Budget 2013: Suffer the little children… to starve

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See:  UN urges: Eat more insects! (Seriously)

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As the growing crisis of child poverty continues to dominate the country’s attention (and so it damn well should!), National  raised  expectations by dropping  more than a few  hints,

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Acknowledgment:  Poverty, housing key Budget features

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But National’s 2013 Budget yielded no real  solutions to the growing problem of hungry children in our schools.

With 275,000 children living in poverty, John Key and Bill English could not come up with any initiatives to combat this shameful problem,

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Acknowledgment: Key tight-lipped on food in schools

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Key’s response was that  feeding children was an important issue but was also “somewhat the ambulance at the bottom of the cliff“.

I’m sure that hungry kids in schools throughout the country will understand that  this rotten government (aided and abetted by John Banks and Peter Dunne) refuses to offer even a simple bowl of weetbix and milk or toast and butter because – god forbid – it might be an “ambulance at the bottom of the cliff“.

Using such logic, we should offer not offer any medical assistance to half the people in our hospitals. Many are suffering from obesity-related diseases; cancers caused by tobacco use; alcohol-abuse related injuries or diseases; etc.

Are we prepared as a nation to bar people from hospital just in case they contributed to their own misfortune?

Before anyone thinks we should, they may want to review their own lifestyle before passing judgement on others.

Meanwhile, our well-paid and well-fed (courtesy of tax-payers) elected leaders were doing very nicely for themselves at post-budget events,

As Prime Minister John Key and Finance Minister Bill English tucked into post-Budget meals, they kept their mouths closed over the Food in Schools programme.

Providing breakfast and lunch to needy kids was discussed as part of the Government’s plan to tackle child poverty, but the details weren’t included in yesterday’s Budget.

The programme was expected to involve extensive partnership with companies and community groups already involved in providing food to hungry students.

Following a post-Budget breakfast of bacon and a chocolate muffin, English today said an announcement would be made in the next couple of weeks.

Acknowledgment: IBID

Well, I think we can all be relieved about one thing. At least our beloved politicians are eating well.

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Acknowledgment: Getty Images

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A Conversation with  JONS  (Judgemental & Opinionated National Supporter),

Frank: “We have a real problem in this country with children going to school hungry and without food.”

JONS: “It’s the parent’s responsibility to feed their kids. They need to lay of the booze and baccy!”

Frank: “Only a minority are wasting their money on alcohol and tobacco. For many families, there’s just not enough left over from a minimum wage of $500 a week Especially after $300 in rent or mortgage, $50 for electicity, plus phone, plus medication, plus car costs, etc are all taken out.”

JONS: “So, they shouldn’t have kids then!”

Frank: “Really? So only those on higher incomes should have children?”

JONS: “Yeah. Can’t afford’em, don’t breed’em.”

Frank: “Is that the kind of society you want to live  in? That parents who earn below a certain income shouldn’t have kids?”

“JONS: “Sure.”

Frank: “Ok. So let’s extrapolate from that. Let’s say it takes a household with children about $70,000 a year to live on.

Does that sound about right?”

JONS: “Yeah, sure.”

Frank: “Ok, In the year ended December 2011, there were 61,403 (live) births in New Zealand”

JONS: “Ok…”

Frank: “The number of households with kids in New Zealand earning over $70,000 is 26%.

26% of 61,403 is about 15,965…

So if only families who earn $70 grand or over can have kids, the next question is; who is going to pay for the superannuation for a couple of million baby boomers in retirement? Because 15,965 children growing up into tax-paying adults is not going to be enough  to pay the superannuation bill, is it, JONS?”

JONS: “Ummm…”

That’s right, my dear National supporters. You can put aside your blind prejudice against the poor. The kids that are hungry at school today, are the future taxpayers of tomorrow. They will be the ones paying for our retirement.

So we better take damn good care of them, eh?

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Previous related blogpost

Why Peter Dunne won’t “Feed the Kids”

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