The issue of disclosing the name or names behind political donations is back in the spotlight. National appear to be doing an about-turn in regards to the topic of disclosing the names of those who donate, which is bound to incite a great debate over whether National are fulfilling the general "cut the PC crap"-type promises. Your Views asked: Should the source of political donations be more transparent?
Blerkie Dronks (Remuera)
What difference does it make, anyway? Each party is as bad as the other; all as crooked as a barrel of snakes.
Many comments allude to the classic stereotype of politicians as inherently evil and corrupt, but Blerkie Dronks dismisses the question entirely, effectively saying that political processes don't warrant critical thought as all politicians are liars.
Richard (Timaru)
Sounds like a well needed tidy up of the cock-up labour did, and fixing laws that have been badly written for a long time.
Lyall (Sandringham)
Richard (Timaru) please read the article. National are supporting the "Cock-up" that Labour did because Labour are saying they did not go far enough.
This is about National attempting to minimise disclosure and supporting the existing bill is better, to them, than extending the disclosure rules.
I can only assume that National has more to hide.
It's so interesting when the users critique each other's interpretation of events. Telling Richard to "read the article" is sure to make him pretty mad, especially as he seems pretty convinced of Labour's "cock-up" and National's job as Mister Fix-it. I'll keep an eye out for Richard's reply!
Jay (Swanson)
I am gobsmacked that a party (the National Party!) that campaigned with the utmost bitter intensity against a law which this newspaper branded anti-democratic (which it was never intended to be, but a charge which suited the Nats political aspirations and gave their friends in the Herald carte blanche to run with it) has been barely tweaked and the current mob in power now seem to think that Labour kinda got it right!
But what is equally amazing is the matter of fact way that the Herald reports this without any of the emotive hyberbolic language that it used in its descriptions of Labour's original bill. I guess with an international community looking on, and with a realisation that many countries have these kinds of laws, that they are not, after all, anti-democaratic, that it might be a tad "obvious" if the current government turned the table. Really "gets my goat."
As with many other mainstream news outlets, the NZ Herald has many faults (see Editing the Herald for a daily update of such weaknesses!). However, you've got to pat them on the back for allowing Your Views users to criticise their coverage, obviously the moderator didn't take great exception to Jay's comments. Mind you, the rules for Your Views do state that posts are subject to editing for 'length and clarity' so who knows the true extent of Jay's criticism, except perhaps Jay himself?
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
I want to ride my bicycle vs. I love my car
The battle of cyclists versus car drivers is currently raging on Your Views, after an incident involving a car and four bicycles on Auckland's Tamaki Drive prompted them to ask the question: What can be done to make cycling in NZ safer?
Michaelauknz (Mt Eden)
Look New Zealanders are always being hijacked by minority self interest groups and these guys are no exception -
Now they want to have cars even doing 40km 24/7 (some cyclist travel faster than that) and have the road widened so they can continue riding 4 abreast laughing and joking and acting in an often abusive dominating way towards motorists.
I have very good video footage of these guys riding 4 and 2 up in the middle of the actual road in busy times.
Put them back on the footpath, their time is over and from the attacks given here toward motorist by themselves no change will be coming from there attitudes, they got away for far to long being threatening and dysfunctional-
More accidents will happen.No lesson has been learnt here.
Sadly the only thing missing now is the place, date and time.of the next one.
NZ is currently 27th going to 35th in the OECD ranking of the top 25 developed countries and is suffering from the impact of the smart ones who have left.this proves my point.
I can just see Michaelauknz engaging in a vigilante-style surveillance operation, complete with binoculars and camouflage gear.
Halkelorno (Northpark)
What can be done? very little, considering its Auckland. Why ? Just think about a little.
20 or so years ago, Auckland was a relatively safe place to drive,however what successive governments have done is allowed almost unfetted immigration from a huge variety of Pacific Island countries, Asian and African and Indian countries where the majority of the people did not own or drive a car or have any road user experience. The then come to New Zealand and the previous stricter road rules and license tests were conveniently lowered to fit PC rules, no English tests needed and feel free to use an interpreter. What would you expect to happen on the roads. More drivers, totally unskilled, no road sense plus no real knowledge of how to drive a car. Remember when you had to Drive a Manual Car in order to gain your license ? Not any more, this would be too hard and very UN- PC. Now we have the visible evidence and unenviable Road Toll results.
