Child poverty in NZ (TV3 22/11)

[nudemetalz]

Man, that is sad, Maha !!

[BoristheBiter]

At the risk of getting flamed the fuck out of, here's my thoughts.

The Swedish model is something that should be thoroughly investigated and set an example to how New Zealand should be. What's wrong with $20 a week less for each child from Working For Familys credits in return for a healthy cooked meal for every child at school for lunch? What's wrong with a school nurse full time and GP visits twice weekly at each school?

All you cunts that jump up and down about bludgers with kids, why should they get handouts etc etc. Guess what, I work hard. Fucken hard in fact. About 65 hours a week all told. My family doesn't have the spare cash most weeks to pay $58 for an after hours doctors visit should one of the kids need it. I thought NZ was supposed to have a free healthcare system? Isn't that one of the many things that makes this country awesome? So make it properly free for the kids, as Mr Gareth Morgan pointed out. For every dollar spent early on in health care on prevention, you'll not spend $3 later on.

I'm struggling to see why this is a bad idea.

As if you would get flamed.

I do agree with that, take away the "tuck shop" and put in cafetieres. I would be more than happy to take my $30 ACC from gareth and feed some kids.
That is a much better idea than most have come up with.
as for the nurse we used to have one don't know what happened, probably cost cutting or maybe with the H&S act it was, like a lot of this, just too hard to comply.
Doctors/ free health care? well hospitals are still free but you have to wait a while. Check out the local doctors as around our area there is a massive difference in prices, but I get your point.

And with out the thought of being flamed myself, what extras could you do without? Fags, booze, sky, mobile phones etc. I don't know you so only guessing.

[unstuck]

I know of a couple of familys who can only afford to give their kids noodles for tea, but can afford to get pissed on the weekends,buy a couple of tinnys during the week and get the latest playstation games. Fuck,that kinda shit really rips my undies.

[caspernz]

I would say 1 of the differences between the NZ vs Sweden models was Sweden puts the money towards services that directly benefit the kids, we give the money to the parents & hope they use it to benefit the kids and we all know how well that's working...

Mmmm, did someone say foodstamps? That doesn't work as well as it's intended either.... Maha is right in that it will take time to change the attitude. I guess the attitude being that kids don't deserve respect in the eyes of some folks. Even then this change will only be partial...

[Maha]

Man, that is sad, Maha !!

Sad but very real...
The children growing up within this kind of environment have no incentive to seek employment.
Not when there is free money on tap.
Mid 90's once again...a mate of mine walked into the local Labour Exchange (or whatever it was called back then) and asked three teenagers (who were sitting waiting to be seen about getting the dole) if they wanted a job?

''doing what''?
''Ripping up old lino at the Hospital''
''whats the pay''?
Dave told them.
''Oh na''...
So Dave just walked out..

[White trash]

And with out the thought of being flamed myself, what extras could you do without? Fags, booze, sky, mobile phones etc. I don't know you so only guessing.

No way man, this is a very good point.

Gave up smoking 3 months back, reality is I should have done it at the start of the year when I took a paycut due to changing careers for something less stressful but I was in denial I could still afford to. No Sky at my place, in fact we only have a TV because the parents in law had a spare one when our last shitter gave up the ghost. Only beer I drink is that brought round by other people or for way of thanks for helping others work on their bikes or when Fatjim (GC) comes around for a bender. Mobile is a handme down from a mate on a pre-paid card (which seldom has credit) so people can get hold of me afterhours should they need to. So while you have a very valid point and there are a hell of a lot of people wasting while complaining about how tough it is, I'm certainly not one of them.

[White trash]

I would say 1 of the differences between the NZ vs Sweden models was Sweden puts the money towards services that directly benefit the kids, we give the money to the parents & hope they use it to benefit the kids and we all know how well that's working...

Yup. And the Swedish authorities believe it costs $20 per week to feed each child at school.

For each of my school aged kids, reduce my Working For Families credit by $30 a week, in return give them FREE health care and a healthy, school provided meal. What parent wouldn't agree to that?

[Maha]

I know of a couple of familys who can only afford to give their kids noodles for tea, but can afford to get pissed on the weekends,buy a couple of tinnys during the week and get the latest playstation games. Fuck,that kinda shit really rips my undies.

Theres are the kind of people that also get food parcels...
Working at a church a few months back in Wellsford...a lady came in to get a box of food for a family sitting in a people mover outside...both parents were smoking..
Anne and myself gave up smoking almost years ago now...I was loosing $4K per year to ciggies and Anne was loosing $6K..
Thats a combined finacial lose of $10K! per year. TEN THOUSAND DOLLARS.!

Now, Wellsford family may well be struggling and are entitled to smoke if they want to but for fucks sake people..you obviously cant afford it.

[BoristheBiter]

Theres are the kind of people that also get food parcels...
Working at a church a few months back in Wellsford...a lady came in to get a box of food for a family sitting in a people mover outside...both parents were smoking..
Anne and myself gave up smoking almost years ago now...I was loosing $4K per year to ciggies and Anne was loosing $6K..
Thats a combined finacial lose of $10K! per year. TEN THOUSAND DOLLARS.!

Now, Wellsford family may well be struggling and are entitled to smoke if they want to but for fucks sake people..you obviously cant afford it.

Used to work with a guy, good pay, no real problems then one year i saw him on tv getting Xmas dinner at the city mission.
Pulled him aside and asked if there was any thing we could do. He just laughed and said "fuck no it's free food, do it all the time and they hand out food parcels"
What more is there to say.

[BoristheBiter]

Yup. And the Swedish authorities believe it costs $20 per week to feed each child at school.

For each of my school aged kids, reduce my Working For Families credit by $30 a week, in return give them FREE health care and a healthy, school provided meal. What parent wouldn't agree to that?

Even could make the jails make all the food for the schools.
They could grow all their own food, raise some cattle, sheep etc. even learn to butcher an animal, give them some tools/structure for when they get out not only in the growing but the prep work and organisational skills to plan.

This not only keeps the cost down for jails but now gets cheaper better quality food for the kids.

There is so much untapped potential in this country we just need to think outside the box.

[MSTRS:Me]

What parent wouldn't agree to that?

The one's who'll 'lose' $20pw/pc to spend at the pub/tinny house/pokies...

[White trash]

Good on you.

Trouble is, there's no shortage of parents out there who seem happy for their kids to go hungry as long as they have their cigarettes and plenty of piss in the fridge.

And therein lies the problem mate, educating these people.

[Scuba_Steve]

Mmmm, did someone say foodstamps? That doesn't work as well as it's intended either....

Nope not foodstamps, feed the kids at school. Don't give the parents the opportunity to deprive their kids

[superman]

cant help wondering why the people who are least able to look after and care for their kids have so many

That correlation occurs in all countries with the lower class always having higher numbers of kids.

All sorts of studies give any manner of reasons from gaining benefit money to an evolutionary reason that those living in strife sub-consciously have more kids.

[unstuck]

I have even heard one parent advising her 15yr old daughter to get pregnant so they could get more bennie. Some pretty fucked up attitudes out there.