Letters: Education, driving, roads, gangs, prisoners, and electricity storage

Education, qualifications and a work ethic are the means to combat unemployment, weak productivity, low wages and serious social issues. Photo / 123rf, File

Skipping lessons
At last, the Government is confronting the appalling attendance levels at many state schools, with Covid lockdowns deemed the cause of increasing truancy.
Nevertheless, falling literacy, numeracy standards and declining attendance existed long before Covid emerged.
Education, qualifications and a work ethic are still the traditional means to combat unemployment, weak productivity, low wages and serious social issues pervading society at this time.
A recent report has uncovered cases of fifth-generation jobless support, the idle capacity a "drag" on the economy, this at a time when we rely on so much imported labour to meet our employment needs.
It is scandalous.
P. J. Edmondson, Tauranga.

Change drivers
Adding to recent letters on the road toll, (NZ Herald, June 13) citing poor drivers and poor roads, plus Linda Olsson in April suggesting car headlights be on for visibility, an important suggestion concerns driver education.
In New Zealand, it is a rite of passage that a parent teaches a mid-teen child how to drive. Ingrained bad habits become intergenerational, like driving with one hand only down low on the wheel or right elbow out the window, taking a hand off the wheel to gesture and point out sights, driving manually down hills in neutral "to save petrol", turning to converse with passengers in the back seat while driving, racing towards an orange light to beat the red.
How do we break this pattern?
Let's introduce professional driving lessons in all secondary schools. The outcome would be drivers who not only drive well, but can "read roads" and drive for all road users' enjoyment as well as their own.
A cost-benefit analysis may even show driving courses will save money against the cost of ambulance, helicopter, fire brigade and police call-outs, hospitalisations, family and sickness benefits for victims left single or disabled, rehabilitation and mental health costs, widow(er) and childhood trauma, and much more.
Christine Keller Smith, Northcote Pt.

Crash course
Is anyone going to open the can of worms on NZTA for poorly lit and inadequate markings on our state highways?
We have 100km/h roads; poor lighting and cat's eyes and paint you can hardly see, especially in the rain. A recipe for deaths and disaster.
Mike Watson, Torbay.

Fuelling crime
The current gang war has its roots in our collective decision to put the lucrative importation, supply and sale of illicit drugs in their hands.
In July 2001 Portugal decriminalised personal use and possession of all illicit drugs, instead putting the issue into the hands of health professionals through dedicated clinics. Alternatives to the worst drugs are available, as are controlled programmes to reduce dependency. It was a police initiative with support across political parties. It took away the
drug business from the cartels and gangs and the associated violence dissipated as the programme matured. Subsequent governments retained the programme.
Other countries watched and the solution has spread through, for example, Holland, British Columbia and some US states, which saw the anomaly of cartel wealth while their prisons were full of users and addicts.
Our present path towards joining the drug wars, at great risk to police and the innocent public, while bankrolling the cartels and gangs is irrational.
Max Shwer, New Plymouth.

Required reading
For any politician proposing new, so-called law and order legislation aimed at combating the current tensions between rival gangs, Dr Jarrod Gilbert's book "Patched: the history of gangs in New Zealand" should be compulsory reading.
His piece "Audacious shooting preceded gang warfare" (NZ Herald, June 13) should also be read before they put pen to paper.
Stuart Grieve, QC, Remuera.

Inside jobs
Surely prisoners should be able to work at minimum wage rates if only to build up a trust fund to support themselves when they finish their sentence and reintegrate with society? It also allows them to contribute to Kiwisaver for their eventual retirement.
Work is a human right and is acknowledged as an effective way to bolster a prisoner's dignity and self-worth. A small amount of weekly pocket money gives prisoners the ability to reward themselves directly for their efforts.
I think giving prisoners economic independence while they are serving their sentence would lessen their dependence on the government welfare system and will prove to be a wise policy in the long run.
Christopher Simmons, Papatoetoe.

Storage wars
Regarding "Stored gas v pumped hydro: A real choice?" (NZ Herald, June 13) by Pattrick Smellie.
The Lake Onslow scheme stores potential energy (water above river level); the Taranaki scheme stores gas. Pumped hydro uses electricity from sunshine, wind, and otherwise-spilt water from existing hydro stations; stored gas burns to CO2.
Onslow is permanent and sustainable, with four times the generating capacity.
How much longer are we going to fire a shot at the side of a barn, then draw a target around it?
Dennis Horne, Howick.

Braking bad
You ask why Trump is still a threat (NZ Herald, June 13) and the answer is clear.
America, like many before it, is an empire in decline, its global hegemony under threat and its heartland hollowing out as industrial might wanes and jobs flow overseas.
When this happens, as history repeatedly shows, people search for answers from "strongmen" who promise to stem the tide by building walls both real and notional, focusing on external enemies to blame for internal failures, and by returning the country to 'traditional values", thus making it great again.
This was the attraction of Caesar, Bonaparte, Stalin, Hitler and Putin, to name just a few similar claimants to the strongman title, and it is the attraction of Donald Trump in America today.
We should not be surprised. The Republicans think they can win again in 2024 provided they keep hammering the MAGA message; the only question is will Trump carry that banner, or will they find a less divisive personality to lead the charge?
John Denton, Eskdale.

