Shopkeepers deserve some help
Lisa Toko should never have to resort to a newspaper to highlight the antisocial arrogance of shoplifters with a massive sense of entitlement.
If the article on the police lack of response is accurate, shame on them.
Why can’t this woman be left alone to run her business in peace without the added stress of dealing with criminals, beggars and assorted bogans?
Mark Hofsteede
Hutt Central
THERE BECAUSE WE CARE
I write in response to Nicholas Boyack’s article regarding infill, terraced and three-storey housing in Lower Hutt.
My wife and I along with approximately 50 other concerned residents attended the Hutt City Council meeting on Tuesday October 10, where housing intensification was discussed at length.
We were less than impressed that when we arrived 25 of us were corralled into a small cramped room on the ground floor of the council building on the basis of safety, due to only one door being available for exit. Why was not another room for the meeting made available?
The sound system was such that we could not hear the councillors very well and the Skype presentations were unable to seen at all. I trust that the councillors were not going out of their way to make things difficult for us so-called ‘‘mostly elderly residents’’ to be heard?
The article made comment that the councillors had to wait for a long time for ‘‘mostly elderly residents’’ to say their piece. We were there because we care!
The only so-called young people with us appeared to be two members of the Hutt City Youth Council. One of them was wearing a shirt that had HCYC emblazed on it, the wearer spoke rather well in regard to his point of view. The other spent the whole time glaring at us as if to say ‘‘I dare you to speak and I know who you are.’’
Not a good image.
Donald Pettett
Lower Hutt
FLAWED VISION
Mayor Wallace and councillors, your proposal for three-storey housing is considerably flawed.
Only immigrants that come from crowded cities with poor housing will consider living in high density three-storey buildings. Is that a vision for Hutt City? No. It is desperate and will result in the Hutt becoming a slum area of Wellington.
Would any of you live in a high density flat or live next to such a building in your suburb with your families? Absolutely not. Look at what happened with Farmers Cres and the now attractive single-storey homes that are there.
There are alternatives and opening up land on the hills and Wainui in a considered way is a responsible option.
You Mayor Wallace need to face reality and stop grabbing at desperate and flawed options for our city.
TV ADS AND CHILDREN
I always find it curious that ads on TV during children’s shows seem to be seen as such a problem.
As far as I amaware, 99 per cent of children have no income, are incapable of driving to said outlets and many are unable to walk there either.
The problem, I believe, isn’t the adverts, it’s the lack of parenting and parents wanting to be their children’s friends rather than parent, but the reality is they need to teach their children the meaning of No!, that they cannot always have their way. That tantrums won’t get them what they want. That it’s OK to be disappointed, we cannot always be happy, it is normal to be sad (doesn’t mean you are depressed).
That discipline is a necessary part of life. Teach healthy eating, etc. These are important skills for them to survive in the real world, and this is the parents’ job – to prepare their children for the real world.
We are already seeing too many children who have no experience of these necessaries of life and they are not doing too well in adult life let alone childhood. I wonder if the lack of teaching these things or of skills is contributing to our high mental health issues in many of them.
Carol Cooper-McCord
Lower Hutt
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