Meeting about Mt Albert Issues

The Mt Albert Residents Association is holding a meeting at 7pm on Wednesday June 11th at Gladstone School about lack of progress on several issues affecting Mt Albert residents. If you live in Mt Albert I encourage you to go along and have your say. See flyer here.

The little house in Potters Park

I walked passed the bronze villa replica in Potters Park yesterday. This small sculture caused a lot of angst when the Eden-Albert Community Board paid $20 000 for it. I have to admit that even I did not realise how small it is and on top of that it now seems to be corroding badly. Yes, that really is a $2 coin leaning up against it.

It reminded me why I ran for the community board – to try to prevent this blatant missuse of ratepayers money!

Housing Afforability in Auckland

I agree with the council renegotiating the Affordable Housing scheme. Aaron Bhatnagar sums up the affordable housing issue nicely. There are essentially two arguments from the perspective of the Auckland City Council which has been elected with a mandate to hold rates rises to a minimum

1.        Holding rates rises and council costs will improve housing affordability, because the ongoing cost of housing, as well as the purchase price have become major issues for Auckland’s sustainability and building 100 houses targeted to a select few will do nothing to ease the problems

2.       They recognise that housing is a central government issue because it is central government that sets the economic agenda and collects taxes to distribute through welfare and HCNZ to target affordability of accommodation.

Being a young person who will be looking to have a family soon I am probably more concerned about affordable housing than most people but I recognise that central government must take a real lead on this issue, and I consider if City Vision was really concerned they would be lobbying their own Labour led government very hard on to bring in a long term solution to this issue.

 

I welcome your feedback

 

Kevin is also intending to run a series of blogs on the housing affordability issue

Their version of open governance….?

Our main opposition blogsite moderates their comments and only chooses those with a postive spin. Does that sound familiar?

We welcome all comments and suggestions. No wonder our central and local government can never get the best advice because they only listen to their yes men.

We need all voices to be heard in this country. While they go on about “diversity” we embrace all ethnicities, cultures, genders, etc and we also stand for individual freedom and responsibility of expression, association and enterprise.

Please send your vote now – and change the council to people who will listen to all views!

Stop squabbling and get on with the job of governing!

I was very interested to read this atricle and wholeheartedly agree that civic leader should stop squabbling. In fact I would go further and say that all of our government institutions, employees and elected representatives should stop squabbling and get on with the business they are there for. The amount of time and money wasted on government vs government issues in this country boarders on criminal. We should resolve these issues in a spirit of cooperation not confrontation, for the good of our region, country and economy.

An extreme example of this at a national government level was the case where the Housing Corporation was trying to evict tenants who had been involved in violently threatening neighbours. You had the HC, police, and the justice department all involved no doubt with the tenants receiving Winz and legal support.

Our government and local body institutions owe it to us to settle their differences in a cost effective manner, not waste millions of dollars on legal fees. Then this money could be used for the purpose that the rates and taxes was taken for in the first place.

Oh Rubbish

Here’s what I mean about the council neglecting its core duties. Despite the fact there seems to be a flurry of roadworks at election time they still don’t seem to be able to deal with the overflowing rubbish bins. Surely this is an essential core activity – necessary for our health, wealth and image as a city. Come on lets change the council and try to get some extra core services for those massive rates your paying.

By voting for the Citizens and Ratepayers candidates – Ryan Hicks, Wendy Tighe-Umbers and David Ross – for Auckland City Council in Eden-Albert will give us the best chance of changing the council and stopping the money being wasted on extraneous activities.

  

“Visual Pollution” and the saga of the street signs

Law abiding business people seem to be being targeted by the council in a campaign against signs. There are many horror sotries out there. These are just some of them.

Council Candidates

þ Wendy Tighe-Umbers

þ Ryan Hicks

þ David Ross

Hello Eden-Albert!

Stop the Massive Rates Rises in Auckland

                Change the Council

Vote Citizens and Ratepayers

Welcome to the Citizens and Ratepayers Eden-Albert Ward campagin. We have an extraordinary lineup of candidates for you.

Please feel free to leave us comments!

Look at our fantastic candidates

Council Candidates

þ Wendy Tighe-Umbers

þ Ryan Hicks

þ David Ross

Community Board Candidates

þ Silva Bassett

þ Ryan Hicks

þ Mike Loftus

þ Pam Malcolm

.