Letters To The Editor
Council Priorities on Wrong Road
I had to laugh (or choke) when I read the Mayor's letter (Echo, June 6) regarding the pro-development nature of this Council. He seemed to be claiming that the projects mentioned in his letter had occurred because of his Council.
As a Councillor observer my memory of these things is quite different.
Some of the developments that he identified in his letter have been on the drawing board for some time and are finally coming to fruition. Others are not yet there, but could have been if the Mayor's group of Councillors had listened to the advice of its professional staff, which have worked hard to gain government grants to deliver better outcomes for Lismore.
For example, the CBD upgrade hasn't progressed under this Council. Indeed, the Mayor has tried to reverse the Magellan Street redevelopment.
The Mayor and the six-pack actively opposed the Coleman's bridge restoration.
They wanted to see the bridge replaced with a concrete bridge, despite its historic significance, and the community's wishes.
The Council's commitment to the riverbank redevelopment is dependent on State Government funding not Council funding, as is the Flood Levy.
In regard to the Art in the Heart development, the Mayor made it clear, in a workshop with Councillors that he wanted to sell off the site for more retail development. But Lismore CBD retail development is struggling - check out the empty shops. The Memorial Baths redevelopment is in limbo, and unless common sense prevails it will place a huge financial burden on ratepayers, not to mention Council's dwindling services.
The same Mayor is prepared to spend $ 2.07 million to seal two kilometres of Skyline Road, a project dear to his heart, and yet reject spending an extra $111,000 a year that would enable the Council staff to grade unsealed rural roads three times, instead of two times, a year.
The former Council, after lobbying from the community established the Roads Advisory Committee. Residents were appointed from each geographical area of the shire, to establish standards for Council's road construction and maintenance program with a fair and transparent points system to make sure that the money went to those roads with the greatest need. When the decision was made to establish this Committee the Mayor and Cr Crowther voted against it. When it suits him the Mayor ignores the Roads Advisory Committee, as occurred with the approval of Skyline Road. Indeed this Council ignores the residents when it suits them.
Lismore is more than an economy. It is a community, and like all communities is coming to terms with the difficult problems that all communities face.
Issues of safety, homelessness, domestic violence, the environment, drugs, unemployment and a lack of funds have to be addressed. Councils that focus only on economic development and ignore the human needs of our communities do little to build on the capacity that is evident in the many people who work, often voluntarily, to make our communities better places to live.
From what I've seen this Council isn't just pro-development. It's about development at any cost. It's about looking after mates rather than the whole community and ignoring those who haven't had the good fortune that some of us have had.
David Yarnall,
The Channon
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Detention Bills
To all those in despair over the Bill for the detention costs that have been issued to some asylum seekers granted a Temporary Protection Visa: take heart!
I'm in the process of drawing up a proposal for a plan which will result in a Win/Win situation: Ruddock's happy because he can continue to be very stern and hand out his invoices, and the Australian taxpayer wins because all the bills get paid - something that doesn't happen at present. It's gotta be a vote winner, Phil!
The plan is in two parts:
- These bills must be issued not only to TPV holders but to every asylum seeker in the detention 'prisons'.
- No-one issued a bill is allowed to leave Australia until every last cent has been paid off.
There will be plenty of employers willing to match the hourly rate currently paid to asylum seekers for their labour in detention 'prisons', namely $1 (sic) per hour.
Given a 35-hour working week, the average 25-year-old refugee can look forward to clearing his or her debt (and being forcibly deported) somewhere around their 135th birthday.
Cloud
Kyogle
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Double Standard
You don't have to look very hard to see the outrageous hypocrisy and double standards of the United States. The country that sponsored more terrorist organisations than other countries in history has convinced most of the Western world, though their control over media, that they are champions of 'freedoms' and 'democracy'. All the US government are really interested in is securing world domination, both military and economic, and boosting the profits of US corporations.
Most of the great human rights abusing dictatorships of the world were either put in power or kept in power by the US. Saddam Hussein and the Taliban were both supported by the US and they continue to support the murderous Islamic fundamentalist regime in Saudi Arabia (birthplace of Al Qaeda).
Washington decides when a country needs a 'regime change', usually when a government goes against US ruling class interests by not agreeing to IMF imposed reforms or nationalizing their oil industry for example. That's what this 'War on Terror' is all about. It has nothing to do with fighting terrorism and everything to do with fighting everyone who opposes American Imperialism.
