Two foundation members of a group now known as the Rotorua Districts Residents and Ratepayers Association are locked in a local FB debate about accentuating the positive and not the negative.

In the positive corner is Mike McVicker and in the negative Reynold Macpherson, who is looking to depose present mayor, Steve Chadwick.

Steve said recently she would stand for a third term while Reynold will put himself through a selection charade process of his RDRR group for the position he has pined for some years.

Mike, for several terms an outspoken right-wing councillor, was an election tail-ender in 2016, but lost to Karen Hunt when all votes were eventually sorted. Since then, apart from several letters in the local daily newspaper, he has gone troppo.

But this week, irked at the continually harping by Reynold and his acolytes, he snapped at what he saw as negative comments.

On Facebook, RDRR members have been railing against Steve's purported legacy projects, bad decisions (Mudtopia in particular) and that outside trade and structural help for infrastructure projects has been sought. They claim the local workforce has been overlooked.

A vapour of disdain against the council has appeared on RDRR's Face Book page, led by the autocratic Reynold who, interestingly, quoted figures of rising debt over the years. His figures – he is a stickler for process – indicate a debt mountain, a useful tool for any aspirant mayor.

Reynold cites the 'actual council debt, in millions, has been 2010 $115.632; 2011, $135.110; 2012, $151.756; 2013, $158.383; 2014, $168.675; 2015, $167.5; 2016, $165.639; 2017, $169.751; and 2018, $189.7”.

In 2014, Reynold was asked by this correspondent to rate our mayors. He reserved praise for Kevin Winters, who preceded Steve, and Grahame Hall, whom Kevin, endorsed by Grahame, succeeded.

He refused to comment on what he thought of the then fledgling Steve mayoralty.

Between 2010 and 2013 in the Kevin years, the debt rose in round figures from $115.6m to $158.3m. The debt in Steve's first full year (2014) stood at $168.6m. The climb was arrested in 2015 at $167.5m, a considerable reduction. The debt now stands at 189.7m, around $22m higher than 2014, which is narrower than the gap of $43m in the final Winters' term. The debt is expected to exceed $200m in good (or bad!) time.

The council's decision to opt for outside businesses has riled RDRR, with one commenter pointing to Whakatane as an example.

Mike has railed against the notion, drawing on his council experience. 'Get in the real world,” he says. 'Not only has this trend been signalled in previous years but it reflects the changing trends for efficiencies that happen in a modern economy. With overnight transport from a large hub in Auckland happening next year this is the outcome.”

Reynold said Mike had a point regarding structural adjustments in an economy, but not figures produced on Rotorua's growth.

'Why is stating the facts on actual growth at 1.1% negative? And why is pointing out what the mayor promises and delivers are two different things negative? The problem is that the guardians of the myth of positivity resort to name calling when they are short of a decent argument justifying their beliefs.”

Mike said Reynold was 'carried away. Again, you get carried as most politicians do quoting figures that in a year's time bear no resemblance to the actual results. I shouldn't need to tell you that we live in a very fluid world where a significant change in the Chinese economy for example will no doubt have an impact on Rotorua next year. Also, could you please illustrate to me one point where you have agreed with a council policy?”

Reynold says as they were politicians, both knew the politics of opposition.

He refused to answer Mike's nod to negativity.

'But if you don't answer my questions about your use of ‘negativity' why should I answer yours? Mine relate directly to the post. You let loose a rabbit off topic – possibly illustrating the adage, ‘If cornered, change the subject'.

A comment surely redolent of Sheridan's school of irony.