Random Politics

[fixed_truth]

I have no problem with kids starting slightly earlier if it means they get to start with a group of kids rather than individually. Some kids struggle transitioning alone & this would help.

[Lightspeed]

It might be to relieve pressure on schools. I'm glad I don't have any kids I have to send to school.

[CCS]

Why does Labour propose to know better than parents? "No, both parents can't have leave at the same time. No, you can't start your kid in school a little early. No, you don't get to choose how to parent your child."

[pxpx]

CCS because of studies, duh.

[[Malks] Pixie]

We all love evidence until it's about something that we think we know something about.

[pxpx]

Very true.

[Ab]

Gear grinder

https://nzinitiative.org.nz/reports-...e-clowns-here/

[Lightspeed]

Poor families in south Auckland and beyond will be most negatively affected.

Are they talking about McDonalds, or the board's decision? Cause McDonalds takes full advantage of the leverage they have in poor communities, to the detriment of such communities' health.

It's definitely frustrating there's this gap in our healthcare system that a international fast food giant sees opportunity in. I really hope we're not saying this gap is due to any DHB's unwillingness to sufficiently commercialise healthcare?

It's because we don't want to pay for healthcare. That's the gear grinder.

[Juju]

Originally Posted by Lightspeed

Are they talking about McDonalds, or the board's decision? Cause McDonalds takes full advantage of the leverage they have in poor communities, to the detriment of such communities' health.

It's definitely frustrating there's this gap in our healthcare system that a international fast food giant sees opportunity in. I really hope we're not saying this gap is due to any DHB's unwillingness to sufficiently commercialise healthcare?

It's because we don't want to pay for healthcare. That's the gear grinder.

The number of McDonalds per capita is no higher in South Auckland than it is on the North Shore. Yes, they sell to poor people - is that their fault?

I also am on the fence about if a service such as RMH should be paid by the DHB. Their primary care is the patient, not their family. That sounds cruel to say, but when every dollar has to be accounted for, I would rather it go to the person who is ill.
Yes, you could argue that the DHB should have more money to pay for that service - we all know how much you love to talk about health funding shortfalls, but if they were given $200 million more, $500 million, whatever million, I would rather it go to operating theaters, MRI scanners and life saving drugs. The list of purchases that would have more direct benefit to the patient is very long.

Yes, I appreciate having family support and care when in hospital can given proven beneficial results - but again - it's a grey area if providing for the family falls under the DHB. It would also be a horridly complicated mess to administer who would get such a service and who wouldn't (Would only poor people be offered it, because rich people can afford hotels? Where's the cutoff limit? How sick does the patient need to be? etc).

In saying all of that - I feel the RMH is a brilliant charity. Were I wealthy enough to give sizable donations to charities, RMH is in my top 3. Any DHB that declines their services based on the fact that they are a charity of a fast food outlet is short sighted and over-idealistic. They need to stop pandering to the "we can't be seen...." crowd and be grateful.

[Lightspeed]

Originally Posted by Juju

The number of McDonalds per capita is no higher in South Auckland than it is on the North Shore. Yes, they sell to poor people - is that their fault?

It's not their fault, it's their plan. Poor people pay more, more often for fast food. It's an easy choice in a world of hard choices. Understanding this is part of McD's business model.

But if we're gonna do this, let's start supporting these gangs with thier lunch for kids initiatives too.

[Ab]

Originally Posted by Juju

I also am on the fence about if a service such as RMH should be paid by the DHB.

Ronald McDonald House wanted to give money to the DHB.

Edit - pardon the hyperbole, but in case it's not clear: the RMH charity wanted to know if Middlemore would like a RM House.

[Lightspeed]

I read another article, maybe I misread it, but it seemed like RMH wanted to influence DHB spending. RMH would chip in so much if the DHB invested money where RMH thinks it needs spending.

If RMH want to be so benevolent, either run the services privately, 100% funding whatever the fuck they want with their poverty/obesity money. Or dissolve RMH and give the money directly, no strings attached.

