All can benefit
Message to National. Please do not talk of tax cuts unless it's for lower earners by way of a zero tax threshold on the first $10,000 to $15,000. Work must be encouraged over welfare so the higher the threshold the better.
I know it's not fair that a few
of us pay other people's share of tax by being subject to the upper tax rates. But hey, from working extraordinarily hard, accepting pressures and long hours, continually up-skilling ourselves usually at our own cost, and risk-taking sometimes with failures, we may sometimes enjoy the good life from the fruits of our labour.
"Rich sods", mostly, aren't so heartless or blind as not to realise that they benefit from a stable, safe, and healthy socioeconomic environment. Applying the 80-20 rationale (but it's more 90-10), the few who can afford it do not begrudge contributing more than their fair share, when the less "fortunate" cannot.
So long as they too work hard, as that's life and social responsibility, any government has a responsibility for ensuring that our money is used carefully.
R. McIntyre, Glendowie.
Save the children
Following some recent irresponsible chiding by Kelvin Davis, Karen Chhour highlighted (NZ Herald, September 30) how a young child was taken from a loving and stable family environment and returned to whānau. This was to satisfy a legal requirement, 7AA.
On Thursday, we read of a poor young lad who had been re-homed by his imprisoned mother to another person. Result: torture and ultimate death.
Most reading the report would no doubt have shed a tear or three. I did.
Recent statistics showed that about 1 per cent of Maori accounted for 60 per cent of Oranga Tamariki referrals and prison populations. OECD statistics have shown New Zealand rates poorly in overall family violence.
To address the negative issues we need collectively to improve the uptake of education and health facilities, improving access to a full range of career options.
The immediate issue of safe homes and environments opens a superb opportunity for other providers to work alongside Government agencies.
May I suggest that the elite of our wealthiest iwi combine the best features of their "charitable institutions" to openly help raise education and safe home standards as a true demonstration of co-governance?
John Riley, Edgecumbe.
Voters' wants
So, the local elections are over except for the special vote counts and, once again, we have the hand-wringing over the low voter turnout. No doubt we now will have thousands of dollars spent on wages preparing myriad reports on how to engage the voters. To me the solution is simple. Give the voter a reason to vote. All you have to do is look at the queues that form for concerts, the opening of a new store or the latest product to realise that people will overcome obstacles to get what they want. Obviously, for decades, voters here and around the world have not seen anything they want in the candidates standing for office. I suspect that they don't really care about the ins and outs of providing the things they want. They simply want to get say clean water when they turn on a tap or a transportation system that makes getting someplace quick and easy. My guess is that, if the average voter truly believed that they would get what they want, they would be queuing to vote just like they queue for other things. It's that simple.
Dunstan Sheldon, Hamilton.
Vote swing
It seems a bit simplistic to paint the Auckland mayoralty election as a contest between left and right.
Wayne Brown presented himself as the candidate for change, while Efeso Collins came across as the voice of the status quo.
So, in what way was the election a swing to the right?
Warren Drake, Ōrākei
Get buses moving
New mayor Wayne Brown's first urgent fix-it task needed is to introduce comprehensive world-class bus services that have more bus lanes and transponders at traffic lights that provide priority for buses.
This will ensure efficient, timely and reliable public transport services that will back up the Auckland rail network running parallel to the Onehunga, Eastern, Southern and Western lines as possible for rail users.
Auckland Transport must now accelerate the Eastern and Northwestern Busway projects to reduce motorways and local roads becoming severely congested with more motor vehicles. More bus lanes and priority measures are needed on Great South Rd to support the Southern Line.
