Wheelers Corner 05 26th Jan 2019Trump loves Venezuela more than he does US Government workers.

Can you imagine what New Zealanders would say if Nutcase US President Donald Trump told us... "that he doesn't accept Jacinda Ardern as Prime Minister of NZ...

why! because more voters voted against her than for her...therefore he will only accept Simon Bridges as Prime Minister because his party got the most votes...now while that might go down a treat with our Palmerston North Lawyer and mad right winger Liam Hehir and his secret Act Party mates: Here is what one 'Sophie Gardner' wrote in response to Hehir's idiotic statements:
Oh and by the way the Trump mob got less votes that the Clinton crowd...but that didn't stop Trump claiming he won...

Sophie said:
"National are not in power, the hopeless, napless and economically disastrous nats lost, just for clarity for people like yourself in the 'fox' bubble.
Keyish clown regime was our worst,
They funded a unnecessary tax cuts by borrowing,
They borrowed about 7.5 billion a year to fund the cra Cra mess, thats 900 a month or 30 million a day.
They created record post war levels of poverty by just ignoring it.
They created a housing crisis and produced homelessness on scale not seen in our country
They transferred wealth from the working to people like me, 2% of the population who don't work, who have multiple rental properties for no reason except it suited English and key.
They transferred income to top reducing the working share of income by 16% of national income, this beyond reason is the worst outcome it is going to harm kiwi society for generation.
They harm basic social services and were not Christian to the poor or people in need.
In short we have been delivered from a government who were our worst, who harmed us, your post [ Liam Hehir] just is mad, not based on reality".
Sophie Gardner

Mike Pence VP and the man who is scared of his own penis.

Any way coming back to the 'Trump take over of Venezuela' backed by Born again nutter Mike Pence.Who is a follower of the "The Billy Graham rule which is a practice among male evangelical Protestant leaders, in which they avoid spending time alone with women to whom they are not married. It is named after Billy Graham, a proponent of the practice, although recently has also been called the Mike Pence rule.^[1] It is adopted as a display of integrity, a means of avoiding sexual temptation, to avoid any appearance of doing something considered morally objectionable, and to avoid being falsely accused of sexual harassment, but has been criticized as being sexist. Its a pity that he couldn't get Trump to sign up...

"As many American lawmakers, pundits, and advocacy groups remain conspicuously silent in response to U.S. President Donald Trump's decision to formally recognize Venezuela's opposition leader as the "interim president"—a move that was denounced as open support for an attempted coup d'état—renowned linguist Noam Chomsky, filmmaker Boots Riley, and over 70 other academics and experts issued an open letter on Thursday calling on the Trump administration to "cease interfering in Venezuela's internal politics."

"The U.S. and its allies must cease encouraging violence by pushing for violent, extralegal regime change."
—Open Letter

"Actions by the Trump administration and its allies in the hemisphere are almost certain to make the situation in Venezuela worse, leading to unnecessary human suffering, violence, and instability," the letter reads. "The U.S. and its allies must cease encouraging violence by pushing for violent, extralegal regime change. If the Trump administration and its allies continue to pursue their reckless course in Venezuela, the most likely result will be bloodshed, chaos, and instability."

Highlighting the harm American sanctions have inflicted upon the Venezuelan economy and people, the letter goes on to denounce the White House's "aggressive" actions and rhetoric against Venezuela's government, arguing that peaceful talks are the only way forward.

"In such situations, the only solution is a negotiated settlement, as has happened in the past in Latin American countries when politically polarized societies were unable to resolve their differences through elections," the letter reads. "For the sake of the Venezuelan people, the region, and for the principle of national sovereignty, these international actors should instead support negotiations between the Venezuelan government and its opponents that will allow the country to finally emerge from its political and economic crisis."

And I would add that our loopy Palmerston North Lawyer might like to do the same...after all lawyers are meant to understand the law...well one can always hope...Come on Liam Hehir with a socialist background like yours it shouldn't be too much to ask!

https://www.democracynow.org/2019/1/24/a_coup_in_process_trump_moves?utm_source=Democracy+Now%21&utm_campaign=2fb6629233-Daily_Digest_COPY_01&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_fa2346a853-2fb6629233-191730185 

2. Behaviour change...wouldn't it be nice if:

Would you believe any of the above?

