Jim Boldger & The NZ Green Party

Posted October 4th to the Dominion Post Newspaper Wellington New Zealand.

Dear Sir:

Jim Bolger is a pretty level headed Kiwi bloke and he also echos the sentiments of 

some disappointed Liberals when he asks why the Green Party will not form a government with the National Party, after all the main premise of a liberal is to help others.... If you do not hold power then you can NOT help anyone.

It's a problem in the USA as well as the liberals there almost crave noble defeats preferring to hold the moral high ground rather in academia than do any real work.

Any party should be happy to have the Greens help them they are mostly well educated thoughtful people who strive to have good values.

But they have to stop with the politics of identity and try an be a force of good for all.

Seriously If you form a political party with the Idea that it is purely for ones own ego then you really have no darn business putting your hat in the political ring. Now more than ever!  

Sometimes if you are not fixing a problem, you are part of it.

Remarkables National Park Queenstown NZ

Posted 1st of July 2017 to the Mountain Scene Newspaper Queenstown NZ

It seems time for the some rethinking of the way our public lands are managed in high pressure places such as the Queenstown region.
The call to make a new National Park out of the Remarkables Range and also use the Public Works act to  as a tool to preserve Iconic Landscapes
for the good of all is on the surface an easy solution, but be mindful that National Parks in NZ are a political football as far as funding goes and the
general public are not really encouraged to use them as originally intended when they first where designed.

It is standard practice for the Government not to plough profits back into parks that earn them.  Certainly at the moment the Department of Conservation
ground staff are too few with too many jobs to cover and their Minister has directed them mainly onto biodiversity and not tourism.

Perhaps a more progressive Government might rule in the future and give DOC managers a bonus incentive  but don’t hold your breath for that day.
Meanwhile as long as biodiversity is the number one objective there is no concrete way of measuring any value or even progress for that matter.

In the USA some special places get National Monument status and are preserved for historical & aesthetic reasons and Tourism.

Probably something to think of now that our traditional landowners are clearly under huge pressure from huge overseas & Auckland funded developments.  

FIX AUCKLAND PLEASE - YES WE CAN

Posted 29th July 2016 to the Otago Daily Times newspaper Dunedin NZ

 Not a day goes past without Auckland dominating the Nations news with it housing crisis.

Every day it is harder not to see Auckland as a city of dystopia sucking the life blood out of the rest of the country,
one hope is for Helen Clark to instigate a new united nations of the world that is human & nature based seeing as
19th century nation states and medieval institutions are fading into oblivion with the globalization movement onset.

Cities even now are joining together as central governments weaken.
Cities, it is believed will once again become like little states and will have to buddy up with each other and those built on pondzi foundations
will fail.

Also it seems a world government is badly needed to save the planet. Whether the UN, USA or the cities of the old British Commonwealth could
pull that off depends on if there are enough adults left to run it and if anyone will vote for them.

However right now capital gains and transaction taxes would be a smart move forward to prepare us whatever happens next .  

 

Pressure on NZs Mental Health Services

Posted 7th June 2016 to Nine to Noon Radio New Zealand National.

 Dear Kathryn:
The problem with prolonged exposure to right wing Government like we have in NZ is that they
basically hate you if you are not capable of working hard and paying more taxes, so we live under a veil of fear, fear
that should we fall down we will be crushed under the feet of an uncaring World. It seriously makes some people wonder why they
where brought into existence in the first place. No one in a fragile mental state should have to live under such conditions.

Misery is no objective for an enlightened society.

I am afraid that if your not a Celebrity or a person of means then John Key and his party simply Hate you, as neglect is a form of hate.

There is one solution that if you ARE hated you should be allowed to HATE them Back... Especially at the next election !
and our media should respect descent not fear it.

 

Queenstown Housing Crisis 2016

Posted 4th May 2016 to the Mountain Scene Newspaper Queenstown NZ

I feel sorry for Queenstown .
I lived there in 1971 and it was a truly wonderful place.
A sleepy old Gold-rush Town where Otago & Southland Families could afford to have a small "Batch" to hang out in their Holidays.
Life was run at a slow but steady pace and it seemed like it would go on forever. Today we have a Government that only values Money and Selling things to the highest bidder
As the recent Flag Debate shows many Kiwis now are rich global citizens with no nostalgia for what we use to call New Zealand and I am afraid they are “Terri-forming” Queenstown
Into a International enclave apart from the rest of the Nation State we live in. a Kind of second Auckland fueled by speculators and their minions who play with money as their work.

No “Physical” workers can keep up, the game is so rigged now you can only fail. It’s a Gold-rush with no gold !  Something American Voters have just discovered...

Hollywood Film Crews in New Zealand

Posted 4th May 2016 to the Advocate South Newspaper Te Anau NZ

 I must say as a follower of both Science Fiction and Local History I found the disrespect to our local media by Film crews has been confusing..
Since Peter Jackson Hit Te Anau in the early 2000s Film Crews have been acting like they are “Special Ops” for the CIA.
Even the Duel Survival TV crew that Filmed a silly bugger Survival Episode up the North Arm of Manapouri where making every one they talked to sign secrecy agreements
that turned out to be non binding bits of Xeroxed scrap paper put out, it seems, for their own ego gratification.

