Repeating the mistakes of others

Written By: - Date published: 7:07 am, April 29th, 2008 - 13 comments
Categories: crime, john key - Tags: ,

Remember National’s policy of charging a $50 levy on everyone convicted of or, maybe, charged with (Key keeps on mixing up the terms) an offence? Remember all the obvious problems with it enforcement, administration cost, natural justice issues, the pitiful size of the sum that would be collected? Well, it turns out we missed one. Fortunately, as ever, the US provides an example of what not to do:

A Maryland governmental fund created to assist “innocent” victims of violent crime has paid out nearly $1.8 million since 2003 to injured (or deceased) “drug dealers, violent offenders and other criminals,” according to an investigation by the Baltimore Sun published in March. Burial expenses were awarded for a carjacker, a victim of an inter-gang killing and a sex offender who was fatally beaten in prison. The Maryland courts have ruled that as long as the applicant was not engaged in a crime at the time he was injured, he must be considered for an award. [Baltimore Sun, 3-16-08]

Stands to reason when you think about it; people who have offended or are career criminals are often victims of crime themselves, like Tony Stanlake. So, Key’s plan (which, it is becoming more and more obvious, was made up on the hoof so he could be seen to have some policy) would be hard to enforce, expensive to administer, would punish people the same amount irrespective of the severity of their offence, wouldn’t collect much money, and a good deal of the money would likely go to criminals.

Well, he’s got the Black Power vote.

13 comments on “Repeating the mistakes of others ”

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  1. mike 1
    29 April 2008 at 8:20 am

    After the terrible polls I thought the Key smear campaign had been abandoned..

    “Well, he’s got the Black Power vote.”

    No Steve I think they will always vote Labour – so if they actually do get sentenced to jail they can play golf, playstation on their widescreens or arrange a drug deal on their mobile.

  2. Razorlight 2
    29 April 2008 at 8:49 am

    Yawn, yawn yawn

    More Key bashing.

    Mike it appears that the campaign tactics will not change. There has been some publicity about the negative tactics of the left but they are not going to stop now.

    Steve the post had credibility until the Black Power comment. Your continual Key posts and failure to critique without descending into Key Bashing bounces straight off anyone on the right or undecided.

  3. AncientGeek 3
    29 April 2008 at 8:57 am

    Don’t be daft.

    It is one of the very few policies that the national party has released. It is also a monumentally stupid policy. Sure Key announced it, and you get the distinct impression that Simon Power, the national law and oder spokesperson, knew very little about it.

    But it is now policy that the Nat’s will be campaigning on. So pointing out its monumental deficiencies is a proper topic for a political blog.

    mike & Razorlight – why do you don’t you think the policy is worth discussing?

  4. James Kearney 4
    29 April 2008 at 8:59 am

    All the right can do is whinge these days. “Wah wah wah… stop pointing out the flaws in John Key’s policies, you’re being mean to him.”

    You guys are pathetic.

  5. AncientGeek 5
    29 April 2008 at 9:07 am

    Mind you looking at John Key is a good topic as well. Especially his ability to make ‘right’ decisions.

    So far he has a crap record at having some kind of policy backbone. To be frank, policies associated with him appear to have the same logical consistency as this one. Look like they are targeted for a headline.

    The Nat’s optic-fibre policy doesn’t make sense either. Money would be better spent on decreasing the risks of losing the link into the country. We are way to dependent on Southern Cross.

    But that is a topic for a different thread

  6. Linda Axford 6
    29 April 2008 at 9:30 am

    A criminal who is the victim of a crime is still a victim nonetheless.
    However, this time Key really has come up with a stupid idea that clearly hasn’t been thought through. “On the hoof” as you say.
    As for “well, he’s got the Black Power vote”, that’ll have me sniggering all day.

    aladin

  7. mike 7
    29 April 2008 at 10:13 am

    “Wah wah wah stop pointing out the flaws in John Key’s policies, you’re being mean to him.’

    No JK please keep up the attack politcs it great for the Nats.
    It just shows the desperate and nasty side of you socialists. I guess as the news continues to get worse economically (and for the Govt) the bitterness from the left will grow.

  8. Matthew Pilott 8
    29 April 2008 at 10:21 am

    Sorry mike, but once again – why is it bad to criticise Key’s “policies”? You call it a smear campaign and attack politics – I take it you’re all for dictatorships, and that our friendly despot shouldn’t be allowed to be questioned? Screw that buddy – this joker wants to be PM for a while, and we want to know what he’s made of. Just find it odd someone on a political blog would be all for giving an aspiring PM a free ride…

  9. r0b 9
    29 April 2008 at 10:23 am

    It just shows the desperate and nasty side of you socialists

    Say Mike – have you ever complained on Kiwiblog about the (truly) vicious and nasty personal attacks on Helen Clark? If not, why not?

    Even the mainstream media has noticed: “you get the feeling that if the blogosphere was an ecosystem, the far-Right bloggers would be bottom feeders.”
    http://www.stuff.co.nz/thepress/4402999a13135.html

  10. mike 10
    29 April 2008 at 11:18 am

    “Say Mike – have you ever complained on Kiwiblog about the (truly) vicious and nasty personal attacks on Helen Clark? If not, why not?”

    I have no time for personal attacks on HC either but there are always going to be posters who push the boundaries on both sides.

    I don’t really post much on KB but by comparison DF’s posts are more balanced and he is not fixated on playing the man not the ball where as SP seems obsessed with Keys character assasination.

  11. Draco TB 11
    29 April 2008 at 11:20 am

    More Key bashing.

    No Key bashing in the post at all. Just some serious questions about the policies that he proposes.

    Captcha: Truman was

  12. roger nome 12
    29 April 2008 at 12:55 pm

    Razor light:

    “Mike it appears that the campaign tactics will not change. There has been some publicity about the negative tactics of the left but they are not going to stop now.”

    So, stop questioning the very few policies that John Key/The National Party have? Sorry but much as you may like that to happen it isn’t going to and nor should it – if you want a robust democracy that is.

  13. r0b 13
    29 April 2008 at 12:55 pm

    So mike, that would be a “no” then. In short you tolerate political and vicious personal attacks on HC, but you feel a need to complain about political attacks on JK.

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