For decades we've sudsidised education, health and welfare in our poorer neighbouring community, for no great social gain, because their law and order needs still take precedence.
There is a small bonus. He has promised to give us some "insight" into life "over the hill". It will be superfluous to my needs but a few people who read his column could do with some enlightenment.
Here is his first installment;
One thing I saw while working in Wainui was four very young kids, one a near newborn, who slept in the same room as their parents with the telly blaring. It was around midnight and not all were asleep. The other bedroom couldn't be used. They were all living in very sparse conditions to say the least, and I did'nt see much food about either.
What astounded me was the most expensive item in the house - a late model and flash Playstation with stereo etc., for the father to spend his days on. No, he did not have a job.
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Reminds me of a couple I interviewed in Naenae, she unemployed, having never worked and pregnant, he also unemployed, and in the living room a very large TV, which they spent all their time watching. Not a book in sight.
I go into a lot of houses doing market research and there seems to be a direct connection between poverty and an absence of books. Books are free from a liabrary and very cheap from a second hand book shop and so much more educational and entertaining than TV.
I'm by definition 'poor'
(2 adults 2 children- income $29K)
But our house has so many books we have to store many in the garage...
Time was,the kids would at least get some exposure to decent books at school.
Not any more.
Kids raised in these homes, with their horizons limited to video games and garbage television programs, without exposure to the literature and thoughts of the civilisation they're supposed to be part of .....
These kids have no chance at all.
And we the taxpayers are subsidising this horror because our political masters have no vision, no principles and no sense of shame.
The most disturbing bit of the story is about the attitude of the parents towards their kids (leaving the TV blaring...) rather than the misuse of taxpayer funding.
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