Many Baby Boomers worked hard and made tough life choices to enjoy where they have got to now. Photo / 123rf, File
Boom time
Many today call the Baby Boomer generation wealthy and lucky, with little understanding of the struggle to raise a large family, repay a mortgage and basically live in survival mode. This same generation made sure also that however little they had, something was always “saved for a rainy day”. This generation learnt from history that experiences and luck had very little to do with obtaining and keeping a home. They also, as a result, retained the spirit of community. Today’s generation of instant gratification, lower educational standards, lower achievers and ambitions, transients, non-savers but with high expectations, government reliant, etc are now paying the high price of, in the words of Mr Micawber (”Great Expectations” - Charles Dickens), “spend more than you earn equals debt and misery, spend even a little less than you earn equals savings and peace of mind”. Only home ownership for the majority, self-sufficiency, personal ambition, and the ability to “temporarily go without” will reverse crime, health issues, educational gaps, violence, abuse, mental health, and climate change within “Godzone”. Marie Kaire, Whangārei.
Bank rolls
It is hardly surprising that ANZ has notched up another record profit for the year. If I lend the bank a million dollars for a year they will pay me $43,000 interest. If I borrow a million dollars for a year they charge me $59,900 interest. Their profit margin is $16,900. The gap between what the bank pays depositors and what it charges borrowers needs to decrease. J P Kania, Long Bay.
Locked funds
Further to your article in the Business section (NZ Herald, October 27) on retirement villages, we had exactly the same problem with my mother. She paid approximately $550,000 for her villa 13 years ago. After 10 years, she moved into a serviced apartment for a year. In that time, her villa sold twice for in excess of $1,000,000 each time. When mum finally left the village for private hospital care we had to wait 15 months for her money. Christine Tate, Eastern Beach.
Stop thief
People are demanding something be done about the ram raids occurring around the country. This is a problem for the police, however, the Government could make it compulsory for vehicles to be equipped with an immobiliser. Most of these raids are using stolen vehicles, where ignitions have been compromised because they do not have an immobiliser It could be made a condition for a warrant of fitness. Used vehicles are still being imported without this protection. Insurance companies could also have a surcharge of, say, $2000.00 if a vehicle stolen is unprotected. Locksmiths around the country are busy fixing ignitions that have been attacked because these youths are still working out which vehicles can be stolen by this method. Donald Wilson, Kaeo.
Country air
The fresh air Finn Ross (NZ Herald, October 21) breathed into his reasoned, researched debate clearly identifies the rhetoric that deepens our country’s divide. Finn is an excellent voice to encourage the young to vote. Let’s lower the voting age. The clear-sightedness of today’s youth is paramount to their future. Mary Elsmore-Neilson, Onetangi.
Keep working
A friend of mine works in retail for a national outdoors sports business that promotes itself as supporting family outdoor activity. At a meeting to enable employees to “reach out”, they were informed that all leave apart from statutory holidays will be suspended from Black Friday on November 25 until the end of January. When he pointed out that this was not family-friendly, he was thanked for “reaching out” but the company directive remained. Corporate profit triumphs over employees’ welfare yet again. This is unlikely to be an isolated incident. Good old market forces looking after “us” since 1991. The Fair Pay Act is 30 years overdue for New Zealand workers and yet National pledges to repeal it. Roger Laybourn, Hamilton.
Heal thyself
People who are complaining about our health system should be asking themselves if they are doing all they can to improve their own health and the health of their family and friends. Do you smoke cigarettes? Do you eat junk food more than once a week? Do you drink too much alcohol? Do you have an exercise programme? How is your vegetable garden going? If we all did these simple things that we all know how to do, the health system would have about 50 per cent spare capacity. Cancer, heart disease and diabetes would be cut in half. Doctors and nurses could work normal hours and have plenty of downtime. Health Minister Andrew Little could get a good night’s sleep for once. Come on Kiwis. It is time to start taking responsibility and reform our own health. That simple advice also goes for many of our MPs and other community leaders. John Caldwell, Howick.
