The idea of a car-free CBD in Whanganui is dense (A CBD for people, not cars, Chronicle, August 25). Now, you know I love Kiwis. I really do. Great people. Friendly people.
But Kiwis, when it comes to parking habits, are lazy. I don't mind walking. Never have. So I'll park down the road and walk a little way to wherever I'm going to.
But Kiwis? They'll drive up and down the Ave five times to get a spot directly outside the pharmacy or bank or whatever they're going to.
So if you think Kiwis are going to park up and actually walk into town you're very, very wrong.
This is precisely the type of urban planning the tree huggers have used to decimate provincial economies in Britain and Ireland for the past decade and seem determined, even in the face of insurmountable evidence and easily corroborated anecdotes, to repeat. Try, fail, repeat.
Their desire for a fair and equitable semi utopia has resulted in the annihilation of small local business and actively spurred on internet sales, the proliferation of out-of-town mega malls and the sickening acceptance of the grey blandness of globalisatison.
It doesn't work. Society is, for better or worse, locked into a "give it to me now or **** off" mindset.
Immediacy is preached on the high altar of the selfish mantra of our time. Fast food, fast delivery.
Convenience murdered concern a long time ago. Sacrificed on the same altar.
Don't blame anyone but yourselves.
You got exactly what you asked for.
PEARSE KINCHELLA
Whanganui
Prime Minister Ardern has up until mid-August always insisted that the way "forward" was to follow the science.
The science in the present situation, from previous experience, is understood to state categorically that one does not reduce the lockdown level when an outbreak of coronavirus occurs until 14 days pass with near to zero new cases.
Why has Ardern done an about-face now?
We can find the answer in politics.
Consider the evidence we have from overseas. Melbourne was in the same situation as Auckland with single figures in its number of new cases, or perhaps the odd small double figure. Then a political decision was made to loosen their hold on the virus and ... boom, before we could blink, new cases per day were in their hundreds.
The same applies to Ireland. Small double figures for a couple of weeks, then the political decision to ease restrictions and ... boom, Ireland had hundreds of cases per day.
New Zealand is almost certain to follow the same pattern and end up with the same disaster on our hands.
Note that scientists like Shaun Hendy and Michael Baker are discretely breaking ranks with this political decision that Ardern has made, especially taking into account that these new community cases are not being found by tracking and tracing.
Also, what sort of insanity is it allowing Aucklanders to leave their region and spread the virus throughout the whole country?
On Sunday Ardern said, "never, ever have we made a political decision in the management of Covid-19" followed by the assertion that elimination will result at level 2 "if people follow the guidance".
Her first statement is now false and her second statement is the classic cop-out used by politicians when they know they are going to need an excuse for upcoming failure. [Abridged]
JOHN B GOODMAN
Whanganui