So how many, Maori or Pakeha, Chinese or African, are currently in NZ prisons solely for the possession or use of cannabis?I suggest that the number would be somewhere between nought and zero.
At what point did we stop asking for evidence and start believing anyone who makes an allegation?Probably about the time the me too movement came to prominence and insisted that woman must be believed no matter what the evidence or lack there of. After all, if three woman have made the same allegations, then it must be 1 right?
Would that make Gareth Morgan, who is clearly farming capital gains, one of our nations biggest hypocrites. for some years now the precious wee petal has actively railed against the inefficient use of capital and advocated for a capital gains tax to knock the wind from the sails of speculative investment in housing. [Quote In the book The Big Kahuna we expanded on the concept of a comprehensive annual capital tax designed to fix the loopholes in our current selective income tax regime. The benefits are that owners are forced to use capital efficiently and low-return uses of capital face a higher tax penalty to discourage that inefficiency. An effective 1.8 per cent tax on the value of a house year in, year out would recognise that owner-occupiers are receiving free rent in effect. That would knock the wind from the sails of speculative investment in housing that accrues courtesy of its tax-free status.]
Sadly it seems that we Kiwis, that is Elderly White Male conservative Kiwis at least, have fallen into an abyss of ignorance and folly. Could I suggest then Stuff, as you have the necessary platform to provide our daily cautionary corrections as needed, that you have two ruggedly independant and polypragmatic journalists, say Glenn and Rosemary, confer regularly to provide us with the guidance we need to think properly.. They could periodically provide a list of publications that we might usefully read, a schedule of acceptable orations we might attend and a a viewing schedule of films and documentaries that they approve of for our illumination, to learn the correct and proper views on the dignity of man. What about it Stuff?
Oh dear here we go again... We find in NZ that about 30 of fatalities might have been avoided had the deceased been wearing a seat belt... now every sentient being knows full well that wearing your seat belt is a legal requirement, and that it will save lives. so why do those who don not wear them do so. I suggest that they are but the tip of a very antisocial cohort on our roads and....We find that young drivers 18-24 are 7x more likely to be involved an accident. We also know , if we have done any reading at all into the matter, that most accidents happen at speeds below the speed limit, and only about 20% at speeds above the limits.And we know that in the recent past we have had some spectacular fatalities, In the last few weeks.... 1; 3x fatalities Kopu Bridge, driver on bail. Methamphetamine Charges, Meth found in wreck2. Kid in Boot o f Stolen Car, Wellington, Police Chase 1x death 3. Drug running gang member ..NP police chase, writes himself off against power pole 1x death 4. 15 yr old driver, stolen car, driver on bail etc.. police chase PNth.. kills x2. again I suggest those involved are a part of the very same antisocial cohort whose attitude prevents them from wearing a seat belt. Further I suggest it is quite vacuous to compare NZ driving conditions with the Netherlands. So lets lower the speed limits, cos Meth addicts is stolen cars will take notice of that... and lets also lower the blood alcohol limit., always wo rks? No?
Good job Martin in presenting a more balanced article than many of y our colleagues seem wont to do. E.G..Enough is Enough ...regarding the speedsters on the Main Highway right through the middle of their town , when in fact the town is some distance to the east of the highway. In intellectually dishonest piece of Journalism, published I suggest to jump on yet another bandwagon. Journals should just stick to the facts or if giving an opinion ensure that opinion, is at least logically consistent with those facts, as you appear to have done
Does that mean that, say , when Tama Iti choses to wear an English gentlemans bowler hat [Somebody from outside of that culture using it mostly for aesthetic or more stylistic purposes]that amounts to cultural misappropriation or are there different rules for English hats and Tama Iti? Heaven forfend
What people are saying is that it is very undemocratic to have such decisions foist upon us by an ideologically driven trio of politicians, bypassing the cabinet processes. What worries me is that supporters like yourself are unable to perceive that.
Air BnB is the booking agent. It is most certainly up to them to ensure that *THEIR* clients are at least old enough to legally contract, (18) and therefore be held legally liable.
The obvious solution is to move current slum dwellers into the fortunates housing. This will have the effect of rendering those better housing estates into slums almost in the blink of an eye. Then everybody will be equal . Problem solved.
$100k per year is not the cost of keeping a prisoner. Its the cost of the prison system, averaged. It appears that no one involved with the prison system knows what the marginal cost of the *next* prisoner is... Im guessing it will be no more than a couple of hundred a week....... but if anybody knows they are not telling. And Ive asked a number of officials this same question from Ministers of Justice to Corrections pointy heads.
The only likely thing here is that the entry party might make it as far as the second airlock.. 175m... and proves only that you can fool some of the people all the time.
As I recall events, this argument re taxing of capital gains had its Genesis in Gareths unfortunate ramblings. Investment in housing he said was a waste of opportunity: a denial of opportunity to invest in productive wealth building enterprise. The only trouble with Gareths suggestion was that at the time there was no public avenue for such investment unless you consider the Pike River Coal Mine to be such a wealth building enterprise. So the issue morphed; it became a crusade aimed at collecting revenue from those ârich pricksâ who had the temerity to afford by dint of sacrifice, hard work or otherwise, any investment housing. These guys should suffer, their houses should be taxed and capital gains should be considered as income. Gareth even suggested, God bless him, that it should not be necessary to wait until a gain was realised, it could be assumed and applied annually. This would fix the housing issue for once and for all and so the focus changed from directing funds to wealth producing enterprise, to the social focus of providing even the indolent with affordable housing.A little further down the line it was goodbye to Gareth, but hello to Jacinda and Dr Cullen, (again) and his Tax Working Group. They discussed a CGT but to their credit found it to be a clumsy scarcely viable blunt instrument, just like the rest of us had been telling them since forever.However, matters could not be allowed to rest there, oh no, some way had to be found to fit up these rich pricks, who by the way Dr Cullen does not despise, heaven forfend, with a property based tax. Never mind that it has no credibility at all, but surely âDeemed Incomeâ fits the bill perfectly. Down the rabbit hole on the other side of the looking glass that is.