I think, not letting the Local media on the sets for the sake of recording of History is in-fact arrogant type behavior with no real commercial context.
It could even be seen as trying to cover up potential wrong doing for Studio Lawyers .

As for Ridley Scott, he now works to the Hollywood formula as his last film attests there are no secrets worth stealing from the discount DVD bin of history.
Where even the great Peter Jackson eventually ends up.

New Zealand's Chinese Tourism Pains

Posted 23rd April 2016 to the Otago Daily Times Newspaper Dunedin NZ

Our Mr John Key is trying out his cowboy statesmanship again as Minister of Tourism when it comes to the Chinese Tourism Debacle that is New Zealand..

How long is this boom going to last? If Bernie Sanders Gets power in the USA  America will want it’s Corporations to Stop Sending Money and Jobs to China
And I the US goes that way other will Follow... So China will take a hit.

Oh yes if Bernie doesn't get in there is still a problem with Industrial Carbon that Humanity has to deal with... And the Rise of Robotic Job Replacement...
And an overwhelming desire for Socialism.

There is also a “Pending Backlash” from Kiwis who don’t want a Million Chinese dropped on top of our fragile environment and Infrastructure...
There are our Lucrative European Tourist who are getting Elbowed of the picture out by the Citizens of the People’s Republic.
There is the Impossible Logistics of the Chinese all coming in one week and expecting there to be enough trained people available to deal with them
For one short window of time. 

As for investing in Tourism... I recall a noted economist saying “Why would You?” It is a rubbish industry with rubbish jobs... John Key has just taken it to a whole New Level..
Somewhere down in the basement. 

* Not Selected for Publication.
 

Trans Pacific Partnership Agreement for Workaholics

Posted 7th October 2015 to the Otago Daily Times Newspaper Dunedin NZ

 It’s a funny thing How Patriotic People get about Rugby or Flags
We need to tread Very Carefully if we want to Interfere with either of those Icons,
but when it come to legal sovereignty of The People of New Zealand, the MOST  important
Part of a Nation, we let our un-mandated representatives give it away so we can make more rubbish jobs that trash our local environment just to give us something to do.

Funny nobody called for a single referendum on that let alone two!
even a vote of No Confidence wouldn’t have gone amiss when Sovereignty is at stake one would expect.

I feel compelled to ask what is our collective driven need to make people Work Hard ? What are we afraid off if we don’t ?
There are so Many Questions, Where is the NZ Lazy Person’s Political Party? are they a thing or are they just none of the above.

Some-one should Cash in on the Lazy Vote... While it’s still worth something... Stop the Madness of not enjoying life as it’s meant to be!

 

Kiwi Laser Flag of New Zealand - James Gray

Posted 13th September 2015 to the Odentroll Blog NZ

Thanks James Gray for your Laser Kiwi Flag which has been a grand diversion from what would have been a dull debate about white feathers and Debt Spirals in our New Zealand Flag Referendum.

We disgruntled graphic artists should join Forces againt John Ki-wi's Destructive Vision!
I present a joint vision Flag :-)

John Key - The National Austerity Party

Posted 20th August 2015 to the Christchurch Press Newspaper Canterbury NZ

 I have a lot of time for the policies of the Green & Labour Parties and I love Mr Peter’s no nonsense stance.
But if I was to enter politics I think I would go for the National Party because They need some Idealism as they appear to have lost their way.

The Contract politicians make to get in power is to make Government function for the good of all with a sense of justice and National Pride
This should be universal for all parties who should differ only in delivery.

The current National Politician are really an austerity party where as before National had a better grip on how capitalism works.
And what controls where needed to stop it from going off the rails.

Their biggest problem should be how Kiwis with money can invest it back in their Nation and get a good return without risk.
If National can’t deliver this then they lose their core purpose for being.

Austerity, Flags, Trade Deals, Tourism Branding, Sporting Events are all Window Dressing to cover up for lack of talent  in the art of
making capitalism run smoothly.

Tim Shadbolt reportedly once said, to be a good leader you have to make sure the plumbing keeps working.

I guess plumbing could be a metaphor for Money & Justice piped in to our homes.

Not so easy to keep up maintenance when our elected leaders are the kids from the Lord of the Flies.

Landcorp - State Owned Realestate NZ

Posted 19th August 2015 to  Otago Daily Times Newspaper Dunedin NZ

 Hearing ex Landcorp head Chris Kelly on National Radio on the state of this SOE makes one ask again if our leaders have lost their way.

It was a Nobel thing that Governments past broke in new farms for returned servicemen but its sad that we have to suffer WARS to do this,
and as we didn’t have any wars for a while our government deemed that this service should be scrapped and replaced with a State owned Enterprise.
This was despite the fact they had a Ballot System in place for keen young Farmers who wanted to have a farm of their own and had not served in any conflict.