This shit is a basic drug gang tactic, straight out of a Baltimore ghetto.

[Ab]

RMH asked a bunch of hospitals if they had any unmet needs, presumably to see if there was some potential fit between what they needed and what the charity could provide. Nek minit Manukau District Health Board announces that it is refusing RMH's offer. Before one is made.

[Lightspeed]

Yes, excellent work that DHB. Ronald McDonald anything can fuck right off.

"Oooh, but the childrens!" Fuck that noise, children don't matter, not really. If they did we'd all already be "Fuck off McDonalds, keep your grubby hands off our kids, we'll look after them ourselves thankyouverymuch."

[Ab]

Are you familiar with what Ronald McDonald House actually is?

[Lightspeed]

These guys, right?

Currently gets about 25% of its funding from McDonalds.

It's not like anyone is turning down a cheque delivered by normal means. What we have is an organisation trying to maintain a relationship with our public health services. Services clearly evolving away from such relationships.

Which makes complete sense. From a public health perspective, we must surely hope for the bankruptcy of companies that are to the detriment of public health. Public health care can't be left funded by companies that, as a public health provider, aren't wanted.

[Ab]

on RNZ today: RMH funding is 25% from McDs (including in-store donations, so that's not all from food revenue), 25% from DHBs, 50% from corporate sponsorship

[fixed_truth]

Public discourse around this has sadly boiled down to a false dichotomy where it's if you refuse McDonalds funding then you're taking away the service and fuck you it's a good service. Also generally followed by an obesity is a choice rant.

If it really was a choice between RMH continuing or not then perhaps I could swallow that mc-rat. But it's not. How about renaming it ASB House or the like? Problem solved.

[Ab]

The Koch brothers just bought control of Time Inc.

wheeeeee

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/...ne-media-power

[BoyWonder]

Wow - I wonder if McDonalds would ever contribute to the same service if they didn't have naming rights. Maybe they would... lol

[Lightspeed]

This whole attempted sting on the Washington Post and the willingness of people to work hard to deceive others in the US got me thinking about how fucked we are if the US falls to fascism or something similar.

I mean check this guy O'Keefe. He's not a Nazi. But he's definitely the type of guy that helped get the Nazis to power. That willingness to present alt-reality is so fucking disturbing.

[Ab]

I think it's in the process of falling to fascism, right now, while we watch.

[Lightspeed]

Yeah. What do you say to comfort your kids Ab? I need some of that right now.

I’m a Depression historian. The GOP tax bill is straight out of 1929.

Definitely not the only thing out of the 1930s coming from the US.

[ZoSo]

Has anyone seen a pimp the poor story? It's december, going into Xmas and nothing. What's changed?

[Ab]

Originally Posted by Lightspeed

Yeah. What do you say to comfort your kids Ab? I need some of that right now.

I don't say shit to comfort them. I say to them "this is how it starts and this is how it has always started, here's what you need to look out for and don't ever forget it"

Dad's "hey let's go for a walk and we can chat while we do it" lectures have gotten pretty dark lately. Guess it sucks to have a pessimistic history nerd for a dad.

[StN]

Any substance behind the "Winston is really really sick..." rumours? All I have heard is someone talking to a taxi driver (who I know) and saying that they are close to him and that there will be a big reveal soon and he isn't good - then last week when he did that awesome "We used a different font!" response, someone commented that his illness hasn't knocked him back.

Surely the Nats would be all over it if significant, or maybe they have accepted it and are biding their time, awaiting some eventual chaos?

[fixed_truth]

Haven't heard anything. Ron Mark seems to be cut from the same cloth as Winston so it might not be too chaotic?

[fixed_truth]

I can't believe Kerre Mckivor is replacing Leighton Smith on newstalk zb. The oldies aren't gonna be happy.

[blynk]

Originally Posted by fixed_truth

I can't believe Kerre Mckivor is replacing Leighton Smith on newstalk zb. The oldies aren't gonna be happy.

