# Clark’s Liberals predicted to win B.C. election in stunning result



## GoldStone

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news...-election-in-stunning-result/article11925901/

Hope these preliminary results hold.

I'm in Ontario so why do I care? I want to see new pipelines to the coast!! They are good for my portfolio.


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## andrewf

BC politics never fails to be interesting!


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## none

Regardless of the result: these guys suck *** and need a new line of work: http://www.threehundredeight.com/


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## indexxx

Liberals won again. Not a huge Clark fan but better her than Dix.


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## dogcom

For the people up north at least they can have a job instead of complete devastation under the NDP. NDP lost because they wouldn't tell us what they were going to do except maybe tax everyone and say no to every pipeline project in the province.


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## nathan79

Disappointed.

I always laugh when people say the NDP want to raise taxes, when it's the Liberals who have made this province unaffordable for average working people.

-HST fiasco
-Carbon Tax
-12% tax on used cars
-Increased MSP premiums
-Tolls on Port Mann and Golden Ears bridges

The only tax the Liberals have lowered is income taxes... great for high income earners, a joke for the average person.


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## Nemo2

I lived in BC through the last NDP government, (and recall seeing a license plate mockup, in the back window of a Vancouver car, that read NDP-NFG).......as they say about hurricanes "if you've seen one you don't want to see another".

(Not that I was a fan of Bill Vander Zalm either.)


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## fraser

Best thing we ever did was move to Alberta after 20 years in BC. We lived through the Vander Zalm years (remember Faye Leung) and Glen Clark disaster (not so fast ferries, fudgit budgets). BC had a well deserved reputation for terrible governments....at least they provided a great deal of entertainment value for the locals. I think that BC politics were even worse than those in my home province of Quebec. Moving to Alberta provided our family with a great deal of opportunity-financial and otherwise-best move we ever made. And it saved me a great deal of money in taxes.


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## none

Yeah but you have to live in Alberta


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## Nemo2

fraser said:


> (remember Faye Leung)


:chuncky: Fantasy Gardens.....who could forget?


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## Hawkdog

Happy. Except I believed the polls and lost a bet to my wife, I now owe her dinner. Glad to 

So on a side note. The Canadian Helicopter base in town has 5 helicopters sitting around, normally there are only 2. My guess is they have been brought in to scout/map the LNG pipeline that is going through to Kitimat. 
I guess they will be off to work today as usual.


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## fraser

Or Bingogate....when it was discovered that key NDP insiders (Dave Stupich) had been stealing money for years from Nanaimo charity bingos and siphoning it through to NDP party coffers.


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## Eder

I am happy BC will not be subjected to 4 years of dysfunctional government and have chosen to reelect a semi functional government...high fives all around!


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## fraser

Me too.

Even though they are just the 'cream of the crap' so to speak.


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## Hawkdog

fraser said:


> Even though they are just the 'cream of the crap' so to speak.


 So true.


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## Nemo2

fraser said:


> Or Bingogate....when it was discovered that key NDP insiders (Dave Stupich) had been stealing money for years from Nanaimo charity bingos and siphoning it through to NDP party coffers.


As I recall he had a _very_ nice oceanfront property taking up pretty much an entire point, (perhaps on one of the islands?).....TV news helo buzzed it a few times.....while he was standing outside wondering WTF.


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## Charlie

It's amazing how incredibly wrong the pollsters and pundits were. Yesterday morning they were still predicting a solid NDP majority. There was a riding by riding breakdown which had the NDP winning anywhere from 59 to 49 seats (of 85). They won 33. Can't find it now. The story (IMO) isn't just how the NDP lost a 20 point lead over a few months, but how as recently as this weekend there was virtually no one publicly predicting the Libs even had a chance.


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## none

Pundits have an excuse: They are generally idiots and don't examine the data. What I find really disappointing is http://www.threehundredeight.com/ which predicted a string NDP government based on the data. Further, and oddly, they're confidence intervals exploded the day of the election which I haven't found a good explanation besides that they were trying to cover their asses.

