Tanks for nothing, council: What would happen if the owners of septic tanks refused to pay the proposed $50 fee? Photo/file
Stupid idea
It has to be the most stupid idea, spawn of a diseased political mind. I cannot believe that a sane person would come up with such an idea (Chronicle, May 18, "$50 the fee for NOT being connected").
In my humble opinion, if some people are saving Whanganui ratepayers the cost of an even larger wastewater plant than the one we are getting, they should be given money for their altruism, not having it taken from them.
It could be interesting if users of septic tanks refuse to pay the $50 "theft" and then insist that if the council wants money for that lunatic decision, the council can lay mile after mile of new sewerage pipes across the countryside and connect all those septic tank users to the wastewater scheme. Then I imagine there would be no objection at all to the fair and equitable payment of a rate for keeping all households sewage-free.
Why, it shouldn't cost more than many millions of dollars and years of delay to connect absolutely everybody to the new wastewater plant.
I refuse to say anything positive about that idiotic $50 fee. I will be doing some public speaking in Wellington and Christchurch in the next couple of months. You can bet on it -- and for the first time in my life -- I shall probably deny that I was born in the beautiful city of Whanganui.
How could I talk on the serious subjects I have been invited to speak on, amidst peals of laughter from the audience should they learn where I am from?
STAN HOOD
Whanganui
Espresso on tap
Murky water from taps is still safe to drink? George London of Marton highlights in the Chronicle on May 13, describing coffee-coloured water, which happens on a regular basis.
He is not the only one raising the issue. Sadly, very few make a formal complaint, and as a result Rangitikei District Council palms this off as a problem with the raw water entering the treatment plant.
Now this raises a few questions, the first being that the treatment plant operates by a thread, in that it cannot cope with heavy rainfall that brings silt down from the upper catchment, creating turbidity. Then follow issues with the infrastructure that delivers the water to our households.
We have noticed changes and filter all our drinking water.
Two councillors, one being the mayor, live within about 200m of George and more than likely get their water from the same main. Neither of them has volunteered to comment on the issue. However, one is quite happy to be appear in the paper with other news.
What is more important, quality drinking water or a new civic centre?
ROBERT SNIJDERS
Marton
Borrows trial
I take issue with Jay Kuten's criticism of Chester Borrows over the recent trial on a careless driving causing injury charge.
He is missing one important point. Yes, it was a lawful protest, Borrows is not suggesting that the police should have removed them entirely from the site. And, yes, of course a person's foot is no match in weight to a vehicle, with or without passengers inside it. However, the fact is that a level of personal responsibility has to be taken into account here.
If a car, slow-moving or not, is moving towards me, I remove myself out of the way. I am sure the police assumed that Denise Lockett and Ms Treadwell would have stepped back a little from Borrows' vehicle, especially as he was clearly indicating that the car was not going to slow to a stop. What did they think was going to happen? Not only did Ms Treadwell not move her foot when she had ample opportunity to do so, she then took Chester Borrows to court over it, perhaps because he was an easy figure to demonise, given his high-profile political role in Whanganui.
What Jay Kuten fails to see here is that the will of the people doesn't, and shouldn't, overrule individual responsibility for one's own actions.
(Edited)
MARY-ANN EWING
St John's Hill
Not careless
Once again your columnist, Jay Kuten, is indulging in alternative facts (Chronicle, May 17).
The judge who tried Chester Borrows would have been very aware of the political implications around the trial. The charge was careless driving and she accepted Chester's argument and evidence that he had, in fact, driven carefully, sounding his horn and driving forward very slowly.
Jay told us that the TPP protest involved was "necessary". I accept that protests are often justified, but I do not believe that they are ever "necessary". Justified or not, these women stood in front of a moving car, which seems pretty unwise, to say the least.
I guess that the final word on this case is from a judge -- I don't know who -- who said that if both litigants were unhappy with a decision, then it was probably a fair one.
STEPHEN PALMER
Bastia Hill
Act rationally
Sorry, Jay Kuten, but I entirely disagree with your "View from here" in the Chronicle (May 17)
Sure, we all have the democratic right to peaceful protest, but if the people they are protesting against indicate that they wish to drive away, the protesters have no right to stop them from lawfully doing this. It was obvious this was their intention -- they were in the car, the motor was on and the front of the vehicle was facing the protesters.
If I was on a footpath in a street and saw a car backing out of the drive up ahead, I wouldn't rush up and stand behind it; I would act rationally and allow it to depart before I continued on my way. Likewise, most rational people would move out of the way if they saw a car moving towards them.
I have sympathy for any minor injuries some protesters may have received, but perhaps they should take responsibility.
It's a bit like jumping off a bridge and then blaming someone for putting it there.
This letter is not politically motivated -- I have never voted for the National Party or any of its members.
DOUG PRICE
Castlecliff
Unfair journalism
On Sunday, May 7, there appeared headlines in a Sunday paper about Stewart Murray Wilson.
No Scandinavian press would use the term "beast" to describe a human being.
The term "beast" prompted me to visit Murray Wilson shortly after his arrival in Whanganui.
I soon discovered mental institutions, with children's homes, have apologised to Murray Wilson for brutal treatment as a child and later in adulthood.
Regardless of this negative reporting, and after 23 years of control from punitive departments, Murray Wilson is very anxious to work, mingle and assist with community projects. Whanganui Corrections and Pars are aware of the frustrations of Murray, and with small community support Murray was making progress in rehabilitation.
A shame Murray Wilson spoke to an outside newspaper, one more able to relate to beasts in a zoo or freezing works than a human being.
(Abridged)
PAT MAGILL, OBE
Napier
Court reporting
I've been feeling increasingly annoyed at the amount of petty court reporting that has been appearing in the newspaper. Then came Thursday's paper (May 11) with a full page of "court news".
It's not news -- it's just filling up newspaper space with all the dreary details of people's misjudgments and outbursts. I don't believe it serves any purpose, and I certainly hope that this is not to be a weekly feature.
On this same subject, I read the front page story in today's (May 12) paper about the young man convicted of hitting a road worker. He will serve his sentence doing prison time but surely doesn't need to be ridiculed on the front page by the first sentence reporting him "bawling his eyes out".
This is just gossip material that is not professional and does not inform us.
SUSAN SHAND
Castlecliff
Duck season
Two months to go for the duck hunting season to end, and do we give any thought to how many have been killed and massacred?
These birds are our fine feathered friends, brought forth and created by almighty God for our benefit and for the beauty of this earth.
An estimated 1200 species of birds are facing extinction and many from the loss of their habitat.
Why do we desire to kill for sport, for pleasure or for trophies?
NOELINE BOOKER
Wanganui
He lost an arm and a leg in a crash that killed three friends.