Not as simple as getting off the Couch

This BLOG was first published in the Franklin County News on Wednesday 21st December 2017.

The Government announced they would consider some ‘work for the dole’ type schemes and Shane Jones, the list MP for NZ First, now Regional Economic Development Minister announced, “...there will be no more sitting on the couch.”

The mainstream media, missing the point, indulged itself in what can only be called pedantic roughhouse diversionary reporting.

Our culture has an expectation that everyone that can work will (or be at home looking after the kids). The belief is, “...it saves us from the dullness and boredom of life. It puts our energies to a proper use. Unused energies create disorder in us. They make us physically unhealthy and mentally unhappy. Time hangs heavy on our shoulders when there is no work.” Hence the old adage ‘the devil finds work for idle hands’.

If we look around us, for the most part we will see that everyone is busy. Work is an important part of our lives. We might ask if it has come to the point where it has taken over our lives. But that is another discussion.

Everything we now do is tied in some way to work. So when people are not working, especially if they are capable of work, and if we are paying them as well, we tend to have a not so understanding or kindly view of them. Such people are quickly typecast as malingerers and wasters, probably lying on the couch drinking or on drugs all day.

We search diligently for examples to prove and justify our prejudicial bias. And the media is always there to help reinforce our view.

To most thoughtful people, unemployment benefits embody a painful trade-off. They are the mark of a civilized society, clubbing together to provide assistance to those in need. But do unemployment benefits really encourage people to duck work?

The benefit protects people who find themselves out of work from having to rush into an unsuitable job. It is nothing to celebrate if an unemployed person cannot afford to spend months finding a job which they are qualified for but are forced to accept the first available job, be it unsuitable, to put food on the table.

Of course that begs the question ‘where are the jobs all these people are going to?

Famous economists from all schools of thought say that you have serious problems if you have 10% of the workforce out of work. Let us remember where Shane Jones is, the level is sometimes double that.

Some will argue that a level of unemployment is good for the economy. Good for whom I can guess, but certainly not for those unemployed.

The Employers & Manufacturers Association tells us 72% of employers surveyed find it difficult or very difficult to recruit staff in skilled positions. 65% say there is, or soon will be, a skills shortage in their industry sector. 56% are expecting their businesses to grow over the next six months.

Hello, is anyone doing the maths?

Land for Food or Houses

This column was first published in the Franklin County News on 5th December 2017.

There will be many among our community who will remember, vividly, the Auckland Super City proposal debate. It got pretty rough at times. There was the incident where the then Auckland City Mayor, John Banks, mistakenly sent a text to the Mayor of North Shore, Andrew Williams, calling him a lunatic. The Waitakere Mayor Bob Harvey tried to be a peace maker and was accused of “elitist bullshit” by the Auckland Regional Council Mike Lee.

Rodney Hide was the Government Minister promoting one council, one mayor with 20-30 Local Boards for the greater Auckland region.

Our then District Council led by Mayor Mark Ball organised a number of public meetings asking me to chair some of them. The most notable for me was the packed Pukekohe Town Hall meeting. It was packed and after the various speakers had finished their pieces the floor was open and there was no shortage of folk wanting to say their piece, and pretty determined they were too.

A major source of contention was that it was a land grab to build houses for the burgeoning Auckland population and Franklin was one of the biggest areas of A class growing soils in the country.

The debate on land use has arisen again as those houses are being built on what were once productive market gardens and farms. At the same time we got a sharp reminder how vulnerable the food supply is when a very wet winter made both growing and harvesting difficult and some vegetable supplies reduced.

Since 2001 NZ has lost 6,000ha of vegetable growing land. There is a misconception that we export most of our horticultural produce. Certainly we export a lot of our fruit produce but only 4% of our vegetables exported, most of it is for domestic supply. Pukekohe is one of the main growing areas for feeding NZ vegetables, especially in the spring.

Reduce the supply and it’s pretty obvious, the price goes up and maybe we even end up relying on imports for our vegetables.

European settlement of NZ usually developed around areas where the settlers could farm, firstly to feed themselves and then maybe sell surplus produce. As those areas grew in population we saw the development of service towns to include people who made their living from supporting the surrounding farming community. And that is when the dilemma began as the ‘urban’ population grew.

We are more city based than ever. With a rapidly expanding world population tipped to rise a staggering 24% from 7.5 billion today to about 9.8 billion by 2050, the world’s farmers will need to produce at least 60% more food than they currently do, if all the mouths are to be fed adequately.

According to the World Bank, if you invest in agriculture, you are two to three times more likely to have a positive impact on poverty reduction, livelihoods, and food security, than in any other sectors.

There is no doubt we need homes, there is a desperate shortage in Auckland. And that need has brought home to us the need also for a food security policy with a nationwide vision for how we feed ourselves.

A Christmas Day Story

Christmas Day was a sobering and humbling experience this year. It was the first time that Franklin Family Support and Lone Star joined together to put on a Christmas lunch for just over 120 guests who would have otherwise been alone or were families having a bit of a tough time.

