Roundabout worries
I read with interest a recent text in your newspaper concerning poor vehicular visibility at the Stortford Lodge roundabout, due to the vegetation planted thereon.
Strangely enough, as long ago as early June this year, I wrote to our council expressing my concern as to the possibility of an accident occurring at roundabouts in Hastings.
Because of the excessive height of the vegetation on many of our local roundabouts, vehicle indicators are, often, impossible to see, therefore making it dangerous when deciding whether or not to proceed.
Mid June I received a letter advising that the appropriate people in the council had been advised of my concern.
So far, nothing else has happened.
It would be much safer and much cheaper to maintain if all our roundabouts were of the "oyster shell" type, (I think that is what they are called).
Alex Bracey, Hastings
Parent challenge
Yes, I agree with last week's letter re 'flawed National Standards' and that this is a timely wake-up call for all schools and parents!
According to John Hattie, a leading academic consulted on National Standards in New Zealand, "National Standards could be the most disastrous education policy ever formulated" (Woulfe, 2009).
National Standards were sold as an election promise as a way to solve a range of social and education issues. National Standards are supposed to fix the 'tail' of under achievement.
A small percentage of children under achieve for a number of reasons - things like poverty, hunger and abuse.
Results of a New Zealand study showed 1 in 5 children suffer hardship as a result of poverty.
Surely more resources are needed to address these vital issues than throwing money at a set of flawed standards already rejected worldwide for a good reason.
So here is a challenge to parents. Have you investigated National Standards? Do you know how these standards will affect your child?
Do you know your school's current stance on using the standards?
Do you know that your school board represents you?
Get informed and use your parent voice!
Make sure you are taking responsibility for your child's education!
Vicky Russell, Hawke's Bay
Don't go to Oz
Advice to those about to go live and work in Australia - don't go.
A report out this month states that about one quarter of Australians are living beyond their means half of these are living out of savings and half by increasing their debt.
There were 9700 made jobless in August.
The economy particularly retail is dreadful and only mining is flourishing. Well known stores like David Jones and Myers are in trouble.
Prime Minister Julia Gillard is also in trouble as she is out of favour with the public. New Zealand is not so bad but we do have 240,000 kids going hungry.
The grass isn't always greener on the other side.
Pete Carver, Havelock North
Trust election
It is time for the election of trustees of the HB Power Consumers' Trust.
The candidates' statements make interesting reading.
All but two of the candidates state that they are in favour of keeping the local consumers' trust ownership which makes voting so much easier.
One of the candidates goes even further stating that "Relinquishing control has some very attractive short term benefits, but in the longer term the purchaser must recover both the purchase price and the profits - a scenario that is not in the least attractive to the Bay."
Quite simple really and a hard lesson New Zealand has learned from asset sales in the past.
Why then are John Key and Bill English hell bent on repeating the same nonsense? How can it be attractive to New Zealand?
Which ever way you dress it up, selling the family silver is stupid; gaining a few dollars in the short term but losing an asset.
Gerrit Raichle, Havelock North
