Posts by Rik
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Someone else said they’d seen the whole North Shore go dark at once.
I can confirm - we never once lost power in Castor Bay, so I suspect this is over stated.
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Hard News: We can make things better here, in reply to Russell Brown,
Yeah, nothing exists in isolation though. Eventually having a nationwide network for these local trails to link into is all part of the stimulus.
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Hard News: We can make things better here, in reply to Russell Brown,
Yep - original investment back in 2009 was $50m, with another $100m on top of that. Not enough to keep the Green party happy of course, but not a bad start.
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It's all good...and in no small way due to Nationals ongoing commitment and funding for national cycleways. Nice one, National!
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On the other hand, his responsibilities (shadow Attorney General, Treaty negotiations, trade and export growth) are substantial.
Well...they would be, if Labour were actually the government!
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There's lots of reasons to leave Ponsonby/Grey Lynn, not just because of high property prices.
I enjoyed 20 years living in Freemans Bay, Ponsonby, Herne Bay and Grey Lynn however once I had kids I started to wonder why I was living there. The schools were not that good and some of the things that are so important to kids (like beaches) were a long way away. Not to mention our local playground in Grey Lynn park had so many homeless guys living out of shopping trolleys (you smelled them before you saw them) that I felt I had to keep a real close eye on the kids.
So we sold our Grey Lynn villa and stretched our finances to buy a much more expensive house on the North Shore with amazing schools and a lifestyle that leaves Ponsonby/Grey Lynn for dead. You could not pay me to shift back to central now.
We stop by some of the old haunts from time to time to see if we miss them. Turns out we don't. I think it's really easy to get caught up in just how cool your suburb is, but there's more to life than Victorian houses crammed on tiny sections with limited garaging.
The only thing I really miss is being able to stroll to concerts at Studio, Galatos, Power Station or Kings Arms, but a taxi ride is a small price to pay.
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“Net taxes” is not a real thing. These are the official tax statistics published by the IRD. “Net taxes” is not among them, nor should it be, because it’s estimate of a bunch of arbitrary measures, put together for entirely political ends.
I think we all know what Key is referring to - just like the difference between gross income and net income, he is referring to the amount of benefits taken which offset any tax paid.
Take my case as an example - I have been a high earner for over 20 years and paid plenty of income tax (and ACC premiums) over the years. I am married and have a modest mortgage and 3 kids, however my working circumstances have changed and I am no longer earning what I used to earn. While I have paid some income tax in the last year, I am now in the position that I can claim Working for Families tax credits which would more than offset the income tax I have paid, therefore my net tax paid will be a negative number.
You don't need to be an accountant to figure out that if a large chunk of lower income earners are like me, that the net tax take swings towards those that put in more than they take out.
So I guess someone like Key who is in a position where he has to actually balance the books needs to take these things into consideration, as they are real, even if you don't think they are.
Note: I have not yet decided if I will apply for the tax credits, however if I do it will be with a clear conscience as I have certainly put a lot in the pot over the years.
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Hard News: Friday Music: Going Large, in reply to Stephen Judd,
Stephen - my 6yo son likes Puddles, he's a bit Tom Waits for me, but the band Puddles is playing with (Scott Bradlee & Postmodern Jukebox) are awesome, so thanks for posting that link!
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Hard News: All John's Friends, in reply to The Ruminator,
Thank you for that - I didn't realise my opinion made me a "troll". Happy 2014!
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Yep, batshit-crazy all right, but so long as it keeps Labour from forming a government it will all be worth it.