The Bay of Plenty Times welcomes letters and comments from readers. Here you can read the letters we have published in your newspaper today.
MPs must be tough on booze
Alcohol kills 20 New Zealanders a week. Yet because there's big money involved, sensible law changes are being dismissed by MPs such as Simon Bridges.
Tauranga's MP could have changed everything if he'd insisted on a proper delivery of his Select Committee's report back to Parliament.
Unfortunately, he opted for repeating the same tired old excuses used by both big tobacco and alcohol to defend the indefensible.
I guess this is what happens when MPs put their internal party career ahead of their community.
Barbara Cook, Tauranga
Good decision
The Tauranga Historical Society congratulates the Tauranga Moana Museum Trust on reaching a decision on the site for the proposed museum.
The Historical Society promoted the establishment of a Tauranga Museum in 1969 and was disappointed that a new museum did not follow on from the disestablishment of the Historic Village collection.
One of the objects of the society is to encourage the establishment of the museum and it is hoped that the project can now move on to the next stage. The council needs to keep to its commitment to providing the resource consents so that the Trust can begin its search for funding. To be seriously regarded as New Zealand's fifth city Tauranga needs to be seen to be supporting cultural facilities as well as sporting venues.
Shirley Arabin, President, Tauranga Historical Society
Choir shunned
I cannot believe what I have just read in your paper. These choir members have given up many hours of their time to learn the words of all 20 national anthems and have sung them beautifully.
The anthems should be sung and played with respect and pride and so far the NZCF have done just that. To deny the choir members tickets to the match that they have just performed at and then to have them chaperoned from the park immediately is a kick up the backside.
I would not blame the choir if they withdrew their services. I know they will not do this as they are decent people and proud of what they are doing. They should be praised and respected instead of being treated like interlopers or gate crashers. God defend New Zealand against those with no heart. Add that to our anthem.
Gordon Bruce, Hairini
Texts
* what is wrong with mt people afraid of progress. If we dont upgrad hot pools we will continue to lose tourists and their money to rotorua
* dont blame the town planner working for tcal for the failure of the project. having a lawyer represent tcal at the hearing would hav made no difference
* its obvious most peop were agai hot pools upgr and museum so why did coun spend the money. What a hopeles bunch. Should hve done a txt email @ ph ref.
* Scrap the mt hot pools! Its a big money pit and they wernt anythng special!
* Hotpools need 2 get bak 2 being the ideal AFFORDABLE family outing 4 locals rather than moving it even more out of family budget.
* Sick of supermarkets selling bagged lettuce that is manky. Takes ages to find a good bag.
Website
Hot pools ruling could cost ratepayers
* Hello, anybody home? The aquatics network is 100 per cent community owned, and there is no 100 per cent user pays policy attached to this activity, being reserved for luxuries like drinking water.
* You can put the losses, the profits, income and expenditure in regards the hot pools (any TCC aquatics activity) into any column, give it any name you like - but it all comes back to one truth, being, the ratepayer is liable for any debt.
Bay schools in Cup worry
* Dave Randell, principal of Otumoetai College, your comments are akin to the funny one about daylight savings, fading the curtains faster. The year is the same length, as a leader needed to change some pre-formed ideas and get the students to study, not whinge about the change in timetable.
* The coming generations will be often subject to change, so get with it and do the best you can for the next generations, and use the time you have positively.
Bobby's Bar closed for 7 days
* After working in bars in Tauranga and drinking in Tauranga then moving to Australia and working in bars here I have noticed a big difference. Sure you still get the drunk troublemakers but not as much. They have very tight regulations on the alcohol.
* The problem is the drinking age as well. There are far too many drunken disorderly people out on the streets and majority of them are between 18-28 of age, even younger.
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Freedom campers who continue to defy an order to move on will be slapped with a $200 instant fine. What do you think?
* They should maybe focus a little more on trying to attract people to the area over the world cup to encourage new business and bring in $$$ to the area rather than worrying about small issues ... even though realistically, it's a little too late from the council to do what is/was required for our town.
* The bylaw applies to all roadside overnighters. Frankly, a sledgehammer to crack a nut in our region, confirmed by staff who have only very rare instances of defiance.
* What use is a bylaw if it isn't enforced ... About time someone grew some balls.
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