Here are two good letters from Saturday's Christchurch Press which I thought I'd post here.
The National Council of Women (NCWNZ), an apolitical organisation, has an established policy around rental accomodation for low income people. Therefore, it is with considerable concern and disappointment that we write regarding the Chrstchurch City Council's response to the recent court decision - the council's decision to suspend all non-esential maintenance on its housing stock.
Leaving aside how worrying all of this must be for council tenants, it is nothing short of insulting for the tenants to find out via The Press that maintenance men were withdrawn, leaving jobs apparently uncompleted.
The Local Government Act requires local authorities to act efficiently and democratically in everything that they do, and it behoves the council to attend to its responsibilities under the Act in an appropiate manner.
Marie Bean, President, NCWNZ, Christchurch branch
I always understood it was the council's responsibility to administer support for the more vulnerable in society, not treat them as a captive cash cow to prop up the failing businesses of his friend to the tune of $17 million, while he sordidly mugs to the camera smugly brandishing dildoes and doobies.
I'm at a loss for words to describe how disgusted I am at Bailout Bob's petty and vindictive pogrom of council tenants, by first trying to fleece them of their meagre income, then denying them their basic human rights by maliciously and deliberately condemning them to a life of misery in cold, damp, unmaintained hell-holes.
I always understood it was the council's responsibility to administer support for the more vulnerable in society, not treat them as a captive cash cow to prop up the failing businesses of his friend to the tune of $17 million, while he sordidly mugs to the camera smugly brandishing dildoes and doobies.
Its my policy to rally against such selfish and greedy Thatcherites, and do my level best to put an end to their poisonous anti-social careers.
AJ Bennett, Lyttelton
Christchurch City Council hikes its rents to Council tenants by a massive 24%. A large number of these tenants are eligible for rent assistance from WINZ, resulting in a massive transfer of funds from Government coffers to the Council via the bank accounts of their tenants.
ReplyDeleteThe result? Megashonk "free market" advocate Dave Henderson becomes perhaps NZ's biggest single welfare beneficiary due to the Council's effective use of WINZ funding to protect him from his own incompetence.
Yes but there is a real problem here.
ReplyDeleteCouncil Strategy gobbledyoook Plans say that rentals should be 80% of market rental;
and rentals are actually now 50% of market value.
Not that this excuses the mindless zeal that this Council has to rebuilding the city and without any input from Citizens.
Mike Wall arrogant Fendalton Councillor sees no need for executive and Mayor to consult Council over any action of significance.
I repeat we can not easily overturn this Mayor, we need to find an alternative.
Sideshow has written to Council tenants to inform them that any upgrades in progress on their homes will be completed, and that essential maintenance will still be carried out.
ReplyDeleteUnlike his vote-fishing letter from last year the tone is not one of reassurance, just basic "facts" spinning the lie that rent upgrades were intended to fund nebulous upgrades. As far as can be determined none of the "upgrades" currently in progress are anything more than what had previously been classified as routine maintenance - for example, all Council units are repainted every few years according to a long-established schedule.
Unlike his previous letter, Parker's message fails to reaffirm his commitment to Council housing. Before he signs off by referring any queries to "your Housing Officer" he offers only this:
You may have heard suggestions that the Council will get out of social housing. Our current housing strategy would not allow this.
Gail Sheriff may gnaw at the furniture to her heart's content, then - Bob's in no hurry to tug on her leash.