NZ homes likened to refugee camp huts
NZ homes likened to refugee camp huts
Three out of four Kiwi homes in some regions are cold, damp and mouldy, putting New Zealand housing stock on a par with Palestinian refugee camp shacks, a health expert says. At a workshop in Wellington yesterday on the health effects of leaky buildings, Associate Professor Jeroen Douwes of Massey University cited a 2005 study, which found mould in 75 per cent of the 1310 households surveyed. "This is comparable to a study of Palestinian refugee camps, where the rate was 78 per cent." Up to one in five New Zealanders suffer the chronic and sometimes life-threatening respiratory condition. Wellington's Asthma Research Group has found that asthmatics allergic to mould had much more severe symptoms, and were almost twice as likely to end up in intensive care.
Forget leaky homes from property speculations gone bad, the real leaky homes are the ones of the poor, with house prices so high and home ownership slipping those on the bottom of the heap increasingly are living in sick homes that are exacerbated by intense over crowding, a natural breeding ground for illness and the kind of pressures that added with drink or drugs create the kind of homes we see those dead and broken babies emerge from. The benefit cuts caused by Ruth Richardson and continued by Helen Clark have done little to alleviate this and while John Key might have discovered the underclass, National supporters who are bound by a hate of Helen Clark and love of tax cuts show no inclination to help anyone other than themselves.
posted by Bomber @ 7:40 am
12 comments
12 Comments:
So you would tackle this how? I dont think its just a benefit issue, because 2 people in auckland pulling 60K can be considered poor, in so much as they cant afford a house, let alone a decent one.
So the government has brought in the new building act - well intentioned, but adds costs. And I wouldnt ignore the leaky homes as you suggest - the properties are no longer owned by developers - they are owned by real people facing real problems. Imagine if you saved and saved, bought your first house, to find it was a stucco piece of shit facing massive repair bills. You cant go after the developer because he has gone, or is hiding behind trust law. So, put simply, you are fucked.
The solution is low wages. People need more money to afford better housing. This effects wage earners just as much as beneficiaries.
Sorry but $61 million in additional health costs is a snip compared to the billions of dollars you would piss away on additional welfare. At least with tax cuts the wealthy will be able to sink some cash into building new houses. Give a beneficiary an extra $50 a week and are they going to rebuild the house? Not likely. They'll probably get one of those plasma TVs you love so much on the tick.
And looking at this from the other way round. Suddenly life in "Palestine" isn't looking so grim is it? Certainly not when coupled with the stats I saw the other day that show their infant mortality rate is significantly lower than all of the surrounding Arab countries. Those Israeli oppressors must be slacking or something.
http://www.alertnet.org/thefacts/chart.htm?=&period=0&rt=0&startdate=2000&enddate=2007&category=standard_of_living.0.deaths_of_babies&countrycode=215616&countrycode=217173&countrycode=218247&countrycode=PS&go.x=52&go.y=2
The figures on Palestinian infant mortality rates. I'd be interested to see what Brewer thinks of these.
I see what you meant by National supporters who are bound by a hate of Helen Clark and love of tax cuts show no inclination to help anyone other than themselves. in the above post bomber - I have often wondered what is it that the right offer in terms of social cohesion, what 'hope' is it they offer society and I think you are right, other than tax cuts and a shared loathing of Helen Clark, what is it that National Supporters offer as a vision to help grow the whole of society, not just their own pockets.
long time reader, first time blogger
Dont worry Anon - BAFK* will be in here soon to suggest that the infant mortality figures are a cia lie
*BAFK is Brewerstroupe Anti-Flag and Karlos
Don't get too high and mighty there mate. Even your beloved Helen will be dishing up the tax cuts in the unlikely event that her arse is not kicked to the kerb.
As for social cohesion, don't make me laugh. The leftist strategy of robbing Peter to pay Paul and then telling Paul that he deserves it because Peter is an evil capitalist is the perfect recipe for division and envy. What you fail to realise is that a policy which leaves more in my pocket, by extension, leaves more in everyone elses pocket too. That is how we intent to help society.
If you think higher taxes are going to slow the record exodus of productive people from NZ then you must be a Labour MP.
