when you need it the most.
Everything seems to blow over to Michigan. What a bummer!
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General discussion
Exchange rate ripoff
As Canadians, we're getting royally ripped off.
The other day at a Wal-Mart, I picked out a Hallmark card and glanced at the back of it.
The price was $3.99 US or $5.49 in Canadian funds.
How could this be?
At last check, the Canadian dollar was inching ever closer to being at par with the Yankee greenback - a mere six cents shy of that.
While fuming over the unfair price difference, I noticed a Hallmark retail rep was there stocking new cards.
She shook her head apologetically but admitted there wasn't much she could do to ensure Canadian consumers get a better break. "Maybe call Hallmark," she said.
I noted Wal-Mart currently offers 10% off the price of cards - but that still doesn't make up for the fact we should really be paying only about a quarter or so more in Canada for that $3.99 US card, not $1.50 extra.
Back in the day, I worked in "the States" and the exchange was $1 US = $1.33 Cdn.
Some financial gurus are predicting par by the end of the year.
Discussion is locked
31 - 60 of 71 Posts
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Exchange rates can vary from day to day, and even during the day. We used to convert or money early in the banking day (and always in a bank). For the purchase of good we used a credit card, which at least at those points in time (1980's and 1990's) gave the best rates.
Greeting cards are printed ahead of time. I suspect that the prices you noted could have been printed a good while ago.
Goods in other countries are priced by their cost to the retailer plus a profit. Those prices do not change as the exchange rates change.
If the London Olympics were held this year, it would cost us about 50%
more in $US compared to the British pound.
Angeline
Speakeasy Moderator
click here to email
semods4@yahoo.com
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and todays figures are standing at 9.6 BILLION British Pound..... (twice the original estimate!)
.,
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try selling your unused travelers cheques over here back to the bank that sold them to you....
the wife had $350 left over from a trip and was charged (read "lost") a whopping $38!!!! to get local currency, and this is after the bank took their commission for selling her the cheques in the first place!!!
jonah "hates %$&^%$&$%^$&%^&$$% banks" jones
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Under NAFTA, you get overpriced veggies, cards and magazines. Under irresponsible, uncaring governance, we get 20 million illegal immigrants whose lawbreaking may well get rewarded with amnesty.
Want to swap? We get food; you get mouths to feed.
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Is this the "funny part"?
we get 20 million illegal immigrants whose lawbreaking may well get rewarded with amnesty.
IF any of them are qualified We'll take'em
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You take them just like we have too. They sneak across your border and apply for all of your welfare programs. The kids go to your schools and you have to hire Spanish speaking teachers and special classes for them. The women have their babies and you have to pay for the hospital and Doctors. STILL want them?? Oh and of course they will work a lot cheaper so all the employers will quit paying the going rate and only hire the illegals to do your job.
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i know here in america farmers grow crops, and then sell the crops to chains who then sell to stores ect.
i go to the stores to buy food id bet good us money you find same in canada also
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but you got no/don't want pickers?
Why grow something that rots in the ground?
Verrry Interesting.
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Everyone WANTS pickers,
they just don't want to be one.
Do pickers HAVE to be lawbreakers?
No.
Pickers have to be people.
All the news articles I've seen complaining about Mexicans taking jobs.
The guy (usually looks American) drives up in a truck and a dozen people standing on the corner ready to jump in looking for work.
I can't recall seeing a person that looks "American" you know white skin, blond/red hair ready to jump in the truck.
They all look Mexican,
If some "Americans" were standing on the same corner, the Mexicans might not get on the truck.
I know I'm guilty of profiling.
Perhaps they are editing the video.
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illegally. No one objects to legal immigrants picking or doing any other work. I've yet to hear anyone complain that Mexicans are taking fruit picking jobs from Americans.
Do you condone breaking the law? Do you think having people enter the country illegally is a good idea?
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It is untrue that I don't want them in the country. I want the people who work to be here legally and the people who don't work, use services and contribute nothing to be prevented from entering.
The ones who are here illegally need to be identified and dealt with. Some should be deported, maybe others made legal in some way.
It is insane to want the borders to be insecure, especially in this day and age. And yet some think it's okay.
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You don't want the illegals in the country, do you?
First you close the borders
That's a good place to start.
Next Identify illegals or the legals.
How?
You can't tell by "looking"
Who is responsible for identifying them?
Once identified,
What rights (if any) do they have?
Where do you hold them?
Who will guard them?
Don't forget there are 10 million. And i know all 10 million won't be in custody at the same time.
Many realize It isn't practical to think you can remove 10 million people.
It would be difficult enough to do IF a system was in place, without a system and people not going willingly. makes it even more difficult.
Most of the illegals are doing work for Americans and as long as Americans keep hiring them
I don't have to tell you the rest of the story.
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How do you identify people who are legally allowed to do a certain job? Well, let me try to give examples currently in use on 3 levels.
