Open mike 22/01/2010
Topics of interest, announcements, general discussion. The usual rules apply (see the link to Policy in the banner). Step right up to the […]
Lots of good posts in 2009.
I was pulling out the stats for 2009 so I could update Tumeke blog rankings about who authors on this site so Tim […]
A little knowledge
David Farrar on Kiwiblog says When Labour reduced the top tax rate from 66c to 33c in the 1980s, the amount of tax […]
NYTimes to charge for online
From today’s (free online) Guardian: America’s most popular newspaper website today announced that the era of free online journalism is drawing to a […]
Warning: Beware what you say on the net. Humourless bastards are after you.
No Right Turn has a post about the weirdness of the police forces in Britain at present. Elements of our own police force […]
The lucky country: Aussie tax system more progressive than NZ’s
It fascinates me that in all this talk about ‘catching up with Australia’ via tax cuts, nobody bothers to look at the Aussie […]
Nobody else is doing it so why should we?
A commenter asked an interesting question yesterday: of the countries that are wealthier than us, how many have aligned their top income, corporate, […]
Open mike 21/01/2010
Topics of interest, announcements, general discussion. The usual rules apply (see the link to Policy in the banner). Step right up to the […]
Tax reform: tax cuts for rich, paid for by poor
The Tax Working Group has given its recommendations for tax reform to the Government. It predictably recommends: Dropping the tax income tax rates to […]
Congratulations Mike!
Good to see that Mike Moore has been appointed our new Ambassador to Washington. Mike’s energy and connections in Washington and the world […]
Another benefit beat-up
The Key Government’s anti-beneficiary campaign continues. The latest is a beat-up on long-term beneficiaries. Apparently, 9 people have been on the dole for […]
Franklin & Papakura want out, Hide says ‘no way’
The people of Franklin and Papakura, who overwhelming oppose becoming part of the National/ACT government’s Supercity experiment, have been denied their request to keep […]
‘3 strikes’, typical ‘Do Nothing’ Key policy
The ‘3 strikes’ policy is the kind of policy you put in place when you want to look tough on crime but you […]
Open mike 20/01/2010
Topics of interest, announcements, general discussion. The usual rules apply (see the link to Policy in the banner). Step right up to the […]
The rise and fall of TV journalism
Not sure I agree with it all but the rise and fall of the TV journalist is an interesting micro-documentary:
The moral case for a decent minimum wage
There was quite an interesting discussion on the minimum wage yesterday after a poll showed 61% of Kiwis back a $15 an hour […]
Prince William media coverage ridiculous
The media coverage of Prince William’s visit really has gone a step too far. Aside from dominating TV, radio, and the newspapers, every […]
Cameron Slater’s shame: his latest moneymaker
Cameron ‘Whaleoil’ Slater has launched ‘SHAME’. It’s supposedly a lobby group to get suppression laws changed. Really, it looks like a money making […]
Minimum wage increase, what will it be?
John Key has ruled out a $2.50 an hour pay increase for New Zealand’s lowest paid workers but won’t give any indication of […]
Open mike 19/01/2010
Topics of interest, announcements, general discussion. The usual rules apply (see the link to Policy in the banner). Step right up to the […]
Between a rock and a hard place
At the end of the month the new kindergarten year begins. Reading this article in the SSTimes from yesterday reminded me of just […]
Kiwis back fairer minimum wage
Traditionally, the minimum wage was set at around 60-67% of the average wage. During the Muldoon era and the 1990s, National let the minimum […]
Say what?
Statements made in Parliament last year, in chronological order: Hon BILL ENGLISH: They have been telling us that we should copy the Australian […]
Open mike 18/01/2010
Topics of interest, announcements, general discussion. The usual rules apply (see the link to Policy in the banner). Step right up to the […]
News flash: I’ve written a post
You heard it here first. This is a post. Written by me. Am I being slightly narcissistic? Well if I am, TV3 was far […]
Coddington: exposing secret agendas = bad, attacking sex victims = meh
Deborah Coddington, former ACT MP and author of the filthy racist article “Asian Angst: Is it time to send some back?” that killed North […]
Bigot gets a bashing
MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow covers the outragous comments by rightwing Christian fundamentalist Pat Robertson on the Haitian earthquake. Great to see this bigot confronted. […]
Open mike 17/01/2010
Topics of interest, announcements, general discussion. The usual rules apply (see the link to Policy in the banner). Step right up to the […]
Farrar tries to cover for do nothing govt, and fails
Phil Goff has picked up on the point I made yesterday: while unemployment is falling in Australia due to the $42 billion stimulus […]
A note to the idiots. Weather is not climate.
When you get a cold snap in the local weather, it means that somewhere else got somewhat warmer. Weather is a case of […]
Key on holiday
After all of the kerfuffle about Key’s long holidays I figure there’s not much for me to say about it but it’s worth […]
Bhatnagar to knock out Hide?
There is a story in today’s Herald noting that current C&R Hobson councillor Aaron Bhatnagar is not going to stand for the new […]
Too far, Fran
Despite almost never agreeing with Fran O’Sullivan, I have respect for her. She comes from the ACT-right and her pieces reflect that but […]
Open mike 16/01/2010
Topics of interest, announcements, general discussion. The usual rules apply (see the link to Policy in the banner). Step right up to the […]
Covering for ‘Vacation John’
Both David Farrar and Cameron Slater have posts up attacking a comment by roger nome in one of our comment threads, and it […]
Dumb and dumber on the dole
So, Tariana Turia has (eventually) come out against Paula Bennett’s pointless policy of making people on the unemployment benefit reapply after a year. Of course, […]