Afternoon roundup

A few worthies on the closing of the browser tabs:

• Christchurch council votes to impose higher rates on vacant land downtown. I'd have preferred that they simply apportion urban rates based solely on land value, rather than land plus capital. It would have the same effect, but without fights about what's vacant. 


• A better policy process than the RUC rebate: IRD was given enough time to tell Cabinet that it wouldn't be able to roll out $100 payments to every Aucklander late last year. Good to have this kind of advice before announcing the policy. 


• Decades ago, Linda Gottfredson showed that a lot of what looks like an income gradient in health (higher income people are healthier) is really an intelligence gradient in health (smarter people earn more and are healthier). More work out consistent with Gottfredson, though I suppose it's considered polite to ignore this stuff. 


• Chris Snowdon over at the IEA notes that the number of licenced alcohol premises in the UK dropped by two thirds and alcohol advertising halved during their lockdowns. Availability theory would say that this reduces alcohol harms. Chris finds instead a small decline in alcohol consumption but an increase in alcohol-related deaths. 


• Quebec offers fourth vaccine doses to anyone over the age of 17. In NZ, you have to be 50. If you're 50, it's free. If you're 49, it is absolutely forbidden and impossible because Medsafe should be abolished. 


• Stuff runs a beat-up on fast food. Remember that Rachel Webb found no effect of fast food outlet numbers on obesity. You've gotta be careful in doing this work. HT: Stephen Riden 


• Maybe we'd have a better Covid testing system if Rako showed up at Labour fundraisers.