Hard News: Transferring wealth to Wellington
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Meanwhile, back at the World Hairsplitting Championship.
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Guess I'd best get on to Phil Twyford and tell him to stop talking about CCOs being "controlled from Wellington" in case people think he means Fat Freddy's Drop are doing it.
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The implication is that all those Wellingtonians are sitting there with their hands out, waiting for Aucklanders to give them money that they (Wellingtonians) can spend as they wish.
More of an extrapolation than an implication.
Could the crux of issue be that Wellingtonians don't use the word "Wellington" as a proxy reference for the government ?
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The fact that the most recent person offended by it, is in Adelaide, highlights the bizarre nature of this part of the thread.
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Titled it, "Giving money to the government", not "Transferring wealth to Wellington", given that Wellington and the residents of Wellington, of whom I am, alas, not one, won't get a penny.
Sadly, I can't easily change PAS headlines once they're created.
I guess this means generations of hurt and shame for Wellingtonians. I am a monster.
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'Though I used to live in Wellington, and would gladly live there again.
I was more intrigued that RB didn't seem to see why the words he used upset people, or might have offended people, and I'm trying to explain why.
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I guess this means generations of hurt and shame for Wellingtonians. I am a monster.
Okay, new idea for the waterfront: let's build ourselves a wailing wall.
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Hi, my name is Jack and I live in sunny Wellington, jewel of the lower North Island. I do not find the metaphorical use of "Wellington" to refer to central government confusing, annoying, or in any way unusual.
The implication is that all those Wellingtonians are sitting there with their hands out, waiting for Aucklanders to give them money that they (Wellingtonians) can spend as they wish.
Well, my in-laws are coming down for Easter next week, and I'm planning on hitting them up for $20. Does that count?
Okay, new idea for the waterfront: let's build ourselves a wailing wall.
Frank Kitts park already has that mostly covered, doesn't it?
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Meanwhile ...
Manukau mayor Len Brown, rival to Mr Banks for the Super City mayoralty, says plans to put transport in the hands of a non-elected board go too far.
“They’ve powered up the mayor’s role, they’ve put us all together on the basis that we need to be united on infrastructural delivery, and then basically de-powered the council to deliver its vision,” says Mr Brown.
“I just worry whether this is again Wellington dictating to us through the back door.”
And ...
Yet, in the commission’s proposal for one council to rule them all lies exactly that potential conflict. The Government must guard against its proposals effectively creating a state of Auckland.
If that occurs, it will mean not simply a continuation of the old Auckland-Wellington rivalry, but the possibility of a serious and never-ending political power struggle.
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Okay, new idea for the waterfront: let's build ourselves a wailing wall.
At 5 metres high, your new Weta sculpture will almost do the trick.
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I was more intrigued that RB didn't seem to see why the words he used upset people, or might have offended people, and I'm trying to explain why.
And I'm intrigued, and amused, at the earnest offence being taken.
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Hi, my name is Jack and I live in sunny Wellington, jewel of the lower North Island.
See, you're just crapping on Palmerston North now.
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See, you're just crapping on Palmerston North now.
Everyone craps on Palmerston North. That's what it's there for.
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3410,
“I just worry whether this is again Wellington dictating to us through the back door.”
Is that a polite of saying "talking out of their arse"?
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I live in Wellington. I wasn't offended. I would be even less offended if I could put my hand out and Aucklanders gave me money. Which in a sort of a way they do, since the source of my salary is ultimately the taxpayer, and there are more taxpayers in Auckland than there are in Wellington.
As to why I'm not offended, well, as Wellingtonians, we naturally like to think that we're smarter than your average taxpayer and therefore understand that when non-Wellingtonians say "Transferring wealth to Wellington" they mean transferring wealth to Government.
However, I'd argue that although that while "transferring wealth to Wellngtonians" might not be what Russell meant, it could be the truth: Wellingtonians are the highest paid of any city in NZ, and much of that pay comes out of the public purse, and therefore...[see first paragraph].
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I think Palmerston North is a net tax-taker rather than a net tax-payer too (all those CRIs and the university are major employers in the city).
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The fact that the most recent person offended by it, is in Adelaide, highlights the bizarre nature of this part of the thread.
You can take the Wellingtonian out of Government, I mean Wellington, but you can't... no I'm not going to.
This is Palmerston North's idea of Pure Poetry. Look at the size of that section! And did I say flat? Bowling green.
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Someone once told me that back in the 1960s when they were deciding where to put Massey, they had a choice between Palmerston North and Wanganui. They decided on Palmerston North because they thought it wouldn't survive as a town otherwise, whereas Wanganui clearly would (they thought).
Every time I've driven through Wanganui, I have rued the tragedy of that decision. Imagine if Palmerston North had been left to become the westerly version of Masterton it really wants to be at heart, and Wanganui, so much more attractive, were a bustling university town. If only we could turn the clock back (or, alternatively, if someone could just build a university in Wanganui and poach all Massey's staff, that'd work for me too!)
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If only we could turn the clock back (or, alternatively, if someone could just build a university in Wanganui and poach all Massey's staff, that'd work for me too!)
I give you Massey University, Wellington and Massey University Auckland.
It's balmy Palmy we should be scared of. They're infiltrating the very fabric of our society, while we get distracted by what's going on in Hidesville and on Capital Hill.
You have been warned.
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They decided on Palmerston North because they thought it wouldn't survive as a town otherwise, whereas Wanganui clearly would (they thought).
My understanding was that the Wanganui City Council turned Massey down because they didn’t like the thought of a whole lot of students ruining their beautiful and dignified city.
So delusions of grandeur in Whanganui Local Body politics is not a new phenomena.
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Ziggackly. If Massey's going to go all franchise-y on us (McDonalds University anyone? (with deepest apologies to my father, who I hope will appreciate that I am being flippant rather than intentionally insulting)) it could at least open a grill in Wanganui, where it might be useful.
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The University of Otago has campuses in Invercargill, Dunedin, Christchurch, Wellington and Auckland. Massey University not the only one doing the franchise-y thing.
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The University of Otago has campuses in Invercargill, Dunedin, Christchurch, Wellington and Auckland. Massey University not the only one doing the franchise-y thing.
Which raises the whole issue of the value to New Zealand of allowing Universities (and technical institutes) to compete for students.
But as Russell would say that's a whole other topic.
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If I ever personify Wellington it is from the Mr Burns playbook. It means "Those bastards and bureaucrats down in the State capital".
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According to the flyer "Making Auckland Greater" the reason for these proposed governance changes to Auckland was to make Auckland greater.
Why make these changes?
Auckland is the country's economic powerhouse. We all need Auckland to perform the best it can.Having one regional body to make all long-term plans and to manage transport, water and asset management needs means Auckland will finally have a co-ordinated process to make decisions and to invest accordingly.
This will mean clearer and consistent decision-making on regional issues, clear leadership for Auckland and a reduction in the duplication of services.
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