We need to get Nate Silver up here for some consulting on what went wrong.


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## brad_g

none said:


> Pundits have an excuse: They are generally idiots and don't examine the data. What I find really disappointing is http://www.threehundredeight.com/ which predicted a string NDP government based on the data. Further, and oddly, they're confidence intervals exploded the day of the election which I haven't found a good explanation besides that they were trying to cover their asses.
> 
> We need to get Nate Silver up here for some consulting on what went wrong.


Indeed! What pretense to have a domain name that echoes Nate Silver's, but ends up performing so terribly. There aren't enough polls in a provincial election to match the rich data available in a US election but even so they should have done better. As for the pollsters, congratulations on making polling look like something that's never been done before. Back to school!

Having said that I'm generally happy with the election results and look forward to the analysis of what went wrong for the NDP.


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## indexxx

none said:


> Yeah but you have to live in Alberta


Alberta is beautiful


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## none

indexxx said:


> Alberta is beautiful


For sure, the black flies love it. I also hear the mall is like totally rad.


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## Toronto.gal

So _*none,*_ are you saying that those who live in Alberta should move, and rent of course [not buy] in a flyless province?


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## none

edit: meh.


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## nathan79

At least it will be fun to see how stupid Liberal voters feel four years down the road... when the debt has doubled (again), Christy's pipelines remained stalled, MSP premiums are $100 a month, and we're drowning in tolls and fees... all while the top 1% continue to pay 5% less tax than the middle class.

It will be nice to say "I told you so" for a second time.


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## none

I'm kind of glad it turned out this way so when BC real estate does crash the NDP can't be blamed for it and_ HawkDOG can eat it!_


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## Charlie

don't blame the Liberal voters, nathan. The NDP failed to get their vote out. A smaller popular vote in an election that had dismal turnout -- less then 50%. 

I suspect the voters who voted Liberal here were choosing the lesser of two weasels. The NDP had announced a corp tax increase, top personal rate going to 48%, a review of the labour code, additional corp taxes (bank tax and expansion of carbon tax) and hinted at roadblocks for the resource industry. That scared some. 

But had the NDP voters showed up to the polls in even the numbers they did in the last election, all that would have been moot.


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## dogcom

Every time the NDP came into power in the past mining companies would pack up and leave. Taxes go sky high for everyone and someone has to pay while jobs leave the province. Union voters in the end have to vote against them as their jobs except for the public sector go away. 

Personally I would like to vote NDP if they could ever come up with a way to pay for what they try to do.


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## none

dogcom said:


> Every time the NDP came into power in the past mining companies would pack up and leave. Taxes go sky high for everyone and someone has to pay while jobs leave the province. Union voters in the end have to vote against them as their jobs except for the public sector go away.
> 
> Personally I would like to vote NDP if they could ever come up with a way to pay for what they try to do.


See, another reason why I'm in a way glad the NDP didn't get in. Mining companies are getting hammered right now which has nothing to do with the provincial government. Of course, if they had gotten in this would have somehow have been blamed on them for no justification of course.


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## nathan79

Yeah, I'd say external factors are more linked to the success or failure of industries than which government happens to be in power. Commodity prices were in a low growth period during the NDP years, but skyrocketed while the Liberals were in power, so of course the NDP is going to appear relatively worse for industries like mining.

http://www.publicaffairs.ubc.ca/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/NDP-vs-Liberal-Performance.pdf

See page 15. The rest of the article is interesting, too.


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## indexxx

none said:


> For sure, the black flies love it. I also hear the mall is like totally rad.


Edmonton is a beautiful city, with the only unspoiled river valley in North America and parkland over 20 times the size of Central Park. Southern AB and the Rockies are of course mind-blowingly gorgeous. People tend to be more POLITE around those parts also... Great economy and better taxation too.


