Nah - I'm still pissed off

[Paul in NZ]

Its a bit like doing witout dessert - I'm still not feeling 'right' about this..

I dunno. I suppose in the great scheme of things I have to say I lead a pretty privileged life. Despite what the detractors say, NZ is still a wonderful country and certainly, I for one am not tempted by Aussie or other places. I earn decent money, live in a nice house, have a wife that is kind (and deserves better than I)… I have two – no 3 nice classic bikes, a couple of old kayaks and two reliable old Toyota station wagons… If push comes to shove and the National party won’t be swayed, I’ll find a way to keep enjoying life, bikes, my girl, the garden, the family etc etc…. In fact – life is so good I almost feel a bit guilty about protesting.

What pisses me off is not the money so much but the possibility that my government is plain lying to me and without regard to the consequences, driving another nail into the Kiwi lifestyle and community.

Let me explain, badly as it happens because I don’t think I’ve really thought this all the way through – yet.

At first glance, asking me to pay my own way seems a reasonable enough request. However, communities don’t always work that way and lets face it, this country is still so small that it can be considered a single community. If I drive to work I cannot be expected to provide my own road could I? If I did, I couldn’t afford extra for a road to drive on during my holidays so as a community we say, ‘well, lets all put in a bit and you can use my bit and I’ll use yours.” As a type 1 diabetic I’m a reasonably heavy user of health services, its an auto immune disease and no way could I afford to train my own doctors and research and make my own medicines so as a community we have a health system (such as it is). We all pay our taxes and we all withdraw services according to our needs and we try to provide the essentials. We can take private insurance to cover the extras and really, I’m in two minds about that (although thankfully I can just still afford some cover) There is a tacit covenant of community where we all contribute according to our means and withdraw according to our needs with a clear understanding that both our needs and means will vary over a lifetime. I’m here to help you and you help me when I need it. It’s the core strength and reason for community and nationhood.

Who is the most highly regarded kiwi of the modern era? Sir Ed Hillary?? Imagine if mountaineers had to pay according to their risk for treatment or rescue? No more heroes? Sure he was pre acc era but the concepts the same, if someone is in trouble, the community provides assistance.

Unfortunately, the one thing we should be concerned about more than anything is the increase in random violence and general poor behaviour. The attitude is very much ‘fuck you – whats your problem?”. I’m horny so its OK to rape someone, I need cash for drugs so its OK to commit crime. For one reason or another there is a breakdown of our community occurring, the essential Kiwi psyche is under threat as is our very way of life. If we follow this through, why should I pay for the mentally or physically impaired? Indeed I’m going to be so busy making my own insulin etc that I’m not going to have any time to go to work or pay taxes anyway so you can all get stuffed.

Here now we have a case where one group is demonised and expected to pay their way… Fair enough! I’m prepared to do that but I’m sorry, I don’t water ski, rock climb, etc etc down to cycling so I’m not paying for that, oh, next prick that gets lost in the bush? Sorry mate, not my problem, surf rescue – nah sorry, you didn’t purchase cost related cover before coming to the beach so can’t help.

Is this the society I want to live in?

No – its NOT!!

What I want is the dumb pricks to stop wasting my bloody contribution on stupid admin designed to generate ‘nice’ jobs. What I want is not to have to take a day off work to stand and listen to the pricks too or protest to get a fair go. I want to know that if me or my kids screw up kayaking, tramping, driving, get bitten by a dog or god forbid fall off a motorbike, that some fucking suit is not going to turn up with a clipboard and ask me if I have appropriate cover for this rescue?

This is NOT the kiwi way – it is an aberration and an attack on the country my father fought for and others have strived and died for. We had a deal with ACC – a covenant of trust – mess with it at your peril mr smith…

[Paul in NZ]

Oh - btw - well done the organisers. VERY well done.

Stoney - I vote you be renamed Sir Stoney KB for services to biking!

[R6_kid:Me]

Ka pai bro. Been thinking the same lately - funnily enough the Sir Ed comparison was what came to mind for me as well.

[Mom]

I'm still not feeling 'right' about this..

I want to know that if me or my kids screw up kayaking, tramping, driving, get bitten by a dog or god forbid fall off a motorbike, that some fucking suit is not going to turn up with a clipboard and ask me if I have appropriate cover for this rescue?

This is NOT the kiwi way – it is an aberration and an attack on the country my father fought for and others have strived and died for. We had a deal with ACC – a covenant of trust – mess with it at your peril mr smith…

Apologies for the shortened quote, but...

Amen Brother!

[DidJit]

Awesome post, mate! We need to keep reminding ourselves of this. Well done!

[BikerDazz]

Exactly man, exactly!

[phill-k]

Well said - the principles behind ACC are exactly as you have voiced, no fault and the cost shared between us all.

I for one as a protest will be lodging a complaint with the Human Rights Commission, stating I am being discriminated against under the founding principles of ACC.

cheers
phill

[White trash]

Unfortunately, the one thing we should be concerned about more than anything is the increase in random violence and general poor behaviour. The attitude is very much ‘fuck you – whats your problem?”. I’m horny so its OK to rape someone, I need cash for drugs so its OK to commit crime. For one reason or another there is a breakdown of our community occurring, the essential Kiwi psyche is under threat as is our very way of life.

Funny this statement should find its way into the ACC debate as I've been feeling this way for the past couple of years. Quite frankly, and this is a no doubt unpopular view on these forums, I don't give a fuck about the proposed levy hikes. I should care more, but I dont.

However, the fact that New Zealand scociety seems to be falling to pieces literaly in front of us, makes me want to make a difference. How that difference is best made is still a mystery but I suspect it begins with each of us striving to be a better person. And that's not to say you're doing it, it's actually doing it.

Sorry Paul, went a bit off topic there. The rest of your post makes very good sense too.

[monkeymcbean]

I think a GOOD government looks after its people, I don't like this smoke and mirrors bullshit, and I HATE being treated like im dumb.

[pete376403]

great post Paul. Send it to the Dompost as an OpEd piece. Might need to tone down some of the language, p'raps.

[Paul in NZ]

I think a GOOD government looks after its people, I don't like this smoke and mirrors bullshit, and I HATE being treated like im dumb.

A good government builds a strong inclusive community. It does NOT pitch one group of tax payers against another!

We need a dream - this aint it... selling our stuff aint either....

[GOONR]

great post Paul. Send it to the Dompost as an OpEd piece. Might need to tone down some of the language, p'raps.

That's a good idea. It's just the kind of thing that might get people thinking.

[Trudes]

Ok, firstly I agree with your post Paul.
BUT just something for us all to remember, National as a political party generally sways to the Right of the political spectrum, this generally means free markets, individualisim, user pays etc. We voted them in, what did we expect? (I personally did not, I hate both National and Labour). I remember not long before the last election the amount of moaning on this site and in NZ in general about how Labour was fucking up the country and that we should all vote National, well, we got what we wanted.
Maybe this is why in the last decade or so we keep getting a bunch of Labour and Labour led Governments then after a few years we get sick of the nanny state comforts and vote National back in "to tidy the shit up" which they never manage to do in the one term we keep them in before we all go "it's not fair, why should I have to pay for blah blah" and then vote Labour back in to give us back all our benefits.

[Goblin]

A good government builds a strong inclusive community. It does NOT pitch one group of tax payers against another!

We need a dream - this aint it... selling our stuff aint either....

But it's the National way...always was...and always will be.

[Naki Rat]

Very well put Paul (bling sent) and put briefly is why the US and many other countries' social fabric is coming unravelled.
A National problem though peoples?? I think the rot had started setting in well before these turkeys got their latest turn at the helm.