Text the editor

Better safe than sorry

I would like to congratulate the PNCC Council staff of taking action to have all buildings checked for structural earthquake strength which were designed by Engineering firm KOA.

Buildings designed by this firm were questioned for structural earthquake strength by a registered engineer. At least the PNCC council staff takes the safety of the ratepayers seriously.

This cannot be said of the Horowhenua council in Levin. They seems to find it more easy to bicker over this issue of structural strength than to bite the bullet and to do the checks as required.

Those councillors should ask themselves the question: Will they put up their hands if someone in those buildings designed by KOA is hurt or killed in case of a structural failure during an earthquake?

Of course not they will point their finger to the mayor. Shame on you Horowhenua councillors, you are there to serve the public not your own ego. JOE ERKENS Ashhurst

Major backfire

If there’s any more hand-wringing over the election of Donald Trump, some people will find themselves standing in line for wrist joint replacement.

The hand-wringers need to realise that, to a large extent, Trump is where he is today because of what he is – not in spite of what he is. In Queen of Chaos: The Misadventures of Hillary Clinton (2015), Diana Johnstone predicted: ‘‘Since the War Party dominates both branches of the Two-party System, the recent track record suggests that the Republicans will nominate a candidate bad enough to make Hillary look good.’’

Enter Trump, whose candidacy was initially welcomed by the Democratic Party.

He was so ‘‘toxic’’ (the term of the party’s strategists), he would surely poison the entire ballot paper for the Republicans – and allow the Dems to make a clean sweep of all the offices being contested.

A superlative ploy, except that it didn’t work out.

In a mockery of all the partisan media’s opinion polls, the plebs voted the ‘‘wrong’’ way. ALAN IRELAND Palmerston North

State housing woes

While the Government still refuses to acknowledge that there is a housing crisis, evidence to date would suggest otherwise.

The Government is out of touch with the reality facing thousands of tenants, many sleeping in cars, garages or sleeping rough. At one time, Housing New Zealand supported those in need of affordable housing, how times have changed.

State houses have and continue to sold off to private landlords and many more homes are demolished for no significant reason. The present housing policies are a shambles and low income tenants are paying the price with homelessness and high rents.

More state housing is required, not less for future generations for whom, cut off from home ownership. renting is the only option. Affordable rental housing is vanishing before our eyes, we have to reverse this trend.

While emergency funds for those living in housing poverty is being recognised, it is still only a band aid covering the more serious problems concerning affordable housing. KEVIN REILLY Manawatu Tenants Union

Service cut deplorable

Once again Midcentral Health show their true colours [Standard, November 10]. To cut home help to a 96-year-old woman is unbelievable, is there no compassion or common sense at all in the hierarchy of midcentral health?

It seems that both common sense and compassion have been thrown out the door in search of the mighty dollar.

It is people like Trixie who have built this nation to what we have today a nation that we are very proud off, but not proud of the people that built it obviously (well Midcentral Health certainly are not).

Come on Midcentral Health, show some human kindness and a little bit of common sense.

One fall with an older person ❚ I suppose you can’t blame those people in the quake zones for wanting things fixed now! But they need to have patience because it takes an awful lot of manpower and money to get things back to normal. ❚ Te Poono, Culling murder makes very disturbing reading. To think these crims are loose in our communities, and the drug houses involved, either not detected or ignored by police! Neighbours often fearful to report suspicious activities. Sad, scary and out of control. Pam ❚ The govt need to step in & support people like Trixie. How many years has she & family been paying taxes, how many of her family were lost in war defending our rights to freedom? Trixie deserves respect & caring! rak ❚ It only took 3 colums 4 richard swainson to explane dumb intellctuals. ❚ Horowhenua District Council - in the words of Donald Trump - drain the swamp, open the books, start fresh and get on with it. JUNYARZ ❚ I remember going to athletics at Massey parking in front of an MCH car full of groceries - personal use been going on for years! ❚ Gosh that gave me a start, the photo of Paul Henry without his studio makeup. In fact he looks pretty ordinary and probably puts pants on one leg at a time same as rest of us.

Note: Following a review Trixie Cottingham’s home services were cut by 30 minutes a week, rather than the full 90 minutes.

Only two options left

It is obvious the Horowhenua District Council is in turmoil whilst the nine councillors are refusing to respect and support the new mayor or his decision to appoint councillor Campbell to be his deputy.

Unfortunately, the lack of respect shown to the mayor and the community that voted for him only leaves two options for the community.

Either we have a Local Government Commissioner in to run the council or we hold another local body election in an attempt to have a council that is willing to support the leadership vote of the constituents. D M THOMSON Foxton Beach