Speaking of behaviour change... just imagine if woman followed the Billy Graham / Mike Pence rule and refused to be in a room alone with a married man...Gosh the world would come to a stand still...when was the last time you read about a man being raped by a woman?
Just Imagine if Donald Trump followed that odd rule...no more pussy grabbing...no more second and third marriages...no more sex with porn-stars on the side while the wife is in labour...which later cost hundreds of thousands of dollars in hush money....

The MS media reminded us just the other day of how Donald Trump would have grabbed a gun and then rushed into a class room where a nice American boy was busy shooting the teachers and pupils and saved the day...this the very same want-to-be- hero who couldn't don the uniform of his country when they needed him... So we can all understand that ego drives weak men, to talk like a hero but act like a coward.

W/C each Monday at 4 pm...

Wheelers Corner 04 19th January 2019...Mayor does a Trump over gift to Toyota mates.

The face of our angry Mayor...better known as his Toyota Look.

"Mayor Grant Smith has finally opened up about the reasons for the grant, which a majority of councillors supported in a behind-closed-doors meeting in 2017.

A week after the Taxpayers' Union revealed its existence, Smith said he and council staff had responded as quickly as they could to share information kept secret until chief executive Heather Shotter released it".

[So does Heather Shotter run the Council and it's democratic processes? I thought we had got rid of  CEO dictatorships with the replacement of one Paul What was his name? again 'Wylie...] 

https://www.stuff.co.nz/manawatu-standard/news/109982983/toyota-grant-paid-to-secure-23-million-expansion-and-keep-car-giant-in-palmerston-north-says-mayor

" So-called Employment portfolio? Councillor Adrian Broad; said having Toyota based in Palmerston North was a powerful selling point in marketing the city's benefits to other businesses interested in locating here". [Give us an example!!]

This stupid statement and non policy enforcement of present policy, makes one wonder why we have a development policy at all, if we ignore it every time one of the big boys puts a little pressure on: 

As it would appear Toyota did. But the latest would suggest they did not ask! https://www.stuff.co.nz/manawatu-standard/news/110007067/toyota-did-not-ask-for-palmerston-north-ratepayer-for-handout   

And the Mayor and Councillor Broad obeyed their instructions to the letter...and hoped, and prayed, that the public would remain ignorant...but alas their cunning scheme went astray. and alas once again their faith in their PR team proved a flop.


"In August 2017, city councillors first [secretly] debated the potential grant in the private part of a council meeting under the headline on the agenda: "Toyota Distribution Warehouse Extension – development contributions". Now its true that the PNCC has a development contributions policy, well for some!...but it would seem that if your company is big and powerful enough the council can and will reverse its development rules. 

So the real question is 'Did Toyota demand that the development tax be dropped or they may take their redelevopement to elsewhere. If that was the case, that is in 'legal terms' black-mail or theft. 
Yet, instead of reporting the threat to the police or other authority, the council staff with Mayoral support obviously recommended acceptance of Toyota's demands... very Trumpish, is that behaviour. one where lies become a key part of a mis-applied decision making process.

A better and more honest review of what took place regarding Toyota...was and is that the council was yet again caught out...thanks to the ACT Party... Here is what Community Activist Fred Hirst said in response to an earlier W/C item on the subject: https://wheelerscornernz.blogspot.com/2019/01/how-they-voted-wheelers-courner-special.html

Fred Hirst said...

What we don't know, is what information were Councillors given (or not given)for them to believe they were making an informed decision to support this grant? Was there a concealed threat or 'chill factor' if the proposal wasn't supported? What was the justification for the public to be excluded from this discussion?

There is much more to this issue than has been revealed so far given the support by Councillors, whom we would least expect to approve this grant, to a corporation for which this amount is 'chump change'. This ratepayer money could have been spent to make a meaningful difference to members of our community in hardship.

16 January 2019 at 21:06

   After delaying his response until his PR team could come up with a believable excuse the Mayor proves yet again that his move into the false-news world of Donald Trump is now fully complete. 

