Don Barnes,Katikati
Minimum wage
I have just driven past an election sign offering to raise the minimum wage to $15 per hour. Do real people actually believe they want this? I am not an employer, but I can see where it would logically lead: If John works eight hours a day Monday to Friday for $13 per hour, he gets paid $27,112.80 pa.
After public holidays, annual leave and sick leave, actual pay is $14.89 per hour worked. At $15 per hour, actual pay rises to $17.30.
Since budgets are not often flexible in this economy businesses may drop staff, reduce new hiring or go under.
It is likely John would rather be taking home $447.24 ($13 per hour. after tax) per week than the $201.40 unemployment benefit.
Will the benefit need to rise to keep the benefit/wage gap reasonable? How will this be funded with fewer taxpayers, and with businesses paying less tax due to reduced profit after paying higher wages to most staff, not just those on minimum wage?
Tania Bowler, Tauranga
Gallery figures
Re: Gallery shows $97,000 surplus (News, September 27). For a business to turn itself around like this in 12 months would be a miracle. For a gallery with no income to turn itself around in such a way is unbelievable. Questions must be asked: Why did it not operate in this way from day one? Where have the savings come from? I would like to see published in the Bay of Plenty Times, where the savings have been made, where they have come from. Ratepayers have every right to know.
Looking at it from another angle, to show that the gallery has turned itself around to the tune of $292,000 in 12 months must have taken creative accounting. In any case the gallery is not in surplus as this amount reduces the $800,000 ratepayer annual subsidy toabout $508,000.
It has a long way to go before it is completely clear.
If the figures published are correct and honest then, well done, it's a start.
If the 56,100 visitors were charged a $5 entry fee this would have been another $280,000 on the right side of the ledger.
Perhaps whoever does the gallery accounts should also do TCC accounts then the $500 million TCC are in debt would be considerably reduced.
Roger Bailey,Papamoa Beach
Poor reward
From media reports, it seems that the excellent 48 choir(s) of about 30 members each that perform the 20 national anthems at many of the Rugby World Cup match venues so beautifully were to receive free match tickets as some small recognition for their many hours of practice and volunteer work.
Reports suggest that in some instances these have been denied to the choirs. If these reports are correct, this is a shameful about-face, illustrative of a money-hungry and ungrateful attitude which will win no friends.
In matches that are heavily booked, the choral singers could well be accommodated in front of the barriers and, furthermore, they could, and should have been, provided with a stage to stand on when performing.
S Paterson, Arataki
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