If the greatest predictor of wealth is the wealth of your parents, then the same is likely true for poverty. Photo / 123rf, File
If the greatest predictor of wealth is the wealth of your parents, then the same is likely true for poverty. Photo / 123rf, File
Haves and have lots
As those born into and living in poverty increase in numbers, it is hardly surprising that we are seeing an increase in disengagement with traditional society. Why would we expect “them” to align with “our” values when they see how our tax and social structures supportthe rich to get richer and that wealth gives political access and influence? Over the past 40 years, the gap between the richest in our land and the rest has grown dramatically. The greatest predictor of wealth is the wealth of your parents. So much for a fair go for everyone. Hard-working mums and dads will never have the security of owning their own homes, will be subjected to humiliating rental processes and invasive home inspections, struggle to feed their children, who will struggle to achieve in school. Some will attain material success in spite of the deprivation of their youth but they will be exceptions. Across town in the suburbs where life is comfortable, it is the exception who fail. Unless we accept a radical change to our tax system we can expect the divide in our country to ever deepen and we will all be worse off. Margette Campbell, Waihi Beach.
Designer living
Judging by the number of buses with very few passengers, intensification is far more likely to seriously aggravate traffic congestion than to reduce our carbon emissions. A car stuck in traffic can generate up 10 times more emissions if a possible 20-minute trip takes two hours, as happened to us recently. Multiply this by the number of vehicles similarly caught and it should be obvious the government is promoting a false emission strategy, more likely to land us in an increasingly dire situation. The only possible solution is carefully designed greenfield cities along the rail. Rail can carry 10 times the number of people a bus can in the same or less time and no hold-ups at traffic lights. This is not promoting urban sprawl but new cities well separated by farmland and greenbelts. This will enable the supply of more quality homes in quality neighbourhoods with excellent amenities, parks, and green spaces, and new well-located schools, all serviced by cycle paths. Design is easier and better than retrofit, and more likely to provide the quality of life able to be enjoyed in Auckland city. Victoria Lowe, Shamrock Park.
I don’t think it is politically correct to mention the old proverb about a pot calling a kettle a particular colour but the words “I think it’s evidence National has very little experience or expertise in the justice sector” coming from the Greens’ Golriz Ghahraman about National’s gang policy surely means we can trot it out this one time. It would be laughable if she wasn’t actually serious. Ed Roggeveen, Blenheim.
Unheard of
There is something seriously wrong with our society when we think because we don’t agree with something we can control people for things that have nothing to do with their core purpose. A bank trying to close Gloriavale’s bank account because they don’t agree with their ideology. Scouts (and others) closing down meetings because they don’t like what they said in them. Government trying to exclude people from a country because it doesn’t like what they believe. LGBTQ attacking anybody who challenges them. Climate change activists believing that anarchy (lawlessness, chaos, confusion, disorder) and physical attacks are acceptable to get their own way. Gangs who attack maim and kill those that disagree with them. The media should be champions of free speech, as in telling both sides of opinion or story, but they seem to be deciding that they are right and anybody who doesn’t agree with them should not be heard. John Beach, Sydenham.
Kids who are missing out on their education because of teachers’ industrial action can try this cunning trick for getting ahead: read a book. Schools these days are supposed to be teaching their students to do research on the internet. So I looked up “Organic chemistry” and “Athenian democracy” in an online encyclopedia. Now my head hurts. It’s a good thing I don’t have to pass NCEA exams in chemistry (level 3) or classical studies (level 2). But if you do, now might be a good time to show some initiative. Arch Thomson, Mt Wellington.
Opening a book opens a world of opportunities. Photo / 123rf, File
Prostate screening
Danny Bedingfield’s promotion of comprehensive prostate cancer screening (NZ Herald, June 16) needs to be tempered by the fact that most international medical organisations do not recommend it. This is because screening has shown very mixed results, though, as Bedingfield points out, these are likely better in high-risk gene variant groups. The quality-adjusted life year (QALY) gained per dollar of screening programmes is estimated at $50,000 for breast and lung cancer, whilst a prostate programme would be double that, not including the proposed MRI and PET screening also suggested. Contrast this with only $1000 per QALY for colon cancer screening, the Pharmac drug cost of up to $45,000 and the extraordinary cost per QALY of NZ’s lockdown approach to Covid-19 at $500,000 per person at average risk. We are going to need to change our industrial direction or sell a lot more milk to pay for all this. Stewart Hawkins, St Heliers.
Add it up
Current starting teachers are paid $51,358 ($24.67/hour per 40-hour week). The minimum wage is $47,216 ( $22.70/hour) so that’s $2/hour extra for having a degree and training for four years. They are looking at increases of up to 35 per cent between 2022 and 2025. Whoopee, almost $30/hour. We all have families with school children suffering from Covid and the effects of strikes but, unless society takes a stand, we will end up with so few teachers (similar to what is happening in nursing). The backbone of our country’s success is the education of our children. Young students are urging the Government to pay teachers an acceptable wage so they can get the education they need to help NZ be successful. Both major parties need to take a long-term view of teachers’ pay and conditions, otherwise failure of the system will be the end result. Ian MacGregor, Greenhithe.