Now we have all the nodding heads, the plaintive outcry's "Something should be done", all in vain because the real answer is too Un PC and we as a people have long lost the guts and fortitude to do anything to rectify the problem.
We will tinker!
There is always someone who names immigration as the key determinant in any problem you throw at them. You might not have seen a link between cyclists, road safety and immigration but ah-ha! Halkelorno has made it as clear as day.
Pepe Perez (Birkenhead)
Nothing will be resolved with the rather emotional motorist vs cyclist debate that is being played out in this forum.
There is a simple answer. Motorists must obey stop signals - which is so rare these days that I wonder why we have the regulation at all. (Which is another debate) Cyclists must stop for red traffic signals - which is so rare . etc etc. Then the existing westbound Special Vehicle Lane (Bus Lane);that is about to turn into a T2 Transit Lane, is extended back into Mission Bay and be made 6am to 10am Monday to Sunday. Should there be a similar Special Vehicle Lane eastbound for the morning and evening peaks for the same reasons. Not my call, but worth thinking about.
In the end, cyclists and motorists need to and can live together without conflict - but each has to show respect to the other; not easy to find in the society we live in today. Finally, we all need to respect and obey the laws governing operation of a vehicle on our nations roads to ensure we keep this sort of accident to a minimum.
Pepe Perez doesn't see the "emotional" discussion in this thread as resulting in any concrete resolution, and instead proposes everyone sticks to the road rules. Commonsense prevails? Cyclists and motorists travelling together in harmony. What a beautiful way to end the post.
Michaelauknz (Mt Eden)
Look New Zealanders are always being hijacked by minority self interest groups and these guys are no exception -
Now they want to have cars even doing 40km 24/7 (some cyclist travel faster than that) and have the road widened so they can continue riding 4 abreast laughing and joking and acting in an often abusive dominating way towards motorists.
I have very good video footage of these guys riding 4 and 2 up in the middle of the actual road in busy times.
Put them back on the footpath, their time is over and from the attacks given here toward motorist by themselves no change will be coming from there attitudes, they got away for far to long being threatening and dysfunctional-
More accidents will happen.No lesson has been learnt here.
Sadly the only thing missing now is the place, date and time.of the next one.
NZ is currently 27th going to 35th in the OECD ranking of the top 25 developed countries and is suffering from the impact of the smart ones who have left.this proves my point.
I can just see Michaelauknz engaging in a vigilante-style surveillance operation, complete with binoculars and camouflage gear.
Halkelorno (Northpark)
What can be done? very little, considering its Auckland. Why ? Just think about a little.
20 or so years ago, Auckland was a relatively safe place to drive,however what successive governments have done is allowed almost unfetted immigration from a huge variety of Pacific Island countries, Asian and African and Indian countries where the majority of the people did not own or drive a car or have any road user experience. The then come to New Zealand and the previous stricter road rules and license tests were conveniently lowered to fit PC rules, no English tests needed and feel free to use an interpreter. What would you expect to happen on the roads. More drivers, totally unskilled, no road sense plus no real knowledge of how to drive a car. Remember when you had to Drive a Manual Car in order to gain your license ? Not any more, this would be too hard and very UN- PC. Now we have the visible evidence and unenviable Road Toll results.
Now we have all the nodding heads, the plaintive outcry's "Something should be done", all in vain because the real answer is too Un PC and we as a people have long lost the guts and fortitude to do anything to rectify the problem.
We will tinker!
There is always someone who names immigration as the key determinant in any problem you throw at them. You might not have seen a link between cyclists, road safety and immigration but ah-ha! Halkelorno has made it as clear as day.
Pepe Perez (Birkenhead)
Nothing will be resolved with the rather emotional motorist vs cyclist debate that is being played out in this forum.
There is a simple answer. Motorists must obey stop signals - which is so rare these days that I wonder why we have the regulation at all. (Which is another debate) Cyclists must stop for red traffic signals - which is so rare . etc etc. Then the existing westbound Special Vehicle Lane (Bus Lane);that is about to turn into a T2 Transit Lane, is extended back into Mission Bay and be made 6am to 10am Monday to Sunday. Should there be a similar Special Vehicle Lane eastbound for the morning and evening peaks for the same reasons. Not my call, but worth thinking about.
