So what has changed in 50 years?

[YellowDog]

______________________________________

[slofox]

I once had a role in a play against that very track. (and the answer is nothing)

[Headbanger]

Awesome televisions.

[Voltaire]

The Eastern World was not his greatest worry.

OT - Barry McGuire To Old for New Zealand
17 posts by 8 authors
Bob Feigel
10/31/05
(Just goes to prove that bureaucrats can be worthless braindead
parasites wherever you go.)

http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/0,2106,...1a1860,00.html

Singing star quits NZ in immigration protest

SUNDAY , 30 OCTOBER 2005

By TONY WALL
A fourth generation Kiwi has renounced her citizenship after a
year-long battle with the Immigration Service over getting residency
for her husband of 32 years.

Mari McGuire says she is ashamed to be a Kiwi.

McGuire's husband, American folk singing star Barry McGuire, has been
refused permanent residency because the service says his age - 70 -
and heart condition would make him a burden on the health system.
McGuire, who had a US No 1 hit in 1965 with the anti-war song Eve of
Destruction, has a pacemaker.

The couple's $1 million-plus home - built on the Whangaparaoa
Peninsula north of Auckland 18 months ago - goes up for auction today.
They will return to California.

The issue of health screening for immigrants was highlighted last week
by a Sunday Star-Times article which revealed a deaf South African
girl, allegedly killed by her father, had also been classified a
possible burden on the state.

The Immigration Service is introducing tougher health screening for
migrants aimed at weeding out those with TB and HIV, but also anyone
who could be a burden on the state, including children with
developmental delays and people with dementia.

McGuire, whose two adult children have New Zealand citizenship, said
he felt for the South African family.

"What they (immigration) are doing is playing games with people's
lives. Why didn't they tell the family before they got here they might
not be able to stay? They don't give a fig about people, it's all
politics and money."

McGuire has been a permanent resident in New Zealand before - he and
Mari lived here for six years in the 1980s. He says his pacemaker
corrects a faulty nerve and his heart is otherwise in good shape.

"They (the government) are quite happy to tax my worldwide income,
including royalties from 40 years ago, but they don't want me to have
access to the health system.

"I'm certainly not going to be a financial burden on this country.
I've poured a ton of finances into this country and I've contributed a
lot."

McGuire said although he did not have a full-time job, he continued to
play music and had entertained about 20,000 New Zealand school
children.

Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters, a fan of McGuire's music, had
promised to help McGuire obtain re-entry visas so he could continue to
visit. Peters said it was too late now, but he believed McGuire could
have mounted a strong case for residency based on his continuing
royalty payments.

Immigration spokeswoman Mary Anne Thompson said health screening of
immigrants was a fine balance between what a person contributed to
society and what they cost. She said research showed visitors spent
around $6.5 billion a year in New Zealand, but also sucked about $24
million a year out of the health system.

She said a guideline had been established under which somebody who was
likely to cost the health system $25,000 or more over four years would
probably be rejected. Doctors, not the department, assessed a person's
health requirements, and cumulative health problems were the most
likely impediments.

"You could be obese and be fine, but you could also be obese and have
high blood pressure and palpitations which altogether means you
probably do have a problem. That would be a higher level of
unacceptable risk."

Where disabled children's parents were working and paying taxes, the
cost of the dependants was weighed against the family's "positive
contribution". Waivers could be applied for. The very sick, including
those in end-stage renal failure or needing a heart transplant, would
be excluded.

In last week's text poll, "should disabled people be barred from
immigrating to NZ", 59.5 per cent said yes, 40.5 per cent no.

[oldrider]

So what has changed in 50 years?

Hmmm - Communism has flunked the test - Terrorism is the new world enemy - World debt still is the weapon of choice! - NWO right on track! - Nothing really!

[awa355]

Riders no longer whinge about being made to wear helmets?? (well not much).

[Woodman]

The Eastern World was not his greatest worry.

So Winston Peters supports immigration??

Oh yeah Maguire doesn't look Asian.

[Laava]

Beards. 50 years ago I didnt have one. Especially with greys in it.
Oh, and I guess by extension, pubes. But let's not go there.

[trustme]

Communication & technology. Faxes came & went , mobile phones were for James Bond. Home computers were just a dream .
Could we have communicated like this 50 years ago. Nope we would have been out doing something productive.

[awa355]

50 years ago various bod's were pushing to have motorcycling banned because of the death rates. Oops, that hasn't changed.

[Maha]

50 years ago you could only buy two types of milk. And toast bread had to be cut from a single loaf.

[mashman]

Confidence...

[Voltaire]

50 years ago the Triumph Bonneville was the bike to have powerful and fast, now you can ride it on a learners licence, and the Beatles were just about to release their best imho album.

[ellipsis]

...50 years ago I was an angry ginga...nothing has changed...

[puddytat]

There is the equivalent of 60 million people shitting all over the countryside ......