Palmerston North deserves better leadership, one that leads by using an ethical standard acceptable across the board. Not one that measures ethics by the size of your wallet. What makes this stuff up more ironic is that the ACT party revealled it... especially considering its history of Corporation Welfare policy Vs Social policy. 

2. 

Darroch Ball...

Talking about stupid political statements NZ First list MP Darroch Ball...stated 'Lets stop blaming the police', Ball jumping on the band wagon debate about police chase policy...According to Ball National got it all wrong back in 2017...oh dear me...how do you legisilate for bad police behoviour...ie planting evidence in a murder trial...the bullet casing in the Arthur Allen-Thomas case...the cop that planted that evidence got praised not condemned by the later police chief...Darroch Ball has a very selective memory...a sort of a Grant Smith memory...remember the good things but hide the bad...

3.

When School kids play up...teachers attempt to put them on the right track...but it would seem that when Councillors and Mayors play up we are meant to turn a blind eye...and hope that some one else will save us...

A bit of advice to the council...since you record each vote...then at the end of each month...collate those votes by name. Using Title of vote: Name of voter: For: Against: Abstained: not present. And publish a monthly copy via the media and the Council's web page.

This will certainly give individual voters a clear picture of the habits of individual councillors in regard to democratic processes. And after all that was one of the major reasons why electronic or computer based voting was introduced. It was meant to lead to MORE democracy...not less.

 

Wheeler's Corner Mondays 4pm 99AM.

 

How they voted. Wheelers Courner special 03 17th January 2019

Toyota a dream come true...

Judging by the heads it would appear that men, mainly elderly ones turned up at the opening of Toyota’s new spare parts division. I wonder how many of those present were rate payers, since the rate payers had parted with up to 400,000 dollars, to see Toyota’s dream come true. For reasons best known only to themselves the PNCC kept secret this act of generosity to the worlds second largest car manufacturing company which made a mare 20 billion dollar [US] profit last year.

Integrity means: Honesty, Soundness, wholeness, so says the dictionary...

Lets apply those definitions to the council behaviour regarding the gift to Toyota.

1. Was it discussed openly?...short answer NO, because it wasn’t discussed in public, in fact it was only discussed in secret when the public had been excluded...

2. Was it done with soundness? No it wasn’t because for reasons unknown, the council kept secret any knowledge that it had that Toyota was in fact in such a bad financial state that without the PNCC grant it couldn’t proceed with its upgrade.

3. Wholeness? well since the above two reasons failed to meet even a lowly rated measurement standard factor it would appear that wholeness was not considered worthy of consideration.

Here is what the Manawatu Standard had to say on the matter [thus far].

https://www.stuff.co.nz/manawatu-standard/news/109962917/continuing-secrecy-on-toyota-deal-perplexing

https://www.stuff.co.nz/manawatu-standard/news/109904416/mayor-and-councillors-supported-

I have yet to hear back in regard to my request for information on which Councillors voted for this corporate welfare handout grant: And it would appear that they need a full twenty days to get their story fit for public knowledge.

Just as I wrote the above I recieved an email fron Council stating the following:

Good afternoon Peter

Further to you LGOIMA request please see below voting results from the decision on Toyota Grant

                                                                                                                                                                     

For:

The Mayor (Grant Smith) and Councillors Brent Barrett, Susan Baty, Rachel Bowen, Adrian Broad, Gabrielle Bundy-Cooke, Lew Findlay QSM, Leonie Hapeta, Jim Jefferies, Lorna Johnson, Duncan McCann, Bruno Petrenas and Tangi Utikere.

Against:

Councillor Karen Naylor.

Abstained:

Councillor Aleisha Rutherford.

Regards

Penny

So there they are...and how they voted...so you decide do these people have any ethical standards at all. It would seem that when the Mayor says jump...the only question asked is "How High"...

Again, we saw a temper tantrum because he couldn't get his own way. Wheelers Corner 02 12th Jan 2019

While NZ has maintained its position as the forth most democratic country in the world, the US has gone backward and now sits at 24th.

So will the world see the US change its shameful lying ways, or will there have to be an Extreme Revolution before the US educates its comic-book leadership that one can not exist on lies, hate and racism alone...which is the real world of Trump...and his strange followers...

I know that you, like thousands of others, are becoming fed up with our bias main stream media forever giving Trump such idiotic and mindless blanket coverage.

