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The government's budget is "rinky-dink" and will provide some minimum-wage earners with only one extra dollar a week, Labour says.

Labour leader Andrew Little said Budget 2017 did not go far enough to support lower-income New Zealanders. Photo: RNZ / Rebekah Parsons-King

The centrepiece of the National-led government's budget, announced today, is a $2 billion a year package that lifts the bottom two tax thresholds and increases Working For Families payments.

The bottom tax threshold (taxed at 10.5 percent) will rise from $14,000 to $22,000 and the next bracket up (taxed at 17.5 percent) will rise from $48,000 to $52,000.

But Labour leader Andrew Little told Parliament it was a "rinky-dink, short-changing, dollar-bill budget".

"For all National's talk about tax cuts, the reality is that a single cleaner on a minimum wage will get just $1 a week extra," he said.

"The big winners of this budget are the top earners who take home most of the tax benefits."

Mr Little also attacked the government's spending on health, which will receive an extra $3.9bn over the next four years, and education, which will get an extra $1.5bn.

"In health, this budget is $200 million a year short of what [district health boards] need to stand still," he said.

"In education, schools are short $70m at a time when we have overcrowding and falling standards."

The was nothing in the budget to address the housing shortage, Mr Little said.

"Too many people are squeezed into our big cities... and they've done nothing about it.

"National is only building one affordable house a day in Auckland for every 100 new Aucklanders."

On the other side of the House, Act Party leader David Seymour immediately labelled the Working For Families increases as "communism by stealth" - echoing former Prime Minister John Key's description of the policy when Labour first introduced it in 2004.

"The boost to Working for Families is the perfect example of how National is abandoning its roots," Mr Seymour said.

"The National Party is meant to believe in personal responsibility and low taxes - now they've not only adopted Labour's policies, they're championing them."

The tax bracket changes were "welcome compensation" but were underdone, he said.

"The most any taxpayer will save is $20 a week... Bracket creep will eventually cancel out this tax relief because National refuses to permanently tie brackets to inflation."

The Mori Party said it was "proud" that the budget included $122m for Mori initiatives, including an extra $10m for Whnau Ora and $21m for Mori language and culture.

It also included $1m for the Te Mana o Te Wai Fund, to improve freshwater quality, and $4m for New Zealand's climate change policies.

That was "paltry", Greens co-leader James Shaw said.

"There is nothing in this budget that will clean up our polluted rivers, lakes and streams, or protect our drinking water. A million dollars for one fund isn't going to cut it - especially when National refuses to turn pollution off at the tap."

There was nothing in the budget to stop property speculation or "rampant" investment, Mr Shaw said.

"The government expects rents to keep rising, and more people to require emergency housing. It has admitted defeat in the face of the housing crisis.

"New Zealanders will be paying the social and financial cost of National's inaction for many, many years to come."

New Zealand First leader Winston Peters said following this budget, the National Party did not deserve to be in charge for three more years.

He said there were people living in poverty, mental health services in disarray, conservation services lacking, social housing relying on motels, run-away immigration, and regions were neglected.

Mr Peters said the government was not equipped to deal with these issues.

"Budgets are meant to be about philosophy, they're meant to be what demarcates a party against all the others, they're meant to be about a plan, a vision, except the National Party came in today with no plan, no vision, no idea - just trying to hang on for three more years."

Want more detail? Read RNZ's full Budget coverage here.

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Budget 2017: 'Rinky-dink' and 'communism by stealth' - Radio New Zealand

Meghan McCain called it "ironic" that Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg has dedicated himself to promoting a socialist platform.

Zuckerberg is a "true genius" and "the Henry Ford of our time," McCain remarked on "Outnumbered."

The multi-billionaire pushed the idea of universal basic income "to make sure everyone has a cushion to try new ideas" during his commencement speech at Harvard University. Zuckerberg studied there for two years before leaving to expand Facebook.

A universal basic income policy would mean the government gives everyone a stipend to pay for basic necessities.

"Every generation expands its definition of equality," said Zuckerberg, whose net worth is estimated at more than $63,000,000,000.

McCain said that for the founder of the mammoth company to urge others not to follow in his footsteps to achieve success is counterproductive to his own story.

She added that the "normalizing of socialism" in America in the wake of Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren, and former president Obama should scare everyone.

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Meghan McCain Calls Out Irony of Facebook CEO Promoting Socialism - Fox News Insider

ANALYSIS/OPINION:

Mark Zuckerberg, co-founder of Facebook, has made his money his billions of dollars in a short span of time and now? Now, he wants yours.

Hes after a global tax to give every man, woman and child a certain amount of money for the simple reason of being born.

In a message to Harvard graduates, Zuckerberg first acknowledged how the free market helped him. Then he turned and bit the free market hand that fed.

Lets face it, he said, referencing the time he attended Harvard himself, Wired reported. There is something wrong with our system when I can leave here and make billions of dollars in 10 years while millions of students cant afford to pay off their loans, let alone start a business.

No, actually, theres not. Thats called success thats called an example of Americas great capitalistic system at work.

That could even be called realizing a God-given talent.

But now that Zuckerbergs got his, he wants to take yours under guise of helping. Liberals and their helping. Why does it always lead down the path of socialism?

Zuckerberg, in his gosh-darned earnest, gosh-darned wealthy way, now wants the rising generation to go forth and work for the global good and as part of that higher purpose, to jump on base with what he called a universal basic income notion.

We should have a society that measures progress not just by economic metrics like GDP, but by how many of us have a role we find meaningful, Zuckerberg said, Boston.com reported. We should explore ideas like universal basic income to give everyone a cushion to try new things.

That means the government by taxes provides each and every citizen in the world a basic level of money, no work required. The moneys freely given by taxes to all those who are alive, just for the simple fact theyre alive.

