Little thought for pedestrians in design

A serious omission by planners has caused a worrying problem in the new developments on Western Hills Drive. Western Hills Drive or State Highway 1 has been recently reformed with a roundabout and other improvements as well as considerable tasteful plantings of native trees.

Worryingly, little concession has been made for pedestrians, apart from small islands in two places for walkers to cross one lane and pause in the middle of the highway. These are at the southern end of the roundabout and at the southern entrance to Russell Rd.

Pedestrians who attempt to cross SH1 from Kensington Stadium North to the intersection with Kamo Rd “play chicken” to reach safety on the other side.

I have seen people doing this on numerous occasions — they scoot across one lane and wait in the centre then scoot across the other lane. Parents with small children do this to accompany their children to the primary school on the other side.

On Saturday mornings, and when there is an event at Kensington Stadium, Russell Rd, Douglas St and William St are packed with cars. All the occupants of these cars have to cross SH1. So scores of people “play chicken”, sometimes with logging trucks, milk tankers or tourist buses. Residents of and visitors to this part of Whanga¯rei need a legal safe way to cross SH1. And we need it quickly before there is a fatal accident.

I have tried a number of ways to get some action on this matter and am informed that I need evidence of the need. So this letter is a plea for others who consider this is a problem to contact me with your evidence or experience so that I can build a plausible case that Transit NZ/NZTA will give serious consideration. Julie Riggir Whanga¯rei

Dam burst

Your cartoonist’s depiction of a market trend was impressive, but based on the good old orthodox economist’s superstition that the market is itself a living entity with unfathomable reasons for its behaviour. The truth is much simpler.

Social Credit points out that industry does not pay out enough wages, salaries etc, to cover all the costs built into the prices of its products. Many economists now recognise, without realising that they agree with this analysis, that governments should put into circulation more money than they take in taxes.

“Balanced” government budgets result in increased private debt and, if this is continued, recession. This is why prosperity now follows war or preparation for it, when governments are forced to borrow heavily.

Otherwise, the economy relies for its health on growth.

Growth depends on business confidence to borrow, which controls how much banks can lend. High debt levels reduce confidence, resulting in a downturn in the economy, causing less confidence and so on.

A side effect is that, as businesses become less prosperous they are open to takeover.

This explains the growth of our increasingly big conglomerates and monopolies.

In this, small investors are competing with large banks that can create money to purchase assets. (Report of NZ Royal Commission on Monetary{etc.} systems, 1956.)

Similar pressures can be put on governments, as shown by recent propaganda that we should sell more of our national assets.

When the downturn does come, it is unlikely to be from a crack in the whole wall. More likely from special

little doors in the structure, only visible to and operated by big business with the right key. Which is their monopoly of the right to manufacture our money and claim it as their own.