Letter to The Listener – from Anne Salmond and Rob Campbell, how will voting public take the new government?
Posted: May 9, 2024 Filed under: Letters | Tags: Anne Salmond, National government, new Cluster government, Rob Campbell, The Listener, The Post Leave a commentThe Editor, The Listener, Auckland
30/04/ 2024
Dear Editor:
This new ‘cluster’ government is the angriest, most desperate, and will likely prove to be the most destructive government in the history of this country. Commentators like Dame Anne Salmond suggest that public trust in the new government will be lost. This is a reasonable expectation, but what is a ‘reasonable expectation’ in this Post Truth Era where denial has become mainstream? There are first signs of such a loss of faith now.
In his The Post article last Friday, Rob Campbell comes up with a different ‘reasonable expectation’. He sees that the voting public might be slow to react to the dangers, partly due to deep seated prejudices, so the Cluster may be able to get re-elected, or at least stay in front on the polls for a good long while. He also suggests that a bigger threat to their support might be if they don’t ‘deliver’ on their promises to their base, the rich and rich aspiring. The base is already upping the ante by saying they need more ‘certainty’ and ‘support’ to go along with ‘change’ and ‘freedom’. That makes it likely that the cluster will go all the harder with their destructive policies.
Very insightful. But what he could add is that in this Post Truth Era, when we all know that only fundamental change away from exploitation will give us a chance for a sustainable future, that the terror of this knowledge may provide a temporary acceptance of that accelerated destruction.
Sincerely,
Richard Keller
Letter (email) to Mayor Whanau
Posted: May 2, 2024 Filed under: Letters, Letters-to-Pols | Tags: Dave Armstrong, Mt Victoria traffic tunnel, neo-liberal, neo-liberal desperation, tunnels, WCC 1 CommentHello Mayor Whanau,
Yesterday’s (Tuesday, 30/04/24) column by Dave Armstrong hit the bullseye on what is going on at WCC. Take heed, please. There’s still time to ‘get back on track’. But you will have to realize and correct two main problems you brought with you to the mayoralty.
Read more: Letter (email) to Mayor Whanau1. You didn’t understand the deep neo-liberal ideology of the senior WCC staff. You must talk to them at their own depth of ideology (not their language, but their particular depth of desperation) to let them know you are (finally) on to them. That is, put them in their place as Armstrong suggests if you are going to have a chance.
2. You didn’t understand the raving desperation of the opposition on council. Don’t try to respond to that level of desperation, that level of raving. Rather, stick to what you say you believe in.
Keep in mind that you did not get a ‘compromise’ with the new government. The worst thing that could happen to Wellington would be another traffic tunnel under Mt Victoria, and that is what you gave them. They are out to destroy Wellington.
Sincerely,
Richard Keller
Lyall Bay
Letter to Editor – The Post
Posted: April 29, 2024 Filed under: Letters | Tags: Anne Salmond, cluster government, Dame Anne Salmond, Donna Miles, Luke Malpass, neo-liberal, Post Truth Era, Rob Campbell, Tracy Watkins Leave a commentHello The Post,
Copied below is a letter intended for publication. A bit long, but as Rob Campbell’s article on Friday illustrated, new relationships may be emerging which need to be looked at thoroughly. And importantly, in the international context. Your most important columnist has been Donna Miles as being an immigrant and refugee she is in the best position to help us understand our country in this Post Truth Era where denial has become mainstream. To try to break through this toxic trance we are in (as evidenced by the new government, the angriest, most desperate, and looking like the most destructive government this country has ever had.)
BTW, I never read Luke Malpass as he never fails to sound pompous and self centered; how can he be helpful? Of course, I do realize you are a very manipulative editor and are trying to misrepresent who we are in favour of the neo-liberal desperation surrounding us.
Sincerely,
Richard Keller
Read more: Letter to Editor – The PostThe Editor, The Post, Wellington
29/04/ 2024
Dear Editor:
This new ‘cluster’ government is the angriest, most desperate, and will likely prove to be the most destructive government in the history of this country. Commentators like Dame Anne Salmond suggest that public trust in the new government will be lost. This is a reasonable expectation, but what is a ‘reasonable expectation’ in this Post Truth Era where denial has become mainstream? The latest poll shows there may be a turn in these early days.
In his The Post article last Friday, Rob Campbell comes up with a different ‘reasonable expectation’. He sees that the voting public might be slow to react to the dangers, partly due to deep seated prejudices, so the Cluster may be able to get re-elected, or at least stay in front on the polls for a good long while. He also suggests that a bigger threat to their support might be if they don’t ‘deliver’ on their promises to their base, the rich and rich aspiring. The base is already upping the ante by saying they need more ‘certainty’ and ‘support’ to go along with ‘change’ and ‘freedom’. That makes it likely that the cluster will go all the harder with their destructive policies.
