Borrowing book charges

Recognising that in times of economic stringency there is a tendency to look for ways of raising funds for public services other than by taxation, the Association asserts that it is essential that a basic level of public library provision be retained in accordance with its Standards for Public Libraries, 2004:

1. Public libraries should be free and universally available.
2. Public library services should be available free of charge, except such charges as defined in the Standards.

The UNESCO Public Library Manifesto (1994) states that “Constructive participation and the development of democracy depend on satisfactory education as well as on free and unlimited access to knowledge, thought, culture and information.”

Public library usage in this country is amongst the highest in the western world and LIANZA opposes any limitations on access to collections by New Zealanders due to user charges.

So this is the official position for New Zealand public libraries.

Funny that. Things are done differently here on at 40S.

Tararua District Library provides public library services at four locations throughout the Tararua District.

There is an annual card fee of $10 for those 18 years and over, due in July. The card gives you full use of each of our four community libraries for the purpose of borrowing books

And obviously Tararua District Council public libraries are not members of LIANZA.

If it goes ahead, New Zealand and Denmark will be the only two countries to charge for library loans.

And TV One would do well to do some research before making claims that Tauranga charging would be in new territory charging for borrowing books.

In Tararua, it has been so for almost a decade. And is now considering removing the charge because their customers have plummeted to one third.

Normal council service, business as usual

The sky is falling as Rodney Hide pulls the plug on council owned water supplies and heads for privatisation.

would allow councils to contract out water and wastewater to private companies for 35 years. Worse, it would allow private companies to own and control water supply

There's those dreaded NACTional words again. Not only will he eat your babies, but we are to have more stuff privatised. Warnings, such as below are dire.

Not only have many councils and governments had to deal with a community of people struggling to pay their water bills but they also faced budget overruns, sloppy service, erosion of environmental standards, public health crises and corruption

So service wont be any different from what we get from councils now? Business as usual I'd say.

Get on with it Rodders. Anything that cuts the feral socialists and watermelon greenies that infest councils out of the loop to provide core services is good in my book. I look forward to dealing with a capitalist company without the cost-inflationary social engineering.

Gov 2.0 - SeeClickFix

Craig Newmark, founder of Craigslist and a customer-service guru, was riding on a public train in San Francisco, California, recently when something common but annoying occurred: The railcar filled with people and became uncomfortably hot.

If the inconvenience had happened a few years ago, Newmark said he would have just gone on with his day -- maybe complaining about the temperature to a friend.

But this was 2009, the age of mobile technology, so Newmark pulled out his iPhone, snapped a photo of the train car and, using an app called "SeeClickFix," zapped an on-the-go complaint, complete with GPS coordinates, straight to City Hall.

"A week or so later I got an e-mail back saying, 'Hey, we know about the problem and we're going to be taking some measures to address it,' " he said.

Something we would never see here or get to work in New Zealand. A government department or local council shouldering responsibility.

Instead of people saying, 'Well, it's the government's job to fix that' ... people are taking ownership and saying, 'Hey, wait a minute. Government is us. We are government. So let's take a responsibility and start changing things ourselves.

About as much chance of John Key getting something like this included in a Super City.

For some cities and for some governments I could understand that transition can be a scary thing, ... But we feel like it makes governments more accountable, and it makes them function better

Room for an entrepreneur here. Unfortunately, each of the councils and government departments will cry foul on compatibility. INCIS, anyone?

With such a program nationwide, I feel that I could easily forward pics of all those potholes on the short road into town to the Tararua Mayor to see if they elicit a response like an actual repair. Some of those potholes have been repeatedly and annually remarked for repair with white paint for the past decade. The only things that have grown is the number and size of the potholes. Who knows, even the ones opposite her house recently remarked may even get repaired with such an entrepreneurial application.

Anything that makes government function better with a whole lot less of it in my face and wallet is good in my book.

Unfortunately, here in New Zealand, the whitewash is the repair.

