Posts by Sacha
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Hard News: Floating the idea, in reply to Rich Lock,
with fresh mulch thrown in
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Hard News: Floating the idea, in reply to Simon J Taylor,
Most Aucklanders can get to Mission Bay within an hour or so.
Sure our beaches are public places (and it's no surprise that wealthier residents tend to live closer what with property prices and all), but you are familiar with reports of young people from South Auckland who have never even seen the sea, right? Transport costs are probably more of a barrier for some than you think they are. It would be interesting to see survey results of how people travelled to Manukau's free pools.
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Hard News: A few (more) words on The Hobbit, in reply to Joe Wylie,
There are plenty of people approaching 70 who’ll end their days in rental accommodation, or who will be fortunate to clear their mortgage.
True - whereas many of the previous generation have superannuated lifestyles that rely on freehold housing to reduce their living expenses even if they don't have an investment or property portfolio. Public policy discussions don't seem to be reflecting that much.
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There's always enough money for some things. What those are tell us a lot about the organisations and the people making the decision.
And it's always a decision even if just to continue doing what has been done.
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I'd also note Ben's cynicism about the idea of a social contract reflects a certain generational experience. My grandparents expected that things like social welfare and retirement income would continue to be provided for decades into the future beyond political cycles and in return they would contribute taxes and accept other arrangements. I'm sure older Kiwis have many such stories to tell. ACC was explicitly another such social contract which has served this country well, where in exchange for giving up the right to sue personally you were covered by the most efficient society-wide scheme of its type in the world.
It was all a matter of trust, with moral honour as an underpinning. I believe that has been one of the casualties of the deceitful style of government we saw in the 80s and 90s and an overall change towards more individualistic values. However you'll note this government's pragmatic reluctance to tackle superannuation arrangements in any case.
There will be big policy choices this year in social policy, savings and other related areas that could set a path for the next couple of decades. This year's election will be taken as an endorsement of those. And that's why conversations like this are still essential.
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Perhaps we could have a little less defensivness please. I'm tiring of hearing from people who are quite unrepresentative of any generalised "boomer" experience how unjust it is that they are being lumped in with a whole generation. We should be able to discuss such broader issues here of all places without people seeing only through the lens of their own personal experience of the world.
Most "baby boomers" were not creative types, and sorry Ben, neither were they trying to save the world. Nor were they evil neer-do-wells intent on shafting their grandchildren. Most just did what was presented as the right way to live and got jobs, bought houses, raised families, got involved in their local community.
However the overall pattern remains a systemic and politically-sanctioned broad transfer of wealth between generations and social classes. It happened and it has implications for what comes next. This conversation is not going to go away just because it can become uncomfortable.
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Legal Beagle: Coalition of Losers, in reply to Gareth Ward,
the two big players haven't yet adjusted to the fact hat they won't be calling all the shots and are still campaigning on a "this is what we'll do as supreme rulers of the country" model
Sadly also the way the media continue to misrepresent it too
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Hard News: A few (more) words on The Hobbit, in reply to recordari,
BDO Live Poetry
That's commitment
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Hard News: A few (more) words on The Hobbit, in reply to Danielle,
Languishing Lactator
the Germans probably have a word for that
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Up Front: Giving Me Grief, in reply to recordari,
It is one of the most humbling and rewarding, albeit grief-stricken, experiences in my life.
I found the physical impact quite beyond words