Booming Economy

[stingray]

Is Saint John's economy booming??

If you believed all of the government and media reports, you would think that was true.

A couple of points:

1 The auto sales industry in N.B. is almost non existent, I have many friends in the business and they are telling me that since the first of Sept. that sales are totally flat.
I suggested that maybe people are just going to the states to buy thier cars, but they said only people with the cash in hand can do that, not the average joe. Banks are not lending money for U S purchases.

2 The Empty Stocking Fund came up $50,000 less than last year. That is a huge amount.
Do people genuinely not have the money to give or have they become apathetic and say someone else will give?

Just two examples that come to mind. What are your thoughts?

[baseball 23]

- unemployment at record low
- construction and housing starts at record high
- major projects underway or starting in near future
- property assessments going up at increasing pace every year
- major retail growth
- worker shortages/help wanted ads everywhere
- consumer spending increasing

looks like a boom, smells like a boom, walks like a boom.....

[Martin]

Is Saint John's economy booming??

If you believed all of the government and media reports, you would think that was true.

A couple of points:

1 The auto sales industry in N.B. is almost non existent, I have many friends in the business and they are telling me that since the first of Sept. that sales are totally flat.
I suggested that maybe people are just going to the states to buy thier cars, but they said only people with the cash in hand can do that, not the average joe. Banks are not lending money for U S purchases.

2 The Empty Stocking Fund came up $50,000 less than last year. That is a huge amount.
Do people genuinely not have the money to give or have they become apathetic and say someone else will give?

Just two examples that come to mind. What are your thoughts?

Regarding the Empty Stocking Fund coming up short. Last year Tim Horton's donated I believe over $25,000 from the sale of the Smile Cookies. That hasn't happend yet, as the sale of the cookies is going on this week & next. So they really aren't short by $50,000.

[sarahnb]

Regarding the Empty Stocking fund- the kids have fundraisers at school that give to the fund and there so we donate that way instead of calling in. Also the kids do a lot of work raising money for families in their school so we also give that way.

[timmy]

Regarding car sales: if NOBODY buys a new car for the next 4 months MAYBE the carmakers will come down off their high horse and stop pretending there is any reason why people should pay 25-50% more for a car here than 75 miles away. I Hope so anyway.

[girdy]

Housing starts are a pretty good indication of a "boom" in an area. This is from a larger article:

"Hot trend continues: Real estate City's housing starts increase 23 per cent from 2006, while both Moncton, Fredericton register declines

SAINT JOHN - Housing starts in the Greater Saint John area continue to outpace last year's, bucking a trend that saw declines in Moncton and Fredericton to the end of November, according to figures released Monday by Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation.

Housing starts from January to November of this year are up 23 per cent in Saint John over the same period in 2006 for a total of 637 units compared to 517 a year earlier."

[redbridgelane]

Home oil up 35 cents a liter from last year.....gas that keeps going up......a lot cheaper cars in the states( i saved $7000 last year on one) how can u call it a boom????

[Mandi]

Home oil up 35 cents a liter from last year.....gas that keeps going up......a lot cheaper cars in the states( i saved $7000 last year on one) how can u call it a boom????

Hahaha, Higher prices mean we're the trendy place to be! Young professionals <3 saint john?