Alofa Glas and Jason Goodall are business award winners and the owners of the Lone Star in Pukekohe. Their family decided to do something for other people this Christmas.  Many of their suppliers and friends got behind their idea, and this year a restaurant Christmas lunch experience was provided for many who would not otherwise have had the opportunity.

Their extended family started work at 6am and produced a great event, also providing the entertainment.

The FFSS project Manager Bonnie Reid sent invitations to people, followed up and where necessary arranged volunteers to provide transport. We began welcoming guests at 11.00am with lunch served at midday.

Just as we were about to start one of the family told me a lady had rushed out and seemed quite upset. I caught up with the guest crying in the car park. I just stood with them for a bit and was told that they couldn’t cope. They were on their own, the last member of their family alive, having just lost the sister not long before Christmas and their parents before last Christmas.

They were dreading being on their own and were overwhelmed by the happy families.

We talked a while and I asked if they would be happy sitting with someone who would look after them. They weren’t sure and were still very upset. I went in to make the arrangements and whilst explaining to Bonnie became a bit emotionally overwhelmed myself. Anyway I got the story out and we arranged for another of our team to look after the guest. They agreed to come back in with me, and I held her hand whilst we walked through all the people to Yvonne who with her husband took the guest under their wing.

Before dessert Father Christmas arrived in a fire engine with lights, siren and claxon. Well you couldn’t have turned kids on faster, like supercharged energiser bunnies! Through the generosity of donors, every child got an appropriate gift and had their photo taken with a great Santa. The delight was truly heart-warming.

Some of the guests shared their stories with volunteers as they expressed their appreciation and gratitude for the opportunity to join us for Christmas lunch.

Later on I saw the guest I mentioned earlier outside again so we had a chat. They were so afraid of being alone and thought next year they might become a volunteer after experiencing first-hand what so many volunteers were doing that day. We talked about that and I offered some ideas and invited them to come by in the New Year.

Rhys Coffin from We Love Pukekohe came by and interviewed some of the guests. He was touched by their stories and got permission from some to relate them on the site. Andrew Bayly, our local MP came by and spent a lot of time meeting guests and talking with them.

After the guests were farewelled and the restaurant was cleared and cleaned, the family and volunteers still there sat down to have lunch on leftovers. They were all pleased how well the event had gone. Many were emotionally exhausted, realising how life really was for many people.

What a day. We came home and just collapsed, overwhelmed by the whole thing really. The generosity of those who provided supplies and presents for the children; the family for their hard work providing the event; the volunteers who helped provide for so many guests. And the guests themselves who were so appreciative.

All in all a special day.

Facebook - the mask of cyberbullies

“One’s dignity can be assaulted, vandalized and cruelly mocked, but it can never be taken away unless it is surrendered.” Those words of Michael J Fox came to light whilst I was researching a growing concern I have with verbal bullying and social media.

When I was a kid we moved around a bit living in smaller rural towns where the community was compact, connected and supportive.

Local occasions such as the A&P Show; school gala day; volunteer fire brigade fundraiser picnic; sports day and family service at church on Sunday were always well attended. After service, as much time was spent the church hall over a cuppa catching up, making arrangements to look after old Mrs Thing who had just come out of hospital, checking to see whose garden had the best flowers for next Sunday’s service.

In short, all I ever recall of my childhood was everyone working together and looking after each other in what upon reflection seems to be a romanticised view of life.

More recently we have seen the introduction of Social Media. What an amazing invention for keeping in touch, sharing information, generally communicating better and faster – got to be good right?

I am not a big user of face book, I certainly don’t participate in chat rooms unless I have to or they are professional forums.

What seems to have crept up on us is a more sinister use of this fantastic media – cyber/verbal bullying. A face book profile can be the site of a budding romance or the staging ground for conflict. When a conflict arises, some choose to air their grievances, or “drama” in full view of everyone, friends and people they have never met before.

And what is even more amazing is the sudden and almost immediate appearance of a raft of other people who are not directly involved, but seek to involve themselves often as expert advisors.

I thought I was just becoming over sensitive and decided to do some research. WOW. I am not the only person who has thought about this. In fact there has been a huge amount of research, especially the psychology of how and why people behave like this.

Earlier this year I had the privilege to be invited to hear Marcus Akuhata-Brown speak in Pukekohe. The Hall was packed with mainly educators. Marcus grew up on the East Coast near Gisborne.  He is an experienced educator. He has led a number of innovative programmes around the world, focusing on addressing the learning and development needs of youth at risk. [Learn more about Marcus here - https://tukaha.wordpress.com/profile/ ]

One thing that he said stuck with me: “Isn’t it interesting how we can all look at the same thing and see something different. And isn’t it interesting how each of us believe that what we see is the right view.”

And therein lies the issue of verbal and cyber bullying. It seemed to me that we always knew what Marcus said, but we used to find ways to work with each other, demonstrating respect for the other’s view, whilst trying to find a way we could meet at a place called mutually agreed understanding.