Who should pay? Easy peasy, the beneficiaries of tourist travel should pay for tourist facilities, that includes , Hotels, Motels, Campsites, Camper Van and Hire Car companies etc etc.
I am a boomer.. born late 40s. We did not sacrifice travel and/or partying either. We just bought a house first, went traveling second, next year hoping to spend 6 weeks in Canada and Alaska.. Priorities : we still dont have the latest iPhones or 55 inch TVs, and I refuse to buy Coffee at $5.
Minors' Contracts Act 1969minor means a person who has not attained the age of 18 years; and a person is of full age if he or she has attained the age of 18 years
In the past few years I have terminated 7 tenancies, and replaced the buildings. Net result housing for 4, and not a single first home buyer in sight. But a good theory jch.
our comment is awaiting moderationCorrect, he will do nothing.. never has... in fact doing nothing is Winstons forte.. many promises, no action. That cowboy is all hat, no horse
Really? Has that been your experience or have you read it in a picture book somewhere?My first house, 1973 cost 7-8x my annual wage, it was a wreck. In todays climate it would be way short of a lettable proposition.
And here is our problem encapsulated: you are fast around the race track therefore you a a fantastic driver. Id much rather you were good at stopping for me at the ped xing, fastidious even at stopping at the compulsory stop at the end of my street where boy racers, all undoubtedly quick through the chicanes, chance their luck at 25 kmh straight through, without looking even cos if they dont see me approaching from their right, then I guess Im not really there eh.
Im completely 100% convinced that a large number of the most remarkable idiot drivers we see on our roads are chemically enhanced to one degree or another.
Agreed Bern the NZ driver would be completely out of his depth..... However when recently our Mini cab driver in Phuket decided that passing on no passing lines on blind corners was not sufficiently exciting for him, insufficient to hold his attention, and mounted his phone on the dash to play himself music videos whilst he drove, I actually would have rather been driving myself.
Really... like India, or Thailand? ..I dont think so. You need to get a bit, just a bit real, but I do agree, NZ drivers are far from perfect. and strangely enough its not always those from Asia who are the worst
You have not spent any time in counties like India or Bangladesh have you Paul....There is no poverty in NZ... relative poverty maybe, but not the gut wrenching hunger and deprivation of the lower castes, unlikely ever to escape their predetermined birth status in India. [note: lower castes, not lower class]
I guess that when Dr Cullen says that the observed outcomes where countries have introduced or changed taxation show little impact either way, he says.We have come out with a more general conclusion that taxation has only a limited effect on the housing market and the [housing] problem remains one of supply.That what he really really mean s is that the observed outcomes where countries have introduced or changed taxation show little impact either way, he says.We have come out with a more general conclusion that taxation has only a limited effect on the housing market and the [housing] problem remains one of supply.Just as some of the more intelligent observers in this forum have been saying for years. Perhaps now the leading lefty has said as much , his followers might take note? Ill hold my breath.
Do I take it that if we at least treat these businesses as businesses. then all rental housing [it is a business] should be subject to commercial rates. As should all homes accommodating a boarder . Imagine what that would do to rents eh? Currently I pay nearly $5000 rates for an elderly stucco house in a provincial city, long ago divided into two small units and accommodating just 1 person in each. How much do commercial motels pay per unit I wonder?
Really? Your talking to an ex pest controller with 15 years experience. Ive seen rats walk along telephone lines to enter a house and scale sheer walls. But your insight is appreciated.
And farmers could stand their cattle for a few hours before transporting them. Either that or resort to the simple townie solution of blaming freedom campers.. sigh..again..
Yep, already sold off 1 rental recently, will be building on another with the proceeds and getting rid of the others early next year. Why? The liabilities of a Landlord are increasing, while the rewards are decreasing.. In a nut shell, I dont need it
So.... young people were frequent public transport users and the panel wanted to ensure they werent exploited by the cost of public transport in future . huh? Given that young people will in fact be the beneficiaries of the planned infrastructure improvements (funded by the fuel tax and other measures) which many of us in the older generation will not see in our life times, Id suggest that the young people should in fact pay for the lot!!
We have two... one up one down... when the family are all home the bill may run to $150pm, when they are not, and with the upstairs unit running 24/7 more like $120pm. All electric house hold except for a gas hob fed from a 9kg bottle which lasts 5months +
And so it appears are the days of the personal freedom to deal with your real property if you have your way. Ill bet you are one of those who freely embrace diversity, until it gets to impact upon yourself.. then its enforced uniformity.. Little boxes on the hillside..little boxes made of ticky tacky. .. way to go..
It seems to me just on the arithmetic that freedom campers punch above there weight. According to Tourism NZ [2017]international travelers spend $10,5 B in NZ 1% of that being $105MAccording to the article you so eloquently comment on, international freedom campers make up just 3% of our visitor numbers 3% of $10.5B is just $315M yet they spend $530M, [no doubt youll inform me of any error in my figuring?]Perhaps youd be better saving your invective for those visitors who spend, per head , way less, like cruise ship passengers.Yet despite this many local authorities spend tens of millions to facilitate cruise ship visits. Any sharp insight to offer there J-rizzle?
