Posts by Christopher Dempsey
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(It also strikes me as good form that when you're encouraging people to vote for your partner, a little full disclosure would be in order.)
He moved on from that particular person several years ago. She's now with somebody else.
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I'm not even entirely sure what the DHB even does, nor what the major/minor issues that are currently on the table for it are, much less what the connection is between those issues and the candidates
Change the company responsible who operate those centres where you go to have blood syringed out of you, as ordered by the doctor. This wee procedure is not insignificant, which is why a stonking big court case was fought during the all of 2008, and the first half of 2009.
Pump money into primary health care as opposed to tertiary health care. Sink a small amount of money on targeting solo mums or Remuera homeowners. DHB's do stuff that you and I probably won't be cognisant of, but will be real to those who have health problems.
Putting on Elected Rep hat.
In terms of direct influence over my life, local body is actually quite powerful.
Yes. Last night I allocated some $18k to various community groups in the Ward I represent. For all of these groups the money was needed, and goes a long way towards achieving their goal. So granting $1600 to the Morningside Kindergarten in Auckland will go some way towards assisting children. Unfortunately we did not have enough money for all groups, so some missed out.
While $18k may seem small bikkies to some, I am aware for many groups in the ward the small amounts the Board grants to them represents the difference between surviving and not surviving. I'm only too happy to help, albeit in a small way.
Overall we have allocated $51K to various community groups in the ward in the past three months (normally we would do this over a year, but as we are going out of existence, we were asked to allocate over the remaining period of the Board's existence.)
Councils shape cities.
That they do. The City Vision Council (2004-2007) budgeted $5m for a pool/sports complex in Glen Innes, something that had long been wanted by that community as a way of keeping youths off the streets and busy doing sports etc. Which is a good idea; after all, the devil finds work for idle hands.
The new Bank's Cit'Rats Council deleted that budgeted item, spending $5m instead on re-sanding/rehabilitating Judges Bay. The youth of GI don't have a pool/sports complex to hang out in but the good folk (and they are good folk) of Judges Bay, they have a new 'beach'.
So yes, different kinds of Councils shape the city.
Blocs often vote regardless of the quality of argument from other perspectives,
yes, it's astonishing how the C'n'R bloc vote en masse. Particularly when David Hay is in the room. And even more astonishing when faced with a suggestion from me that would have saved some of their bacon.
whipping off said hat
I've voted for those who expression concerns that matter to the way I'd like Auckland to be and especially if I've seen to them express them well for a while. I've no way of knowing whether they'll be able to do anything than raise their voice.
A good strategy, given the huge uncertainty about how the new structure will pan out. I personally do not have any inkling about what power a Local Board will have, but on the other hand, every other person in this game, whether Local Board member, Councillor, or CCO technocrat doesn't either. Knowing that drives certain behaviours.
Kyle, it used to be my heuristic to vote for anyone who mentioned cycling in their blurb. Unfortunately now, most of them do.
Which is a good thing, I think. Replace cycling with another concept in your heuristic - something that is upcoming, like Transition Towns.
And to finish, remember, post your vote! You are not restricted to finding a letter box. You can stick your ballot in the workplace mail stream or hand it over the counter at your local library.
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Daily updated voting returns for Local Boards 22nd Sept:
Albert-Eden (Maungakeikie) 5.50%
Albert-Eden (Owairaka) 4.80%
Maungakiekie-Tamaki (Maungakiekie) 7.40%
Maungakiekie-Tamaki (Tamaki) 7.00%
Waitemata 5.60%
Waiheke 5.60%
Great Barrier 16.00%
Puketapapa 5.80%
Whau 4.80%
Orakei 7.50%Discounting Barrier, leader is Orakei, then Maungakiekie-Tamaki (Maungakiekie division) and (Tamaki division).
Orakei counts Remuwera, and Eastern Bays, while Maungakiekie counts Meadowbank down to Glen Innes, Tamaki, Pt England, then through Mt Wgton / Ellerslie to Onehunga.
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No, a goer you are! Meaning, find someone other than a white straight male d'un certain age, d'un certain worldview to stand!
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Local Board voting returns so far:
Albert-Eden Maungawhau - 3.2%
Albert-Eden Owairaka - 2.0%
Devonport-Takapuna - 3.7%
Mangere-Otahuhu - 4.1%
Maungakiekie-Tamaki - Tamaki division - 3.4%, Maungakiekie division - 4.0%
Orakei - 4.1%
Puketapapa - 2.9%
Waitemata - 3.1%
Whau - 2.3%Haven't got Council figures yet.
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So stand Islander!
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One candidate tackles the legal-heterosexual-with-children meme head on:
The number of children I have is zero (though one day maybe...), and I am not married.
And then rather sweetly and forthrightly courts the geek vote:
I have never smoked or drunk alcohol, and my hobbies include doing jig-saw puzzles, reading, and collecting vintage computers. . When you hang with me, you never look back.
</evenawesomer>
He is awesome and I like his approach.
Though I'm not sure I want to endure this particular birthing process:
I feel that we to ensure that the full costs of any option is eventually born by the direct consumer (that is, the motorist, or the commuter).
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ETA: Can I save everyone being bored to sobs, and just confirm the Herald and North Shore throwaway rags aren't even trying?
And several head desk combos as well: Yes. At least for Granny. Not being from the Shore I don't know about them.
It would help me and all my fellow candidates of whatever persuasion if Granny were to engage in a little Civics Education 101 for starters and secondly, explain to voters what exactly has changed in this new arrangement (hint: geography has something to do with it). Apart from that big change, pretty much everything is the 'same' i.e. you still vote for a Mayor, a Councillor and some warm bodies for the "community board" (Local Board in the new parlance). And you still have a postal ballot i.e. something is mailed to you which you have to mail back.
Granny hasn't, nor has Dept Internal Affairs either, which makes for suburbs full of confused voters. Meeting voters I constantly get this slight panicked and confused look, which on investigation turns out to be that they know something's changed, and assume everything's changed. Well, yes it has, but we don't have 20 mins, so I say "Noooo, not really...it's still the same postal ballot, with votes for mayor etc - just the area has changed."
Apart from that, it's been an interesting campaign. You can vote for me if you like (if you are in the Waitemata Ward), and you can read more about me at this site which handily has other candidate profiles as well.
But really, at the end of the day, I would prefer that you actually VOTE for someone - anyone you choose - that is tick some circles and fill in some numbers (STV voting for the Health Board), and mail the ballot back.
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All I could think was "Pot Kettle Black" when I read that John Banks satirical story and Mr Bhatnagar's response.
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That is the worst taste joke I have ever seen on PAS, I hope.
The horrid thing is I don't know whether it's true or not.