Dear Mr English, I don't want a tax cut

[mashman]

??? If that's correct, surely the "workers" would all go into business themselves and get their hands on the subsidies.

ok, maybe subsidy is the wrong terminology for the pricing of materials/items/services that are sold cheaper to businesses than they are to "workers" i.e. joe public... hence we subsidise the short fall of business deals/rates... matter of perspective perhaps?

[mashman]

Ok, a question: If we are borrowing approx 35 million bucks a day (based on 250 mill per week) and as a society we're covering the rest of NZ's "costs", that works out as $5/day per NZ citizen... and with the 10% paying 76% of tax etc... wouldn't upping the top tax level by 1%, on paper, have allowed us to pay off our debt earlier and have some left over to shore up the services that are being axed? I'm sure it's not as simple as that and with the breadth of knowledge on here i'm sure someone can enlighten me?

[Winston001]

... and with the 10% paying 76% of tax etc... wouldn't upping the top tax level by 1%, on paper, have allowed us to pay off our debt earlier and have some left over to shore up the services that are being axed?

You mean make GST 16%? Works for me.

[mashman]

You mean make GST 16%? Works for me.

The problem i have with the GST rise is it screws over the don't have's... I'm in the top tax bracket and much like shrub would accept a tax increase IF it could be used to lower NZ debt and allow services to run at the pre-election standard... if it is only $5 a day, then why the fuck aren't they doing it?

are you on the pills tonight?

[MikeL]

The mantra of "Lower taxes, lower taxes" has deceived us with its carefully worded justifications, behind which lie equally carefully unstated premises. These are:
* greed is good; it is better to have flourishing business activity than healthy, happy well-educated and well-adjusted citizens
* the wealthy deserve to keep more of their money because they contribute more to the economy; if we don't look after them, they will take their money elsewhere
* public services can always be trimmed back a little more
* the middle classes won't complain if they're told that the wealthy are already paying most of the tax
Add to this the fact that the business-friendly media will always favour stories overstating the role of tax rates in economic activity and will always downplay concerns about social equity, and you start to understand why the public has been duped.

[Winston001]

Are they ? http://www.stuff.co.nz/environment/3...rst-in-the-Wes ( I doubt the reasoning but no smoke without fire )


Your food is too expensive ( Tokyo is cheaper trust me ) infrastructure yes you do have it , State highway one? the overlander ? metro linK ? Airports excluding fields with a hut , ala napier

People from Hokiado may want to disagree with you about those wide open spaces , though I myself do find the wide roads and high speeds a bit of getting used to....

and i am sorry there is no way u have the life style of europe , Hungary is similar and trust me better

ON the SURFACE NZ is good , but sorry I wouldnt want to live there.... it is a nice place, but sorry other places are equal if not better , and I have lived in a few countries

At the moment I have a new house with all the mod cons , only work 5 hours a day , a 2 year old car, education is good , health care is excellent , beer is , almost free , 3000 yen for all u can drink . whiskey is 20 bucks for a scotish single malt ..... should I go on?

Sorry but this godzone thing is a myth

Everyone has their personal point of view and it depends upon their core values as to what they like best. I'm impressed that you like Japanese culture, that's a good reason to be there. I also have no doubt that Japan is a high-wage economy and far outstrips NZ for material technology. If that is a priority for life, cool.

I don't think anyone pretends NZ has the same high-tech advantages which the densely populated OECD countries enjoy. What we do have nevertheless is a quality of life which makes up for low wages, ordinary roads, slow broadband etc. I've been in a few countries too and still think NZ is the best. We've had a lot of European immigrants over the past 10 years who agree.

As for Godzone, most Americans think they live there. It isn't original to us - but I kinda like it anyway.

[Tank]

. What we do have nevertheless is a quality of life which makes up for low wages, ordinary roads, slow broadband etc. I've been in a few countries too and still think NZ is the best. We've had a lot of European immigrants over the past 10 years who agree.

Agree 100% - a lot of people forget that - or need to travel a bit and see just how good we have it.

[aprilia_RS250]

Ok, a question: If we are borrowing approx 35 million bucks a day (based on 250 mill per week) and as a society we're covering the rest of NZ's "costs", that works out as $5/day per NZ citizen... and with the 10% paying 76% of tax etc... wouldn't upping the top tax level by 1%, on paper, have allowed us to pay off our debt earlier and have some left over to shore up the services that are being axed? I'm sure it's not as simple as that and with the breadth of knowledge on here i'm sure someone can enlighten me?

