Living Wage not supported by Auckland Council!

With all the furore over the 'Len Brown' affair, the lack of support by the City Council for a living wage for its employees and on a wider field has possibly gone below the radar. This is a pity as the issue deserves much more attention. Even trying to live on the proposed 'living wage' is damn near impossible for many in the largest city in New Zealand. With housing prices sky high and rents to match; add in transport costs and there is a huge problem for a significant proportion of Aucklanders. It is not as easy as moving away from the 'queen city,' as the jobs are just not where they are needed, in the provinces. I know I have advocated all sorts of solutions in precious blogs, but the fact is--living in Auckland is indeed hard.
That the Auckland City Councillors had a chance to lift the burden, if even only slightly, was missed is sad. That two councillors from South Auckland voted against the proposal is even more worrying. They are out of touch with the community that put them into their positions, but more to the point---the South Auckland community did this by 'not' getting out to vote! There are many reasons for this; some say the apathy was particularly strong in SA, but that is not the complete picture. It is not uncommon for various sectors of our communities to feel disenfranchised; through a process of wearing down people. It is not about not caring; it is more about having to put total energy to eking out a living and having little left for 'politics and movements' that could actually change things. BUT---if change is going to be on the horizon, a movement needs to start whereby more people get out and vote----for representatives who will fight the bog fight, to get a fairer and more equitable society---one that we used to have in the past. 2014 is the next opportunity for such a change.
www.authorneilcoleman.com

The food bill is so cheap now---don't ask about the clothing bill!

Eating out has taken on a whole new meaning for me since the bariatric operation and now that I have stabilized for a month, I am enjoying the new challenges associated with choosing the right balance when I visit food-courts, restaurants and cafes. One thing that has become wonderfully apparent is that the bill for the visit has gone down dramatically. Going to my favourite food-court in Otahuhu (Mason Ave---the one featured in Roskill---check it out on my website and download it on Kindle) costs as little as NZ9.50 and I have enough food for the evening meal and the next night too, in the form of the doggie bag I take home. It is actually enough for three meals, but I share the 'remainders' with Perdy. Her table manners of course betray her for what she is-- a Jack Russell, also featured in Roskill.
Given the new possibilities re my 'eating out budget,' maybe I can explore more exotic and expensive cuisines. Suggestions anyone?
www.authorneilcoleman.com

 I could only manage a third of the meal. I think I can afford caviar at this rate!

 

If Len Brown goes, are we going to ask/demand that other politicinas in similar circumstances resign?

There is a strong moralistic twinge to the demand that Len Brown resigns, one driven and fed by the media. Take a note of who shouts loudest in this difficult situation. Len has his supporters who want him to face down his detractors and I wonder if they are getting the same 'coverage' and those screaming for his head. I have swung around a bit in the way O think of this issue and have settled on an uncomfortable realization that he going to left side-lined by his council and the next two and  a half years are going to be stressful and possibly untenable for him to be able to drive policy. I am uncomfortable that thing shave come to this stage. If Len does go and today may give us a lead on that, then we are in for another torrid Mayoral campaign.
I know such a campaign is going to cost precious resources, but that is the cost of giving voice to the concerns raised by the events of the last few months. I have no issue with Len putting his name forward again and if those who have hidden in the murk, sniping at his position in every way they can, wish to stand, well we the public should get out and make our decision clear. Then the matter must end.
If we took the same stance re some of our other politicians and perhaps business leaders then maybe what we have witnessed could be understood, but that is not the case. So---if we have a consistent approach and I for one do not want to b ring the 'bedroom' in to political affairs, perhaps there is a way forward. As for any possible 'corruption,' that depends I guess on one's definition of the C word. Those shouting loudest should perhaps take a leaf out the book they most certainly quote from. I shall leave the meaning of my words for you to interpret, just as you/we all have taken our own stances on the whole sorry issue.
www.authorneilcoleman.com

Silly damn computer or is it me?!

Don't you just hate it when you write a clever little blog and the damn thing won't upload or accept any pictures. God is indeed punishing me for my transgression in the past and maybe for all of the ones I shall perpetrate in the future. Just saying!

OH no, now the Australians are claiming our iconic bird (THE KIWI) as their own!

