikes that are restricted to speeds up to 32 kph can also be driven without a license or insurance on most roads in Ontario by anyone over the age of 16. Yet the 49cc, 3 Hp (smaller engine than most push lawn mowers) gas scooter shown below would require a motorcycle license, insurance and registration if driven in Ontario, even if it was equipped with a governor to keep the max speed below 32 kph.

This 4-stroke, gas-powered scooter is equivalent, both in power and weight, to Canadian e-bikes that do not require a license or insurance. However, because it is gas-powered, insurance and a license are required in Canada. The scooter sells for US $658.95 compared to over CDN $2,000.00 for a similar e-bike version. (add is from Walmart in the US)

From a safety standpoint, in a collision, speed and weight are the only factors. Whether the vehicle is powered by gas or battery is irrelevant. If an e-bike is not considered dangerous enough to require a license and insurance, neither is this gas-powered scooter, provided it is equipped with a 32 kph governor. Sure, governors can be removed, but it is also easy to swap out a motor controller on an e-bike so it can also exceed its legal speed.

Battery technology for micro-vehicles is nowhere near that of a Tesla, making them impractical and expensive to use for regular transportation. Many still come with lead-acid batteries, the same technology used in car batteries over the past 75 years. Even lithium-ion batteries don’t work well in cold weather and should not be charged outside when the temperature is below 0 degrees Celsius. Neither of them gives a reliable reading as to how much charge is left. 5 bars of power can drop to 2 or 3 on a hill, then go back to 4 or 5 on level ground. Batteries are often not easy to remove, so without a power source nearby, and a couple of hours, a dead battery means you are stranded.

Ontario also needs to eliminate the patchwork of Municipal legislation. Imagine being able to drive your car legally in Toronto but not in Mississauga. We need one logical set of laws for the province based on safety and logic, that are not biased by the source of power, environment, or medical reasons.

New legislation should look something like this:

-Any motorized vehicle, gas or electric, that can not exceed 9 km, regardless of weight, does not require a license or insurance and can be used on sidewalks.

-Any motorized vehicle, gas or electric, with a maximum speed between 10 kph and 25 kph, gas or electric, under 250lbs, does not require a license or insurance (rider must be a minimum of 16 years old). Can be used on road or bike lanes, but not on sidewalks.

-Any vehicle that can exceed 25 kph or weighs more than 250 lbs should require a license and insurance and not be allowed in bike lanes or on sidewalks.

Including gas-powered vehicles that meet these conditions would give people more freedom with a safe, cheap and more practical solution to getting around, ease congestion in cities and make better use of bike lanes.

Dave Lister

listerlogic.com

3- SOLVING WORLD PROBLEMS, 7- CURRENT NEWS

GIVE ONTARIO’S REAGAN COMMERCIAL TO U.S. DEMOCRATS

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Only the American voters have the power to stop Trump. The commercial made in Ontario, showing clips of Ronald Reagan against tariffs, is a good example of how to fight Trump by informing the Americans. Trump’s response to add 10% more tariffs on Canada for airing it goes to show not only was the commercial working, but all the progress Canada thought they were making in recent months of trade negotiations was just an illusion that can be taken away on a whim. Even countries that have made trade deals by bribing him with planes and golden crowns to get a reduction on their tariffs are not safe from him reneging if they get out of line. But political interference by foreign countries is a complex matter, and the commercial should have the Ontario reference removed and be given to the American Democrats to air if they wish.

What the Canadian government should do is postpone proposed increases in military spending and return Canada-US border budgets to pre-Trump levels to save money until the damaging economic tariffs are resolved. This is also Canada’s only leverage to put pressure on Trump to negotiate, as it affects his grand vision of a golden security dome over the US.

Companies selling to the US online can make a huge difference by not hiding the effects of tariffs and showing two prices on their websites. A higher one for the US showing the additional cost of the tariff, and the lower regular price for the rest of the world. Instead, some companies are just showing an increased price for everyone, so Americans aren’t seeing the effect of their own tariffs on them. They either keep the profit from non-American customers or use it to subsidize the US tariff customers. These companies should be boycotted by Canadians. Not only is this unethical, but it also supports Trump’s policies by hiding the effects from the American people. How would American Trump supporters feel when they order an item outside the US advertised for $50.00 to the rest of the world, when they have to pay substantially more, knowing the added tariff cost is going to the US government?