Mayor favours arson to restore community

The Christchurch 'house of horrors' is no more.

And its disappearance off the landscape is a huge relief, according to city mayor Bob Parker

Unbelievable. A New Zealand mayor favours arson attempting to restore a community. He has been vocally supportive of the building's destruction from day one. Especially since ferals torched it on more than one occasion.

Christchurch Mayor Bob Parker described an earlier fire as a "turning point" for the community

That house was owned by someone, whether the taxpayer via being a state house or privately. I daresay neither will be compensated for the loss of their property by state-mandated arson.

A most foul turning point indeed when the Christchurch Mayor endorses arson.

Chasing taniwha

Environment Waikato wants the Government to pay for switching Waikato River management regimes as a result of a pending Treaty settlement.

Both the regional council and the territorial authorities consider that these costs should not be passed on to the ratepayers

Amazing how councils grow some under a National government. Pity all councils did not ask for full costs when foisted with central government lunacies.

Meanwhile a new motorway is to built further south. One day in, a taniwha that needs its palm to be greased has surfaced.

A small dead rat

The Bush Telegraph (not online) reports tonight that one of the local dens of taxpayer theft that rape my wallet as a ratepayer, Tararua District Council, is about to rescind a decision that was made six years ago supposedly in the name of efficiencies.

You see, they decided in their wisdom, that users could pay for their libraries to the tune of $10 per year.

Users since that fateful day have voted with their feet - a 55% decline in adult users. I was one of them. I feel that local libraries are a service that rates should fund. Rather than gold plating the streets with fancy pavers for example.

The decision will be put out for the unwashed to consider in next year's Draft Annual Plan, as will be opening hours that might actually suit those in the community.

I look forward to the proposed change and will be in to check if the book stock has changed since I was last there. Who knows, I might even get to see a certain politician reading bedtime stories about dead rats to that other dying breed, education unionists.

Brown Mafia Contractors Limited

Rorts at council troughs continue unabated.

• In order to recognise and respect the Crown's responsibility to take appropriate account of the principles of the Treaty of Waitangi and to maintain and improve opportunities for Māori to contribute to local government decision-making processes, Parts 2 and 6 provide principles and requirements for local authorities that are intended to facilitate participation by Māori in local authority decision-making processes.

The above clause 4 from the Local Government Act contains fancy words about giving them a place at the council trough supposedly to assist in decision making, but nothing about awarding council contracts to the bros. Others interpret it differently, seeing a sound business case to be awarded council contracts if you are of the appropriate skin colour.

conduct its business in an open, transparent, and democratically accountable manner

undertake any commercial transactions in accordance with sound business practices

Councils are duty bound to conduct their business as stated above. Contracts awarded on "requires local authorities to consult with Maori and involve them in decision-making processes" would surely be open to legal challenge. How one gets from consult and involve in decision making to awarding contracts requires a seriously warped and stretched imagination.

But knowing the tendency of councils to oil squeaky wheels with my taxes, I suspect that the brown mafia pushing TOW principles and the like will be awarded the cream of the contracts. Sure all the fair and principled boxes will be ticked by the council to the detriment of the current contracting federation. Still I expect nothing less in this PC world of the councils endowed with the 'power of general competence'.

KG over at Crusader Rabbit has a similar post.

Update: Yes! Waitakere City may be liable

I refrained from posting this yesterday / the night before out of respect for the Symes family and their tragically confirmed loss of Aisling.

As events unfolded during the evening, I was really angry that Mayor Bob was in thick of things leaking snippets of information to the media prior to formal notifications by the Police. Some have (possibly rightly) suggested that it is typical of the frenetic that follow such events looking to portray themselves as stalwarts of the community.

As the family of Aisling Symes prepare for her funeral, Waitakere City Council could face prosecution over her death.

This morning the boot is on the other foot. The state of the drain had been known for years and obviously little done, with the latest complaint being days ago. As I feel and am sure many others will, Waitakere City Council is potentially liable for Aislings' tragic death. As a ratepayer, I was most shocked to see the Mayor usurping the Police operations trying to portray his council in a good light. Failed utterly in my view, still I expect nothing less from an ex spin merchant.

