However, there is an undercurrent of selfishness that exists in the chief executive/politician/wealthy classes that undermine the good done by the rest of the community.
Something changes in the Kiwi make-up once they have enough nuts tucked away in the nest.
I have been accused of being jealous of the "wealth". Not at all.
I was born into a wealthy family, my parents were very generous.
My mother, a wealthy woman, worked for and with the Salvation Army and although we had all we wanted, we were taught never to flaunt it or ignore the needs of others - we were taught to care.
New Zealand is, however, becoming a "two-class" country, even more so than the UK, and I find it very disturbing.
Poverty is not something that many people want to experience. Most people who fall into that category have little or no choice. To many of them, it is heartbreaking, a trap from which there is no escape.
These folk are often treated very badly by those who have been fortunate enough to have made it to the top of the heap.
Some seem to relish their position, to gloat and look down with contempt on the less fortunate.
Many of these, although wealthy, lack the education to enable them to realise their gain is made at the expense of others. A big pity. (Abridged)
Jim Adams
Rotorua
Sterile view
From time to time I can be astounded at how negative some people can be towards our city.
A prime example is, in my opinion, in a letter to your paper from Paddi Hodgkiss (Letters, August 21) when she describes as "appalling" how, by her calculations, our rates expenditure towards arts and culture, and sport, recreation and environment are more than what we have to spend on roads, footpaths and sewerage.
Is Hodgkiss seriously suggesting that our arts budget should be reduced, thus putting in jeopardy the functioning of our library, our museums and arts centres and all the community groups and activities that our council supports financially?
And as for recreation and environment, is she calling for less money to be available to support our gardens, parks, Aquatic Centre, playing fields and sadly neglected lakefront?
Is she suggesting that there should be staff reductions in order to prune the costs of these two categories? Or should, for example, a gardener require retraining in the art of pipe laying.
In my view, Hodgkiss and others have a very grey and sterile view of what our city needs, being locked into a world of drains, sewers and manhole covers. (Abridged)
John Pakes
Ngongotahā