Very insightful. But what he could add is that in this Post Truth Era, when we all know that only fundamental change away from exploitation will give us a chance for a sustainable future, that the terror of this knowledge may provide a temporary acceptance of that accelerated destruction.
Sincerely,
Richard Keller
Letter to the Editor of The Post, Tracy Watkins
Posted: April 25, 2024 Filed under: Letters | Tags: Reading Cinema, Simeon Brown, The Post, Tracey Watkins, tunnel desperation, WCC Leave a commentHello Editor,
The Reading Cinema deal is the most divisive issue? Come on. Why do you have so little respect for the people of Wellington. That’s easy; just tax them.
The biggest issue is the bizarre and destructive efforts of the new government led by Simeon Brown in transport. From the desperate tunnel to Kilbirnie to the worst thing that could happen to Wellington, namely another traffic tunnel under Mt Victoria, Brown is one out of control dude. It’s not even the government’s decision about this. The WCC council has made decisions and will continue to make decisions about transport.
It’s so transparent that you are just trying to attack the mayor.
Sincerely,
Richard Keller
Lyall Bay, Wellington
Letter to The Post replying to a letter describing the new government as not a typical ‘National’ government
Posted: April 10, 2024 Filed under: Letters | Tags: back on track, Charles Bagnal, climate change, far right ideology, letters to editor, lettersbyrwk, National government, nuclear deterrence, nuclear weapons, Radha Sahar, The Post Leave a commentThe Editor, The Post, Wellington
07/04/ 2024
Dear Editor:
Radha Sahar and Charles Bagnall (Off the track, 5 Apr) suggest the new government is not a real ‘National’ government but one supporting the selfish agenda of the far-right. And at the end they say ‘middle-ground’ National voters should stand up and get the party ‘back on track.’
While hopeful, I don’t think they are characterizing ‘middle’ National voters properly. Yes, this government is pushing far-right agendas. They have formed the most angry, most desperate government this country has ever seen. They know, as we all do, that this far-right agenda brings no prospect of a future ready to take on the existential challenges of climate change, nuclear weapons, and generally the global overshoot of our ecosystems by human civilization.
Actually, this triumvirate of parties has never tried to hide their anger and desperation against reality, bulldozing progress (“get NZ back on track”), and there is no reason to think that voters haven’t voted for that and haven’t got what they wanted. This desperation is very shallow, certainly, and it may not last, but let’s call it what is right now for the sake of clarity and honesty.
Sincerely,
Richard Keller
Submission to government on WCC District Plan
Posted: April 7, 2024 Filed under: Letters, Letters-to-Pols | Tags: affordable housing, Chris Bishop, District Plan, WCC Leave a commentTo: chris.bishop@parliament.govt.nz
Subject: Yes to the Wellington District Plan amendments
Kia ora Minister,
I don’t know why the government needs to ‘approve’ the District Plan as the Wellington City Council has already voted on the plan. And I have the impression that your government is out to get Wellington because it has an elected progressive council. But It seems you have to make some kind of approval. Please approve, thanks.
I am a resident of Wellington, and am emailing you to ask that you please approve all of the pro-housing amendments councillors made to the Wellington District Plan last month.
I am in favour of these amendments, because: affordability, climate change, healthier homes, less overcrowding, more housing choice, a vibrant city, transport options, more accessible dwellings.
You have my full support to approve the councillors’ amendments.
Ngā mihi nui,
Richard Keller
Submission on the Draft Government Policy Statement on Land Transport 2024-34
Posted: April 3, 2024 Filed under: Letters, Other, submissions | Tags: DGPS 2024, land transport, lettersbyrwk, submission Leave a commentSubmission on the Draft Government Policy Statement on Land Transport 2024-34
02 April, 2024
Richard Keller
lettersbyrwk.wordpress.com
General Observations on land transport
Land transport begins with people moving and also includes goods transport.
Generally speaking there are priorities which need to be implemented in order of importance in any transport plan. Densely populated areas will likely have contention on implementation while less densely populate areas will likely have different challenges.
- Pedestrians. Safety and availability of use are critical.
- Individual non-motorized vehicle (e.g bicycles, scooters, etc)
- Mass transit – trains (light rail) and busses
- Last, and ironically least considering their enormous cost and dominance, personal motor transport.
- Goods, heavy transport –
- Trains and coastal shipping
- Trucks – the most damaging and costly infrastructure, so must be discouraged.
