Daily review 29/11/2019

Written By: - Date published: 6:16 pm, November 29th, 2019 - 28 comments
Categories: Daily review - Tags:

Daily review is also your post.

This provides Standardistas the opportunity to review events of the day.

The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the Policy).

Don’t forget to be kind to each other …

28 comments on “Daily review 29/11/2019 ”

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  1. SPC 1
    29 November 2019 at 7:18 pm

    I wonder if anyone is going to point out at the Labour Conference that the problem with KiwiBuild was that they pitched it as an affordable first home programme – and most first home buyers cannot afford new builds.

    Now we see reports that boomers looking to downsize into a smaller, yet modern, family home with a smaller section (such as KiwiBuild homes) cannot find anything and thus are staying in their large million dollar properties – and thus those looking to trade up cannot find the large homes (with larger sections) they aspire to.

    There are also people who bought one bedroom apartments and flats who cannot buy KiwiBuild as their first family home.

    The government has either got to sort this out or go big elsewhere (Add 10,000 a year to state housing – 5000 purchased and 5000 new builds. Anything less is standing still with poverty alleviation because of rising rents and related homelessness).

    • Anne 1.1
      29 November 2019 at 7:53 pm

      Megan Woods is up there as one of the most competent ministers in this government. I trust she is not far off announcing a revamped housing policy that takes your points into consideration. Fingers crossed.

    • Jim 1.2
      30 November 2019 at 7:15 am

      I see the current policies for rental properties helping people into housing by changing which segments of society purchase which property types.

      Some landlords will be selling up, to avoid compliance costs, these will be the worst of the rental properties, these properties will be at the cheaper end of the market and will most likely be purchased by first home buyers.

      landlords looking for investment housing, will buy a better quality home fully compliant.

      problem is tenants are going to have to pay more in rent for these better homes.

      • SPC 1.2.1
        30 November 2019 at 7:24 am

        Sure, but while there will be some first home buyers into those doer uppers, there will also be tenants pushed out who cannot afford rent anywhere else. Thus homelessness and a rising state house waiting list (more areas where people are packed into motels).

        • Jim 1.2.1.1
          30 November 2019 at 8:07 am

          True, although is it fair to say that those that can’t afford the increased rents will receive an accomodation supplement through WINZ?

          • SPC 1.2.1.1.1
            30 November 2019 at 8:11 am

            They will receive an increase in their AS as the rent goes up, but its always only a proportion of the increase – so more net rent with any increase.

  2. Sabine 2
    29 November 2019 at 8:40 pm

    I went to a local exhibition this evening and bought a little piece of art. The cost of my little thing was $ 25, a piece of embroidery by a young women who is quite clever.

    So if you do shop for pressies, shop local. Its fun, its not expensive, and its good for the community.

    • Ad 2.1
      29 November 2019 at 9:30 pm

      At $25 per hour for embroidery you sure weren't paying her Living Wage or even minimum wage. You may well have had cheap fun, but it was no good for the community and you simply exploited her.

      • JanM 2.1.1
        29 November 2019 at 9:37 pm

        Do you have any evidence that it took her an hour to make?

      • mikesh 2.1.2
        29 November 2019 at 10:21 pm

        She is probably self employed, so the question of a living wage, or any wage at all for that matter, is hardly relevant.

        • McFlock 2.1.2.1
          29 November 2019 at 10:32 pm

          ouch that's the uber argument lol.

          Self employed people deserve a living wage, too. The problem with AD's comment is that they based calling Sabine an oppressor of the working classes on the assumption that a "little thing" took well over an hour to make.

          • I feel love 2.1.2.1.1
            30 November 2019 at 6:43 am

            Also, artists can charge wtf they want.

          • mikesh 2.1.2.1.2
            30 November 2019 at 2:28 pm

            What makes you think that $25 is not a living wage for that particular embroiderer? Only she can know what her living costs are. A regular employer has to make assumptions about his employees' circumstances, but a self employed person is under no such constraints.

