Excuse me?

A talkfest is underway on how to waste rates in Orklund this week and I do not hold much hope for any progress. Especially when I see comments like this

The really interesting issue for me is that we haven't fully quantified the problem and fully identified what it is that Wellington is hoping to achieve by the [commission]. We are still not grasping the real issue...

Interesting that a councillor elected on a red ticket is working on the premise that any final outcome needs to match what Liarbour deems needs to be achieved. Why bother?

This confirms the suspected MO, that the commission is just being an excuse to head off livid ratepayers in an election year.

Here's my view of some extremely quantifiable bits to help her on her way

• Rates are too high
• Bureaucracy at local government is rampant
• 8 councils to run one city is not on
• Between council turf wars
• Infrastructure massively underfunded
• Councils playing social engineers
• Cost plus regime for ratepayers using services they have already paid for
  

and the fix

• Major infrastructure should be fully funded from central government
• One council to run the whole city, ending parochial wars
• Wield a knife in the bureaucracy
• Gut social engineering and public transport from local government
• Arterial roading to be fully funded from central government
  
• Council to stick to managing parks, local roads, local water/sewerage, rubbish collection
• Ditch all rates input into sports stadia and the like
• Stop the twin-cities waste of rates
• One set of rules for all cultures
• No second airport
  

Unfortunately, I suspect my grandchildren will be having this same discussion. It has been going on for 4 decades that I know of and still has not been addresssed.