Monday, October 01, 2012

Truth column September 20

My September 20 Truth column is now on-line
Why does Labour persist in creating state dependency unnecessarily? Or at least it would, given the chance. Its half-baked food in schools policy makes no sense. Most children in decile one to three schools – the lowest income – arrive at school with breakfast on board.

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1 comment:

S.Beast said...

Good to see you picked up on the fact that Labour's plan will exclude children of lower income families because they live in geographically wealthier areas.

This effectively creates incentive for a sort of voluntary segregation of lower income people because all the supports are directed to one location to the detriment of all others.

With local knowledge I will give Newtown, Wellington as an excellent example of how this targeting works.

- cheaper doctors visits. Newtown Union has a greatly reduced rate. The argument is the PEOPLE IN THIS AREA can't afford the doctor otherwise (used to be $10 in the medical center I was in based in Donald St from memory). So what about the people who are on low incomes who can't join that medical center because of their role being full (created by demand for cheap visits IMHO) or are out of zone??

-Wellington City Mission provide cheap lunches. They used to cost $0.50 when I was there a few years ago. The CM also provide other services around the "poor"

- Council housing, Housing NZ. Ugh. Recently the council made space for a car park for residents FFS.

- and if you add to that free lunches then Newtown becomes the place for the rich-poor. That's what I call the people who are on low incomes who suck all the resources in disproportion because of the nature of their location and whining. It's a virtual paradise with the community in agreement that you are living on the breadline and therefore deserve support and understanding beyond that of the normal population even though there are a mass of social services targeting that area, you may live in subsidised and stable housing which is becoming a rarity and you get free/basically free food (assumption not necessarily proven or established apart from the suburb they live in).

Do I think schools should provide food? Yes! But to all kids, all deciles, no exceptions.