Isn't it time our council cut out the "frilly bits" and concentrated on methods to cut back on extra spending? For example, the painting of roads, footpaths and buildings. Yes, they have done a great job, but enough is enough.
I get it, we are a wonderful city of art. As a pensioner I can't indulge in those luxuries and I don't want my council doing so on my behalf, pushing up our rates to unaffordable limits.
Managing our budgets is becoming increasingly unaffordable for we wise ones. Ever increasing insurance premiums, power prices, car running, rents, rates (caused by seemingly careless spending) are driving us into poverty zones.
And we certainly do not take out loans, for others to pay, to spend on fripperies. So why does our Whanganui District Council, our employees, consider it okay to load us with ever increasing debts.
If the council bows to government demands to centralise our waters, health, mass fluoridation and God knows what else they will pull out of the magician's hat, our taxes, levies and rates will soar. Are our local assets to be sold down the river?
[Abridged]
DENISE LOCKETT
Whanganui
Other views
Once again I read in your letters section (July 7) and see letters from Garth Scown and D Partner (responding to a letter from John Archer) who are all prolific writers to the Whanganui Chronicle, amongst others.
It appears that the Chronicle provides a platform for these learned gentlemen to 'talk' to each other.
I believe there is an opportunity for you as the editor to broker a deal between these gentlemen whereby they could exchange telephone numbers and email addresses so that they could correspond directly with each other and therefore provide space for other people to express their views on other matters.
KEVIN SMITH
Springvale
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The front page article "Off the charts", an article on the usage of the drug called meth.
We have in our society people who puff out their chests shrink their brains and say we have to be tough on crime, and then proceed to make laws to manufacture criminals to be tough on. They don't know when to be tough and when to be soft.
We have to stop making laws that don't solve the problem but just create criminals.
We have to legalise drugs, quality control, tax manufacture and sell through drugs stores/chemists to people with an identifying points card so the computer can red flag over use, so we know who the person is who has lost control. Then with all the money in the till we can give them all the help they need without destroying the family.
GARTH SCOWN
Whanganui
