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notices and features - Date published:
6:00 am, February 10th, 2010 - 24 comments
Categories: open mike -
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The current rise of populism challenges the way we think about people’s relationship to the economy.We seem to be entering an era of populism, in which leadership in a democracy is based on preferences of the population which do not seem entirely rational nor serving their longer interests. ...
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A quick broadside to all those low to middle income Kiwis who voted for “aspiration” and tax cuts….congratulations you are no better off, enjoy paying more GST etc whilst watching the rich get richer, the services you rely upon diminished. Well done fools.
Well Sir John the Clueless of Charmalot has charged through the minefield of taxcuts and we could have taken a book on the likelihood of GST going up, nice and clean tax because it appears to be a flat tax and its a tax you incur yourself (unavoidably).
There is a more emotional and negative response to PAYE as it is paid direct to government, while the business collects GST before passing it on.
What corkscrew minds these wealthy professionals and politicians have. Overall 80% of the tax take comes from 10% of taxpayers. That’s obviously unfair they say! What is the reason? The laws and the economy has been built so that a few individuals have been advantaged mightily, and wages compressed for the rest, resulting in a great disparity between the elite high and the large low ‘strugglers”.
So having pots of money leaves the rich dissatisfied and wanting to have more instead of supporting the country they are riding. They are jockeys riding their steeds for a win but not feeding them. Results – obvious and inevitable.
And as for allowing for more money for investment and skilled employment, but not acting on housing. What a cop-out? What a weak-kneed, wet bunch of politicians we have. All big talk about striding manfully into the tax fray and creeping out through the hole in the fence when the going gets hard. As for employment, half the software developers have been laid off at a firm I know of. There is talk of India.
We in our wee country won’t survive with a robust economy and public-serving government unless we get some politicians prepared to act quickly where the economy is distorted, instead of steady as we go right towards the reef. Tonga, our sister country we join you.
The pricks sicken me to the bottom of my stomach. You are so right.
With the Nats determined to raise GST to 15% The campaign to eliminate GST from food, (as is done in other countries that have this tax) becomes more significant.
define “food”
This argument is always raised, and is fraught with complication and difficulty. I’m not a fan of GST being raised, but removing it from food is just asking for trouble.
Why not have the pro GST brigade define what it is that is not food and have everything not within their definition GST free?
From John Armstrong in today’s Herald:
” A simple political axiom is responsible for that distinction. The lower paid largely don’t vote National. Those who earn more do. A land tax would have been political suicide in mortgage-belt New Zealand. Likewise a capital gains tax. In contrast, lifting GST should provide enough revenue for large enough tax cuts to keep middle New Zealand voting National ‘
You know what that is? It is a frank admission of class war by the rich on the poor.
I Agree
Sanctuary “You know what that is? It is a frank admission of class war by the rich on the poor.”
As opposed to Clark and the envious lifting the top tax rate to 39% when it was not even necessary in 1999.
That was an even more flagrant and actual act of class war by the poor on the ‘rich’. It was the most horrid act of envy witnessed in these lands. It stunk.
vto Are you one of the ultra rich, hoping to be, or one of the sycophants who give the impression that they could be if they wanted to?
None of the above mr prism, and you have now used up your three guesses…
Well why are you blethering. The ultra rich know how to look after themselves, even when they are down, they are up compared to you and the rest of us. The rich usually look after themselves though some enjoy taking other rich people down, spend their money and get home detention or something.
The middle class spend their time denying they are rich, and disdaining the poor, so they are in limbo poor things. Never quite able to reach the next level of conspicuous consumption. Perhaps that’s where you’re at. But don’t tell me, I’ve used up my three guesses.
As the news hits this morning that John Key signals National park mining which I predicted was inevitable based on John Key’s PR company and it’s links to the CIS neocon think tank I would like to leave you with this little equation for the day.
John Key+Cosby and Textor+CIS= Mining in our most pristine nature reserves.
News from the war:
http://returngood.com/2010/02/08/fallujah-new-orleans-and-marja/
Operation ‘ Moshtarak’ is about to get going.
Hearts and minds baby.
COIN is hard.
oh, and at the same time they are warning locals and telling them to leave, they are telling them to stay in their homes:
http://www.registan.net/index.php/2010/02/09/stay-in-your-homes-they-say/
awesome.
Duh, can’t they read the warning leaflets. Oh I never thought of that. Oh well what the hell it will all come out in the wash at the end of the day.
out! damn spot!
This one slipped out before the big speech, and it looks like neoliberalisation 101 to me – I’d be keen to hear from someone who knows a bit more about the specific changes. How would this effect, say, a multinational mining company extracting West Coast iron sands?
http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/3301556/Tax-change-boost-to-big-Kiwi-exporters
That sounds remarkably like a gift from of our money/resources from this government to its foreign owners.
can’t wait to put up this video
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/3311679/Key-no-GST-rise-video-emerges
“Labour has unearthed a video of Prime Minister John Key on the campaign trail in 2008 ruling out a rise in GST if he won the election.”
As reported by Idiot/Savant
National lied about health cuts
So much for cutting the bureaucracy and boosting the frontline…
Damn… so if you’re a gen x’er who didnt make a shitload and get a few houses when the getting was good you’re pretty much fucked and so are your bludging, dumbass gen Y kids cos now can they not only not get a job, cos their arent any, but they can’t even afford a decent education to even compete.
oh well, theres always the armed forces.
Well it works for the greatest country in the world the USA pollywog. It must be a good idea if they’re doing it.
http://hot-topic.co.nz/the-annotated-rodney-hide-treating-parliament-with-contempt
/facepalm
Not only does Wodney not perk-bust, along with screwing up Auckland, he also repeats claims that are easily exposed as pure bullsh*t and can’t science to save his life.