Mice and rats dont walk through the front door just like that... ummm yes they do,or any other aperture, its exactly what they do when summer ends and it starts to get colder. they dont need an invitation . Its no more the LLs problem than it is the tenants.
We are? Correct me if I am wrong but I believe our rate of reproduction in NZ is way below that to maintain our population (1.8? when 2.2+ per female needed) And I believe that is also the case in countries such as Japan China , Germany and Russia etc.. So the question is really who is breeding us into oblivion?
The fact that some of, mostly rural NZ , is no longer serviced by the rail it used to have, is down to the fact that rail has long been neglected in favour of the trucking industry. E.G Opunake, Gisborne Whangamomona, Ranfurly.The trucking industry is not some white knight come galloping to the rescue of the small towns, as you seem to suggest. It is the agency, supported by it powerful lobby group, that has caused the demise of rail to the detriment of our overloaded road network.
Really? Please educate me, what are these easy resources you speak of?And the mountain of debt? Was that consumer debt? And now to the important bit, what is wealth and how is it created? Im all ears.
No I didnt forget Gold Card users at all.. the fact remains the younger gens will be the beneficiaries, the older will be fast disappearingAnd the Gold Card will not stop that. .
The pattern of eruption is heading south.. Paritutu cone being far older than Fanthoms Peak. Next is likely to be off Patea or Opunake. The Older peaks of the Pouakais which were at one point higher than Egmont. should sheild the area to the North of them from pyroclastic flows. Pyroclastic flows if my understanding is correct are similar to the Guatemala event rather than the Hawaii eruption, and will certainly affect river valleys like the Waiwakaiho., and thus the bridges on affected rivers . As far as I know most streams like the Huatoki and the Te Henui flowing thru NP arise from the Pouakais and Kaitakes, and may not be at such risk as the Waiwakaiho and Waitara.
Ahhh Tekapo.. pleased you brought that up... Had no trouble in Feb/March parking at Tekapo. And in fact the locals are so unconcerned about parking and so delighted with the commerce visitors bring that they are building new stores on the large parking lot behind the Main St business area... Perhaps we did not visit the same Tekapo...
My hope it that they will act to prevent trouble.. My expectation is that theyll act only after trouble manifests itself, and then only with their arms twisted up behind their backs.
Yes fully agree,... it was just the other day i saw a skegway rider using his device to the very fullest.... towing a fully laden supermarket trolley up main st on the footpath past all the shoppers jumping quick smart out of his way , smiling benignly. Now theres initiative for you
Time to hike the interest rates for new loans.. lets say 8%pa, and at least a 50% deposit required just like it was in the 70s... that should quieten things down a bit. And double the incomes of savers.
Most unlikely the child picked up the disease on the plane. Most likely before it got on the plane, therefore the horse had already , well and truly , bolted.
Unfortunately it seems that these days its quite common for press, and media personalities to assume that they themselves are the news. Back in the day it was rare for a reporter to inject his views into any news item, nowdays they think their views are critical to our understanding or appreciation of any media delivery, when in fact, mostly it seems they have agendas unseen and they are often caught out by their lack of research lack of objectivity, and lack of experience. Just stick to the facts eh guys?
There is no doubt that water is a resource, and that we make sure we benefit from the trade in it. However most of its value comes from the collection treatment bottling and transport of it, and we will have a part in thatBut if not collected it would otherwise run straight out to sea, as the Pupu spring water does just a km or so from source, billions of litres of pristine water straight down the gurgler.
Correct, you dont know about that. My daughter and SIL in their 30s bought a house in a good suburb of Auckland, we thought shed paid well over the top for it then, but it has now been valued at over 2x what she paid for it a five years ago. In fact they have just bought a second home, as an investment..in Auckland... not so bad for a one income family with several children ...in Auckland... She seems to know what you dont Davis.
Jeff BezosNow if you take baseline energy usage globally across the whole world and compound it at just a few percent a year for just a few hundred years, you have to cover the entire surface of the Earth in solar cells. That's the real energy crisis. And it's happening soon ...
Well Big Lenny, Ive asked the question many times and never had the pleasure of a reply..Why is buying second hand shares more productive than buying a second hand house? Heres your chance to shine sunshine!!
The oil is still there, your leftie government has just put the screws on that..The Coal is still there, in the ground..I can walk you down the Mokau river and point out great seams of it but the greenie generations have put the screws on that.The fisheries are still there.. but the conservationists have reduced the areas that may be fished.The rivers are at least as clean now as they were 50 years ago.My house is not worth a million. And my daughter has made more in the last 5 years on the capital gain on her house than I have made in 45 years on all the houses I have ever owned combined.
Then prithee Comrade, from whence will our wee criminal gangs reap their vast fortunes?What will they then be forced to turn to when the hand of outrageous fortune steals away their income?
Well geez Davey you might be seduced by the proposition that tinkering with the tax system will satisfy demand. Im not. In fact *only* increased supply will satisfy increased demand.
Dont think so GOM...2.2Slow vehicle bays(1)This clause applies if a road controlling authority has indicated by the installation of the appropriate signs that an extra lane has been provided as a slow vehicle bay.Try again.
In my considerable experience as a Pest Controller [and before that as an Orchardist] I can say that the biggest single threat to the Bumble Bee here in NZ is you.. the householder. It was my practice as a Pest Controller when asked to eradicate a bumble bee nest to try to dissuade the householder from doing that, pointing out the very low threat the bumble bee nest in the back yard or shed actually posed to humanity and the very great benefit to be had from that insects pollination activity. I dont recall ever being successful.
