The Editor,

Bay of Plenty Times.
3rd June 2017
Dear Sir,
With global sporting events occurring on the world stage at present, especially the America’s Cup, I continue to be in awe of Peter Burling. He is now a mature experienced sailor and he learnt his skills here as a lad, on the waters of Tauranga.
I feel a great sense of pride when I hear him speaking and hear the results of his teams endeavours.
The cup may not be won yet, but whatever happens Peter is proving to be the very finest ambassador for our country, and one can have great confidence in both he, and his team. Little country New Zealand may be, but with the love and support of family, good schools, coaches, and our environment, Peter is proving that if one is dedicated to what one loves to do, we can foot it with the best the world has to offer.
What an example to all young people, that when we strive to do our best, to work and learn from others, we can achieve lives that are thoroughly worthwhile, no matter how great or small our roles may be.
Go well Peter Burling and Team NZ.
Margaret Murray-Benge,
Bethlehem

o edit.

The Editor,
Bay of Plenty Times.
5th July 2017,
 In this beautiful Bay of Plenty we have young men and women who become champions on the world stage, Peter Burling being the latest global champion. They come from loving homes, and the community wraps around them positively and they have good lives.
What is wrong with parents who cannot care for their children, who prefer to get stoned on drugs, be Drunk, and fail to love and nurture their babies.
Why will some parents not give a hoot as to what happens to their young?  When so much help is given by society, why do men and women have children if they cannot care for them, or care about them.
Many parents may not have a great deal of money but make fabulous loving caring parents, and their children do well. But for those people who have babies then neglect, abuse, or kill them, society has to set stronger standards If they want to have financial support from society.
We need to debate the solutions for we cannot go on repeating shocking statistics. It requires all of us to find answers as too many children are suffering, and they are all special and deserving of loving caring pathways in life.
Margaret Murray-Benge
Bethlehem

Why should I support it?
The Treaty Settlements are almost completed. For the wellbeing of everyone it was paramount that the Treaty Settlements were put to rest, so we could get on with being one people.
We are all equal before the law, and for we women this was an important principle, otherwise we women would not be where we are today in this country. Hobson did a great service to Maori and to women. Think about it, while England took till after WW1 to give women the right to vote. Hobson gave Maori men the right to vote 27 years before we women did. But then we women led the world when we were granted the same right as men.
Today being equal before the law is something none of us should take for granted, and nor should our Court Judges.
However, what I find so disturbing is that whilst settling Treaty Settlements the Govt has chosen to give co governance to the very heart of our democratic process, ie. Local Government.
Men and women do not just have to stand for election every 3 years, and go back to our constituents for approval through the ballot box, we have to fund that ourselves. So why on earth would the Govt allow individuals to go there as of right because of some tribal affiliation. It is putting in place a system to guarantee the destruction of our democracy. No Govt should have that right.
It is true that Maori are the victims of much that is wrong in society, but the more money that is transferred from Govt coffers it does nothing to help ordinary Maori. Instead it is creating a wealthy Maori elite who could not care less about ordinary people, especially their own.
In the Bay of Plenty we have serious areas of deprivation and local government is the only body with the ability to identify and help. We have to go cap in hand too central govt to beg for their financial support to help is these deprived areas.
  National standards are put in place by Central Government, but no financial support comes with that requirement, to help local Govt, and it certainly isn’t coming from Maori elite.
Treaty settlements—complete them, and then let’s get on and be New Zealanders where we all look out for each other. We all enjoy the right to stand for election; we all have the right. It is not that long ago we had no women in elected positions, now we are there but not in great numbers. Today we have more Maori than ever before in elected positions. So let us not destroy democracy on the pretext that we are doing anyone a favour. If this does not stop, the Govt will have successfully established an Apartheid Country. That is not what I want for my Country.

I found this article and if you click the link below. Alan is saying what we all believe and we have to change and teach our children to aspire, and not to be takers.


http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11689621

I wish to support the people who are writing complaining about the Bethlehem shopping centre and the dreadful confusing mess they have made of the traffic management plan for the Centre.
Since they have closed one of the exits onto Bethlehem Road they have created utter confusion and it is far from satisfactory. The only entrance onto Bethlehem encourages drivers to turn left to the roundabout on Carmichael which has schools on each corner and it is becoming very built up.
Forcing cars to go out the back entrance forces cars to go to the Z station roundabout and as there are 2 lanes dropping down to one as one goes to the right it is a total bottle neck at times. Left turning traffic would welcome the right to turn right out of the Bethlehem Road exit which has been closed.
The Company that owns the shopping centre has changed the whole character of the site and it behoves them to fix it so we can again enjoy the shopping at Bethlehem. 
Margaret Murray-Benge,
Bethlehem