Richard Moore's Straight Talk Columns

No place for kindergarten antics at council

6/7/2010

IT WAS a really sad moment and one that's going to haunt me for quite some time to come.

I hate seeing kids cry because they've hurt themselves and the other day I came across a child balling his eyes out in a corridor.

He was sitting alone on a chair surrounded by what looked like several forests of used tissue paper.

Crikey, I thought, he must have really injured himself but I couldn't see any cuts or bruises - just gallons of tears.

In these days of suspicion you do need to be wary approaching strange kids but seeing his condition I put aside fears and went up to him.

``Hey, little fella, what's the problem. Have you hurt yourself?''

His little bottom lip trembled and his eyes poured forth another waterfall. ``No-o-o-o-o.''

``Well, what's wrong, have you lost your mummy and daddy?''

More waterworks and a big stilted inhale. ``No-o-o-o-o-o.''

``Lose your dummy?'

``No-o-o-o-o-o.''

``Well, what's wrong then?''

``I-I-I c-c-can't deal with him any-y-y-y mo-o-re.''

``Who? Little bleary-eyed chap.''

``C-C-Councillor Bill Grainger of course, he's mean and I-I-I'm not going to be on a comm-mm-mmitt-ee with him until he says sorry and m-m-means it.''

And that folks is how I picture Councillor Mike Baker, who has taken it upon himself to protest about his fellow councillor by not sitting on hearings committee meetings with him.

If you will remember Cr Baker plonked himself down for a month outside the councillors' lounge in a one-man protest over Cr Hayden Evans secretly taping conversations.

This time around it's over comments made by Cr Grainger over a perceived lack of impartiality on resource consent applications and an apology Baker branded a ``Clayton's'' one.

Fair go, who have we got running this city?

If it's not bitching, moaning and back-stabbing, we residents of Tauranga have to put up with silliness that you wouldn't take from a kindergarten class let alone elected officials.

Let's get some sensible folk in charge.

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Disturbing news on Tauranga city's financial front ... It seems that while the much-debated sport and exhibition centre remains on target to cost $39 million ratepayer dollars there could be a nasty surprise waiting to jump out of the wood pile.

There have been problems with the centre's foundation piles, which are inconsistent and under strength. Now talks have started between the contractor, Hawkins Construction, the council and a subcontractor on how the extra costs will be shared out.

As I see it, why should council be looking to pay any more if the price for the project was signed off at the start? Seems a funny way to do business ...

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And here's a little whinge to whomever is responsible for producing the pre-stickered rubbish bags for Tauranga.

Why don't you ensure every bag in the pack have a freaking sticker on.

Two of the last lot I bought were without the pink label. If it happens again I'll be delivering my stickerless rubbish bag back to where I got them - Countdown at Papamoa - complete with contents.

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Oooh, and here's a big hello to the mannerless fogey at the Shell petrol station in Papamoa the other day.

There was a big queue waiting to pay at one counter so the staff opened the other machine.

Quick as a flash an old guy motored from about seventh in the line to usurp the new spot.

He moved so fast his wrinkles smoothed to a botox-like state.

He barefacedly ignored comments from an irked customer who asked the teller if he could not only pay for his petrol but ``buy a packet of manners for the rude old guy''.

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Hooray! Soccer's uber cheat - Diego Maradona - has been kicked out of the World Cup.

The former Hand of God, who cheated England out of the 1986 World Cup with a blatant hand-balled goal, and his mob were thumped 4-0 by the Germans.

It's not often we sing the praises of Germans but We Don't Cry for Thee Argentina.