According to the BBC [Nov 2017] [Indian] economists have used an income threshold that defines middle class people as those living on between $2 (£1.52) to $10 per person per day, They have broken down the middle class into two - the lower middle (living on $2-$4 per person per day) and upper middle (living on $6-10 per person per day). Bangladesh wont be any better..So yes Chloe Winter, apply your comfortable and privileged Kiwi world view to foreign economies where the poor compete for jobs in sweat shops. Make sure that these factories are closed down, after all who needs $2 dollars a day, only the rich middle class apparently
Hobnail, Im not confusing anything at all. a good driver as far as Im concerned IS a careful driver and its quite possible to be careful without being inconsiderate. .
Why self-proclaimed 'free speech champions' aren't helping the cause
Hmmm Stuff. One normally expects Journalists to champion free speech, not to close it down.
Ministers issue fresh request to Tax Working Group to 'consider inequality'
So in the final analysis, it will be a political decision made according to ideology.
"Making marijuana legal would have an immediate effect on MÄori lives",
So how many, Maori or Pakeha, Chinese or African, are currently in NZ prisons solely for the possession or use of cannabis?I suggest that the number would be somewhere between nought and zero.
"There's a dangerous problem with the #BelieveSurvivors movement",
At what point did we stop asking for evidence and start believing anyone who makes an allegation?Probably about the time the me too movement came to prominence and insisted that woman must be believed no matter what the evidence or lack there of. After all, if three woman have made the same allegations, then it must be 1 right?
Coalition trying to defy history with backing of wind-up merchants
Good.. thats settled then Rosemary.. if you dislike them (anybody) they shouldnt be heard.
Opinion: Tax ghost houses and pour the money back into affordable housing
Would that make Gareth Morgan, who is clearly farming capital gains, one of our nations biggest hypocrites. for some years now the precious wee petal has actively railed against the inefficient use of capital and advocated for a capital gains tax to knock the wind from the sails of speculative investment in housing. [Quote In the book The Big Kahuna we expanded on the concept of a comprehensive annual capital tax designed to fix the loopholes in our current selective income tax regime. The benefits are that owners are forced to use capital efficiently and low-return uses of capital face a higher tax penalty to discourage that inefficiency. An effective 1.8 per cent tax on the value of a house year in, year out would recognise that owner-occupiers are receiving free rent in effect. That would knock the wind from the sails of speculative investment in housing that accrues courtesy of its tax-free status.]
Coalition trying to defy history with backing of wind-up merchants
Sadly it seems that we Kiwis, that is Elderly White Male conservative Kiwis at least, have fallen into an abyss of ignorance and folly. Could I suggest then Stuff, as you have the necessary platform to provide our daily cautionary corrections as needed, that you have two ruggedly independant and polypragmatic journalists, say Glenn and Rosemary, confer regularly to provide us with the guidance we need to think properly.. They could periodically provide a list of publications that we might usefully read, a schedule of acceptable orations we might attend and a a viewing schedule of films and documentaries that they approve of for our illumination, to learn the correct and proper views on the dignity of man. What about it Stuff?
NZ's roads: jam-packed, dangerous and filled with atrocious drivers
Oh dear here we go again... We find in NZ that about 30 of fatalities might have been avoided had the deceased been wearing a seat belt... now every sentient being knows full well that wearing your seat belt is a legal requirement, and that it will save lives. so why do those who don not wear them do so. I suggest that they are but the tip of a very antisocial cohort on our roads and....We find that young drivers 18-24 are 7x more likely to be involved an accident. We also know , if we have done any reading at all into the matter, that most accidents happen at speeds below the speed limit, and only about 20% at speeds above the limits.And we know that in the recent past we have had some spectacular fatalities, In the last few weeks.... 1; 3x fatalities Kopu Bridge, driver on bail. Methamphetamine Charges, Meth found in wreck2. Kid in Boot o f Stolen Car, Wellington, Police Chase 1x death 3. Drug running gang member ..NP police chase, writes himself off against power pole 1x death 4. 15 yr old driver, stolen car, driver on bail etc.. police chase PNth.. kills x2. again I suggest those involved are a part of the very same antisocial cohort whose attitude prevents them from wearing a seat belt. Further I suggest it is quite vacuous to compare NZ driving conditions with the Netherlands. So lets lower the speed limits, cos Meth addicts is stolen cars will take notice of that... and lets also lower the blood alcohol limit., always wo rks? No?
MSD loan case's Ms F no poster girl for poverty
Good job Martin in presenting a more balanced article than many of y our colleagues seem wont to do. E.G..Enough is Enough ...regarding the speedsters on the Main Highway right through the middle of their town , when in fact the town is some distance to the east of the highway. In intellectually dishonest piece of Journalism, published I suggest to jump on yet another bandwagon. Journals should just stick to the facts or if giving an opinion ensure that opinion, is at least logically consistent with those facts, as you appear to have done
Party for more than 100 teens at rented home angers owner
And Pankin Save should accept shoplifting theives gracefully... take the good with the bad.. right?
The Block NZ contestant appropriates Native American culture in first episode
Does that mean that, say , when Tama Iti choses to wear an English gentlemans bowler hat [Somebody from outside of that culture using it mostly for aesthetic or more stylistic purposes]that amounts to cultural misappropriation or are there different rules for English hats and Tama Iti? Heaven forfend
No Cabinet paper written, no Cabinet decision made, in political decision to ban new oil exploration
What people are saying is that it is very undemocratic to have such decisions foist upon us by an ideologically driven trio of politicians, bypassing the cabinet processes. What worries me is that supporters like yourself are unable to perceive that.
