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The Greens, not always practical in these policy areas, have come up with a solution that addresses the problem. Housing affordability has finally thrust itself on to the political agenda, and is becoming one of the main issues for 2013. The National Party, Labour and the Greens have announced policies to address the growing impossibility for Kiwi families to afford their own house.
Inattention to this area by successive governments has created a backlog of pressure which can no longer be avoided.
The critical problem is the cost of the mortgage. The critical question is, "which solutions or policies will provide the game-changer?"
We all know how tough it is for young families on middle incomes to afford to buy a house these days. In the two decades since the 1991 census, home ownership, including family trusts, fell from 74 per cent of all homes to 65 per cent. Although some people on higher incomes choose to rent when they can afford a mortgage, the bulk of the decline in home ownership is because of the escalating cost of housing. Over the past two decades the cost of buying a house has increased at a greater rate than inflation and people's salaries or wages, even after accounting for the slowdown resulting from the global financial crisis.
The Prime Minister began the discussion late last year in response to the Productivity Commission's report that said housing could be made much more affordable.
He and the Minister of Finance have focused on easing land use regulations and development rules by pushing councils, especially Auckland, to ensure more houses are built to meet the demand.
David Shearer has taken up the home ownership cudgels as the central part of Labour's bid to win the next election. He is promising 100,000 affordable houses, 10,000 a year over 10 years.
This all sounds good, but these solutions primarily address the demand for a greater number of houses rather than more accessible home ownership for those on modest incomes.
While the Government pushes for a market solution with freer land use rules, it is hard to see how the cost of a house in Auckland is going to reduce much below $400,000.
Labour says it can get prices down to $300,000-$350,000 by building small apartments and terraced housing. But a mortgage for even these modest dwellings is beyond the reach of many households - especially those on low or middle incomes - with children.
Mr Shearer's key policy will not be effective for many of Labour's constituents.
Greens co-leader Metiria Turei announced at Ratana Pa last week a solution that referenced the first Labour Government's housing policy, and was more in line with Michael Joseph Savage's vision than his party's current solution.
The Greens, not always practical in these policy areas, have come up with a solution that addresses the problem. The problem is the cost of the mortgage. They avoid the mortgage by introducing a shared ownership scheme.
Under this, the Government would build a good quality home cheaply because it can obtain low cost capital.
A family on a modest income would make a weekly payment to cover the cost of the capital and on top of that make flexible payments to the Crown to buy equity in the property.
They give an example of a $300,000 house which the Crown buys at the government bond rate of 3.5 per cent. This would require $200 a week to pay off the capital and another $100 to purchase equity off the Crown. This is a price a family on a modest income could afford, especially if the equity payment could be more or less than $100 depending on the family's financial circumstances.
This shared ownership solution could be a game-changer. It doesn't require a deposit because there is no mortgage, families gain equity flexibly according to their circumstances, the Government spends more on building but the net debt effect is neutral because the house becomes a Crown asset, and it doesn't add to private foreign debt because nothing is borrowed.
Perhaps the political parties could have a focus group together. They all clearly want a solution to the serious problem of housing affordability, but it is a tough and expensive problem. Changing the rules and targeting 100,000 new houses can contribute, but they are underwhelming solutions to the real difficulties of housing affordability for many families.
In the past we had low cost State Advances Corporation mortgages that enabled families on modest incomes to own their own homes. A similar interest rate is possible in a modern economy using the shared ownership model.
By giving the opportunity for a family to buy the equity off the Crown at a rate that suits them, they can start building equity even earlier than under the old State Advances table mortgages. That is worth serious consideration.
Charles Waldegrave is a researcher with the Family Centre Social Policy Research Unit.


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Joe DeRisi:
Solving medical mysteries
Biochemist Joe DeRisi talks about amazing new ways to diagnose viruses (and treat the illnesses they cause) using DNA. His work may help us understand malaria, SARS, avian flu — and the 60 percent of everyday viral infections that go undiagnosed.
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- Illness
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- Virus
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subset: commoncrawl


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|Night Owl Choice
I guess the very first thing I did after writing my first book was to look for a writer's group in my area. Thankfully, my research took me straight to the Romance Writers of America and, much to my delight, I found the Vancouver Island Chapter of Romance Writers of America. (VIC-RWA) Without the guidance of others like me, I'd still be floundering around and wondering who to turn to and what to do next. All authors need support from their peers, and let me tell you, the input from their collective knowledge was invaluable.


