Posts by bmk
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Hard News: Some Lines for Labour, in reply to Russell Brown,
I worry about that too but I just can't see how removing WFFwill lower food prices. It would possibly lower rent prices as families simply would no longer be able to afford the higher rents. But I am pretty sure food would stay horribly expensive.
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Hard News: Some Lines for Labour, in reply to Russell Brown,
I suspect history will praise Cullen for delivering zero net government debt to his successor, and for significant attempts to improve our miserable savings performance -- and look less fondly on Working for Families.
I hope Working for Families will also be looked upon fondly as I know my own family and many others would have struggled to get by without it. WFF was the only thing that allowed us to afford the escalating rent, food and petrol prices that occurred from 2005 onwards.
Perhaps they could have been implemented in a better version, I don't know, but I still think they were a net positive. And if they were to be completely removed overnight there would be countless families unable to cope. -
There is of course Terence McKenna's Stoned Ape Theory of Evolution.
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Hard News: Some Lines for Labour, in reply to Islander,
Thanks. Glad to know that I am not alone and that is a valid reason for feeling so.
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Hard News: Some Lines for Labour, in reply to Islander,
What I find interesting is that people are told to smile showing teeth. I never do this as it feels weird to me and find toothy smiles (unless on children) look fake. What is interesting about this is I remember reading somewhere that in the primate world showing teeth is seen as a threat and so human grins are taken as threating by other primates.
Considering people are primates why don't we in general find grins threatening? I kind of do - I don't like people grinning at me showing their teeth. I think genuine smiles generally don't show teeth. But I could well be mistaken and this is just a particular quirk unique to me. Does anyone else find this? -
If employers are required to contribute more without receiving their contribution back as a tax credit an unintended consequence could be that employees who aren't in kiwisaver getting larger pay raises than those in kiwisaver, as the employer would think (quite justifiably imo) that the employees in kiwisaver have already gotten a pay rise through their increased employer contributions.
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Hard News: Some Lines for Labour, in reply to Joshua Arbury,
Exactly. And considering that National have already admitted that the rise in GST didn't bring in as much revenue as they expected I would bet that the answer would be that the tax switch didn't pay for itself.
All it needs though is a journalist or opposition MP to raise this matter but sadly I am not expecting to see it raised.
What Labour could also do (as I mentioned earlier in the thread) is create a powerful visual message combining images of men holding signs looking for work, with images of empty buildings covered with For Lease signs. Those images will speak clearly to people showing them that National's economic management isn't working. But instead they will just keep trying to smear Key.
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Hard News: Some Lines for Labour, in reply to Joshua Arbury,
How they should play it, I think, is by pointing out that the huge deficit has arisen from the tax cuts given. Basically that National through these tax cuts have created a structural deficit and that cutting spending isn't the answer but reversing the tax cuts is. They should campaign on something like a 39% marginal rate on income over 90k and a 45% marginal rate on income over 150k.
If I recall correctly the top rate in Australia is 45%. If so they can even use National's own argument against them and say that to catch up to Australia we need to bring in their top tax rate here. Otherwise how can we ever hope to catch them:)
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Hard News: Doing battle alone, in reply to Islander,
Having driven visited it a few times and driven along it twice a long time back I am very aware of that. Both times I drove along it for instance it was raining heavily in Haast while being beautiful and sunny in Greymouth. I completely understand that weather and much else would vary hugely along it. Beautiful place though with some of the friendliest people I have ever met.
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I simply find it puzzling ( and slightly saddening) how otherwise intelligent people can fall for obvious snake oil. A fellow third-year student, in the IS degree I am doing, has taken to wearing one of those silicone bracelet things.
I politely asked him if he found it beneficial and he said that it had made a huge difference to him. When I asked him (once again politely) in what way did it help he couldn’t give one specific example of a benefit and said something along the lines of ‘just in general I guess’. He then recommended to me that I get one. And all this from a guy who is in nearly every other way smart.