The performance on on state run television by Bob Harvey was positively embarrassing and nauseating. When it comes to private swimming pool fencing, Waitakere has possibly the most draconian and freedom restricting laws in the country. What a pity he does not apply those same standards to his own operation. Let it not be forgotten that boring stuff like drainage and roads are the core business of any local council. What an utter hypocrite and incompetent Harvey is.

Says it all on how angry I feel about Mayor Bob. One can only wonder why the Police have not already secured the multiple complaint records on a core business failure at the council offices. Surely the council legal department is already in damage limitation mode, without the prime players in this tragedy refrain making such public statements trying to throw the blame directly onto his workers.

Update:

Have had closer look at article and one in the Herald.

A Labour Department spokesman said it had not been contacted about the case by police. "If they had any information that they want to pass on, we would be happy to consider it."

Labour Dept sitting on their arse waiting for something to happen.

One West Auckland drainlayer - who did not want to be named - told the Herald he immediately thought about the manhole cover after hearing Aisling's body had been recovered.

He said he had raised concerns about it with the Waitakere City Council a year ago, after making a closed-circuit TV inspection of the stormwater line.

"It's an old lid that should have been replaced ages ago. When we came across that we let the council know. They pop up in bad stormwater."

Contractor suggested a year ago that problem could have been fixed with new lid.

More tossers

Speaking of tossers, following in a vein similar to the previous post, here are a couple more.

The eco-dinosaur seriously gets his nose out of joint for not getting an invite to opening proceedings. Serves him right for wasting reams of ratepayer monies over the last decade wanting to socially engineer another slum out west.

And this tosser really takes the cake. Plays the race card, miffed at not getting a place at the Queen's Wharf design trough. Along with suggesting modern Orklund edifices must look like and operate within the Maori dynamic.

cultural and marae dynamics were needed for a welcoming zone like Queens Wharf

but as a principle there should be some Maori-Pacific input at judging whether it be Ngati Whatua or not

Prime stirrer of late, Ngarimu Blair puts his oar in attempting to justify why there should always be racially based judges at such events.

Tossers.

FAIL: Horizons Regional Council

Estimated wave East Cape and Mt Maunganui 1m-0922.

Stay tuned to local media for more information.

Sent warning via text to those ratepayers who had signed on.

Text arrived at 1156. Apology sent 1230.

Tossers. I wonder whether I will get a reduction in my rates?

Westie dinosaur is out of a job

And he's not happy.

• underwhelming
• they have delivered local government lite
• local boards ... will be little more than sewing circle meetings
• It's clear that this reform is driven by political ideology
• the process of getting to this point has been "completely undemocratic"

I'd say he has finally realised he has just received a DCM with a pink slip. Excellent. And the Henderson Ivory Towers which the ratepayers have been saddled with for the next lifetime are now redundant. The sewing circle meetings will now be held in local community halls.

Waitakere City Council staff will continue to deal openly and constructively with the Auckland Transition Authority

Pity the same can't be said about the Mayor and deputy who have done everything possible to disrupt this process for the last year trying to implement Liarbour ideology.

Super City Report: First look

However, the majority of us believe that the question of whether the
existing legislation provides adequate opportunities for Māori representation
in local government is an issue of national significance, extending beyond Auckland. Resolving this issue should therefore be considered in that context rather than through this piece of legislation.

No to undemocratic representation via seats reserved by skin colour.

the majority of us consider that retaining the FPP system of voting at
both the council and local board level would be preferable

Retain First Past the Post voting, not STV, that dreadful disease voters have caught of late.

the northern boundary of Auckland city should be generally based on a line between the mouths of the Puhoi and Makarau rivers, dividing the current Rodney district in two

we urge the commission to consider carefully retaining all of Pukekohe and Waiuku as part of the Auckland region, rather than splitting them each in two

New boundaries. Goodbye to the Mare of Rodney. Still trying to have the Auckland cake though with recommending retaining regional parks management out of the area in the north. I still reckon Brynderwyn's to Bombay's is the natural features boundary. Anything south of the Bombay's/Hunua's should be Waikato.

