Monday, February 07, 2005
The exodus continues
Some in U.S. voting with their feet
By Rick Lyman The New York Times Monday, February 7, 2005
Christopher Key knows exactly what he would be giving up if he left Bellingham, Washington."It's the sort of place Norman Rockwell would paint, where everyone watches out for everyone else and we have block parties every year," said Key, a 56-year-old Vietnam War veteran and former magazine editor who lists Francis Scott Key, who wrote "The Star-Spangled Banner," among his ancestors. But leave it he intends to do, and as soon as he can. His house is on the market, and he is busily seeking work across the border in Canada.
Good luck with that, but don't expect much help from the Canadian job machine, at least if this report from Friday is an indication: Employment was little changed for the third consecutive month and the unemployment rate held steady in January at 7.0%.
"We're still not talking about a huge movement of people," said David Cohen, an immigration lawyer in Montreal. "In 2003, the last year where full statistics are available, there were something like 6,000 U.S. citizens who received permanent resident status in Canada. So even if we do go up threefold this year, we're only talking about 18,000 people." Still, that is more than double the population of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania.
True. The number also represents only 35% of those killed at the battle of Gettysburg.
"For every one who reacts to the Bush victory by moving to a new country, how many others are there still in America, feeling similarly disaffected but not quite willing to take such a drastic step?" Cohen asked.
A poll of those who miss Bill Moyers might reveal the answer.
Melanie Redman, 30, assistant director of the Epilepsy Foundation in Seattle, said she had put her Volvo up for sale and hopes to be living in Toronto by the summer.
Any guesses as to the bumper stickers resident on said Volvo?
She and her Canadian boyfriend, a Web site designer for Canadian nonprofit companies, had been planning to move to New York, but after Nov.2, they decided on Canada instead."I'm doing it," she said. "I don't want to participate in what this administration is doing here and around the world. Under Bush, the U.S. seems to be leading the pack as the world spirals down."
There is no faster exit from the world's stage than residency in Canada.
Redman intends to apply for a conjugal visa, which can be easier to get than the skilled worker visa that most Americans require. To do so, she must prove she and her boyfriend have had a relationship for at least a year, so she has collected supporting paperwork, like love letters, to present to the Canadian government. "I'm originally from a poor, lead-mining town in Missouri, and I know a lot of the people there don't understand why I'm doing this," she said. "Even my family is pretty disappointed. And the fact is, it makes me pretty sad, too. But I just can't bear to pay taxes in the United States right now."
Lots of luck:
13.1 Aliens and U.S. Citizens Living Abroad: Canadian & U.S.
Tax Issues
I am a U.S. citizen. If I move to Canada to live and work there as a
Canadian permanent resident, do I pay both U.S. and Canadian Taxes?
United States citizens living abroad are required to file annual U.S. income tax returns and report their worldwide income if they meet the minimum income filing requirements for their filing status and age. You must contact the Canadian Government to determine whether you must file a Canadian tax return and pay Canadian taxes.
Mike Aves, 40, a financial planner in Palm Beach, Florida, where he has been active in the Young Democrats, said he was finding it almost impossible from that distance to land a job in Canada. "I've told my wife, I'd be willing to take a step down, socioeconomically, to move from white-collar work to a blue-collar job, if it would get us to Canada," he said.
Mr. Aves doesn't seem so young. In fact, he's getting to that point when men need to start worrying about developing a variety of ailments. Paricularly men in Canada.
5 Comments:
By 
TigerHawk, at
Mon Feb 07, 04:26:00 PM:
I'm certainly hoping that Screetus comments on this post...
By Cardinalpark, at
Mon Feb 07, 04:52:00 PM:
I'm completely in favor of increasing US exports to Canada. It's a form of positive selection, actually. Let's hope much of the migration comes from the northeast...
By Sluggo, at
Mon Feb 07, 07:06:00 PM:
Don't let the "sorry" picture hit you on the way out. Wait'll these lames find out there's no good pizza in the entire country and when people want a jolt they watch curling.
By Fire, at
Tue Feb 08, 04:17:00 AM:
They will be bummed when they find out that most of their favorite beverages are caffeine free up there as well. Since Canada outlawed selling all beverages that don't contain caffeine naturally. Whatever will they do?
Personally I say don't let the door hit ya in the ass on the way out.
By Oscar in Kansas, at
Tue Feb 08, 04:34:00 PM:
These people are the political equivalent of Eric Cartman. "Screw you guys, I'm going to Canada."
