It's a bit hypocritical to live on money paid for by other tax payers that receive nothing from giving you that money then refuse to pay rates because she gets nothing out of it.

But man do I feel for her. She's living on a pension, on her own, getting $500 a week (around half of full time minimum wage - though admittedly more than most benefits). Then her rates went up 30% a few years back and 27% this year, and some unspecified amount in the in-between years, but that's already a 66% increase in 3 years (assuming the 27% is on top of the prior 30%).

I can understand her feeling hard done by.

[–] [email protected] 7 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago) (1 children)

Is there a reason that the Council are closing in on a 70% rates rise?I'd be outraged also.

[–] [email protected] 10 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

I'm assuming it's because one of new Zealand's national sports is neglecting infrastructure maintenance for decades and then selling it off because it's too expensive.

Then 40 years later when we can't have nice things any more, we need some infrastructure, we realise it has to be paid from somewhere and rates includes a lot of that 'somewhere'

This has been a nationwide issue for generations, sadly - we're not really a first-world county (although technically, that's a political distinction, not about the std of living)

[–] [email protected] 7 points 2 weeks ago

This.

Taupo just got a "nice" surprise WRT rates, 25% increase yay.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 2 weeks ago

$3250 a year, which is steep, but that's the cost of doing business for a small council.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

They make it sound like someone is holding a gun to their head and forcing them to own property

[–] [email protected] 2 points 2 weeks ago (2 children)

I mean, the alternatives are far worse.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

Most likely they could reverse-mortgage to free up some cash.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 2 weeks ago

Or a flatmate.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 2 weeks ago

What a sinilary aged flatmate sharing costs ?