Ministers issue fresh request to Tax Working Group to 'consider inequality'
I think the wealthy already pay waaaaaay more tax than you do.
Party for more than 100 teens at rented home angers owner
Air BnB is the booking agent. It is most certainly up to them to ensure that *THEIR* clients are at least old enough to legally contract, (18) and therefore be held legally liable.
Social inequality seen in stark relief with housing drone photos
The obvious solution is to move current slum dwellers into the fortunates housing. This will have the effect of rendering those better housing estates into slums almost in the blink of an eye. Then everybody will be equal . Problem solved.
Extra prisoners are nearly all gang members - thats hardly a crisis
$100k per year is not the cost of keeping a prisoner. Its the cost of the prison system, averaged. It appears that no one involved with the prison system knows what the marginal cost of the *next* prisoner is... Im guessing it will be no more than a couple of hundred a week....... but if anybody knows they are not telling. And Ive asked a number of officials this same question from Ministers of Justice to Corrections pointy heads.
Why self-proclaimed 'free speech champions' aren't helping the cause
Health and Safety is the last refuge of a scoundrel..... Samuel Johnson...1775
"MÄori nurses suffer discrimination in sick health system",
Gosh.. so Maori Health Providers pay Maori nurses less than their State counterparts?? Then it seems they blame pakeha for this? Hmmm.
Little a hero as Nats run for the hills and beyond
The only likely thing here is that the entry party might make it as far as the second airlock.. 175m... and proves only that you can fool some of the people all the time.
"New Zealand, we're not as good at driving as we think we are",
Myself Id much rather the speeding tailgater passed me asap. Cant understand the logic in not letting them past.
"Tax Working Group plan for baches a wealth tax that will rob Kiwis of their dream",
As I recall events, this argument re taxing of capital gains had its Genesis in Gareths unfortunate ramblings. Investment in housing he said was a waste of opportunity: a denial of opportunity to invest in productive wealth building enterprise. The only trouble with Gareths suggestion was that at the time there was no public avenue for such investment unless you consider the Pike River Coal Mine to be such a wealth building enterprise. So the issue morphed; it became a crusade aimed at collecting revenue from those ârich pricksâ who had the temerity to afford by dint of sacrifice, hard work or otherwise, any investment housing. These guys should suffer, their houses should be taxed and capital gains should be considered as income. Gareth even suggested, God bless him, that it should not be necessary to wait until a gain was realised, it could be assumed and applied annually. This would fix the housing issue for once and for all and so the focus changed from directing funds to wealth producing enterprise, to the social focus of providing even the indolent with affordable housing.A little further down the line it was goodbye to Gareth, but hello to Jacinda and Dr Cullen, (again) and his Tax Working Group. They discussed a CGT but to their credit found it to be a clumsy scarcely viable blunt instrument, just like the rest of us had been telling them since forever.However, matters could not be allowed to rest there, oh no, some way had to be found to fit up these rich pricks, who by the way Dr Cullen does not despise, heaven forfend, with a property based tax. Never mind that it has no credibility at all, but surely âDeemed Incomeâ fits the bill perfectly. Down the rabbit hole on the other side of the looking glass that is.
Dear tourists: It's time to pitch in
Who should pay? Easy peasy, the beneficiaries of tourist travel should pay for tourist facilities, that includes , Hotels, Motels, Campsites, Camper Van and Hire Car companies etc etc.
Young people 'expect to end up poorer' but it's not all gloom
I am a boomer.. born late 40s. We did not sacrifice travel and/or partying either. We just bought a house first, went traveling second, next year hoping to spend 6 weeks in Canada and Alaska.. Priorities : we still dont have the latest iPhones or 55 inch TVs, and I refuse to buy Coffee at $5.
Stacey Kirk: Three ring circus with one ringmaster at the centre - buckle in for a wild ride
Theres no rope big enough to tie that loose cannon down I think.
"Making marijuana legal would have an immediate effect on MÄori lives",
Society decides what should be illegal.. not you.
Party for more than 100 teens at rented home angers owner
Minors' Contracts Act 1969minor means a person who has not attained the age of 18 years; and a person is of full age if he or she has attained the age of 18 years
Housing Minister Phil Twyford's reforms likely to raise rents, officials warn
In the past few years I have terminated 7 tenancies, and replaced the buildings. Net result housing for 4, and not a single first home buyer in sight. But a good theory jch.
Stacey Kirk: Three ring circus with one ringmaster at the centre - buckle in for a wild ride
our comment is awaiting moderationCorrect, he will do nothing.. never has... in fact doing nothing is Winstons forte.. many promises, no action. That cowboy is all hat, no horse
Young people 'expect to end up poorer' but it's not all gloom
Really? Has that been your experience or have you read it in a picture book somewhere?My first house, 1973 cost 7-8x my annual wage, it was a wreck. In todays climate it would be way short of a lettable proposition.
"Tax Working Group plan for baches a wealth tax that will rob Kiwis of their dream",
Your faith in the perspicacity of the COL is touching.
"New Zealand, we're not as good at driving as we think we are",
And here is our problem encapsulated: you are fast around the race track therefore you a a fantastic driver. Id much rather you were good at stopping for me at the ped xing, fastidious even at stopping at the compulsory stop at the end of my street where boy racers, all undoubtedly quick through the chicanes, chance their luck at 25 kmh straight through, without looking even cos if they dont see me approaching from their right, then I guess Im not really there eh.
