The visitors really would come and may even stay rather than just look and drive on.
And don't think our council is averse to gambling. They are prepared to do it with ratepayers money.
I Hunter, Whangarei
Bugs for lunch
What will life on planet earth be like once the eco-fascist boffins from the United Nations finally rule? These totalitarian monsters are already calling the shots - under the guise of saving the planet from man's evil consumerism - and will come to dominate every aspect of your life. Right down to your diet.
In our new "Green Utopia", you won't be allowed meat any more. You'll invite your friends over for Sunday lunch - provided you get a "Gathering Permit" that is - and you'll offer them roasted crickets, huhu grubs, spiders and snails.
Insects are the way of the future; the current brain child of the "lets-depopulate-the-planet-ideologues" from UN and EU.
Don't be fooled. These grim reapers are dead serious, offering substantial sums of money to research the topic. Food for the millions! Let them eat bugs! At least Maria Antoinette had the decency to offer cake!
Who's going to bear the brunt of this eco-fascist attack on the Western diet/way of life? The farmer, and you!
Animal farming is killing the planet apparently, as is your desire to eat.
It takes less feed to produce protein through the life cycle of a bug than what it does with cattle. (Abridged)
Alastair Goodland
RiversideTrees felled
In 2006 we subdivided our land here in Whangaruru.
In accordance with a condition of the Resource Consent, we planted a lot of native trees, flax and other plants to mitigate the supposed potential environmental degradation that might occur on the subdivided portion as a result of the subdivision. We were also required to pay for the advice of a landscape gardener for this purpose.
All in all, it cost us in excess of $3000 to meet this condition.
We sold the subdivided section and it has recently (January 2013) again been sold.
Both of the new owners have cut down the trees and plants that we planted so that there are now only two or three trees left.
We understand that people value things differently but it makes us angry and frustrated to see that council required us to spend a considerable amount of money, time and effort to beautify the place but is evidently either powerless and/or unwilling to do anything to ensure that the new owners don't destroy it.
It is hard to believe that this is a situation that council does not encounter frequently and we are left wondering what benefit is gained by anyone other than keeping council planners and landscaping consultants needlessly employed and thereby adding significantly to the cost of housing. (Abridged)
John and Saskia Whitehead, Hikurangi
Sly asset theft
I thank Keith Hartley (8/5/13) for his effusive praise of Maire Kaire and myself, agreeing, many New Zealanders are poor and oppressed.
Perhaps Keith has shifted from the ethereal turf of Tory entitlement to realise that someone, something or some body are acting to suppress and subjugate people, to ensure the oppression of poverty?
Could this force be John Key and the National Government?
It's on record that John Key wanted to see wages drop - that's happening. Who gave $2 billion of tax cuts to the wealthiest, every year.
Those who, then purchased the stolen electricity generators of Mighty River Power, which were 100 per cent owned by every New Zealand Citizen. Now, 49 per cent is owned by 113,000 New Zealanders, who had a spare $8200.
The rest of us forked out $100-$300 million for this sly asset theft.
The children are hungry, rheumatic fever is rampant, houses are cold, damp and unhealthy.
Our common wealth has been transferred from the many to the few. National has overseen the destruction of 40,000 jobs in manufacturing. (Abridged)
Vivienne Shepherd, Onerahi
