Spending like drunken sailors
Despite being generally aware of Auckland Council and Auckland Transport's excesses, I was shocked at the extent of the "troublesome trends" exposed by Councillor Sayers (NZ Herald, January 14).
This council has no ability to restrain its mandarins and bureaucrats, and has neither business acumen nor ratepayers' interests
at heart.
To continue spending ratepayers' money like drunken sailors during a global pandemic; to obtusely refuse to cull a workforce, larger than all sworn nationwide NZ Police, of 12,328 staff (including 25 per cent who earn above $100k) is the equivalent of lifting a middle finger to ratepayers.
Rates pay their excessive salaries – they are not contributing to the economy, they are a drain on it. Auckland ratepayers must vote at the next election.
Sayers' figures prove our money is being wasted on cycleways, beautifying Quay St and deliberately slowing traffic, when ratepayers are genuinely suffering. We are watching our hard-earned incomes evaporate in an orgy of wasteful spending by a council that is not up to the job. And worse, led by a professional politician with no understanding of how a real business is managed. Time for a "razor gang" to be handed machetes.
Roger Hawkins, Herne Bay.
Vaccine resistant
A crew of parents is suing Health Minister Andrew Little. Not content with placing their own children at risk, they are trying to prevent responsible parents from vaccinating their children.
Vaccinations have proven effective since the development of the smallpox vaccine in 1796, a disease since wiped from the face of the earth. Polio is also no longer the scourge it was when I was a child and other debilitating and sometimes fatal diseases are no longer a threat to anyone, including these parents and their children.
In spite of the Herald's successful campaign to reach and exceed a 90 per cent vaccination rate this is nowhere near the so-called herd immunity, as when the entire population is considered we are somewhere around the mid-70s.
From their occupations, these parents do not appear to be experts on immunology and their actions endanger the vast majority of people in this country. I note also they have name suppression so are not prepared to stand up for their beliefs.
I am not normally a supporter of Little but if he in turn sues this group of Luddites for endangering New Zealand's children, then more power to him.
Rod Lyons, Kumeu.
Wasted opportunity
In December, the Government announced the opening of our borders would be delayed in view of Omicron's expected arrival. Sadly, though, that is the last action we saw from ministers before they departed off on holiday.
Surely the delay should have been used to urgently improve New Zealand's position? We should have been lifting booster rates and getting children vaccinated asap. In addition, you would expect that everything would be done to reduce health system staffing level shortages. Why are overseas health workers still not able to enter the country bypassing the MIQ lottery and without visa issues?
Individual citizens have stepped up and got the jab. Businesses have made huge sacrifices. However, Ministers seem to be missing in action and still reacting rather than being proactive.
Is it too much to expect competent proactive governance?
Lucas Bonne, Unsworth Heights.
Loan arrangers
Do people not remember how incredibly difficult it used to be to get any kind of bank loan? ("Loan declined because of $187 Kmart trip", NZ Herald, January 15)
My parents had to get a second mortgage to secure our house, as did many of the parents of friends at school. Second mortgages were that common. And as for personal loans, they were as rare as unicorns. We have probably had it too easy for too long.
The difficulty in obtaining a mortgage was yet another factor in helping to contain house inflation. Be careful what you wish for.
Paul Tudor, Sandringham.
Exercise books
A correspondent (NZ Herald, January 17) may have attended a school or had some other association with a school where a sport was compulsory. They should not assume that compulsion was universal.
Throughout my time as a school student (1950s-1960s), as a teacher and as a parent (1970s-2021) I have never been involved with a school where a sport was compulsory. Physical education as a class subject, yes, always. Sport as extracurricular, yes, always (with an increasing choice). In addition, students now often have dance as an optional physical activity.
We can't blame obesity on schools. Far too many of society's problems are blamed on them. We need to value what is offered by schools, not castigate them for every supposed fault.
Judy Lawry, Golflands.