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## the-royal-mail

A sad day for Canada. I guess her party's vote banks were well padded. The middle class of BC will continue to be robbed and pillaged of their hard-earned money for the benefit of few.


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## Sampson

the-royal-mail said:


> A sad day for Canada. I guess her party's vote banks were well padded. The middle class of BC will continue to be robbed and pillaged of their hard-earned money for the benefit of few.


Could you explain this idea?

Assuming First Nations eventually come on-board, the Clark government will presumably try to broker an incentive laden deal to get Northern Gateway approved and through. That government already has a firm stance of wanting more pipeline revenues to go to BC. That will help (financially) all Canadians, but also specifically British Columbians. More revenue in the provincial government's coiffers should be a benefit to middle class BC no?

Where do they get robbed and pillaged?


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## Toronto.gal

indexxx said:


> Southern AB and the Rockies are of course mind-blowingly gorgeous.


So I hear, and plan to visit in the near future.


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## andrewf

indexxx said:


> EPeople tend to be more POLITE around those parts also...


Unless you have Ontario plates.


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## dogcom

T.Gal it doesn't matter what direction you go from Vancouver to see the sites. Go south down the Washington state, Oregon and California coast. Or go north to Whistler and up through the Cariboo interior. Go west to Vancouver island or go east all the way to Calgary or Edmonton and see every mile in between. We don't own cottages in BC because there is just to much to see year after year to be stuck in one place. Alberta to me is the same thing and I lump it in with BC because I think both provinces are beautiful in my eyes.

Albertans though do love to own real estate in the Okanagan, Kootenays and Shuswap areas of BC which are very beautiful areas.


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## steve41

and lately they have been flocking to Parksville, Qualicum, Comox as well. Ocean and mountains.


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## Toronto.gal

*Dogcom:* we plan to do the cruise/rail combo and make it an unforgettable trip of a lifetime!

Majestic beauty in this country; wouldn't want to live [not now nor at retirement] anywhere else in the world.


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## fraser

It is much more than the scenery. We moved west from Ontario in 1979. A few years in Calgary, 20 in Vancouver, and the balance in Alberta. For us it is also about the people and the attitude. Relatives ask us if we would go ever move back. The answer is an unqualified no.

I cannot explain it but people are different here. Less uptight, more open. A few years ago I read an interesting article. The author was interviewing people who were transferred to Calgary when Imperial Oil moved their head office from Toronto many years ago. These were people who either had children when they moved or had since had a family. The consensus was it was they were not sure when they came, it turned out to be the best move that they could have made for all sorts of reasons, and the only ones who would move back were those that had ailing parents to consider.

I am not saying that it is a 'better' place to live. Just that it is a 'better' place for us to live and retire. The only downside I can think of is that Lufthansa just pulled it's service from Calgary. We used to use our points on Lufthansa for vacation rather than AC. That plus, it is too far for us to drive to a US airport like we used to do when we lived in Vancouver.


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## none

I guess we have had very different experiences.

To be honest, I've always found American's to be much more polite and friendly. Then again, I've had the opportunity to live in some well educated amazing places in the states before so it's not really a fair comparison.


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## nathan79

Sampson said:


> Could you explain this idea?
> 
> Assuming First Nations eventually come on-board, the Clark government will presumably try to broker an incentive laden deal to get Northern Gateway approved and through. That government already has a firm stance of wanting more pipeline revenues to go to BC. That will help (financially) all Canadians, but also specifically British Columbians. More revenue in the provincial government's coiffers should be a benefit to middle class BC no?
> 
> Where do they get robbed and pillaged?


I think he's talking about how BC's tax regime has become regressive under the Liberals. When Gordon Campbell took office, he cut income taxes 25% across the board, but the Liberals have steadily raised other fees (MSP, Carbon Tax, tolls, vehicle taxes, etc) that disproportionally fall on the middle class. As a result of this the poor and middle class have seen no savings under the Liberals, while public services have been reduced. Meanwhile, the top 1% actually pay a lower percentage of their income in total taxes.