Razing the bar
Fear emanating from crossing the Manukau Bar seems to be the main reason for discounting Onehunga Port as a viable option to Auckland's seaport pickle.
Where are the leaders who have the courage to "Feel the Fear and do it anyway!"
Build a huge rock groin out into the Tasman, like the Aussies do, dredge the entrance, throw in a bunch of tidal generators to help with the predicted electricity shortage due to EVs in New Zealand's largest city; job done.
If we worried about cost, projects the likes of Manapouri Power Station would never have been built.
Bob Currie, Ramarama.

Spot the diffidence
Having watched the Newshub Nation by-election special, it seems to me that National is treating its Tauranga supporters with contempt.
They've assumed that their candidate will be elected and felt free to offer up someone with little personality and no experience. Both the opposition candidates are hugely qualified by comparison, especially Labour candidate Jan Tinetti, and National deserves to lose the seat.
Compare the National candidate San Uffindell to Simon Bridges and see the difference.
Rex Fausett, Auckland Central.

Missed the bus
I don't know if anyone else has noticed but Auckland is full of huge empty buses being driven all over the city and suburbs. The cost to ratepayers for Auckland's buses is around $1 billion per year. No one catches them.
I cannot understand why we cannot have mini buses. Just imagine if Auckland Council sold most of these unwieldy behemoths, said to be worth $550,000 each new, and invested in say, 1000 electric-powered minibuses, all of them running on all routes every five minutes.
If there is a minibus passing the end of your street every five minutes, why would you use a car? No more traffic jams. No need for a huge urban rail system. And, at least two thousand jobs for drivers. Many smart cities around the planet use minibuses. Having lived in Hong Kong and enjoyed this incredibly reliable form of transport, I cannot understand why Auckland has opted for these huge things that need their own bus lanes, take up massive amounts of road space and have almost zero use for the public. Am I missing something here?
Jeanette O'Shea, Ōrewa.

Helpful directions
I have recently started using public buses as a mode of transportation.
The online Auckland Transport "journey planner" is a useful tool to get started and for where to get off.
I would confirm this information with the bus drivers. But to my dismay, I am often told, and in a harsh voice, that their job is to drive the bus from A to B.
Tiong Ang, Mt Roskill.

Short & sweet

On Cabinet
So pleased to see the PM suddenly realising the true abilities of her three able ministers in the recent Cabinet reshuffle. Hopefully, more to come. Ian Doube, Rotorua.

On rates
With rates based on a property's capital value, it must be comforting for us all to know, in these days of high inflation, that the council must be ready to spring into action and reduce rates now that house values are reducing. Alan Walker, St Heliers.

On Mallard
Perhaps I need an optometrist's appointment because I may have read that Mallard was being appointed to an overseas post that had something to do with diplomacy. P Raine, Auckland Central.

On Putin
Vladimir Putin's comparison with Peter the Great is apt. When he went on his grand tour of Europe in the 17th century with his entourage, at every place they stayed they got roaring drunk and wrecked the place. Martin Ball, Kelston.

On Warriors
Why is it that virtually all players who leave (or are forced to go) from the Warriors, play better at other NRL clubs? Rex Head, Papatoetoe.

On rugby
Will the new All Blacks have time to learn the national anthem before the Irish test? A White, Henderson.

The Premium Debate

Diesel almost the price of petrol

It's been a long time coming, but finally an explanation as to why diesel is going up at twice the rate of petrol. The decision to kill the local oil and gas industry and close the refinery has proved to be another stellar decision by this government of ideology. Remember the carless days of the 70s? They will be back very soon at this rate. Andrew O.

I thought Megan Woods was going to sort these people out? Kim B.

There's your 8 per cent inflation figure right there. Duane M.

More supply side shocks. And yet Labour continues with its mad expansionary spending plans. This will drive us straight into stagflation - 1970s here we come. David H.

It is part of the "green" plan, There is 100 years of proven reserves of oil in the US alone that could easily be bought into production to increase the supply thus reducing the cost of fuel. But this is not what those want, which is the rest of us either driving electric cars or taking public transport. Seems like their plan is working. Putin is just being used as an excuse. Colin B.

What happened to the RUC adjustment? Diesel users are actually paying more than petrol users for fuel when you add in the RUC component. All prices from food to services are on a steep rise, and will keep on climbing as diesel is the fuel for industry and distribution. Andrew R.

The RUC reduction is in place. I got 10,000km yesterday at reduced cost. Not sure if it is the equivalent of 25 cent/ltr reduction but I'll take it. Cunning move by the Government to reduce RUC rather than simply reduce the fuel cost, as this effectively excludes farm and construction equipment and larger leisure and fishing boats. Not sure that helps the economy as much as we'd like. Dianne M.