"'Bucket toilet' for garage tenants: The vulnerable Kiwis reforms won't help",
Ummm...low deposits AND low interest rates ARE the problem Sugarpuff.
NZ's roads: jam-packed, dangerous and filled with atrocious drivers
Yes, with their lights and siren on as they would have done, had it been you kin your Honda Civic doing the same
"New Zealand, we're not as good at driving as we think we are",
Im completely 100% convinced that a large number of the most remarkable idiot drivers we see on our roads are chemically enhanced to one degree or another.
Young people 'expect to end up poorer' but it's not all gloom
A double major in professional fields huh? And the supply of entry level jobs in my field is barren Hmmm. Perspicacity cant be taught.
Party for more than 100 teens at rented home angers owner
Kid was never going to do that for fear the parentals might confiscate his mobile for 12 hours or so... imagine the pain and horror !
Dear tourists: It's time to pitch in
Bet they dont pay as much as I do for the roads *they* drive on.
Unsuccessful female candidate told store opted for physically strong male
The bounders.. how dare they hire a male.
"New Zealand, we're not as good at driving as we think we are",
Agreed Bern the NZ driver would be completely out of his depth..... However when recently our Mini cab driver in Phuket decided that passing on no passing lines on blind corners was not sufficiently exciting for him, insufficient to hold his attention, and mounted his phone on the dash to play himself music videos whilst he drove, I actually would have rather been driving myself.
"New Zealand, we're not as good at driving as we think we are",
Really... like India, or Thailand? ..I dont think so. You need to get a bit, just a bit real, but I do agree, NZ drivers are far from perfect. and strangely enough its not always those from Asia who are the worst
"Tax Working Group plan for baches a wealth tax that will rob Kiwis of their dream",
1. Perhaps Dad just built it from scratch as many did in the 50s and 60s2. Perhaps because its worth $500k? Reserve bank wisdom not withstanding.
'I hate poverty, but not the rich' - Sir Michael Cullen
We had a land tax... it produced zilch and cost heaps to administer. ... for some reason we got rid of it about 3 or 4 decades ago.
New app to help consumers track where, how garments are made
You have not spent any time in counties like India or Bangladesh have you Paul....There is no poverty in NZ... relative poverty maybe, but not the gut wrenching hunger and deprivation of the lower castes, unlikely ever to escape their predetermined birth status in India. [note: lower castes, not lower class]
'I hate poverty, but not the rich' - Sir Michael Cullen
I guess that when Dr Cullen says that the observed outcomes where countries have introduced or changed taxation show little impact either way, he says.We have come out with a more general conclusion that taxation has only a limited effect on the housing market and the [housing] problem remains one of supply.That what he really really mean s is that the observed outcomes where countries have introduced or changed taxation show little impact either way, he says.We have come out with a more general conclusion that taxation has only a limited effect on the housing market and the [housing] problem remains one of supply.Just as some of the more intelligent observers in this forum have been saying for years. Perhaps now the leading lefty has said as much , his followers might take note? Ill hold my breath.
Changing face of the accommodation sector
Do I take it that if we at least treat these businesses as businesses. then all rental housing [it is a business] should be subject to commercial rates. As should all homes accommodating a boarder . Imagine what that would do to rents eh? Currently I pay nearly $5000 rates for an elderly stucco house in a provincial city, long ago divided into two small units and accommodating just 1 person in each. How much do commercial motels pay per unit I wonder?
Party for more than 100 teens at rented home angers owner
Theres no law limiting how short a domestic rental may be that I know of; so what on earth are you on about?
If property managers can't fix mouldy homes, are they just ripping off renters?
Really? Your talking to an ex pest controller with 15 years experience. Ive seen rats walk along telephone lines to enter a house and scale sheer walls. But your insight is appreciated.
Waikato councils take hard line on truckies illegally dumping stock effluent
And farmers could stand their cattle for a few hours before transporting them. Either that or resort to the simple townie solution of blaming freedom campers.. sigh..again..
Trying to house a family of nine in Aucklands rental market
Yep, already sold off 1 rental recently, will be building on another with the proceeds and getting rid of the others early next year. Why? The liabilities of a Landlord are increasing, while the rewards are decreasing.. In a nut shell, I dont need it
"'Bucket toilet' for garage tenants: The vulnerable Kiwis reforms won't help",
And if thats the case then its the States obligation (i.e. your, the taxpayer, citizen) to provide it, not mine the private investor
Auckland tunnel waste may be used to double-track Waikato rail line
What idea by Tainui?
Will Auckland's fuel tax increase bus fares? Youth push council for answers
So.... young people were frequent public transport users and the panel wanted to ensure they werent exploited by the cost of public transport in future . huh? Given that young people will in fact be the beneficiaries of the planned infrastructure improvements (funded by the fuel tax and other measures) which many of us in the older generation will not see in our life times, Id suggest that the young people should in fact pay for the lot!!
Mystery of the smell and sickness at Carterton school lingers for those affected
Yes; but thats a feature of somatoform illness. The illness is quite genuine.. the causes are usually not tangible.
What pushes my buttons: A guide to elevator etiquette
If you are on your phone, get off it... or will you inflict your conversation on everybody else because you are such an important person?
Opinion: Tax ghost houses and pour the money back into affordable housing
So you are renting out your spare room(s) then?