It's great. It is severly needed. I thought Rachel Smalley was going to but she left the station.
Have 2 old white guys that basically have the same POV during the 2 main times (breakfast & drive home) was not good.

But yes, it worked because a lot of their audience was the same way inclined

[The Edge]

Leighton is well past his time. He should have been put out to pasture years ago.

[Lightspeed]

What do other people recall from National taking over from Labour? Did they point to all these problems they inherited like Labour is doing right now? I recall ACC funding being an issue somehow, although the details and ramifications were never clear. I don't recall much else.

[The Edge]

https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/pol...-election-loss

[Ab]

Originally Posted by Lightspeed

What do other people recall from National taking over from Labour? Did they point to all these problems they inherited like Labour is doing right now? I recall ACC funding being an issue somehow, although the details and ramifications were never clear. I don't recall much else.

ACC was a bomb in the govt books:

http://www.newshub.co.nz/general/gov...oks-2008120218

just google for clark cullen key prefu there should be heaps of results. As I recall the general reaction from National upon taking power was "oh jesus we're fucked"

[Lightspeed]

So the books were bad somehow? Was there any indication of what sacrifices were made to turn this around? Because it did seemed to get turned around pretty quickly. Was it money we genuinely couldn't afford? Or just money we couldn't afford if one has an idealogical bent towards surpluses rather than deficits?

Were the people fucked? Or just National and the books? Was there anything else?

[fixed_truth]

Early 2009 Key and English did have some good things to say about Cullen's financial management.

Originally Posted by Bill

"I want to stress that New Zealand starts from a reasonable position in dealing with the uncertainty of our economic outlook."
"In New Zealand we have room to respond. This is the rainy day that Government has been saving up for,"

Originally Posted by John

Australia and New Zealand are relatively lightly exposed to the problems of global financial markets. Our banks are highly-regarded. Our track-record for quality regulation, good management of public accounts and robust monetary policy is well-established. We are both stable, open economies, with flexible product and labour markets.

Hell, a few years later they even gave him a Knighthood!

[Lightspeed]

The reason I ask is I'm wondering if there's a balance to the problems that are coming out about National's time in government:

Twyford slams National's emergency housing blowout

The previous government spent more than $50 million putting people up in motels as emergency housing, when only $2m had been forecast, the Housing Minister says.

Immigration NZ broke, new Minister says

New Zealand's immigration system “lacks integrity” and is so financially hamstrung it can’t investigate fraud and exploitation cases, its new Minister says.

International report shows children's literacy suffered under National Standards

Children of New Zealand's National Standards era have lower literacy, results from an international study show.

Government says it has 'inherited a mess' with housing crisis

The Government says it has "inherited a mess" after newly released figures on the country's housing crisis put the national shortfall at more than 70,000 homes.

[pxpx]

Are you looking for a similar collection of articles from 2008 post election?

[Ab]

I seem to recall the magic phrase was "the cupboard is bare". Cullen was quite proud of the fact that he'd blown all the cash since everyone knew National was going to win.

[blynk]

I believe its a common phrase that is used when governments change.

the "Look, its worse than we thought"

It allows them to say that the previous government was even worse and that it allows them to adjust their policies.
Not to say that it isn't worse than first thought


But even then, the general population probably won't care.
They will just see that in 3 years time "Labour promised this and they didn't deliver"

[Lightspeed]

Originally Posted by pxpx

Are you looking for a similar collection of articles from 2008 post election?

Or recollections. Something to offer balance to my biased view that National's policies are idealogical rather than pragmatic and therefore are terrible for the country.

Originally Posted by Ab

I seem to recall the magic phrase was "the cupboard is bare". Cullen was quite proud of the fact that he'd blown all the cash since everyone knew National was going to win.

The cupboard may have been bare, but were the children fed? Was more food coming tomorrow? Were the kids going to go to school hungry?

What good is a full cupboard if it's kept locked and only the grow ups get to eat?