The US can't even claim to be champions of 'free trade', when it only wants to break down trade barriers to other countries while enjoying its own protectionist measures. One day people will start to see who the real terrorists are.
T Nelson
Lismore
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Malnutrition on Wheels
It would appear that those most vulnerable in society are being affected again, namely, those depending on the 'Meals on Wheels' service.
Recent changes in this service include both smaller packaging and less food. The previous containers measured: 17.5 x 12.5 x 4.6 cm (in toto 1,006.25 cubic cm). The recently introduced containers measure 16.5 x 11.5 x 3.3 cm (in toto 626.18 cubic cm). This represents a noticeable 40% food reduction.
I am rather curious as to whether or not the decision- makers of these recent changes would be prepared to survive with a 40% food reduction on their tables.
A Byrne
Green Pigeon
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A Question
In his letter on multicultural Australia and the Australian government's attitude to asylum seekers (Echo, June 13) Bill Leader asked four questions relating to government authority, compassion and discrimination.
With these particular issues in mind, my question is, how much time has Bill spent living in a Middle Eastern country?
M Perkins
Wollongbar
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Wrong Mindset
Jim Lees assertions and his perceptions (Echo, May 23) concerning abortion and the status of an embryo are typical of a much broader social mindset which resulted from strategic misinformation fed to the en-masse public over the past four decades.
The first contraceptive pill trials on the public began revealing dire consequences on the wellbeing of women. This late 50s early 60s prototype pill was a true contraceptive in that with a regular oral dose of an artificial version of a hormone called oestrogen, it completely blocked the ovulation cycle of the woman.
When the serious and even lethal problems of women began to accumulate from these (albeit, publicly unbeknown) trials, it became clear to the pharmaceutical scientists that it was not possible to induce complete cessation of ovulation and still have a healthy woman.
The next step was where the real rot in medical and political ethics began to set in and where the en-masse public was strategically duped.
The concentration of oestrogen in the pill was lowered to an ovulatory interference or suppression level. This meant that since some ovulation was bound to occur, some conceptions were also certain to occur, so another component - progestogen - was added. This component's action interrupted the womb's preparation to implant and gestate the embryo upon its emergence from the fallopian tube. By preventing implantation of the embryo, an early (usually unknown) abortion is induced. For this reason the promotion of the pill as a contraceptive is not only misleading, it is a malicious lie.
Knowing that public morals would initially reject abortion as a means of birth control, the pharmaceutical industry played on the public's naivete regarding the difference between "conceiving" and "becoming pregnant". They promoted the illusion that conception and pregnancy were synonymous, so "not becoming pregnant" on the pill implied no conception had taken place.
It is very difficult to study the frequency at which conceptions and abortions occur with women on the pill, but some research estimations indicate an average as high as one conception-abortion per year. Some varieties of the pill cause more abortions and some less, but sooner or later all varieties are abortifacient. Worldwide, this means millions of human embryos are being destroyed daily - mostly unbeknown to the parents.
Once the life-death cycle became established in the womb of humanity, death became naturalised and perceived as a decent and an acceptable commodity for an increasing range of human problems and human needs.
Forty years ago came the abortifacient pill. Ten years later came abortion and the abundance of foetal tissue. Next came Partial Birth Abortion where it was no longer an obscenity or perversion to kill near term babies. If one looks at the statistics of violence, drug abuse, family breakdown, mental health problems and many medical conditions, all begin to escalate with the advent of The Pill.
Why would scientific ethics concern itself about the right or wrong of embryo research and cell harvesting when millions of embryos are daily being destroyed worldwide by abortifacients, and thousands more are being destroyed in IVF clinics?
Factions of the scientific, media and political fraternities have arrogantly and I dare say criminally usurped society's destiny towards freedom, happiness and self determination. Human productivity and excellence, if achieved by way of human desecration and abuse, can only result in eventual catastrophe. There is still time to turn around.
Marijonas Vilkelis
Lismore
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Mungo Madness
It's a bit much having to read the sozzled comments of Mungo McCallum (Echo, June 13) as usual denigrating John Howard, who at least has the courage of his convictions, and is not afraid to speak up on matters concerning Australia.
I ask Mungo where his courage was when he deserted his friends,and did not speak out about the Jenny McAllister entry into the Richmond election.
At least Jack Hallam, Julie Nathan,and Georgie Jeston were not afraid to have the courage of their convictions. Give us all a break Mungo and go back to Canberra.
