He rebutted it, so it must be true then

MAYOR Radich’s rebuttal of Rob Hamlin’s assertions regarding council debt merely served to confirm their validity. (ODT 12.4.24).

Council debt, says the mayor, is supported by its ability to collect rates, which is the key to the ongoing strength of its credit rating. That debt, he says, is not secured against residents’ houses. Not quite true.

The mayor knows well that payment of rates is a legal obligation under the Rating Act, and that failure to pay may well result in legal action to enforce a house sale to settle the account. The AA credit rating from S+P exists solely because of the individual personal guarantees of council debt by Dunedin ratepayers.

The current ‘‘negative’’ outlook for DCC debt, along with the acknowledgement that debt will rise, signals a future credit downgrade and costlier borrowing.

The council currently pays

$1 million per week in interest.

Selling the family silver may or may not be the best option, but even considering it means that we had better stop unnecessary spending.

Ian Pillans

Dunedin

How we’re drinking

THE ODT editorial (15.4.24) ‘‘Booze not just youth problem’’ says that young people are drinking more responsibly. This is true — but the editorial does not acknowledge that we are drinking differently.

In the Health NZ longitudinal survey of 6799 adults on the health and wellbeing of Kiwis shows us that more of us are drinking responsibly.

In fact 84% of adults — more than four out of five of us — drink beer, wine and spirits responsibly. This is an increase of 3 percentage points from last year.

Hazardous drinking is at the lowest level since the survey began — sitting at 16% of the adult population. This is 110,000 fewer Kiwis drinking in a harmful way.

We still have a way to go with the way that we are drinking, but let’s acknowledge that there is a cultural change in the way that we are drinking.

Virginia Nicholls Executive director, NZ Alcohol Beverages Council

Knowing left from right

THOSE who complain of media having a leftwing bias could consider what ‘‘left wing’’ means. It refers to those who advocate the promotion of greater social and economic equality and who are concerned for those in society who are disadvantaged. Who among us does not consider that morally good?

Left wing means a wish to reduce excessive differences in status, power and wealth. Right wing, in contrast, refers to those who put an individual’s autonomy ahead of social equality. It implies conservatism, or the belief that things are better left unchanged.

Leaders of our country who have been left wing have introduced policies that everyone benefits from, including those who define themselves as right wing.

Universal superannuation and free healthcare are good examples. Rightwing leaders have tended to remove such social benefits as much as they can regardless of social consequences.

An example is National governments selling state houses, which has contributed to our present housing crisis.

Those who have a comfortable lifestyle tend to dislike leftwing policies until they get unlucky, lose their jobs and their wealth and find themselves turning to society for help. We all benefit from leftwing policies and if our media does have such a bias we can all be grateful for it.

Susan Grimsdell

Auckland ...................................

BIBLE READING: As God’s chosen people . . . clothe yourself with compassion. — Colossians 23.12.