In the end, cyclists and motorists need to and can live together without conflict - but each has to show respect to the other; not easy to find in the society we live in today. Finally, we all need to respect and obey the laws governing operation of a vehicle on our nations roads to ensure we keep this sort of accident to a minimum.
Pepe Perez doesn't see the "emotional" discussion in this thread as resulting in any concrete resolution, and instead proposes everyone sticks to the road rules. Commonsense prevails? Cyclists and motorists travelling together in harmony. What a beautiful way to end the post.
Saturday, September 26, 2009
Did DonKey do well or did he make an ass of himself?
John Key has sure had a swell time in New York. He met Obama! He even went on the David Letterman Show! Reading out the "Top Ten Reasons to Visit New Zealand" as part of the Late Show's "Top Ten" feature, the script given to Key to read contained New Zealand stereotypes and slang, some of which American audiences could understand and some deliberately indecipherable by them; referring to the "whanau", the "bach" and "jandals".
In response to Key's representation of both himself and New Zealand on the world stage, Your Views asked its users: How do you rate John Key's performance? The question leaves itself open to interpretation, although if you examine the question in light of the related story it is clear they are asking about his representation on the world stage.
Kate Bennett (Auckland)
John has been in power long enough to give him a mark. I would give me a failing pass mark for the reasons that he has done little or nothing to improve the economy. He has managed to increase the taxpayers burden and contributions through the ETS scheme and the proposed super city.
I've cut Kate short here, as she does go on to talk more about taxpayer interests, but what strikes me is that she isn't interested in his performance in New York, but his performance as a politician. This comment is evidence that the unfocused nature of the question opens the field up to all kinds of interpretations of how to assess John Key's "performance".
Inevitably, Your Views users compared John Key's public persona with that of the previous Prime Minister of New Zealand, Helen Clark:
Bruce (Wellington CBD)
I think John Key is presentable as New Zealand's leader whereas Helen wasn't.
Jae (Manukau City)
Good on you john key.u were gr8. good to see our prime minister has a gr8 sence of humour.if it was helen clark.sheeeeshhh i can imagine the mockery david letterman would of given to her.and should would of read the top ten with her normal 'bland tone' of voice.
Ian (Glen Eden)
Overall I think his performance has been good, but the real "difference" between DonKey and Head Girl Helen showed up when they both commented on Sir Howard Morrison's death yesterday (on the TVNZ news last night). Head Girl Helen's comments were much more personal and relevant and reflected the fact that she had a much greater knowledge of his life's experiences. I think this alone reflected how much more "indepth" Helen Clark's general knowledge and command of NZ (Kiwi) events is.
Ian uses the comical names "DonKey" and "Head Girl Helen" to describe Key and Clark respectively. This is a common feature of online discussion forums, using alternative humourous and/or derogatory names when referrng to public figures. Although these names are often used to criticise the people being referred to (in an attempt to reveal some kind of truth behind their public persona), Ian is clearly using the terms in jest.
In response to Key's representation of both himself and New Zealand on the world stage, Your Views asked its users: How do you rate John Key's performance? The question leaves itself open to interpretation, although if you examine the question in light of the related story it is clear they are asking about his representation on the world stage.
Kate Bennett (Auckland)
John has been in power long enough to give him a mark. I would give me a failing pass mark for the reasons that he has done little or nothing to improve the economy. He has managed to increase the taxpayers burden and contributions through the ETS scheme and the proposed super city.
I've cut Kate short here, as she does go on to talk more about taxpayer interests, but what strikes me is that she isn't interested in his performance in New York, but his performance as a politician. This comment is evidence that the unfocused nature of the question opens the field up to all kinds of interpretations of how to assess John Key's "performance".
Inevitably, Your Views users compared John Key's public persona with that of the previous Prime Minister of New Zealand, Helen Clark:
Bruce (Wellington CBD)
I think John Key is presentable as New Zealand's leader whereas Helen wasn't.
Jae (Manukau City)
Good on you john key.u were gr8. good to see our prime minister has a gr8 sence of humour.if it was helen clark.sheeeeshhh i can imagine the mockery david letterman would of given to her.and should would of read the top ten with her normal 'bland tone' of voice.