Here's some more info: http://www.policyalternatives.ca/si...fice/2011/06/CCPA_BC_regressive_tax_shift.pdf

It's a little outdated, I know that the Carbon Tax and MSP have increased since then. It also doesn't factor the impact of hidden taxes like tolls or the tax on used cars.


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## Toronto.gal

*none:* we all have personal experiences that makes us generalize I suppose.

Speaking of 'educated' countries [which does not necessarily makes them polite], here are the top 10:

http://www.educationnews.org/higher-education/most-educated-countries/

If you're looking for the smartest CDN city, I think you need to move to T.O. [I have a property for rent] :biggrin: [j/k]


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## none

I like Toronto, I have a quite a few friends who work at UofT - we visited a couple months back - it was great. Mississauga though - OUCH - what a crap hole. I lived just outside LA and the traffic around TO is crappier and the scenery sure is a lot worse.

As for your link, you are implying that there are homogeneous education levels which certainly isn't the case.


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## HaroldCrump

What part of "outside LA" did you find so appealing that Mississauga looks like a "crap hole" to you?
I disagree, since I know both areas pretty well (LA suburbs, as well as Mississauga).
I live in neither location, just to be clear, but I do disagree with that comparison.


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## Hawkdog

Not sure if it still holds, but Smithers was known as having the most PHD's per capita in Canada 
If you're looking for the smartest CDN city, I think you need to move to T.O. [I have a property for rent] :biggrin: [j/k][/QUOTE]




Toronto.gal said:


> *none:* we all have personal experiences that makes us generalize I suppose.
> Speaking of 'educated' countries [which does not necessarily makes them polite], here are the top 10:
> 
> http://www.educationnews.org/higher-education/most-educated-countries/
> 
> Not sure if it still holds, but Smithers was known as having the most PHD's per capita in Canada
> If you're looking for the smartest CDN city, I think you need to move to T.O. [I have a property for rent] :biggrin: [j/k]


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## none

HaroldCrump said:


> What part of "outside LA" did you find so appealing that Mississauga looks like a "crap hole" to you?


Santa Barbara and before that La Jolla (ok well outside LA but I drove there quite often).

That is one thing that supports my RE bearishness - If real estate can crash in those places (which are absolutely awesome and put almost anywhere in Canada to shame - sorry but it's true) it can definitely happen here.

Look at this place! It was ridiculous!


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## fraser

Those of us who live and work in Western Canada certainly do know that Toronto is absolutely the centre of the universe. 

We also know that people from that fair city and province are amazingly well educated, amazingly smart and talented, and we feel so honored to be able to rub shoulders with them from time to time. 

Oh, if only we could be more like them.


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## Toronto.gal

Oh, if only more people could have a sense of humour from time to time.

And oh, I hope you noted who started it all, LOL.


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## Toronto.gal

Hawkdog said:


> Not sure if it still holds, but Smithers was known as having the most PHD's per capita in Canada


And were they employed?


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## kcowan

fraser said:


> Those of us who live and work in Western Canada certainly do know that Toronto is absolutely the centre of the universe.
> 
> We also know that people from that fair city and province are amazingly well educated, amazingly smart and talented, and we feel so honored to be able to rub shoulders with them from time to time.
> 
> Oh, if only we could be more like them.


I was born and raised in Toronto. Then spent 6 years in Sarnia and London, 8 years in Edmonton, 14 years back in Toronto and 18 years in BC. Sarnia and Edmonton were the friendliest places. BC the least friendly.

For 5 years we have spent half the year in PV and it is the friendliest of all. We are thinking that, when you spend half the year in Mexico, all the Canadian destinations in the summer are pretty comparable. It becomes a matter of personal choice. (Although we had dinner with a couple from Toronto who were glad to be here this week. It was cold and wet and miserable outside the ACC on Monday.)

