19 Comments
Mar 7, 2023·edited Mar 8, 2023Liked by Bernard Hickey

How Mega Rich People Like Elon Musk Paid $0 Tax

VICE TV

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-2hl7ELs1CA

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Also

Super media panic over taxing the rich | Media Watch

ABC News In-depth

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3XhWVenShnI

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Mar 7, 2023Liked by Bernard Hickey

Interesing graph on the make up of inflation Bernard. Why isnt this talked about more by the media?

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Mar 7, 2023Liked by Bernard Hickey

The same data is emerging in the US and Aus, griftflation

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author

Thanks. I’m having a good go.

Cheers

Bernard

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Mar 7, 2023Liked by Bernard Hickey

Nicola Willis seems to think there is something wrong with the Govt asking tax payers their thoughts?

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author

It depends which taxpayers and which questions…

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Some pigs are more equal than others

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Very good. I would argue that the job of leadership and Governance is to plan ahead and avoid the type of crisis’ we are subjected to because successive Governments played to their audience not the public or public good and need while also not planning or investing ahead. So here we are. In a living nightmare with nothing working properly and within the law or resilient. So people need stable homes, communities, income adequacy and food security, reliable transport and communications in order to thrive. We don’t have any of these. Abject fail. The needs of women (uncounted) are usually different from those of men particularly in meeting needs of the children so that’s just gotten lost in all the shouting by “the boys” and in a society that privileges them over women and children and can’t even do that right. Pretty basic stuff. They should stick to the knitting control the Reserve Banks price gouging of those least able to afford it via Private offshore banks and start taking responsibility. They’ve wasted so much time it seems purposefully and propagadishly negligent which in many cases throughout NZ history has caused incredible harm and reached criminal levels. Certainly Government does not behave legally or accountably without respect to laws for everyone. Pretty outrageous really. And it’s just crickets.....from them in constant panic and dysfunction due to their neglect of their duties and obligations (we all have them). So simply put putting off spending and investing the publics money lawfully and democratically, neglecting and being irresponsible with assets means the out of hand costs get bigger and bigger which suits government because they can then force the easiest captive targets to pay or rely on charity. Just embarrassing and demeaning for the whole country to be so backward. A recession is being engineered and Government has no plan we know of to turn the ship around and be accountable, transparent or responsible causing us all higher cost and harm. Especially for the youngest citizen needing support, stability and services in their formative years so we are growing nice people instead of this pack of nasty prejudiced snobby monsters in the ruling class here now with their very strange ideas and no positive grown up action.They honestly think it’s harder on THEM. Not considering the public and who we are at all. Twits.

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Yeah, it’s as if those in power (elected to serve the public!) turned NZ into a third world country so the privileged can extract more from people and nature by diminishing the power of other citizens in various ways. Bernard’s phrase “accidentally on purpose” seems applicable.

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Some of this feels like a messaging mistake: money spent on public transport in cycling also benefits drivers because every person in a bus or on a bike is one less car on the road. If you want to have faster, less congested drives you really should want all your neighbours to take the bus!

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author

Agreed. The trouble is most politicians are loathe to argue for any moves to ‘take’ money or roads off Ford Ranger Man, who wants tax cuts AND more and wider roads.

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Mar 8, 2023Liked by Bernard Hickey

I think it isn’t a cultural war but simply a sociological reality. When I was young living in Auckland in the 60s I’m sure the flavour was pretty much the same. While no one needs to be greedy and bullying and for sure some are, different stages of life have different needs. If those younger did get out and vote then it might be a war but they don’t - so it is reported. Don’t think you can have a war if one side isn’t represented.

I think we need some wise big pictures which can envisage meeting a range of specific needs. Not sure that democratically counting the wishes of different individuals is ever going to get us moved on

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Can we get all stats with demographics segments with a weighting in brackets of the likelihood to vote. Because equal parts youth to elderly is not equal in motivating politicians to act

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Compulsory voting + Civics in school curriculum be helpful

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I’m also a fan of lowering the voting age to 16 to ensure schools can include the education process for the first voting experience. People are more likely to keep voting if they vote early.

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Yes that makes total sense

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Indeed. One way this is done is the surveyors try to find a representative sample of voters, which (you’d hope) takes into account the difference between the size of the demographic and the propensity of that demographic to vote. It makes me uncomfortable though. It means essentially that government shouldn’t care about or treat fairly hundreds of thousands of fellow residents, simply because they have given up/can’t find time/don’t understand or simply haven’t been contacted in a way that ensures they vote. Cheers Bernard

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You’re getting to the fundamentals of what’s the purpose of being a politician, gaining/maintaining power or using what power you may get to affect change. It’s often that debate between you see between those who vote for smaller more ideological parties vs voting for parties with actual power but use it less

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