Letters: Beggars unacceptable in NZ

Begging in New Zealand is unacceptable, a letter writer says. Photo/Getty Images

Letters to the editor, November 3

Beggars unacceptable in NZ

Sonya Bateson is a more generous and less questioning soul than me (Editorial, November 27). There is a distinction between genuine homeless people and beggars.
For some time it has been clear around the country, as well as here in Tauranga, that there are organised groups cynically exploiting public goodwill by coming into urban areas specifically to beg. Clearly, it is usually very lucrative or they wouldn't bother.

It is a huge problem overseas and common across America to see "beggars" with cynical signs like, "Why lie?- need weed" or "I need $18 for the bus fare to get to my grandma's funeral", demonstrating their real motivation - easy money earned by someone else. We should do all we can to address the multiple needs of genuine homeless people in NZ but neither homeless people living on city streets nor begging are acceptable in this country and we should ban both.
Fiona McAllister Mount Maunganui

No Maori wards

I am against Maori seats as of right, this is not democracy. I believe in one man one vote, I will go as far to say scrap the Treaty. We are one New Zealand.
Ken Whittle Papamoa

Keep your progress

I moved from the UK 15 years ago to start a new life in Papamoa. The weather, beaches, overall lifestyle appealed to us as we started a family. It was also quiet and you could easily get from one place to another without traffic jams, which is one of the reasons I hated the UK so much. We are a family of five and all my kids go to Mount schools and have loved living here.

But the past few years have been a nightmare. My journey time in the mornings is now something that I dread, Oceanbeach Rd is now horrendous, with traffic moving at a snail's pace, traffic continually clogged up on the flyover at one end of Hewletts Rd, Hewletts Rd itself is just a no-go area, summertime at the Mount will not be a pleasant one because there will be lack of car parks. I could continue with names of roads but there are too many to list.

So who is to blame for this? The council is to blame for allowing too many new homes to be built, for every new home built how many cars? Two cars per new home at the very least? You don't have to be a rocket scientist to work out where the problem lies. When my kids have left school I can't wait to leave the area for a quieter life again. If this is progress you can keep it!
Rob Clark Papamoa