Ian (Glen Eden)
Overall I think his performance has been good, but the real "difference" between DonKey and Head Girl Helen showed up when they both commented on Sir Howard Morrison's death yesterday (on the TVNZ news last night). Head Girl Helen's comments were much more personal and relevant and reflected the fact that she had a much greater knowledge of his life's experiences. I think this alone reflected how much more "indepth" Helen Clark's general knowledge and command of NZ (Kiwi) events is.
Ian uses the comical names "DonKey" and "Head Girl Helen" to describe Key and Clark respectively. This is a common feature of online discussion forums, using alternative humourous and/or derogatory names when referrng to public figures. Although these names are often used to criticise the people being referred to (in an attempt to reveal some kind of truth behind their public persona), Ian is clearly using the terms in jest.
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
You can count on us
The familiar names Foodtown and Woolworths will soon be a thing of the past as Progressive Enterprises, who owns these two supermarket brands, prepares to overhaul their image by choosing to retain only the Countdown brand and giving it a revamp.
This development calls for a Your Views topic! What do you think of the Countdown move? What annoys you about supermarket shopping? Now, at first look these questions are related - yes, they're both about supermarkets. However, the second question is quite unrelated to the news item and rather, specifically gives users the licence to begin moaning and groaning about the most everyday of activities!
In terms of responses, there are those who, ironically, take a "shopping list" approach to express their annoyance at supermarket shopping:
Daytripper (Hamilton)
Lots of things annoy me at the supermarket
1. Narrow isles - so sick of having to wait forever while someone dawdles around the supermarket
2. Constant wine sales - how about a food sale instead
3. Spend $70 at Pak n Save save 6 cents - spend $100's of dollars still only save 6 cents
4. Pak n Save Clarence Street Hamilton store, hot cooked chickens by the front entrance, even in foil bag completely stone cold by the time you get to the checkout.
5. No plastic bags at this checkout sign - Countdown - so what you can just grab a plastic bag at the next checkout on your way out.
Jesse's Poppa (Whangarei)
1: the unruly snotty nosed kids that are not under parental control.
2: the stupid people that use their trolleys to ram your ankles.
3: the ever annoying bloody music palyed in almost all stores.
4: the dozy pathetic drivers than can not park entirely within a parking space.
5: the lazy buggers that leave trolleys all over the car park and in particular and empty parking space.
And some choose to comment directly on the human condition:
Dan Hutchins (Newtown)
Lack of trolley edicate.
Tanz (Napier)
It's annoying when the checkout person is really slow and there is a long line waiting. Grrrrr makes me mad!
Bundi (Te Atatu South)
Arrogant, snotty nosed women who think they can leave their trolleys wherever they want in the aisle and stand at the shelves blocking the only access through. I love my trolley because it becomes as stock car and i just continue past ramming their trolley out of the way to the embarrassment of my wife and kids haha
And then toby enters the fray in an attempt to put things in to perspective:
toby (Hornby)
After reading some of the pathetic moaning on here I have to say:
Be thankful you can walk into a huge building full of food and goods and fill your trolley up with a mountain of them, and then book it up on credit!
Millions of poor/starving people the world over wake up every day and think "how am I going to feed my family today and where will I find enough food?"
So someone left their trolley in your way? Good grief, get a life.
To be fair, toby, moaning is exactly what was asked for by Your Views. Your fellow users were just responding to the question given, a question which specifically asked what "annoyed" people about supermarket shopping, not how they felt about supermarket shopping. We all love the opportunity for a good moan sometimes!
This development calls for a Your Views topic! What do you think of the Countdown move? What annoys you about supermarket shopping? Now, at first look these questions are related - yes, they're both about supermarkets. However, the second question is quite unrelated to the news item and rather, specifically gives users the licence to begin moaning and groaning about the most everyday of activities!
In terms of responses, there are those who, ironically, take a "shopping list" approach to express their annoyance at supermarket shopping:
Daytripper (Hamilton)
Lots of things annoy me at the supermarket
1. Narrow isles - so sick of having to wait forever while someone dawdles around the supermarket
2. Constant wine sales - how about a food sale instead
3. Spend $70 at Pak n Save save 6 cents - spend $100's of dollars still only save 6 cents
4. Pak n Save Clarence Street Hamilton store, hot cooked chickens by the front entrance, even in foil bag completely stone cold by the time you get to the checkout.
