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.

[–] makingStuffForFun@lemmy.ml 7 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago) (1 children)

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

[–] flambonkscious@sh.itjust.works 10 points 2 months 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)

[–] absGeekNZ 7 points 2 months ago

This.

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

[–] RegalPotoo@lemmy.world 3 points 2 months ago (1 children)

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

[–] Ilovethebomb 2 points 2 months ago (2 children)

I mean, the alternatives are far worse.

[–] Dave 3 points 2 months ago (1 children)

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

[–] Ilovethebomb 3 points 2 months ago

Or a flatmate.

[–] hanrahan@slrpnk.net 1 points 2 months ago

What a sinilary aged flatmate sharing costs ?

[–] Ilovethebomb 3 points 2 months ago

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