INSTEAD of the Corrections Department sitting back, why not be open and honest and admit that setting up a "halfway house" in a such an isolated area as Shakespeare Rd, Bastia Hill, was crazy in the first place, and exactly why IHC moved out.
No community — let alone community facilities or even public transport — and an $18 taxi ride to those facilities like a dairy, doctor or Government office. (Edited)
ELIZABETH STILES-DAWE
Bastia Hill
VSG let loose
We could all have been forgiven for assuming that the Chronicle on Friday, September 28, was an unheralded bonus issue of Virtue-Signalling Goodness (VSG for short).
There were such diverse practitioners as our councillors and an ex-politico holding forth on the righteousness of changing names for a park and believing all accusations from those with 2 X chromosomes.
It's good to read the council has solved all major difficulties with our infrastructure etc to the point where we can now pay them ever-increasing sums to pontificate about changing the name of a piece of earth.
After all, it's not as if the sewerage scheme isn't working 100 per cent. Although, the last two times a bit out of the airport, there was something in the air, and it wasn't the odour of "let's focus like a laser on changing the name of a public park because our private flushings are squeaky clean".
As for some other council obsessions ... really, you haven't anything better to do with the rank and title? Oh, let's just say "cobblers" to that.
Then we had the supreme irony of someone who had been in court subject to accusations from women of vehicular nastinesses writing — in so many words — that "women should be believed. I believe the women" (Never mind the presumption of innocence, that is so out of date).
A pity for the long-suffering taxpayer you didn't adopt that point of view before the trial, because there wouldn't have been one — you just would have pleaded guilty and saved us all some money.
Methinks your VSG column was not directed inward.
But wait, there's more ...
A vocal representative of the Chlorophyll Party has decided that we should stop "punishing" public housing tenants who have trashed houses, been appalling neighbours, smoked methamphetamine and so forth, because that is "punitive".
They wish to spend your money on making sure that actions will never have consequences.
Got news for you — the act of punishing people for crimes is indeed punitive.
Do you actually contend that out here in the Real Taxpaying World, annoying everybody at your workplace and neighbouring offices, destroying your house and possessions and getting high as a kite have absolutely no repercussions?
Dear Greenie, that's not how this works. That's not how any of this works. (Abridged)
RENE DE JONGH
Whanganui
Gender privilege
Hashtag Men Too! With 85 per cent of primary school teachers and 85 per cent of social workers female, why is there still a Ministry of Women's Affairs, 125 years on from the right to vote? Why is there a shortage in these areas other than gender discrimination?
Let's not talk about elephants, so popular when it suits. Have men been bullied into silence with media feminist frenzy?
It is a thinly disguised argument for gender privilege.
As far as I know, all children require a father and mother to procreate, and both parties usually participate willingly. It's called "marriage" not "Me Too". All children should be equal. Men, stand up!
I also watched a panel discussion on Q&A (TV1, September 30) where the panel was all female. I watched one of them arguing multicultural biculturalism. Thank you, professor, but what are you talking about? The Government is wrong not to recognise the mix of races? Shhhh!
KEN CRAFAR
Durie Hill
Seeking collars
Come on, manufacturers. New Zealand has one of the highest rates of melanoma in the world.
When trying to purchase blouses or shirts, not many have collars to protect the neck, which melanoma likes to visit — trust me, been there.
I have asked a large chain store, and the reply is: Take what you get or buy polo shirts.
Come, on think smart and look after your customers and their wellbeing.
AILSA DICKSON
Marton
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