            And embroidery is probably, for her, just a hobby, and one that she does not depend on for a living.

            • McFlock 2.1.2.1.2.1
              30 November 2019 at 3:40 pm

              I made no comment on what the artist's personal living wage might be. Just that they deserve one.

              And "probably" is a nice way of avoiding the people for whom it, in fact, "isn't".

              • mikesh …
                30 November 2019 at 4:10 pm

                Self employed persons don't work for wages; their income is the profit they make. Therefore, saying they "deserve a living wage" is rather pointless. And were not discussing "the people", just a particular embroiderer.

                • McFlock …
                  30 November 2019 at 4:16 pm

                  Like I said, that's why Uber likes to call its drivers "contractors" rather than "employees". Because even if it's their sole income source, uber doesn't have to pay them minimum/living wage.

                  And that particular embroiderer might not be doing it (or want to be doing it) just as a hobby.

                  • mikesh …
                    30 November 2019 at 9:40 pm

                    Are you saying there is an uber type organization out there farming out embroidery work to pseudo contractors? Cor blimey. what is the world coming to?

                    • McFlock …
                      30 November 2019 at 9:53 pm

                      No. Just that their business model is the same as the Victorian-level piece work you seem to be a fan of.

                    • mikesh …
                      1 December 2019 at 10:25 am

                      Actually, I wasn't "advocating" any particular business model, victorian or otherwise. Advocacy was all on your part – mainly advocacy of a "living wage" for self employed persons.

                      I made certain assumptions about the nature of the transaction in question, but my use of the word "probably" in my original comment was an admission that they were merely assumptions, and that they may of course have been mistaken. I just thought that Ad's original comment regarding exploitation was unfounded.

                  • Sabine …
                    30 November 2019 at 10:19 pm

                    i find it interesting that people talk about min wage in regards to a piece of embroidery that i bougth from a a local artist.

                    a. how big is the embroidery – non other then me knows

                    b. how complex is the embroidery? non other then me knows

                    c. everyone missed the point …namely instead of black friday and other assorted bullshit i merely tried to point out that there are nice locally made things to be had, and that they don't even have to cost a lot.

                    now i own a bit of art, all local, and they range in the prices of a few hundred to the cheapest thing that i got for a fiver.

                    And the prices were all set by the makers of the pieces that i bought.

                    But yeah, uber, min wage, contractors, and blah blah blah blah blah

                    i suggest that people should just go the warehouse, all on min wage, part timers, no fixed schedule, soon to be replaced by self check out machines. Cause min wage. Go figure. The world is a dumb place sometimes.

      • Firepig 2.1.3
        30 November 2019 at 7:42 am

        My grandmother always said hand work (knitting, tatting, embroidery, etc.) was slave labour, as you could never recoup the cost of making it. However, creativity is a pleasure in itself and any little recompense would be gratefully received.

        I used to knit for a famous name many years ago. Top price for a relatively intricate garment that had to be finished in 3 weeks – $90. The company supplied the materials. I recalled Nana's words often.

      • Sabine 2.1.4
        30 November 2019 at 9:15 pm

        @ Ad and your min wage rant of nothing much:

        you have heard of galeries?

        you have heard of artists stating the price they want for a particular item?

        you have heard of price stickers?

        yes, you did?

        And then realise that i paid full price.

        Also realise that the product that i sell is made by hand, in my shop, by my lonesome self, and i really don't need you to explain min wage to me. I happen to pay min wage + to people that work for me.

        and artists generally don't charge by the hour, they charge per piece.

        Good grief. Good fucking grief.
        But here have a virtual bonbon for missing the point altogether.

    • aj 2.2
      29 November 2019 at 11:25 pm

      Or Support good causes – like Oxfam, Doctors Without Borders, Wikileaks

      • Sabine 2.2.1
        30 November 2019 at 9:16 pm

        nope, i have arrived at the stage in my life where charity begins at home.

        Today was food drive in my local hamlet. And that is where my donations go to. And that is where my money goes to. Local.