LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

A mother is appalled
I am absolutely disgusted with all the stories involving abusive deaths of babies and children.
As a mother of four who has had the devastating experience of having a beautiful little girl taken at 38 weeks' gestation (my fourth baby), that can only be described as "just one of those things", I am appalled at the horrible and unforgivable happenings that surround me.
As I celebrate my daughter's first birthday without her, my heart bleeds knowing that there are some absolute animals in this country who have been blessed with these precious gifts and have chosen to take a life that they did not deserve to have in the first place. (Abridged)
Ivana Heremaia
Napier
Tax blunderI
t is my opinion that Labour leader Phil Goff's capital gains tax on rental properties - which in all probability includes a capital gains tax on anything anyone sells at a profit, including the family home, and taxing more of the ones on high salaries - is nothing but a dead-brainer.
Silly me believed Labour stood for growth, such as new home buildings, and young people saving for their own home. People should be able to get ahead and to study and strive to get a higher-paid job, not be penalised by being further whacked over the head by paying heftier taxes.
The National Government's wiping out of depreciation on buildings only resulted in landlords putting their rents up for the ones who can least afford it. And lots more landlords decided to call it quits by dumping their rentals on the open market for sale. Can the politicians honestly be that thick and out of touch with reality that they have to wonder why there are so many people homeless and without jobs?
I believe so, because if they honestly wanted everyone to save they would not tax us on our savings.
David Bosley
Napier
Council blamed
I think that the exorbitant land lease increases the Hawke's Bay Regional Council is imposing is nothing short of legalised Mafia tactics.
Undoubtedly, they have the legal backing for such an action, but do not care what effect this has on the struggling people of Napier.
The Hawke's Bay Regional Council cannot even take responsibility for its actions, which is displayed through its advice for those struggling to pay the lease to go to Work and Income for additional help.
There is not a word, or words, in the English language that I can think of that can describe how I see the whole sad debacle, except utter disgust.
To me, there is nothing that shows the Hawke's Bay Regional Council is the slightest bit collectively human - rather they are a heartless, bureaucratic, revenue-collection machine.
The only difference between them and the Mafia is that they don't carry sub-machineguns.
Sandor Biczo
Napier