Isnt that great. One of the worlds wealthiest taking a little time-out to come down to the regular folk level and preach global taxation as a means of eradicating poverty. Does that seem a bit condescending to anyone else?

But liberals-slash-socialists, especially the uber-wealthy ones, like George Soros, are always trying to mask their controlling ways in a do-good cloak. They pretend to want to help the little guy in the least painful way possible to themselves.

If Zuckerberg wants to end world poverty, if he wants to help some of the poorest in the world achieve the financial success hes seen or at least take a step or two in the direction of self-reliance and independence he can certainly reach in his own pocket and start the disbursement line.

But for Zuckerberg, and people like him who want the kudos that goes with philanthropy but not the self-sacrifices that typically mark true charity that mark the heart of a genuine helper theres always government. Zuckerberg calling for a universal basic income is a global tax and redistribution scheme. And that means control and power for the few at the expense and salaries of the many.

Read this article:
Mark Zuckerberg's radical, socialist global tax idea - Washington Times

NewsBusters (blog)

Venezuelan Major Leaguers Help US Media Discover the Problems with Socialism NewsBusters (blog) Dozens of people have been killed protesting (some violently, some peacefully) the president and many of the staggering problems that come with socialism: crime, economic woes, food and medical shortages and more. ESPN's Spanish-speaking website, ...

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Venezuelan Major Leaguers Help US Media Discover the Problems with Socialism - NewsBusters (blog)

Democratic Socialism: Now I know why America fought Communist expansion for over 60 years. The Democratic Party wanted to create its own brand of Socialism. Controlling the masses with programs that keep them under their thumb like school breakfasts and lunches.

Stunned about gun: My girlfriend and I were driving down Route 25 in Carpentersville. We weren't driving fast enough for the guy behind us. If my girlfriend had stopped, he would have hit us. He gets next to us, looks at us, and points a gun at us. It was a big gun like maybe a Magnum. I couldn't believe it. The gun must have been on the seat because he grabbed it that fast. We followed him and got his license plate number before he took off. Where is a policeman when you need him? If the police had talked to him, there would have been more trouble. Just because we didn't go fast enough for him, we thought we were going to be killed. He was driving a brand new truck. What has our world has come to?

Riled about gun range: This is about the new gun range that the Elgin City Council approved. One thing they were worried about is they would have been sued if they hadn't allowed the gun range to be put in. How can you be sued if you have to modify your code to allow it? I don't get it. The new councilman Corey Dixon makes a lot of sense. Maybe we have some fresh blood that will help the council. The dudes that voted against it and the dudes that voted for it, I don't know.

Kindness counts: I want to start out by saying I am a black man. I was walking out of a store one morning, and the weather was bad. It was very windy. I was walking behind an older white lady. I said: Good morning, how are you? She said: I'm doing great now. You just made my day even though it's nasty out here. I said: I'm glad I made your day. What I'm getting at is just because you have never met a person before doesn't mean you shouldn't say good morning or good afternoon. You never know whose day you will make better by saying just a few words. I want to end this by saying it doesn't matter what color a person's skin is. Next time you walk past a person, say: Hi, how are you? It won't hurt you to do that.

Fear of lawsuit: What a cowardly City Council Elgin has. A gun range will open in a really poor location. Go ahead and approve it so you won't get sued. A failed code department? Oh well, it's easier than facing challenges. Once again, you don't want to get sued.

Kudos to Powell: This is in regards to the Elgin City Council awarding a gun shop owner a gun shop on McLean Boulevard. I watched it on television. Council member Tish Powell brought up valid points on different areas where the gun shop could have been located such as the David C. Cook building on the north end of Elgin. I have a home right across the street from there. I want to thank her. She gave a good speech, and I commend her for that.

Hats off to Heartland: I want to thank Heartland Blood Center for reaching out to the community to give blood. All the centers are running short on supplies. When I went in to give blood, the ladies who drew blood were fantastic. I got a little lightheaded, but they were phenomenal. Heartland does a good job in our community.

Free boxes: I read in the newspaper that the United States Postal Service is losing some $400 million. They could probably recoup half of that if they quit giving out free boxes. Everyone takes the boxes from the post office and use them for FedEx or UPS. It's ridiculous that the post office gives out free boxes.

End the enabling: I know everyone has been harping about President Trump and rightfully so. It seems more and more like he wants to be a dictator. That won't fly in the United States. The Republicans are in the driver's seat. They need to put this president in his place. Right now, we are getting absolutely nothing done. We are in limbo. Until these enablers in Congress start to put their feet on Trump's throat, nothing will be done. There is some reason why they are allowing this president to do and say what he does and says. They need to put an end to it.

Rating the United States: In the old movie "It's a Wonderful Life," George Bailey learns what his surroundings would be like if he had never been born. What would the world be like if the United States did not exist? We have enjoyed 70 years of prosperity during less than 250 years of government. Everyone wants a piece of our cake.

Grateful for crossing guards: We approach another end of the school year in Aurora. Isn't it time we acknowledge and thank the crossing guards who protect our children coming and going? We have excellent crossing guards.

Troubled about Trump: To all the President Trump supporters, I know you want to stand behind your man and save face, but think about our country. This man is a total disaster. He is a liar and a manipulator. He cannot be trusted. The people who stick with him will crash and burn right along with him. I understand that you want to hang onto your hopes, but this man is not fit to be our president.

Editor's note

Speak Out is a reader-generated column of opinions. If you see something you disagree with or think is incorrect, call us at 312-222-2460 or email couriernews@tribpub.com. Please include "speak out" in the subject line.

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Speak Out: Democratic Party wanted to create own brand of Socialism - Chicago Tribune