Healthy regime
Put the health “system” on a four-day working week. According to the hype from the promoters of this “silver bullet for business” we will get happier workers, more efficiency and increased productivity. Job done. No expensive consultants or political restructuring required. David Pickford, Whitianga.
The stranger parked his ute and walked over to where Chief Inspector Woody from the local Labour Union was watching Chief Engineer Brown burn 1000 traffic cones in a fire, fanning the flames with his tennis racquet. The stranger pulled a note from his pocket with the word “Auckland?” written on it but the Chief Engineer pointed to a road sign proclaiming the town to be Tāmaki Makaurau. The stranger asked for directions to Matakana as he had a work visa for a vineyard, and Woody proudly explained that the stranger would now be travelling on a brand new road, the Ara Tūhono Motorway, which included the Arawhiti ki Ōkahu and Arawhiti Pua Ngahere viaducts, and once in Warkworth there was another brand new link road to Matakana called Te Honohono ki Tai... But the stranger was gone, driving his ute back in the direction from which he had come.Johan Slabbert, Warkworth.
Reality bites
In reference to the IPCA inquiry (NZ Herald, June 16), I’m appalled at the outcome. The pair on the run were “known to assault police”, and had “safety flags for possession of weapons and firearms”, yet the police officer was “not reasonable in assuming the worst case scenario”? This is just insane. I am in full support of our police officers. If you choose to take your bets on evading them, you take the full consequences if you’re caught, if not more for trying your luck. I hope the police officer stands tall in his actions because I’m sure many others would have done the same. Mike Watson, Stanmore Bay.
Fire and rain
Understandably, much focus of Auckland Council is now on what is being called storm and flood resilience. I do hope that preparedness for another result of climate change – higher summer temperatures and severe drought – won’t be overlooked and that council and emergency services are also planning for bushfires, the resulting smoke, and so on. Fingers crossed that is something Auckland doesn’t have to face at any stage, but until January this year, many thought city-wide flooding would never be an issue, either. International modellers of global flooding events knew it was only a matter of time. Matt Elliott, Birkdale.
Pocket billiards
There was a disturbing photograph in Monday’s paper (NZ Herald, June 19) of Christopher Luxon and Paul Goldsmith in a discussion with tailor Brendon de Silva. Not that they could be seemingly haggling over the price of cloth, but that both Luxon and Goldsmith had their hands in their pockets. When at school one day a passing master gave me a crack across the back of the head telling me to get my hands out of my pockets. He said a lad with his hands in his pockets means two things; he isn’t doing anything and he doesn’t intend to. Now do something. James Gregory, Parnell.
National leader Chris Luxon and justice spokesman Paul Goldsmith talking crime with tailor Brendon de Silva. Photo / Alex Burton
Short & Sweet
On whining
I thought Christopher Luxon was wrong then I read the letters to the editor and op-ed in my Monday Herald and had a change of mind. Gavin Baker, Glendowie.
On crime
Ginny Anderson is criticising National’s Crime Policy as “lazy” so what would you call her nonexistent one? Wendy Tighe-Umbers, Parnell.
On coalitions
National should rule out Act as a coalition party, and Labour should rule out Te Pati Maori. Should do wonders for their respective brands. C. C. McDowall, Rotorua.
On MPs
Wouldn’t it be really great if we could halve the number of MPs? Do away completely with the rort of List MPs and double the police force. John Reece, Whitianga.
On solutions
The best thing we could do to tackle the raft of problems we are facing (climate change, dropping productivity, deteriorating infrastructure, worsening law and order, etc) would be to join Australia. Rex Beer, Manly.
On recession
Is a “technical” recession similar to a little bit pregnant? James Archibald, Birkenhead.
Unbelievable, he said he resigned but hasn’t? He has to be the most (Left) one-sided Race Commissioner NZ has had in recent memory and now we find out he has undeclared government business interests in social housing? This smells. Max R.
It will only take him 12 reminders before he does it. Kevin W.
The race relations commissioner just said in this article “law for one is law for all,” on the same day we hear the health ministry now has a race-based system on who gets priority for surgery. Oh, the irony. John G.
If Māori and Polynesian people had the same life expectancy then you might have a point but they don’t. They die on average 10 years earlier than Pākehā. And if waiting lists were law, you might also have a point, but they’re not. They’re based on need. Grayson R.
Meng Foon is a very talented man. He would be a great loss to democracy and equality if he did resign. Surely some way can be found to keep him on. Carol H.
What is going on here? Just more total dysfunction from a totally dysfunctioning country. Ross P.