In today's crazy world it would be comforting to have such an option especially when you look at the capital gains the winners of those Ballot Farms have today.

Just why is it servicemen where so much more deserving than ordinary workers and children of farmers anyway? Every Worker Risks their life in one way or another when they do a job,
policemen risk their lives as much as many servicemen, large amounts of servicemen & women are purely their for administration and support and are less likely to get killed in their job
than your average Taxi Driver.

So how did the great Ideal of a Government hand Up  end up carving up the unspoiled Vista of Make Manapouri to sell Lifestyle Blocks to Rich People for Trophy Houses?
And How did they manage to pull a Public Easement off of a Landmark Hill with links to early Maori there to sell it to an Asian National? 

It’s all a bit of a mess.  Perhaps next election cycle the public should “vote in” a Parliament that is not a bad parody of the Lord of the Flies and bring in some grown ups for a change.

Teflon John - New Zealand's famous PM

Posted 5th May 2015 to the Dominion Post Newspaper Wellington NZ

One has to admire our Prime Minister..
Teflon John is a genius, he has cracked the Kiwi Psyche and can do no wrong.

The Secret is the Tall Poppy Syndrome... Avoid any hint of Pomposity and Stuffy Moral Authority
Just do your job and don’t look flustered under fire.

Act Humble, Leadership is seen best as a childhood ambition not a serious calling, the old saying holds true in the Hearts of Nz’ers
That Nobody Likes a Smart-Arse. Don’t be stupid but avoid looking like anything more than a middling Intellectual.

If you Can, look a bit dreamy as nobody feels threatened by that. (note to David Cunliffe)

Remember that a Prime Minister is a fancy Civil Servant and not a Dictator or people will expect too much from you..

And don’t Forget that Half the Country don’t really want to vote for anyone so they are not in the game, they just bleat from the Sidelines.

Child Poverty Crisis NZ - The Hard Choices

Posted 4th May 2015 to Radio New Zealand's Sunday Morning Program.

Given that we are part of a Global Village I think all Humans need to get together on this one .
However if I was A Ruling Political Party in NZ wanting to give us a Better Future I would do three things
1st a %100 percent Tax on Property Sales involving Overseas Buyers of New Zealand Property. 2nd a Transaction Tax on all Internet Movements of Large Sums of Money. And Third, Give free Food and Healthcare to all one child Families in poverty.

If one wanted to go a step further...  Cancel all student loans for essential professions. And Cap all High end salaries to a sane level.

One would have to have the Power of Stalin to pull it off but that would fix Child Poverty good and proper.

Money isn’t Real, Actions Are.. Truly Everything on this planet is about HUMANS and their future and nothing else matters what so ever.

... to any non Humans...
 

Responsibilities of the New Zealand State

Posted 9th April 2015 to the Dominion Post Newspaper Wellington NZ

 Listening to how our Government has handled the Home Care Contract situation one feels like reminding the Government that
Their primary purpose is to look after all it’s citizens, that is the social contract MPs are signing up to when they become representatives.

As we speak, New Zealanders who have been good honest hard working people are being displaced from housing because they are physically unable to
work hard enough to compete with overseas investors and the children of the wealthy. Now If they have to care for a Mentally or Physically damaged Family member or loved one this could make life totally intolerable!

Might I suggest that if we can not fix our economic system we can at least build care facilities for our Fine Citizens who have never done crime or held any malice
so they do not become displaced because of bad luck and avoid letting them becoming prey to the people we lock up in jails at great expense.

The best way of doing this?? I suggest traditional Villages with subsidized small Cottages with Communal Gardens and Workshops where Skills and Care can be shared. (with the Elderly as well.)

I gather the old State Mental Hospitals where going in that direction before they where scrapped by the free-marketeers.
But in 2015 any intellectual will tell you the free market is ultimately degrading humanity. Totally.

 

State Housing & John Key's Party

Posted 26th March 2015 to the Southland Times Newspaper Invercargill NZ

 I seems strange to me that John Key’s Government cant get it’s head around the Idea that they are there to look after the
Human Population on New Zealand.

The State housing Drama shows that they are just tired of looking after People when the could be having fun doing Fancy Window dressing with the Tax Payers Money.

The Crazy thing is Our Wealth as a Nation Comes from the Well-being of all our Population.

Never in the History of the World has it served the greater good to dispossess and neglect a portion of Society. Because always the perpetrators of inhumanity will make EVERYONE  pay for it.

I think Its not the Housing or the Flag that are outdated. It’s the political system in general that is antiquated and cack-handed.
There should be two tiers of Government, one dedicated to Business and one to our human assets!

And in the later House NO Businessmen or Layers need apply.

You don’t have to be an intellectual commentator to state the present Government is clearly unbalanced and inhuman... you simply stop voting if you feel no one respects you.