A retired TD executive spends his winters in Phoenix and his summers in Canmore and Toronto. Pays tax in AB. Not a bad combo...


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## none

Toronto.gal said:


> And were they employed?


Possibly not but I bet it offered some interesting conversation.

Most PhD are under-employed anyway (and getting more so every day with all the government cutbacks in not directly applied research). 

Canada isn't really known for it's 'knowledge' economy anyway - the Canadian stereo-type of lumberjacks and miners does have a bit of truth in it.


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## Hawkdog

Lol, Valid question!!
Most of the PHd's are in forestry type research. Most of the government offices for the NW are situated in Smithers.
With a population of 5000, it doesn't take that many to have a good ratio. 
I just googled it, its now second in BC to Victoria

So changed a bit, likely due to the Liberal government's reign.
That was always the quote when I moved here in 97.


Toronto.gal said:


> And were they employed?


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## none

Hawkdog said:


> Lol, Valid question!!
> Most of the PHd's are in forestry type research. Most of the government offices for the NW are situated in Smithers.
> With a population of 5000, it doesn't take that many to have a good ratio.
> I just googled it, its now second in BC to Victoria
> 
> So changed a bit, likely due to the Liberal government's reign.
> That was always the quote when I moved here in 97.


Really? The most PhD's per capita where I live? Who woulda thunk it?


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## Toronto.gal

Toronto.gal said:


> Majestic beauty in this *country*.....


Btw *fraser:* seems you missed this post, and is not the 1st/2nd/3rd time I have praised CANADA [unlike many here who have often done the opposite]. Furthermore, I didn't say a single critical word about any other part of Canada, not today, not ever, so for you to have picked on me instead of perhaps others that were less, shall we say 'polite', proves your lack of understanding, if not manners.

I feel proud to be Canadian, and I'm always pleased when I read that Canada is the leader in many areas, what's wrong with that?! And what is wrong to be proud of one's city as well?. :rolleyes2:

Speaking of PhDs: 

'In Canada 80% of postdocs earn $38,600 or less per year before tax—the average salary of a construction worker. The rise of the postdoc has created another obstacle on the way to an academic post. In some areas five years as a postdoc is now a prerequisite for landing a secure full-time job'.

http://www.economist.com/node/17723223

Oppps, I think we hijacked this thread.


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## none

It's true, academic positions are very competitive. Then again, many say a post-doc is the best time of their lives: few responsibilities besides focusing on your research and learning. Amazing you get paid at all to do that!

Beats swinging a hammer any day of the week.


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## the-royal-mail

LOL - good one nathan79.


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## Sampson

Toronto.gal said:


> Speaking of PhDs:
> 
> 'In Canada 80% of postdocs earn $38,600 or less per year before tax—the average salary of a construction worker. The rise of the postdoc has created another obstacle on the way to an academic post. In some areas five years as a postdoc is now a prerequisite for landing a secure full-time job'.
> 
> http://www.economist.com/node/17723223


This link is so true. I actually forwarded it to many of my current PhD student friends. Made them all sad.

Compared to my Post-Doc pears, and even new assistant professors, this lowly Master has or will have earned hundreds of thousands more because I started work about 10 years sooner. That and our earning potential is scores higher than a post-doc.


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## none

Good thing life is about far more than money 

Regardless if you love your job anything over 50k a year is gravy.


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## Sampson

Is it about being a grumpy over-worked, under-appreciated slave?

How many Post-Docs do you know that write the grants, publish the papers, and are dumped out with little credit. Not always the case, but it happens a lot more often than not.

My point none, is that I reap all the benefits of the freedom, the research, get paid a good deal more. Certainly life is about more than money, but tell me what the Post-Doc gets that I don't? Choosing a life in academia is certainly not about the money. If it were about the money, presumably I'd be downtown, earning 6 figures by 25.


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## none

Sure it happens. 

Sorry but I'm a little lost with your questions. What exactly do you do?


