I concur with your editorial ire on the unseemly incestuous relationship between Tauranga City Council and the BOP Times. That paper is not ‘local' it does not reach every household and it is controlled by a conglomerate who couldn't care less about the people who live in this region.

The Weekend Sun is up to date local news and free in every letter box in the Bay of Plenty once a week.

The Weekend Sun will print ‘letters to the Editor' that the BOP Times wont print. Your paper is fearless in allowing the public to have their say. If you want to comment on controversial matters don't bother sending copy to the BOP Times.

Both Local Government (councils) and Central Government beseech the public to ‘buy local', ‘support local businesses' ‘create opportunity for jobs' etc. It's all rhetoric that the public don't believe because Local and Central Government are teams of people who know absolutely, that they will get regularly paid by the taxpayer or the ratepayer regardless of the ‘churn/bumff' they create.

It is a great pity that Brian Rogers and his team are not running the Council and the country. New Zealand could do with a good dose of ‘common sense' people who have their feet on the ground and their hands out of the publics pocket.

Maureen J Anderson, Pyes Pa.