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Fort Hall man pleads not guilty to assaulting an officer
POCATELLO, Idaho - Standing before a district court on Monday, Kevin Toane plead not guilty to both counts he has been charged with after he was shot during a late-night chase involving one Bannock County Sheriff's deputy.
Toane, 33, is charged with eluding a police officer in a motor vehicle as well as assault and battery with an enhancement of using a deadly weapon.
Both charges are felonies.
In November, Toane tried ramming a deputy's car after law enforcement ended a high-speed pursuit which started because he was suspected of a hit-and-run.
Toane was taken to Portneuf Medical Center where he was treated for his wound before being flown to the University of Utah Medical Center.
Bond has been posted at $50,000.
The Bannock County prosecutor's office said his next court date has not yet been set, but expects it will take place in April.


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The Truth About Fishing
Russ Beck | Posted 03.06.2013 | Canada
Read More: Fly Fishing, How to Fish, Weekend Sports, Fishing, Hobby Fishing, Fishing Tips, Hobby Fly Fishing, Canada News
On good days, fish seem like they are conjured instead of caught. But here's the truth: fly fishing -- no matter how pretty Brad Pitt makes it look -- is about people pestering animals for their own pleasure. Even though I know this fact and feel its weight every time I angle, I still can't go a day without thinking about fishing.


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Liz Diller:
A new museum wing ... in a giant bubble
How do you make a great public space inside a not-so-great building? Liz Diller shares the story of creating a welcoming, lighthearted — even, dare we say it, sexy — addition to the Hirshhorn Museum in Washington, DC. (From The Design Studio session at TED2012, guest-curated by Chee Pearlman and David Rockwell.)
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- Architecture
- Cities
- Creativity
- Museums
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ok ok i know. its BR. and its way too early to start mock drafting. but it brings me to my point, would you rather take the kid they say we take- zach brown from NC, got decent size, incredible speed 4.40, thats FAST for a 4-3 OLB. we could put him opposite boley, and have a nice tandem at OLB, and just move kiwi back to the line, hes played well this year but come on. put the kid where he belongs.
do we take vontaze burfict?
i know hes a little nuts, but i think thats exactly what this team needs right now. someone that gives 1000 percent every play. someone that can take someones head off. i hear hes very quiet so IDK if he has leadership ablitiy, but man this guy is a flat beast. he can cover the TE, stop the run.
so, if the FO smartens up and these guys are available, which do you take?


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Has any one in N. W. Fla started to use the 4.9 mm foundation for mite control? If so, with what success? Tried to order 4.9 foundation and was discouraged from taking this route for control
Has any one in N. W. Fla started to use the 4.9 mm foundation for mite control? If so, with what success? Tried to order 4.9 foundation and was discouraged from taking this route for control
Who tried to discourage you? Don't be discouraged, but do the thing properly (see Dee Lusby's pages on this site under 'POV') and see how you get on. Sizing down isn't simple, but others have done it successfully, and I haven't yet heard anyone regretting it. Just be sure to monitor mite counts so you know what's going on.
Robert Brenchley
I also would like to know who discouraged you? Of all the reading I have done from pre 1940's books indicates that cells have been enlarged. With Wedmore and Philips stating 5 cells to the inch giving approx, 5.0mm cell size. Regression is a tough road. But no one at this stage can say it doesn't work! The Lusby's have 700 colonies and will have around 1000 this season. If crashing were to occur it would have done so by now. With all the options I'd go with the one that has live bees at the end.
What edition of Wedmore do you have, Clay? I have the 1946 version, which says that 'Foundation running 5 cells to the inch is not the best for the larger strains and that running 4 3/4 per inch is not large enough to give the best results with the largest bees.' It sounds as though he may have revised his figure at some point. My 1924 edition of Cowan's book gives 5 cells to the inch. His figure for cells per square inch checks out to two decimal places, so I imagine he's accurate. That would put the era of cell enlargement in the UK after the First World War, when the assumption was that acarine disease had wiped out our native bees, and the policy was to encourage beekeepers to move over from skeps to moveable frame hives, and import Italian bees. It's an interesting period in beekeeping history, and maybe, by comparing different editions of some of these old books, we could learn more about what was happening.
Robert Brenchley
I contacted the supplier of the 4.9mm foundation and did not get any encouragement to try it. One person kept telling me it was for raising drones. Also questions raised about humidity comparisons between this area and Arizona as a real factor in success of smaller foundation.
This fellow doesn't know what he's on about, drones use bigger foundation, not smaller. If nobody's tried 4.9 in Florida, and it doesn't look as though they have, then how do they know that it wouldn't work? Somebody's showing off their ignorance here, don't take any notice. Maybe they just don't want to order a small quantity of the foundation?
Robert Brenchley
[This message has been edited by Robert Brenchley (edited January 16, 2002).]
Robert B. Premis was that the humidity in N.W. Fla. was so completely opposite of Arizona that the work done by the Lusbys did not have any application in this area. As for the drone comment - this was made by a person answering the telephone and taking orders. I had a feeling after talking to two reps. of the Co. that I better not order 4.9mm foundation - cited contact with hundreds of bee keepers in Fla. as source of his info. Roy.
I wonder whether these 'hundreds of beekeepers' exist? The reality is that at the moment there aren't a lot of us trying small cell. I'm several thousand miles away; doubtless there's someone nearer at hand who can answer this one better than I can
Robert Brenchley
Hi Roy,
What the reps are telling you is a bunch of hog wash. 4.9 is not for raising drones! I very much doubt there is 100 beekeepers in the USA that use 4.9 cell sizing. If they did they very likely wouldn't have the parasitic mite problems they now have. As for humidity, I really don't see what that has to do with the use of 4.9. It seems clear that people either don't know what they are talking about or are deliberayely trying to steer you away from this. As for 100's of beekeepers in Florida using 4.9, I'd sooner bet there isn't even one. But that one could be you!
Thanks everyone for the encouragement; will begin with swarms on 4.9mm this spring. Roy
Let us know how you get on, and if possible the 'normal' comb size in your area. I'm guessing that swarms are likely to be escapes, and I'd be interested to know how far they will regress. Last year I put a swarm from one of my own 5.4 hives onto 4.9 strips, and ended up with a hive of 5.25mm comb. If I'd given them sheets of foundation, they might have gone further.
Robert Brenchley
Birmingham UK