James Baker
Evans Head
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Any Family
I have been doing some research into family members Edwin and Robert Bicheno who emigrated to Australia from East Dulwich in SE London and became dairymen in the Nimbin area. In January 1916 they enlisted in the 3rd Pioneer Battalion of the Australian Imperial Force and soon found themselves back in Europe. Edwin died on Messines Ridge on 4 July 1917 and is buried in Trois Arbres cemetery, Steenwerk, France. Robert returned to Australia and was discharged from the army in January 1918 and, presumably took up his farming life again. I have visited Edwin's grave in France and I know his name is on the Australian War Memorial in Canberra. I would be grateful if I could ask through your paper if anyone knows if his name appears on a war memorial in his adopted hometown of Nimbin or in Lismore where he and his brother enlisted.
Andy Pepper
peppersaandr@aol.com
London, UK
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Howard's Way
So, John Howard makes us proud with another visit to Washington. We are, after all, partners in the war against terror. Are we waging war on poverty, inequality, the victimisation of women and children? Are we fighting to stop child sexual abuse within the church? Are we fighting against the rape of the environment, or the violence being waged against the people of West Papua? No, apparently we are fighting a war to defend the "values" of the "civilised world".
What are these values; no-one is prepared to explain; the rhetoric is effective nonetheless (the last federal election demonstrated that). Who are the civilised world? Are they the ones that merely built and sell the landmines, not the ones who actually plant them in fields to be exploded by farmers and their children. Are they the ones who inflict terror through an imbalance in the distribution of resources, or the ones that starve other nations through sanctions?
Could someone please explain the terminology? Perhaps we could wage war on lazy minds and blind assumptions. Oh, never mind, Big Brother will be on in a sec.
Anthony A. Yeates
East Lismore
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Kadina Park
It's really heartwarming to read about the Kadina Park development; a long overdue facility for the residents of the Goonellabah, Macleans Ridges, and Alphadale areas. Congratulations and thanks to all of people who have put their time, money, and energy into this project.
However I find it disturbing to read about Councillor Swientek's opposition to Council's funding of this facility, and his 'Goonellabah Town Centre' agenda. If Councillor Swientek was genuinely representative of his constituents, he would have put his support behind the Kadina Park proposal, rather than seeking to divert funding to his pet project.
His behaviour raises suspicion: does he have a vested interest from the continued development of the Simeoni Land site (aka Goonellabah Town Centre)? Perhaps Shaggy could sniff this out for us?
Lisa Bartholomew
Lismore Heights
Editor's note: Cr Swientek has pointed out to us that he supports the park, but wishes to see it transferred to the Goonellabah Town Centre, rather than the Kadina site. We oversimplified his argument in last week's report and incorrectly suggested he wanted the funding for the recreation centre, and apologise.
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Back the battler
Imagine if a neighbour's child came to your house seeking refuge from parents who were mistreating her. Would you refuse to let her onto your property until you had checked out the story fully - making her stay at home until the authorities got round to doing something? Or would you immediately take her to the police station to have her locked up as a trespasser on your land - an illegal entrant - and leave her there until all the paperwork had been sorted out?
No, I think not. I think that you'd show the compassion, understanding and caring that has made this country great - made it into 'The Lucky Country'.
It seems that this caring does not extend outside the confines of our own country, our island, our citadel. That Aussie icon 'mateship' seems only to apply to other Aussies - even though many of those 'Aussies' are descendants of others who have fled oppression, persecution and horrors in their own countries.
Life is much sweeter when we expand our thinking and our awareness - when we think of others instead of just ourselves, our street instead of just our house, when we expand that to our community and to our country. Hopefully, we will eventually start thinking about it as our world and all the peoples in it as 'our family'.
Then we may be able to express the compassion and mateship that we pride ourselves on rather than the parochial bigotry that many now practise.
Now is the time to put Australia and Australians on the world map as a compassionate corner of the globe. The ANZACs and all those other service personnel did that when they unselfishly fought for those who were oppressed. It's now time for each of us to do the same. The pen is mightier than the sword. Write to the government; write to your local member. Let them know that what is being done now is unkind, inhumane and unacceptable. The government is playing political football with peoples' lives. Let's turn the game around and score a goal for the underdog, the battler.
Maybe we can help to get the neighbour's child's life back into some sort of order - whether that neighbour is in the house down the road or the country across the world.
Rik & Lisa Dillon
Alstonville
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Work with Nature
The single most pressing issue facing humanity at the moment is reproduction. As the earth becomes overpopulated so will the call for enforced sterilisation of females be advocated.
