The Ratepayers Have SPOKEN

Things have been very interesting in the Tauranga area lately, what with the local body elections etc, and some of the results have really surprised me.

The current bunch of councillors, have been pushing some very
grandios plans through the system - including a 23 million dollar
museum, an art gallery, a waterfront walkway cutting across private
property, and other projects too numerous to mention.

There has been great controversy - especially over the proposed museum.

The locals have vociferously opposed this project, but the council -
backed by a couple of women (Mary Dillon and Anne Pankhurst) and a couple of guys in particular - have ignored this and continued to push ahead with it, employing an
expensive manager from overseas, having test holes drilled in the sea
bed etc etc, much to the ratepayers disapproval.

I have had many letters published on this topic, highlighting these
things, not to mention that there are TWO entrepreneurs wishing to proceed with
a PRIVATELY OWNED museum.

In one of my letters I said it was immoral and irresponsible for the council to
continue pursuing this museum and force the ratepayers to fund it when
people were willing to provide one FREE of charge, responsibility and
compulsion.

ANYWAY.

All FOUR of these councillors were voted off the council at these elections, and all work on the proposed museum is now to be HALTED IMMEDIATELY.

One of these women - whom I have written about several times - Mary Dillon - has been on the council for 21 years. She just wrote in the newspaper that the Tauranga public have just voted out their hardest WORKING councillors (see my letter below in response to that load of bollocks!)

They still have the problem of the manager that they have employed - perhaps they will reassign him as a parking warden or something!

Another candidate for mayor - Bill Faulkner - said he would stop work on the museum immediately, and pursue the interest from private enterprise to build the museum. Unfortunately Bill did not win the mayoral title, but he is still on the council.

ALSO in the same elections, a maori chap by the name of Tommy "kapai" Wilson was standing for ENVIRONMENT BAY OF PLENTY. He wrote a letter in the local newspaper explaining to everybody why he was not standing for the maori seats. His reason - because - in his words - he wanted to be voted onto the board for his intelligence his passion and what he has to offer, and NOT just for the colour of his SKIN

WOW!

It has been the most interesting election I can recall, and I will be looking on with much interest in the near future.

Here is MY letter to the paper concerning the election

I see that some people believe that the hardest working councillors have been dropped! The way I see it is that the (ex) councillors who worked hardest at spending other peoples money have been dropped, and if they think spending other peoples money is hard work, then perhaps they could spend some of their spare time thinking of the people who actually have to "earn" that money in the first instance! - who knows, perhaps now they will actually even have to resort to that!
It appears the ratepaying public are tired of their earnings being raped and plundered by these looters, and have exercised their right via the democratic system to disagree with them and put the brakes on those who like shopping with other peoples cash. These busybodies refuse to take the hint though, and believe they still know what is best for you and me even though we have voted otherwise.

Now I say "bring on" the privately owned museum - I will be first in line for a ticket!