‘TCC shaking the money tree'

(The Weekend Sun, July 24) in general terms is, in my opinion, an accurate assessment of the Bay Venues/TCC financial mess over the range of activities operated.

Advertorial type spindoctoring on how well Bay Venues is progressing looks like arrant nonsense – smoke and mirrors stuff.

Little wonder Bay Venues fantasises that it is competitive and debt neutral when TCC is always the financial backstop picking up the pieces. If that assessment is challenged then Bay Venues should disclose fully (in verifiable accounting terms) what is actually contributed by way of TCC ratepayer subsidies annually to cover ongoing losses.

Turning to ‘Stadium Shocker' (The Weekend Sun, July 24) the same TCC/BVL outfits are involved here. Tauranga already has Baypark Stadium purchased by TCC with current Mayor Stuart Crosby at the helm around September 2007.

The initial cost of $12 million, with losses, has now ballooned out to about $20 million-plus on something that was said would be self funding costing TCC ratepayers nothing! Baypark can now be easily transformed solely into a rugby stadium, just install low-rise wooden seating over the Speedway track and stopping Bay Venues regularly decimating the infield playing surface with inane jet sprinting activity costing tens of thousands each year to reinstate. A simple solution!

R Paterson, Tauranga