Posts by BenWilson
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Up Front: How About Now?, in reply to Steve Barnes,
Most of the promises are pointless and symbolic only. If you can't naturally choose to do what's in the vows, then a solemn vow won't make a lick of difference, and enforcement of them is patently stupid - being parted by death is a recipe for murderous thoughts.
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OnPoint: Easy as 1, 2, 22.8 billion, in reply to DexterX,
The effect of the $150,000 estate duty wold mean that the farm would be sold to pay the tax and the two farming families would effectively be forced off the land.
They would also get $183,000 to play with, that they could use to buy another farm, or as security in their existing farm for a bank loan. My heart is not exactly bleeding for their poor miserable fortunes. Only the sentimental attachment to the complete ownership of their farm is actually compromised by the death tax. If there was quite literally no cash whatsoever in the estate to pay the tax off outright, that suggests that the old farmer was reinvesting everything so that he/she could acquire more land, and was thus growing his/her capital without any taxation at all, for years. No wonder most farms are constantly being bought up by bigger and bigger concerns these days, if that kind of wealth concentration is allowed in rural economics.
ETA: removed sexist language.
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OnPoint: Easy as 1, 2, 22.8 billion, in reply to Steve Barnes,
Jesus, gift duties AND estate duties abolished? What a great leap backwards. And I say this as someone very likely to benefit from both. I hadn't realized things had got so bad in this country that the idea of unfettered inheritance had made a big comeback. I can't think of anything - anything more likely to increase the class gap, other than perhaps a reintroduction of indentured servitude.
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Thread merge?
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OnPoint: Easy as 1, 2, 22.8 billion, in reply to Islander,
She quickly sold it for a Mk 10 Zephyr (I think it was a Mk 10) automatic that could truly fly – the 1st vehicle I ever did a ton in-
LOL. Nice. And I thought the cliches about Maori and their Zephyrs was all bs. I'm not sure when my first ton was, eyes were usually glued to the road. I think it was a rental car somewhere between Wellington and Auckland, aged 15, with some seppo sleeping in the car. It was dubious which of us was the more dangerous driver - he kept forgetting what side of the car he was on.
First time I topped 200km/h, was in Germany. It wasn't half as exciting. I was one of the slow ones.
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OnPoint: Easy as 1, 2, 22.8 billion, in reply to DexterX,
Elder abuse is often done by children - I wouldn’t think "the horrid class" you are imagining would get a look in.
Seen it happening. Yes, the children were not blameless.
You mean by liquid the stuff that evaporates in a downturn or crisis.
No, I do not mean that. Cash, for instance, is liquid, and having a whole bunch of that should be in most portfolios. Stocks don't all "evaporate" - the stockmarket has rebounded fastest from the GFC. But yes, I'm no fan of people taking out naked puts or getting margin loans or any of that derivative nonsense, unless they make a fricken job out of understanding it, and even then....
You have got to see the "irony" here
No, I don't see the irony, just a bad joke. I meant "their working life", which is not their whole life by a long shot and I don't think that was really so unclear.
Now we are speaking for what is best for the “asset rich cash poor aged”, I guess they can’t make decisions for themselves.
They can, including very wrong decisions, at a time of life when they can ill afford to. You can't stop all the stupid things that old people do, but you certainly can mitigate some of it. If you've followed me at all, you'll realize I'm not even talking about the current bunch, for whom it is far too late for a compulsory super scheme to help. I'm talking about the retirees of the future, of which I am one.
Gosh - If only we had a Labour govt they could make decision for “us”
I don't think Labour has been advocating compulsory super, have they? I've got no connection to the party at all, and would be just as happy if the Nats could see reason. Unfortunately, they have shown antipathy to Kiwisaver, so I doubt that's ever going to happen, and think Labour a much likelier candidate to push for it. I don't really care - it's a good idea, whether or not any major party backs it.
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OnPoint: Easy as 1, 2, 22.8 billion, in reply to 3410,
Mazda "Bongo Wagon" GSX Field Runner?
FTW.
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I actually think the antipathy to means testing goes to our stupidly skewed addiction to real estate. The asset-rich-cash-poor phenomenon is widespread. To me, the solution is not to force old people out of their homes, but rather to encourage the investment of a much larger proportion of our wealth into more liquid assets. Then people can stay in the home they spent a lifetime paying off, and have the cash with which to do it. Again, I advocate forcing people to do it, at least until the idea catches on. It's crazy how many old people are struggling on the breadline in some million dollar property on the pension, because to sell out would be such an enormous upheaval to every aspect of their lives that they just can't face it, until the day they have a terrible fall or something, and realize that they'd be better off in an old-folks home. The horrid class of property investors who prey on them during this period are quite sickening.
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OnPoint: Easy as 1, 2, 22.8 billion, in reply to 3410,
Toyota "Spawny" Getz?
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Actually I want to refine that further. Marriage equality is not "no threat". It's also good for marriage and the family. Happy people who love each other make better families. Children of happy gay marriage have a great chance to be happy children. Children of happy non-marriage are the same. Living your life seeking happiness is a contagious attitude, as is repression and unhappiness.
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