Letters to the editor: Pale, stale male is snide terminology

A reader is not a fan of the "pale, stale male" term. Photo / File

Pale, stale male

It is a bit sad that Tommy Wilson, who did seem, at one time, to be more objective than some, has now reverted to the snide terminology that is so popular with the infallible left.
He, being a competent researcher, might have noticed that the entire infrastructure that we enjoy today was put in place by none other than that same "pale, male and stale" demographic that he describes - nobody else.
Graham Steenson
Whakatane

Rights, not racism

Richard Prince (Letters, April 14) quotes five examples of what he calls racism by Maori. But there is no claim by Maori that they are racially superior, so this is not racism. Having separate arrangements for Maori is their legal right, not racism. We are now, by law, a bicultural nation. Maori have the right to maintain their own identity. The requirement for academics to respect Maori culture is not racism. It simply requires academics to not ignore Maori culture. Tangata whenua are not muscling the Tauranga City Council over museum sites. They are simply presenting their valid opinion as Treaty partners. Maori electoral wards are not racist separatism because Maori wards include, not exclude, Maori councillors which is actually the opposite of separatism. The Treaty of Waitangi granted Maori more than equality of citizenship. It granted Maori protection of their just rights and property, so it is Treaty justice, not racist privilege, for Maori to have their seashore rights and property protected.
Peter Dey
Welcome Bay

Reality check

Ill-informed councillor Mason (News, April 7) speculates Tauranga is missing eight big-ticket items, namely performing arts/conference centre, international hotel, waterfront feature, Olympic pool, museum, thriving CBD, outdoor stadium, and he bleats that Tauranga City, with only 130,000 residents, is a poor cousin to the likes of Hamilton, Rotorua Palmerston North, Whangarei and New Plymouth. Well, you can kiss goodbye to $500 million on those luxuries. In my view, at least four on Cr Mason's wish list were screwed up by Tauranga City Council anyway. From Cr Mason's position of privilege and having regard to from whence he came, he certainly needs a reality check and to put his (not ratepayers') money where his mouth is, along with a guarantee to meet all future opex costs. Let's see what he thinks then. One thing Tauranga certainly has a surplus of, in my opinion, is 11 inane big-spending elected members who could do citizens a favour by resigning en masse. Politicians who promote 40 per cent rate rises and skyrocketing debt should pull their heads in and address the train crash disasters. Cr Bill Grainger is again talking about Welcome Bay supermarkets although in my view he has gone strangely quiet on four-laning Turret Rd and Hairini Bridge.
S Paterson
Ohauiti

Classy performance

Wow! Catch Me If You Can - another classy performance from Tauranga Musical Theatre. I had been wondering how the popular film would be made into a musical but from the first song you forgot about the movie as the wonderful singing and dancing took you along for the ride. The male leads were quite mesmerising and the sets cleverly constructed. As always the whole cast look as if they are having so much fun and it creates a wonderful vibe for the audience. Highly recommended, catch it if you can.
Teresa Emmerson
Tauriko