Letter to the Editor, Tuesday May 24, 2016

Blinkered

For a journalist you seem to have blinkers on when it comes to simply reciting the Kaitaia Business Association's spin regarding TSM.

I don't disagree with you at all about certain business people in this town who have done very well out of Kaitaia over many years, who commute off to Cooper's Beach, Ahipara running vineyards, Pamapuria running dairy farms at the end of the day, having contributed nothing to Kaitaia.

However, some of us, including the new Asian community in town, I dare say, actually do make Kaitaia a better town, pay a compulsory levy to the Kaitaia Business Association, who gives most of this to TSM currently. Are you saying that we are bludgers and don't deserve TSM's attention and should give them more on top of what we already are paying?

I suggest you get your facts straight.

And what is so wrong about expecting the police to do their job and stop burglaries anyway, rather than sit around in their watchhouse drinking coffee. People out and about with no good reason is always police business, surely.

The Kaitaia Business Association made up of has-beens who still think that they can resurrect some golden age of Kaitaia that never was, thanks to a coerced levy by the FNDC, have had a quarter of a million dollars from Kaitaia business. I think you should do an investigation into where it has gone.

The idea of the BID , Business Improvement District, levy imposed by a dishonest process by the Kaitaia Business Association was supposed to be self-funding in due course. I don't see any sign of that, do you?

PETER COUMBE
Kaingaroa

*****

Kaitaia Business Association chairperson Shirley Williams responds:

The landlords of business premises in Kaitaia pay the BID levy, and this is usually passed on to tenants, who are business owners. Business owners contribute to Kaitaia's economy by having a business in town and employing staff and paying normal overheads.

The KBA's contribution to TSM is currently $500 a month, to assist with monitoring at the Kaitaia police station, as the CCTV is an asset of the KBA.

The levy amounts to $50,000 a year.

The BID process was carried out by the FNDC after a majority vote to proceed.

Our financial records are all above board. These have been discussed with Mr Coumbe.