A Massey University freshwater ecologist has come under fire for criticising New Zealand's "100% Pure" marketing slogan.
When I was a kid, you could drink from almost any of the rivers in New Zealand, especially around my home town. Now, I wouldn't dare do that. Thanks to over-intensive dairy farming, the majority of New Zealand rivers are polluted. Dr Mike Joy's criticism is well-founded in fact, not marketing spin.
Some have called Mike Joy's public criticism "economic treason". How odd that they don't say the same thing about the government's asset-sale plans...
Monday, November 26, 2012
Thursday, November 8, 2012
US Election Results
The following cartoon perfectly sums up the US presidential election. It was originally published at churchof.poisonedminds.com.
Wednesday, October 31, 2012
Predatory landlords
It's common knowledge that there is a shortage of housing in Christchurch. Thousands of homes were destroyed or rendered uninhabitable in the February 2011 earthquake. But that doesn't excuse the avaricious and predatory renting practices of Christchurch landlords.
While some defend this as market forces of supply and demand at work, let me point out that the market is, by definition, selfish to the point of pyscopathy. Most of the time market forces in rentals work fine, but in states of emergency, with suddenly and drastically restricted supply, they only favour the privileged and predatory.
In my opinion, the government should have legislated a rental price freeze in Christchurch following the earthquake: that would have prevented greedy landlords from inflating rents to ridiculous levels and putting families out on the street.
But, once again, the government acted in the interests of the wealthy and privileged, instead of in the interests of the people.
While some defend this as market forces of supply and demand at work, let me point out that the market is, by definition, selfish to the point of pyscopathy. Most of the time market forces in rentals work fine, but in states of emergency, with suddenly and drastically restricted supply, they only favour the privileged and predatory.
In my opinion, the government should have legislated a rental price freeze in Christchurch following the earthquake: that would have prevented greedy landlords from inflating rents to ridiculous levels and putting families out on the street.
But, once again, the government acted in the interests of the wealthy and privileged, instead of in the interests of the people.
Wednesday, August 15, 2012
Corruption: it begins with the schools
This article shows that corruption begins with the schools: a uniform seller is being threatened with a High Court injunction for selling school uniforms. The sellers says that after selling uniforms for Manurewa High School for years, she was last year asked to bid for an exclusive contract and to detail "incentive options" for the school. In other words, she would have had to tender for the contract, and specify what kick-backs she was going to offer the school.
How this is not corruption is beyond me. The best thing to do would be for the Commerce Commission to smack the school board down, then for the parents to revolt and replace the entire board. New Zealand is one of the least-corrupt countries in the world, but how can we maintain that good standing if we allow stuff like this to happen?
How this is not corruption is beyond me. The best thing to do would be for the Commerce Commission to smack the school board down, then for the parents to revolt and replace the entire board. New Zealand is one of the least-corrupt countries in the world, but how can we maintain that good standing if we allow stuff like this to happen?
Tuesday, August 7, 2012
Cowboy cops and their adventures in misconduct
This article in the Otago Daily Times provides further evidence about the fiasco that was the Megaupload raid. It describes how the police anti-terrorist squad was turned out to raid a family home despite a complete absence of evidence; how evidence from a member of the diplomatic protection service (the arm of the police that protects the prime minister) was suppressed to justify an airborne assault; and how police didn't follow their own procedures in planning the raid.
This is just more evidence of the cowboy mentality the New Zealand Police have. What I think happened was:
1) FBI asks NZ police for hlep
2) Managers in the NZ police get excited at the possibility of working with the FBI
3) NZ police decide that since they are finally playing with the big kids, they'd better show off as much as they can
4) Turn out the anti-terrorist squad to show how tough they are and that they are too big kids now!
5) Do whatever the FBI tells them to do, NZ laws and procedures be damned
Seriously, there are several top NZ cops who should be on the dole queue now: they've shown that they can't be trusted to follow the law or even their own rules. Get rid of them. They're a danger to themselves and the New Zealand public.
This is just more evidence of the cowboy mentality the New Zealand Police have. What I think happened was:
1) FBI asks NZ police for hlep
2) Managers in the NZ police get excited at the possibility of working with the FBI
3) NZ police decide that since they are finally playing with the big kids, they'd better show off as much as they can
4) Turn out the anti-terrorist squad to show how tough they are and that they are too big kids now!
5) Do whatever the FBI tells them to do, NZ laws and procedures be damned
Seriously, there are several top NZ cops who should be on the dole queue now: they've shown that they can't be trusted to follow the law or even their own rules. Get rid of them. They're a danger to themselves and the New Zealand public.
Wednesday, August 1, 2012
Suck on this, Air New Zealand
For once, the little guy has won! According to this article, a man who was over-paid a total of $70,000 by Air New Zealand, over a period of several years, does not have to pay any of the money back. Moreover, the court has awarded him costs: in other words, Air New Zealand not only doesn't get their money back, but they have to pay his legal bills as well as their own.
Normally, if someone is over-paid, I'd say that the honest thing to do is to give the money back. But in this case, not only was his salary never specified by Air New Zealand, but he queried the amount he was being paid several times over several years. Every time he queried his payment, he was told that it was correct. Almost a year after the over-payment was identified, they sacked him, saying they could no longer trust him!
It seems to me like he did all he could to do the honest thing. I suspect that when the over-payments became known to the bureaucracy, they sacked him to cover their own blunderings.
Normally, if someone is over-paid, I'd say that the honest thing to do is to give the money back. But in this case, not only was his salary never specified by Air New Zealand, but he queried the amount he was being paid several times over several years. Every time he queried his payment, he was told that it was correct. Almost a year after the over-payment was identified, they sacked him, saying they could no longer trust him!
It seems to me like he did all he could to do the honest thing. I suspect that when the over-payments became known to the bureaucracy, they sacked him to cover their own blunderings.
Tuesday, July 31, 2012
Whinging Dunedin airport
The management of the airport in Dunedin are complaining about people avoiding parking fees by parking in the nearby village of Momona instead of in the airport car park. It turns out that Momona is a private village that is entirely owned by the airport, including the roads. While you might think that this gives the airport the right to whinge about people parking there, the article goes on to say that the airport is considering putting up signs in Momona informing people that it is private property. In other words, they have made no effort before now to inform the general public that the roads in Momona are not public roads.
I've driven to Dunedin airport many times (I used to live in Dunedin) and I know that there are no signs near or in Momona that say anything to the effect that Momona is private property, or that the parking there is for residents only. They are complaining to the newspapers and police without having made any effort to inform the public of the facts. This is like complaining that no-one came to my party when I hadn't told anyone about my party.
They should instead have put the signs up first, then, if people were still parking there illegally after several months, complained to the papers. This way they just look like idiots.
I've driven to Dunedin airport many times (I used to live in Dunedin) and I know that there are no signs near or in Momona that say anything to the effect that Momona is private property, or that the parking there is for residents only. They are complaining to the newspapers and police without having made any effort to inform the public of the facts. This is like complaining that no-one came to my party when I hadn't told anyone about my party.
They should instead have put the signs up first, then, if people were still parking there illegally after several months, complained to the papers. This way they just look like idiots.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)