Texts To The Editor: 09/06/11

* Amalgamation To SC, Napier. Upgrade Hastings? Amalgamation could lead to savings to benefit both cities. Where's your hospital, opera house, water theme park, athletic track?
* Amalgamate with Napier? Why would we want to take a backward step Mayor Yule? We'd have to endure endless moaning? Hastings District doing fine without them!
* Amalgamation, super city, super country run by the Yanks. Isn't that right John Key?
* Great text (not), stay Twin Cities, keep up the rivalry, keep going backwards! Haven't you seen HB's sorry economic standing in NZ? SN
* Politics A lot of texts blaming John Key for the country's financial woes. Did John cause the world economic crisis and the Christchurch earthquake? Be careful if you think Phil Goff can fix it.
* Me thinks Labour friends have a text writing campaign! It is so boring. Key is great. Nats are trying to get us out of Labour's mess. Goff is a joke. Minimum wage To the texter who wrote in about minimum wage up to $15 and earns that as he or she has diplomas. No matter if you are educated you still have to start at the bottom and work your way up.
* To $15 minimum wage scoffer. B thankful you have a job and the opportunity to have got a diploma. There are those of us who never had that chance and have had to work for a lot less and are now considered to be too old to employ in our 50s. Stop moaning and count yourself lucky. RMC
* Breastfeeding 0MG are people still moaning about breastfeeding in public? Grow up. I breastfeed my child whenever she is hungry, it isn't my problem nor is it other mums. If your baby is hungry feed them, I bet you'd feed yourself if you were hungry.
* There are many people who support breastfeeding. But most mothers have the common sense to do so discretely. No one wants to dine looking at a mother's breast.
Smoking

* Gosh Jean of Taradale re smoking! God forbid your neighbour smoking outside! Where would you like her to smoke? Stop being a smoke detective.
* Re smoking: I am one of the many Inconsiderate people who smoke outside. Who is more inconsiderate? Me or the thousands of wood fires poisoning the atmosphere.
Other thoughts

* To the man who wrote about women walking home after a night out. When will men stop telling women what to do. Yes it may be dangerous but I have another solution. Women reclaim the night! Put men on curfew so we can celebrate freely and without fear!
* To the people stealing fruit off trees on private land - first of all it is not yours to take and secondly the fruit is not ready. Please ask first.
* I've never met Pete Osborne but my heart goes out to him for his loss, cool rods Pete. I will put my hand up to help him if he needs it. You can get my number from the editor.
* As a nurse with special interest in diabetes and nutrition, I agree with Ben Warren and the breadless burger. Obviously you need to consider fat content total for the day. Ben is highly qualified to comment. Conventional advice needs overhaul. MD
* How can it be that if you go to Totara health and you have a Flaxmere address your consultation is free?
* Totara Health rocks. Great health care without the rip off. Try them - doctors are good as anywhere else. Thanks Totara.
* If Wellingtonions want to be copy cats with stupid name changes, here's a couple of ideas - Plankington or Plankingwood .Yeah right .AKO
* Low income, higher prices and no jobs. Rubbish, the world has been living beyond its financial means since the economic boom between 2002 and 2008. This is the norm now, disconnect the computer and Sky, get a job picking fruit, grow some veggies and stop whInging!
* Congrats to Year 7 Napier Rep Netball Team who took out the Year 7 comp at tourny on Sunday! Best Year 7 team in all of Hawke's Bay! Great achievement.
* Go Ernest and your white elephants. Only you forgot to mention Nelson Park.
* Hey Moroney, aah sorry, Roger, love your Tuesday columns, keep it up,excellent! Don P.
* Regarding the compulsory eftpos terminal upgrade, as business owners we understand why it is required. But is it really fair to force retailers into new (4 year) equipment hirage contracts when the providers of the old machines won't release us from paying the term of existing contracts? KL
* To the person who texted bout the person who gets a wet paper when it rains... We have got a big mailbox, the reason why the paper was wet was because our paper runner stuck it in the bottom of the mailbox not in the round hole that is for the paper! I was not talking bout the paper runners anyway, only asking if we could get our paper in a bag. It was just a question!
* Why is it that the more money folk have the more they want? Come on Mr & Mrs Norman, treat the staff in all your companies fair. Last year $400 mil to your name. Is that greed?
* The muck that comes out of stock trucks and sprays all over my windscreen! I'm at a giveaway sign at a roundabout as the truck approaches and I'm yelling at my family to wind their windows up before we get sprayed? WTF
* Thoroughly enjoyed Reignier School children singing at the HB Sports awards. A great night. Congratulations to the organisers.