Are you better or worse off?

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Bee

732 posts

Ultimate Geek

#93466 22-Nov-2011 10:12

With the election only days away, I'm reviewing what this govt has done for me personally and wondering if they really could have done anything different that would have helped...

A few questions for everyone :

Do you think the whole GST increase and income tax decrease actually helped you personally? has it helped the government revenue at all?

Are you better off or worse off than you were 3 years ago?

Does anyone have any money anymore?

From where I'm sitting it seems like we did briefly come out of recession, flat lined a bit and are now gradually spiraling into recession more and more once again... Official figures don't support that at all but that doesn't mean I'm wrong?

Do you think the NZ government can do anything to influence this either in the last 3 years or the next 3 years or are we really at the mercy of the larger world economy that we have little or no control over?

Doing your best is much more important than being the best.

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1039 posts

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#548283 22-Nov-2011 10:15

I think that far too many people concentrate on how THEY are doing rather than the country as a whole.

It's a bit sad and also a little shortsighted to vote purely on whether you'll end up with $15 more per week with party x than party y.

heavenlywild

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#548300 22-Nov-2011 10:33

Allow me to speak frankly.

We need to get off our butts and do something about the situation we are in. Rather than vote for a party and hope they hand out more, there are so many people out there that can be productive, but they choose not to and rely on the dole.

Let's be more self-sufficient!

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tigercorp

668 posts

Ultimate Geek

#548316 22-Nov-2011 10:49

I'm personally better off but that's not why I vote the way I do.

I guess I'm a swing voter in that I haven't voted the same way in the last 3 elections. Like last time however, I'm voting for the same party, who I believe is the best to drive the economy.

NonprayingMantis

6434 posts

Uber Geek

#548322 22-Nov-2011 10:57

Personally I am better off in dollar terms ? but that is more down to my own decisions (jobs I have taken on gives me upside for income, having kids gives me income downside, bigger house means I have to spend more money on mortgage payments, etc etc). The net impact of government policy on GST and income tax made me slightly better off, but not much.

Doesn?t really make much difference anyway since I am not going to bother voting since I have better things to do with my weekend.

Voting is like playing lottery but with none of the benefits. i.e. the chances of your slip of paper making any difference whatsoever is very close to zero, yet at least with lotto if your slip of paper does make a difference at least you get a load of cash. If my vote happened to be the casting vote in an election then all I would be doing is choosing between a giant douche and a turd sandwich.

jeffnz

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#548323 22-Nov-2011 11:02

The questions are rather ambiguous as it depends entirely on your view and circumstances and you can argue on both sides of it.

I agree with Langers and heavenly and believe we need to stop funding poverty and which party is prepared to front up and do this will get my vote but i'm not holding my breathe.

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nakedmolerat

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#548345 22-Nov-2011 11:36

jeffnz: The questions are rather ambiguous as it depends entirely on your view and circumstances and you can argue on both sides of it.

I agree with Langers and heavenly and believe we need to stop funding poverty and which party is prepared to front up and do this will get my vote but i'm not holding my breathe.

do u know that countries that spend more money on welfare do better? eg: sweden (welfare state) vs greece

John2010

532 posts

Ultimate Geek

#548367 22-Nov-2011 12:14

nakedmolerat:

do u know that countries that spend money on welfare do better? eg: sweden (welfare state) vs greece

...do better at what?

I have spent some time in Sweden (working with the Swedes, not touristy) and of the Western nations it is close to the bottom of the list of places I would want to live in. I also did not get the impression that its inhabitants were particularly happy, in fact it would be easy to consider them dour (especially in winter

) in comparison to the inhabitants of the nations we as a people dislike most e.g. compared to US inhabitants.

There are lots of things in its history that make Sweden what it is and the concept of being a "welfare" state has played little part in giving it the wealth resources to allow it to spend more on some things we call "welfare" because we don't have the wealth to do them as a matter of course. Norway is a similar, in its case offshore oil money coming out of its ears, it can afford to pour resources into things we call "welfare", including into sovereign savings, while poor us who love being called kiwis (a bird that can't fly, only comes out at night and eats worms) with a fascination for Number 8 wire are doing all we can to stop oil exploration here, have a hatred of international investment, talk of our "family silver", etc, etc.

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Byrned

455 posts

Ultimate Geek

#548377 22-Nov-2011 12:26

nakedmolerat:
jeffnz: The questions are rather ambiguous as it depends entirely on your view and circumstances and you can argue on both sides of it.