Why self-proclaimed 'free speech champions' aren't helping the cause
Journalists apparently
Spike in electricity use coincides with ice snaps
We have two... one up one down... when the family are all home the bill may run to $150pm, when they are not, and with the upstairs unit running 24/7 more like $120pm. All electric house hold except for a gas hob fed from a 9kg bottle which lasts 5months +
Mystery of the smell and sickness at Carterton school lingers for those affected
Yep.. that was the Antwerp Coca Cola poisoning Stuff does not want you to knlow this.
A tale of luck and privilege: The kid I grew up over the fence from just shot someone
A village also raises idiots.
Where to build: Auckland's biggest 'wastes of space' under the microscope
And so it appears are the days of the personal freedom to deal with your real property if you have your way. Ill bet you are one of those who freely embrace diversity, until it gets to impact upon yourself.. then its enforced uniformity.. Little boxes on the hillside..little boxes made of ticky tacky. .. way to go..
$8.5 million for freedom camping fixes this summer
It seems to me just on the arithmetic that freedom campers punch above there weight. According to Tourism NZ [2017]international travelers spend $10,5 B in NZ 1% of that being $105MAccording to the article you so eloquently comment on, international freedom campers make up just 3% of our visitor numbers 3% of $10.5B is just $315M yet they spend $530M, [no doubt youll inform me of any error in my figuring?]Perhaps youd be better saving your invective for those visitors who spend, per head , way less, like cruise ship passengers.Yet despite this many local authorities spend tens of millions to facilitate cruise ship visits. Any sharp insight to offer there J-rizzle?
If property managers can't fix mouldy homes, are they just ripping off renters?
Mice and rats dont walk through the front door just like that... ummm yes they do,or any other aperture, its exactly what they do when summer ends and it starts to get colder. they dont need an invitation . Its no more the LLs problem than it is the tenants.
Young people 'expect to end up poorer' but it's not all gloom
We are? Correct me if I am wrong but I believe our rate of reproduction in NZ is way below that to maintain our population (1.8? when 2.2+ per female needed) And I believe that is also the case in countries such as Japan China , Germany and Russia etc.. So the question is really who is breeding us into oblivion?
Thanks for the smiles, but kind thoughts are not enough to keep a language alive
By whom? If its own proprietors cant be bothered with it, and they cant, please give me three good reasons why anybody else should?
NZ's roads: jam-packed, dangerous and filled with atrocious drivers
Most accidents +/- 80% occur below the speed limit.
Spike in electricity use coincides with ice snaps
$120-150 pm.. heat pumps x 2 one runs 24/7 ; 16C over night and 20-22C during the day., electric hotwater etc etc..
"SH1 north of Wellington re-opens after epic closure caused by truck crash",
The fact that some of, mostly rural NZ , is no longer serviced by the rail it used to have, is down to the fact that rail has long been neglected in favour of the trucking industry. E.G Opunake, Gisborne Whangamomona, Ranfurly.The trucking industry is not some white knight come galloping to the rescue of the small towns, as you seem to suggest. It is the agency, supported by it powerful lobby group, that has caused the demise of rail to the detriment of our overloaded road network.
Young people 'expect to end up poorer' but it's not all gloom
Really? Please educate me, what are these easy resources you speak of?And the mountain of debt? Was that consumer debt? And now to the important bit, what is wealth and how is it created? Im all ears.
Clive Stirling is an outlier in a constantly changing job market
What utter rubbish.. I bought my first house in 73.. $14,000, wages $2k pa.Stop reading comics.
Will Auckland's fuel tax increase bus fares? Youth push council for answers
No I didnt forget Gold Card users at all.. the fact remains the younger gens will be the beneficiaries, the older will be fast disappearingAnd the Gold Card will not stop that. .
Mt Taranaki 'due geologically speaking' for an eruption - and it could be 'catastrophic'
The pattern of eruption is heading south.. Paritutu cone being far older than Fanthoms Peak. Next is likely to be off Patea or Opunake. The Older peaks of the Pouakais which were at one point higher than Egmont. should sheild the area to the North of them from pyroclastic flows. Pyroclastic flows if my understanding is correct are similar to the Guatemala event rather than the Hawaii eruption, and will certainly affect river valleys like the Waiwakaiho., and thus the bridges on affected rivers . As far as I know most streams like the Huatoki and the Te Henui flowing thru NP arise from the Pouakais and Kaitakes, and may not be at such risk as the Waiwakaiho and Waitara.
$8.5 million for freedom camping fixes this summer
Ye Jim, I know.. your figures are much better than Govt figures.
Thai cave: How Elon Musk used the saga to pioneer a new form of viral tourism
And there is no cure for that.
Lets keep New Zealand backpacker friendly
Ahhh Tekapo.. pleased you brought that up... Had no trouble in Feb/March parking at Tekapo. And in fact the locals are so unconcerned about parking and so delighted with the commerce visitors bring that they are building new stores on the large parking lot behind the Main St business area... Perhaps we did not visit the same Tekapo...
NZ's roads: jam-packed, dangerous and filled with atrocious drivers
oops that should have been 30*%*
Young people 'expect to end up poorer' but it's not all gloom
Rubbish...I bought my first house in 73.. $14,000 ; my salary... $2000.. work it out for yourself and stop reading comics.
'I hate poverty, but not the rich' - Sir Michael Cullen
Darwin modelled economies? I swear I learn something new every day.
Trying to house a family of nine in Aucklands rental market
Buying and selling a house does not preclude living in it. In fact it may well enhance it.
Opinion: Tax ghost houses and pour the money back into affordable housing
No, it wouldnt be the governments duty to steal food.. it would be the govts duty to provide an alternative source.
