No surprise at all
Just get some work done
No surprise at all
Sat
9 Jan
Dear Editor,
Reading Tuesday’s (January 5) Cook Islands News regarding the report on our financial situation – it did not surprise me at all.
I know I have mentioned in previous letters that our country is broke and relying on borrowed money to stabilise our economy. The politicians have been alerted to the situation time and time again. But no one bothered to take any notice – just plain ignorance or too busy globe-trotting around the world.
Government needs to bring some people in who have got the brains to advise us on the appropriate action to avert our financial crisis.
I am offering my services free should the government need help. At the moment, I believe, there is no-one in there who is trustworthy. My heart again goes out to the hardworking taxpayers getting nothing. I don’t have to repeat as to what is required to deal with the problwem. Those nutheads should know by now.
Finally my appreciation to the police department for your excellent work over the festive season. You guys were all over the place. Keep it up. God bless.
Teariki Simiona
(Tamaiva Mataiapo)
Tupapa
Just get some work done
Wed
13 Jan
A smoke signaller lets rip with questions and advice on the current political situation: “Regarding the 19 CIP/Demo coalition. Since when has the CIP and Demo exec been given a mandate to run the country? Does Mac see a trip to Wellington slipping into the mist? Is a saving of 100K not worth having, Nandi? At least it’s a start. Toagate: It’s now becoming obvious who the main ministerial supporters were. ‘We are listening to the people’...Why do you always listen when you are thrown out, never when you are in?” To ‘the new Cabinet’: Open Cabinet to the light of transparency and stop the horse trading. We have been subjected to unwanted Sheraton hotels (Norm), stadium, and tank farms. No sooner do we get out of one mess, Cabinet wisely gets us into another mess. Of course it’s for our own good. Give good old Alex Frame (constitutional lawyer) a rest. Just get on and get some work done and save the legal fees in the process. Open your inputs from outside government; we are the ones paying for the stuff-ups. Declare your conflicts of interest and ensure you act in the public interest and not in your own interests.”
THE OVERSEAS TRAVEL RORT
“As a New Year resolution, for the well-being of the Cook Islands, there needs to be a proclamation from both the PM and the Public Service commissioner, stating that there will be a total ban on overseas travel in 2010 by politicians and public servants alike,” a smoke signaller reckons. “Not only is there no money to continue this wasteful and totally unproductive practice, but there does not exist one single shred of evidence that the country benefits from any of these jaunts. If individuals claim otherwise, show us your public reports outlining the cost-benefit comparison of your last trip(s). The last debacle in Copenhagen is only the latest case in point. At great expense, which was basically money that does not even exist within our treasury, the oversized Cook’s delegation joined a massive group of international delegates, which ultimately achieved absolutely nothing. Mainly because the Big 5 countries do not want to concede anything and will continue to move the goalposts as they please. But we already knew that without flying out of the warmth of this country. Needed to show our presence? Go on Face book or youtube! Cheaper and get much more international coverage. The biggest gain to anyone is the continuous accumulation of AirPoints, which realistically should not even be claimed by the ‘flyer’, as they did not pay for the tickets in the first place...the Cook Islands tax payer covers this expense...as well as per diems and expensive hotel bills. So individuals accumulate huge AirPoints credits, which ultimately only benefit the passenger or their families. No wonder there is always such a rush to travel.”
A TOA POINT
A reader asks: “These MPs who are seeking to remove the prime minister and cabinet – does that mean that they support the proposed TOA fuel farm purchase and the loss of $1.75 million?”
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