Trump has become unhinged since being elected. He no longer represents the majority of “right-wing” political views. He is tarnishing them to fuel his ego and his desperate need to leave a legacy with an agenda rolling out so quickly, it threatens the freedom of Americans and derailing the US and world economies. The longer the “right-wing” American voters keep him in power, the more their valid points of view will also be considered unhinged. It is already happening here in Canada in ads misleadingly comparing conservative leader Pierre Poilievre to Trump.

Canadian’s wanted an “elbows up” approach when it comes to dealing with Trump. Counter-tariffs that punish Canadian’s through higher taxes do little but punish Canadians who, for the most part, already buy Canadian when they can. The only tariffs that work are against companies that leave Canada to set up in the US.

When possible, we need to accurately and responsibly inform the American voters so they understand how some of Trump’s policies are bad for the US, but while still staying in our lane.

Dave Lister

listerlogic.com

3- SOLVING WORLD PROBLEMS, 7- CURRENT NEWS

PROVINCIAL LEGISLATION NEEDED IN THE USE OF SPEED CAMERAS

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I HATE SPEED CAMERAS!!! They are mainly a cash grab for municipalities that continue to lie to us, insisting they are there for our safety. That doesn’t mean that they can’t be provincially legislated to be the safety tool they claim to be. Speeding is a problem, but when it comes down to a choice between revenue-neutral speed cameras and traffic calming infrastructure that will add to construction, more government debt, and needless wear and tear on our vehicles, a legislated speed camera is the clear choice.

Provincial legislation on the use of speed cameras should consist of the following:

  • The threshold to trigger the camera should be more than 10 kph above the speed limit
  • A clearly visible strobe light should go off when the camera is triggered, in a location so the driver of the speeding vehicle knows he is speeding, and has set it off
  • A minimum of 2 speed camera warning signs, combined with standard-sized speed limit signs, should be posted before the camera. The camera should not be placed within 200 meters of the second warning sign so that a driver who didn’t notice the first sign still has time to slow down before the camera. (In the picture below of a speed camera warning sign, there is no speed limit sign in sight. Placing a speed limit sign next to the speed camera warning sign would give drivers clarity.)

Speed cameras have made me and everyone I know slow down. They do work, and with legislation governing their use, they can change from a cash grab to an effective safety tool that is fair to drivers.

Dave Lister

listerlogic.com

3- SOLVING WORLD PROBLEMS, 7- CURRENT NEWS

POSTPONING DEFENSE SPENDING IS THE BEST CANADIAN RESPONSE TO TRUMP TARIFFS

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Postponing multi-billion dollar increases in Canada’s defense, and returning Canada’s spending on the Canada-US border to pre-Trump levels is the best response Canada can have to fight Trump Tariffs. In a country that is ruled by Trump’s ego, it is also important that the reason for the cutbacks be clear. This is not a retaliatory action. Canada fully intends to spend the money, but can not proceed at this time because of the economic impacts of U.S. tariffs. Threats of more tariffs because of this should be responded to with Canada threatening to cut even more in defense spending, primarily in the Arctic.

Despite what people say about President Trump being unpredictable, he has made his end goal clear. He wants to withdraw US support to the world, both military and in humanitarian aid, saving the US trillions of dollars. But, without US military intervention, the rest of the world risks going into chaos, so it is necessary that the US fortify its borders and be independent of other countries by being able to produce everything it needs. This is where the tariffs come in. The tariffs are meant to make it more expensive to import items from outside the US, driving economic growth and employment in US manufacturing, as it’s suddenly cheaper for the US to manufacture everything it currently imports. In the meantime, adding billions more to government income in the form of tariffs. It sounds like a simple plan, but implementing it has been anything but.

To start off with, fortifying US borders has proved to be more complex than first thought. With the Pacific on the West, the Atlantic on the East, and Mexico not being a threat to the south, Canada is the problem. Tricking Canada into paying more to increase security at the border stops unwanted individuals from getting into the US, but it’s not enough. Although Canada doesn’t pose a threat in a military sense, it provides a relatively unprotected approach from the north by the US’s biggest threats, China and Russia. A geographical fortification of the US would be perfect if Canada were part of the US. If that were the case, the Arctic would serve as a buffer zone between the megapowers. Canada also has a lot of the rare earth minerals that would support the US goal of being globally independent. These 2 major needs of the US is what led to Trump wanting to make Canada the 51st state. This is also what gives Canada the biggest bargaining chip in having the tariffs removed. Without Canada increasing military spending, especially in the Arctic, the risk of China or Russia moving in and becoming established is high. This would put them right in the US’s backyard, threatening their security. Without a properly fortified border, Trump’s whole plan doesn’t work. Trump often refers to negotiations as a game of cards. In this analogy, this is Canada’s Ace. Canada should be able to negotiate away all tariffs by agreeing to put money into Arctic defense, in an agreed Canada/US strategy that protects it from China and Russia gaining control.