Party for more than 100 teens at rented home angers owner
My hope it that they will act to prevent trouble.. My expectation is that theyll act only after trouble manifests itself, and then only with their arms twisted up behind their backs.
Auckland Mayor orders urgent scooter safety probe after councillor almost hit
Yes fully agree,... it was just the other day i saw a skegway rider using his device to the very fullest.... towing a fully laden supermarket trolley up main st on the footpath past all the shoppers jumping quick smart out of his way , smiling benignly. Now theres initiative for you
House prices stifling productivity, hurting economy, ANZ economists say
Time to hike the interest rates for new loans.. lets say 8%pa, and at least a 50% deposit required just like it was in the 70s... that should quieten things down a bit. And double the incomes of savers.
Qantas quarantines international flight passengers for hours in Christchurch
Most unlikely the child picked up the disease on the plane. Most likely before it got on the plane, therefore the horse had already , well and truly , bolted.
Opinion: Tax ghost houses and pour the money back into affordable housing
By their fruits you will know them Mr Duke.
Exposing harsh realities of women workers on minimum wages
Many overqualified bank counter clerks with a BA.
"New Zealand, we're not as good at driving as we think we are",
Being unable to quote Traffic Regs verbatim does not necessarily make them bad drivers
Mt Taranaki 'due geologically speaking' for an eruption - and it could be 'catastrophic'
So, Destiny, which road will you use to evacuate Taranaki
Mystery of the smell and sickness at Carterton school lingers for those affected
Or not, given that OPs are no longer used afaik.
What pushes my buttons: A guide to elevator etiquette
Unfortunately it seems that these days its quite common for press, and media personalities to assume that they themselves are the news. Back in the day it was rare for a reporter to inject his views into any news item, nowdays they think their views are critical to our understanding or appreciation of any media delivery, when in fact, mostly it seems they have agendas unseen and they are often caught out by their lack of research lack of objectivity, and lack of experience. Just stick to the facts eh guys?
Dave Armstrong: Government has lost its bottle over water policy
There is no doubt that water is a resource, and that we make sure we benefit from the trade in it. However most of its value comes from the collection treatment bottling and transport of it, and we will have a part in thatBut if not collected it would otherwise run straight out to sea, as the Pupu spring water does just a km or so from source, billions of litres of pristine water straight down the gurgler.
Young people 'expect to end up poorer' but it's not all gloom
Correct, you dont know about that. My daughter and SIL in their 30s bought a house in a good suburb of Auckland, we thought shed paid well over the top for it then, but it has now been valued at over 2x what she paid for it a five years ago. In fact they have just bought a second home, as an investment..in Auckland... not so bad for a one income family with several children ...in Auckland... She seems to know what you dont Davis.
Can you drive an EV from Auckland to Wellington in one day stress-free?
Jeff BezosNow if you take baseline energy usage globally across the whole world and compound it at just a few percent a year for just a few hundred years, you have to cover the entire surface of the Earth in solar cells. That's the real energy crisis. And it's happening soon ...
Party for more than 100 teens at rented home angers owner
Well Big Lenny, Ive asked the question many times and never had the pleasure of a reply..Why is buying second hand shares more productive than buying a second hand house? Heres your chance to shine sunshine!!
Young people 'expect to end up poorer' but it's not all gloom
The oil is still there, your leftie government has just put the screws on that..The Coal is still there, in the ground..I can walk you down the Mokau river and point out great seams of it but the greenie generations have put the screws on that.The fisheries are still there.. but the conservationists have reduced the areas that may be fished.The rivers are at least as clean now as they were 50 years ago.My house is not worth a million. And my daughter has made more in the last 5 years on the capital gain on her house than I have made in 45 years on all the houses I have ever owned combined.
"Making marijuana legal would have an immediate effect on MÄori lives",
Then prithee Comrade, from whence will our wee criminal gangs reap their vast fortunes?What will they then be forced to turn to when the hand of outrageous fortune steals away their income?
'I hate poverty, but not the rich' - Sir Michael Cullen
Well geez Davey you might be seduced by the proposition that tinkering with the tax system will satisfy demand. Im not. In fact *only* increased supply will satisfy increased demand.
"New Zealand, we're not as good at driving as we think we are",
Dont think so GOM...2.2Slow vehicle bays(1)This clause applies if a road controlling authority has indicated by the installation of the appropriate signs that an extra lane has been provided as a slow vehicle bay.Try again.
Mitre 10 moves to protect bees from pesticides
In my considerable experience as a Pest Controller [and before that as an Orchardist] I can say that the biggest single threat to the Bumble Bee here in NZ is you.. the householder. It was my practice as a Pest Controller when asked to eradicate a bumble bee nest to try to dissuade the householder from doing that, pointing out the very low threat the bumble bee nest in the back yard or shed actually posed to humanity and the very great benefit to be had from that insects pollination activity. I dont recall ever being successful.
New app to help consumers track where, how garments are made
According to the BBC [Nov 2017] [Indian] economists have used an income threshold that defines middle class people as those living on between $2 (£1.52) to $10 per person per day, They have broken down the middle class into two - the lower middle (living on $2-$4 per person per day) and upper middle (living on $6-10 per person per day). Bangladesh wont be any better..So yes Chloe Winter, apply your comfortable and privileged Kiwi world view to foreign economies where the poor compete for jobs in sweat shops. Make sure that these factories are closed down, after all who needs $2 dollars a day, only the rich middle class apparently
"New Zealand, we're not as good at driving as we think we are",
Hobnail, Im not confusing anything at all. a good driver as far as Im concerned IS a careful driver and its quite possible to be careful without being inconsiderate. .