Iconic building
At last, someone has noticed (Simon Wilson, Canvas, December 11) that Auckland has the ideal opportunity, right at its front door to build an iconic building (at Wynyard Point). Like the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao (which I have visited, just to see the building and galleries - stunning),
and the Sydney Opera House, Auckland could do nothing but benefit by having this piece of land dedicated to a building with style and panache, something instantly recognisable as being in Auckland.
Some years ago the then Auckland Mayor organised for citizens to meet to discuss what should be done with the Tank Farm. What boiled down out of those meetings was the idea that an iconic building should be at the most prominent part, viewed by arriving ships, and international flights, and of course the North Shore. Sadly, nothing has filtered down from those hours we spent in discussion.
My suggestion is that the design of such a building be put out to international tender, to elicit the most remarkable modern building, which will anchor Auckland and its harbour. No cake tins for rugby I say, but a statement building Auckland will be recognised for, globally, as the Opera House is to Sydney, and the Guggenheim to Bilbao.
Priscilla Taylor, Auckland.
Collective effort
Correspondent John Collinge (Herald, December 15) is right in that there is no alternative to capitalism (i.e. saving for reserves, trading and investment) when creating anything on the material level not for immediate consumption and for maintaining civilisation.
But as free-market liberalism has resulted in widening socio-economic polarisation into haves and have-nots, could that not be reversed by a strengthened national effort of collective and personal wealth ownership creative savings factor built into our taxation and welfare system, such as modestly has been initiated already through the NZ Super Fund and KiwiSaver?
A higher rate of income tax exclusively for productivity and incomes generating wealth ownership creation is likely to become politically more popular than increased taxes for redistribution only on widening welfare demands.
Jens Meder, Point Chevalier
Already alternatives
John Collinge claims that there is no alternative to capitalism. Is he not aware that the Scandinavian countries and others like New Zealand have found an alternative many years ago? The only country left that still practices full-blown capitalism is the United States which suffers from a huge inequality of wealth. According to Swiss world wealth reports published annually, the US has a higher proportion of its population living in poverty than China. The recent Covid death rate per million of population in the US, which is hundreds of times worse than NZ, is mainly due to capitalism not providing medical facilities for the less wealthy. Capitalism is well and truly on the way out as a system of governing countries for the benefit of their citizens.
David Mairs, Glendowie.
Tax issues
The inequalities in New Zealand, whether based on race, wealth or any other metric, have been well documented.
Ultimately, Labour and National, being the two major political parties, are responsible for the ongoing problems that the country still faces. With so much of the country's "wealth", tied up in housing, that both of them have encouraged, via the tax system, maybe that is where change is needed the most.
Why have the income tax bands stayed the same for so long, not raising them to reflect inflation is just another "stealth" tax that affects the less well off the most? Why have GST on basic food items, when removing it, would benefit the poorer members of society the most? If you get taxed on earned income and unearned income (i.e.share dividends), why not on unearned capital gains (excluding the family home)?
Money is of more value to the poor in need than the rich in their plenty.
Frank Fordham, Bayview.
Covid rules
Once again we see an example of a group of small-minded people throwing their weight around to get what they want. St Martin's School in Christchurch seems to have done its best to adhere to the rules around gatherings under Covid restrictions by limiting attendance at its Christmas concert to 100 people. The school asked that only one person from a family attend and that vaccine proof was needed.
Then along came the grinches who decided to spoil the pleasure of others by asking what the school's legal basis was for asking that proof of vaccination be shown. The school, rather than face a confrontation, pulled the plug on audience attendance and the concert went ahead without any parents.
The group must have got a great feeling of satisfaction from their action but the ones they hurt the most were the children. Children don't understand that sort of adult pettiness and, although the concert went ahead, the excitement of having someone from their family watching was taken away from them.
Lorraine Kidd, Warkworth.
