UBI errors
A brave attempt by Garth Scown (letters, January 21) to demolish the argument for a Universal Basic Income. Understandable that he claims (erroneously) that the idea is based on "robots taking all the jobs".
With his farming background, Mr Scown will know how agriculture relies relatively little on human energy today as compared with a century ago.
But the rate at which more technical jobs have replaced manual labour is decreasing rapidly -- revealing that the real problem is not job loss but income loss for the many, with escalating riches for the few.
But Garth is misguided in claiming UBI stems from socialism. Most of the socialists and social democrats I encounter, including our Opposition MPs, support the neo-liberal, debt-funding model for our public sector -- not the Crown credit-funding we SoCreds advocate. It means they endorse the fact that those who not only own automated machinery but who also own the debt raised to purchase it are entitled to their multimillion profits.
As for motivation, why deny the majority their citizens' right to a basic income because of the few who might lapse into laziness? After all, the word is "basic" -- no pretence to be entirely adequate. And easily affordable when our civic and parliamentary leaders relieve rate and taxpayers of the debt-funding draining our economy.
HEATHER MARION SMITH
Gisborne
Great airline
Many thanks to Air Chathams for the excellent organisation and communication with passengers they provided on Sunday, January 15, when the afternoon flight from Auckland could not land because of thick clouds and gales.
After making many circles above us, it eventually had to return to Auckland for refuelling and finally landed at 5 o'clock, when it quickly filled up again with passengers for the 4.45 flight back to Auckland.
Great airline. We are lucky to have them in Wanganui.
ANNE RAVN
Fordell
Maori language
In reply to Potonga Neilson's nonsensical diatribe about how Maori were being ethnically cleansed by having their language banned from being spoken in schools, it was at the request of the Maori parents that their children only speak English in schools, as they themselves could see that this was the way of the future.
Therefore, his claim that ethnic cleansing was government policy in those days is pure mischief.
With several petitions by Maori to place greater emphasis on how important this was to them, their wish was granted to them by the government.
I am also quite amused by the last sentence of Potonga: "... much preferable to the mythical Heaven or Hell that Pakeha rave on about." I believe that the surname Neilson is Scandinavian, and I have a feeling that he may have as much as, if not more than the accursed pakeha blood in his veins as he does of his Maori heritage. As a regular critic of all things Pakeha, perhaps he could enlighten us.
ROBIN BISHOP
Tauranga