She compares council's use of debt to fund such assets to a private person using debt for a world tour. Her reasoning here is faulty, as a world trip once over has gone forever, whereas the type of public assets she criticises will remain for future generations. A better comparison would be with a responsible couple who use debt wisely to accumulate property and other assets to pass on to their children and grandchildren.
She describes long term fixed community assets such as skate parks, bike tracks and sculptures as luxuries that should be shelved, yet in a letter of September 29 she praised the council for its plantings of tulips.
It happens that I agree with her on this, but it seems inconsistent for her to praise the planting of seasonal flowers, which provide only temporary decoration and pleasure, while condemning permanent art works and recreational facilities as luxuries.
KEITH GARRATT
Rotorua
The Rotorua District Residents and Ratepayers Group appear to me to already be in full campaign mode for the 2019 Local Body Elections. Their letter writers are hard at it getting the message across as to just how bad our current council is.
Recent letters from them suggest that a campaign slogan will be "Good Debt/Bad Debt", though some of their writers do seem to be getting confused, introducing into the argument factors such as house prices and credit cards rather than concentrating on just where the debt is, and what has its effect been on our economy.
The broad brush approach of the effectiveness of our debt, would be to look at the GDP for the Rotorua District.
The latest quarter report from Infometrics has our GDP growing by 2.9 per cent compared to the previous year. We outstripped NZ which grew by 2.5 per cent. Our annual GDP has now climbed to some $2786 million, not a bad result I would suggest for a town that some members of the RDRR are suggesting is not suitable for their children to live in.
Rather, could I suggest that what they deem bad debt such as investment in art on our streets as highlighted by the recent opinion piece in the Daily Post, encourages people to live and work here, thus making our GDP grow.
JOHN PAKES
Ngongotaha
We hear from our Government about child poverty levels in New Zealand, but nothing about pensioner poverty? Pensioners are the 'forgotten generation' who have worked all their lives, paid taxes, brought up kids, clothed and fed them and now find they themselves are living in poverty.
Child poverty has nothing to do with the kids, it is their parents that need educating. They need to take responsibility and not play the system by asking someone else to feed and clothe their children. Yes, there are those who are genuine cases and it is they who deserve all the help and assistance they can get.
The minimum wage, on a 40hr week, in New Zealand is $15.75/hr or $630 gross per week but a single pensioner is supposed to live on $9.75/hr or $390.20 gross before tax.
Living and food costs are the same for pensioners as everyone else, but the pensioner is forced to live on $240 a week less – why?
Pensioners deserve more than just to exist, they deserve a 'living wage' to be able to enjoy life without worrying how they are going to pay their bills.
No doubt this will not suit the millennials who believe seniors had it easy and that they are now having to pay for them but 'News Flash' who paid to bring the millennials up? They too will grow old and who will be paying for them – the next generation!
There are over 700,000 pensioners in New Zealand, many living in poverty, so the question must be asked - what is our Government going to do for them?
PAUL REA
Chairman, New Zealand Seniors Party
