From the same feature in your paper I note the claim, "Only one freight train a week has been running" [to Gisborne].
This is incorrect, as an average of two trains ran weekly, last year, and three to four return services each way, per week, since January.
There is so much freight KiwiRail is turning freight away, through lack of crews and rolling stock.
As a former resident of Westshore, I have seen fully loaded 1000 tonne, double-headed freight trains at 9am on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
They consist of mainly sawn timber, fertiliser, and containers of produce. I hope this increase in traffic will continue, and the Gisborne line be retained in service.
Then we can have more authentic Deco excursions in the future.
John Nichols, Haumoana
Slow down spending
It is mind boggling to read in Hawke's Bay Today that Lawrence Yule and the Hastings Council have decided to build a new hockey turf at the Sports Park in Hastings.
They have agreed to set aside $3.5 million for it and a further $850,000 to go towards upgrading again the new netball and football facilities (Why? Who knows)
It's okay, Jock Mackintosh the park CEO said it will be a "sexy" new addition for the Sports Park.
All this new expense will have to be paid for by us, the ratepayers, in our HDC and Regional rate demands (two more rate increases).
Add the Te Mata Peak visitor centre and Civic Square redevelopment millions, our debt for the Hastings city will be getting over extended.
If Mr Yule is right in his statement that Napier has not contributed any funding for Hastings in his or the late Jeremy Dwyer's terms of office there is the question, why not?
Over the years I recall Hastings has helped Napier with funding for many of its projects.
Sandra Hazlehurst, you are so right to ask why not withdraw the gift of $1 million donation for the Napier Art Gallery and Museum - it could at least help towards our council's lavish spending.
It's time for our council to slow down with all these grand schemes and reduce some of the Hastings city debt, not expect the citizens to carry the burden of excessive spending.
Arthur Bott, Hastings
Mortgage reduction
Suppose an uncle gives you $100,000 on the condition that you don't spend it on a car, furniture or holiday, but invest it for the future. The question I ask is where should you invest it?
You can leave it in a bank where you get 4 per cent interest.
But that is New Zealand's rate while America, Japan and other countries fix the interest rate at almost nil.
Perhaps you'd prefer to buy shares like Fletcher and Telecom or Contact, but there is little growth with these and they don't make new cash issues as companies used to do in the past, the dividends are not high.
Perhaps you'd prefer a rental property, but the new tax law prohibiting depreciation of house and contents and also soaring costs of insurance have made rental investment unpopular.
Thousands of landlords will want to sell their rental homes.
You could try bonds, but they yield little more than a bank deposit. Another possibility is Bonus Bonds that's a bit of a lottery.
To sum it up it is extraordinary difficult to invest in 2012.
If you have a mortgage the best advice I could give would be to reduce that mortgage.
Pete Carver, Havelock North
