Posts by slarty

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  • OnPoint: Property Investment Federation:…,

    This isn't a bad starting point for the detail of the rules.

    Since Nov 2006 • 290 posts Report

  • Hard News: That Summer!,

    I saw Qi for the first time on Sunday. There was an error - I'm not really sure whether I should be happy or sad about it =)

    Do tell!

    And yes, a magnificent summer on the island, not least of which because I wasn't on crutches this year!

    Fruit is just starting to roll in... could be a good one...

    Since Nov 2006 • 290 posts Report

  • Hard News: Research Fail,

    RB, this is you not having time ;-)

    I think Debbie Babes comment from last Friday clearly explains how this (and the drug thing and the SuperCity thing) should be driven:

    Instead of trying to deny our feelings, perhaps we should be harnessing them. This is not something businesspeople are very good at. Many executives are geniuses at suppressing their emotions and pride themselves on looking at cold hard facts. This can lead them to become somewhat disordered individuals...

    Perhaps if we tried to use thoughts to encourage us to have more positive feelings we would achieve more. But that's just how I feel. That's from one of the people who is proud to say I don't know anything.

    Since Nov 2006 • 290 posts Report

  • Hard News: Research Fail,

    Am I alone in wondering where the f*** are labour in all this? It seems to be only the Greens who get quoted. I presume Goff is either:

    a) Silent because they are concerned at offending the ignorant masses by speaking truth or
    b) Being ignored (which I can buy in the case of Granny nowadays)

    At grass roots in AKL I've noticed the Supercity stuff is getting airtime...

    I'm sure there's a marketing master plan somewhere...

    Since Nov 2006 • 290 posts Report

  • Hard News: Auckland: where only one man votes,

    at a cost of about $35 million, for (I'm told) very modest gains in efficiency

    I tend to use a simple formula since joining the public sector.

    Look at the estimate. This is akin to merging 8 utility firms with multiple billing systems, and 1.4million customers. I would estimate a lean private sector organisation would be able to do that for $50-70 million.

    Now triple it at the local budget level - say $200 million, particularly if the worst of the large consultancies are involved (BTW, an interesting survey crossed my desk the other day if anyone has an interest...)

    Then add another $5million for the Commission of enquiry, and $50 million for the recovery exercise. Where they do what they should have in the first place: employ a good project manager off the street and get on with it).

    So I reckon $265 million. Anyone fancy a sweep?

    Since Nov 2006 • 290 posts Report

  • Hard News: A solution in search of…,

    Debbie-babes has obviously been told her columns need to be more like Garth... :)

    Particularly painful in the context of the number of children who died because of this expert...

    Since Nov 2006 • 290 posts Report

  • Hard News: A solution in search of…,

    I think "The Rodney Hide Terminal" has a certain hint of truth to it.

    Rodney Hide. Terminal.

    Since Nov 2006 • 290 posts Report

  • Hard News: The Death of Evidence,

    Personally, I blame The West Wing for making me hope for more.

    <chuckle>

    I keep that bit to hand where POTUS takes down some god-botherer in front of a room full of people.

    I can dream.

    And of course that's what people were doing when they voted for Obama...

    Since Nov 2006 • 290 posts Report

  • Hard News: The Death of Evidence,

    You know what would be a good candidate for a legal recreational stimulant? Ritalin.

    Combined with Viagara I thought it already was (in the Rotary club... I'm getting obsessed. And that other great bastion of Middle Class swinging - the Salvo's)

    Since Nov 2006 • 290 posts Report

  • Hard News: The Death of Evidence,

    You know, I was listening to Key mumbling on this morning and I suddenly had a thought.

    I may be wrong. It's a bit of a shock when that happens.

    Over the last few years it's become very difficult to do something because criticising is so much easier than constructing.

    So maybe it's easier to say "we're going to do [insert opposite of what you want]" then wait for the banshees to wail.

    Then you turn around and say "in our lovely proportional system we've listened to the feedback etc. and will now be doing [what you originally wanted]".

    The MSM do all the legwork finding the rational people who would normally be ignored.

    Witness what's happened with GST (the alternative to which is CGT or land tax). I can see a back-down coming: everyone's salivating about their tax cuts, GST won't cover the cost... so now he can tell the Rotary club that if they want the cuts they're going to have to cop for the CGT...

    Maybe I'm being too generous :p

    Since Nov 2006 • 290 posts Report

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