Letter of the week: Mary Hearn, Glendowie
"Why Trump won't be indicted" (Weekend Herald, June 18), reveals the extent of America's polarisation and that guilt and justice aren't mutually inclusive.
Trump, a consummate manipulator, created a kind of warped truth out of repeated lies, and tried to destroy America's faith
in its electoral system.
I too would like to see Trump held accountable for his deplorable actions but the Democrats should be focusing on the mid-term elections. Economic uncertainty and rampant inflation are resulting in many incumbent governments including the US, losing support, and the Democrats could lose both Houses of Congress in November.
There are 19-Republican led states whose legislatures have passed voting suppression rules which disadvantage minorities and lower socio-economic individuals, who historically vote Democrat.
There is also emerging evidence of political manipulation of electoral district boundaries is creating undue advantages for the Republican party.
President Joe Biden and the Democrats cannot afford to fiddle while Rome burns. Consign Trump to obscurity and one of the darker chapters in American history and don't give him what he craves; notoriety. Start strategising to retain control of Congress come November, or otherwise the remaining two years of Biden's administration will be just another exercise in lame-duck governance.
Restraining Trump
You say in your excellent editorial (Weekend Herald, June 18) that the Democratic leadership would not risk further upheaval by indicting a former president.
However, the House panel investigating the events leading up to the insurrection of January 6, 2020, is amassing more evidence daily that Trump knew exactly what was going on and was inciting that racist, violent mob, and was aiding and abetting them in their nefarious pursuits, to the nth degree.
I believe that a prison term would be counter-productive and would make a martyr of this dishonest and despicable man
In my view, a more fitting course of action would be for the US House of Representatives to rule, that Trump must never be allowed to hold any public office - not even as chair of the local school district board of supervisors.
Representative Liz Cheney, (Republican, Wyoming,) is on the public record as having said as much.
John Watkins, Greenlane.
Secrecy and silence
After the article (Weekend Herald, June 18) about Auckland Council's secret meetings regarding the Own Your Own Home scheme for the elderly, we have a deafening silence from all of the candidates.
Do they only care about Auckland city centre? Will they continue to play secret-squirrel and hide decisions made and who makes them from the people it affects?
Is there anyone out there with a bit of moral backbone who will at least acknowledge what is going on and pledge to stop this underhand way of sneaking through decisions without consultation? As the council spokesperson said: "The land they occupy is worth millions of dollars and the properties are no longer fit for purpose." It seems neither are the people, who trusted and put all their money into owning their own home, fit for the purpose of any information regarding their asset.
What about our equity? Surely the fact that we have 80 per cent equity would at least give us a share in the decision-making?
Lorraine Moon, Sandringham.
Same again, Auckland?
Bruce Cotterill's comments on the woeful inadequacies of the Auckland Council is absolutely spot on (Weekend Herald June 18).
Neither the councillors nor the bureaucrats care a jot for the costs and distress their housing intensification and anti-car policies will inflict upon families living in established suburbs. But it gets worse.
Let's not forget that National conspired with Labour behind closed doors to draft and then ram through the Housing Intensification Bill, and there is nothing separating the two parties on climate change. National's aim at the Auckland local body election will be to make sure that the next mayor is either more of the same (Efeso Collins) or a party loyalist guaranteed not to challenge the group-think (Viv Beck).
A deliberate splitting of the centre-right vote is quite possible, even if it means handing the mayoralty to Labour's Collins. The last thing the Nats want is an independent and outspoken Auckland mayor pointing out their mediocrity and timidity.
Brian O'Neill, Chatswood.