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From bike chains to body builders, most things perform better when they're well oiled—so it's no surprise that razors perform better on slick skin. Unlike traditional shaving foam, this slippery oil won't hang up your blade and its all-natural ingredients will soften your beard hairs without drying your skin out.
I was skeptical at first about using just an oil to shave my face but I couldn't be happier with the results. I have tried a combination of shaving solutions including 7 different creams, balms, or oils that have been sent to me by Birchbox and various other products from the supermarket. Toro shave oil is the only product that gives me the same results every time. The oil creates a smooth protective layer on the skin allowing for a close, irritation free shave. I never have any cuts or razor burn with this product. This stuff also smells great. My only complaint is that the oil is sticky and cut hairs and oil can be tough to rinse off when finished shaving.5


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Welcome to the Quilting Board!
My barns and owls are still in the planning stage. I have been sidetracked with making some baby quilts for my great grandson to be in April. Sono shows him well. Name picked out by mom and dad Gruner Owen . cute huh?
Landscape quilts and needle turn applique favs.Antlers,Ok
[QUOTE=Jenniky;5617901]Works4Me - It must have taken you years to collect all of your Halloween fabrics. Just wondering when you purchase fabric for your stash without an idea of what you are going to use it for .. do you have a set yardage that you buy?
QuiltE - So How is Boo Peep.... oh wait.. not Halloween character.. LOL thats Lil Bo Peep doing? Has she rounded up any more of her sheep? Works4Me can you imagine a zombie Bo Peep rounding up skeleton sheep... . Sorry QuiltE had to tease ya!
I usually go for a fat quarter unless the fabric is screaming my name from across the room. Then, it's a half or full meter. If the fabric says backing to me, maybe 1 1/2 - 2 meters. I have been wrong, a lot, in my decision about fabric amount. Especially with my tone on tone cream spider fabric.
Yes, I've been collecting for years. I've been collecting everything Halloween for years.
Oh yes, zombie Bo Peep. Love it. Could even go zombie sheep. We'll convince QuiltE to do a Halloween quilt yet. I can feel her weakening under our spell.
Jolo - keep planning. We'll be here. yes, cute name. Will this be your first great-grandchild?
Well Done, Kuseta!
Somewhere on the web ... I saw free PP lilypads.
Perhaps Leah Day?
If they aren't the size you want, you could rescale them to fit.
Sew many ideas ... just sew little time!!
No works4me, I have 4 others but this one is a granddaughter that I was blessed by living close and had a hand in getting to teach her a few things. lol. Like how to spoil a child and then sending her home to Mom and Dad. Ha. The others all live in Texas. I am going to get to see them over Thanksgiving Holiday. Thank You Lord.
Landscape quilts and needle turn applique favs.Antlers,Ok
To keep y'all in the know ... there's a LOT of screaming around W4Me when it comes to fabric!
I think we all have regrets on fabrics that we wish we had bought more.
Right now for me ... it's Monty's border fabric.
And THANKS to W4Me's screams int he background, I went back and got lots of the background O Canada (lyrics) fabric)!!
As for Halloween ... don't you fret, it will happen! I'm thinking silhouettes, starting with that black witch on an orange fabric. Although it seems to me that I have more than enough OTHER projects on the go!! And all that's happening on the Peep front is a lot of boo-hoo'ing about lack of action. So yes, she truly will be a BOO-Peep!
Sew many ideas ... just sew little time!!
Hi ya I'm still here. I have been working on mystery quilts and xmas presents but all with Spock running around in my head. I have decided that the best way for me to get the image I want is to applique him. I went shopping yesterday and found some plain blue for his shirt. I have black for his hair and I got a skin tone fabric which I'm thinking I will paint or something to get the light effects. Still thinking about a background for the central block he will be on. My daughter saw the picture I have drawn and so I have a co conspirator yesterday at the LQS she distracted him when he started asking to many questions about what is this fabric for?
Everyday is a good day for Quilting!
Good for you, QuiltAddiction ... the plans are coming together, and you're getting your Spock Stash ready to work on once you have those Christmas goodies out of the way!! Maybe you could get your daughter to work on a character project too?
Sew many ideas ... just sew little time!!
I'm teaching Samantha to sew because FINALLY she has shown an interest in quilting. Hooray! I even bought her a basic Janome machine to break her in so maybe I'll get her on the board yet