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## Sampson

none said:


> Sorry but I'm a little lost with your questions. What exactly do you do?


Not my point. Only referencing the link about how poorly Post-Docs are paid. Most aren't above $50k so no gravy for them. Not sure if you read the article MGal posted. It discusses opportunity costs, earning potential down the road, recent saturation of the market and it really asks readers to beg the question, is it worth it.

My personal example is simply that: one can have many/most of the benefits that a PhD/Post-Doc has, but fewer uncertainties about long term job prospects and all the other associated difficulties.


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## none

Sampson said:


> Not my point. Only referencing the link about how poorly Post-Docs are paid. Most aren't above $50k so no gravy for them. Not sure if you read the article MGal posted. It discusses opportunity costs, earning potential down the road, recent saturation of the market and it really asks readers to beg the question, is it worth it.
> 
> My personal example is simply that: one can have many/most of the benefits that a PhD/Post-Doc has, but fewer uncertainties about long term job prospects and all the other associated difficulties.


So I'm guessing from your posts that you are something of a lab technician. Sure, you will likely make more over the long term but if you are REALLY interested in research being a technician is not always the most satisfying. Not that I'm one of them, but people who go to the post-doc level have asperations of being a full professor, running their own research programs, and asking questions which _THEY_ are interested in.

But really, if it was about money you may have just gone up to the patch or gone into trades. Nothing wrong with that - you have to do what interests you.

What you are are saying is true though, academic positions are extremely competitive and I wouldn't recommend anyone go that route unless they were truly interested in the research and were exemplary in their field. Then again, I would also suggest that for any high level job be it a doctor (the kind that actually helps people), lawyer etc.

Anyway, I'd rather be making 40K a year doing something I love instead of 100K a year doing something I hated (I'm not at either end at this point - hopefully some day).


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## Sampson

none said:


> So I'm guessing from your posts that you are something of a lab technician. Sure, you will likely make more over the long term but if you are REALLY interested in research being a technician is not always the most satisfying. Not that I'm one of them, but people who go to the post-doc level have asperations of being a full professor, running their own research programs, and asking questions which _THEY_ are interested in.


More of an administrator really, however, your assumptions about research technicians only hold as much weight as the new tech over. Many techs are charged with developing and carrying out their own projects. Depending on the research lab, many post-docs have zero control over what they do. You seem to paint a bit of a righteous vision of what a 'real' dedicated researcher is like, and that they MUST acquire a PhD, and that they must try to become a full professor.

I get the sense you have a higher education also, but I believe you are a few years younger. Amongst your PhD friends, how many have tenure-track positions? How many have real chances at them? I would hazard to say that a low 15-30% of PhDs I've met over 15+ years have landed 'dream' jobs. The majority either leave the field eventually, or end up in less than ideal jobs. They certainly aren't REALLY interested in what they do anymore.

There is nothing wrong with chasing a goal, but the probability has become so low now that more often than not, people either eventually leave the field, or they end up a research associate for life. Again, not sure if you have read the article or not.


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## none

Sampson said:


> More of an administrator really, however, your assumptions about research technicians only hold as much weight as the new tech over. Many techs are charged with developing and carrying out their own projects. Depending on the research lab, many post-docs have zero control over what they do. You seem to paint a bit of a righteous vision of what a 'real' dedicated researcher is like, and that they MUST acquire a PhD, and that they must try to become a full professor.
> 
> I get the sense you have a higher education also, but I believe you are a few years younger. Amongst your PhD friends, how many have tenure-track positions? How many have real chances at them? I would hazard to say that a low 15-30% of PhDs I've met over 15+ years have landed 'dream' jobs. The majority either leave the field eventually, or end up in less than ideal jobs. They certainly aren't REALLY interested in what they do anymore.
> 
> There is nothing wrong with chasing a goal, but the probability has become so low now that more often than not, people either eventually leave the field, or they end up a research associate for life. Again, not sure if you have read the article or not.


