Your Letters: Democratic process, Heartfelt thanks

Democratic process

It looks like WRC councillor Paula Southgate has opened her election campaign. In her Hamilton News article (March 15) she claims to be an 'optimist' and talking about 'wrong decisions' is 'glass half empty thinking'.

Cr Southgate implies people in opposition to expensive WRC projects want to see these projects fail so they can say, "I told you so."

Rather a pessimistic judgement from a councillor who claims "I am an optimist."

Institutionalised councillors can easily dismiss ratepayers' letters, emails and submissions by labelling them 'knockers'.

Has Cr Southgate forgotten she works for ratepayers. Ignoring their outrage and frustrations about perceived 'wrong decisions' creates the backlash she criticises?

The velodrome decision is one subject she has no opinion she is prepared to share, although, she voted with the majority to support the inclusion of the project into the Long Term Plan.

Questioning and calling councillors to account for their decision making, although bothersome, is part of the democratic process. It is not unusual for children to cover their ears and sing loudly to drown out what is being said but this is not a desirable trait for councillors.

- Tania Hennebry

Heartfelt thanks

I would like to sincerely thank all volunteers who helped with the Heart Foundation annual appeal in February.

We had support from Hamilton Rotary, Hamilton Riverside Lions, South Hamilton Lioness and senior students from Sacred Heart Girls' College and St John's College, as well as many individual volunteers.

They did a fantastic job of co-ordinating and 'manning' sites in Hamilton.

We raised more than $20,000 in the region, a considerable increase on the 2012 total.

The donations received from Heart Week allow us to carry on our work with research, cardiac rehabilitation, health promotion and involvement with schools and early childhood education centres.

 - Ruth Strawbridge