This is so absolutely unnecessary it is a bad joke. It is humans' belief and religious systems that have caused overpopulation. Wild women have always looked to mother earth for their family planning. It is male dominated religions and their desire to enlarge their constituency which have blocked the ancient knowledge of herbs and mental techniques which most indigenous women knew about the world over.
The Catholic Church is an example of this, labelling wise women as witches. Yes, women in tune with their own bodies able to foresee, accept or refuse unborn babies are magical.
To use herbs and inner wisdom is a spiritual, psychic and intuitive process. To mistress the whole reproduction process; conception, childbirth, contraception and natural herbal abortion is the spiritual and character building path for women that has been stolen and blocked by men.
Our modern western reproductive system fills me with dismay. From the way modern women are subject to a man's rhythm focusing on a career in their natural reproductive years therefore needing fertility aid in later years when they should be embarking on their grandmother and post-childhood path; full of wisdom learnt from childbearing years conferring with their inner knowledge and instinct.
Women are disempowered with modern technological birth. Having a baby naturally, especially homebirth, is a brave but safe thing to do when done in naturally youthful, child-bearing years. Birth should be an initiation for women into their strengths, independence and psychic abilities rather than a reliance on doctors which happens when women become older. The age modern women are having babies is when the next initiation step of natural contraception should be taking place.
Modern women are caught up in a struggle to compete in a man's world while losing total touch with their own.
The debate is not just between Catholics and Athiests. It is about working with nature rather than fighting it.
Lynne Oldfield
Barkers Vale
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Moronic Driving
At long last Coleman's bridge over Leycester Creek is being upgraded, many thanks to the RTA. however this is not the issue. The Lismore Council has placed numerous signs in Union St adequately warning motorists that the bridge is closed. Approximately 10% of the cars travelling along Union Street turn around and use the alternate route. The other 90% sails on oblivious to the fact that the bridge is closed, what are they doing? Obviously they are not concentrating on the road and haven't seen the sign.
This raises a few issues.
1. If 90% of the road users are not seeing the sign then it's either badly positioned (which it's not, my opinion only) or the motorists are off in fairy land. Whatever happened to a responsible attitude to driving?
2. The sign is placed near the pedestrian crossing and if the above-mentioned are blindly ignoring the road closure sign are they just as blindly ignorant to the fact that a pedestrian crossing exists.
3. As a daily user of the pedestrian crossing I have some reservations about my safety, more importantly that of my daughter who uses this crossing twice daily to attend school.
To the 10% of you who are observant drivers I congratulate you and will call you responsible Lismorians.
To the other 90% who would blissfully drive over a cliff without a care in the world. You frighten me and henceforth I shall refer to you as irresponsible Lismorons.
The bottom line is this. If you're going to drive make sure you engage your brain before engaging 1st gear. OK? I'm frightened for my child.
Bill Leader
Lismore
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Japan Visit
I have recently returned from an extensive visit to Japan. It was my first trip and will certainly not be my last.
This is because the Japanese people are amongst the warmest, honest and most generous people it has ever been my privilege to meet - and I have travelled and lived in several countries of the world.
However as in many countries, both in the past and present, the general public themselves have been (and are still being, sadly) manipulated by others that are on some kind of power trip, have little conscience and/or possess a distinct lack of compassion and understanding of the basic principles of humanity.
There are still some who do not realise that the Japanese people themselves were forced into a war the majority did not want and they too suffered horrifically - just like us. One book that everyone, especially our leaders and those still harbouring ill-feelings should read is A Song for Nagasaki by Paul Glynn. I defy anyone to remain un-moved if they would care to read this book.
Fortunately, there are some far-sighted and realistically minded groups in both our countries. Australia and Japan have established various organisations in the name of peace, forgiveness and understanding for the benefit of all those who suffered in WW2.
They are accordingly interested in establishing contact with ex-POW's and soldiers in Australia. I have the details of one such group in Japan and if anyone is genuinely interested, please contact me for further information.
Alan Waters
Lismore
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Injustice
In reply to the most amusing letter by Will Stanton (Echo, June 13).
I feel an injustice has been done to councillor Crowther. The criticisms directed towards him over the years have been overly harsh. The latest round is bordering on scandalous.
How dare you Sir. Councillor Crowther is a respected member of the community and has put an enormous amount of effort into the well being of the Lismore Shire. To suggest that he is arrogant and self-serving is very narrow minded on your part Mr Stanton, I suspect that in reality you know nothing of this man and you are just a s*#t stirrer.
