carastern.bsky.social - Profile | ThreadSky | a Reddit-style client for Bluesky

Today's Missing Middle: @carastern and I talk to @VassB and @denisehearn_ about corporate consolidation, the kayfabe nature of grocery store product competition and their new book 'The Big Fix'. Episode is free, as always, on YouTube: youtu.be/Uz5DkpZPH2k

submitted 63 days ago • 1 comment

On today's episode of the Missing Middle @carastern & I got to ask a question that's been bugging us for a long time: Are @MikePMoffatt & @andrew_leech friends? It then turned into a discussion about who is meaner, economists or journalists ;)

submitted 70 days ago • 1 comment

Today is the Missing Middle's first-ever AMA! Join @MikePMoffatt, @carastern, and me as we answer smart and interesting questions from our amazing audience. Happy Holidays! #CDNpoli youtu.be/8JoLbEDTpzE...

submitted 77 days ago • 0 comments

With holiday dinners coming up, you know there's a good chance you're gonna be arguing politics with someone, and probably about the economy. Sabrina Maddeaux and I've got facts to get you ready, and we go up against this bizarro version of @mikepmoffatt.bsky.social youtu.be/HAbc1I7OIkk

submitted 84 days ago • 1 comment

I'm thrilled to announce that the incredible Sabrina Maddeaux is going to fill in for me on the Missing Middle podcast while I'm on mat leave. She hosts today's episode about millennials as the jackpot generation. She'll take over fully in the new year. www.youtube.com/watch?v=hmfD...

submitted 91 days ago • 2 comments

Grateful to Not Just Bikes for making what is essentially a mini doc about how Doug Ford is trying to distract from his incompetence on transit, among many other of his provincial responsibilities. That's what the bike lane distraction is really about. Worth the watch. youtu.be/KgFCQ7jEZxI?...

submitted 92 days ago • 0 comments

The people yearn for pedestrian streets

submitted 94 days ago • 2 comments

This is a really great pick. He did impressive work in his previous role in Hamilton, and I'm so excited to see what he'll be able to accomplish in Toronto! Congrats @jasonthorne.bsky.social!

submitted 96 days ago • 0 comments

I've been finding the narrative around the GST holiday fixing a "vibecession" incredibly offensive. It feels like our governments, economists and academics are gaslighting us when they say it's just perception. We need to rethink how we talk about and measure the economy.

submitted 97 days ago • 3 comments

In this episode of the Missing Middle Podcast, @carastern.bsky.social and @mikepmoffatt.bsky.social discuss the economic absurdity of the election bribe schemes from the Ford and Trudeau governments and the unequal impacts of inflation in affecting Canadians' life affordability. t.co/1hBBwZMHK9

submitted 98 days ago • 0 comments

Completely agree with Cara’s frustration in this episode. When I graduated undergrad in 2023 the job market was bad and now I’m graduating with my masters and the job market has just gotten worse. All I want as a young person is to get a job where I can afford the COL

submitted 98 days ago • 4 comments

Check out the full episode of today's Missing Middle podcast where @mikepmoffatt.bsky.social & @carastern.bsky.social ern.bsky.social discuss the so-called Vibecession, gov rebate cheques, GST holiday & how it's an intergenerational wealth transfer from the young to the old youtu.be/ZdK7y-0ledE?...

submitted 98 days ago • 1 comment

I'm genuinely trying to understand why he's on pace for another majority. If you care about respect for taxpayers, this party ain't it. Life has become so much less affordable under this govt, and services are much worse. I'd truly like to know: What's the draw for so many?

submitted 99 days ago • 14 comments

This is why it's so disappointing that Doug Ford is abdicating responsibility on the housing file. There's no "local context" that should justify low density near subway stations. If environmental concerns, we can work around them, but right now it sounds like code for "rich people don't want it".

submitted 104 days ago • 2 comments

And remember, these numbers are for commutes for all of Toronto (so not including non-commute travel), including places that have zero safe bike lanes. If we narrow in proximity to bike lanes, it goes way up.

submitted 104 days ago • 0 comments

Ontario sucks at building homes. Quebec and B.C. are much better at it. @mikepmoffatt.bsky.social & @carastern.bsky.social discuss why on today's episode of Missing Middle

submitted 105 days ago • 2 comments

There are lots of provinces in Canada that aren't great at getting homes built, but Ontario is uniquely terrible at it. We talk about what makes Ontario so bad at it. And yes, it's a lot of policy choices. It doesn't have to be this way! youtu.be/yP5R0gTRlnQ

submitted 105 days ago • 0 comments

How will the removal of protected bicycle lanes affect you? Here is an account by a #Toronto parent of a child with special needs. (I got a personal permission to share this, she asked for me to remove her name just in case.) #BikeTO

submitted 106 days ago • 4 comments

"It’s time to call out these policies for what they are: distractions that undermine our future. Canadians deserve better." @ericlombardi.bsky.social nails it in this article. These populist bribes are horrible for our economy. thehub.ca/2024/11/26/e...

submitted 106 days ago • 1 comment

Whatever you think re: the necessity of Canada Post, this kind of fight is what's needed to stop what is basically the enshittification of work. Standing up for future generations, despite paying for it now, is huge and something that a lot of people wouldn't do. Love to see it.

submitted 109 days ago • 1 comment

City of Toronto single-detached DCs. 2004: $4,370 2014: $27,774 2024: $137,864 Gord Perks to CBC: "Over a decade or two, our DCs are rising at not much more than the rate of inflation" Our politicians lie to us, and our media amplifies those lies. www.youtube.com/watc...

submitted 109 days ago • 8 comments

I don't care which party is doing it. Bribe cheques before an election are a waste a money and they all need to stop this crap. We have huge deficits, and universal social programs that are falling apart. This is not a prudent use of our tax dollars.

submitted 111 days ago • 0 comments

Today on the Missing Middle, we go over the four pathways to fixing the housing crisis that @MikePMoffatt unveiled in his latest research report. These are actions that politicians could take right now if they want to fix cost of homes. youtu.be/1m0XukGXPrQ...

submitted 112 days ago • 0 comments

Wait, does this mean the Ford government is deliberately misleading the public about bike lane usage? Intentionally using data that is old enough that if it were a person, it would be in high school, even though it has access to recent data? Shocking.

submitted 117 days ago • 3 comments

Weird, I thought Holyday wasn't a fan of high taxes. Interesting fiscal conservatism here, voting that Toronto taxes should cover the province's decisions.

submitted 117 days ago • 4 comments

We were going to bookmark this for future zoning reform debates but it turns out that we only needed to wait a few hours.

submitted 118 days ago • 3 comments

The way we see it, any innovation that can get housing built faster is a win. Today on the Missing Middle, we spoke to Nicholas Renzetti here at the Smart Prosperity Institute about the opportunities that mass timber provides for homebuilding and jobs. youtu.be/PN1MJhKJr9I

submitted 119 days ago • 0 comments

And we’re constantly told that we can’t have bike infrastructure because of cyclists who run stop signs.

submitted 120 days ago • 2 comments

Some are calling it "The Eras Tour of Housing Policy." I mean, just me right now, but surely it'll catch on.

submitted 121 days ago • 1 comment