[Hugh R]

Cam and Gaij

One of my points I guess that I didn't make is that this forced flow of wealth from the rich to the poor artifically alters the free market. Consider in the United States Section 8 housing subsidies. People who qualify can get a $1,200/month apartment with the government picking up $900/month. This does several things, it artifically drives up the clearing price of rents in Los Angeles, it allows people to live where they can't afford, it makes housing more expensive, which makes it so fewer and fewer people can afford housing in an already expensive area to live.

I'm not saying that society shouldn't pay to educate kids (althought at least in Los Angeles, the school district does a pretty poor job of it), or that kids from poorer families shouldn't get the same education as kids from richer families. Maybe with less government hand outs, people would tend to fend for themselves and their families more.

BTW Cam how much of a problem is illegal immigration in New Zealand? Do you have lots of illegal immigrants on the social dole their? Not trying to be confrontational, just to understand more of where your coming from.