THE PAIN OF BEING RIGHT

Now here’s a couple of interesting articles:

http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/industries/6673730/Electricity-prices-tipped-to-rise-steeply
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/6675785/Tax-cuts-blamed-for-zero-Budget-admission

How are they linked? Well, I predicted electricity price rises as a consequence of reduced income tax revenue in my article last year:

“...all that results in lowering income tax is this:
• It empties the government’s coffers of much-needed tax revenue. Governments then find new taxes to fill them – usually regressive taxes – such as increased GST, increased power bills, or increased duty on fags and booze.
• It gives more money to those who already have it, not to those who need it
• The rich get richer, and the poor get poorer”

And guess what? What have we seen since the Smiling Shark came into power:

* increased GST
* increased customs duties on cigarettes and alcohol
* increased electricity prices.

[Heavy sigh]

I hate it when I’m right. I really do. It gives me no satisfaction when I’m proven visionary and correct (as well as modest) on these issues. This is because I still have to endure the pain of the wrong, when everyone says, “You’re wrong.” In this specific case, my budget is hurting like yours. But when I’m later proven right, it’s too late to change the wrong. I bemoaned another term of right-wing spin after the 2011 election, and everyone laughed at me for exaggerating like an old gay socialist. Well, they ain’t laughin’ now, with their increased GST, increased prices on beer crates and increased power prices. One year on, and the derision on this old leftie is replaced with, “Hmm, why can’t I afford some of the basics anymore? Why is my pay not going as far? Why is my tax cut not helping?” Because lowering income tax doesn’t work. And we still have another three years for the Smiling Shark to do even more damage. Read this exchange about the effect of tax cuts on affordability:

"Tax System Changes—Effect on New Zealanders"

Did you like Bill English's spin? Right-wing governments, eh? You can always trust ‘em to raise regressive taxes and not care about the effects on low-income families. What amazes me is why we let them do it?!! Regressive taxes adversely affect many more of us - real people - than the few who are part of the rich establishment. If you think about it logically, there is no way that a voting populace in a mature democracy would allow a rich 10% of the population to benefit from almost half of the total tax cut revenue. Surely, there is NO WAY that a mature democracy would allow subsequent taxes to be placed on the very people who can’t afford them?

The answer to “How can these happen?!!” is an easy one: because selfish human greed allows it to happen. First of all, the rich few sponsor a political party with the intent on having their own taxes reduced. They bleat that they pay more tax than everyone else. Duh! That’s because they earn more than anyone else! So, when The Few lobby and sponsor a political party to reduce income tax, it’s simply an opportunity cost for them; there is no moral or ethical consideration of the effects. However, that’s only an elite minority with few individual votes. For that party to come to power, we, the voting populace, have to vote them in. How on earth did enough of the population agree to such madness? Well, you, the mortgage whores, allowed it to happen by prostituting your vote. You are intelligent, thinking people, yet you sold your vote to a regressive tax government; for the “crumbs from the rich man’s table.” [Luke 16:19-31]. Do you remember this line when you voted National:

“A tax cut for every New Zealander.”


WERE YOU MAD??!! Did you really believe that GST wouldn’t be raised? Did you not realise that electricity prices would be raised again to raise revenue??!! How did you THINK such tax cuts were going to be funded?!!

Was it worth that temporary little increase in your budget? Your vote was bought.

"The Government is having to borrow in order to cover the tax cuts that they gave and so now it is putting pressure right through the Budget." [Dr Russel Norman, April 2012].

And please don’t whine and tell me, “But I never agreed to raising GST and other taxes. It wasn’t part of their election promise. I didn’t vote for that!” Well here’s another quote:

“To point out the blindingly obvious: New Zealanders in 2008 voted tax cuts for themselves that we could ill-afford as a nation... No one who voted for National in 2008 can genuinely claim ignorance – we were warned. News of the building crisis and recession filled the media. New Zealanders’ greed for money simply outstripped their common sense.” [Frank Macskasy]

You voted for tax cuts. You voted in the National Party. You voted in right-wing spin doctors who had enough financial backing to buy the advertising which kept them there for a second term. So the National Party can do pretty much anything else it wants to for the next three years. Haven’t you learnt that yet?

Clearly, I’m angry and bitter about the behaviour of this National government. I was an impoverished student during the Thatcher years, so after 17 years of right-wing government corruption in the UK, I swore blind I would never vote for a right-wing party. And I haven’t. Sadly, not everyone agrees with me. But surely many of you have similar experiences, haven’t you? Yup, you sure do.

But then a professional “Labour” party gets in and fucks it all up, so that a right-wing party sings sugar-sweet in your ears, and the entire rotten cycle begins again.

Sigh.