Poor shoulder the burden

I hate to keep harping on about this topic but I think it is one of the weakest points in our society. Be it the V8s, the stadium, Claudelands, the velodrome, the Auckland train set, Garden Place, the riverfront development or the proposed new theatre the people who are going to use the facility seem unwilling or unable to front up with all the costs involved.

The shortfall always lands on the shoulders of the whole of society and it is spread out so far that there is no escape.

We now have numbers to back up my argument. Over 80,000 Hamiltonians live in some sort of deprivation which represents a majority of the population. They are expected to front up with the same amounts as their more comfortably off neighbours.

Believe it or not some of these families have been squeezed so hard by the housing bubble, be it through rent I am a homeowner/resident of Rototuna. In February I emailed Hamilton City Council to advise them of a sinking stormwater lid in the road outside my house. They acknowledged my concern and over a period of weeks various people came to view. One lot even said they would be back the next day to fix it. Guess what? Yep they didn’t. Never mind I figured they just forgot. So a couple of weeks ago I got on the council website to let them know that the problem was still there and posed a significant problem to cyclists. I suggested they should save face and fix it before someone got hurt. I received a response that said the issue would be addressed in the next couple of days. Guess what? Yep it still not fixed. That issue plus the rubbish collectors who seem to spill more rubbish than they or mortgage, that any new bill that arrives means food has to be taken off the table. Councillors, there is no blood left in some of these stones.

To consider a rates increase of the order that has been suggested whilst throwing $25 million at a new theatre that seems to be going to be built in quite the wrong place is only showing that you have a very large disconnect with your constituents.

I do hope that the very large sum offered by Momentum doesn’t have a source which has been created/ replenished at least in part by the working poor. I am writing this letter out of frustration with your paper. I am an ardent sport and rugby follower and the lack of information and results – especially Hamilton club rugby is very disappointing. There is not a mention of club rugby anywhere in the paper – this is grassroots rugby and needs all the help it can get.

I was discussing this with a group at my rugby club on Saturday when a rep from the Waikato Rugby Union joined in. He was adamant that the Union was supplying results to all the various media outlets and it was not the Union’s fault. ‘‘Whose fault is it"? I am at an age where I find computers and smart hi-tech difficult so am still very reliant on the paper for information.

I am sure there are still a lot of older people that do. I have been a loyal subscriber of the Times for over 50 years – and as a youth a paper boy delivering all around Melville area. This is a plea on behalf of all grassroots and club rugby supporters – ‘‘please don’t shut us out’’. Hello David,

The newspapers across New Zealand owned by Stuff Ltd have stopped publishing local sports results and many local sport stories. The content has a very low online appeal. Yes the content was being read in print but our strategy these days, and indeed our survival as a business, is driven by the digital audience. I’m sorry I don’t have better news for you. I write regarding the recent article in he Waikato Times about the Somalian-born repeat sex-offender Abdi Omar.

Omar was jailed for the rape of an 18-year-old homeless lady, and this is not his first such sex offence.

I believe such refugees who are sex offenders need to be returned to their country of origin. It is unacceptable that he be allowed to remain in the country to re-offend on release. I have certainly upset members of the political right regarding my suggestion that there be Maori wards on our councils.

I never imagined how much anger I have caused because I thought that the Maori people should have a representative on local bodies.

All sorts of incredible mainly untrue and quite bizarre reasons have been put forward for not having a Maori wards.

It has been suggested that I be deported to the UK and the latest suggestion from correspondent W Phelps is that I should be deported to North Korea.

Does he really believe that? Does he not realise that as a social democratic New Zealand citizen I would immediately be thrown into a dark damp cell and tortured by having my finger nails pulled out and other terrible tortures.

All because I believe that there should be a Maori ward on the council.

W Phelps I suggest you fully examine the real reasons why you do not want a Maori ward on the council. It’s nothing to do with the policies of the liberal left whatever that means.

What I suggest to you is that you take your own advice and find a country where white supremicists rule the roost.

I would suggest bible belt USA would be ideal for you.