There’s been a lot of research which supports the view that placing a layer of technology between you and someone you know makes it easier to say things that you’d never say to their face. Often people feel bolder, ruder, or more empowered because they are not in fear of immediate physical reprisal in the online space.

Here are some other researched facts:

·      Using social networking sites can increase people’s stress levels, produce anxiety and negatively affect a person’s sense of self.

·      People whose friends posted cheery status updates tended also to have a more positive mood.

·      When participants increased their Facebook use, their state of well-being declined, while those who increased the amount of time they spent with people face to face had an increased sense of well-being.

Verbal cruelty is the weapon of the cyber bully. It is a behaviour persistently used to introduce fear, discrimination, and doubt on the person being ill-treated. Verbal cruelty is a kind of misuse of words where they suddenly serve as weapons instead of just a means for communication.

One tactic I have experienced personally is where some abusers say for an excuse that they did not intend something that they have said to be an insult. People who are abused (verbally or otherwise) know when they are being abused or not.

The advent of social media makes it so much easier for those with a tendency for abuse to do their dirty work and to have an audience as well. So what does the research tell us about such a bully?

Criticisms and allegations are a projection of the bully’s own weaknesses, shortcomings, failings and incompetence; every criticism or allegation is an admission by the bully of their misdeeds and wrongdoing. The bully’s criticisms and allegations, which are usually founded on distortion, blame and fabrication, are an opinion or fabrication for the purpose of control.

The serial bully likes to play people off against each other. The bully gains gratification from manipulating and watching others destroy each other. Serial bullies excel at deception and manipulation.

The goal of the abuser is to hurt and lower your self-esteem and they will say anything to achieve that goal, no matter how stupid or mean that may sound. Watching you get angry only delights the abuser and encourages them to continue, letting them know they are doing an excellent job.

According to the research, verbal aggression is mainly a result of a lack of argumentative skill. Listening anxiety and intellectual inflexibility are predictors of aggressive communication traits.

Michael J. Fox’s quote, “One’s dignity can be assaulted, vandalized and cruelly mocked, but it can never be taken away unless it is surrendered,” is the lesson I have learned as a result of my research.

Other observations include:

·      If you see someone being bullied, make it stop.

·      When people hurt you over and over, think of them like sandpaper. They may scratch and hurt you a bit, but in the end, you end up polished and they end up useless.

·      Stay away from people who gossip and spread rumours. They are choosing the path of emotional bullying and negativity.

And finally, I have forgotten who said this but it seemed to me the best advice to finish this blog on. “The problem with cyber bullying is everything. If you have something mean to say, look in the mirror and say it to yourself. Maybe you’ll think twice.”

Teachers and Performance Pay

Its a brave politician to mess with the teachers and their very powerful union. It is seldom there can be a rational and emotion free debate about teaching and the education system.
Dilbert said, "Change is good, you go first." I hadn't realised he was a teacher advocate.

I have talked about change in previous blogs so it is not my intention to repeat myself, and occasionally I have had a tilt at education and its importance. With the election looming, education is playing a large part in the campaign rhetoric. Of course there are many good points but anything one party mentions apparently can't be acknowledged as good sense by another party.

Education and community are featuring and I think it extremely courageous of National to be talking about performance pay and more professional management of schools. And in my next blog I'll talk about the misnomer of smaller class sizes (a radical change from my earlier views).

My initial work experience was as a teacher. My first year was in a great school where everyone worked as a team. However my second year was a very different story. The team spirit was not there and some of the teachers clearly wished they weren't there also. They turned up just before the 9.00am start bell and were in their cars and gone as soon as the last bell rang.

Apart from the first year teacher, I would have been the lowest paid there. I always made sure I was there by 8.00am at the latest to prepare the room, set up the day's programme and in particular look out for and greet the children who were dropped off early because their parents had to head off to work in the factories.

At the end of the day I would spend an hour or so most days visiting homes so parents saw me at least once during the term and a couple of times a year. I always had a great turnout at Parent/Teacher evenings and great support from parents for class trips. I organised their first ever gala day and the PTA were elated at the great support and especially the money we raised.  

You are probably getting my drift by now. My colleagues got paid way more than me because pay was service or time served based. Regardless of how much time and energy I put in, I would never earn as much as these less than enthusiastic colleagues until after long service their salaries would begin to plateau, and my service would mean that I would be an old man.   

You won't be surprised to know that when the offer came from Whitcombe & Tombs to join the private sector, I grabbed the salary and company car with both hands.

I loved teaching so much and what I learnt in training and experience has stood me in good stead for a variety of subsequent career opportunities. Wherever else I have been since, I have always felt effort, energy and more importantly performance was always well recognised.

The Prime Minister recently said, "We can all remember a good teacher." He is absolutely correct, but do the really good teachers remember being especially rewarded for being really good? In my opinion, probably not.