On a Federal level, don't you have to have papers/license to serve as a crew member filling some positions on ships. Do the Coast Guard and other agencies periodically run checks to see if such people have those papers/license?
As an example on the State level - Does not Nevada require that all casino workers have on them a card (Sheriff's card) and do not Nevada's Gaming Enforcement officers periodically check all casino workers for that card?
On the city level - Many cities require a special license to drive people for hire, for people like cab and limo drivers. Do not many of those cities periodically go around to companies in such businesses and check to see that all drivers have the proper license to work doing that?
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The answer to your questions is in the number of people that are/were working in those jobs that have been deported.
No, I'm guessing.
Does anyone check people working in restaurant workers, hotel workers, roofers, agricultural workers, car washers, labourers, etc, etc?
When people (Americans) start feeling strongly enough about the subject then something will be done.
Perhaps everyone that "looks Mexican" (I say Mexican because that is the main illegal) will have to wear a visible identity card.
Then that opens another can of worms.
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There was a big illegal immigrant bust of Asian restaurant workers here not too long ago. I don't think we have too many illegal Mexicans here. There are migrant apple pickers from Jamaica and other islands but I think most of them are here legally.
And employers SHOULD be held accountable. That can't be impossible.
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I though you were a 'less government" kinda' guy.
You want the citizen do the work of the government.
Less government, more citizen.
more time used up by the employer doing government paper work.
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Employers should be required to follow the law. That's easy enough isn't it? Do you have a problem with that?
Are you in favor of lawbreaking and bad security? It would seem so.
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ignoring them or pretending there isn't a problem is stupid.
There are solutions and we should figure them out and implement them; not throw up our hands and say "it can't be done." All I'm saying.
Most of the illegals are doing work for Americans...
Are they? Are most of them even doing work?
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And you'll find a link to an NBC Nightly News piece explaining why the answer to that question is "yes." -- The report features an onion farmer (Iforget in which border state) with 40+ acres of rotting onions for lack of pickers, even though he's willing to pay well over $10 per hour for them. He says no Americans want to do such back-breaking labor in the heat for virtually any wage rate.
-- Dave K, Speakeasy Moderator
click here to email semods4@yahoo.com
The opinions expressed above are my own,
and do not necessarily reflect those of CNET!
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the unlawful immigrants have brocken the law so your saying you would help them?
they just take money send it to mexico, never pay taxes while there kids go to gov. schools and use our hospitals.
why should my earned taxes support them?
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how hard would you be on lawbreakers, EdH? A law has to be just to be worthy of support. Who do you think was right in Selma Alabama -- Rosa Parks, or the sheriff who arrested her for sitting in the "whites-only" section of the bus? She was clearly guilty -- but the law was unjust. Our current immigration law is not only unjust (because it denies tens of thousands of young American citizens of their rights), it is also economically unviable. The entire lower tier of the American economy, now not just in the border states, but all the way into the heartland, is built on not-so-cheap labor doing the jobs that need to be done but Americans are unwilling to do at any price. Would you like to be an onion-picker for $20/hr? How about a hotel roomkeeper ("maid") is now so passe. Maybe a busboy in a restaurant? Well I wouldn't either -- but you wouldn't like eating at Ruth Chris very much if the tables were still loaded with the dishes and leftover meal from the party that preceded you! So yes, I support the lawbreakers -- that's why we need to change the law.
-- Dave K, Speakeasy Moderator
click here to email semods4@yahoo.com
The opinions expressed above are my own,
and do not necessarily reflect those of CNET!
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Throw open the gates and let everyone in without checking who they are? This is NOT a civil rights issue.
It denies tens of thousands of young American citizens of their rights Oh really? Who would those be? Are you talking about "anchor babies"? That scam has got to be done away with.
Yes, change the law, but open borders (which is what is being demanded by many) is a completely irrational way to run a country. These people are not Rosa Parks.
Actually a big part of the problem is Mexico as a dysfunctional economy. Hand it over to Exxon and Halliburton and let Mexicans work in Mexico.
By the way, I've washed dishes and bussed tables for low wages. Not a biggie. Lots of American kids do. I doubt those jobs can't be filled. Even nowadays $20 an hour ain't that bad at all.
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bigotry when it is implied, suggested or assumed that:
Illegal Mexicans only do that work
Illegal Mexicans are only doing that work
Illegal Mexicans will only that work
Illegal Mexicans can only that work
etc.
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theres laws were a country of laws
are you saying then we should pick and choose which laws we obey?
does that mean if we can pick and choose i can go rob a bank and not be arrested?
or shoot some one and not be arrested?when you drive your vehicle do you do the speed limit or do you say hell ill drive 100 MPH in this residential area so what it i kill some one its a law i dont want to follow.
these people decided to break the law and you welcome them with open arms.do they pay taxes no do you pay taxes and yes why do you seems to me if they dont why must us legal americans pay taxes.
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Everybody seems to think the immigration proposal is outright amnesty, but they have not read anything about it.
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