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Thursday, May 17, 2007

Budget 

Not too sure what I think so far ... there's not much doubt it will create a savings culture, so if that's what floats your boat.... The introduction of compulsory employer contributions will no doubt cause much whining, but my employer already contributes to my super plan (dollar for dollar up to 5%) and that definitely makes my position more appealing. It will also improve our ability to compete with Australia on that ground.

But removing the tax bracket adjustments scheduled for next year is just mean-spirited. I can't help but wonder that if inflation is such a problem, why not increase taxes to, say, 100%. That would fix it pretty damn smart.

And the regional fuel tax, intended largely (but not exclusively?) to fund trains has its drawbacks, as Yamis has noted. If trains go nowhere near your suburb (which they don't in my case, or in the case of, say, anyone living in the North Shore), you're going to have an uphill battle convincing people to pay for the damn things.

Let's face it, trains are fuck-all use unless you happen to live and work really close to the stations.

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Comments:
Yep, it's bullshit.

Auckland is not Seoul where there are over 400 subway stations and you are no more than a 10 minute or so walk from one anywhere in Seoul and to a lesser extent any of its satellite cities.

Auckland has a couple of line's on a linear type route.

Now if they were actually proposing to put light rail down the centre of the motorways THEN I might be interested.

Auckland rail network has a finite number of people that can ever use it considering a) it has fuck all stations and they are in restricted areas and b) they only go into the city and near the odd other shopping centre.

But I am going to have to pay a few bucks more a week just so I can drive to work through the.... non existent congestion from my house to my work.
 
May I suggest (again) the benefits in mob=ving to Chch. No fuel taxes there!

Mind you I'm in Wgtn and counting my lucky stars I hardly ever use my car
 
Random - yes, I've been really impressed with how easy it is to *not* use a car in Wellington during my visits over the last 3 years (probably about 3/year). Between the trains (incredibly old but functional), buses and walking, there's just not much need to commute by car.
 
To be fair the rail's not always functional. A decent downpour, a slip, and lo and behold it comes to a grinding halt.
 
"Between the trains (incredibly old but functional), buses and walking, there's just not much need to commute by car".

That's because it's a large town, not a city perhaps? And not a hell of a lot of room for growth either.
 
There is a simple answer to the "I live on the shore and won't be able to get the trains" whinge.

Move.
 
Rich, that is quite possibly the dumbest fucken thing I think we've ever had posted here in the comments. Aside from some of the spam.

Hey, everybody in Auckland, sell up and go live next to a train station. That'll mean that 80% of houses in Auckland become abandoned and house prices near train stations hit the 3 million dollar mark.

And for the record neither dc_red nor I live anywhere near the shore. We live very fucking close to a motorway. Far more convenient, cheaper and more efficient at getting us to the cbd thana train does, and believe me, I have caught the train hundreds of times when it was closer to where I lived and actually took me to where I needed to go ie. Uni
 

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