27-03-2023, 02:30 PM
I think we do need to get past all the cliches and stop putting labels on people, whether they relate to income, ethnicity, sexuality or whatever. I think it's mainly the media driving that and we should fight back against it.
To say that the poor are disrespected is wrong. When you step out your door you don't know who is poor unless they tell you. How people actually live bears little resemblance to how much resource they have. As far as tenants go, we don't know their circumstances unless they choose to tell us. Some do tell us. Most don't. It's none of our business. For those that we have an idea about, over the years they have ranged from people who were hard up through to people who were well off. Making assumptions about anything about anyone is very wrong.
I do know that beneficiaries can go to WINZ and get a some sort of advance to buy essentials like fridges, etc. Presumably it's a loan that is paid of a few dollars a week. The person who did that didn't tell us the detail, just that she had done so. Any appliances that we supply with a house are new when we've done the reno. Putting in rubbish is poor management - old stuff dies and you then have to replace it so you provide new at the outset to avoid the hassle and maintain the property value as well as the service to the tenant.
Cliches about people being lazy, disrespectful, etc don't have any relationship to financial well-being except that there are some beneficiaries who should be working and won't. That is not a slight on beneficiaries per se, just a realistic comment about those people who actually are lazy and who do cheat. There are plenty of others who aren't beneficiaries and are lazy cheats too. The problem with generalisations is that people who are innocent can be overly sensitive and think "they mean "me"" when they don't, but those who are being poked at don't realise and continue the behaviour anyway. Or just don't care.
And tarring landlords with cliches and generalisations is as bad as tarring tenants. Most landlords take their responsibilities seriously and are in business to provide a necessary service, just like all the other essential parts of society. Pick on bad tenants and bad landlords, and understand that most are just a cross section of society like everyone else.
To say that the poor are disrespected is wrong. When you step out your door you don't know who is poor unless they tell you. How people actually live bears little resemblance to how much resource they have. As far as tenants go, we don't know their circumstances unless they choose to tell us. Some do tell us. Most don't. It's none of our business. For those that we have an idea about, over the years they have ranged from people who were hard up through to people who were well off. Making assumptions about anything about anyone is very wrong.
I do know that beneficiaries can go to WINZ and get a some sort of advance to buy essentials like fridges, etc. Presumably it's a loan that is paid of a few dollars a week. The person who did that didn't tell us the detail, just that she had done so. Any appliances that we supply with a house are new when we've done the reno. Putting in rubbish is poor management - old stuff dies and you then have to replace it so you provide new at the outset to avoid the hassle and maintain the property value as well as the service to the tenant.
Cliches about people being lazy, disrespectful, etc don't have any relationship to financial well-being except that there are some beneficiaries who should be working and won't. That is not a slight on beneficiaries per se, just a realistic comment about those people who actually are lazy and who do cheat. There are plenty of others who aren't beneficiaries and are lazy cheats too. The problem with generalisations is that people who are innocent can be overly sensitive and think "they mean "me"" when they don't, but those who are being poked at don't realise and continue the behaviour anyway. Or just don't care.
And tarring landlords with cliches and generalisations is as bad as tarring tenants. Most landlords take their responsibilities seriously and are in business to provide a necessary service, just like all the other essential parts of society. Pick on bad tenants and bad landlords, and understand that most are just a cross section of society like everyone else.