Watercare to be solely resonsible for water and wastewater. Wonder how the organisation will deal with a Kaipara Harbour that is being polluted by two differing local governments?

We strongly believe that the new Auckland Council has a fundamental
responsibility to effectively address social issues across the region

Social engineering delivered by local council is to remain. This is one area I believe local councils have should not have any part. Delivery of social services is a central government issue and should be delivered by their over funded and numerous under worked agencies.

Pages 20 to 33 summarise the minority views of the Labour, Green and Maori Parties. Extremely anti to say the least.

Pages 37 to 76 is the actual bill.

we expect the local activities that will be the subject of local
board plans would be likely to include the operation and development
of local facilities, including sports and recreation centres, swimming
pools, and parks; the operation of community services such as libraries,
community centres and halls; supporting local community
events; administration of funding to local community groups and
youth centres; community safety, graffiti prevention, and other social services; promotion of local economic development activities such
as Business Improvement Districts, and improving streetscapes and
signage; developing and proposing local bylaws to reflect local community
concerns and preferences; and undertaking effective community
engagement and seeking community views on both local board
activities and the regional and regulatory functions of the governing
body

On first look, a very balanced report. Well done Rodney and team.

All will be revealed

Today the Super City makeup report is made public. Some are still being vocal and anti on all matters, others continue being deathly quiet and others are looking for undemocratic representation by virtue of their skin colour.

There will be much posturing and weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth by the end of the day hopefully as the troughers are brutally excised from my rates bill.

There are too many people who are involved who don't understand local government. They just think it's about rates and roads and rubbish. They don't realise there's lots of other things local government has to do

The Mare of Rodney continuing to spout off only confirms why councils are getting a hammering. The people do understand local government. Local government that rips them off, taxes them to hell and beyond, has their nose into every central government social engineering program possible.

You see, a council's job is only rates roads and rubbish. Period. All the extra social engineering junk for which the ratepayer is stiffed is the domain of central government agencies for which we are again over taxed. It is time the burden on ratepayers is considerably lightened.

I can only hope Mr Hide has a favourable report.

Eco-dinosaur gets into bagging snot

Bags Not! is an eco city partnership with residents and businesses to achieve a plastic shopping bag free Waitakere.

I wonder how much are the 'free' bags going to cost me as a ratepaying stiff, Mr Eco-Dinosaur?

www.bag snot.co.nz A well chosen web address. Not! Nice to see there are are no supporting businesses.

Pictures of non-indigenous storks and tortoises stuck in plastic are absolute spin.

Another prime example of an unfettered council wasting rates on social engineering matters.

Horse trading at the Super City Corral

ACT leader Rodney Hide has set himself firmly against having any Maori seats on the new Auckland 'super city' council but denies he is holding the Government to ransom over the controversial issue.

The Super City horse trading continues. It appears that at least one party actually has a principled bottom line.

What we have done is state our position very clearly and we are opposed to any reservation of seats for a particular group

That of ACT and its vehement oppositon to seats being allocated by race on which I totally agree. Congratulations on your stand ACT.

The Maori Party has been lobbying to overturn the Government's decision and both sides have been looking for a compromise

Opposition is obviously being brought to bear by would be troughers being cut out of the action. I suspect the horse trading is moving to a new level. That of high noon at the Super City Corral as talking ceases and dirty tricks take over.

I remain astounded that the infighting between the parochialists remains so quiet of late and remain extremely suspicious of what has been horse traded with my rate taxes and council assets. Guess I'll find out in a couple of weeks.

A special select committee which has been holding hearings in Auckland is due to report to the Government in about two weeks.

It has dealt with the issue of Maori seats and is expected to make a recommendation one way or the other.

