Health priorities and futuristic thinking
I NO sooner sat down to write this when the paper (ODT 1.8.24) arrived and across the editorial page the headline was on health concerns.
I ask, what is the point of constructing a new hospital for a growing population that will ultimately not be fit for purpose and when finished will be found inadequate?
The current government has been accused in the past, when in power, of ignoring healthcare. As a result, it has fallen far behind the needs of the community.
Perhaps the members of National do not feel they are a part of the broader community or, perhaps they all have private insurance? Is it really important to give all of us an extra $20 or $40 per week if the healthcare we need, and, yes, we all need it, isn't there?
When one shows up at the hospital with a serious fracture, as I did some time ago, an extra few dollars a week means little. What I most needed was a trained doctor and a shot of morphine while waiting among other patients in the ED hallway for a bed to open up. The doctor eventually did an excellent job rebuilding my elbow with a plate and many screws to hold all together. It works like new.
I agree there may be excessive levels of bureaucracy in the system.
But, my doctor is not one of them. My radiologist is not one of them and the hospital that I may need tomorrow is not part of the bureaucracy when the doctors are treating patients rather than fighting with administrators.
I want the new hospital fit for this vibrant growing community and finished before the century closes. Kevin Burke
Mosgiel
Leaving a legacy
Reading about multibillionaire Peter Thiel's Wānaka compound getting scratched makes me think about how other rich men tried to build a future legacy and to inspire the public.
J Paul Getty reconstructed a Roman villa in Malibu and filled it full of fine art then opened it up; William Randolph Hearst built his castle, shipped in from Europe in pieces, and it was gifted to the state of California; Peter Thiel's predecessor Lorenzo Medici turned Florence into the epicentre of the enlightenment and revolutionsed money and banking as well as art and architecture.
I am not sure what a alpine New Zealand icon would look like? Maybe a Tibetan palace or a Vanderbilt Chateau Tongariro but I am pretty sure a glass bunker is not a legacy any truly great man would want.
Aaron Nicholson Manapouri
Don’t vote for me
Successful groups always have a united team approach where each person is capable of sharing the load for the good of the whole team. Respect, cooperation, and support are paramount but there are sometimes a few who find it hard to accept team members’ opinions and ideas.
Councillors are expected to lead the city without disputes and grievances but why do the same group (some with years of council experience) keep complaining about other councillors? A few appear to regularly find faults with the mayor or fellow hardworking councillors .
We know that individual people have different opinions but disagreements should be discussed (and hopefully calmed) behind closed doors. Usually it is wise to agree to disagree and move on. Why would anyone want their complaint or disagreement recorded in the ODT?
If any councillor complains about a fellow councillor he/she should pay for the expenses or damage caused. No ratepayer money should ever be used to pay for any complaints made by councillors.
Do these dissatisfied councillors not realise that they are really saying “Don’t vote for me at the next elections”?
Alex Armstrong North East Valley