I know I should bite my lip, but I hate dishonesty: Ric Oram promised us a scorched-earth campaign on rates, and the best he could muster has been a derogatory, and inaccurate, $25 ad in the News?
What's that about?
Here's what his ad (page 18, September 16) says:
The Mayor and his deputy agree that rate rises
have to be curbed.
Nah, Not a miracle: it's election time.
These two have presided over excessive rate rises
for several years.
They've had their chance:
give someone else a go at leadership.
Jeff Hill balances his business's books
without putting his charges up by nearly four times
the rate of annual inflation.
He doesn't even want a mayoral car.
Now, that's a good start.
Ric Oram
Where to start!
I don't know about Tony - he can speak for himself - but I've been saying for at least two years that I'm not happy about our rate rises. Every year for as far back as I go, I've said, consistently, that high rate rises are bad. But more important, the CODC has embarked on a root and branch attack on costs, with national experts leading us - elected members and staff - through demanding work on asset management and depreciation. But Ric wouldn't know about that - he hasn't shown any inclination to understand how local government works.
To imply that this is a cynical election stance is fundamentally dishonest.
I'm all in favour of giving someone else a go, but only if they have a better solution.
It's well known that rate or tax freezes just store up trouble for the future, and in the end cause even more harm. Jeff says he has held his hourly rate at less than he would like, but he hasn't told us what harm that has done to his business, and he hasn't told us about his investment in keeping up with his competitors. We don't know that he balances his books - he hasn't shown us the evidence. If he goes broke, is that the act of a hero or an idiot? Whatever, it's his choice, and only he and his family suffer. If your council goes broke, we all suffer, and so do our children and grandchildren.
If Jeff doesn't want a mayoral car (and, by the way, there is no such thing - I pay the costs of the car I drive) then he's either going to pay the costs of doing council business himself, or charge mileage. The latter will cost ratepayers a lot more! Again, whatever, we deserve to know.
Ric - is that your best shot!
Malcolm Macpherson
Thursday, September 16, 2010