Thursday, March 09, 2006

ECU's of Government waste and mismangement

Okay so this probably isn't the most PC entry in the world, but it had to be done.

From now on I'm going to comment on the conspicuous wastes of our Government in terms of the ECU's it costs, where an ECU is an Ethiopian Child Unit. Im going a step further to make this at least somewhat fair that an ECU is the number of childrens lives that could be saved in PERPETUITY by investing the money at 7.5% net, and using the infamous $1 day quote ;-)

My first gripe - one I've had for a while. How can the NZ Government justify wasting 224 lives (sorry - ECU's) to keep one family in a state house around Paratai drive?

15 comments:

Unknown said...

Damn - I felt better about this post before I read my favorites for the day. Now I feel like I've plagiarised (even though I've been planning this post for a week!):
http://dilbertblog.typepad.com/the_dilbert_blog/2006/03/wedding_costs.html

Gardener said...

Fantastic.

Can you post more deatils of how you calculate the Numbers so I can add examples to your posts as well.

Unknown said...

Wasted money * 0.075 / 365 = ECUs

Technically speaking an ECU in a leap year is more expensive but I'msure I'll be forgiven that abstraction ;-)

Unknown said...

Maybe it's just my twisted sense of sensibilities, but I would find it interesting to do a world vision to said house - leave them a photo of a new EC every 3 days with a note that that's who they just killed by having the taxpayer pay for their water view.

I know I wouldnt last long if I was the tenant.

Gardener said...

I think taking them on about their real estate will only brand you a fanatic.

As valid a point as it may be. But the reality is that if the land came up for sale because the squatters moved out it would probably be claimed and awarded under the Treaty. Better to have it 'rates free' than 'rates not paid' I think.

Cost top up's for the Peoples Bank.
3,082 ECU's :-)

Unknown said...

True - and in fact it is actually the Govt that insists on holding million dollar pieces of real estate for state housing that is to blame - not the person on it anyway.

Ouch - it is truly scary to think about the effective human cost in Kiwibank!

Gardener said...

We have no money for tax cuts but we can put welfare reciepients into houses that most people paying 'rich tax' cannot afford. Twisted eh.

Oh did you like the Winston story. It's 100% true. Boy did he loose his rag with me.

Gardener said...
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Gardener said...

Besides. If the person in that house was of the mindset that their welfare was a 'hand up' not a 'hand out' then they would feel very uncomfortable there. I'd be betting they would fight hard to stay in that house unless they were seriously in the minority of benificaries.

I gre up in a state house and my parents worked/saved hard to change the situation - which they did. Where is the incentive to do that in these cases.

Unknown said...

You want a disturbing look into the mindset of those people?
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/story.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=3581431

I just loved the:
"Like hell. I'm not going to give up a million-dollar view to look at railway tracks," says Anderson.

Unknown said...

Exactly - when i can afford my own mortgage I will feel better about paying for someone elses. It is cases like these that make alot of people overly fanatical about destroying the welfare state - the realisation has to be that it should be about Equity, never about Equality.

To be perfectly honest I never expected any more of Winston than that...

Unknown said...

Naughty bout the university student taunting though ;-)

Gardener said...

After what he said to me in reaction to my first baiting (not printed in blog) - he deserved it all - and way more.

The Courtenay Place debacle only comes out a few pints with people I know very well. I had had a *few* beers and so had he, there was a woman involved and his minder was no match.... that's all I say.

Unknown said...

:D
Next time I'm in Wellington or you're in Auckland we'll have to find a couple of "Harps" to sink ;-)

Gardener said...

No reason why not. It certainly seems we have a common view on Politics. :-)