Immigration

On TV3 last night, there was an item about a family; I think from Iran, but it doesn't matter which country - both parents are engineers but one child is blind. They were refused Residency because the child might become dependent on the state. Apparently that decision has been reversed; as it should have been because this family has much to contribute here!

I have been dealing with Immigration Officials for some time now but I will give no details here - you know big brother and the chance of jeopardizing what I am doing.
I do intend to write about it sometime but this is a good forum to vent my frustration.

The first thing is that there once was New Zealand Immigration Service. But now it is called Immigration New Zealand - the item that has been dropped seems not in name only!
But it is not only New Zealand's Immigration officials that are difficult!

To be fair, things have changed in the world and the threat of terrorism is blamed. It is the responsibility of Immigration Officials to protect their respective countries and for sure their are plenty of weirdos out there. So I guess they are working in a no win situation. The law of the land though is to 'treat as innocent until proven guilty' but Immigration Services seem to treat all as guilty.

I don't know who sets the rules, but it usually works that the laws are made by governments and officials interpret them. But sometimes, I have experienced tough interpretation when it is not necessary - well when I reckon it is not necessary. That's the crux though. How do they know what I'm like?
This does not mean though they should be above scrutiny and there are a few things that I would question. After all I am a taxpayer and they are public servants.
I deal with the public a lot and that is indeed trying and if I were in the shoes of these officials I know very well my patience would be tried!
You get some good ones and you get some bad ones and I guess, that is the human side of things.

The rules are getting tougher and tougher and with that more expensive - much more expensive because more things are required.

What am I saying here? Well the rules make application frustrating! The cost is high! The officials do not see things from the applicant's point of view and that is why it is hard. It seems and I repeat seems most of them have hearts of stone!

So I have voiced my frustration and it won't change anything but that's my Soap Box!

Wildling trees in Otago

Central Otago (and other areas) are being invaded by exotic trees and there is a war going on to get rid of them. Yes I have written about this before.
However, in life there are always differing points of view, and my personal on is that the wildling trees should be looked on as an opportunity!

This idea does not have universal approval, but in Friday's Otago Daily Times, I did read a letter to the editor that goes along with my thinking.
The key really is evolution. The letter says that at this point of time, the area is grassland (well tussock). But only at this point of time. Previously there was other vegetation, and fires changed that.
The Department of Conservation and others have and are spending a lot of money to get rid of the trees in order to retain the tussock land. As the letter to the editor points out; it is nature's way to colonise. I have seen for myself that if grasslands are left, very slowly indigenous plants will colonise the area. The first species being Manuka. Once Manuka establishes itself, birds will carry in all the other species make up our dryland indigenous forest.

There are those who look at Central Otago as being 'pristine grassland', but it is only so at this time. It will change as time goes on. Shutting up grassland increases fire risk and when that happens things change.

So no matter what, the area will change and now exotic tree species encroach. We have the Department of Conservation spending large amounts of money to get rid of these trees - a battle that cannot be won. They are throwing away the opportunity for a natural resource to be created at no cost. Sure, there are farmers who will be adversely effected, but farmers change their land use at the drop of a hat - if the can sell to DoC for a fortune, they do; if they can go into tourism, they do; if they can go into dairying, they do; so it follows,if they see forestry as being lucrative, they will.

Just thought I should share that!

Putting Up A Fight

Over the years I have won some battles - lost some too; but usually I take on a battle if I think I can win it. Actually I take them on too if I get pushed into it!

I'm going to take on a battle; its been a long time, but I think need to get on with it soon.

I won a battle in 1987 when NZFS was corporatised and most of us were made redundant. A stressful time! Anyway, some guy came to give us information, we had a few of them and I suppose they were among the first swigging from the public trough (if you like). He told us that the tax on our redundancy payments was to be at a flat rate of just 9%. However, when we received our pay chits, I noted that we were charged full rates (whatever that was at the time - maybe 25%). I told the pay clerk about this mistake, and he said there never was a suggestion of a 9% flat rate. I felt pretty sure so I went to my accountant - no that would not be likely. So I wrote to Head Office, Wellington - no, that's not correct. So I wrote to the IRD and sure enough they found that we had been taxed incorrectly and it turned out that the whole lot of us were reimbursed.

I took on another fight in Tanzania - the fight for the rights of three children who found themselves without support to gain the security of their home and for their mother's pension to be paid out. I have that story on disc and will print it separately, or sell it in some way to make a trust account for the three kids - I you would like a copy, you can email me.

The fight now though is with the electrical company Meridian.

The main power line used to run along the main road (SH1) between Herbert Township to Waianakarua and beyond. The Herbert Hill has always been unstable geologically and prone to slip, and sometime around 1984, severe weather conditions caused slips and the power line went down. The regulating authority in those days was The Waitaki Electric Power Board.

