Letters to Editor: Anger over pitch damage

Anger over pitch damage
Again some mindless idiots have cut the chain and taken a car on to Park Island and damaged the pitch.
Now maybe the person did this to get some fines wiped? Just like the last person. OK, so first Ashley Prue got a $500 fine plus had to pay reparation (first offence) and showed remorse. But as for Daniel Raymond Dawson Paul got $5778 in fines wiped for 100 hour community work. That's $57.78 an hour. Wow, hands up if you are on this kind of rate.
Now in my opinion he got slapped with a wet bus ticket. Judge could have confiscated his vehicle sold or crushed it, short jail term, statutory deductions from wages or benefit by the ministry of justice (and I know they do this) or even placed on home detention.
Maybe that would have stopped them from doing it again. Hopefully, the person who did it this weekend is caught and made an example of. (abridged) J GreenNapier Bus concernsNapier is known as the Art Deco City of the world and lots of visitors come here for that. It's great for people to come to our fair city and help our businesses.
I heard on the radio on Thursday, June 16 that our council was giving the Art Deco Trust $1.5 million for some buses, but in Saturdays H.B.Today it was reported they were purchased in France and being fitted out in America and will be here by Christmas. This to me seems they've been ordered by our council some time ago, as six months isn't far away for these vehicles to be here.
Why aren't the ratepayers asked for their opinion on this? They are the ones paying. There was a lot of controversy when it was first suggested. Maybe the council could help the leaseholders to purchase their land so their leases don't go up to where they can't manage. I know of people who have had to leave their homes because of the prices of their leases to the Napier City Council. Is this the money our council is using to buy buses for the Art Deco Trust, who already have a very good business running? Where do their profits go? A lot of their workers are voluntary. Maybe there are unemployed out there who would love a position working for them and getting paid.
Our rates go up, the Mayor still gets her pay rises and buses are coming in when taxis could do the job. Oh I forgot, the council will get the money.Val KingCliveFinancial burdenBack on July 27, 2009 I wrote to the Hastings District Council regarding the outstanding debt owing on Hastings' Splash Planet.
The council obligingly wrote back and informed me that the remaining balance of the loan was $2,996,249, and the loan repayments were in excess of $400,000 per annum, and the loan was to be repayed in 25 years from the date of expenditure (A further 15 years for the original loan).
The annual loan repayments were included in the reported cost for Splash Planet each year.
Last April I again wrote to the council and received a reply on the new outstanding debt on Splash Planet and was told that the debt on June 30, 2010 was $808,307, which was a significant decrease in the $2,996,249 amount mentioned in the letter dated July 27, 2009, which all rather surprised me. But it was explained to me that the council resolved last year in September to pay $1,593,621 from the 2009/10 rating surplus toward the out-standing debt at Splash Planet. To me this looks a bit like robbing Peter to pay Paul.
As I told the council back in 1998 when Splash Planet was planned, the place would not pay its way, and would forever be a burden on the ratepayers of Hastings, who last year forked out $306,000 to keep the place open. As an old-age pensioner in the octogenerian class I feel I am being robbed by all the glib-tongued rascality our Hastings councillors keep serving me up.Brian SteeleHastingsInspiring teenagersFront page headlines in HB Today, especially about teenagers, is not often inspiring. Usually it's appalling, drunken and vicious and leaves one wondering where and if there are any parents, role models or hope for their future.
One headline that has really given me hope for our future is that of Amy Shanks' article with photos, "Hero schoolboys foil girl's abduction". The boys, Liam Mataira, Ben Haylleu and Dinny O'Reilly, have without a doubt very inspiring role model parents and family to have shown a maturity beyond their years, to recognise a dangerous situation, confront thugs so fearlessly and save a schoolgirl from something we don't want to think about. Their caring and brave behaviour for all the right reasons is worthy of their school's encouragement in their studies and interests. They can well be leaders of the future and inspiration to us all. Good luck boys, you are indeed "hero schoolboys" for all to be proud of.Marylee PutorinoHawke's Bay.