Challenges in the Economy

The world economy is showing to be more fragile than once was thought and solutions will have to be found that go some way to mitigating the likely outcomes.

I haven't any better ideas than anybody else but at least here I have an opportunity to say something about it - and some, I have already said.

Every economist will have an opinion as to why we are at where we are at but I have a bob's worth to add.

We hear about this thing 'productivity' and how workers will have to up their productivity to be competitive. Well that may be so but the very highest paid on this earth produce nothing - or nothing tangible.
I'm talking about the entertainment industry (mainly). I include the lot - movie and tv stars, sports stars, music stars. These people do entertain and that has a value but much of their wreath comes from sponsorship - by wearing a label for whatever. And the product they wear is made cheaply in some third world country and sold at huge profits throughout the world. To me this is not real economy.
Unfortunately too many of these stars are big on ego and image and weak in the cranium department yet the impressionable [in hordes] try to emulate them. Generalizing is a bad thing and there are exceptions but a good example are the socialites that strut like looney chickens with miniature puppies in their handbags and wear high heels to PD!

The overprices people in CEO position is also a mystery to me - that Telecom guy on 7m? Tut. So who cares if we can't buy the best in the world? this could develop into a rant.

The world is a big place and the trend is for a global economy end I know economics overlaps diplomacy, but I question if we really need to involve NZ heavily into the global economy.
At the local Shell service station I bought two pies for lunch - well that's not healthy I know, but it was early and there were no sandwiches. Anyway these pies were made in Australia. I have nothing against that country but why was there a need to put these pies in a container and ship them here when we have an industry that makes the best pies in the world? Pies!

Why is all our nation's packaging made of plastic when paper could utilize our long suffering forest industry - even those wildling pines? Natural vs Synthetic and renewable resource vs nonrenewable. Is that too simplistic?

There are rules here in good old NZ for almost everything, but how come you can buy a cardboard box with a few packets inside of four cracker biscuits and a piece of cheese sealed into plastic and foil. The packaging is worth more than the product. You cart the box home then you have to pay to dispose of the packaging - makes no sense to me.

Getting tough on crime

New Zealand like much of the world has a growing crime rate, and I hear regularly over radio talkback that there is a need to tackle the crime rate. Added to this there seems to be a lack of sensible sentencing by the courts. Indeed just recently a jury made a not guilty verdict for three guys who had admitted vandalizing a satellite listening facility. The right or wrong of the facility is not really within the jurisdiction of that court.

Anyway, in last weeks Arusha Times a theif was convicted to 1 years imprisonment and 10 strokes of the cane.

We have softened our stance on crime for perhaps politically correct reasons and so-called rights of individuals. A question where this attitude comes from and one answer is 'Christian charity' - most of our laws have been created through the Christian ethic and the reality these days is the majority of the population are not practicing Christians. This is not to say at all there is anything against Christianity but I wonder why the the law ethic spreads over all. Yes you have to have one law for all.

I think the constraint that the law of the land has is there are not enough options as far as punishment goes.
First thing is the cost of 'caring' for the lawbreakers. Second is the fact that there are not enough beds in the prisons so lighter or even no sentence is the option.

So for some crimes a good caning might just fit the bill. Say for drunken driving (together with a loss of licence of course).

Some white collar crime should not be prison sentences but working the crime off somehow using the skill the person has.

Maybe this is a cost, I don't know, but these sorts of things could be managed by say retirees and payment may be just a tax break because people (some) do like having things to do.

Just a thought.

Boquet

It is fair to recognise good service when you receive it.

We were travelling on the last day of the year to Christchurch when just south of Timaru, a passing truck dropped a rock that smashed my windscreen. The rock was as big as a fist and hit the windscreen top/center and made a huge spiderweb shatter.

There is a sign just south of Timaru about Smith & Smith Glass so we called there. The helpful receptionist asked about the damage and came out to look at it. She was sorry that they did not have a replacement windscreen, but on finding out that we were headed for Christchurch, she suggested we call at the Russley Road branch which is the main distributor fo the South Island.

The service there was immaculate and friendly. Within two hours (one to allow the glue to set) we had our car back with a new windscreen and all the correct labels attached.
So they have my recommendation.

More on Violence

I just saw a clip of a New Zealand man who's brother was murdered in Cambodia during the Pol Pot regime. Those were terrible times there, and the people doing the killing seemed to gain some entertainment from it while 'just doing their job'.

Every day on the [tv] news there are violent acts reported and I am fairly sure that the perpetrators' actions can not be put down to moderate discipline at home.

Violence has been with humankind since our distant past - sacrifice, feuds, war and genocide.
Anyone can research these happenings through Google or Wikipedia. But I only want to mention one here.
Roman Emperors, for some one hundred years or so entertained their population at the Coliseum. The people were entertained at gruesome events and much blood letting. These days we don't condone such things because they are plainly appalling.
Or is that so? Today we are entertained by blood letting on television, film, video, video games and in literature.
So are we different? Not really. Is this why young guys get boozed up to go looking for a fight or to do somebody damage? Probably.

Liberalists do not approve of censorship - they have some theory why - oh maybe it is personal choice. That's probably it - someone chooses to go for a walk after dark and is set upon by a group of thugs. Yep, the tugs had a choice - bash or not.

Well, if we want to cut out violence, we should think about the total exposure to it!

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.