The reserve backs up power shortages and has saved South Australian consumers more than A$150 million. We are still talking about coal-fired power stations. Go figure.
Ian Summerfield, New Plymouth.
AT ‘entrapment’
Auckland Transport has gone beyond revenue-gathering from car fines into malevolence against cars, and thus against the people who must use them to enjoy their city.
On Sunday February 18 my husband and I took a 90-year-old immobile lady to an afternoon concert at the Town Hall. We used the mobility parking space right outside the entrance in Queen Street for a drop off, but when he drove away he was trapped in the left-hand bus lane, as a solid cone barrier blocked the right-hand lane for the legitimate exit into Wakefield St.
There was no traffic. He was safe at all times, knowing he had no choice.
He repeated the exercise for the pick-up after the concert. Two stiff fines of $300 later, plus two ignored explanations, AT insist we pay up or go to court. Their infringement letters included the CCTV camera shot of our car barred from the right-hand lane by cones.
We were trapped at an illegal exit by AT cones. How is fining for entrapment fair? Does AT now own our city?
Christine Smith, Northcote Point.
On ACC cuts
ACC has announced cuts to 390 jobs (NZ Herald, May 10). I did the maths. Of the 390 jobs to be disestablished, 81 are vacant.
Plus ACC is creating 65 new roles that support actual delivery of services and 250 additional client-facing roles. That brings the total to six additional jobs, rather than 390 lost. The jobs that are going appear to be backroom jobs that do not help to deliver services to people who need them.
The Public Service Association said the so-called savings were forced on ACC by the Government. The Government did not direct ACC to make savings, and there will be no savings made.
The PSA also complained that 29 prevention injury jobs were to go. Statistics for road deaths and injury have changed very little: some years better, some worse and statistics show that family and sexual violence (linked) have increased by 60 per cent over the last five years.
It seems overdue that ACC reduces areas of its services that aren’t producing good results and brings in staff that will actually make a difference at the coalface.
Congratulations are in order for ACC making these changes.
Marilyn Roberts, Remuera.
Unintelligent speech
We appear to have entered an era where emotive language and behaviour has the power to overtake any form of logic, reason, or common sense.
We have witnessed a Member of Parliament leaving her seat to confront a Government minister face to face in an emotional outburst that in the past would have seen her removed from the debating chamber.
There have been claims that “this Government hates children”, “this Government hates Māori”, “this Government will not waver in its mission to exterminate Māori”.
All of this from Opposition MPs who should be better equipped to challenge government policy through intelligent debate and sound argument, rather than discrediting both themselves and their parties with statements that are anything but sound or intelligent.
George Williams, Whangamatā.
Teaching reading
In reply to correspondent Joan Ruzich (NZ Herald, May 10), I thought phonics was only used to sound out multiple syllable words, not simple words like boat.
I agree simple words like boat are better explained with pictures. However, my own experience in the 1960s was that phonics helped immensely.
My son, who is now 42 and not dyslexic, left school with very poor reading abilities. After six months of private phonics classes he was able to read the newspaper. It turned his life around.
Phonics might not be the complete answer, but for a lot of children I am certain it remains a useful tool.
Mark Buckley, Botany Downs.
