DOM POST says - bikers should pay

[NighthawkNZ:Me]

Yeah cause breaking your neck in rugby is so healthy.

I don't count boxing as a sports accident (ACC paid $800,000) when they are purposely trying to knock each other out...???

[ready4whatever]

I don't count boxing as a sports accident (ACC paid $800,000) when they are purposely trying to knock each other out...???

Yeah thats no accident. WTF

[zahria]

some letters are best written, but never posted...

[koba]

It was a bit interesting that the opinion piece was not credited in the paper.

I also noted the "Interview" with John Key on the facinng page that was really a a flimsy essay by JK (or one of his staff) that read like a campagin ad.

It had a few 'interesting' comments like the reference to the tax cuts national have bought us?!!?

I wonder how that fits into the electoral finance picture?

The DOM POST seems to be working hard to retain readers with a flash new look and free trials but perhaps they have neglected integrity of content in this pursuit. no, wait, it's been shit for ages.

[scissorhands]

Good for wiping your arse with, and that all.

[ready4whatever]

I also noted the "Interview" with John Key on the facinng page that was really a a flimsy essay by JK (or one of his staff) that read like a campagin ad.

It had a few 'interesting' comments like the reference to the tax cuts national have bought us?!!?

Yeah. and does anybody else think John Key is a stupid twit? honestly he sounds so basic he never says anything smart. He always refers everything to 'New Zealanders', "Thats not good for new zealanders, bla bla bla". he doesnt sound like somebody who really knows what they talk about. im no gem either, but im not the primeminister

[koba]

Good for wiping your arse with, and that all.

I said somthing along those lines to a printer mate once and he said "Oh no! don't do that! you should see the chemicals in it!"

Yeah. and does anybody else think John Key is a stupid twit? honestly he sounds so basic he never says anything smart. He always refers everything to 'New Zealanders', "Thats not good for new zealanders, bla bla bla". he doesnt sound like somebody who really knows what they talk about. im no gem either, but im not the primeminister

The National Party have a fine press team, I think it is quite deliberate how we only get those kind of soundbytes.

[Deano]

I don't count boxing as a sports accident (ACC paid $800,000) when they are purposely trying to knock each other out...???

And union and league players aren't trying to hurt each other when they tackle or hit up their opponents ?

Keep it real.

Go rugby eh - http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/rugby/a...burning-desire

[NighthawkNZ:Me]

Recombine all the accounts. Drop evey single levy they have for collecting ACC so instantly every one gets a PAY rise since that levy is no longer in your PAYE. No levy on rego or fuel.

Put an ACC levy on GST to compensate there solved. Its on petrol, booze bikes, cars, bike gear, oil, tyres, vehicle seriving and covers paper cuts, the tourists, cyclists & bikers, workers, kids with their pocket money, covers boaties, mowing your lawn and sport players, it covers chocking on a chicking bone, or my auntie breaking her hip last year.

All business have to is up GST the IRD goons do the rest. I would be a truly community funded compensation schem and become very hard to privatise, it would then mean there would be no finger pointing at who paid what and how much as you would not be able to work it out.

GST is still 12.5% and the levy say 2.5%. ACC only needs 5 billion a year to operate and save some money, this would generate around 10 billion a year. ACC would be fully funded on time if not sooner and the levy could be then lowered to 1%. Business can only reclaim GST but not the levy. Which at the end of the day is being paid by the end user as per. Business and business owners are also end users and have to buy personal stuff as well and covers them.

We could still put the levy on all traffic infringements, and a flat fee levy on all vehicles being sold, which can then be used for better driver and rider educations.

[NordieBoy]

However, there is no disputing the fact that a motorcyclist who hits a lamp-post with only clothing for protection is likely to do a great deal more damage to him or herself than the driver of a modern car equipped with crumple zones and airbags.

So the width of the vehicle should be taken into account in the ACC charges?

It is not reasonable to expect those who use vehicles as a means of getting from one place to another to underwrite the expenses of those who use powerful motorbikes as recreational toys.

Cool. So as I use a motorbike for work "as a means of getting from one place to another" I should pay less again - Score

Riding a motorbike is not an inherently healthy activity.

The ones who motorbike as a sport and do get health benefits don't pay ACC anyway.

[davereid]

Recombine all the accounts. Drop evey single levy they have for collecting ACC so instantly every one gets a PAY rise since that levy is no longer in your PAYE. No levy on rego or fuel.

ACC payouts are greater to the wealthy than to the poor - the Earnings Related Compensation ERC is based on 80% of your wage.

So when you have an accident, there a proportion of the claim that is for the medical stuff, (which on average will be independant of income) and a proportion that covers ERC.

How about we dump the ERC - if you want income insurance go get it. If you dont get it and you have an accident, your ACC ERC is a fixed amount - say the same as a sickness benefit.

[Hawkeye]

Unfortunatly, as has been said by others here, if it is in the papers, it must be true. So I'm a believer. I read it in the paper so it must be true.


In some ways, I hate this 'angry biker' tag that I am being labelled with. I am an angry father of 3 who just happens to commute on a bike (every day) and am pissed at being singled out by this inept government.
I am protesting for my rights of access to a 'no blame' compensation scheme that is currently being twisted into a 'blame motorbikes' insurance scheme.

I have 2 cars and 2 bikes. So using their logic, I should be paying nothing extra. Each extra $77 I pay for my 2 cars goes against the $77 that car drivers are subsidising for my 2 bikes. I know 5 year olds that can do that maths. $77 - $77 = $0 . Not rocket science is it.

Maybe I should become a journalist or a politician. No sorry, I would fail the aptitude test.

1+1 = 2. Bugger failed!

4-5 weeks ago, the dom post tried to get more readers by delivering their rag free for 2 weeks to most households in the region (or at least in mine). For 2 weeks, I picked it up and put it straight into the place it belonged, the trash. It did not get opened once.

[NighthawkNZ:Me]

And union and league players aren't trying to hurt each other when they tackle or hit up their opponents ?

Keep it real.

never said they weren't

[Kennif]

Put an ACC levy on GST to compensate there solved. Its on petrol, booze bikes, cars, bike gear, oil, tyres, vehicle seriving and covers paper cuts, the tourists, cyclists & bikers, workers, kids with their pocket money, covers boaties, mowing your lawn and sport players, it covers chocking on a chicking bone, or my auntie breaking her hip last year.

Yes BUT the impact on inflation would be enormous. Our exports would immediately become more expensive, imports become less expensive, balance of payments would go screwy, mortgage interest rates would rise making first homes less affordable and we head down that trail again.

A GST %age raise may be part of the answer but I think we have to face the fact that this will have no easy single answer.

[k2w3]

My easy answer is say "fuck 'em" and move back to England. Oh shit. That's rooted too.