Posts by Mark Graham
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Nicely articulated, though as person the same age as Cunliffe and Key (and Obama, and I think Russell, too), can we tone down the 'new generation' rhetoric? I'm not convinced a 40 year old or a 30 year old will necessarily do any better. It's not an age thing, it's a charismatic thing. As someone who's thinking I greatly respect put it, "if you want to defeat Slytherins, you must become Gryffindor." Also, you need a Harry Potter (male or female). But any specific age is not a prerequisite.
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But doesn't the research just illustrate the problems we have with drug eduction here? Prohibition has never been the answer. All we end up with is young criminals perpetuating the 'get smashed' approach to drug use (including alcohol).
Surely it's time we had some proper education on how best to consume drugs in safe ways.
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yes - issues with Apple TV - even with good download speed. True Detective giving me the gyps. (have US account running - rather good I have to say).
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But are you seriously calling for central government to try directly influencing local government decisions over their own affairs?
You're joking right Craig? Central govt,, especially this one, has been openly meddling in local govt and not in a good way. Look at the Canterbury Water Board, the Chch Council (albeit there were some issues there), Auckland transport plans, asset depreciation impacts on council finances. For God's sake, we now have a $10m dollar tent (!) that is slowly ripping apart and is useless for pretty much any event that has been left us by central govt.
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This financial crisis beat up reminds of the one John Banks manufactured upon taking over the Mayoralty in his first term in order to create an opportunity for his mate, Bill Birch, to come in and delete all sorts of services out of the Council budget.
Firstly, it's a lie. Secondly, the crisis actually lies in underinvestment in infrastructure which Standard & Poors noted five years ago, or so, in its report on Auckland's credit rating and upon which it flagged a credit watch on the city because it was going to have to pay for it at some stage.
I'm really not sure what it is Brewer, Wood, Quax, etc., want for this city. I'm sure East Berlin had trains (!) that ran on time but I doubt there was much fun to be had there.
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Sad to say but I suspect the wider electorate will still not care a whim. Do they have a job, is the economy 'booming' (perceptually, at least), is NZ 'on the right track'? they will see Kim Dotcom as a buffoon and Collins/McCully/Williamson's misdemeanours notwithstanding, Key's prevarication, Ryall/Bridges/Brownlee's incompetence - none of these have any impact so long as things seem to be heading right. As Clinton said, "It's the economy, stupid."
Unless they can catch Key out with a direct lie. And he's too smart for that.
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There are greater issues around building and building maintenance here than just those of being a landlord. The govt has made significant changes to the Building Act which moves responsibilities away from councils and to homeowners and builders. Builders should know these but there has been limited education campaigns to the trade. And none to consumers. There is confusion around electrical work. There should have been none around gas - this guy doing his own work shows what a moron he is and it seems the punishment is on the light side.
The fact is, renting or buying a house carries significant risk for your health: asbestos, meth labs, dodgy DIY work, limited insulation, leaky homes. The state of our built environment is often appalling. But there's no political commitment to sorting it out because not enough people make enough noise and when we build, we're happy, for the most part, to abdicate responsibilities to our building professionals, who are often not.
I publish education guides for homeowners who are building and I remain frustrated at the number of people who willingly choose ignorance when it comes to spending half a million dollars on building themselves a house. Shortsighted and stupid.
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Hard News: Two roads lead to the city, in reply to Brent Jackson,
My mistake
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And Banks is guilty. Yippee!
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PS - I notice in the new plan they've changed the city-bound Great North Rd lane from a through-lane (no lights), to one that has to go through the lights. Also, looking at the lane plan over the bridge, I see one lane turning West (right) onto the motorway, one straight ahead into St Luke's Rd and one shared, which will, naturally, end up getting blocked by right turning traffic. It makes you wonder if anyone studies the traffic flow. The two holdups I can see are in the straight through to St Luke's Rd, so why not make it both lanes, and turning left into Gt North Rd from St Luke's Rd/the bridge, where right-turning Western Springs and Grey Lynn traffic holds up those us wanting to head to the Chev, which then holds up traffic further behind who can't fit on the bridge.. Seems stupid to me.