The Bay of Plenty Times welcomes letters and comments from readers. Below you can read the letters we have published in our newspaper today.
TODAY'S LETTERS:
Te Zumba an excellent way to do exercise
Re: Zumba with a dash of Maori culture (News, October 12).
I go to Te Zumba and these three
people make an hour of exercise so much fun, there is lots of laughter and good spirit among those of us who go.
After the workout, you feel so calm and relaxed and really looking forward to the next class. Good on you all. Well done.
JAY O'BRIEN Tauranga
Positive promotion
Re: Zumba with a dash of Maori culture (News, October 12).
Kia ora koutou. What a fun positive and healthy way to promote Maori culture.
Mauri ora.
JENNY NOA Whangamata
Heading for trouble
It does seem now as though the new Act member of Parliament has uncovered and plugged a gap in the new Foreshore and Seabed Bill that might shed light on what Maori hope to gain from ownership of the foreshore and seabed, going by some Maori objecting to this new measure.
There is a better way for them to get justice financially, if this is what they seek.
What I see as necessary is some real justice in our historical marketplace actions that have led to the unjust economic deprivation of Maori and many others here and around the world. This unsustainable direction is leading the inhabitants of this planet into even more big trouble than is evident at present.
We are now misguided on two major fronts; the world's resources are not endless and, secondly, if we unthinkingly allow a system of monetary exchange that places all those at the lower end of the income scale to slowly but effectively be placed in an ever-increasing monetary stranglehold, we are either uninformed or mad.
We seem to be oblivious to the fact that there are many links to changing times and behaviour and not just one as is the current obsession with all the things that are going wrong, especially when people seek solace from their adversities with excess alcohol.
I often wonder are we secretly ashamed with how we have configured our economic behaviour and conveniently blame alcohol? (Abridged)
DL REID Tauranga
No downtown for me
I would like to apologise to all the downtown Tauranga shop owners for my decision to not shop in your part of town again.
Please don't take it personally, I am occasionally forgetful you see and I just cannot risk the consequences of my forgetfulness in downtown Tauranga.
You can thank the clever people at Tauranga City Council for chasing me away, in particular the ones who decided that forgetting to pay a $1 parking fee warrants being issued with a $40 infringement notice.
Well, I guess we can be sure at least one organisation is making money in downtown Tauranga.
MELISSA ATKINS Papamoa
Lucky election escape
Well. That election result certainly punctured my ego. Fifteenth out of 21.
My thanks to those who voted for me.
As I pondered the message that the voters have sent in returning the Pick 6 four, my thoughts were that their message was one that the ratepayers wanted - no expenditure beyond what was necessary to keep the place ticking over.
Okay, fair enough I thought. Perhaps Mayor Stuart Crosby and the boys can work with that.
But then Monday's BOP Times was delivered and once again life was a barrel of laughs as Councillor Guy put paid to any idea of working with the mayor, with his turkey comments.
I should thank my lucky stars that I won't have to work in this atmosphere for the next three years.
That's democracy for you.
JOYE ADAMS Mount Maunganui
Refs need to man up
Re: Bourkey bites the bullet and says sorry (Sport, October 13).
Colin Bourke may have been wrong to say what he did on air but the referees get it wrong so many times these days, even with all the technology that is available to them.
So you can understand why the players get so annoyed with the referees when they get it wrong.
These refs are supposed to be professionals, if they get it wrong at least take it on the chin when it is pointed out as Colin kindly did the other day on air.
If the refs can't handle the comments, go get a new job.
CRAIG LACY Tauranga
Voting system at fault
For years and years, I have been asked to vote in the local elections and, for years and years, I have not bothered because it is a waste of time and, besides, I don't know any of the people standing.
However, this year I knew three of the candidates standing, two local boys and one from a nearby hapu.
So I sent in my envelope on time and waited for the results only to find my vote alongside 7000 others didn't count because I ticked the box instead of putting in a number from 1 to 10.
Who invented this system?
Was it the same person as Dancing with the Stars or Homai Te Pakipaki?
What a waste for me and the boys we talked into standing.
Now we will never know the true outcome of who got what votes and now I am back to where I was before I voted for the first time.
A MOKURA Te Puna
Cafe will flout rules
Warren Banks, chairman of TCAL (Your View, October 11), that the Mount Hot Pools is to have a cafe for mothers supervising their children.
He is no doubt aware of signage and regulations stating that parents and guardians will be in active supervision of children at all times.
The staff say that this means within a stride or arm's length and I have seen parents reprimanded for relaxing in an adjacent pool 5m away.
How does a cafe fit with these requirements?
Waiters perhaps?
G FAULKNER Tauranga
Time to attack wasps
Now is the time to try and save our butterflies from the imported Asian wasps before they establish more nests.
Leave cans of fly spray around the garden and give them a short blast when they are out at the hottest time of the day - they don't attack.
Thousands have been killed on our property over recent years and it seems it is an ongoing battle.
J MILLS Maungatapu
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