I await that report and would expect that if the government should entertain the undemocratically elected in any shape or form, the worst backlash a New Zealand government has ever experienced will be unleashed on National.

WCC thief surprised at massive savings

The head honcho over at that den of socialist thieves formally known as Waitakere City Council shows mock surprise at Super City $250M plus possible savings.

Waitakere Mayor Bob Harvey said it was an astonishing amount of cost savings to be found across the Auckland region

Really? Doesn't surprise me as a multiple ratepayer one little bit about possible savings in that viper's nest of parochial local socialist councils. Remind me just what WCC does do for the ratepayer? He goes on.

The ratepayers of Auckland will be delighted or devastated whichever way they try and cut that money

Damned right! Ratepayers will be ecstatic about reductions in criminal local taxes, whilst the non-ratepaying bludging troughers will scream vociferously for some time about perceived losses of rights and entitlements.

Good stuff. Bring it on Rodney, cannot happen quickly enough.

Redlining the cultural cringe meter

Fresh from the eco-dinosaur Mayor wasting oodles of ratepayer taxes on unnecessary polls actively resisting Rodney Hide's Supercity steamroller, the eco-city is now into the noo religion of sustainability.

• We're looking at how we can sustain our culture - how we can sustain every aspect of being Maori.
• ... the first of three nights where cultural experts, academics, politicians and performers will examine how traditional knowledge fits into the modern world.
• Speakers include Maori lawyer Annette Sykes, ... and Tainui leader Tuku Morgan.
• It's a new year, it's a new vision and for us there's no better time to be talking about sustainability.

Say no more, the cultural cringe meter has redlined and wrapped the needle around the upper stop labelled Male Bovine Excrement.

God help me and you as ratepayers.

Key's Government: The good news keeps on coming

2000 jobs to go with a Super City? An academic pushes the buttons. Or were her buttons pushed by Phil In looking for a worthless distraction on a Friday arvo?

Yay! 30% less bureaucrats has to be great in my book.

And 700 of those will help to drop the rates bill in Waitakere as the bottom feeders are routed from my rates bill.

Shaking the baby

Local councils are one baby that needs a damned good shakeup. Core services only to keep the beast.

[Mr Hide] is trying to reduce local government's powers to the point where they are unable to deliver social and environmental services.

Rodders is pushing all the right buttons for me, especially when bottom feeders such as Kedgley are crying foul. A minister of action. Long may it continue. I look forward to a drop in rates as dross is being bluntly excised from councils.

Sheeting the full cost of environmental, social and cultural claptrap back to central government will soon put a stop to such follies.

Key said he did not agree with Mr Hide's definition of "core services"

And it would be nice if Key could actually back his minister. Fence sitting bastard. Stop being Mr Nice Guy and grow some.

Severe pruning of local council powers would be better than any tax cut at this stage. Shake the baby as hard as you like Rodney.

Measuring the state of the economy

When they came to fix them, they drew white lines along the side of the pavement through the middle of some of the holes.

Then they only filled in half the holes and when we asked, they said their department was not responsible for the other half.

Council wallahs fill half a pothole because doing the other half may incur future liability. I kid you not.

Not to say that their job would be on the line if they did a 100% job first time.

Something about the state of local roads reflecting the true state of the economy springs to mind.

As an aside, this week I witnessed the local Tararua District Council / LTSA waterblasting two 18" wide wheel tracks per lane on recently laid seal through the main part of Dannevegas town to improve grip. Even waterblasted right across a pothole which only made the hole bigger.

Pity they didn't lay a seal with decent grip initially. And repair the pothole, which was from a council dig up days earlier. Yes, it still is getting bigger, but it is the weekend.

Still the waterblasting will keep council wallahs in a regular job. I wonder when the next reseal will occur. A couple of waterblasts should lift all the recent seal / unbed any stone chip. Still another wallah will 'repair' the current potholes by marking them with white paint. It really works - they come back bi-annually to refresh the paint.