Letters to the editor: Museum referendum, Maori wards, TECT cheques, traffic

Letters, February 26: Referendum shock, goodwill gesture, traffic first, robbing Peter to pay Paul.

Referendum shock

I was shocked to read that the council now seems conflicted on its December vote for the Cliff Rd museum - the only site agreed to with tangata whenua who, I am sure, would not agree to being told, via an unbinding referendum, it was to be placed away from their water in the depths of Willow St.
More concerning, the council has opted to spend thousands of ratepayers funds on a non-binding referendum while running a byelection. This mixes agendas and will confuse ratepayers. Plus, the council knows it is highly likely a museum vote during this time frame will end up in the hands of little more than 16 per cent of the ratepayers. In my opinion, this action shows bad management, an extremely weak council which cannot stick to its decisions and a council willing to waste ratepayers' funds on something unbinding and not fully representative of its people.
The funds would be better used as prize money for a cross-section of local design students to come up with an outstanding museum concept. That would be the visionary, smart move for a strong, decisive council. A council worth voting for. Thank you to the three councillors who voted against the referendum. (Abridged)
Charmian Brown
Tauranga

Goodwill gesture

In reply to comments by R E Stephens (Letters, February 19) about ignoring ethnic-based benefits for Maori: These benefits exist because Maori signed the Treaty of Waitangi, which the Government now honours. The benefits are redress for 135 years of government injustice and include compensation for Maori land wrongfully confiscated.
In Tauranga, I understand that is $50 million compensation for more than $500 million of land confiscated. Those figures mean only 10 per cent compensation, which should be a reason for goodwill toward the Maori community.
The decision by the Western Bay council to introduce Maori electoral wards is an appropriate gesture of goodwill. It was totally democratic, and it did not need consultation with anybody because Maori wards have no adverse effect on anybody. Maori wards would do no more than extend the present ward system that favours non-Maori candidates to a ward system that gives fair representation to both Maori and non-Maori.
Peter Dey
Welcome Bay

Traffic first

Our council should be ordered to fix its messy traffic circus before it thinks about a museum.
Peter Wilson
Mount Maunganui

Robbing Peter

With regard to the TECT proposal: The world is full of people who are convinced that they can handle your money much better than you. George Bernard Shaw said: "A Government that robs Peter to pay Paul can always depend on the support of Paul". Leave things alone. There are many people who look forward to their cheque just before Christmas. In my opinion, the reasons given to change the system are pathetic. No doubt they are trying to stampede people to vote, like turkeys, for an early Christmas.
David Medhurst
Otumoetai