Russia--- where have you gone

I have had no readers from Russia all week. Maybe there were just a few and they hit the site multiple times or maybe it is summer there now and they have wonderful things to do other than reading. I don't think I said anything too challenging to put them off! Oh well-- come back when you are ready. One of my friends did suggest that maybe it was lovely Russina women reading and they suddnely relaized that I play for the 'other team.' Oh damn--- that statment may unleash applications from the alternate players.

The ACC debacle

New Zealand used to pride itself on the fact that it had the best Accident Compensation scheme in the world. It allowed people to have a dignified stand down when they were injured, either at work or in other areas of their lives. The scheme even extended (and it still does) to overseas tourists, who if they met with an accident, receive full support and treatment.

Sadly over the years it has become a political football, with various political parties sniping away at one another while the scheme is chopped and changed to suit the vagaries of the politicians.

In the last few months the scheme has come under attack from within. It seems that the managers and leaders are determined to bring the scheme into disrepute. Leaked papers and case notes along with inept management have taken a great deal of gloss from the scheme. It has become a focus of ‘question time’ in parliament, where once again the politicians fire shots at one another, all in the interests of their own agendas.

There is an ideological battle going on between the proponents of ‘privatisation’ and state funded options. In the meantime a culture has developed where profits are seen as more important than sound delivery of the programme. That means people suffer as allowances are challenged, all in the name of efficiency.

The public are angry as yet another example of ‘market policy’ agendas affects their lives. It is becoming all too common as the Government extends its policies to more and more sectors of the economy. The easy ride the Government has had so far is coming to an end. They are finally being challenged, not just from within parliamentary circles but in the wider community. Even their allies in parliament have expressed discomfort at some of their moves.

The honeymoon is well and truly over.

John has got the speed wobbles!

We have seen it all before. When Labour was in its third term, they started to come apart. It seems that no matter who is in power that we as voters get fatigued. I don’t know what it is that sets the wobbles off, but that is exactly what happens. Is it an arrogance that sets in? ----a ‘we know best so shut the f--- up’ and let us get on with our job,’ or is it a more kindly ‘trust us; we know what we’re doing?’

Either way--- all parties, stop treating us like idiots. Watching Johnny and his cohort stutter their way through the last week has been a mixture of the ridiculous and the ugly. Johnny looks strained and his ministers have the appearance of a possum caught in the lights of a Land Rover on the Desert Road and the chilled response from the electorate is showing up in the polls.

We have seen Labour, the Greens and New Zealand First attack the Government and some of the speakers are starting to show some real class. However, they need to show us that they are more than just words. Let’s see some ideas. Get out there and tell us what you would do. We don’t want to hear the same old crap we usually hear. We need a vision that we can believe in. This is your chance--- take it!

Young people and gangs---a question of life and death

Youth gangs are an issue for many countries. We have all seen the images in various media ranging from the Hollywood fantasy to the real scenarios played out in the news. In New Zealand the problem has been with us for many years. In some area of our cities, these gangs reach in to the lives of many of our young people and the families they belong to. I see the results of young people joining these gangs on a daily basis through the work I do in a large secondary school.

I have been concerned for many years and as I learn more about why young people join gang s and what the implications are for their future, I have become even more worried. As our youth become more involved with gangs, they have less to do with their families. We have all heard that some young people join gangs because they are looking for something that is missing in their own families. This is not so for all or even most of the recruits into these gangs. The sad fact is that some live in families who are affiliated with gangs--- the adult or more junior form and that only adds to the likelihood that they too will end up in a gang.

Many secondary schools are well aware that some of their students are either on the ‘edge’ of gang activity or are actively involved. The more the students gravitate towards full membership, the less we see of these students. When they are present they often behave in ways that bring them to the notice of ‘student management systems’ in schools and can take up a great deal of time. They can have an insidious effect on the life of a school; they can be involved in a variety of activities in schools, ranging from low level intimidation to outright criminal behaviours. They can take a huge amount of teacher time, which then impacts on the chances of other vulnerable students.

