Greg Cave wants to know who came up with the discount and penalty system on his rates bill from Auckland Council. File photo / Kelvin Teixeira
I have just received my rates bill for the year ending July 2020. It has gone up, of course, but I have been given the option of a .63 per cent discount if I pay the entire amount before the end of this month. This amounts to a
saving of $13.44. Even with the current low interest rates being offered by the banks, I am better off leaving the money in the bank. On the other hand, if I dare to be late with any payments, I face a 10 per cent penalty. I wonder who dreams this nonsense up.
Greg Cave, Sunnyvale.
The NRA remind us time and again that a good guy with a gun is better than a bad guy with a gun. What they forget to remind us of, and is being increasingly demonstrated in the US, is that a bad guy with a gun and a only a few minutes to wreak havoc and death to their victims, is considerably worse than the good guys who are called upon to "neutralise" those who choose to express their anger and frustrations ever more publically and lethally.
It's way past time the NRA and its adherents stopped sniffing the cordite and looked long and hard at what's going on in the land of the free and took appropriate action, starting with finally removing Charlton Heston's rifle from his cold, dead hands and the sentiment which gave rise to its being broadcast.
Jeremy Coleman, Hillpark.
I want to commend the Herald (August 6) on its leader regarding the demise of leadership standards at the top political level of one of our major allies.
Where lying, cheating, bullying and a total disrespect for civility and ethics prevail, there can be no leadership worth its salt. Whether in sports, teaching, health care, business or politics, locally or globally, non-compliance with minimum standards of ethics should be a disqualifying factor for leadership.
Frank Olsson, Freemans Bay.
People such as Phil Twyford, in particular, and others who may have expressed "quelle horreur" need to listen more carefully to what Simon Bridges says.
Case in point is what Bridges actually said during his statement about the light rail issue:
"I will run down Queen St or Dominion Rd with my underpants if they do that."
He certainly did not use the crucial word "in" - rather it was "with".
I am sure Bridges will keep his word and with his underpants safely in their usual position.
Colleen Wright, Botany Downs.
It makes you wonder why an inner-city private residence gets a permit to land helicopters (NZ Herald, August 5). Where would you draw the line, at two landing pads per suburb, at 10, at 20?
Maybe it is best to have the passengers land at a commercial heliport and ferry them to the residence by EV. Surely, the neighbourhood would be okay with that. It would also set an example, that one would give a damn about the present environmental issues, rather than this self-centred display of opulence.
René Blezer, Taupō.
What sense does it make (NZ Herald, August 5) to send thousands of dairy breeding stock to China? Are we going to hear dairy farmers crying about the Chinese market closing down for New Zealand milk products? Is this another kiwifruit disaster waiting to happen?
There must be something in the water that affects the brains of our so-called corporate leaders, they are masters of shooting themselves in the foot, always looking for the fast buck instead of planning the long-term future.
Sounds like the National Party.
Tom O'Toole, Taumarunui.
Your correspondent Bruce Elliot (NZ Herald, August 5) is quite right, Sonny Bill Williams is over-rated and past his use-by date. He was once a fairly good league player but has always been too slow as a midfield back for the All Blacks. Slow to accelerate, he stands flat on attack and is therefore easily tackled, relying on offloads which are seldom effective these days. Slow to turn, he often fails to nail his opposite. Slow to understand the rules of rugby, he is too often sin-binned or penalised for off-side. Surprisingly delicate, he is often injured or sick.
His generally mediocre performance fails to justify his enormous contract price while, I guess, his employers and sponsors continue to hope for a better return on investment. If he survives the cut, he will prove to be a weak link in the All Blacks backline and New Zealand will lose the Rugby World Cup.
Barry Nesdale, Bethlehem.
To the poor employer who had to cough up $16,000 for "unfair" dismissal: Start a Givealittle page. I'll be the first to contribute. You sacked your foulmouthed barista after fair warning to desist - she ignored the warning and continued. Sounds like a fair and square dismissal to me. I hope you get the 16k back and a more respectful employee.
Karl van de Water, Maungaturoto.
Pro choice proponents argue that as it's their body, that they have the supreme right to decide what goes, or what doesn't go, on inside it (NZ Herald, August 6). Here is the problem I have with that rationale.
Yes, you own the home, but as soon as you have someone residing there, you become a "landlord" with a tenant. As such, being the landlord, you have certain obligations to the tenant. The tenant has rights of occupation. Of course, as with any "relationship" between two or more parties, there are exemptions. No problem there, but to categorically state that you have sole rights on the outcome is too simplistic.
Tony Pope, New Plymouth.
When you accuse people who have an abortion of killing babies, you are accusing a quarter of New Zealand women of being murderers. You are accusing your friends, your family members, your workmates.
At 25 per cent of the female population, the reality is that all types of women have abortions, for all sorts of reasons. Often, we are married with complete families and don't want any further children. Or we want children in the future, but know that now is not the right time.
The reason the number is as low as it is, is not because of the moral fortitude of the remaining 75 per cent, but rather the effectiveness of contraception in preventing unwanted pregnancies. I've never had an abortion simply because I've been lucky enough not to need one.
Rather than loudly accusing a quarter of the women in the room of murder, how about directing your efforts at promoting contraception? You'll achieve your desired outcome of fewer abortions, without casually accusing 25 per cent of us of murder.
Julie Sandilands, Taupō
I wish to disagree with your gardening expert Louise Richardson, who writes an otherwise excellent gardening column (NZ Herald, August 5). She writes jasmine is "often - unfairly -regarded as a weed".
In a house we once owned, our neighbour planted jasmine on our mutual boundary fence as a hedge, it rapidly grew through the netting and under our concrete path coming out alongside the concrete foundation wall of the house - everywhere - even running around the front of the house spreading under our two strip concrete drive way. It was an absolute menace.
I think, in the end, I dug a trench just inside that fence and cut off all those underground runners. Those runners also ran right under our neighbour's house to the far side and came out of the ground there. Finally that jasmine was causing so many problems with its rampant growth, our neighbours decided to remove that hedge entirely. It still took some years to get rid of those runners.
Eric Strickett, Henderson.
On trains
Great to see the jewel thieves from St Lukes using public transport. Barry Wood, Cockle Bay
On guns
With more mass shootings in America now than he has McDonald's, Donald Trump has an opportunity before the next election to make a bold move to save American lives. Glenn Forsyth, Taupō.
Even with two mass shootings in the US in a day, President Trump won't tighten gun laws as he wants another US$38 million donation from the NRA for his next elections. Murray Hunter, Titirangi.
On Ihumātao
Confiscation of Māori land involved terrorism and vocal anti-terrorist Jacinda Arden should support the legitimate Māori protest at Ihumātao, as the world watches. Brian John Evans, Mt Eden.
The Ihumātao protest is a political football, manipulated and promoted by frustrated activists and ex-Māori Party members who were dumped at the last election. Rex Head, Papatoetoe.
On Panuku
I - along, I imagine, with most other Herald readers - was touched, nay, moved to tears, that Mike Mahoney stepped in with a helicopter to make Roger MacDonald feel wanted and loved. Bruce Rogan, Mangawhai.
On Warriors
I nominate Noeline Taurua as the best coach for the Warriors. Vicky Williamson, Bucklands Beach.
On Sir Brian
Like Sir Colin Meads' unstinting work for special needs children, Sir Brian Lochore did unstinting work for conservation, including as chairperson of the QEII Trust. This is a true measure of these outstanding New Zealanders. Bruce Tubb, Belmont.
"On arriving at the courthouse, they actually tried to sell the pig to its real owner."