WE have three tiers of government, which is one too many. On Saturday we were forced to vote in 128 council elections across NSW, but why do we bother?
For example, Central Coast council has been in administration since October 2020 and conducting business without elected councillors. They had been sacked by the state government in respect of financial mismanagement. At that time the council was $350m in debt. Under administration the debt has been reduced to $200m, with a current operating surplus of $38.6m and a total surplus of $114m over the past three years.
What we don't need is to elect 15 third rate politicians to shove their noses in the public trough. Local government councils should be abolished and replaced with a corporate structure and a duly appointed CEO. The only election necessary is a non-compulsory vote for the position of honorary (not paid) mayor for ceremonial duties only.
Barry Lloyd, Bateau Bay
Voters hoodwinked too often
STATE, federal or local - what's the point of voting when it's obvious, they do not listen or care for their citizens?
Decade after decade many of these people have lied their way into office, offering better opportunities for the common citizens to work themselves into the ground while paying higher and higher taxes every year.
Politicians have to be the biggest fraud ever known. And as a free Australian if you do not vote, you also receive a fine for not voting for these pathetic people. Meanwhile, they live in luxury compared to the hardest-working citizens. When is enough enough? We need real leaders who care for their people first, not their longevity or back pockets. For too long too many have consistently failed to uphold their position by failing to stand by and implement the changes that they promised while trying to be elected. For decades ratepaying and taypaying citizens have watched their old neighbourhoods crumble as they move to knock more trees down.
Christopher Jackson, Beresfield
Savvy shoppers not the norm
I AM glad that Ruth Burrell doesn't have any of the wasteful, unnecessary items in her trolley, but she is in a tiny minority ("My trolley's not your problem", Letters, 11/9). If you look at trolleys as they pass you in the supermarket you will see almost all contain these items. Ms Burrell said that she can't believe that the supermarkets only make around 2.5 cents in the dollar on turnover. Last year Coles had a turnover of around $40 billion and a profit of around $1 billion, 2.5 per cent on turnover, so you better believe it.
She says the supermarkets should slash their profits by paying the farmers more for their products. I'm afraid the farmers put themselves in this position. Years ago, all the dairy co-ops were owned by the farmers. They would set a price that ensured an adequate return for the farmers. Then, for the sake of a quick quid they sold their co-ops to private enterprise which meant money that once would have gone to the farmers was taken out by the private owners of the dairy's and the door was opened to deals with the supermarkets and the third party.
Finally, she says as a shareholder she would be happy to take a lower dividend due to a lower profit. As lower profits mean lower dividends and lower share prices. I wonder how many of her fellow shareholders would be happy to see the double whammy; a lower dividend and a reduction in the value of their shares.
Jan Phillip Trevillian, Fennell Bay
Ozempic for more than obesity
I NOTE in the news article ("New weight-loss drugs on way but they're not a 'magic bullet'", Herald 13/9) that Professor Clare Collins refers to the diabetes drug, Ozempic, as a weight loss drug. My understanding is that this life-saving drug is approved by the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) for the treatment of diabetes first and foremost and that the TGA and government recommends strongly that the drug be made available as a priority to diabetes sufferers.
I fear the continued treatment of Ozempic as a weight loss drug by people such as Professor Collins has seen diabetics suffer needlessly and struggle to manage the disease effectively as they battle to source the drug in the face of continuing shortages caused by its reckless prescribing as a weight loss drug.
