Armed cop saved lives
The multi-fatality incident at the Bondi shopping mall highlights how police are better equipped to deal with dangerous situations if the first police officers on the scene have guns.
If the police officer attending had only a Taser or baton, there would have been many more deaths and injuries while the area was cordoned off waiting for adequately armed police to arrive.
Andrew Tichbon, Green Bay.
Public sector bloat
Many [public sector] workers do necessary, frontline jobs, but much bureaucratic make-work lurks behind and, having spent many years as a back-office bureaucrat in both public and private spheres, I feel qualified to comment on this.
Firstly, Parkinson’s Law states that in any bureaucracy, work expands to fill the time available for its completion, explaining that every official strives to multiply the number of their subordinates (to reflect their own importance) and officials make work for each other (to justify their own existence).
Then my own observation: whenever four bureaucrats are gathered together, the additional paperwork they generate leads to a belief that they are overworked, with the only solution being to hire two more bureaucrats to cope with it.
Add these factors together and it’s obvious that the Government must rein in this runaway train.
John Denton, Eskdale.
Truancy trip-up
If the Prime Minister is serious about reducing truancy levels in our schools, he should order state-owned Air New Zealand - which he used to run - to stop encouraging parents to break the law with offers of free holidays for their kids in a Bali resort during term time.
“Kids fly and stay for free - save $1183 per child” shouts the advertisement, a joint deal with a major travel firm. Travel dates are from September 1-17, which, according to the Ministry of Education website, is when kids should be seated firmly behind their desks.
Brian Rudman, Ponsonby.
New bridge overdue
Interesting to read an article about the state of the Auckland Harbour Bridge. It states that the bridge is in good health.
You have to be kidding. If the bridge is in such good health, why is heavy traffic requested to use the middle lanes? Answer: the clip-on lanes are weakening and they can’t use any more reinforcing. This has been an ongoing problem from the outset.
Remember the bridge was originally built for four lanes and another four were added - the “Nippon Clip-ons”. Then there was the recent discovery that the bridge’s foundations aren’t deep enough and strong enough to carry the additional weight of the proposed walk/cycleway.
Not to put the frighteners on the public, it was also suggested the foundations may not be strong enough to withstand a decent earthquake. Then we have the panic when the wind gets a bit strong and the bridge is closed.
Let’s have a bit of honesty about the state of the bridge. It should have been replaced years ago.
Jock MacVicar, Hauraki.
Fewer trucks, fewer potholes
If the Government wants to reduce the number of potholes on our roads, it needs to reduce the number of large, heavy trucks causing them.
The long-haul freight being carried on the constant stream of large trucks running at all hours along State Highway 1 should instead be going by rail.
The rail network should be used as the primary backbone for the country’s transport network, with both freight and passenger trains running from Whangārei to Invercargill, and trucks being used instead to transport freight between rail terminals in the main centres and smaller towns and industries.
Isaac Broome, Pukekohe.
Another blow for ratepayers
To families with already-stretched budgets, a 25.6 per cent increase in Watercare bills must be a dismaying prospect.
Rising costs can be passed on, but to whom can the consumers at the end of the chain - the bottom feeders - pass the increases? They have no option but to “suck it up”, tighten their belts another notch and limit their spending.
Anne Martin, Helensville.
