The Bay of Plenty Times welcomes letters and comments from readers. Here you can read the letters we have published in your newspaper today.
Discretion is what we really need
Having a high IQ doesn't provide immunity from making mistakes.
Graeme Purches' suggestion that police officers are qualified to do an IQ test on drivers on the roadside as a "simple answer" is ludicrous, as is the suggestion it would be a good idea to let the police be judge and jury on the roadside and confiscate licences and vehicles because a driver may be a little "brain-slow".
Open the anarchy door.
A simpler answer, re-introduce (police) discretion.
Book hard those drivers who do not use discretion to change their driving to suit the conditions.
The law may "allow" drivers to drive at 100km/h in conditions such as you stated, and for that there is no court in the land which would back up a "speeding" ticket for doing 80km/h, but change that ticket to one of "careless" or "dangerous" driving - discretion can work.
However, balance that by providing police discretion to stop them writing tickets to drivers doing a temporary bit over the limit on perfectly straight stretches of road with few or no side roads.
Drive to the levels of those with lesser driving abilities or experience than what we consider we have, otherwise become that "nut holding the wheel".
Michael Donovan, Tauranga
Organic vines
In your article on Psa biosecurity (May 17), Barry O'Neill advocates a national pest management strategy that would ensure that growers undertake a strict spray regime to control the spread of Psa.
This regime currently involves application of a number of copper, antibiotic, systemic, and other sprays in addition to those already used on conventional orchards.
And yet, no one involved in Psa research or control seems prepared to recognise the statistic that shows organic vines to have been far more resistant to Psa infection than conventional, agri-chemically grown vines.
Around 42 per cent of conventional orchards have been affected with Psa compared with 21 per cent organic, with most of the latter showing only leaf spotting.
This suggests organic growing methods to be a far more effective tool in the battle against Psa than the chemical sprays, which have been relatively ineffective in halting its spread during the past year, while adding great financial cost to the grower and much greater levels of chemical spray to the vines and the environment.
Why is it that those in positions of authority within Zespri and KVH will not acknowledge the clear protective benefits of organic methods, and direct all growers to become organic, rather than to apply an even greater number of harmful and unproven agri-chemicals in the quest to control Psa?
Like humans and bees, strong, healthy, well-nourished vines resist disease, and yet Zespri continues to advocate the use of chemical fertilisers, sprays, and "growing" practices (eg trunk girdling) that force higher yields and therefore weaken the plants. Is it really a bacterium, or just ignorance, that is crippling the kiwifruit industry?
Jane Cook, Tauranga