5. No plastic bags at this checkout sign - Countdown - so what you can just grab a plastic bag at the next checkout on your way out.
Jesse's Poppa (Whangarei)
1: the unruly snotty nosed kids that are not under parental control.
2: the stupid people that use their trolleys to ram your ankles.
3: the ever annoying bloody music palyed in almost all stores.
4: the dozy pathetic drivers than can not park entirely within a parking space.
5: the lazy buggers that leave trolleys all over the car park and in particular and empty parking space.
And some choose to comment directly on the human condition:
Dan Hutchins (Newtown)
Lack of trolley edicate.
Tanz (Napier)
It's annoying when the checkout person is really slow and there is a long line waiting. Grrrrr makes me mad!
Bundi (Te Atatu South)
Arrogant, snotty nosed women who think they can leave their trolleys wherever they want in the aisle and stand at the shelves blocking the only access through. I love my trolley because it becomes as stock car and i just continue past ramming their trolley out of the way to the embarrassment of my wife and kids haha
And then toby enters the fray in an attempt to put things in to perspective:
toby (Hornby)
After reading some of the pathetic moaning on here I have to say:
Be thankful you can walk into a huge building full of food and goods and fill your trolley up with a mountain of them, and then book it up on credit!
Millions of poor/starving people the world over wake up every day and think "how am I going to feed my family today and where will I find enough food?"
So someone left their trolley in your way? Good grief, get a life.
To be fair, toby, moaning is exactly what was asked for by Your Views. Your fellow users were just responding to the question given, a question which specifically asked what "annoyed" people about supermarket shopping, not how they felt about supermarket shopping. We all love the opportunity for a good moan sometimes!
Let's settle this over a beer
Assisted by figures from Statistics New Zealand, the Herald asserts that kiwi expats are returning home. The housing market looks set to prosper as expats flock home in droves to buy houses and sit down with a glass of L&P and some Marmite on Vogel's.
Your Views asked: As an expat, what are your thoughts on returning home? When you consider this question in light of others posed by Your Views, it's actually rather good. It defines a target audience within the group of Your Views users and contains an open question. Let's see how the users respond...
2 Shaxs (United States of America)
Reasons to Return -
1: Clean, Green
2: Lack of populace ( 4 mill.c'mon, thats nothing )
3: Surf, Beaches - no pollution.
4: No pollution ( read 3 )
5: No Genetically Modified Crapola in Food.
6: Mum,Daughter.( Normal - I miss family stuff )
7: Uncrowded Surf.
Reasons to say the hell away -
1: Lazy Maoris who want to steal your stuff. Don't call me racist as I am a Maori, but growing up there, I have seen Maoris who think the Dole and the DPB are a birth right, and what is yours is theirs ( after they break a window to get to it )
2: Bemoaning Politicians such as Peter Sharples who think Maor's should have everything handed to them because of injustices.
3: Pakehas who fall under the same heading as 2.
4: Pathetic, trivial sentences for criminals.
Wake up NZ. Rapes should be 25+. Mandatory. Assaults with weapons = Attempted Murder. Murder ( no brainer here ) = LIFE / NO Chance of parole. Thefts,If you didn't learn after the 3rd conviction, 10yrs no parole. Drunk Driving - easy too. 1st - lose car. Gone. Nada.$5000 fine. 2nd - 5yrs Prison.
In Shaxs' view, New Zealand is not just "clean" and "green" but has "no pollution". Does he work for the Tourism Board? No wait, he can't because he highlights his fear of the amount of crime in New Zealand and describes all Maori as lazy, dole-bludging thieves. Guess what Shaxs? That's a racist stereotype, so yes, I'm deeming your comment racist.
Now for an interesting interaction between a "kiwi" and an expat:
Jeepers (Auckland)
What amazes me is that these people take off overseas to make their money but when times get tough they come running home! Do we really need these people back who can't show determination and stickability in hard times.