A country can borrow money from offshore for very long periods as long as it's economic growth is higher than the rate they're paying. Sovereign debt is not like a mortgage. It's seen as being less risky and a nation can deffer on its payments. A country that is growing requires a lot of immediate funding, (e.g. build better schools, hospitals roads etc), funding that could not be accessed directly from the population, so one way is take out debt. The NZ Govt decided to go into an expansionary fiscal policy stance during the recession and required debt to do that. Still does as its a growing economy. But Labour's moronic crew of ministers and advisers thought it was a wise thing to keep borrowing, while overtaxing and creating budget surpluses during the economic boom after 9/11. Idiots didn't realise that this wasn't good for investment growth hence NZ had one of the lowest growth rates of all oecd nations. This probably cost NZ 10 times more than any outstanding debt it currently has.

[Brian d marge]

Everyone has their personal point of view and it depends upon their core values as to what they like best. I'm impressed that you like Japanese culture, that's a good reason to be there. I also have no doubt that Japan is a high-wage economy and far outstrips NZ for material technology. If that is a priority for life, cool.

I don't think anyone pretends NZ has the same high-tech advantages which the densely populated OECD countries enjoy. What we do have nevertheless is a quality of life which makes up for low wages, ordinary roads, slow broadband etc. I've been in a few countries too and still think NZ is the best. We've had a lot of European immigrants over the past 10 years who agree.

As for Godzone, most Americans think they live there. It isn't original to us - but I kinda like it anyway.

Compared with London NZ is a paradise esp if you have kids , ( I have two of them and am staying here( Japan , 10 years) for that very reason , the services available to me are great ) but the quality of life in NZ I think depends on your income , which I liken to a trail along a ridge line , you fall off that ridge and its very hard to climb back on and as pretty as NZ is , you cant feed your family by looking at the scenery ,

IF I could guarantee a stable Job paying 8 to 1100 a week with reasonable health care ( ie I dont have to wait 5 hours or more , ie London ) or the ratio there of , ( as this is the life style I have at the moment )
I would move back

IMHO
Once you come off that little path of security, NZ is a BYATCH of a place to live. ( and it doesn't need to be ,and the reason I get so animated about things, Thanks america for nowt )

Stephen
PS ,, these are my IMHO and if you can make a go of it in NZ more power to you , ( my brother lives there in a little flat in CHCH, has lots of new toys and isnt married , he loves the place and wouldnt shift for the world , horses for courses I think)

coffee time

[Winston001]

are you on the pills tonight?

LOL must spread rep....etc

Add to this the fact that the business-friendly media will always favour stories overstating the role of tax rates in economic activity and will always downplay concerns about social equity......

You've got to be joking mate!! What business friendly media? They are virtually non-existent. Ok, Brian Fellow knows his stuff but most journalists are the fruit of arts degrees and have firmly-established leftish politics in their blood. In fact one of the common complaints regarding all branches of the media is how shallow and biased they are when it comes to economics.

[Bald Eagle]

( my brother lives there in a little flat in CHCH, has lots of new toys and isnt married , he loves the place and wouldnt shift for the world , horses for courses I think)

coffee time

Thats the trick then delete family add toys = happy as p in s

[Brian d marge]

Thats the trick then delete family add toys = happy as p in s

Some kind person made wife poisoning and child labour illegal


I could be retired in Florida now if they hadn't

Stephen

[Winston001]

IF I could guarantee a stable Job paying 8 to 1100 a week with reasonable health care ( ie I dont have to wait 5 hours or more , ie London ) or the ratio there of , ( as this is the life style I have at the moment )
I would move back


Once you come off that little path of security, NZ is a BYATCH of a place to live.

....these are my IMHO and if you can make a go of it in NZ more power to you...

You've described the income of a school teacher which is the largest professional occupational group in NZ. In other words, plenty earn $800+/wk. Add in Working For Families and you'd pay little or no tax here. The median household income for NZ in 2008 was $1271/wk and the average household income was $1490. All of which means a substantial number of our 4 million walk a pretty wide placid ridge.

Of course you don't want job uncertainty and are happy in Japan - hey, I'd do that too. I'm not sure why you think life is a biatch below the median so tell us more.

One observation: I've been fortunate enough to travel in my feckless youth and the kindest happiest people I met were also the poorest. Specifically the Sudanese. Followed by the Turks, Indians, and the Irish. Rural Mexicans are nice people too. Money is far from everything.

[Mudfart]

Ok, a question: If we are borrowing approx 35 million bucks a day (based on 250 mill per week) and as a society we're covering the rest of NZ's "costs", that works out as $5/day per NZ citizen... and with the 10% paying 76% of tax etc... wouldn't upping the top tax level by 1%, on paper, have allowed us to pay off our debt earlier and have some left over to shore up the services that are being axed? I'm sure it's not as simple as that and with the breadth of knowledge on here i'm sure someone can enlighten me?

the reason we keep owing more and more is because the mp's keep giving themselves such fucking massive pay increases.
Bill to make the workplace a smokefree environment= 15 years to pass thru parliament.
Bill to give themselves a payrise of 15%= 2 hours to pass thru parliament.

[Bald Eagle]

Money is far from everything.

But it can make your misery pretty comfortable as the saying goes.