Letters to the Editor
A powerful legacy
I just want to congratulate The Informer on the article about The Treasury (front page Issue 1065). As soon as I saw the photo of the building, I thought this is the Carnegie building. It should be the main heading of the article because Andrew Carnegie gave us more than a building.
That man donated approximately 2500 of these beautiful buildings out of his own pocket. Sure, he could afford it but hardly anyone who can afford it gives 90% of their fortune to worthy society causes. These beautiful buildings were not cheap. They are grateful in design and still look graceful, over a hundred years later. When you see them and you read about it again, you feel so inspired that all those years ago, a person who had been challenged as we all are, to achieve his dreams, could reach a decision, that he should give back in this way, not only to his own country but to a world community. What he saw as the essence, the thread of life for generations to come through written knowledge of a library, he made possible for millions of people.
Alan Hopping
Whitianga
Chuck was right!
In a recent issue if the Informer there was a very good article by Chuck Edwards a long-time resident of Wharekaho Beach regarding the council’s policy of sand push ups and how it is disturbing the settled sand between the high and low water marks.
The attached photos are proof that that is exactly what has happened in front of our property.
If TCDC want to persist in creating a Sand dune where one has never existed (at least in the last 70 Years or more) then they should barge the sand in from off shore where it has all landed up.
Norman Hawes
Simpsons Beach
Commenting on many letters
Dear Editors:
Page 21 this week (24 July) has filled me with joy! Neville Cameron hit one nail right on the head and Leighton Duerre wrote a letter which is almost exactly what I have contemplated writing for some years! He didn’t cover one point, though, which follows on from the long wait times on the phone. If/when one eventually gets through after dialling an 0800 number (which is surely a NZ number?) one is inevitably confronted by a voice with very strong non-NZ accents (to put it in the most PC manner I can think of) spouting gibberish at a high rate of knots often with lots of other voices in the background. A month or two ago I had occasion to phone a very large company’s help line about an incorrect direct debit charge. After at least two abandoned attempts because of wait times of over 20 minutes, I eventually got a person to talk to and after 37 minutes of struggling to get my message understood, I asked “where are you?”. Answer “in the Philippines”. Today as ever was, I needed to talk to a very prominent NZ insurance company in order to change my car insurance policy. Same story – though I did get a person on the second attempt – and this time it took 54 minutes to change my policy from one car to another with all the basic terms and conditions being the same for the old and new policies. Reason? The ‘agent’ was in Manila, and however hard I strained, I just could not understand the questions being put to me because of the poor diction – and background clatter!
By the way, Leighton – I believe the long wait times are also due to the new practice of persons “working from home” and such persons may well have more interesting things to do than answer your call. Covid is still being used as an excuse for so many inefficiencies even though the organisations involved have had at least three years to make arrangements to deal with it. A few months ago, it took 8 weeks for a very small package to be delivered to me by courier from Auckland – same excuse!
I’d also like to very strongly second Erica Sacault’s sentiments!. That other ‘local’ publication is nothing more than an advertising rag for real estate and used vehicles – it goes straight into the wheely bin!
Regards
David Pitham
Tuateawa
Much abandon Mr Veysey
The local patron of quack nefarious knowledge John Veysey finally got his come-uppance from a real scientist, Kevin Pringle.
For many years Mr Veysey has been like Buzz Lightyear, the plastic toy who believed he could travel to ‘infinity and beyond’, while bravely destroying bad-ass aliens with random abandon.
Tragic is most certainly the word for that.
Yours faithfully
Dal Minogue
Whitianga
Dangerous driver
I was cycling from Kuaotunu to Cemetery Rd (wearing a long-sleeved bright lime green jacket) when I heard a vehicle behind me. I was entering a corner (just before Pumpkin Flat) and a large truck was approaching. I signalled for the driver behind me to NOT overtake. I was well to the left but it was a tight corner. Visibility was excellent as the sun was shining. The driver ignored my signal. They overtook so close to me that their trailer hit my hand and broke my RH brake. The vehicle was a black or charcoal ute and the small trailer was carrying what appeared to be a piece of machinery. The time of this encounter was 12.25pm on Wednesday, 26 July.
Eliza Reed
Kuaotunu
Apartheid and equality
Dear Editor,
Is NZ losing its democracy to racism? We are apparently against apartheid in the past and yet here is our government attempting to pander to a racist group by removing a democratic strength, i.e., Equality and referenda, it is that the majority public can not have a voice because an ethnic group would not like the result?
Racism is promoted by specific vocabulary such as “our people” and tribal labels. This splits our nation into racial groups by skin colour and / or ancestor ship.
When the Waikato Regional Council installed two seats to represent certain people, that allowed an undemocratic action to cause decision making without representation. (tea)
Have the parliamentary Māori seats as an anachronism ever been useful in our time other than bargaining chip by the major parties? Our elected leaders need to get some backbone and remove them. Then we will all be equal.
Hate speech is not defined clearly so the late public meeting protestors are using disruptive behaviour to remove (drown out) democratic free speech
Sincerely
Peter H Wood
Whitianga