FORTUNATELY, I do not have a mortgage, but I did when interest rates hit 18 per cent, so I can sympathise with borrowers today.
The question I ask is why can't an owner/occupier, up to a certain income level, claim their home loan interest as a tax deduction?
After all, for a rented dwelling negatively geared the landlord can claim the interest, amongst other allowable deductions, in their tax return.
What is the difference? One is an essential (home owner), the other is tax minimisation (landlord). That is grossly unfair.
Now, lenders are not obliged to pass on any of the RBA increases, so when will one of them grow a conscience and start to look after their customers? I'm sure all fair-minded Australians would support them for their ethical behaviour.
An alternative to the current state of affairs needs to be found, and quickly. Our politicians are clearly floundering under the weight of the problem and perhaps are not up to the task.
Rob Bernasconi, Rankin Park
Interest rate history
ON the news recently, it was said that $10 would buy nearly a week's groceries in 1962.
What they left out was that rent was $24 a week and a wage was around $45 a week, if you were lucky.
Interest rates were over 13 per cent in the 1990s and went to 17 per cent in some areas. Even if the rates go to 7 per cent, they are still not as high as they were in the 1970s.
It would appear that persons in the media are too young to remember history and don't wish to know how well-off they really are.
Ask some of the farmers who lost their properties because of interest rates of 17 per cent.
John Hollingsworth, Hamilton
A rubbish backdrop
ON Monday afternoon, year 10 students from a local school gathered in Civic Park with proud family and friends to celebrate the end of their years at high school, looking amazing in the beautiful clothes after many months of planning and lots of dollars being spent.
Imagine the disappointment arriving to find a row of stinking red bins lined up in front of the fountain, supposedly the centrepiece of the park and for many years the backdrop of students from all over Newcastle and Lake Macquarie making memories of their special day.
Shame on the City of Newcastle for being so uncaring and thoughtless in leaving the bins there. Surely, they are aware that it is school formal celebration time.
Of all the areas in the park to put these bins, why on Earth would they choose the front of the fountain area?
Someone needs to take responsibility for this disgusting action and make sure it does not happen again.
An apology should be sent to the school concerned without delay. Shame, shame, shame.
Lorraine Gibson, Swansea
Don't treat young with disdain
SO Nick Maguire ('National service has its merits', Letters, 6/12) describes our young people as self indulgent, lacking empathy and that they have lost their way.
I have trained and taught young people for 40 years in my roles as a plumber and TAFE teacher - nothing has changed, most young people have aspirations as we did, some achieve, some do not.
Not even our military leaders believe in National Service.
What I have noticed is that people my age and older believe that they have the right to treat young people with disdain.
They dismiss their opinions without listening and make assumptions based on ignorance and bias.
Some people will focus on the negatives, believing that certain groups are bludging on society.
My observation is that across all age groups there are people who are lost, opinionated, lazy and self indulgent.
Mark Bowen, Smiths Lake
More railway thoughts
I AM not an engineer or a consultant, just a user and observer.
I have recently returned from Europe and the UK where I used high-speed rail extensively and some not-so-fast trains. It seems the problem is to first define what is meant by HSR and its purpose.
Then design a system with infrastructure to suit.
The two recent articles by Russel Lunney ('Build the road of the future: high-speed rail', Opinion, 6/12 and 'Great design crucial to high-speed success', Opinion, 7/12) highlight what I can see as another issue facing the Newcastle and Central Coast debate.
Are we talking about HSR or just fast trains? Every time one adds a station the journey slows down.
To add numerous stations on the Central Coast line just means that nothing changes from what we have between Newcastle Interchange and Sydney Central at present.
If the aim is to remove traffic from the M1, as he suggests, then all we need is a reliable frequent fast train and cut out the numerous stops in the Sydney Metro area.
Also, reducing the number of stations on the Central Coast would help.
With Tuggerah being the new maintenance base for the Newcastle/Central Coast service, logically it could be a hub replacing Wyong.
What is missing is the parking station/bus interchange required for cars to allow Central Coast residents to reach this hub conveniently.
Then Wyong, Woy Woy, Ourimbah and intermediate stations become feeder stations to Tuggerah or Gosford.
As well, Maitland should be the target for a true intercity HSR service.
Stuart King, Toronto
Tunnel would deliver benefits
ON NBN News Tuesday night, it was said there is now a "direct railway link", between Newcastle and Narrabri. In other words, the report implied that there was not a direct rail link from Newcastle to Narrabri until the line was upgraded.
Yet, as many readers will vouch, there has been a direct rail link to Narrabri and Moree for over a century.
From what I can ascertain the upgrades are in association with the inland rail, which will result in the establishment of a transcontinental railway from Brisbane to Melbourne via Narrabri and Moree.
Therefore, the aim of the upgrades were to raise the standard of the railway from what was essentially a branch line to a main line in preparation for the operation of 1500-metre long freight trains.
So I doubt the recent work will greatly benefit farmers in the immediate term.
However, there is one proposition that would significantly increase the efficiency of rail freight between Newcastle and Narrabri and would slash running times to Tamworth and Moree. That is the construction of the proposed tunnel from Murrurundi and Willow Tree.
This would eliminate the horrendous route over the Liverpool Ranges and deliver huge benefits for communities across the Northern Tablelands and the North-West Slopes.
Stephen Miller, Rutherford
SHORT TAKES
I DON'T understand how it is that some people can vehemently follow the warnings and directions of medical science, eg relating to skin cancer, yet completely ignore and even rubbish the warnings and directions of climate science. You'd think understanding science, and taking what it's telling us seriously, would be a transferable skill across all its disciplines.
John Arnold, Anna Bay
ROBYN Hristov ('There's no need for all the speed', Letters, 7/12), regarding high-speed pursuits: perhaps they should be directed to the criminals who steal cars, in most cases unlicensed, have outstanding warrants and are at times full of drugs rather than blame the police who are doing their best to keep us all safe.
Shane Tull, Redhead
ROBYN Hristov, police vehicles should be equipped with laser-guided anti-tank missiles. Useless car thieves can then be given instant justice. I bet you London to a brick that'll learn 'em.
Steve Barnett, Fingal Bay
SUPERCARS, three months out from the event, is once again telling Newcastle East residents that we have to be accredited before we are able to access our own homes. Once again, I will not submit to a private company telling me that I will not be able to access my home without its permission. No doubt, like previous years, I will be harassed by Supercars "security" as I try to return to my home after leaving the precinct. Thanks CoN and enjoy your free lunch at Fort Scratchley.
John Hudson, Newcastle East
MATT Ophir and Bryn Roberts, people like you just don't get it. Real football is the world game, the other imposter football games just can't compete. We have the biggest sporting event in the world, every four years. This World Cup has produced some of the best football ever. Flares and singing are passion, get with the program! I was lucky enough to be in Qatar and see six games. You people have no idea and to us real football fans, you don't count!
Daryl Frost, Eleebana
PERHAPS the comments which the University of Newcastle wants to scrub from its forum ('Uni shuts down comments: 'Inappropriate' comments removed from staff forum on EBA", Newcastle Herald, 8/12) were too philosophical? Perhaps they referenced art without financial obsession? Most likely they were simply employees venting at being offered inadequate compensation for their insecure work. Bypassing the union sounds so last government.
Peter Ronne, Woodberry
THE other day the editorial said 100 per cent renewables is a bit tough. AEMO is thinking 100 per cent renewables will be coming.
Agner Sorensen, Teralba
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