Letters, January 25: Israeli aid to Haiti

The international Christian Embassy in Jerusalem reported last Thursday that Israel was one of the first countries to send practical help to Haiti.

More than 120 specially trained medical and relief personnel were on the ground rescuing and treating the wounded while most other countries were still getting organised.

A field hospital has been set up which includes an intensive care unit, two operating theatres, a pharmacy and X-ray unit.

Other Israeli emergency and rescue teams, dispatched by humanitarian group IsraAID, have arrived with food and medical supplies and include volunteers and a 12-man search-and-rescue team equipped with sonar locators and sniffer dogs trained to search for people buried under the rubble.

Those who vilify Israel and hurl baseless, hate-filled accusations against the Jewish State should ask themselves how this tiny, embattled country is so often among the leaders in search and rescue emergencies, whilst its richer and better endowed neighbouring states are nowhere to be seen.

This kind of positive news about Israel rarely gets reported. Fair-minded Kiwis need to know.

BRIAN METCALF

Bucklands Beach

Always changing

I am aroused by Mairi Jay's letter (Waikato Times, January 16).

I would love to see a letter from a so-called sceptic who doesn't know the climate is changing. It always has and always will also.

Is there anyone out there who doesn't suspect a financial rort is being perpetrated under the guise of carbon trading?

Remember 2000, and do some research on tree rings, earth bores, geology, and history just to be "selective".

J A GRIFFITHS

Hamilton

Just bludgers

What is it with these Maori? They believe they have the right to use the roads of our country at no expense whatsoever.

Your front page story (Waikato Times, January 13) about travel permits is an example. If these ratbags can get away with this, I, as a white New Zealander, want the same.

Their claim this land belongs to Maori does not hold water and when you get right down to the basics, they're just bludgers.

New Zealand belongs to the people that work hard, pay taxes so everyone benefits. Not those that do not work or are in jail.

Until the Government stops this pussyfooting around with this minority tribe, the better it will be for all New Zealanders, white and coloured alike.

H LODGE

Tokoroa

Accident help

Having been in a car accident recently I have to say the St John Ambulance staff and Hamilton police were extremely kind and thorough in attending to us.

We found that Hamilton people are most helpful when needed and I would like to say a big thank you to these wonderful officers being so caring in their line of duty.

J S CARTER

Hamilton

Facts and faith

The assertion by Derek Smith (Waikato Times, January 12) that the narratives of Matthew and Luke are chronologically incompatible is false. The Christmas story is much more than an amalgam of the gospel narratives in Matthew and Luke.

The book of Isaiah prophesied Jesus Christ's virgin birth over 700 years earlier (Isaiah 7:14-9:6,7) and his sacrificial death for believers' sins (Isaiah 53). The book of Micah prophesised his place of birth in Bethlehem 800 years earlier (Micah 5:2).

Rather than repeating themselves, the gospels offer more information as any eyewitness account does from different perspectives.

According to the respected Jewish historian Claudius Josephus, who was employed by the ruling Romans around that time, King Herod had sons. One son, also named Herod, was appointed rulership over Judea after his father's death by Caesar at the time of Christ's birth.

The Bible is referred to as God's word because it is inspired by God (2 Timothy 3:16).

Inspired means "God breathed" and the same God, who cannot make mistakes, promised to preserve his word until the end of the world (Matthew 5:18 – Psalm 12:6,7).

Any apparent contradictions are due to either lack of faith and understanding or poor scholarship on our part. Fulfilled prophecy proves the Bible true.

KEVIN G BUTLER

Whatawhata

Sorry for children

I heard it on the news before I could turn it off that the smug, arrogant far-right-wing double-talkers intend to make the tax system more, ahem, fair, by lowering the taxes for the rich and raising the taxes for the working poor, such as myself.

I find solace in being ageing and in failing health so that I'm unlikely to live much longer in a world dominated by such immoral, hypocritical bullies, but I feel sorry for my children.

RICHARD SELINKOFF

Hamilton

Super city savings? In reply to Doug Stone's recent letter, I too want to see savings for ratepayers (Waikato Times, January 18).

While it might seem a simple solution by cutting seven mayors down to one, seven CEOs down to one and seven councils down to one, this will not necessarily save six sets of costs. The opposite may occur.

The new "Super Mayor" and new "Super CEO" will likely be paid six or more times their current salary; "a Super Salary" set by the Higher Salaries Commission.

The six councils could be replaced by a dozen or more community boards.

In 1989 Government initiated a major reform of local government, resulting in councils, boards, etc, being rationalised from over 800 to 86.

How much was saved? Rates have continually increased.

As for some local mayors flying their kites on amalgamation; it appears not all mayors were included or councillors informed; so instead of rushing in I prefer to wait and see the outcome of the Auckland experiment before making a decision.

That is if it becomes the council's decision to make.

ROGER HENNEBRY

Hamilton City Councillor

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