Observations on the implied draft plan strategic viewpoint
We must stop using fossil fuels in order to combat the worst effects of climate change. Implementing the priority order on my general observations would be a terrific guide to such a forward looking plan. Where that would lead in the long run is difficult to predict. But this new government’s direction is clearly in direct contradiction to that direction which is no surprize whatsoever. This government is the most angry and desperate government this country has ever seen.
In general, transport infrastructure must be directed toward ‘mode shift’ initiatives which appears to be missing from the draft plan.
Observations on the draft plan priority projects
Clearly the so-called ‘roads of national significance’ is a key element of this plan’s desperation.
The deliberate downgrading of rail is another sign of this desperation.
In terms of Wellington transport, the worst thing that could happen would be another traffic tunnel under Mt Victoria as it would induce more traffic and more congestion, so naturally that will be (already is) National’s top priority. That even though the Wellington City Council has never prioritized that and if left alone, would reject it in favour of more ‘mode shift’ initiatives.
Letter to The Listener about the “Freedom Occupation” nature of the new government
Posted: March 31, 2024 Filed under: Letters | Tags: "freedom", freedom to exploit, mode shift, occupation, smoking, speed limits, The Listener 1 CommentThe Editor, The Listener, Auckland
28 March, 2024
Dear Editor:
It is certainly apropos (Listener cover, 5 April) to question why highway safety plans (speed limits notably) are being reversed by the new government. But there is a feeling of surprize in the way you put it.
Read more: Letter to The Listener about the “Freedom Occupation” nature of the new governmentThere should be no surprize. It is consistent with other new directions of the government. Smoking is another initiative of health and cost of living which the previous government had been forward on which the new government is quickly reversing to the detriment of the future health of this country.
And perhaps the most influential long range policy of the new government is its startling, though not surprizing, aggressive attack on climate change initiatives (like ‘mode shift’ in transport) and other ecosystem issues.
What the new government is doing is implementing ‘freedom of choice’ priority. Freedom to drive too fast and demand the road to themselves; freedom to smoke, perhaps even to share their smoke with others; and freedom to continue to exploit the planet beyond its capacity to provide. And very likely they will further loosen common sense virus control measures like mask wearing.
To put it another way, this new government is the government of the occupation. The anti-mandate occupation of parliament where the freedom to exploit and threaten the health and safety of others was selfishly at the centre, and which violence was in their heart and soul.
Sincerely,
Richard Keller
Letter to Luxon and Peters
Posted: March 8, 2024 Filed under: Letters, Letters-to-Pols | Tags: Christopher Luxon, ICJ, International Court of Justice, Israel, Rafah, South Africa, Winston Peters Leave a comment| Rt Hon Christopher Luxon Prime Minister Rt Hon Winston Peters Foreign Minister Kia ora Mr Luxon kōrua ko Mr Peters, New Zealand must join South Africa’s emergency appeal to the International Court of Justice to prevent genocide in attack on Rafah The government has been clear it opposes the proposed Israeli ground offensive in Rafah where more than a million Palestinians are jammed in with heavy Israeli bombing already killing hundreds of Palestinians. I agree with the government that “the humanitarian consequences of an offensive in Rafah would be appalling I am therefore urging the government to join South Africa’s urgent request to International Court of Justice on Rafah offensive. So far New Zealand has stood alongside the US/Israel position with only weak mumblings to end Israel’s slaughter of Palestinians in Gaza. Please take this action alongside South Africa so New Zealand finally stands up against Israeli plans to continue its genocidal assault on Gaza. |
Sincerely,
Richard Keller
Read more: Letter to Luxon and PetersWater metres not useful in finding leaks
Posted: February 13, 2024 Filed under: Letters | Tags: bicycles, Dave Armstrong, neo-liberal desperation, neoliberal, pedestrians, The Post, water, water meters, water pipes Leave a commentThe Editor, The Post, Wellington
13/02/ 2024
Dear Editor:
Last week Dave Armstrong made the simple and convincing observation that water metres are not helpful in finding household leaks. Yet this week The Post article says water metres are favoured by regional mayors.
How bizarre, yet not surprizing. Water metres have been on the agenda ever since the beginning of the neo-liberal desperation in the 80s. It was seen as a way to outsource the provision of water, privatising profits while retaining public risk. What a waste of money which could be used for future looking projects like helping Wellington Water purge their neo-liberal inclinations and concentrate on finding system leaks, as well as used for the comparatively small cost of providing safe transport access for pedestrians and cyclists.
Sincerely,
Richard Keller
published 17/02/24
lettersbyrwk 