Letters: Auckland Council, Teachers' pay and health system

Auckland Mayor Phil Goff in his office in Auckland. Photo / Greg Bowker

Opinion

Over the past few years I have collected articles and letters in the Herald and elsewhere about the performance of the Auckland Council. Alarmingly, 90 per cent are critical. On taking office, Goff said satisfaction with the council was at "rock bottom" and the council was "bloated".

Nothing has changed. The CEO said he was focused on "customer experience".

What? We're not "customers"; we're ratepayers. We have no choice of provider. The council is a monopoly. We are its funders.

I note some CCOs may be "out of control" and decisions are being made "behind closed doors". If that meant progress it might be okay. But it doesn't. There have been numerous financial "blowouts" amounting to billions of dollars ... yet salaries and wages have gone up.

Amalgamation was supposed to deliver "more for less". Precisely the opposite has occurred.

The council needs a reality check.

John Clements, Orewa

Teachers' pay inequity

If teachers had the same rate of pay increases as politicians over the last 40 years of teaching a 50 per cent pay rise would be needed. Being realistic 40 per cent of science teachers will retire in the next three years. Realistic teachers know they are not a priority, never have been and never will be so who is kidding who? NZ First's re-election fund is the priority.

So when does the coalition realistically think it will staff schools adequately to cope with the rate of influx of immigrants? In the year 2525?

Steve Russell, Hillcrest

Solution on waiting lists

Regarding our deteriorating public health system: The best way to easily reduce the waiting lists is to encourage people to get private health cover with much shorter waiting times.

This is simply done by allowing private health premiums to be deducted from tax, reducing the health cover cost by from 15 per cent to one third depending on wage or salary level — as existed successfully in Australia for many years. We should just do it too.

This tax deduction should be in the Budget effective from April 1, 2019. It will save our Government more money long term as many people and families will switch to private hospitals, taking off pressure and long waiting times in public hospitals. A win/win.

Murray Hunter, Titirangi

Mayoral aspirations

When it came to developing interracial harmony in her previous political appointment Devoy proved herself devoid.

For her mayoral aspirations in Tauranga she might consider standing in Hamlin town and hope there is a Pied Piper to help her out.

Bryan Johnson, Omokoroa

Veracity of Christianity

Claude DeBruin (Letters, May 12) asks for "proven veracity" of Christianity. I'll give two examples. First, consider Pontius Pilate — an expert at stuffups — three being 1) the still-visible Corbonas aqueduct charged to the Jews, 2) the seizing of the Jews' Temple vestments and 3) parading a Legion's standards in Jerusalem, violating the Commandment on graven images. These caused Pilate's recall to Rome, but before that happened Christ arrived from the north with the outcome we know — Pilate's authority vanished.

A second example would be the Apostle Thomas, and his impressive journey to Madras, founding still-strong churches as he went. That he's actually buried there is unique.

Richard Leary, Browns Bay

Scientists' thinking

Jonathan Freeman misunderstands my reference to people who have "confined their thinking to what can be proved by empirical evidence" when he lauds the "worthwhile achievements" of these people (Letters, May 12). People who are scientists have other characteristics: e.g. some are atheists while others are religious. The religious ones often confine their thinking to the scientific method (e.g. when they're working), the atheists' thinking is confined that way all the time.

Gavan O'Farrell, Lower Hutt