tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3753486518085091399.post1809066231472567615..comments2024-03-29T11:07:51.893+13:00Comments on Bowalley Road: An Expression Of Democratic Interest.Chris Trotterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09081613281183460899noreply@blogger.comBlogger8125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3753486518085091399.post-30868930463493860172017-10-18T11:33:32.721+13:002017-10-18T11:33:32.721+13:00Great article on a very valid and pertinent topic....Great article on a very valid and pertinent topic.<br /><br />A few words tell the story: public servant. Servant, not master.....apply that to any of them the result is a big fail, they are not serving us.<br /><br />Citizen....thats the supposedly served....now referred to as "clients", beholden upon their "case managers".<br /><br />Rate / tax payers...the people who fund salaries, those to be served.....now enumerated in order to ascertain revenue opportunity.<br /><br />One fact around remuneration levels. In a true private enterprise world you are only paid to the level of your ability in the market to drive revenue flow and profit. If you can only administer you are worth a lot less. So why do we allow people who have no revenue generation responsibility (such as the CEOs of government departments) such high pay?Nick Jnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3753486518085091399.post-61041253807142302832017-10-17T13:26:01.902+13:002017-10-17T13:26:01.902+13:00Well, Charles's first paragraph makes eminent ...Well, Charles's first paragraph makes eminent sense. But his second one...........<br /><br />"But that would not stop him defining it fully, as though he is a world expert. "<br /><br />Guerilla Surgeonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03427876447124021423noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3753486518085091399.post-21430878566608610792017-10-16T13:08:03.750+13:002017-10-16T13:08:03.750+13:00Thoroughly agree, we need a new law that expressly...Thoroughly agree, we need a new law that expressly says anyone working for local or central government is a public servant and their pay scale will not be related to private sector pay. There should be a complete disconnect between the two. It is none of our business what a company pays someone but for public servants we must demand a decisive say. Public sector pay should perhaps be capped by a commission staffed by citizen volunteers randomly picked. That would be democratic. It cannot be set by politicians nor of course any bureaucrat.<br /><br />But I think the cancer-like growth in bureaucracy and the pay packets and numbers of useless excessively pampered underperformers in it is way older than some obscure guy from the right you have decided to beat up.<br />It goes back to before the Greeks & Romans tried to govern the ancient world.<br />Bureaucracy always will grow, and they always will try to get their hands on more of our money, more of our freedoms. They need to be cut back regularly like a shrubbery or they will take over the house.<br />And they always grow best under a Labour government as many only get a job due to their patronage. It is no coincidence that Wellington is always on the left, as it is dominated by the bureaucracy who know their over-paid jobs are safer under Labour.<br />So it's your people Chris you need to preach to, to curtail the buggers and make them our servants once more. And I agree, they may actually then provide public service.Charles Enoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3753486518085091399.post-13826265013794454922017-10-15T22:28:05.736+13:002017-10-15T22:28:05.736+13:00Someone on a US podcast suggesting the future of t...Someone on a US podcast suggesting the future of that divided nation is anarchy and I see that as applying here. I don't think anyone will be satisfied.jhnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3753486518085091399.post-84775417213379490652017-10-14T22:00:26.683+13:002017-10-14T22:00:26.683+13:00Remind those employees of local and central govern...Remind those employees of local and central governments that they still are 'public servants' and cut their cloth accordingly. It is obscene that a CEO could get paid more than our prime minister of whatever hue.peteswriteplacehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04474922953916383101noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3753486518085091399.post-74233617756967432062017-10-14T21:43:22.722+13:002017-10-14T21:43:22.722+13:00'Politics without romance'. A word with...'Politics without romance'. A word with variable meanings said by a person with little ability to reflect I think - that would describe James Buchanan. It;s a pity there was a special category started in the Nobel prize for economics. It should have been sited in the arts.<br /><br />Which meaning did Buchanan ascribe to politics:<br />* a quality or feeling of mystery, excitement, and remoteness from everyday life.(enOxforddictionaries)<br />* to talk about something in a way that makes it seem better than it really is. (Merriam webster)<br /><br />On considering market forces and how they operate it seems there is something of both above meanings in its aficianados beliefs.greywarblernoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3753486518085091399.post-68152758689501008312017-10-14T17:48:24.933+13:002017-10-14T17:48:24.933+13:00Yes, liberal free market "libertarianism&quo...Yes, liberal free market "libertarianism" based on the principle that "everyone knows best what is best for him- or herself" is not a soundly tenable principle at all, because many are aware only of their short term needs and wants, and even libertarians do not fully support a free market in "desirable", but harmfully addictive drugs(?) -<br /><br />and thus it inevitably leads to intensified socio-economic polarization into "Haves" and "Have-Nots", because the poor and hedonistic have the freedom not to care enough about "tomorrow".<br /><br />Therefore free market libertarianist democracy carries within itself the same seed of self-destruction or -limitation as exclusively short term public needs and desires based democracy regardless of the sensitive economic indicators revealed through free market supply and demand profitability achievements and unavoidable cost factors, as both evade the responsibilities and austerity and foresight required for long term, permanent prosperity and welfare sustainability, which should be woven into the taxation system for the long term benefit of all.<br /><br />It appears that regardless who forms the government, we are actually moving in this direction.Jens Mederhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17304734497662325275noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3753486518085091399.post-62561947574571613302017-10-14T17:15:00.682+13:002017-10-14T17:15:00.682+13:00All so true
D J SAll so true<br />D J SDavid Stonenoreply@blogger.com