The Bay of Plenty Times welcomes letters and comments from readers. Below you can read the letters we have published in your newspaper today.
TODAY'S LETTERS
Drink more hazardous to public health by far
The publicity surrounding kronic (synthetic marijuana) raises some interesting points regarding drug classification (News, March 25).
A new drug (kronic) turns up and is assessed by the "expert committee on drugs and alcohol", who then decide the level of risk to public health. In kronic's case, the risk has been deemed "low to moderate" and it wouldn't even be classified as a class A, B or C drug. This is evidence-based medical assessment.
Let's say another new drug turned up and let's call it ethanol (ethanol is, of course, alcohol). The clear medical/scientific evidence would designate this drug as a class B drug - high risk to public health. Alcohol in all its forms is society's accepted drug of choice, and so is somehow exempt from the standard classification of drugs. This is not an argument for prohibition, which leads to corruption and a thriving black market industry. The point is, alcohol is poorly regulated vis-a-vis its supposed (drug) peers, and Parliament needs to regulate it more firmly as a part of the solution to addressing the culture of heavy drinking, especially with liquor companies with slick advertising and a "booze is cool" mantra.
(Abridged)
Dave Halligan, Mount Maunganui
Friendliness first
Do tourists come to New Zealand to see only what Maori can show them? Surely they come because of our reputation as a beautiful, clean, green country inhabited by friendly people - irrespective of our skin colour.
We are all proud of Maori concert parties, which tourists admire so much, but why must these visitors be subjected to the haka? This war dance should be confined to a pre-match stir-up by our All Blacks.
Let us all be proud of our country and what we have achieved since we became One Race. We remember the Christchurch disaster which is costing so much in terms of lost lives. And we must not forget the Pike River Mine tragedy.
It is unfortunate that we have been selected to host the Rugby World cup at a time when we should be putting all our efforts into helping our own suffering New Zealanders. Surely we have no need to tell people what a wonderful country this is - and the special people who live here.
So, let us pull together as one nation, white and brown together, without any false posturing, and show visiting rugby tourists that we are putting our hearts and our money where it is most needed - in the suffering city of Christchurch and the West coast coal mine.
These tourists will come to see the wonderful rugby without the unnecessary embellishment of a plastic waka.
(Abridged)
Patricia Morton, Tauranga
Sugar-coated?
With the Durham St central city hotel and a new 160-room proposal being floated we now have yet another confidential agreement with a potential developer (News, April 2).
I couldn't care less who the developer is (note: this is not the hotel chain operator), because one developer is the same as another. Tauranga doesn't need the Coronation Pier fiasco again.
However, as a TCC ratepayer, I want to know what sweet deal TCC is offering as an incentive to the prospective hotel site developers. This, after all, is council (rather ratepayer)-owned land and affects carparking and carparks in the CBD. I also ask who will be building the so-called conference centre across the road at Baycourt, once again on council land. What deal is being offered to any party interested in that plan?
We already have adequate conference centres in Tauranga at Sebel Trinity, Armitage, Baycourt itself, Baypark and Tauranga Racecourse. What council department or independent consultant fields inquiries from developers on these projects?
R Paterson, Matapihi
Action at last
Re: Schoolchildren's lives in danger (News, April. 7).
I am so pleased to see the police are finally doing something about the traffic outside Bethlehem School. Well done to Andrea Hoyle, the parent who has finally got some action. It is long overdue.
I voluntarily supervised the crossing for half an hour every morning before school, five days a week for term four last year. Not a day went by without incident. Whether the children were on patrol or not, motorists continually failed to stop and continually failed to keep their speed down.
Parents of the schoolchildren, businesspeople, even bus drivers failed to recognise the pedestrian crossing and more so, the children waiting to cross it. Some parents sped through the crossing time and again, even after their registration details were forwarded to police. Like Andrea, I had to indicate to motorists that there was, in fact, a crossing, some of whom came back and wanted to know why they had to stop. This was a daily occurrence.
I requested that police come and help but it never happened. This is a growing problem everywhere on our roads. Motorists have a general disregard for road rules and for other road users. People need to slow down and be aware of their surroundings.
Alison Verran, Bethlehem
Text Views
* I absolutely agree with the court. Phil Rudd should not b convicted. However, if it was the drummer 4 duran duran then push him off the bldy boat and leave him 2 the sharks Thunderstruck!
* Primary schools should not put their students at risk by having access on to busy roads when alternatives exist. An example is green park school in greerton. An example of a safe school is kaka st special school in the avenues.
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