Our once prosperous middle class have either gone to Australia or have slid down to become part of our burgeoning poorer class reliant on poor wages or welfare payments. New Zealand needs a Government brave enough to change our economic focus and direction.
Forget asset sales, create assets in New Zealand-made, New Zealand-manufactured, New Zealand-grown, New Zealand-created products and commodities. Full employment equals a healthy economy and healthy society.
Marie Jefferis, Tauranga
Scones with that?
As an "oldie", come to live in Tauranga, could someone please tell me where you can get an old-fashioned morning or afternoon tea. I am referring to tea or coffee and a sandwich or a sausage roll or an asparagus roll, or even a pikelet.
It is lovely to join friends for a 'cuppa but I find huge muffins and scones too much for a snack.
Other folk I have talked to agree with me. Perhaps we should open a cafe called My Mother's Choice.
A Barker, Tauranga
New captain
The Rena grounding is the Government's fault. Why? Because the Government is the captain of New Zealand.
I have often wandered around the Port of Tauranga and wondered if they had adequate equipment for such a disaster on stand-by like a big powerful tug/oil tanker with all the specialised equipment on board for such an emergency.
Obviously no they did not. They had to empty a tanker in Marsden Point before they could even sail it down to Tauranga. I heard Mark Cairns say they have got insurance for loss of profits. That's typical. If you have 1300 ships a year in and out you would think they would have such a vessel.
But why I say this is the Government's fault: Why are there not rules and regulations making the different ports have these things? We get these ships into our waters with only a $12 million payout for liability and ships that are virtually tramp ships sail under foreign flags so the boys at the back can't be touched.
When will we even learn what sort of Governments we have had for the last 60 were not good captains - no better than the captain of the Rena.
Let's get people in to run the country for the people and not for profits.
We need a good captain.
Warwick Armstrong, Ohope
Fewer tui?
I was reading in the Bay of Plenty Times about fewer tui around this year (Letters, October 15, 20).
One writer lives at Te Puke and the other at Omokoroa. I live in Te Puke, there is a large kowhai tree in our neighbouring section. Last year there were that many tui on it that it was hard to keep count of them as they were moving about so much. There were at least 25 all at one time. This year the most I have on it at one time was five.
I am wondering if there is more feed in the bush this year so they are not venturing out so much, magpies will chase them away.
CH Moratti, Te Puke
Council gardens
Once again I would like to congratulate the council garden workers who have had the splendid beds of flowers all around the city and have recently replanted them for further display.
Also the management of all the parks, wetlands and boardwalks are a tremendous credit to the council planners and workers.
On a sour note, the advertising placards that have appeared at the Chapel St end of Takitimu Drive. Is this the thin edge of the wedge?
Does it mean that the bank all along Takitimu Drive to Elizabeth St could likewise be covered with advertising? I consider this a gross form of vandalism.
Rosmund Granger, Matua
Can improve
How refreshing with the rugby that all the teams are constantly looking for improvement and are not afraid to admit it. Regrettably the same cannot be said for politicians.
So we have Pike River, (no proper inspectors), the Christchurch quakes (with dissatisfied residents) the Psa outbreak (biosecurity downgrades?), the credit rating hiccup (couldn't possibly be our fault), and the Rena wreck (with an accountant in charge of Maritime New Zealand).
Be we are assured that there will be 170,000 new jobs coming up, we will catch up with Australia, and that the books will balance in due course.
On, and just trust us with a few more asset sales to help it all along. And there will be no more unpleasant surprises?
Our rugby team's colours were black and white and they won. Perhaps we should bear that in mind.
RM Guinness, Tauranga
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