Everyday is a good day for Quilting!
Yes I am still watching and waiting too. I have a wood grain looking fabric,my trees,sky etc gathered. Nees something for feathers for the owls, am still waiting for a fabric to say Oh Im just right . lol Am almost ready to start. Only a little while to finish up the Christmas list. I also had a break for the Thanksgiving holiday, went to Texas to be with my dauthter and all her family. There were 4 generations including me,daughter, granddaughter and great granddaughter.Yes got a picture too
Landscape quilts and needle turn applique favs.Antlers,Ok


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What do you recommend for side-by-side spacing between hives. Is there a rule on this? What about between rows?
What do you recommend for side-by-side spacing between hives. Is there a rule on this? What about between rows?
Well I have tried lots of different ways. I like to be able to drive a truck between rows if possible. I like to have two hives side by side then a few feet then the next two side by side in rows, ect. This is so I can set stuff on the one next to it, yet slow down drifting. You can use S patterns or U patterns to stop drifting. I guess what I'm saying is there isn't really any rules. You gotta work with what area you have to work with some places are more ideal than others. On farmers land sometimes you gotta squeeze the hives tight. On your own land and lots of room you can do more ideal configurations. So it all depends...for good ideas read the "beekeepers handbook".
oops...I guess I didn't answer the first question to well. Leave enough space so you can walk through and around each hive if you want just plain old rows.
Once in a while I've seen side by side hives where the stronger started robbing the weaker and I moved them further apart and they stopped. Usually it's not a problem to have them butted up against each other. I like to leave a little room to work. If you put a hive about every two feet you have 8" between them. That's what most of mine are right now. I only have one row. But if you have multiple rows, it's always a trade off. Do you want to face the two rows, in which case I'd leave a couple of feet or more between them, or face them away from each other. The advantage of facing them away is you are working down the middle without being in front of any of the hives. The disadvatage is there is a larger area of "garud bee" space. It's hard not to walk right in front of the hives when approaching them. If you face them opposite directions you could put them as close as you like but you'll want room to work them. Three feet would probably work.
There really isn't a clear cut "better" way.
It's true you sometimes get some drifting toward one end, but that's also a tool you can use to strengthen a weak hive by putting it on the end where they drift to.
I always set mine out in groups of 4 just like they were on pallets(sometimes they ARE on pallets) offloading on each side of the truck.The 4 are close together(maybe 6 inches apart,but I try to get several feet between groups.This is tighter than many recommend,but with all the different colors I use plus some geometric designs spray painted on a hive here and there ,drifting isnt noticeable.Most hives in a yard will be pretty close to each other in honey production.
My hives are separated. Separated by trees or distance. This makes it easy for me to distinguish who is robbing and who is being robbed. The beeline is very obvious.
I see most hives are grouped though.
When the horses weren't greedily wanting all the grass, I had them more spread out, but most people, like me now, are crowding hives into an area that is too wooded or on the fringe of land that is used for other things. There usually isn't room to spread them out. But I had less robbing when they were more spread out.
Due to being a rogue beekeeper, 25 hives on a parcel permitted for two, I have 16 on a truck bed, spaced 1/2" apart, in two rows of eight, on two hive screened pallets. I can move out in hours if hassled by the law. The only problem has been dealing with stacks of supers, like removing a heavy one from between two tall stacks. Had over 100 lb. average, but in fall, as some died of mites or whatever, they were robbed PDQ due to the close spacing. I would prefer to have a wider spacing on a beautiful plot in the country, but necessity is the mother of invention. Have pics if you are interested.
Frank: I'd be interested in your pictures as I'm sure others would be also. Hope you will share them with us. We can always learn something from shared experiences. I think that is what this site is all about. Thanks. K.
Frank, Am I to gather that you leave the hives on the back of the truck all the time? That is very interesting.Tell us more about this type of mobile beekeeping?