Under promoted
On Thursday and Friday, October 27 and 28, Medecins Sans Frontieres (Doctors Without Borders) had an exhibition of tragic but uplifting photos on Level 5, at the Aotea Centre. This selfless worthy charity wasn’t allowed to advertise the event with a banner or sign outside in the square. Hopefully new Mayor Brown will sort out mindless bureaucracy like this in the future. Dave Spiers, Henderson.
Fearful footfalls
I have just returned from spending six weeks walking around some European cities in the UK, France and Spain, and only on two occasions did I see an eScooter on the footpath. On my return I’m back in central Auckland dodging speeding riders (eScooters, bikes, skateboards) on the footpaths. I complained to Waka Kotahi who said “you can contact your local police to submit a complaint about a specific incident”. The only way to do this will be if I resort to having a body camera as these pests would be long gone before I managed to pick myself up off the pavement. Viv Allen, Freemans Bay.
Illegal protests
National Party’s transport spokesman Simeon Brown needs to talk to his boss Christopher Luxon and mate David Seymour (Act) to decide when a protest is approachable without looking hypocritical. He made a gleeful point of order over rail protesters holding up traffic stating: “I don’t think it’s appropriate we listen to them while they are breaking the law.” His boss and their bedfellows however, had previously waded into a mob of misinformed protesters for a chat as they stood outside Parliament blocking traffic and pedestrian movement for two weeks. These protesters, full of misinformation gained online, were standing against the Labour Government’s regulations put in place to save as many lives as they could. Hopefully, we noted the misjudged approach by Luxon and Seymour as nothing but vote-gathering at the expense of our health and the move by the excitable Brown as sanctimoniously similar. Emma Mackintosh, Birkenhead.
Social disruptors
An excellent column from Jarrod Gilbert (NZ Herald, October 31) this week. I find it deeply ironic that the only two serious attempts to address intergenerational disadvantage in recent times, Bill English’s social investment model and David Seymour’s partnership schools, were among the first initiatives to be scuppered by the incoming Labour Government. Since then, kind words have replaced deeds and the results of their failure are all around us. Malcolm Pollock, Mt Eden.
On satellites
We landed a man on the moon in 1969 but, when it rains, my Sky TV goes on the blink in 2022. Tim Vince, Herne Bay.
On ABs
An inexperienced Brave Blossoms team looked well coached against an All Blacks team that looked disorganised and unable to deal with pressure. Neil Hatfull, Warkworth.
On Reserve Bank
Excluding any economist with current academic monetary policy research expertise from the Reserve Bank’s monetary committee (Herald 28 October) is akin to excluding surgeons from the operating theatre. You couldn’t make this up. Glennys Adams, Oneroa.
On influence
Let’s hope the so-called “influencers” did something positive by influencing other New Zealanders to listen to the Government and give Iran a wide berth? Arthur Amis, Red Beach.
On speech
The proposed anti-hate speech laws are not fair as they are discriminatory against misanthropes. Bruce Robertson, Westmere.
On birds
Stop press. A bird has won the Bird Of The Year title. Congratulations to pīwauwau - the NZ rock wren. A worthy winner. Renton Brown, Pukekohe.
Simon Wilson: Why Wayne Brown is writing angry letters
Boy! Wayne Brown really got to Simon Wilson. Geoff P.
Simon needs to realise that Wayne Brown won a resounding election victory. He is going to restructure Auckland Transport and stop them from annoying Aucklanders. How are these writers going to react when Labour loses next year? Ian U.
I think the power has gone to Wayne Brown’s head. Are mayors really responsible for telecommunication black spots now? Time will tell if his approach will gain anything of substance. Gemma L.
I think Wayne Brown has hit the ground running and I too would be angry after the neglect of the previous mayor. Andrew M.
What we really needed. An angry man who thinks he has power well beyond his one-vote position. All bluster, no plan. Bring on the Commissioner. Stephen D.
Angry letters, or aspirational and accountable? Geoff N.
Protesters tore flags, including those representing Islam and the UN.