Posts by Rich of Observationz

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  • Random Play: Food for Thought,

    Does anyone know why, after Transit built a no-doubt expensive motorway spur to the port, trucks still use Symonds St?

    Is it just so the truckies can ogle the students - Auckland Uni boys aren't *that* hot...

    Back in Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 5550 posts Report Reply

  • Hard News: The Mood,

    Raybon Kan is hilarious:

    Red Dragon Death To Your Door, that's a name for vigilantes. AAG? AAG sounds like a finance company.

    Back in Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 5550 posts Report Reply

  • Hard News: Truck Off, etc,

    Exactly Russell.

    I assume from their general ideology that propertarians would introduce a privatized road system. A rational road company would have numerous reasons to charge heavy trucks as much as possible. Firstly, having an unregulated monopoly, they would only be restrained by competition from rail or sea freight. Secondly, they would be keen, as the airline industry does, to charge non-discretionary customers (trucks) more in order to subsidize discretionary customers (leisure motorists).

    Back in Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 5550 posts Report Reply

  • Random Play: Food for Thought,

    On truckies. I'm surprised nobody in government mooted the idea of a 10c petrol tax rise in order to keep heavy truck RUCs down. Because that's what it amounts to - *somebody* has to pay.

    And I see that the people of Great Barrier
    are demonstrating
    at having to pay "road tax on their diesel generator fuel". Only, they don't. Thats the whole point of road user charges.

    On Real Groovy:
    I know it's iconic. But I find the whole atmosphere in there a bit off. It's partly that the place is plastered with signs warning you against various forms of rip-off - a kind of school-like "customers must not" mentality. And you can't buy a ticket and a record at the same counter, so I'm less inclined to buy something else when I go in there for tickets.

    Plus there's an awful lot of dross surrounding the odd gem, so it's a big process to find stuff. I miss the old-style DJ-oriented record shop, where the counter person would sus what you were into and hand out armfuls of vinyls to listen to. NOTR, for instance. Digital downloads aren't the same :-(

    Back in Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 5550 posts Report Reply

  • Legal Beagle: Tastes like democracy,

    we're attached to the (albeit pleasurable and imbued with meaning) ritual of turning up to the polling booth, or fears of elite haxzors

    It's neither of those for me. It's not wanting somebody to be able to say to a voter: show me how you voted and I'll fix you a state house / permanent residence / not beat you up.

    Back in Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 5550 posts Report Reply

  • Legal Beagle: Tastes like democracy,

    A simple electoral system:
    - get rid of electorate MPs
    - vote every on an open party list basis for MPs, councillors, DHB members and dog wardens
    - either vote on the simple ballot, e.g: "National" or "Green"
    or on a ballot where you list every candidate in order, should you know who they are.
    - the math gets done and people get elected

    Back in Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 5550 posts Report Reply

  • Island Life: John Key: ambitious enough…,

    Maybe the increased price of food and petrol will lead to people eating less and walking more?

    Back in Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 5550 posts Report Reply

  • Island Life: John Key: ambitious enough…,

    Get the kid to stop slumping at the computer and go outside.

    It's a toughy.

    How about some really vicious malware that will trash its computer beyond possibility of repair? Forcing it to exit WoW and go outside.

    Back in Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 5550 posts Report Reply

  • Legal Beagle: Tastes like democracy,

    What Graham said.

    Plus "optional secrecy" isn't secrecy, because anyone (parent, partner, ward heeler) can require one to vote unsecretly and show/give them the ballot paper. There have been numerous cases in the UK of party workers collecting postal votes.

    I'd also argue for the abolition of postal elections for councils. Why not have the council and general elections on the same day?

    Back in Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 5550 posts Report Reply

  • Hard News: "Evil called: Can you make a…,

    how complicated would it really be to fix the election date... unless the Government lost confidence and supply

    Well, the government could still always contrive an early election by firing Peters from his sinecure and putting a $5 toll on the Tauranga Harbour Bridge.

    Back in Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 5550 posts Report Reply

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