Someone's got to sort this mess out
WHEN anyone disagrees with WAG, there’s a pile on in the Beacon letters until they give up and shut up. I’m thankful that Dave Stewart has not been bullied into silence as well. There’s more than a few of us who are also sick of WAG’s constant grumbling, negativity and disinformation, and who are pleased to see his comments published in the Beacon.
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My concerns about WAG’s negativity is that it risks hiding the costs and outcomes that are the alternatives, as we discovered after the post-election euphoria of the cancellation of the previous government’s water reforms – a $440,000,000 ratepayer bill. This concerns the risk of the support WAG have given to central Government’s attacks on local democracy under the banner of “local government reform” without knowing what it will look like. We only need to ask the good folk of Dunedin with the huge protests over the hospital cancellation or Wairarapa, with the eye watering hike in user pays road tolls, to see how badly that can turn out.
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I am disappointed but not surprised that WAG does not see itself as having to offer alternatives to the programmes they criticise because, as we all know, criticising someone or something is easy. Alternatives are harder. And we do all acknowledge that there is a lot the council could do better. As my opinion piece pointed out, banging on about something you don’t like without clearly laying out the alternative has led us to face a $440,000,000 bill as the alternative to the old Three Waters legislation. I thank WAG for owning their support for this alternative.
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Whakatane Action Group are using rhetoric that suits their argument but is at odds with the truth. This is becoming a concerning habit, especially around a democratic process.
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Source Fri, Jul 12, 2024 PDF Not a budget for all New Zealanders I AM writing in response to Dana Kirkpatrick’s Members Only piece in the Beacon July 3. As part of the protest group Postpone The Tax Cuts, we met with Ms Kirkpatrick on May 3 this year and conveyed to her our concerns […]
Continue ReadingWell, I guess when you read this from a year ago, I kind of walked my way in to running for council without even realizing it. If there’s one thing I don’t like, it’s people who say they don’t like something but haven’t got the balls to front up and fight for what they believe. […]
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“With the coalition Government’s tax cuts being universally condemned, I think it’s important to ask that they be postponed,” Stewart said. Tax cuts for middle to low income earners were one of the National party’s campaign promises during last year’s election, however, many are opposed to them through fear of where funds will be taken from. Stewart said the Government would pay for them with increases in other areas.
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Whakatāne man Dave Stewart has been spurred by the hate and vitriol directed at Jacinda Ardern to demonstrate his gratitude for her public service. Stewart has been seen every day, since Monday, standing on prominent roundabouts or roadsides in Whakatāne during peak traffic hours holding a sign saying, “Thank you Jacinda, best PM ever”. He intends to continue for the rest of this week. He said the purpose of his stance has been to stand up to all the bullying and hate that Ardern had been subject to.
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