Actually no - I think about 90% of the people I know have faculty positions (not tenured yet). That's a massive exception of course but I've been extremely fortunate to be associated with some extremely talented people (for example my wife has been in Science 4 times and quirks and quarks twice).

I could be wrong about techs being that involved in research. From most of my experience they are either in the acknowledgements or just thrown in the author label for just running samples. I'm not of the belief that they should be an author - grinding out samples does not an author make.

How involved are you? How many first author pubs do you have if you don't mind me asking?


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## Sampson

none said:


> How involved are you? How many first author pubs do you have if you don't mind me asking?


0, but I've never been a technician. I suppose it is really the lab that you end up with because I certainly know many technicians who author papers. I guess I don't know of technicians who only run samples either. I'm not really sure what makes a PhD graduate more capable of performing their own research.

If you look at where people complete their graduate eduction, this plays a large factor in itself. Most european and east/south asian PhD graduates have never actually developed their own projects or ideas, and a 3 year European PhD is often comparable to a North American Masters degree in the level of autonomy for the student.

On a personal I certainly chose not to do a PhD, but I don't understand your apparent semi-'elitist' attitude. Some people aren't capable (myself included) to dedicate the time,energy, or brain power to it. Perhaps you feel that I would have no control over my work, and perhaps I'm not really that interested in being so. Pure academics are a different breed, and that can put a lot of strain on personal relationships (think of the amount of time a new assistant professor must dedicate and be away from family) and it really is a trade-off to commit to that type of life. 

I don't want to sound defensive, but there is a bit of smugness in many of your posts.


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## none

Edit: actually I've decided to bail on this thread. Online pissing contests are rarely positive.


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## Sampson

That's fair to end the discussion. It never seemed like a pissing contest. You seemed fairly aggressive with your suggestions that there is only one way to find a meaningful career. I started by commenting on the link TGal posted, and how I agreed with many of the points raised in the article. Anyone considering a PhD really should read it because there certainly are trade offs associated with such a significant career path decision.

Now that we are totally derailed from Christy Clark, congrats to your wife. Don't suppose you would share some pubmed links? Sounds like you spent time at UCSD or somewhere in the area. Wonderful campus, and eventually after I semi-retire, I do intend to ask my friend for a PhD opportunity. The idea of surfing in the morning followed by some work in a research lab... now that's what freedom looks like


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## none

I think we may have read each other wrong. I was a bit taken aback by what I felt you implying that PhD's and post-docs are not good life choices. I have many friends and colleagues who really have dream jobs in many ways: they get payed relatively well (not as well as a driller in the patch of course) and get to work on anything they want to. To be paid to satisfy ones curiosity I think is a wonderful way to spend one's life. You are correct though, there are many life sacrifices that we've had to make. For instance, I certainly try to be a supportive partner, if I was also a hell bent academic I think we'd be far less happy.

UCSB is a great place for sure (we liked it better than UCSD), we really enjoyed our time in SoCal. I'd rather leave the links off the forum as generally these places attract the worst of people (not implying this of you BTW) but I think retaining anonymity is best.


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## Toronto.gal

Sampson said:


> I started by commenting on the link TGal posted.......


Which had been inspired, if you will, by _none's_ comment that he had lived in 'well educated' places. 

Education talk is always good, even if off-topic a bit.


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## Sampson

I'd say a LOT off topic.

Maybe I can spin a return to the election results by saying, the BC Liberals are more likely to cut spending towards higher education that the NDP would have been.

Alberta's post secondary institutes just experienced quite significant funding cuts, unfortunately for a province that really needs to build industries other than oil and gas.


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## Toronto.gal

Sampson said:


> I'd say a LOT off topic.


Agreed, but I'm fluent in a language that's big on diminutives, hence a 'bit', and I don't mean English. :biggrin:

Getting back to CDN politics, it's been an explosive week in Toronto this week, which ended with an earthquake, LOL.


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