Posts by giovanni tiso
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OnPoint: Easy as 1, 2, 22.8 billion, in reply to Gareth Ward,
But it’s a little absurd IMO that we are creating all these lovely Kiwisaver self-sufficient retirement savings and then continuing to just pay everyone the same universal pension even if they will have accumulated $1m in their Kiwisaver fund. It’s unnecessary and economically crippling.
Means testing is like user pays. Dumb, dumb, dumb. Guarantee a decent minimum to everybody, including the CEO of Telecom, and incentivise people to supplement that. Getting people to save and then take away what they would have got if they hadn't is just wrong.
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OnPoint: Easy as 1, 2, 22.8 billion, in reply to Rich of Observationz,
Why do people describe WFF as "welfare"? It's a tax credit based in circumstances (number of children to support).
Hence it is welfare. It just happens to disproportionately advantage wage and salary earners.
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Cracker: Another Capital Idea..., in reply to Sacha,
Sadly I'm inclined to agree with Hilary that it won't be a rational decision. More about trust and confidence.
Of course it will be rational. It is not irrational to stay the course with a new government three years into its mandate, when it has little to be judged on. It's also not irrational to distrust a breaking of the neoliberal consensus when it is promoted by one of the least apologetic proponents of Douglas' reforms. Those are the two mountains that Labour has to climb. But I hope they won't be demoralised by this poll. It just shows how much work they have to do, not that the plan has failed or that the idea was wrong.
It's up to them to push on between now and November, and to project the image of a capable and committed caucus united behind the project. Goff is still a major liability and if he has to be the face of the new policy on his own both Labour and the policy will be dead.
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Cracker: Another Capital Idea..., in reply to Hilary Stace,
But I am used people not thinking like me.
Time to get... useder, I fear. But hey, we're here to change minds after all. It's just about the only worthwhile thing there is.
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Speaker: Sharks Dine Out on…, in reply to Ian Dalziel,
Empathy?
Or knowledge. I must admit that until David sat us all down and patiently explained the thing to us I hadn't understood what the problem was with the government's offer.
Oh, and Mike, thank you for this.
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Cracker: Another Capital Idea..., in reply to BenWilson,
Yes, that's nowhere near as crazy as it sounds. Having sudden access to a large fund when you've never had more than 10k in your bank account could easily lead to crazy wastage - people could gamble the lot away in a weekend, for instance, or go on drug and alcohol fueled bender for 6 months, the way so many winners of lotteries have done
This may be the most fantastic rationalisation of economic disparity I've come across in the last several years. Much as I'd like to call bollocks to the whole idea and be done with it, may I humbly suggest that if all citizens got decent pensions paid into their account fortnightly or monthly, they'd be less likely to blow them in the way that you describe?
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Cracker: Another Capital Idea..., in reply to BenWilson,
There's still a pension for those who lose it all or never had much.
The important thing is to save people from the horrible shock of having their lifestyle actually improved in their old age.
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Cracker: Another Capital Idea..., in reply to Damian Christie,
Well, given that some Labour MPs have been complaining their announcement was deliberately overshadowed by Hone's oath stunt (they're blaming National, for Lockwood's action), I'd argue the toss on that one.
I wouldn't let the positively epic sense of entitlement of many people within Labour to interfere with reality, however.
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Cracker: Another Capital Idea..., in reply to Damian Christie,
but again it's a better use of my time to DO MY JOB and then use the money to pay someone to DO THEIR JOB
So long as you can afford to, yes.
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OnPoint: It's real, in reply to Sacha,
Yes, the explanation part is good. It’s the final sentence that is abhorrent.