But this week Trumps 'nuttiness' simply exploded into a frenzy of stopping people from being paid. 

The worlds greatest climate change denier and liar 'Donald Trump' has become so wrapped up in his now obvious and blatant lies that I believe he truly and actually lacks the mental capacity to recognise his own PR crap and mental health problems.

Sadly for Trump his insanely wealthy Daddy is dead, so he is not around to bail-out over and over again his lying son. His poor old daddy must be rolling in his grave as he follows the crazed behaviour of this pretend President. Here is what Trump had to say about his selected political party:

 Thus far the US media has fact checked his thousands of tweets etc and they suggest that he lies on average around twenty-five times per day.

Using that data as a guide you can see that he is a very practiced liar of the highest order... So when he suggests that terrorists kills more people than American born locals, he is simply bull-shiting. And when he suggests that America is the most democratic country. He is also tossing the crap.

Based on the latest world ranking the US is twenty-fifth. New Zealand remains the world's fourth most democratic country, while the United States remains a "flawed democracy", the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) says. go to the ref below and take a look...

http://norightturn.blogspot.com/2019/01/something-to-be-proud-of.html   

In fact no one kills innocent citizens faster than the US. Seriously Trump wants teachers to carry guns...beat that for stupidity... Americans do... want change, want peace, want democracy. Want honest leadership and fair elections.  

In what US Democrat leadership has called a "temper tantrum", US President Donald Trump has stormed out of a meeting over funding for a wall along the Mexican border and seeking an end to the shutdown of the government.

"Mr Trump's latest meeting with Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer and House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi came 19 days into the shutdown of the US government.
Mr Trump has demanded $US5.7bn to build a steel barrier, which would deliver on a key campaign pledge, but Democrats - who this month took over the House of Representatives - have refused.
About 800,000 federal workers will go without pay this week for the first time since the shutdown began due to the lack of agreement to fund nine federal agencies. If the shutdown continues into the weekend it will become the longest in US history.

Mr Schumer told reporters the president had abruptly left when Mrs Pelosi said she would not approve any wall funding.
"He [Mr Trump] asked Speaker Pelosi, 'will you agree to my wall?' She said no," the Senate Democratic leader said.
"And he just got up and said, 'then we have nothing to discuss,' and he just walked out.
"Again, we saw a temper tantrum because he couldn't get his way."
Mr Trump tweeted after leaving the meeting, saying it had been a "total waste of time".
"I asked what is going to happen in 30 days if I quickly open things up, are you going to approve Border Security which includes a Wall or Steel Barrier? Nancy said, NO. I said bye-bye, nothing else works!," the President wrote.

So there you have it, a grown man [well a man, I think] acting like a spoiled brat...bugger the workers, if you wont give me what I desire I won't pay you...your family can starve, do you remember the fat over-weight Queen of France who said let them eat cake! Well the French population removed her head from her shoulders... Now I'm not suggesting that Trump is a Queen! Yes he may be over-weight but removing his head is not my style. I would suggest a long spell in a mental hospital may do the trick...

2. Money to burn:

So lets move onto more mundane matters like the PNCC donating thousands [around $400 thousand] in a grant to 'Toyota' , now we know the Mayor is a rusty tin soldier but the bribe [grant] to Toyota takes his un-ethical behaviour a step too far. 

Question: "Did Toyota International corporation apply for a grant of 400 thousand...from the PNCC or were they simply given it...as was the NZ Defence Industry Association...does the Mayor Grant Smith drive a Toyota?

Toyota is simply crazy mayoral corporate welfare gone mad, Toyota is the second largest car manufacturer in the world. With a $22 billion profit world wide. Why should Mrs Jones of PN have to pay extra rates to  help fund this corporate monster? Which Councillors signed over 400 thousands dollars...give us their names.

https://www.stuff.co.nz/business/109777009/council-tops-up-toyota-with-grant-for-expansion

After checking out the MS news item, you decide if the so-called Mayoral 'ethics' actually exists.
Was the full council involved in granting this gift to the poor and needy Toyota company welfare fund. Here are a few remarks from MS readers commenting on the revelations of this latest corperate welfare grant on the issue.