Monkeyboy (United Kingdom)
I have to laugh at comments by people like Jeepers who go on the attack to people who have moved overseas. I earn five times what I could in NZ so it makes sense to earn overseas and save to come back home. Unfortunately in NZ opportunities are scarce, wages are low, taxes are high, and can someone please tell me why interest rates are so high for mortgages in NZ, almost double the UK rates. Kiwis pay almost 10% of their property mortgage value in interest each year, that is scandalous and the Australian owned banks are laughing all the way to the.
NZ is and will always be my home, it doesn't make me a traitor to my country because I am making the most of opportunities that will allow me contribute to the NZ economy by returning with hard earned overseas cash (like John Key did).
Jeepers I will be returning home in a couple of years, not because times are tough but because I will have enough money to buy a house freehold and semi retire (all before 40). I will be more than happy to buy you a beer, if you can get the time off work.
Jeepers (Auckland)
Monkeyboy (UK), would love a beer and yes I have the time because I am retired and yes I'm only 45. And I did it here in NZ by hard work and seeing the need for a product that no one else did.
I would love to be a fly on the wall in the pub where Jeepers and Monkeyboy sit down for a bevvie!
Your Views asked: As an expat, what are your thoughts on returning home? When you consider this question in light of others posed by Your Views, it's actually rather good. It defines a target audience within the group of Your Views users and contains an open question. Let's see how the users respond...
2 Shaxs (United States of America)
Reasons to Return -
1: Clean, Green
2: Lack of populace ( 4 mill.c'mon, thats nothing )
3: Surf, Beaches - no pollution.
4: No pollution ( read 3 )
5: No Genetically Modified Crapola in Food.
6: Mum,Daughter.( Normal - I miss family stuff )
7: Uncrowded Surf.
Reasons to say the hell away -
1: Lazy Maoris who want to steal your stuff. Don't call me racist as I am a Maori, but growing up there, I have seen Maoris who think the Dole and the DPB are a birth right, and what is yours is theirs ( after they break a window to get to it )
2: Bemoaning Politicians such as Peter Sharples who think Maor's should have everything handed to them because of injustices.
3: Pakehas who fall under the same heading as 2.
4: Pathetic, trivial sentences for criminals.
Wake up NZ. Rapes should be 25+. Mandatory. Assaults with weapons = Attempted Murder. Murder ( no brainer here ) = LIFE / NO Chance of parole. Thefts,If you didn't learn after the 3rd conviction, 10yrs no parole. Drunk Driving - easy too. 1st - lose car. Gone. Nada.$5000 fine. 2nd - 5yrs Prison.
In Shaxs' view, New Zealand is not just "clean" and "green" but has "no pollution". Does he work for the Tourism Board? No wait, he can't because he highlights his fear of the amount of crime in New Zealand and describes all Maori as lazy, dole-bludging thieves. Guess what Shaxs? That's a racist stereotype, so yes, I'm deeming your comment racist.
Now for an interesting interaction between a "kiwi" and an expat:
Jeepers (Auckland)
What amazes me is that these people take off overseas to make their money but when times get tough they come running home! Do we really need these people back who can't show determination and stickability in hard times.
Monkeyboy (United Kingdom)
I have to laugh at comments by people like Jeepers who go on the attack to people who have moved overseas. I earn five times what I could in NZ so it makes sense to earn overseas and save to come back home. Unfortunately in NZ opportunities are scarce, wages are low, taxes are high, and can someone please tell me why interest rates are so high for mortgages in NZ, almost double the UK rates. Kiwis pay almost 10% of their property mortgage value in interest each year, that is scandalous and the Australian owned banks are laughing all the way to the.
NZ is and will always be my home, it doesn't make me a traitor to my country because I am making the most of opportunities that will allow me contribute to the NZ economy by returning with hard earned overseas cash (like John Key did).
Jeepers I will be returning home in a couple of years, not because times are tough but because I will have enough money to buy a house freehold and semi retire (all before 40). I will be more than happy to buy you a beer, if you can get the time off work.
Jeepers (Auckland)
Monkeyboy (UK), would love a beer and yes I have the time because I am retired and yes I'm only 45. And I did it here in NZ by hard work and seeing the need for a product that no one else did.
I would love to be a fly on the wall in the pub where Jeepers and Monkeyboy sit down for a bevvie!
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