Letters to the editor: Don't deny renters a say

Renters get a say too. Photo/Getty Images

Second-class citizens

Concerning the letter from R Kennedy, Matua (Letters, March 31). How does this correspondent reckon landlords of rental properties figure out what rent they need to cover their ongoing costs? The mortgage, obviously, a certain amount for upkeep and maintenance, the fee to whoever manages the property for them - and council rates.
Plus as much profit as they can get away with and, in many cases, the costs of lawn mowing and water rates too, on top of that rent. The rates are set on the value of the property, and the bill must go to the owners, who could be liable for rates on their own homes, and any other rental properties they own. For them, it's a business, and they will make certain they get it back out of the total rent charged to the renters. So please take this information on board, Mr Kennedy, before turning us into second-class citizens, who live here, which the property owners often do not.
Jenny Argante
Otumoetai

Biased system

It is disgraceful that Mike Lally continues to describe Maori wards as separatism (News, March 31). By using the word separatism, Mike Lally is suggesting that Maori want to operate separately in a divisive way apart from the rest of the community, while he and everybody else wants to work together. At present there are no Maori councillors on the Western Bay council because the election system is biased in favour of Pakeha candidates.
Maori wards are a means to include Maori councillors and have a more united council, which is the exact opposite of separatism. Mike should stop misusing the word separatism. He is misleading people into supporting an unfair election system that is biased in his favour, and he is misleading people into thinking that Maori wards will divide the community when clearly they will do nothing of the sort.
Peter Dey
Welcome Bay

Strong support

I do wonder where Esther Richards, Secretary End of Life Choice BOP (Letters, March 24) got her amazingly unfactual statement that polls consistently show 70 per cent to 80 per cent support of David Seymour's End of Life Choice private member's bill, now into its second reading. Surely pro-euthanasist Richards is aware that 78 per cent of both the written and oral submissions to the Parliamentary Health Committee late last year, chaired by Simon O'Connor MP (National, Tamaki) regarding the petition 2014/18 of Maryan Street on behalf of 8974 others, were strongly opposed to the David Seymour pro-euthanasia bill. Never before have there been so many submissions to a Parliamentary Committee - over 8000. No doubt it is this startlingly under-reported fact that is the cause of our local MP's stance. But to quote Richards, "It is disappointing to see Simon Bridges has closed his ears, eyes and mind to the end of life choice issue." Smart man, Simon. He'll get my vote (maybe).
Hylton Rhodes
Tauranga

Not the road

I'm referring to Garrick Rawson's letter (Letters, April 2). I totally agree with him, especially the cars that go off State Highway 2 at Snodgrass Rd to come out at Te Puna Station Rd. You cant blame the road, it's always driver error - you only have to ask the police. Sometimes, I wonder if any of our cars in Tauranga have indicators as well.
Harry Tawa
Bethlehem