The Bay of Plenty Times welcomes letters and comments from readers. Below you can read the letters we have published in your newspaper today.
Today's Letters:
Arrogant disregard for small business
Re: Pyes Pa shop (News, February 15). I am disgusted beyond belief to read that our council has anything to do with the plight
of this wee shop.
I travel past this shop most nights as part of my job, I have often wondered how it could survive with roadworks like those surrounding it. Arrogant disregard for the small business owner is my only thought.
As the roadworks are on schedule, maybe the council can find a few dollars to help foot the bankruptcy that they have jointly forced on to this poor soul. It is time that we started holding each councillor accountable for actions such as these. They are there only by vote.
Von Moore, Te Puna
WOF for drivers
I have heard and I find it plausible that our driving is an extension of our personal habits and traits.
If you are a calm, understanding person, that is how you will drive your car. Conversely, if you become easily agitated or fly off the handle or don't have much patience, that will reflect on your driving habits. Driving is an extension of our personality.
If this is, indeed, the case then obviously there is absolutely nothing that can be done to alter driving trends and habits and the same-old, same-old will continue to happen.
However, I've often wondered why we as drivers are not required to be tested for our driving knowledge and skills and then we could be picked up on any bad habits we may have developed over many years of driving.
Our cars are subjected to six-monthly warrants of fitness, for safety reasons, why not the driver, maybe every five years? Has anybody else got thoughts on this, re-testing drivers?
James Marx, Papamoa
BMW outrage
Re: Government's BMW buy slammed (News, February 16).
Outrageous is absolutely right. The Labour Party were given an option of replacing the cars after three years, that does not mean the Government was forced to take it.
Margaret Hills, Bethlehem
Laws is right
Michael Laws is not "attacking disabled people" as you say (Our View, February 4).
He's merely saying that disabled sportspeople should not be recognised for awards alongside able-bodied sportspeople (unless, of course, they are competing and win at that level).
That's not to say they should not be recognised (at their level of competition).
Laws may be provocative in what he says but he is correct in this instance.
I've watched runners at the Paralympics catapulting themselves down the track on flexible legs. They almost match the world record for the distance held by an able-bodied man.
Fit flexible legs to an able-bodied man and watch records shatter.
Blind men don't win the Moto-GP/Formula 1.
Players with no arms don't win Wimbledon.
It would be an exceptional disabled athlete to out-perform an able-bodied athlete at the highest level.
Neroli Fairhall and Sir Murray Halberg are outstanding examples.
I believe the Halberg Awards should recognise the very best sportspeople we have in the country, the creme de la creme, the elite.
If that includes a disabled person who has competed, unassisted by technology, and won at the same level, that's great.
Pete Kelly, Te Puna
Text Views:
Text Views* The mainstream r now ofended at laws inaccurate generalisations perhaps people mite now like 2 put those he has made re "maori" in the bin where they belong too
* Wer long time locals r regular users of the mt, we would welcome the chance to help to reopen the tracks. Please ask tcc what specific opportunties r there for extra resouces to be used?
* Everyone knows Michael Laws has a big mouth and loves to run it off every chance he gets. To fact that he be-littles even our Paralympic athletes, just goes to show he has no morals what so ever. It could be that he has tried to be athletic himself only to discover he has absolutely no athletic ability. No wonder he's a little upset that our Paralympic athletes can achieve more with their disabilities than he can being able bodied. Give credit where credits due Michael Laws. No one likes a Big Mouth
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