Letters: Making a Stand for Justice

Upholding the justice system I was very impressed by the attitude and actions of the Rotorua juror who refused to accept a bribe, and who immediately phoned the police, actions which led to the intending briber's arrest and conviction ( News, October 31). Not only this woman's honesty in refusing the money impressed me (it was a $5000 offer "here and now"), but also her wisdom and courage in refusing to discuss the matter, closing the door, and phoning the police. That must have taken guts. It is actions such as hers which help this lovely little country maintain such a good justice system and one which is relatively free of corruption. Well done, good lady, and thanks! Don Campbell Gate PaInconsiderate motoristsAs a local who has to travel to and from work every day on Hewletts Rd, I find it extremely frustrating at the fellow drivers who on their way home between 5pm and 6pm continuously cross intersections so right turning traffic cannot turn when my traffic light is green. So then I have to wait for another set of lights and hopefully not have ignorant drivers do the same so I can turn. Pushing their way through the intersection while the light is red is illegal and downright rude. I would like to get home as much as they do. Let's have some more common courtesy and less pushiness. J Matthews PapamoaWindow dressingSo NZTA has pulled out the last trick in proposing reducing the speed limits on SH2 to Katikati. This is simply window dressing and avoiding the real problem. Currently, the speed limit cannot be achieved in peak times and yet there are many non-peak hours each day when motorists should be able to travel at normal highway speeds. As an extreme example, last summer on a fine day at about 8pm I travelled from Waihi to Tauranga as fourth in a line of about six vehicles travelling at near the speed limit, and occasionally plus a bit, and not once were we held up by other traffic. Why should motorists be penalised in non-peak times? Furthermore, readers and motorists need to remember what happened when NZTA made the ill-considered move of reducing the highway speeds to 90km around Maramarua. For the next year or so the police "co-operated" by patrolling heavily and the number of speeding offences rose astronomically. It is all typical bureaucratic nonsense, and it should be resisted. Bill Capamagian TaurangaRoad not workingA recent article about the TEL (News, October 20) had this question. "The new road is it working?" The answer is no. When a bypass is made, the local council has to plan parking to attract people to the shops in the nearby town or business is lost. In this instance they didn't do a very good job. There is not enough parking close to the shops, and we have to go searching for a park, going round and round, wasting time, becoming very frustrated in the process. Some of us can't be bothered wasting our time, and we take the Eastern Link to Papamoa or Bayfair for better parking access. The local council have to consider the businesses because they make the town what it is. The businesses need the people, or they will eventually close from financial hardship. I think the local council needs to reconsider the plan they put in place and put in a better option. Parking right along the main street would be better and get rid of anything that takes up parking space. Coming out of Jocelyn St on to the main road is a nightmare because traffic backs up and sits over the thoroughfare so we can't get across. The reason being is that the main street is very busy with through traffic and a pedestrian crossing makes the traffic stop further up. Many locals are complaining, so it is now time for the local council to act or Te Puke will become a ghost town like many others in New Zealand. Marilyn Cure Te PukeDentist feesDr Scott Waghorn (News, October 30) bemoans the fact that a single dental chair may cost $80,000. With my last fee being $500 for 24 minutes of treatment, my maths tells me a new chair could be bought every two weeks. How is it that very, very good dental care is available overseas at a fraction of the price (including airfares). Time for the Government to bring in some regulation to ensure we, and our families, can all get the dental services we deserve at a fair price. (Abridged) Andrew Lattimore Mt Maunganui