We underestimate the effect these young people have in the schools and in the community. If a family is a ‘gang family,’ there is every chance that the surrounding streets will be part of their territory and even though they may constitute a minority of the area, their influence is huge. For young people not in gangs, the very existence of such ‘houses’ in their neighbourhood constitutes a threat or a draw card. For our vulnerable young people, recruitment into youth gangs is a very real possibility.

There are many ways in which youth gangs recruit their new younger members. It may happen in the playground of the school. A young person desire to be accepted can feed into seeking membership. It may be for protection from others bullying them. It may be that they are not getting acceptance in their own families, or it may simply be a desire to have ‘fun’. The images they see on media/TV may attract them. Let’s face it; movies, TV, and other media forms portray gangs in a light that can and does connect with young people.

Gangs use other means to recruit. They may threaten a young person on the way to school or to the shops. They may also offer benefits. I have heard anecdotal accounts of young men being offered sex in order to lure the ‘prospect’ into gang activity. The issue of the young woman involved is yet another problem.  

There is a gradual pulling away from the family and a time is reached when even if a young person expresses doubts about joining the gang, it can be too late. That disassociation from the family is not always the ‘model’ though. Some young people are able to separate their ‘gang life’ from their family life, but not for too long. The warning sign may be missed. That depends on the strength of parenting and the levels of communication within the family.

There is another worrying aspect to youth gangs. Their connection to ‘living’ is sometimes strained. For those young people on the ‘edge’ but moving towards the gang culture, sometimes there are doubts. They may be involved in alternate educational services and start seeing new possibilities, other than that of the gang. If the hold on them is still strong, a tension is set up, that may well result in huge pressures on them. They are pulled between the two worlds; one that further ensconces them in the gang and the other that leads to a more mainstream scenario.

The stress around this can be fatal. Suicidal ideation increases and sometimes carried out. There have been multiple deaths of young people unable to cope with the competing pressures. Sadly that is a possibility that is increasing in society. There is an unwillingness to talk about this issue. We must face it head on or see more young lives at risk.

Our schools are but the recipients of what society projects, but they are also beacons of hope. If we do not resource them so that they can identity and link in with families and agencies who can help, then we will see many more young people lost to the gangs and to life.

Why did I post 3 chapters at a time for my books?

Simple--- so you could read them a little more conveniently.

THE RIVER ALWAYS FLOWS--Chapter 12

12

     ‘What--- you’re gonna leave them to freeze out there! Jesus Dad, can could you?’

     ‘They’ll come back soon enough. There’s only one way down and we have that road covered and I doubt they’ll head off into the bush in this weather.’

     We starred at one another, neither one of us willing to break the impasse. Finally we were interrupted when a guard entered the room, followed by who I assumed was the communications officer.

     ‘Right---take him back to the holding cell and this time make sure that he doesn’t get away like them others. He needs to cool down and see the light.’

     ‘If it’s the same light you see dad, then you’ll be waiting a bloody long time,’ I shot back as the guard escorted me back to my cell. With the others gone, I was left alone but not for long. A bedraggled figure was thrust none too gently in to join me. A second later I realized just who it was----- my little sister.

     ‘What the hell--- how did you get here?

     She didn’t move or answer for a few seconds, then she looked up through bloodshot eyes. Her face was bruised and scratched.

     ‘Did those bastards do that to you?  Dad will be one pissed off guy if he finds out you’ve done this!’ I shouted at the retreating guard. I turned back to my sister.

     ‘Tania--- are you OK?’ That was a stupid question, given her appearance.

     She lifted her face and muttered, ‘Do I look OK you dumb ass?’

     ‘Point taken ----Who did this to you?’

     ‘No one. I was trying to follow you when you left and, well, after Rangi got caught, I was on my own. I got scratched by bushes and I fell a few times.’

     ‘But  how did you end up here? We’re miles away from New Plymouth.’

