The latest example of us not giving a monkey’s is Tauranga.
No democracy because the last lot were so hopeless they got replaced by commissioners, and yet when given the freedom to choose, the real winner was complacency.
And yet the biggest issue in our economy at the moment and our battle with inflation is the local council.
It is also insurance, but rates play an outsized role in why this non-tradeable inflation is stuck at 5.4 percent.
Tradeable inflation is now virtually non-existent, but we still aren’t cutting interest rates, we still aren’t breathing life into the economy, we are still living through recessionary-type misery. Why? Because people like councils are handing out rate rises that if offered up by literally anyone else would never see the light of day because they would be out of business.
So see the connection?
They are outsmarting us.
They know they can do whatever they like – 10 percent, 20 percent, 30 percent – in some cases in some areas you are talking about 100 percent – a doubling now.
Do we like that? No we do not. We gnash our teeth and moan and whinge and complain and yet what they have worked out is they have little if anything to fear because no one will do anything about it. Tauranga Business Chamber: Voting process still struggling to engage amid low turnout
You want proof? Look at Tauranga.
I mean look at any local body election turnout. It’s less than a half. Sometimes less than a third. We literally don’t care.
It was almost tragic last week when once again the Finance Minister asked – pleaded – with councils to do their bit and contain their inflationary ways.
Will they? Of course not. Why would they?
They have us by the balls because we are lazy and complacent.
The Government have done their bit on spending. We are doing our bit by bleeding councils. They claim a million different reasons for their actions. And to be fair some of it I have sympathy with. Underinvestment is a real issue.
But what they have done is seize the moment, played on our weakness, jumped on the inflationary bandwagon and charged the bejesus out of us.
And because we are slack – they win.
Mike Hosking is a New Zealand television and radio broadcaster. He currently hosts The Mike Hosking Breakfast show on NewstalkZB on weekday mornings - where this article was sourced.
And yet the biggest issue in our economy at the moment and our battle with inflation is the local council.
It is also insurance, but rates play an outsized role in why this non-tradeable inflation is stuck at 5.4 percent.
Tradeable inflation is now virtually non-existent, but we still aren’t cutting interest rates, we still aren’t breathing life into the economy, we are still living through recessionary-type misery. Why? Because people like councils are handing out rate rises that if offered up by literally anyone else would never see the light of day because they would be out of business.
So see the connection?
They are outsmarting us.
They know they can do whatever they like – 10 percent, 20 percent, 30 percent – in some cases in some areas you are talking about 100 percent – a doubling now.
Do we like that? No we do not. We gnash our teeth and moan and whinge and complain and yet what they have worked out is they have little if anything to fear because no one will do anything about it. Tauranga Business Chamber: Voting process still struggling to engage amid low turnout
You want proof? Look at Tauranga.
I mean look at any local body election turnout. It’s less than a half. Sometimes less than a third. We literally don’t care.
It was almost tragic last week when once again the Finance Minister asked – pleaded – with councils to do their bit and contain their inflationary ways.
Will they? Of course not. Why would they?
They have us by the balls because we are lazy and complacent.
The Government have done their bit on spending. We are doing our bit by bleeding councils. They claim a million different reasons for their actions. And to be fair some of it I have sympathy with. Underinvestment is a real issue.
But what they have done is seize the moment, played on our weakness, jumped on the inflationary bandwagon and charged the bejesus out of us.
And because we are slack – they win.
Mike Hosking is a New Zealand television and radio broadcaster. He currently hosts The Mike Hosking Breakfast show on NewstalkZB on weekday mornings - where this article was sourced.
5 comments:
Thanks Mike however minor correction: The Government have NOT done their bit on spending. Their timidity in this crucial area will be the downfall of us all (if not already!).
Hoskins called the turnout pathetic". He's not wrong, but it helps to put that judgement into context. Preliminary results indicate a 37.88% turnout. The final voter turnout for the 2022 local elections was 40.44% and the average of the ten city councils was 40.82%. The wooden spoon goes to Hamilton with 29.4%, but Auckland, Palmerston North, and Porirua also scored lower than Tauranga. Tauranga proves that not only did most of their voters not care that their elected council had been replaced, but they didn't even notice any difference. And, added to the history of falling turnouts at every election, that's clear evidence of local democracy everywhere being an expensive failure. The corollary is that appointed Commissioners are a viable alternative and should be employed more often.
People do care. But they dont know what goes on. Few get newspapers and not reported anyway. Most Aukanders have some grasp of Mayor Brown but very little of others. Many Council publications are beautifully and expensively produced but obtuse reads. With so much now so far removed from Council, councillors seem to have little influence anyway.
Mike, we do want democracy - one vote only per person, irregardless of race , colour, - the fact that so many don't exercise that vote is something else.
What you say is entirely correct Mike. I always vote, but I'm usually unable to use all of my votes in good conscience because its impossible understand which candidates are financially responsible. If ACT or National stood branded candidates, then I'd vote for them.
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