Richard Moore's Straight Talk Columns

I did mention your rates would rise 10pc

5/4/2011

I KNOW that in our society we have taboos on four-letter words but, in Tauranga, there are two five-letter words regarded as more obscene than any others.

Can you guess what they are?

If you thought ``rates rises'' you'd be absolutely spot on.

There are no two words that get Tauranga folk foaming at the mouth more than the thought of having to pay large amounts of extra dosh to the city council every year that passes.

``Stop spending our money,'' they tell the council, usually through letters to the editor.

But it is hard to have much sympathy, because last year Tauranga had the chance to vote in people who vowed to reduce council spending - and didn't take the opportunity.

There were many candidates who not only said council spending had to be reined in, but came up with plans and examples on how to do it.

During the election campaign, I lost track of the number of times I was asked ``What will you do to keep rates down?''

I gave detailed answers and then said, possibly naively, that ``anyone who tells you rates will drop, or be under a 10 per cent rise, is lying''.

I said our city is swimming in debt - just under $400 million in the red - and that needs to be reduced quickly.

I guess it wasn't the most political thing to say, but it was honest and ... I didn't get into council.

Anyway, if you want to look up the Tauranga City Council website you will see how much your rates are going to go up by this year.

Is it 5 to 8 per cent?

According to the Draft Annual Plan 2011-2012, ratepayers in Tauranga are facing an average 10.4 per cent rates jump this coming year. That will take the average rates bill up to $1844 a year, or about $35.46 a week.

That's just a tad more than three councillors suggested during the October poll.

According to the draft plan, Tauranga City Council has made $33 million of savings by deferring and/or cutting back on some planned expenditure.

Note that doesn't mean projects being cancelled, just put back a bit.

And the council states it still must continue much of its planned programme of infrastructure development for existing and future growth needs.

If I may be a large fly in a small tin of ointment, one does have to ask what growth?

Tauranga is barely treading water as developments stop and people leave for more affordable places to live.

Massive expansion here is dead in the water and the sooner our leaders cut their cloth to fit, the better off we'll all be.

*******

What would happen if one of your kids was to say to a teacher that they were acting like Hitler?

I reckon there'd be hell to pay as the teacher huffed and puffed and took your little miscreant off to see the headmaster for a stern talking-to and a detention.

It would be seen as disrespect and heaven forbid anyone suggest that the gods and goddesses of the classroom should be treated in anything other than exalted light.

However, when the boot is on the other foot it seems the Teachers Council seems to think making outrageous comments is okay.

The council will take no further action against a stroppy principal who branded Education Minister Anne Tolley as behaving like Hitler over the introduction of National Standards.

If you remember, those standards were to compare all schools and kids' results by the same benchmarks to find out if teachers were actually educating children in the slightly vital matters of reading, writing and arithmetic.

You know the one R, a W and an A.

Anyway, Ms Marlene Campbell of Salford School, was taken to the Teachers Council after posting her thoughts on her big boss - the minister - on Facebook.

As you would expect from a teachers' body, they decided to do very little because while Campbell's comments were ``intemperate'', they were her opinion and she had apologised.

All very well and good, so the next time some kid let's their opinion about a teacher be known they will only have to apologise and not cop any other punishment?

Yeah right.

richard@richardmoore.com