     ‘My luck ran out back in town. Yuck--- it’s not like before. I don’t understand any of this. Rangi tried to explain, but she lost me when she talked about time shifts and Luden. Anyway, I stuffed up when I was looking for you in town. I heard all of those explosions--- don’t know what they were for, but that was when these guys caught me and brought me here.’

     ‘So now I have to watch after you again.’ Wrong thing to say.

     ‘Piss off--- I don’t need your help!’ Tania broke down and sobbed, her frail body shaking with a mixture of anger and exhaustion.

     ‘I’m sorry. I just got a shock when I saw you. You know Dad’s here he?

     ‘What?  How can that happen?’

     ‘Something much like happened to us and don’t even get me started on that, cause I don’t know. Anyway---- we need to get you fixed up.’ I started banging on the door. It took a few minutes before a grouchy guard appeared outside the door.

     He shouted, ‘What the fuck do you want now? It better be good.’

     ‘How about you get some help for my sister here?’

     The guard seemed surprized. ‘She’ll be fine then, now she’s with her big brother,’ he snarled.

     I didn’t want to but I did. I said, ‘OK then--- you can take your chances with Dad once he finds out.’

     I thought the guard was going punch me as he moved forward, but he stopped, just short of me. ‘So you want to play the tell my dad trick eh? Well, we’ll see what he says shall we?’ He didn’t look at all as sure as he backed out through the door and slammed it before we heard him trudging outside on the gravel yard.

     ‘Don’t worry Tania; Dad will make sure you get help. He’s in for one hell of a shock when he finds out you’re here.’

     Tania didn’t answer. I thought she had fallen asleep, so I put my jacket over her, which left me feeling even colder. A few minutes later, I heard several people approaching. The door was thrust open and Dad filled the space, observing us sitting on the floor.

     ‘Right, I want these two out of here now. Get them to my office and bring some blankets, food and send for the medic. I want my daughter seen to--- now!’

     This time the guards were much gentler; not that had any choice in the matter with my dad glaring at them as Tania was lifted and taken to Dad’s office. We lay Tania on an old couch near an old cast iron wood burner.

     ‘I won’t ask how she got here. There’s almost nothing that supersizes me anymore,’ Dad said. ‘Your mum must be’ He stopped and his face changed in an instant. ‘I’m sorry---I haven’t got used to the news you brought---damn what a total stuff-up this all is.’

     ‘Like you’ve made it better Dad--- by joining those clowns?’ My mouth got the better of me again. Dad didn’t react like I thought he would. He just stared at me, as if I wasn’t there.

     ‘You don’t understand son. One hell of a lot has happened since I arrived. You’ve been here---- what---one day and you think you know it all. I’ve been here a year---- In know---- times not quite what you think it is--- I won’t even go there. I doubt I would even be alive if they hadn’t rescued me from a bunch of mutants---- No you haven’t seen them, but if you spend much more time around here, you’ll soon find out. They will kill you as soon as look at you.’

     ‘But how the heck did you end up leading this bunch here in New Plymouth?’

     ‘Well that happened by mistake really. I was pretty good at organizing--- I know--- that’s not a side you’ve seen of me, but here---- it happened and what with officers getting knocked off by those guys you met, well---- I sort of rose to the top. We’ve been pretty isolated from other parts of New Zealand and things are getting worse for us by the day. Auckland is a bloody long way once you lose technology that we used to take for granted, even in this time.’

     ‘That’s another thing--- when’s now—you know what I mean,’ I asked. Dad didn’t answer as a medic and a guard brought in some hot food. It looked like soup and bread.

     ‘That’s all the cook can rustle up at short notice sir,’ he said as he put the food on the desk and left.

     While I helped myself to the food, the medic examined Tania, who grumbled something about feeling cold. ‘She’s just beat sir.  It’s nothing a clean-up, hot food and a good sleep won’t fix.’

     ‘Thanks,’ Dad said. ‘I’ll take it from here. Just send in one of the women to help and tell the rest to assemble in the old café. I’m expecting a call from Auckland soon, so I will be letting you all what’s happening next.’

