Letters: Do politicians know how bad our rural roads are? Ethan Blackadder will be a future All Black
New York has the Statue of Liberty, Rio has Christ the Redeemer and now Auckland has a Buddhist statue on a hilltop at Waiwera. Why worry?
Steve Alpe, Birkenhead.
David Seymour
It is with a feeling of deja vu when reading Simon Wilson's opinion piece covering the 'brushfire politics' of David Seymour. In Seymour's quest to win over the bitter and twisted in our society, he manipulates the strings he knows he needs to pull. Wandering away from the facts so he blossoms in the eyes of admirers, filling them with an immense belief in their own superiority.
What a shame people have forgotten the horrors meted out to those vulnerable, those who are not able to stand up for themselves. The recent disrobing of Briton's past Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, to today's unruly, self-indulgent Donald Trump. Alongside him, feathering their own nests, are the other egomaniacs running countries.
Seymour is a little fish in this big ocean, but one who knows how to swim with the incoming tide.
Emma Mackintosh, Birkenhead.
Speed limits
People like Gary Hollis (July 2) would apparently like to turn back the clock 100 years for NZ motorists, perhaps to the days where it was required for cars to have someone walk ahead waving a flag to warn of the following vehicle?
He states speed is a factor in 29% of NZ accidents compared to 54% in global cases. Maybe NZ driving habits of impatience create better awareness the world could learn from?
No, speed is not a factor in itself but 'dangerous speed' combined with other factors is. Things like drugs, cell phone use while driving, inexperience and youthful bravado are the most dangerous contributing factors while speed is only a minor contributor, convenient only to catch or fine the offending drivers.
Paul Gillespie, Windsor Park.
Safer roads
All of the current 110km/h roads have dual carriageways. Corners are sweeping with no blind spots. The road surface is exemplary, smooth and flat. Median barriers stretch the length of the road.
These factors makes crashes, head-on, at high speed a remote possibility. Speed mentioned as in Gary Hollis' letter, fails to mention that those road deaths did not occur on stretches of road gazetted for a 110km limit. This needs to be kept in balance when being critical of these roads that are, and should be, the benchmark in safety.
John Ford, Taradale.
Loyal to the jersey
I am sounding like Sir Richard Hadlee, but I must say congratulations to one great true and honest New Zealander for being loyal to his country.
This man is Ethan Blackadder who has re-signed with the Crusaders and let me tell you Ethan your day will come as an All Black and a fulltime All Black. All the very best to you.
Gary Stewart, Foxton Beach.
The price of butter
In NZ, we are forced to pay the 'international market' price for the dairy products produced in our own country. Yet despite a price drop in four consecutive international auctions, the price of NZ butter is still over $10 a pound and all of our dairy products continue to rise.
New Zealanders are being ripped off by this home-grown product and our young and elderly suffer through bad nutrition as a result. Far be it for me to push for government control, but it is patently clear that self-regulation of this vital market is detrimental to the health of our nation.
Kent Millar, Blockhouse Bay.
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