Emergency measures needed to be taken and the Foreman called to see me and asked if a temporary line could be placed through my paddock. I agreed for two reasons, the first was altruistic - helping to hurry the process of supplying electricity to people further down the line and a duty, if you like, to co-operate. The second reason was that the Foreman was Mags' softball coach for many years so was a sort of friend.

However, I never signed any consent for the line to cross my property and there has been no easement registered on my land title. There were four poles erected and another one has just gone in outside the fence, when the road was realigned.

Thinking about the situation though - the best place for the line is on the North side of Breakneck Road because the railway line travels alongside. It is sensible to place utilities on public land. I wonder why was it not put there then and why it should not be there now!

Under Waitaki Electric Power Board jurisdiction there was no problem because we knew most of the workers and there was mutual co-operation. However things changed when the government made the changes that created Meridian Energy. There was always the question of my trees - I happen to like trees. But power line do not like trees!

Some of these changes occurred while we were in Tanzania so I could not object to any of the changes - not that my objections would bave been noted.

So from Meridian's point of view, they took over the line where it is and do not want to remove it.

Under their rules, any trimming of trees that needs to be done under or around wires is at the cost of the landowner. They will cut trees off at ground level for no charge, but the land owner has to clean up the mess. Should trees cause a power outage, the landowner (or tree owner) is up for the cost of loss of income for Meridian! (who imposes this - landowners have never agreed, and power companies show no intent of rewarding landwowners in any way). And legally, the landowner is responsible for the safety of people on their land - so if a Merdian contractor falls off his ladder and breaks his neck, his family can charge me.

Any wonder then that I want the line off my property? It is fair enough if the line is on a road line and a landowners' trees encroach on the line, but it something else when power companies do not pay for the privelege of crossing someones land!

I have written to Meridian a few times and they say I have to prove they have not right to be on my land! Well, Foreman doesn't walk this earth just now! I'm not sure what proof they need. Meridian just do not want to face the cost of realigning the line! Any wonder landowners don't want power companies anywhere near them?

I'm not quite ready to embark on this fight, but I will post updates. I'm interested to hear of other instances of this sort of thing.

Looking to help

I received an email from my friend Musa, who I worked with in Tanzania and has helped me from time to time. He is of the Maasai tribe and I have the highest regard for him.

This is his letter:
Every morning on my way to work, I pass groups of women from the neighborhood on their way to work in commercial coffee farms across the hill. Despite being low paying, hazardous and full of avenues for exploitation, this is the most sought after job for women from this village. Other common income-generating activities for women around is selling illicit brew, crushing stones to make ballast and fetching water at construction sites. Very few households keep animals –cows, goats, pigs and chicken.

Couple days ago, I passed the groups again, however that morning my attention was attracted by one particular girl –Dina, the daughter of my next door neighbour. My attentions were not drawn to her because she’s the daughter of my next door neighbour but by the fact she’s among few girls in the village who have seen the inside of a secondary school. She sat for her CSE in 2007 and attained fourth division –some would consider this a failure.

Coming from poor family where education is non-important she could not pursue her dream of becoming a teacher. Early this year I connected her with a local organisation that sponsors Maasai girls for further education, however her grades could not qualify her for the sponsorship.

An aside: I have never understood the system of sponsoring students who have passed with first grades and who are automatically enrolled in government schools leaving out those with middle grades who can’t afford private schools.

Dina’s life is in limbo; she doesn’t know what do with the education she’s laboriously attained. She cannot pursue her dream because of her grades and because her family cannot afford to enroll her for private studies. All her age mates are long ‘married’ with one or two little ones. With a secondary education she’s not considered marriage ‘material’ by local boys most of whom are either illiterate or primary school dropouts.

Living in a large extended family with no source of stable source of livelihood –her father is half paralysed and never used to work anyway. Her mother -the breadwinner does odd menial jobs like selling illicit chang’aa, fetching water at construction sites or breaking rocks to sell ballast. With no options left Dina had to start supplementing her family meager income by fetching water at construction sites and now working at coffee farm like other women from the village. We can all guess where she will end up in the next year or two.

Growing up we were told education is the key to better life. I remember during Nyerere times we had songs to that effect encouraging us to go school. Dina embraced this idea hoping to get herself (and her family) from the clutches of abject poverty. She now possesses a certificate of secondary education -a golden key but no door to open.

Salaams,

I have found it very difficult to find extra money help for the people I am already helping, but I have told Musa that I would try, and hope that through this blog I can raise some money. I checked my absence account and today have made $0.11c which means readers are not clicking on the ads!!
I will just keep on writing these blogs, I enjoy doing them and I am hopeful that I can find links that will bring readers and stimulate comment.