I think you missed the point of the article and Mr Thomsen's comment was just as ludicrous as your own. Obviously Mr and Mrs Crowther have been deeply offended by the whole issue and it has become one of major concern for both of them, hence Mrs Crowther's reply. To the two little boys in a big man's world grow up, one day you may be in a similar situation and then, you'll get your karmic desserts. To err is a human trait, show a little compassion for your fellow human beings if you are mature enough.
Wally Breaker
Kyogle
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UnAustralian Traitors
Although I am no particular fan of ex-One Nation executive David Estreich I am certainly a far less liker of the self-opinionated Frosty Grego (Echo, June 6).
His abusive tone in his so-called letters is legend and his super gullible attitude towards these gatecrashing Arabs is unrealistic and completely out of sync with our government and mainstream Aussies. Of course that's of no concern to this person who always has the "blinkers" firmly attached!
I just wish for once he would climb out of his tree and explain to the majority of us other "heathens" just how he intends to prove to us that this lot in detention centres are always telling the truth re why they are here and just why they left where they came from in these leaky boats.
I mean how utterly gullible can one person possibly be! Put yourself in their position for one moment. Wouldn't you 'lie' like a pig in dirt to get to stay in this wonderful place. Of course some may be telling the truth but if they don't have proof of their stories shoot em back on the next available rocket!
I don't know about others who read this garbage that Grego and his ilk all too often pen in this section think but their bleeding heart gullibility is astounding in my opinion.
This lot know dam well they simply don't know how truthful this troublemaking mob are and yet they expect the rest of us to stupidly believe them.
It seems to me in large part this Arab Muslim mob are a bunch of ungrateful abusive destroyers and they simply should not be here but even worse we have these unthinking so called Aussies supporting these unwanted law breakers who don't respect us or our country and will lie and blackmail to get their way.
For present and future generations of Aussies we cannot afford to let this continue and at long last other countries are waking up to this obvious fact. And like our sensible government are moving to stop it!
It seems obvious that a lot of people from these Arab countries see Australia as a soft touch, an all day sucker well knowing about our generous Social Security system its payments, free medical, free travel etc etc. Like fools we allow them to practice their Muslim beliefs build "Mosques" things which if we tried our religions in their countries we'd be deported or shot dead. We can well do without these radical beliefs. Why on earth these sickening bleeding hearts support doing away with detention centres and support more of this ilk out here defies belief.
Most Aussies worked too damn hard to make this place great to see it just snatched away, so to hell with these freeloading ungrateful bunch and those who support them. I'm as generous as anybody but I object to being taken for a mug. Let them go back and fix up their own backyard and cease buggering up ours! Okay some potential terrorists may come here in business suits, who knows, but that does not translate into believing they simply cannot, will not come here in a leaky boat either.
In today's world we can never be too careful, but I also believe there is an even greater threat from within our home ranks as proven by those who not only have helped and supported those who have escaped from detention centres but those amongst us who write in this section openly supporting the law breakers and 'a come one, come all' attitude which spits in the eye of everything we hold dear and the laws of our land. How can these part time Aussies say they love Australia and respect it. That is just so much bulldust!
What is really in it for this lot? Why are they really doing this against the national interests? They are in the same leaky boats in my view, or they should be, as these illegals. Traitors, Fifth columnists? Yes! Sadly even some church leaders and naturally the odd lawyer or two! So what's new? I almost forgot ex-politicians and damn republic pushers!
G. Wallace
South Lismore
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Thank You
The Red Shield Appeal Doorknock is a feature of community partnership with The Salvation Army and is a vital part of the overall appeal to businesses, corporations, families and individual people.
The Doorknock volunteer help given by Service Clubs: Rotary, Lions, Apex and other clubs and organisations together with Schools and Colleges, families and individuals has been a great help.
The cost of our Social Welfare Service exceeds $350 million and the Doorknock on May 26 provided $6.3 million towards the National Appeal Goal of $51.5 million. The total raised at this date is $37.8 million - we have a way to go as yet.
The Red Shield Appeal closes on June 30 and support from those who have not given as yet will help us and can be sent to GPO Box 9888 in your Capital City or through the donation line 13 32 30.
We say Thank You to generous Australians for giving time and money to the Appeal as well as we thank this newspaper and other media for their donated support and promotion of Red Shield Appeal 2002.
Glenn Whittaker
Appeal Director
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