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Baseball Swept by ASU
April 11, 1998
TEMPE, Ariz. -- The 19th-ranked Arizona State baseball team (27-14, 14-6 Six-Pac) defeated the third-ranked Southern California Trojans (29-11, 14-7 Six-Pac) 24-4, ASU's largest run total this season and largest margin of victory, this afternoon in front of a crowd of 3,067 at Packard Stadium.
Arizona State has won nine straight conference games and eight out of the last 10 contests.
The Devils exploded in the bottom of the third inning for nine runs off four straight walks. The Devils never relinquished the lead. The Devils received three home runs in the seventh from Michael Collins, Richy Leon and Willie Bloomquist, as they again exploded on offense, getting eight runs off a season-high seven hits in the inning. The Devils tied the record they previously set against the Trojans on Thursday night. The Devils were led offensively by junior Andrew Beinbrink, who went 3-for-4 including his ninth home run of the season and his third in as many days. Beinbrink drove in three runs and also scored three himself. Also helping the offensive barrage was Jeremy Jones, who went 3-for-4 with three doubles, four runs scored and two RBI. Junior Michael Collins also chipped in a 2-for-3 outing , walking three times, scoring four runs and driving in three. Two of his three RBI came off his third home run of the season. Junior Dan Meier also contributed to the offensive explosion with a 2-for-2 outing driving in two and scoring three of the 24 runs. Freshman Jeff Phelps came off the bench for ASU, knocking one over the center field fence, his third home run of the season. Starting pitcher Phill Lowery (7-4) picked up the win this afternoon, pitching five innings, giving up only five hits and two earned runs. Lowery also struck out five batters. Freshman Chad Pennington came in for the final four innings to pick up a save, his first of the season. Head coach Pat Murphy was happy with the all-around outing.
"I am real proud of both pitchers and the whole ball club. We always play hard every time we go out there, and you can be assured of that," stated Murphy.
Southern California was led by Morgan Ensberg and Rod Perry, both who drove in two runs each for the Trojans. Ensberg hit his tenth home run of the season in a 1-for-3 outing this afternoon. Perry also drove in two runs with a 1-for-3 outing. Starting pitcher Rik Currier picked up the loss, going two innings, giving up six runs on five hits and five walks.
The Sun Devils will travel to Norman, Okla. for a single game with No. 13 Oklahoma on Tuesday before heading home to host UCLA in a three-game conference series at Packard Stadium over the weekend.
Southern California 002 002 000 4 9 4 Arizona State 039 381 00x 24 19 1Winner --Lowery (7-4)
Loser -- Currier (3-1)
Save -- Pennington (1)
Umpires: Flaherty, Lyon, Sykes
Time: 3:25 Attn: 3,067


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The lights are on
Another World, the highly innovative classic platformer from the mind of Éric Chahi, is being re-released for the modern age. The new versions will include higher resolutions, cleaner anti-aliasing, and smoother animations. It will also feature both the original Amiga soundtrack and the updated Sega-CD soundtrack.
As it is releasing on the three Sony platforms, it will feature cross buy, cross save, and cross platform trophies as well. To get a taste of what's to come, check out the trailer below.
Email the author Dimitri Gedevanishvili, or follow on Twitter, and Game Informer.
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