     Right on cue, a crackling sound interrupted us. It was an ancient radio telephone. I looked like it had been rescued form a museum. Dad saw my amused glance and said, ‘It’s amazing what one finds in funny places. That’s what we’re down to now when it comes to communicating. You wouldn’t know we are decades in to the future would you?’

     ‘I’ve seen a few bits and pieces that at the other end of the scale Dad,’ I replied, thinking of some of the weapons and ’birds’ in the sky.

     ‘Yeah, well around here, they’re becoming few and far between as they break down or get nicked by those’--- He didn’t finish, going instead to the radio phone and talking into the mouthpiece. ‘Officer Sam Frampton speaking.’

     ‘What’s your status there Frampton? A barely audible voice replied.

     ‘Who am I speaking too?’

     ‘General Tyler--- just get on with it man. I haven’t got all bloody day.’

     ‘Sorry Sir--- we’ve lost new Plymouth and we need to be moving out of here--- there’s no way we can hold them off for long. I’m down to about fifty all up and we don’t have enough supplies to last more than a few days.’

     The phone remained silent for a few moments.  A young woman was looking after Tania, washing away the worst of the grime and cleaning up the cuts. She then spoon fed Tania some of the hot soup. Tania grabbed the spoon and stubbornly fed herself, leaving the woman with nothing to do. ‘She’ll be fine--- just makes sure she eats and rests.’  We were left alone.

     Meanwhile the general came back onto the phone. ‘Look I’m trying to make arrangements to get you all out of there. It will take a day to get things organized at this end, but the plan is to lift you out by copter. One of our ships will be offshore in a few hours and we’re sending the copter down tomorrow morning. You make sure there’s a clear space for landing and pray that the weather doesn’t turn ugly. OK--- we’ll be in touch tomorrow morning.

     ‘Thanks general, we’ll clear the car park and haver everyone ready. I take it the copter will have to make quite a few flights.’

     ‘Three at the most Frampton, so some of your lot are going to miss out, so I’d keep that to yourself if I was you.’

     ‘Shit--- that’s all I need,’ Dad swore.  He turned to me. ‘You better keep that to yourself too boy--- that’s if you want to join us.

     ‘But what about Uncle Mick--- you know he’s out there somewhere too.’

     ‘Christ-----He’ll have to fend for himself. If he’s mixed up with those bastards, then that’s his choice.’

     ‘Dad, he didn’t ask to come here. He was doing me a favour when he arrived here.’

     Outside, the wind was whipping around the building, searching for a way into the office. At the same time, the sound of hail on the iron roof all but drowned out further conversation. I turned back to the hot soup.

    

    

A stupid promise John

John Key made a promise in the 2008 election campaign that he would not raise the age for eligibility for Superannuation. He drew a line in the sand saying that he would resign rather than do that. It may have sounded laudable at the time, but I believe his stance is going to come back to haunt him.

While he and his cohort are trying to make cuts in a wide range of Government services, he is ignoring a huge issue that simply will not go away. He says that NZ does not need to look at the superannuation issue yet and that we have time on our side.

Is he not listening to a range of commentators and indeed the N Z public who are saying that we must raise the age of eligibility for superannuation. A recent poll says that 63% of NZers are in favour of that, yet John Key stubbornly sticks to his guns.

John Key is only interested in maintaining power on a three year cycle. He must take a longer term view of NZ and make some difficult choices now. Hell, if the polls are correct, then what’s his problem? Here is a perfect chance for him to indulge in some consensus politics and reach out to his fellow parliamentarians and other interest groups and have a this important discussion. It won’t even hurt him politically, if that is his main concern.

NZ is at a crossroads. If we do nothing now, then ‘nothing’ is what we face down the road. There will be nothing to give to our aged if we don’t make allowances now. We have to play catch-up, like Australasia is doing. They are about to raise the contribution level to their super scheme to 12% and yet we are nowhere near that level. Time is running out. If we want to avoid a fiasco in the near future, then we need to put aside our stubbornness and reluctance to make real change---- and do it now. It is almost too late.

Come on John--- pull your head out!