Haven't we seen it many times?----The Aussies claiming that which is ours as their own. Remember Split Ends, various race horses and even Russell Crow? Yes, the 'cousins across the ditch' claimed them all. What is it about our lovely Australian friends; that they must flog what is clearly not theirs/ Are they envious? Do they suffer from some innate inferiority complex or is it that they just cannot fathom anything good as coming from New Zealand. They even attract lots of NZers to make the trip, then to become Aussies or Kwasies. Now that the NZ economy seems to be on a more stable footing than the 'lucky country' perhaps we may see a subtle change or am I wrong. Maybe the big country will claim even more of Kiwiana.
Now we have the spectre of the Aussies claiming the Kiwi, New Zealand's' most famous of symbols; one that all NZers are happy to be attached to when they venture overseas. The very mention or image of the said bird is enough to make one's spine tingle when travelling. Some Aussie researcher from Flinders University is now saying that the Kiwi came from Australia, twenty million years ago. He says that it flew here and was related to the Emu, Australia's flightless bird.
I guess having so often extolled the virtue of 'scientific research in many of my other blogs, I have to suck eggs and accept his findings. Of course I cannot help but add, that perhaps the Kiwi knew where it was better to live and to make it's point, it got rid of its wings so that it could not go back to Australia. Hell, why would it want the bush fires, sharks, snakes and God knows what else. The fact that the Kiwi stayed speaks buckets, don't it now!
So now that it appears that the Australian economy is in for a rough ride, maybe will see more birds coming to NZ and ridding themselves of any desire to go back. Maybe we will see pigs flying too!
www.authorneilcoleman.com

Len Brown--Mayor of Auckland because there is no other obvious choice!

Morals aside for a few moments and performance being the main contributor to Len Brown's win at the last local body elections (questionable, according to many of you living in Auckland, maybe!) one must ask---what to do about the current furore surrounding his 'transgressions? I have swung from not worrying about his moral stance and tried to base my judgment about the Mayor, simply on his ability to 'do his job and run Auckland well. I am increasingly disturbed by what we are hearing in the media about the events of the last few years.  I am suspicious of the 'voices' we are listening to; those who set themselves up as 'clean and without 'sin.' There has to be a way forward, for Auckland, not just the players in the 'game.'
The water is muddied by his 'dalliance' and the continual enlargement of the whole affair, driven by the media and many 'electors' who have since changed their mind about who and what they think is important for a 'mayor to be.' I have always found it difficult to judge him merely by his 'exploits, I'd rather leave that to his wife and family and let him get on with doing what we put him there for, much of which I agreed with in his last term.
It now appears that his ability to deliver is going to be compromised by what has gone on because those he must work with find it impossible or choose not to work with him now. It seems that the process of running our fair city is now being dragged down into moralistic and sectional interest group squabbling. Hell, there was enough of that under the name of 'political persuasion', without the current hijacking of attention. A city cannot run with all of this going on. Take Toronto and it's embattled Mayor; they too have reached that point where 'city business' is stalled while they flay around with their personal hates, positioning and quasi-religious outrage. Is that what we want for Auckland?
It seems that is exactly what we have inherited. If it wasn't Len's 'affair,' I think it would have been something else, because there are those out there who do not like the direction Len Brown was taking us. In the meantime, we are all being dragged into this debate about how an individual in a high place 'lives his life' and that he must somehow rise above  being human and represent a 'shining example' of moral virtue. I as a voter did not put him there to play out that role.
I am angry that we have arrived at this situation and now that is has taken so much energy and time, I believe that Len is now in an impossible position. He is 'dead in the water,' unable to lead or introduce policy, because there are those on the Council taking this opportunity to continue a campaign to unseat Len Brown. That all equates to a city that has been taken hostage to the ideas of a significant proportion of its populace who would like us all to live in the manner that they hold close to their beliefs.
I have reluctantly arrived at the conclusion that Len must resign and go back to the electorate. If the majority then decide to put him back in, then fine----leave it at that. For the life of me, I cannot see any candidates who would stand out above him; at least ones that are capable of winning. John Minto is an honourable man and his policies are probably closer to my own beliefs, but his problem is convincing enough people to vote for him. Then there is Christine Fletcher, who would possibly appeal to those on the centre right. Of course we have Len's main rival at the last election; the one who sounds like the name of a 'horse;' because he too has been badly tainted by this whole affair.
Yes, a new election will cost us, but we need to clear the decks and start again. There is no point in 'hanging in there,' Len; it is time to resubmit yourself to the peoples' choice. This is not going to go away. Then, we should all pull our heads in and let be what will be. Just talk to your family first this time. They may have had enough!

www.authorneilcoleman.com

WTF---a blog about what?

I was gin g to do a blog about the quite emotional meeting and 'coming together of minds' between Ross Meaurant and John Minto but the sun was shining and it is a beautiful evening.
Then I saw the item on the news about Hone's big nothing trip to South Africa, where he arrived late ad left early but I thought---that's for the 'Far North' to sort out and the evening is so inviting.
Then I th9ught about the three guys (and their slightly more sensible friend who took their three 'unregistered and out of control Pit Bull things to the park and my Perdy decided that they were not so nice---what the hell, the evening just made me---called me---- out and we took Perdy for another (her 4th walk of the day!) stroll along the promenade at Mangere Bridge.
I think I had my priorities right, on this occasion. Those other matters can wait. What  fantastic evening it is in fair Auckland City. I wonder what the Mayor is doing? he's got a lot on his plate and I just want to enjoy the simple things in life tonight. Now---where are those lovely cookies I baked today?

www.authorneilcoleman.com