Friday 27 February 2009

Jobs Summit, 3: Your Solutions, Large and Small [update 2]

So with my own thinking out of the way in my two posts below (thanks for listening), how about you add your own suggestions in the comments – suggestions both small and large.

Let me start you off with George Reisman’s solution, which looks at the larger picture:

Or, looking at the smaller picture:

  • Instead of meeting friends out for drinks and then dining at expensive restaurants, why not keep your friends and even the lifestyle, but without all the expense.  Why not keep an eye on all the Happy Hour deals in your neighbourhood, and when you go drinking go drinking at those times.  And then instead of eating out, why not learn to cook well and have your mates around for a dinner party at home – and even invite your friends to bring a dish each.  You can eat and drink for longer, and cheaper, and you don’t even have to drive home.

So what else have you got?  I’ll post the best ideas here on the front page (and don’t worry if you’re repeating something someone’s already said.  The best ideas can always bear repeating.)

  • In the current economic climate, it would obviously be insane to introduce new costs to business through either an Emissions Trading Scam or a Carbon Tax.  So it’s bound to be a certainty, then.

UPDATE 2My colleague Dr Richard McGrath says,

    On the morning of the government’s “Jobs Summit”, Libertarianz leader Richard McGrath released his party’s suggestions on how the New Zealand economy could create more jobs, not just this year, but on a permanent basis.
    “The best possible thing that could be done for the New Zealand economy would be to adopt all of our policies,” said Dr McGrath. These policies are set out on the party website at www.lp.org.nz.

That would naturally something to shoot for in the long term. In the meantime, Richard proffers several damn fine suggestions that can be effect now to keep New Zealand afloat in the crisis.

These initiatives are presented in support of a guiding principle: “New Zealand – Open For Business”.

Read it all here.

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

I heard the disappointing news that somebody raised canning or changing the ERA and was quickly shut down for pushing ideology.

Christ, if ever there was a time to let wages be downwardly mobile and for labour to be free to move elsewhere in the economy, this is it. WTF has ideology got to do with it?

Sir Arthur Streeb-Greebling said...

Laissez faire, telle devrait être la devise de toute puissance publique, depuis que le monde est civilisé. Laissez faire et laissez passer, le monde va de lui même!

Merci Wikipedia :-)

Dinther said...

So.. Effectively turn New Zealand into Galt's Gulch. Love it !

Anonymous said...

Ten things to can

1. the ERA. employers should be able to modify all employment conditions at any time. more than ever, a job is a privilege not a right
2. the minimum wage.
3. the dole - we cant afford to borrow to pay people who refuse to work
4. wff
5. all corporate taxes including FBT
6. all personal taxes on incomes over 100K
7. the entire RMA process.
8. all state and integrated schools; all state hopsitals
9. the unions who destroy NZ's competitiveness
10. the labour party for getting us into this mess!

Owen McShane said...

Manukau city ignores what the other Manukau meeting was trying to deal with.

http://www.times.co.nz/cms/news/2009/02/council_fee_rises_slammed.php?page=2


Manukau officers are recommending resource consent and building consent fees be increased by 20% because demand is down and hence revenues are falling.

Just as well they don't run the corner dairy!

Owen McShane said...

Income splitting for married couples with children would allow many women who would rather raise their children to leave the workforce.
My earlier research found that the average woman who worked netted only enough money to compensate for the taxes her husband was paying..

Anonymous said...

Income splitting for married couples with children would allow many women who would rather raise their children to leave the workforce.

Get a grip. NZ needs more people working, not less.
Want to cut taxes: cut services, and then taxes to match. But don't start with yet more exceptions!


My earlier research found that the average woman who worked netted only enough money to compensate for the taxes her husband was paying..


So cut the taxes! NZ families need everyone who can to work - and that will only intensify in the years to come.