Bedding In The Budget 2015

Here is a rejigged cartoon I did awhile back - nothing much has changed since National took power. As a country, we have been spending more than we earn and National has been borrowing to pay for reducing taxes for the rich, impoverishing low income earners and creating the appearance of prosperity. But as Greece discovered, debt is debt and so we and the coming generations are unnecessarily being saddled with the burden. To see what I mean, check out this link - http://www.nationaldebtclocks.org/debtclock/newzealand - if true, Kiwis owe over $19,000 per head and rising.

House Prices Keep Going "Up"

The National Government continues to timidly tinker with measures to control an overheated housing market. Many New Zealanders are wondering why he does not support restricting overseas buyers (and capital) and reduce immigration to choke off excess demand. The USA and Ireland had a similar to problem NZ and suffered when the house price bubble burst and plunged them into a bitter recession. Sadly, recessions affect the whole economy and it seems John Key is blind to the experience of other nations and even our own history!

Key Attempts A Cover Up

Sleazy Key

Outsourcing! An Email To "Sunday" Radio NZ

Hi Wallace, in my opinion outsourcing is only part of the much bigger economic and social re-establishment of a very unequal society that many of our ancestors sacrificed a lot to change. For thousands of years most societies in the World have been very unequal and the social struggles were mainly between members of the elite contesting the pecking order. Events in the first half of the 20th century changed all that, but as the century closed many rich and powerful members of the elite in Western Societies recreated unequal societies for their own benefit. If we want to change that then we must convince them that "Making (things) is the Difference" between wealthier and growing economies when compared with declining economies that outsource their productive sectors. 

Below are two similar ways of partly explaining my point.

Key Plays A Head Of The Game

Things That Matter

I see that once again that short sighted money hungry retailers and employers are out to grab more public holidays off their workers (and the rest of us) by asking for Good Friday and Easter Monday to be opened up for trade. I am not a Christian but I really value the few opportunities we have for most of us to have some rest and recreation to refresh our lives and escape the clamour of the market place.

I think it will prove to be short sighted to let retailers rule the way we live and disregard traditional holidays (Holy Days) and the values we inherited from our ancestors. Give us a break will you! Take a deep breath and take time away from the tills - you will live better and longer lives I assure you!

Here is an old cartoon of mine that I routinely wheel out at this time of the year. There are obviously better things to do than bow down to Mammon. For those of you who are working - may you get paid heaps and spend it on things that really matter - like family time and spiritual renewal.