From the Editor: Power to the people

Power to the people, I say.
We've got two stories in today's Bay of Plenty Times that show that people power, or democracy, is alive and well in the Bay.
You would have read on the front page that the Tauranga council has backed down over tsunami sirens and finally decided to get us some.
This newspaper took a strong line on this issue and there were plenty of letters to the editor about it too.
The other big local story of the day is councillors have introduced free Saturday downtown parking. This follows pressure from downtown businesses and gives them a better chance at competing with other shopping centres.
I'd bet that every motorist thinks it's a good idea too.
It's always been my view that our councillors are here to serve their ratepayers and the media have a vital role in bringing issues into the public domain so people are aware of what's going on.
You can have your say too. Simply email us at editor@bayofplentytimes.co.nz.