The_4th_estate

While you do have to wonder if it would have been better to build a single social house for instance, the amount is chump change, this deal pales in significance to local and central government handouts to operations like the Americas Cup, Rugby World Cup, Lord of the Rings and Avatar movies. In the meantime we are expected to accept harsh austere economic measures when we need an operation at a public hospital because theres no money... because a wealthy corporation nicked it!

crackiswack

Toyota choose to apply for the grant. That's $391k not available for community groups. Oh well, look out for the next free Toyota sausage sizzle to support the community. I hope you're hungry palmy.

Ardvark

There is no justifiable reason for the council to make this grant. Toyota's infrastructure in Palmerston North is such that it would be totally irrational for the company to walk away because it didn't get the grant. One of Toyota's core values is "We believe in respecting others." If that is true why would a company that makes multi millions in profit make application for or accept from the council $400,000 of rate payers money, knowing many of them struggle to meet their every increasing rate obligations. What would be interesting is how many grants have been made to Toyota when it has expanded previously. If Toyota truly believes in respecting others then the honorable thing to do is to return the $400,000 to the cities hard working rate payers.

Rusty J

Grants do not have a GST component there's more to this then written in the paper

Nann

Just can’t believe this article! Ratepayers put your thinking caps on as we will need to for the next Council elections. Makes me angry when there is no money for roads or footpaths but big companies like Toyota can get pandered to like this!

superheat01

And yet council are unable to rectify the sewerage and stormwater issues in our streets.  When brought to their attention you only get the standard pcbs reply. :( makes it really hard Grant to fork out rates knowing you are giving it away to a very profitable corporation.

David Osborne

I think that your Massey expert needs to remember that the Council needs to Act according the LGA02. The Principles of that act say it must conduct its business in an, ‘open, transparent, and democratically accountable manner’. Furthermore it is required to follow its own policies including it’s Development Contributions Policy 2015 and the Whistleblower policy, which I understand requires an investigation when a staff alleges serious wrong doing such as this. Even if this turns out to be legal as a political decision it is in the public interest that it is made in public, especially if turns out that pressure was brought to make it, as mentioned to me by the CFO. One could speculate that apart from Corporate welfare it is also unfair competition with other car makers. How more undesirable a process could you imagine. I am happy it is now public and not secret.

So that's it for this week, thank God...2019 looks like being a strange year...local elections are set to take place and you will have to decide between a TIN soldier and Toyota fan in the shape of Grant Smith and or anyone else willing to step up ethically.

Yes this years local body elections may well lead us back in the direction of ethical behaviour...what a welcome change that could be. So will the Mayor invite the public to share in the debate about ethics involved in running our city before and during the agreed workshop on the issue. 

Who voted YES?

Which of our Councillors said YES to the 400 thousand dollar gift to Toyota. Was it, Lew Findlay, Duncan McCann, Susan Baty, Rachel Bowen, Adrian Broad, Vaughan Dennison, Brent Barrett, Gabrielle Bundy-Cooke, Lorna Johnson, Jim Jifferies, Karen Naylor, Aleisha Rutherford, Tangi Utikere, Leonie Hapeta or Bruno Petrenas.

Of course we will never know unless some one tells us...but will they...so I'm requesting that each of those councillors named send me a email telling me how they voted...and I will publish your reply.

Wheelers Corner MPR 4pm each Monday.

    

Toy Tin soldier makes for a poor Mayor. Wheelers Corner 01 5th Jan 019

The Manawatu Standard this week published an item on what could be called a “cover-up” when the Waiouru Camp training base came under a bit of ‘investigative’ journalism about negative military behaviour.That sent NZ First SAS wanna-be Defence Minister Ron Mark into a spin...for like our PN Mayor he too is a tin soldier...

You can read the item at: https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/109467875/army-recruit-cut-out-of-tv-series-amid-allegations-of-bullying-and-assault

Now I’m raising this issue because of the strange behaviour of our local Mayor ‘Grant Smith’ a well known heroic lover of all things military. Who welcomed with wide open arms... the 2018 yearly arms sale forum which has cost the city over twenty thousand plus dollars and the tax payers of NZ a further one hundred plus thousand dollars in protection costs for a bunch of money hungry lovers of tin soldiers and the actual real blood and guts of innocent humans blasted apart by the worlds most expensive military technology.
But killing civilians in Afghanistan, the supply of arms to the Saudi and UAE forces to blast Yemeni women and children into submission. These lovers of tin soldiers and Donald Trump... he who grew extra bones [now don't laugh] in his feet...and then suddenly lost those bones once he was excused from military service...via a family friendly so-called Doctor...Oh the things money can buy.

