Posts by Sacha
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Hard News: What Now?, in reply to Matthew Poole,
Doh (my word o the day)
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Hard News: What Now?, in reply to Matthew Poole,
so it wasn't patently obvious how much he was in the pocket of Big Trucking
Skillful campaign management, yes. I really must read The Hollow Men..
The CBD rail tunnel didn't really penetrate public consciousness, or the mayoral campaign, until the middle of last year. Nobody knew how National was going to jump when it first started getting significant coverage
True. I forget sometimes what an advantage you get from following transport blogs and having worked with planners.
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US expat Tracey Barnett writes about what our response to the quake shows us all about being New Zealanders.
If John Key gets the political guts to tax us to help Christchurch, I will write my cheque without hesitation. Not because I believe it will ever replace the history of what we have lost, but because in one short week, since I came to this country from America seven years ago, I have finally begun to understand what being a New Zealander means.
...
Almost immediately, independent water tanker owners like Stephen Bleeker called officials to offer help. When they didn't hear back from swamped Civil Defence staff hours later, they took initiative, sourced water from farms and processing plants, then phoned Federated Farmers, who immediately joined with Fonterra to co-ordinate a fleet.You want everyday heroes? There are lists of diesel suppliers who gave petrol, massive efforts by vendors headed by the Grocery Council, the entire thousands-strong army of volunteer students who are doing everything from shovelling silt to spending the night assembling wheelbarrows, to the "Farmy Army" of machinery now entering the city.
Let me introduce you to a country you may never have realised you know, one I see with eyes different than yours. Eyes that saw what New Zealanders who have lived here their entire life will never say outright, because you prize understatement like a national value.
You think you just got on with it. You're wrong.
As individuals, as a community, as a nation together, your response to this earthquake has been nothing short of astounding excellence. New Zealand may have experienced its darkest day, but it was followed by its finest moments.
You are so used to the unspoken strengths of your national character, you don't see how remarkable it feels to outsiders.
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Cracker: It's a Wonderful Thing, in reply to Jacqui Dunn,
doh
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Cracker: It's a Wonderful Thing, in reply to JackElder,
Vinyl is for people who don't have the ear to appreciate MP3 compression artefacts.
teeshirt (for ageing hispters to wear to gigs, naturally)
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Hard News: What Now?, in reply to Matthew Poole,
The neanderthal attitude toward big-budget public transport projects wasn't on display by Joyce until after Brown adopted the rail link as a key policy.
It was pretty apparent right after the 2008 election wasn't it? The unseemly begging to fund already-approved projects like Auckland rail electrification was needed early and as you noted ended up with us being allowed to *borrow* the money (thanks, guvnor). Only after stuffing around for ages, of course.
Much like Joyce's prolonged backroom dealing over broadband which again looks set to transfer large amounts of public money into the same cosy private pockets that have fucked us for decades. And now we're seeing the same approach in broadcasting policy - better buy shares in Sky.
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Hard News: What Now?, in reply to Craig Ranapia,
if central government is going to argue (correctly, IMO YMMV) that the national infrastructure spend needs to be focused on Christchurch for a long time, then give regions the ability to do it themselves.
I'd agree, but major policies enacted by Joyce and co like their roads of national party significance and national resource consent call-in provisions are headed firmly in the opposite direction. Local government doesn't set the rules; central does.
ECan shows what this government is prepared to do if local is about to gain the upper hand and the interests of its prime constituents are threatened. Imagine the arm-twisting from the trucking and construction industries if Joyce were to tip the balance back away from roads.
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Hard News: Nothing important, just some tunes, in reply to Sofie Bribiesca,
that article from Drinnan
Hmmm
Asked yesterday why TVNZ remained in public ownership with no social obligations, Broadcasting Minister Jonathan Coleman said it had a valuable role in returning profits to the Government.
Wonder how he feels about state-owned electricity operators?
But political insiders said Coleman had been unable to convince pivotal figures in the Cabinet, including Communications Minister Steven Joyce, to find a way to save the channel.
I'm sure he fought real hard for it </sarc>
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Hard News: What Now?, in reply to Matthew Poole,
turns out that the building in question, as Sacha says, has been bowled
That was Sam. My money was on them being sneakily sold
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Hard News: What Now?, in reply to Sam F,
Auckland being Auckland an equal or greater number have already been bowled
Or quietly flicked on to those without the right insider knowledge (being Auckland)