A little trust, WDHB and other funders. Some more unconditional giving would be in order too, particularly as many in roles in such agencies are passionate about what they do and, for many, giving their own time, without monetary reward, is almost standard.
If you are serious about "value for dollar" it would serve everyone to lay off a little.
There may come a day when consumers' presence is noted (for statistical purposes) and that is all that happens, so red-taped may it all become -- we're headed there.
I am a consumer and no one has breached confidentiality. I know this from my own experience working in voluntary or partially funded agencies.
And if there is concern about the money being well spent, come in, maybe, and get your hands dirty.
You'll save a lot in wasted time and expense and witness for yourselves the passion that drives these people and the good work done and maybe, just maybe, you'll learn something for yourselves.
Paul Baber Whanganui
Reading helps
It is always nice to hear that someone has read your letter in the paper. It is rather disappointing when someone replies to your letter apparently without reading it.
That is the impression given by John Archer's reply to my letter asking for a single columnist in the Chronicle to give us a balanced reporting of international news.
My like or dislike of US President Donald Trump or his policies is completely beside the point. Mr Archer's claimed inability to think of a single thing good about Trump or his actions, however, proves the point that I was making, a bit of balanced reporting would fill his list really quickly.
Mr Archer claims that I "disapprove" of mainstream journalists "who merely report the facts". No, that is what I am asking for, journalists who actually report the facts rather than present their own partisan views.
There used to be a lot of them, and we should support the ones who still place journalistic integrity ahead of their own political views, personal feelings or the pursuit of ratings -- journalists like the one who put together a very strong story about Harvey Weinstein and his abusive behaviour for NBC news, the story NBC killed but was later broken elsewhere.
Mr Archer's letter finishes by referring to the "billionaires" who "finangled" Trump into the White House. If Mr Archer was getting the facts in his news he would know that the majority of billionaires and wealthy elites in the US supported Hillary Clinton and the Democrat Party.
K A Benfell Gonville
West not at fault
I want to respond to John Archer's ramble and sweeping statements about rapes and massacres involving the west in China and invasion of North Korea.
He stated that "China would support North Korea if it was being invaded".
Since China was involved in fighting our troops that belonged to the UN force supporting South Korea during the Korean War it must be assumed he believes we invaded North Korea, which is false and insulting to our forces that fought there.
And in his statement regarding "the West raping and murdering Chinese" I know the West is far from perfect but the people responsible for the most killings and deaths in China are the Chinese themselves.
The West freed China from Japanese occupation and enabled them to become a rich country (investment empowering them to be the world factory).
If anything China should be thanking the West. I know we are not perfect, but generally we try to bring freedom and human rights to the world, unlike China where they rule by fear and the gun.
Michael Patterson Gonville
Predicting nature
David Hughes says climate change is the next big thing facing us as though we can do anything about it. It will do what it does of its own free will as it has always done for four billion years.
These scaremongers who get their kicks from trying to scare people have been wrong so often it's a joke people still listen to them.
In the 60s and 70s it was 4 degrees colder and out of fossil fuel by the year 2k, egg on face, then warming 2 degrees warmer and tipping point, that didn't happen so it was climate change, that's got it covered, now the temperature has flatlined for 20yrs, it's a pause, they have pushed the predictions out to 100 years to save the egg face, they have been making failed predictions since the 60s that I remember, a long time, yet they still believe.
It has become a religion, a home for believers, so they will soon be calling for virgins to volunteer for sacrifice: anyone got daughters to spare to save the planet? They will think this stupid, what do we think of them, deluded.
G R Scown Whanganui
Not according to the Ministry for the Environment and Statistics New Zealand's latest report, which finds New Zealand is experiencing the impacts of excess greenhouse gas emissions in our atmosphere and oceans, as does other science-based evidence. -- Editor.
