Normally she’s like one of those small, annoying little dogs that yaps and yaps and drives you mildly nuts with their constant noise, but you can find some way to ignore them – lock it in another room, scoop it up in one hand and fling it over the neighbour’s fence.  She doesn’t usually go all the way and actually take a nip at your ankle …

Not in the least surprisingly the teacher’s union over here in Louisiana is trying to stop Jindal’s school voucher program. 
I think the real issue at stake is money.  Charter and private schools are non union and non bureaucrat and so teacher or public sector unions don’t collect any dues, which are of course simply passed on to the Dems.  It is simply a method of indirect involuntary taxpayer support of one particular political party and the sums involved are huge.  This is what the fight is really about, as much as the ideology of Govt control and non choice (except if you are a wealthy liberal in which case your kids will go to the finest most expensive private schools.  e.g Obama’s kids). 

In light of the left’s reaction to a couple of charter schools in NZ, an interesting piece of research to conduct would be how many dollars are collected in union dues from NZ teachers and education bureaucrats and see where this money ends up.  Most of it would fund the Labour party I would expect.  That might be some fun ammo to throw around at the lefties the next time they try to take pot shots at charter schools. 

Charter schools are outrageously popular here in New Orleans, especially amongst poor African Americans whose kids now have a shot at a decent education.  There really would be an uprising at any attempt to shut down or curtail charter schools here, so it is both funny and sad to follow the discussion in NZ on the subject. 

Bloomberg said he is modeling New York’s school reform on the New Orleans model, so the cat is well and truly out of the bag on school reform, the left are going to lose this one over here.  Might not make the headlines but it is a big deal. 

Maurice Williamson led off the third reading of the debate to rein in rates increases.  Photo / NZPA
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Maurice Williamson led off the third reading of the debate to rein in rates increases.  Photo / NZPA

Legislation the Government says will rein in local authority rates increases was passed yesterday amid Opposition criticism it was unjustified and would result in reduced services to communities. 

Local Government NZ warned the law risked leaving councils open to expensive legal challenges which ratepayers would ultimately pay for. 

The Local Government Act Amendment Bill passed with the support of the Act and United Future parties. 
—————————

Now I’m sure someone will correct me if I am wrong but. 
The act is the brainchild of former Local Government Minister Nick Smith who introduced it with claims local authority spending, debt and rates hikes were out of control as councils spent up on wage and salary increases and on services outside core areas of activity. 

This was a core ACT policy.  Now I know Banks considers himself and ACT person (which he is not), but to claim Smith invented it is appalling. 

]]>By: mikenmildhttp://www.kiwiblog.co.nz/2012/11/general_debate_29_november_2012.html/comment-page-1#comment-1054625
Thu, 29 Nov 2012 16:53:17 +0000http://www.kiwiblog.co.nz/?p=68809#comment-1054625The usual intemperate ravings? 
]]>By: big bruvhttp://www.kiwiblog.co.nz/2012/11/general_debate_29_november_2012.html/comment-page-1#comment-1054624
Thu, 29 Nov 2012 16:40:29 +0000http://www.kiwiblog.co.nz/?p=68809#comment-1054624The 1st of December is fast approaching.  A free chocolate fish for anybody who can tell me what that means for this blog. 
]]>By: Reidhttp://www.kiwiblog.co.nz/2012/11/general_debate_29_november_2012.html/comment-page-1#comment-1054615
Thu, 29 Nov 2012 09:42:19 +0000http://www.kiwiblog.co.nz/?p=68809#comment-1054615To be honest, I can’t see how anyone can not support Israel, the only democracy in the Middle East. 
All they want is to be left the hell alone and not get attacked all the time. 

Fletch it’s quite simple.  If that’s what they really want, that’s what they should act like.  But they don’t.  They never have.  Now maybe just maybe the soldiers and the pilots and the gunners in the IDF don’t have any choice, they just obey orders, after all, that’s what soldiers do. 

The only real question is, since the IDF really actually does in fact act like thugs, which the whole world sees, all the time, whose orders are they carrying out?  It’s simply not possible to hallucinate they don’t act like thugs, that’s just hysterical nonsense.  The whole world just saw it again a few days ago. 

