Letters: Cathedral not a priority when children are hungry

Tax payers' money shouldn't be spent on the Christchurch Cathedral. Photo/file

Many people are of the opinion these days that the government needs to get its priorities right, and I find it very difficult to disagree.

Contemplating spending public money on Christchurch Cathedral is totally beyond comprehension when you see how many of our children are living in poverty and families living in cars.

If they want to find income for the Cathedral then tax the churches.

I am infuriated to see our water being given away to overseas bottling firms, if this doesn't cost National the election then nothing will.

All our resources are sacrosanct - they belong to the people of New Zealand if they are sold then they have to benefit the people - many of whom could well do with the extra income that would produce.

To even contemplate metering water (which is free!) is very bad thinking indeed.

We need to become much more protective of our resources - this is a mistake that many countries have made in the past - we cannot afford to make that mistake with the very precious things that go to make our wonderful country such a treasure - the envy of most of the world.

JIM ADAMS
Rotorua

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No thanks to tipping

There she goes again.

Old Paula Bennett opening her mouth before engaging her brain and following a newspaper columnist by suggesting we start tipping for so-called good service. And she's in Parliament.

The following of American antics doesn't make it right for New Zealand. No way.

Dylan Thorne hit the nail on the head in his editorial (Wednesday May 24).

The business owner should be paying his staff suitably to give this so-called good service (most people are motivated by money), if he's in business for the right reason, not just for the good of his/her health.

I'd say forget the silly Yank practice and nip it in the bud now before it gives business owners the opportunity to make life even harder for poor working class employees, who probably aren't on the living wage anyway.

Our council seems proud to have people earning less than the living wage. That had better change soon. Take some off the "over $100,000" persons and get all staff on the living wage.

I think that would be fair, or they could just put our rates up to do it.

ROD PETTERSON
Rotorua