Letters to the editor: Throwing money at the problem not the answer

A reader suggests docking councillors' salaries. Photo/file

Council salary proposal

It is clear to me that whenever the Tauranga City Council finds itself in trouble, its immediate reaction is to throw money at it. And this money to be extracted from the city ratepayers.

The fact is, that despite the ongoing ramping up of fees and rates by the council, the income received by local ratepayers and retirees is not increasing, and if it is, by very small incremental amounts.

This is partly due to our low inflation rate.

In my view, councillors clearly have little or no appreciation of the effect on local ratepayers that the fee escalations will have. They will only start realising this if they have skin in the game, and in order to do so, I have a two-stage proposal.

Firstly, that their salaries for the next five years are frozen at the current level. Secondly, and this is where the biter gets bit - that for every percentage that our rates and fees are raised, their salaries are reduced by the same percentage.

Hopefully, this will have a sobering effect on the rampant proposals that we are presently hearing.
Chris Pattison
Papamoa

Support needed

My response to two articles: 1. The recent article about heart babies: The Government should be providing funding for the 12 children born a week in NZ with heart issues. Currently, there is no funding and government support for families which is unacceptable and puts a lot of financial strain on the families. Given that those ailed are faced frequently with life and death situations and missing frequent time from work support is desperately needed.

2. Charges for land use for groups (News, March 16) I'm disheartened that the council is looking at charging council community groups like the community garden fees when it should be free. The council is literally shooting itself in the foot by charging a community group whose entire existence is to help the council and community by providing food for those in need. Secondly, they are discouraging the already overworked volunteers to just give up by making their jobs even harder. Any group helping the community's needy or vulnerable should never be charged at all. The council should be thankful for their contribution and should be aiding this.
Theresa O'Reilly
Brookfield

Cleaner New Zealand

I do a lot of walking through this beautiful country. I enjoy the tracks and highways and byways that are provided. The TA walk through the length of NZ is a must do for those who love to explore this country.

There is a disappointing side to the travel: Seeing the thousands of bottles, cans, and containers cast from vehicles into the gutters and berms and shoulders of the roads.

Back in the 70s you could get 4c for a small glass bottle and 8c for a large one. In today's economy there should be $1 on every bottle, can or container. Imagine the sports clubs cleaning up a section of highway and making thousands of dollars doing it. They could go the second mile and pick up other rubbish too. Imagine kids getting $20 from picking up discarded cans and bottles.

Imagine seeing a cleaner NZ rather than one getting more and more dirtier.
S Dennison
Bellevue

Rates refusal

It seems that just about every day you get complaints about the condition of SH2. In my opinion, two men are responsible: Simon Bridges and Garry Webber.

My advice to all those living between Waihi and Tauranga is to simply refuse to pay your rates until the roads are fixed. Maybe this will get some action.
Andrew Lattimore
Mount Maunganui