Friday, January 07, 2011
DPB and the Herald apologists
This piece from Donna Wynd who apparently is a researcher for the "Child Poverty Action Group" which I suppose is another covertly funded Government NGO purports to take issue with an article by Lindsay Mitchell on what is happening to children whose parents (Ok single mothers) choose to live on the DPB. Mitchell points out, using facts, that these kids are dramatically over-represented in abuse statistics, and then go onto being damaged citizens.
Wynd apparently has talked to "dozens of sole parents..." which makes her an authority, and all sole parents care only about the interests of the children. Unfortunately she seems to be unable to find, or interpret, the statistics about the other 113,000 beneficiaries.
Her article is supposed to be a refutation of Mitchell, but seems to fail at its task and becomes a rather random set of sentences which just says leave the DPB alone, because. and that stuff about abuse, and teenage mothers, well its just because of poverty, ok. She uses anecdote about abuse happening in all parts of society (true) to avoid the statistics that kids born to Maori welfare mothers are vastly more likely to be damaged, abused, or mistreated.
The following link is to Mitchell's op-ed.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10696647
I have to say I completely agree with Mitchell. Its quite clear that some parts of society treat women like mealtickets.
There is nothing wrong, and a lot right with a society that supports abandoned mothers, or women fleeing failed or abusive relationships. But there is a lot wrong when personal responsibility is replaced with state charity and "entitlements" and when teenage mothers are involved, or where DPB beneficiaries have subsequent children that they then expect taxpayers to support.
As it happens, and as people like Lindsay Mitchell have meticulously documented, if you have 3 kids, you can support quite a few bludgers. The DPB has been, and continues to be massively rorted, and people like Donna Wynd are simply enablers.
Look at the statistics. 1/3 of DPB recipients start out as teenagers. 1/2 are Maori. Are these women fleeing failed relationships. or are they making, or being coerced into, calculated decisions.
3 kids gets you a house and $900 in benefits, accommodation supplements ets. That will keep 2-4 useless "adults: and hangers on in drugs and booze quite comfortably. Except for the snivelling brats of course, but give them the bash, and no worries, eh bro!
