Winston Watusi lashes out at Telecom for not being able to provide broadband to his home and Nigel Gregory, electoral agent for MP Tony Ryall, joined in on his behalf requesting an explanation from Telecom. What I cannot understand is why both individuals have not sought a broadband connection from competing so-called “telcos” – isn’t this what the telecommunication deregulation all about? Put another way, why More...

During the past week, local Mayor Stuart Crosby made a defamatory statement to City Partners, Classic Hits 95 BOPFM and Newstalk ZB, alleging I had made a threat to a member of the public.   This statement has been revealed to be completely bogus.  Over the last two a half years, during my Council term, the Mayor has attempted to discredit me in the public arena on a number of occasions.   This seems to happen every time I start More...

The incredible re-action of a number of people when the police caught a sackful of Windemere students with unregistered and/or unwarranted cars was beyond belief. Being a student does not give one any right whatsoever to endanger other people by neglecting to meet one's responsibilities. A sad feature of this debacle was that some of the whingers were lecturers! Are they fit to be teaching others anything at all? Third party insurance used to More...

Councillor Catherine Stewart’s letter attempting to paint her and her Pick Six mates as the only councillors attempting save costs is in my opinion misleading, selective and doesn’t tell the whole truth.   A little listening to the debate and questioning shows that the argument between her and most independent councillors was really over who has the responsibility for decision-making in Council. Cr Curach backed by Pick Sixers More...

I must thank R Jordan of Tauranga for his suggestion of a newspaper round but I fear that the Herald would be too early and the other local paper too hot weather-wise. But he/she is quite right. I will have to start carrying cash all the time as I do call into the Library approx. twice a week. Incidentally, one of my sister-in-laws, tells me that the Waipa Council, (that's Cambridge, Te Awamutu) has charged 50c per book for quite a while at all More...

Does the Council really think so little about the welfare of the senior citizens in this area? Not only do they steadily increase the rates but also any other money cow they can find, the latest of which is the proposed charge on library books. This is just another cost against the forever dwindling savings allowable from the Government Super. No doubt this will also attract GST charges. There are hundreds of people who rely on the public More...

Does Tauranga want to be known as the first city in New Zealand to charge for books in our libraries. Shame, surely not. We should pause and remember our 'founding fathers' their dream that all new Zealandaers would have access to an education, have we become lazy with that dream? Have we  forgotten that new Zealand is about forging something new and positive something generous and giving. Shutting off library access is the opposite to all More...

I am writing in support of the letter in this week's paper from John K. Morris the CEO of Agrissentials about 'Toxic Fertiliser Use'. We are in total agreement of everything he says in his letter, and would add toxic sprays to the list as well. We cannot believe that Hi Cane is still being used in this country to spray Kiwifruit, whereas it is banned in most if not all other countries that used it in the past. Why? Because it is toxic and a More...

I've just finished reading Natasha Mitchell’s article entitled 'Who turned up the heat?' and could definitely identify with it!! Those humid, calm February nights were torture. I thought you might be interested to know that my husband and I found a way around it.... we took a leaf out of our Kerikeri friends' book and slept outside! Yes outside. Like many people at the Mount our dining, living area and bedroom is upstairs,... so we hooked More...

I am writing to correct a misleading impression that may have been left by one of your correspondents two weeks ago. The writer, basing their letter on a story in the BOP Times, suggests that staff at Tauranga City Council are not happy (or are 'disillusioned') working for the City. If the matter had been correctly reported and interpreted in the first place this mistaken impression would not have been made.  The survey was referring to More...