Arguing over Jaffas

With a couple of weeks to go on submissions, those slurping at the ratepayer trough are out to preserve their patches and the status quo, arguing amongst themselves.

Get over yourselves. Orklund is from the Bombays in the south to the Brynderwyns in the North and everything from one horizon to the other. Nothing more, nothing less. Both hills are natural barriers to the region, but unfortunately not big enough.

Having sorted that, the ratepayer does not need nine councils to manage just over 1 million Jafas. One council, one mayor, one HQ, end of story. The whole exercise is unfortunately doomed to failure as the internal squabbling has broken out.

Those that are trotting out the hoary old lack of democracy or iwi representation can bugger off. You will still have one vote for local government, if you could call local government that. Any notion of creating or retaining separately elected officers or committees based on skin colour or whether or not you feel like being an iwi today is promulgating racism.

While we are it, any with political affiliations are not to be allowed to be in local government - all interests should be declared. Should central government pass laws that require local government to enact such laws, then those should be fully funded forever by central government, not ratepayers.

And, no, a 'Lord Mayor' is not the title I would like. A plain and simple 'Mayor' says it all. Also, any suggestion that the eco-dinosaur from out west is to be the first such Mayor will not get my vote for he has done enough damage to my wallet already.