I agree with Langers and heavenly and believe we need to stop funding poverty and which party is prepared to front up and do this will get my vote but i'm not holding my breathe.

do u know that countries that spend more money on welfare do better? eg: sweden (welfare state) vs greece

You must be joking saying that Greece is not a welfare economy - it is one of the main things that has driven them to the edge (or maybe off).

tardtasticx

3075 posts

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#548382 22-Nov-2011 12:34

NonprayingMantis: Personally I am better off in dollar terms ? but that is more down to my own decisions (jobs I have taken on gives me upside for income, having kids gives me income downside, bigger house means I have to spend more money on mortgage payments, etc etc). The net impact of government policy on GST and income tax made me slightly better off, but not much.

Doesn?t really make much difference anyway since I am not going to bother voting since I have better things to do with my weekend.

Voting is like playing lottery but with none of the benefits. i.e. the chances of your slip of paper making any difference whatsoever is very close to zero, yet at least with lotto if your slip of paper does make a difference at least you get a load of cash. If my vote happened to be the casting vote in an election then all I would be doing is choosing between a giant douche and a turd sandwich.

Everyone's vote makes a difference believe it or not, It takes what, 10minutes to vote? I think everyone who can vote, should vote. Like they say, if you don't vote, no one cares about your opinion. Haha

Has anyone else seen those MANA party signs advertising no GST? Not extreme at all...

Bee

732 posts

Ultimate Geek

#548384 22-Nov-2011 12:37

OK, So what has this Govt done for you in the last 3 years? what have they done for the country?

Why should they get voted back in - if you think that is what should happen...

Personally I've always been against reductions in income tax - I don't believe they help a country long term...

My situation has definitely got worse over the last 3 years - most of that is my own doing - raising a family - but also has to do with the rising cost of food and fuel - which is something I believe the govt should do something about!

Yes your vote may not count for much but if you dont exercise your right to vote, then you don't have a right to complain about anything the govt does...

I also wonder if making Winston PM would be a good thing for this country???

If he ruled this country for 3 years I'm sure he would implement extremely radical ideas that maybe just maybe might actually work eventually...

Doing your best is much more important than being the best.

nakedmolerat

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#548390 22-Nov-2011 12:41

good article written on 13 March 1994- What happens when you scrap the welfare state?: New Zealand has, and its economy is stronger. But there is a dark side: - one in seven below poverty line - record numbers of people in jail - armed police on the streets - queues at charity 'food banks'

NonprayingMantis

6434 posts

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#548403 22-Nov-2011 13:02

tardtasticx:
NonprayingMantis: Personally I am better off in dollar terms ? but that is more down to my own decisions (jobs I have taken on gives me upside for income, having kids gives me income downside, bigger house means I have to spend more money on mortgage payments, etc etc). The net impact of government policy on GST and income tax made me slightly better off, but not much.

Doesn?t really make much difference anyway since I am not going to bother voting since I have better things to do with my weekend.

Voting is like playing lottery but with none of the benefits. i.e. the chances of your slip of paper making any difference whatsoever is very close to zero, yet at least with lotto if your slip of paper does make a difference at least you get a load of cash. If my vote happened to be the casting vote in an election then all I would be doing is choosing between a giant douche and a turd sandwich.

Everyone's vote makes a difference believe it or not, It takes what, 10minutes to vote? I think everyone who can vote, should vote. Like they say, if you don't vote, no one cares about your opinion. Haha

My vote makes a difference? Really?   Tell me then, let’s imagine two scenarios.

1)     I go out and vote on polling day

2)     I don’t vote on polling day

What is the chance the outcome of the election will be any different from one scenario to the next? Practically zero*. I probably have a better chance of winning lotto.

(actually, I believe that because of the way our MMP system works, with coalitions etc, it is actually impossible for my vote to make a difference).

Bee

732 posts

Ultimate Geek

#548407 22-Nov-2011 13:07

If no one votes then what happens?

Doing your best is much more important than being the best.

nakedmolerat

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#548409 22-Nov-2011 13:09

Bee: If no one votes then what happens?

sbiddle will become the King Of New Zealand

NonprayingMantis

6434 posts

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#548413 22-Nov-2011 13:12

Bee: If no one votes then what happens?

Don’t know. But that is irrelevant since I only decide whether I vote. I do not decide whether other people vote. My decision to vote or to not vote does not effect other people’s decision to vote or not vote.

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