SPOT on Paul Murphy ("We can't park issue of car access", Letters 1/3). Among the extra on-street parking spots that you mentioned being removed from Newcastle, there are of course the 280 parks that were removed from Hunter Street to make way for the light rail.
Yet despite the hundreds of parks removed from the city, apartment blocks still continue to be built, and none of them ever seem to be built with even close to the amount of car parks needed for the residents.
Supposedly the idea is that all these residents will just stop driving cars and just walk to nearby shops, etc, and also rely on the light rail, but what if any of these residents want to venture past the 2.7-kilometre track?
Neither the buses or trains can take people everywhere outside of Newcastle, and vice versa if the residents have anyone outside of Newcastle wanting to visit them.
So for many, this leaves no alternative but to drive, but, where to park?
Is it any wonder that it's now even harder to find a park in the city, hence why less people bother going into the city, and why more and more businesses in the CBD continue to close?
Adz Carter, Newcastle
Take profit motive out of care
WHAT sort of country have we become when profit is put first? The stories of poor quality care span from the very young in childcare to the very old in aged care are truly appalling. Governments never seem to learn that privatisation of the caring industry does not work.
Profits in childcare are made by cutting back on things like staff and basics such as food. Reports of children starving and as a consequence their behaviour deteriorating will bring on a cohort of children whose early years set them up to fail. Children who are not adequately supervised face many risks.
We also have a percentage of the population who avoid paying tax so governments don't have the money to fund essential services. Nobody should be proud of their wealth that has been assisted by generous unsustainable tax concessions, franking credits, negative gearing, super concessions, etc. As a society we should be ashamed that profit can be made out of the suffering of the very young and the very old. All the minister responsible can say is, it is very worrying and we will have yet another enquiry. The answer is obvious: take the profit motive out of caring.
Sarah Taylor, Merewether
Healthy rise in cost of living pain
I'm in a health fund. My health fund premiums have increased about 10 per cent on average over the past five years or so. It's hard to understand when the average announced rate rises have been around 3 to 4 per cent. I suppose it's a bit like Woolworths' price of tomatoes doubling over the past two years.
A few factors I understand are fuelling rate rises; the tax rebate percentage is being reduced each year and our population is ageing. So health fund costs have increased about 5 per cent a year. We maintain hospital beds at about 50:50 between public and private. Less private cover ultimately leads to more pressure on an overburdened public system.
We find that net immigration will be 500,000 this year, which will impact health access as with other infrastructure. The health fund premium increase takes away half the tax rebate announced by the government, another significant cost-of-living whack.
As with Medicare we need a reset of the current setting or the outcome will be fewer hospital beds in private, and those that are there overburdened. It's time to review pricing, product choices and service. The reason that my opinion is over the shop; politicians are looking like they are herding cats. I feel like a cat.
Grahame Danaher, Coal Point
Farewell to a licence used safely
THE dreaded day has arrived.
Because of old, wonky legs and double vision I have volunteered to surrender my driver's licence; 69 years all up and no driving offences. Not all luck regarding that, as I made a conscious decision at age 21 after putting my car on its roof to learn to drive defensively and safely.
The only misdemeanours on my record were two parking fines; one at ten shillings and one at $2. If it sounds as if I hardly drove at all, I drove wherever and whenever needed for personal use as well as actively volunteering. Now it's back to shanks's pony and/or my mobility scooter. Be different, drive carefully.
Laurie Bowman, Charlestown
Ute drivers will do heavy lifting
ENERGY Minister Chris Bowen has announced vehicle emission standards to be introduced in 2025, saying it would ensure that consumers would be offered more choices in vehicles by encouraging manufacturers to sell more fuel-efficient and electric cars ('Bowen's plea for car makers ahead of fuel standards', Herald 6/3). This means car makers have six months to change their processes or face millions of dollars in what I consider fines. Good luck with that. So guess who will pay the price via the hefty increase in the cost of new cars and utes? Looks like we may have to keep our old cars and utes, so there goes more manufacturing and sales jobs.
John Cooper, Charlestown
Pain at the bowser, but price fluctuates
THE news is talking about fuel prices. I saw this morning diesel at Sandgate for $1.87 and at Jesmond for $2.29. Just a tad difference per litre.
Mick Porter, Raymond Terrace
Top schools can lack perspective
THERE seems to be a giant disconnect between our politicians and the plebs. Why not introduce a quota system guaranteeing that at least 50 per cent of federal politicians have graduated from our public schools? Students from Cranbrook, Riverview and Kings have no idea what it's like in the real world beyond their privileged bubble.
Mac Maguire, Charlestown
Power of perspective is shifting
IT is said that conservatives pine for a golden age that never was, and progressives yearn for a utopia that will never come. Now it appears progressives pine for the time before coal and petroleum, while conservatives yearn for a nuclear utopia that doesn't exist.
Peter Ronne, Woodberry
We might be the buzzkill
WHILE gardening, I noticed not a bee in sight anywhere. I wonder which human stupidity caused this? Definitely no cure.
Harold Kronholm, Cessnock
I can't get enough of coal
MICHAEL Gormly's response to John Cooper ("Germany no pro-nuclear example", Letters 2/3) conveniently chooses to ignore the elephants in the room that are China and India building more coal powered fire stations while we decommission ours in Australia. Coal is, has and always will be king. Love the stuff.
Matt Ophir, Charlestown
Political thinking hurts outcomes
JOHN Arnold ("Accept backflips and fix debate", Letters, 2/3), I would add further to your comments about people being unrestrained from party politics to the point that people who are politically biased in their thinking do not add positively to good governance of our country.
