Bill Dalton

A couple of weeks ago I spoke fairly strongly about the yobbos who are intent on destroying the beautiful environment we call Hawkes Bay. And the feedback has been amazing.Some of the comments centered around my somewhat intemperate language. I apologise to those who were offended by my utterences – but I make absolutely no apology for the message. It is time we all drew a line in the sand – it is time we said “enough is enough!”

It is not just the destruction of the environment that these taggers, vandals, graffiti artists, inflict on our cities, it is the enormous cost inflicted upon all ratepayers. And what about the council staff, who take real pride in their city? These people who spend hours out in all weathers – planting gardens – planting trees – maintaining parks – just to see them destroyed by the low-lifes of the night.

Most of the damage inflicted on our cities is done by young people who have nothing better to do than walk around all night looking for trouble. We need to find positive things for these people to do. And we need to let those that are intent on damaging our cities know, that they will get caught and punished.

So what to do? How do we catch these petty criminals – these people who will become real criminals if their lives are not turned around? Patrols are one tool but frankly there are only a limited number of functions they can perform. The answer, in my view is cameras and plenty of them. At the moment, the very few cameras that are available, are set up in positions that are considered to be at risk of trouble. The young yobbo’s know where they are – up go the hoods – the mindless damage is done – and away they go.

If further cameras were available these morons would be picked up later, as they shuffled through town, with their hoods down, and therefore identified. This footage together with the footage from the camera covering the damage area could result in the perpetrators of this nonsense being brought to justice.

Whenever I mention such a plan, some civil libertarian always grizzles about prying cameras – the intrusion into private lives – all that sort of nonsense.

The simple fact is – if you are going about your lawful business – who cares if you are filmed or not. I am told that if you spend a day in shopping in London and go out to dinner that night, you will have been filmed approximately 300 times. Who cares unless you are a shoplifter, vandal or indulge in some other anti- social behaviour.

We need to attack, what many see as only petty crime. We need to protect our beautiful cities whilst at the same time showing these young thugs that there are better things to do with their time than destroying the endeavours of others.

Ignoring the problem is no longer an option.

Last night, Shirley and I had the privilege and pleasure of attending the concert “An Evening with Phillip Rhodes and Friends.”Phillip, as I am sure many of you will know, is one of the brightest up and coming stars in the New Zealand Opera World. A Baritone – Phillip is the most recent winner of the Lexus Song Competition – formerly the Mobil Song Competition.

And what a great night it was. The whole idea of the concert was to raise funds to assist Phillip in his career. He has just been accepted into one of the most prestigious singing schools in the world in Cardiff and we all know what sort of money that will cost. In fact if there are any music lovers out there who have a few spare bob and would like to help Phillip Rhodes – I would be happy to receive funds on his behalf.

Not only is Phillip Rhodes becoming a highly accomplished singer – he is a wonderful example to all our young people of how you can triumph over adversity.

Phillip comes from a very difficult family background and went through a series of foster homes. It would have been just so easy for him to become another gang member – another druggie – another crime statistic. But then his luck changed.

He was taken in by that amazing couple Pam and Henare O’Keefe – a couple that Hawkes Bay owes a tremendous debt of gratitude. And they saw the wonderful acting talent in Phillip and later his singing talent and they gently nudged him in the right direction so that his talent could be recognised and utilised.

And now this fine young man is about to head off to Wales for further training and then – I have no doubt – to the Opera Houses of the world.

We are constantly bombarded with stories about how our young people are useless – don’t work hard – always take the easy way out – and yet here in Phillip Rhodes – we have a young man who epitomises those who can overcome a rough start – who can work hard to develop precious talent and who is prepared to undertake more hard work to further hone his skills.

So if you would like to help New Zealand’s next opera star on his way – feel free to drop a cheque in to Somerset Smith Partners in Napier.

I am making these notes on Tuesday night – for my radio piece on Wednesday – because I am so bloody angry.I have had a good day. A solid days work – a meeting of the Colenso High School Charitable Trust – a couple of gins with Charlie Black – down to the restaurant to hear Shirley and Buddy Collins sing – and now home at 9pm.

And I have just looked at tonight’s paper and my blood boils. There is poor old John Harlow – one of natures gentlemen – looking understandably shattered because some scum-bags have been in and created havoc in Napier’s Bluff Hill cemetery – a cemetery that John Harlow is passionate about and a cemetery that he spends a large part of his life looking after.

Who are these scum-bags? Who are these morons who go out and destroy the beautiful things that Napier provides?

Some of the beautiful Pohutakawa trees planted along our foreshore have been ripped out. Poor old Tony Reid would be appalled. He fought like hell to have those trees planted and sadly he is no longer here to protect them.

The Rotary Pathway lights were damaged so new heavy duty ones were put in. These wankers of the night came back with pick-axes and destroyed the new ones. The lights are now gone.

How do we – the humble ratepayers – cope with this willful destruction?

Napier is one of the most attractive cities in New Zealand. That’s not Bill Dalton’s theory – it is the view of thousands of tourists who pass through our city every year. Imagine what our city could look like if we didn’t have this sub-species crawling around the streets, looking to destroy all that is good.

So what’s the solution?

In my view we need to act. We need to set traps. I would be the first to volunteer to lie in wait for these dregs of society – to capture them and hand them over to the authorities.

And then we need laws and a judicial system that will protect the rights of decent law abiding citizens. We need to punish the perpetrators of these crimes against us all and we need to punish them severely. Flogging is too good for them.

It is time we – the humble ratepayers – took a stand.

Let me say I am delighted that at long last, New Zealand’s Labour Government, has decided to put tax cuts on their agenda. But I am also disappointed.

Disappointed because, reportedly intelligent people like Prime Minister Helen Clark and Finance Minister Michael Cullen, expect us to believe, that the proposed implementation of tax cuts, in an election year, is entirely coincidental.

They are trying to tell us that Treasury advised them, up until now, that the tax surpluses they, the government were receiving, were temporary and could not be used for tax relief. That only now, was Treasury advising that the tax surplus was bedded in and that tax relief could be given.

I have two words – that can be used on the radio – for Clark and Cullen’s position – Absolute Garbage.

It has been evident for some considerable time that New Zealanders have been over-taxed. Ask the directors of all the companies – both listed and unlisted – who have moved to Australia – not to mention the individuals – why they made the move? Without a doubt they will tell you that New Zealand’s tax system is the reason.

As a brand new local body politician, I am acutely aware of the appalling public perception of politicians. The sort of garbage Clark and Cullen are now talking will only strengthen the feeling of the public that politicians can not be trusted.

The truth is that our government has built up a war chest of tax surpluses, and they are going to release that tax arsenal on the New Zealand public in 2008.

I have too much respect for my fellow New Zealanders to believe they will be taken in by such deceit.

At the end of the day the truth will prevail.