What you fail to realise is that a policy which leaves more in my pocket, by extension, leaves more in everyone elses pocket too
And what is the point of that $5 extra in the pocket of working people if it costs $10 to go to the Dr? The social costs of tax cuts in the 1990s are being seen now, if you think cutting tax is going to slow the exodus of productive people from NZ, then you must be a national party MP. The disparity between NZ and Australian wages isn't tax, it is wages themselves, it's back to your Peter friend who isn't raising wages.
I'm still waiting to see that better future the right are promising, come on, other than "We hate Helen and want Tax cuts' - where is your dream of a better NZ? Do you even have one or is it really all about what is in your pocket?
Long time reader, first time blogger
I get sick of this kind of whining.
People are responsible for themselves. If your house is shit, move, or fix it up. If you can`t afford that, get a second job and work weekends until you can. Those on the bottom of the heap need to work harder to get themselves off the bottom of the heap. They also need to stop having eight kids and pissing their money down the toilet.
The only people in this sort of situation I have compassion for are single parent families, and those who are seriously injured or ill. All others should work and study harder and shut the fuck up.
Do you go to the doctor every week? Thought not. $10 - $15 of tax cuts (which is what is being talked about) per week is $500 - $750 a year which will pay for several doctors visits plus a lot left over. Perhaps to pay the ballooning mortgage caused by high interest rates caused by high government expenditure?
While we are talking government spending have you noticed how a 50% increase in vote health by Labour has lead to, wait for it, no improvement in health outcomes? Outstanding!
Then you think that low wages are part of some conspiracy by business. Because, you know man, if they really wanted to business could pay everyone the same as Australia and everything would be peachy. LOL! Talk about economic illiteracy. Have you noticed how even Jim Neanderton, that well known right winger, wants to cut the business tax rate? Do that and then they might have some more cash in their pockets to throw around.
Judging by the way you lamely parrot my lines back at me you don't have a creative cell in your head. Your dream of NZ is probably akin to a drawing by a retarded kid using broken crayons.
Newsflash: We've had 9 long years of hard Labour and if your side can't man up to fix the problems they've caused then it's time to step aside.
We need a Capital Gains tax,
unbelievably Don Brash realised this, also remember john keys is not dumb,
peterquixote
Do you go to the doctor every week? Thought not. $10 - $15 of tax cuts (which is what is being talked about) per week is $500 - $750 a year which will pay for several doctors visits plus a lot left over. Perhaps to pay the ballooning mortgage caused by high interest rates caused by high government expenditure?
And if the Dr's fees go up considerably because of less tax, where is your arguement then?
While we are talking government spending have you noticed how a 50% increase in vote health by Labour has lead to, wait for it, no improvement in health outcomes? Outstanding!
Look, that's just not true, there have been gains, but the history of debt these Hospitals have spawned obvious problems, some we are seeing right now in the media, but to write the whole 9 years off suggests you have made your mind up already.
Then you think that low wages are part of some conspiracy by business. Because, you know man, if they really wanted to business could pay everyone the same as Australia and everything would be peachy. LOL! Talk about economic illiteracy. Have you noticed how even Jim Neanderton, that well known right winger, wants to cut the business tax rate? Do that and then they might have some more cash in their pockets to throw around.
John Key himself said to Business that they need to start lifting wages, of course NZ should drop the business tax rate, we should actually drop it two points BELOW Australia if we want to be successful in attracting more to NZ, point out where I said I didn't want that anon? Strawman arguements aside I think we should lower business taxes and get the Unions to immediatly lobby for large wage rises.
Judging by the way you lamely parrot my lines back at me you don't have a creative cell in your head. Your dream of NZ is probably akin to a drawing by a retarded kid using broken crayons.
And then comes the nasty personal stuff, why did you need to go there? Which comes back to what I was talking about, what is it that the Right is offering? You've put together some points which are open to debate and then you get all septic at the end - is that what you are offering, so it really is a hatred of Helen and tax cuts huh?
Newsflash: We've had 9 long years of hard Labour and if your side can't man up to fix the problems they've caused then it's time to step aside.
Well at least you ended on something a little more intelligent, but I've yet to hear why your side is so great.
Long time reader, first time blogger
We have friends from Canada that lived in NZ for a year and they reckon the coldest winter they ever experienced was in Auckland ... NZ building standards have not moved with the times and the leaky homes fiasco just underscores the shoddy work that so-called "developers" can get away with in NZ.
Post a Comment
<< Home