Forum Home
PC World Chat
Thread ID: 137872	2014-08-31 08:34:00	Hungry Kids	mzee (3324)	PC World Chat

Post ID	Timestamp	Content	User
1382903	2014-09-04 00:02:00	Well, we have one lobby group prattling on about starving kids and we have another prattling on about obesity in our children. :confused: By way of observation I don’t see either as being rife, just another beat-up by the media. :rolleyes: Media beat up- yep. Recent coverage by Campbell Live emphasised the empty fridge, showing several examples. What you didn't see or hear mentioned was the Pantry. One fridge also appeared to have 1 doz cans of beer.- go figure. Poverty is living on a rubbish tip in Mumbai, or in Mexico city, not in a state house in NZ	Colpol (444)
1382904	2014-09-04 04:34:00	All poor do not smoke and drink you know. Again you base your ideas on a few. That's true pctek but all poor do not struggle to feed their children either. Several members of my family have spent long periods on a benefit for one reason or another and while it's clearly a struggle at times the children where always fed and the rent was always paid. Those that receive the same benefits as everyone else and fail do do this are either incompetent and in need of some kind of help other than financial or just don't care enough about their own children. Smoking and drinking get mentioned so often because that stereotype of the heavy drinking, chain smoking, unemployed is so easily observed in many parts of New Zealand. Tell me you can't think of someone who fits that description either now or in the past. While I can't personally say I know those people are the same ones with the "starving children" I suspect there would be a high degree of correlation. In all parts of society there are good and responsible people and there are those that are not. It's an unfortunate thing that when the irresponsible are also poor their children suffer for it and learn all the wrong lessons from their upbringing. I do not think living on a benefit should be easy or comfortable particularly for the able bodied and young. All that does is encourage the idle lazy people to stay that way. I spent 12 months working part time on minimum wage when I was laid off, I probably qualified for a housing allowance or some dole payments for part of it but I never received anything (WINZ volunteer nothing if you don't know to ask for it). I reduced my mortgage to minimum payments, cancelled all unnecessary expenses (except internet and my wow subscription :)) and managed to survive and pay all my bills until I found a real job again. It was an eye opening experience and I certainly had no money to spare but it wasn't as bad as people make out. And no I didn't have any savings to fall back on, only advantage I had was a mortgage that's cheaper than the average rent.	dugimodo (138)
1382905	2014-09-04 19:35:00	Smoking and drinking get mentioned so often because that stereotype of the heavy drinking, chain smoking, unemployed is so easily observed in many parts of New Zealand . Tell me you can't think of someone who fits that description either now or in the past . . No . . . . . can't say I do . I know drinkers and smokers but they feed (or fed) the kids . Know one guy who lived on porridge and lettuce sandwiches for quite some time but he was late '50s and didn't have kids to feed . An example perhaps would be neighbour over back, they smoke, the older kids come round and drink, Housing Corp place . . . . but she does feed them actually . (The young ones) Asks for stuff from our garden on occasion but hey, she has a wee garden of her own too . But school staff would know better the situation of some families . . . . . . . they see it each day and have talked to parents (however infrequently) . I'll allow that a lot of people don't know how to shop . . . . they just trundle down to the supermarket and that sure isn't the cheapest place if on a strict budget .	pctek (84)
1382906	2014-09-04 22:20:00	It is called pimping the poor. Keep in mind there is an election just around the corner and if you spend a small amount of time on google it is perhaps not surprising to find that those put up as examples by the MSM usualy seem to be union reps or closely connected to the Labour or Green party in some other way.	CliveM (6007)
1382907	2014-09-04 22:42:00	Priorities can take over for certain cultures. I recall when David Lange was PM, he noted for his electorate, that Island folk were donating too much to their churches, leaving little for kids school costs. This caused a bit of a local backlash towards Lange.	kahawai chaser (3545)
1382908	2014-09-04 23:19:00	Priorities can take over for certain cultures. I recall when David Lange was PM, he noted for his electorate, that Island folk were donating too much to their churches, leaving little for kids school costs. This caused a bit of a local backlash towards Lange. The backlash was because he was right but well we know what religion does to ordinarily rational and sane people......	DeSade (984)
1382909	2014-09-05 01:58:00	we know what religion does to ordinarily rational and sane people...... Annoys them when other people practice it? :p	dugimodo (138)
1382910	2014-09-05 04:18:00	There is no easy fix to the problem. I know of an instance where W&I arranged a Budget Advisor to help a Solo Mother with 4 children. The Budget Advisor did a good job and saved some money whereupon the Solo Mother sacked the Budget Advisor and purchased some “Personal Plates” for her car. :groan: Seems there was nothing W&I or the Budget Advisor could do. The only answer I can think of is cumbersome, but they are given food chits in lieu of money.	B.M. (505)
1382911	2014-09-05 04:36:00	There is no easy fix to the problem. I think that about sums it up. Any solution like food chits will only work with honest people. The rest will find ways around it no matter what. There always seem to be shops willing to risk selling things they are not supposed to for vouchers given to people on a benefit to avoid just that. Case in point, a local 2nd hand dealer got in trouble around here some time back when a common WINZ scam was discovered to be going on routinely using their shop. Someone on a benefit would convince WINZ they had an urgent need for a fridge, couch, some other appliance, get a voucher for a 2nd hand dealer, "buy" the item and immediately sell it straight back to the dealer - without it ever moving an inch. I'm sure it's still going on and they've just gotten smarter about it. When it comes to finding a job or supporting their kids some people are totally useless but then show some real ingenuity maintaining their lifestyle at everyone elses expense.	dugimodo (138)
1382912	2014-09-05 06:18:00	I think that about sums it up.Any solution like food chits will only work with honest people. The rest will find ways around it no matter what. There always seem to be shops willing to risk selling things they are not supposed to for vouchers given to people on a benefit to avoid just that.Case in point, a local 2nd hand dealer got in trouble around here some time back when a common WINZ scam was discovered to be going on routinely using their shop. Someone on a benefit would convince WINZ they had an urgent need for a fridge, couch, some other appliance, get a voucher for a 2nd hand dealer, "buy" the item and immediately sell it straight back to the dealer - without it ever moving an inch. I'm sure it's still going on and they've just gotten smarter about it. When it comes to finding a job or supporting their kids some people are totally useless but then show some real ingenuity maintaining their lifestyle at everyone elses expense.The amount of times I was offered food grant vouchers for half of face value would shock you. Had people coming up to me with 150 voucher walk through checkout with me so their could sign. Then I would gand them $ 80 for there trouble. Was good for me as I Had a young family and not earning much and the beneficiary got smokes and booze	plod (107)
1 2 3 4 5 6