]]>By: liarbors a jokehttp://www.kiwiblog.co.nz/2012/11/general_debate_29_november_2012.html/comment-page-1#comment-1054614
Thu, 29 Nov 2012 09:35:05 +0000http://www.kiwiblog.co.nz/?p=68809#comment-1054614I can’t help but feel that Israelis and Palestinians could easily be prevented from encroaching each other’s territories if someone were to build a wall out of pork separating them. 
]]>By: Fletchhttp://www.kiwiblog.co.nz/2012/11/general_debate_29_november_2012.html/comment-page-1#comment-1054613
Thu, 29 Nov 2012 09:32:57 +0000http://www.kiwiblog.co.nz/?p=68809#comment-1054613Luc, there is no such thing as “Palestinians”. 
There is no such place and never has been. 

‘Palestine’ is a generic term for the area, much as ‘The Antipodes’ is a term for Australia and New Zealand, coined by the British.  It would be as absurd if a group started calling themselves ‘Antipodeans” and demanding their own state. 

And no, you’re wrong about who does the attacking.  Israel has only defended itself when provoked, never the aggressor. 

]]>By: Luc Hansenhttp://www.kiwiblog.co.nz/2012/11/general_debate_29_november_2012.html/comment-page-1#comment-1054612
Thu, 29 Nov 2012 09:27:56 +0000http://www.kiwiblog.co.nz/?p=68809#comment-1054612If Israel is a democracy, and its own tourist maps show an Israel between the river and the sea, up to the Lebanon border and to the Egypt border, why are 5 million Palestinians disenfranchised? 

And as a democracy, why does it have 39 basic laws discriminating in favour of Jews? 

Israel doesn’t get attacked all the time – it always starts their conflicts, the one notable exception being Sadat’s surprise attack aimed at retaking Sinai. 

I totally support the Palestinian cause. 

]]>By: Fletchhttp://www.kiwiblog.co.nz/2012/11/general_debate_29_november_2012.html/comment-page-1#comment-1054611
Thu, 29 Nov 2012 09:20:48 +0000http://www.kiwiblog.co.nz/?p=68809#comment-1054611To be honest, I can’t see how anyone can not support Israel, the only democracy in the Middle East. 
All they want is to be left the hell alone and not get attacked all the time. 

FFS, Israel lives on one-tenth of one percent of the available lands in the Middle East, but that is still too much? 

I totally support Israel. 

]]>By: Luc Hansenhttp://www.kiwiblog.co.nz/2012/11/general_debate_29_november_2012.html/comment-page-1#comment-1054610
Thu, 29 Nov 2012 09:17:50 +0000http://www.kiwiblog.co.nz/?p=68809#comment-1054610Indeed, Fletch, in a few hours time the Israeli hasbara machine will be in full flight with variations on the theme of “It doesn’t change anything!”  Which, of course, would betray their earlier insistent threats against Palestinians for properly pursuing their legal rights in the ultimate legal forum for nation states – as this resolution will confirm Palestine is entitled to utilise. 

Because it is, in fact a propitious moment on a propitious day, the exact date, 65 years ago when the most immoral act ever of the UN took place in the General Assembly, then dominated by the now ex colonial powers. 

It will be a day of great humiliation for Israel and the US, the forthcoming protestations of Tim_Oz and KIA (even Tom Hunter may return for this particular propaganda assignment) notwithstanding.  But squealing about it won’t make it not so, boys! 

Just watch folks, and remember, you heard it from me first. 

And except for a couple of bullied and/or bribed small island states, the negative and the abstaining voting blocks will be the rump of those colonial powers who just won’t let go of their innate belief in white supremacy. 

Sadly, the latter group is likely to include new Zealand, always particularly sycophantic to the US under National or National-led governments, but that will also change looking forward as our society becomes increasingly diverse. 

As you watch all the bully-boy nations line up against the rest of the world, either by their cowardly abstentions, or by their sycophantic pandering to the biggest international arsehole the world has ever seen.  Not the people of Israel, but its leadership.