Letters to Editor: Motorcyclists can throttle Govt

Motorcyclists can throttle Govt

With the realisation creeping slowly through our politicians' heads that ACC was never ever in any danger of going broke or being unable to service its clients, why are we motorcyclists still stuck with such massive ACC levies?

Why are old, slow machines over 600cc being hammered with $600-a-year licence fees, the majority of this being ACC levies, when all reports available show it is the lower-cc machines ridden by less experienced riders involved in the most claims on ACC?

Local politicians Stuart Nash and Craig Foss attended last year's ride against these exorbitant rises and agreed they were draconian, so why are they not being repealed and replaced with something more appropriate, like a kilowatt rating for motorcycles?

Having not been ticketed on a motorcycle since 1972, I believe the odds of my unregistered bike being pulled up by police are about as good as me winning Lotto and, even better, the maximum fine is only $200 for no registration, that allows me to be ticketed at least three times in a year before I am actually losing money.

I will not feel I am not contributing to the social costs of New Zealand, having paid taxes for 45 years. These unfair ACC levies must be removed even if it takes a change of government and change in the way we vote. Motorcyclists are mobile, intelligent and ageing, we hold the power to tip this lot out.

W Hicks, Onekawa

Housing care vital

Reading Friday's HB Today, I noticed there are HNZ tenants scared about the complex they are living in. We, as New Zealanders, are fortunate to have government housing for folk that haven't a home of their own and it should be looked after as if it was your own. They should be able to feel safe in their homes.

If they were looked after like private landlords are expected to look after their properties, this problem could be addressed.

1. Do they vet their tenants?

2. Is there a bond taken?

3. If the tenants are on a benefit the rent is probably taken direct, so no unpaid rent in HNZ houses.

4. Are the houses checked frequently? Houses are being ruined because of drugs, P in particular.

These are all expected of private landlords and we have to abide by the Housing Tribunal rules. Maybe they're never checked to see if all is okay because the people that work there don't own them, just get a wage. Landlords have to look after their investment or it will deteriorate.

Val King, Clive

Retirement scheme

Retirement should be on a graduated scale by being linked to ACC.

The higher your levy, then the greater you are at risk and should retire early, the lesser your levy, ie the lesser your risk, then the later you should retire.

For example, labourers, miners, forestry workers etc retire at age 60 and lawyers, journalists, doctors, company directors etc at 75. David NormanTaradale

Labour 'advert'I have just seen your paper of Monday, October 31, and letters to the editor.

Now the country is in the last month of electioneering, and what do we have, but an extended letter from the Labour candidate in "Letters to the Editor".

What I did not see was a "comment" from you explaining that this was a paid advertisement by the Labour candidate for Napier.

I trust an account will be forwarded to Mr Nash, and that this will become part of his electoral expenses, together with an article in the "Letters" section explaining that it was a political party advert. Or is it undeclared bias by your paper?

Philip M Ward, Napier

Editor's note: The writer refers to a letter from Napier list MP Stuart Nash about the lack of a bus terminal in the city. In our view it was a legitimate response to a long-standing civic issue and not an exercise in electioneering. No political parties or policies were mentioned in the letter.