Tariffs are the next problem. It will take decades for the US to ramp up manufacturing production to the point it produces everything it currently imports, not to mention losing the ability to buy cheap imports, or the complexity of the auto sector. Until then, US citizens will have to pay the tariffs on imports. Backlash from the inflation this causes, along with tanking stock markets, and pressure from business leaders, has forced him to retreat multiple times from the timeline of these plans. Realizing it will take longer to implement than the 4 years he is in power is the reason he was looking into ways he could run for another term.

Having the only bunker-busting bombs to stop the world from having a radical nuclear arsenal has also drawn the US into the global affairs they are trying to get out of, after all, even the most fortified border can’t protect from nuclear fallout.

Withdrawing from worldwide conflicts has also proved to be more of a problem than anticipated. He thought that threatening to withdraw support from Ukraine if they didn’t take a Russia-favored peace deal would end the war. But when Russia refused to even negotiate a peace deal, he was forced into continuing support. He did turn it into a partial win for the US by obtaining the rights to Ukraine’s rare earth minerals in exchange for continued defense funding.

Arguments can be made either way as to Trump withdrawing US support from the rest of the world. If Vietnam, Korea, and Afghanistan have taught us anything, it’s that as long as they are not a direct threat to others, Countries need to evolve on their own, without foreign interference. It’s also not right for our luxurious Western lifestyle to be propped up by imports made from cheap labour under extreme conditions. Humanitarian aid is a different story. One thing is for sure: Trump is not the leader for the job. His efforts to create his vision for the US are quickly turning him into an egotistical dictator. The only thing that can stop him is the realization of this by the very US citizens who put him there.

Dave Lister

listerlogic.com

3- SOLVING WORLD PROBLEMS, 4- HOW WE THINK

THE UNETHICAL CANADIAN REAL ESTATE MARKET

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Nowhere in Canada is a company allowed to advertise a product at a certain price without being made to sell it for that price. That is, except when it comes to real estate. The recent practice of creating bidding wars by advertising a house for a price far below what the vendor is willing to sell, crosses the ethical line.

In bidding wars, potential buyers are not provided with details of other offers, forcing them into making high-pressure, time-limited decisions that can cause them to overpay by tens of thousands of dollars. It is purposely designed to place buyers in a vulnerable state in order to take advantage of them. Also, overpaying falsely drives up the cost of housing, especially when supply is low.

Bidding wars are the latest of what, up until now, was a gray area in the ways real estate agents can manipulate buyers and sellers. Most methods are subtle, and you may not even be aware of them. Think about it, when looking to buy a house, the agent showing the property has nothing to do with whether or not you like it and how much you are willing to pay. Sure, they can provide details of the neighborhood, and point out the house’s features, but most of this is obvious and shown on the MLS listing. Beware of agents claiming to be better at sales than all the rest, they are the ones skilled at various psychological techniques that can be used against you.

Open houses, for example, mostly benefit the agent. After all, if your house is listed on the MLS, any serious buyers know it’s for sale and can schedule a private viewing at their convenience. Nosy neighbors and people not serious about buying tend to account for most of the traffic. It is those who are not serious that agents are looking for. These are their possible future clients. They can even be used as ponds for the house they are selling. Being falsely led to believe that the seller could accept a ridiculously low offer can get a non-serious buyer engaged. Who could pass up the “deal of a lifetime”? Even though the offer doesn’t go anywhere, it softens up the seller on other future offers below asking price. The experience also changes the non-serious buyer’s mindset, making it easier for the agent to get them to look at other “deal of a lifetime properties”.

Offering free appraisals for people not serious about moving is another tactic. Some agents will overestimate the value of their current house to convince them to sell. Once listed, they come up with complex market situations as to why their house is not selling and how they need to drop the price.

The negotiation part of the sale, when the offer is going back and forth, is another stressful time to watch out for. A counter offer has a much better chance of being accepted if it is presented just before it expires. Your own agent could purposely hold off on presenting a counter offer to you for this reason.

These are only the methods I have personally noticed when buying and selling, no doubt there are many more. For most of us, buying or selling real estate is the biggest financial transaction of our life. Decisions made should be well thought out, and not while in a temporary, artificially created mental state. When buying or selling, beware of the friendly agent that brags they can do a better job than anyone else. Manipulating you is how they do it.

Dave Lister

listerlogic.com