Short & sweet

On cars

There’s great enthusiasm for electricpowered and driverless cars as the future. But will they answer the congestion nightmare? What our highways need most is fewer cars. Eion Field, Hamilton

On Goldman Sachs

Goldman Sachs has reported the housing market has a 40 per cent chance of going bust in the next two years. Its definition of going bust is a 5 per cent decline, which in normal language is a long-overdue minor correction. Given Auckland house prices have risen by 85 per cent in the past four years this statement is nothing short of an attention-seeking, emotive overkill. By their modelling standards, a 10 per cent adjustment would be a “catastrophic collapse of biblical proportions”. Bruce Eliott, St Heliers

On student accommodation

Karen Perri makes a very valid alternative for students requiring accommodation. Moving in with older people with the spare room makes a lot of sense. I did, however, think we already had those people known as “parents”. Dick Ayres, Auckland Central

On the port

If the Auckland Council decides to sell the Auckland Port, it cannot be on an “as is, where is” basis. The port needs growing room and its present location does not provide that. Auckland’s citizens are fed up with its continuing expansion into the harbour so no matter who owns it, the port has to be relocated. Graham Astley, Epsom

On Putin

How can Vladimir Putin hold a huge parade in Moscow to celebrate the victory over Nazi Germany in the middle of last century and at the same time aid and abet the Assad regime in Syria? How does that work? Genevieve Forde, Browns Bay