Posts by Rich of Observationz

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  • Polity: House-buying patterns in Auckland,

    Yep, he doesn't apply his required rigour to his personal ideas.

    As I said above (maybe, I lose track) why, if supply limitations are the cause, does the property market not find an equilibrium of buyers and sellers?

    And in one sense it's impossible to increase supply - an apartment in the CBD or a greenfield site in Drury isn't the same thing as a house on a section in Pt Chev. Places with minimal zoning or MUL controls (LA, for instance) have had rampant house price inflation at times in their history. Places with rigid zoning (much of continental Europe) have avoided it.

    Back in Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 5550 posts Report

  • Polity: House-buying patterns in Auckland,

    The fundamental cause of rising prices in Auckland is a shortage of supply

    Don't believe this.

    If you have a market with a shortage, like out of season aubergines, the price rises until there's an equilibrium of buyers and sellers and then stabilises.

    If you have a bubble, like tulips in 1637, the price is entirely driven by an expectation of future gains. There is no equilibrium, because any increase in price is taken as an indication that prices (and hence profits for the asset holder) will continue rising.

    Auckland property is a bubble, not a market.

    Back in Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 5550 posts Report

  • Speaker: Living under bridges,

    I assume that all these people who believe they own the publicly maintained tarmac outside their house only drive between said personal car space and paid car parks, never parking or stopping on "other peoples" roads.

    Back in Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 5550 posts Report

  • Speaker: Honest Bastards & Dishonest Cowards, in reply to Kumara Republic,

    a financial transactions or Tobin tax, which neatly address the Double Irish Dutch Sandwich issue

    How? Companies will just book their financial transactions through a non-participating state, using a contract for differences or whatever if they need to. And a transaction tax has to be levied at a fairly low level, or it'll make imports expensive and exports uncompetitive.

    I reckon the Tobin tax concept is a scam by the financial world on the ignorant and innumerate - instead of a tax that is collectable (like one on personal wealth and deemed business profits) they propose one that's avoidable to the point of being voluntary.

    Back in Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 5550 posts Report

  • Speaker: Honest Bastards & Dishonest Cowards, in reply to Russell Brown,

    Of course. The other thing the Clark government did was to encourage (to some degree, at least not prevent) finance companies to take on a secondary banking role, which meant that the inevitable banking crashes were ring-fenced away from the real banks, and there was no systemic impact. This kept the costs to the treasury in the <$2bln range (even that could have been avoided if they'd let the "dumb and mad" investors taken the losses rather than allowing South Canterbury etc into a compensation scheme meant for real banks).

    Back in Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 5550 posts Report

  • Hard News: About Campbell Live,

    The Auckland National Party is all about family - specifically, about making sure each others offspring have jobs, no matter how useless those children might be.

    Back in Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 5550 posts Report

  • Hard News: About Campbell Live, in reply to izogi,

    isn’t allowed a credit card

    I think any 25 year old with a job or student loan can go along to a bank and ask for one. You don't need parental permission or anything...

    "isn’t allowed a credit card" == "isn't allowed a credit card with someone else paying the bills"?

    Back in Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 5550 posts Report

  • Speaker: Living under bridges,

    It just seems all a bid upside down. If you want to drive to the Shore, it's free. If you want to cycle or walk, it costs money. And it's expected to generate extra traffic from people driving to one end of the bridge so they can cycle/walk across it.

    "chunks of carbon fibre travelling at over 30km is a different thing altogether"

    Speed limit? Traffic calming?

    Back in Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 5550 posts Report

  • Hard News: About Campbell Live,

    Ms Glucina’s reported friendship with the Prime Minister did not give rise to a conflict of interest. There is no question of any compromise of her independence or that of the NZ Herald

    Yep, Pravda is an independent publication.

    Back in Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 5550 posts Report

  • Hard News: Apple Music: Taking a dump on…, in reply to Ian Dalziel,

    I reckon you could hold the vinyl record up to the camera and use software to decode the grooves into music: http://www.andrewhazelden.com/blog/2010/04/microphotograph-of-the-grooves-in-a-vinyl-record/

    Back in Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 5550 posts Report

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