Now, it would seem that our ‘toy, soldier boy’ Mayor has now gone one step further...after conceding his [I hope honest] acceptance that we should revisit the weird ethical commitment made to the NZ Defence INDUSTRY Association. by reviewing the ethics involved in giving them what ever they want...this closed workshop is to be held some time in April or March 2019. Which seems a little odd when one considers that he has already told them [NZDIA] that they are booked in for 2019. Does that mean he is bull-shiting about having an open mind...we shall see...Is it possible for our tin soldier style mayor to have an open mind...a blank one maybe...who knows?

While the Waiouru story was old news, it showed clearly the exent that Defence will go to keep negative comments from the public. Of course this is nothing new: The military give medals to those who will hide the truth: Check out this brilliant cartoon: And we should never forget that we have some civic leaders who use our in built pride in what our forefathers did...this simply proves the length to which some childish political leadership will go to appear to be patriotic.

Even our young people these days accept that the sacrificial behaviour at battles like Gallipolli and most other 1st World War battles.
Palmerston North’s pro-defence mayor, one Grant Smith a lover of all things military...who displayed his absolute and obviously in-built stupidity to it’s full its extent, when by his complete lack of moral and ethical courage. he permitted without councillors consent, Palmerston North to accept the bull shit put out by the NZ Defence Industry Association international wing.

Which took our city from the path of world peace and on to a pathway of arms sales and climate destruction... Wellington and Auckland and thousands of other cities around the world have realised the stupidity of forever manufacturing weapon of war.

Could this be SAS wanna-be Ron Mark?

Even the mad US under the strangest President ever, is waking up to the stupidity or war!
“Veteran NBC Reporter Rips Pro-War Posture of Corporate Media in Scathing Resignation Letter "That a network insider has blown the whistle on how all this works, and how MSNBC and NBC have become Ground Zero for these political pathologies of militarism and servitude to security state agencies, while not surprising, is nonetheless momentous."

Noting in his 2,228-word memo that "the world and the state of journalism [are] in tandem crisis," Arkin delivers a scathing critique of how NBC has responded to the foreign policy of President Donald Trump—whom he calls "an ignorant and incompetent impostor"—asserting that "in many ways NBC just began emulating the national security state itself—busy and profitable. No wars won but the ball is kept in play."

However, Arkin also delivers a broader condemnation of the network's coverage of the so-called War on Terror in the nearly 18 years since 9/11, and how it has helped produce a scenario in which "perpetual war has become accepted as a given in our lives." He writes:
“Seeking refuge in its political horse race roots, NBC (and others) meanwhile report the story of war as one of Rumsfeld vs. the Generals, as Wolfowitz vs. Shinseki, as the CIA vs. Cheney, as the bad torturers vs. the more refined, about numbers of troops and number of deaths, and even then Obama vs. the Congress, poor Obama who couldn't close Guantanamo or reduce nuclear weapons or stand up to Putin because it was just so difficult. We have contributed to turning the world national security into this sort of political story. I find it disheartening that we do not report the failures of the generals and national security leaders. I find it shocking that we essentially condone continued American bumbling in the Middle East and now Africa through our ho-hum reporting”.Report ends.
lastly:
Can you imagine a country so nutty...that it cancels the wages of its workers...because it can't raise the money to build a bloody wall... Surely you can't order people to work but NOT pay them. Can people be forced to work for nothing these days, and is that progress?

On Friday morning a quiet but powerful demonstration took place...there were no lines of Police shouting...’MOVE...Move!! have a read...The young people who assisted with this demonstration are clearly light years ahead of some of our old mainly male political leaders. https://www.stuff.co.nz/manawatu-standard/news/109716145/melting-blocks-of-ice-signifies-climate-change-in-manawat?cid=app-iPhone