Letters To The Editor

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Beaut park

How wonderful to see Kadina Park finally opening! (Echo, Aug 28) As Kadina HS P&C Secretary and President during the years of planning and consultation, I know there were times when it did not look like happening.

Despite the wonderful efforts of the Rotary Club of Goonellabah and the Lismore City Council and the hard work of students, teachers and parents at the high school, the project was at risk of being white-anted by a group of scare-mongers.

At the time, I was phoned with stories of 'undesirable elements' including 'drug addicts and skateboarders' creating havoc for local residents. A door-to-door survey was also couched in these provocative terms.

Fortunately sense prevailed and at last the young people of Goonellabah have a place of their own. We may not have a leisure centre or swimming pool yet but Kadina Park is a great first step in providing facilities in this, the residential centre of Lismore.

Congratulations to LCC, Rotary, EnviTE and all those who participated in the process to make Kadina park a reality.

Jenny Dowell
Goonellabah

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Double standards

Responsible alcohol sales are an oxymoron.

The liquor industry is the legal purveyor of the drug alcohol, just as a heroin dealer is the illegal purveyor of the drug heroin. If a "client" of the heroin dealer suffers physical harm from consumption, the heroin dealer can be charged for this. Drivers can sue car manufacturers on safety grounds. Food manufacturers can be held responsible for adverse health effects. Alcohol encourages aggression, but the industry claims that control of that aggression is the responsibility of the police. Alcohol damages the liver, just as smoking damages the lungs, but the user bears all of the responsibility, unlike almost every other product. Alcohol fuels social misery as much as any other drug, but avoids any responsibility.

Just as the petroleum industry has avoided taking any responsibility for pollution, and has allowed the car industry to bear the brunt of legislative and financial responsibility, so the liquor industry has avoided responsibility for the effects of alcohol. ("The unleaded fuel!" you say? That saved petrol manufacturers from having to upgrade the refineries. The new additives cause cancer, while lead makes you stupid. Take your pick!)

In almost all disputes between the drinker and his hotelier, the police will prosecute the drinker. Bouncers are not always suited to the task, and excesses do occur. Is it the strong feeding on the weak when this happens?

Alan Salt
Nimbin

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Aiding St John

The recent recruitment drive that your newspaper assisted us with was a great success resulting in 10 prospective new members attending our training night on August 7.

We plan to conduct regular recruitment drives like this one in the future and look forward to your support in our endeavours to service the Lismore community. On behalf of the Lismore Division of St John (NSW) I wish to convey our appreciation for the support provided and the cooperation of your staff.

State Commissioner Christine Purdie is also most appreciative of the assistance extended to her during the recent visit to Lismore.

Tom Maxwell
Officer in Charge
Lismore Division of St John NSW

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Bowled over

On behalf of the Northern Rivers Kidney Association I wish to extend our appreciation to the Ballina Bowling Club, Debbie Carter and staff of Wallace & Co Ballina for holding the Wallace & Co Memorial Charity Bowls Day on Sunday, August 10.

Thank you also to all the bowlers and the business houses in Lismore, Ballina and Byron Bay and of course the general public (for purchases of raffle tickets etc) for their generous donations towards making this Bowls Day an outstanding success.

Col Johnston
Fundraising Officer - Treasurer
Northern Rivers Kidney Association Inc.

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Leaves me speechless

Just wanted to drop a line to you to say I love reading Evelyn Gough's 'In The Picture' column. I love her honesty, wit and humour. What more can I say!

Evelyn Fan (no relation)
Lismore

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Parking fine fiasco

Abuse of power still seems to be Southern Cross Uni's (SCU) number one priority. Motorists may be aware that SCU has issued written warnings to those parking within the main body of campus with threats to issue fines via the Infringement Processing Bureau (the NSW Police). Under State regulation it is unlawful for SCU to issue such fines on a part of campus when and where it restricts vehicle access - such as with boomgates, traffic control officers etc.

In this context, any motorist who receives an SCU fine via the Police should obtain legal representation and have it overturned. Any motorist who obtains one of SCU's warnings may wish to treat it with the scepticism it deserves.

For SCU to lawfully issue fines via the Police its roads must be public streets with unrestricted access to the public. In defiance SCU instructs its traffic control officers to state, 'the Uni is private property' when impeding vehicle entry. In fact, SCU is a public institution on public property.

The official recommended proposal is for SCU to remove its boomgates and traffic control officers from campus. SCU has rejected this prerequisite due to its obsession with arbitrary control.

Laurence Keane
Goonellabah

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Pool not final

The final design of the proposed new pool has not yet been discussed, or approved, by Council. The decision to proceed with this design was made by a Committee, which includes the Mayor and Crs Brian Suffolk and Reg Baxter.

I couldn't agree more with Chris Mills' comments last week. What we are now faced with is, at best and by no means guaranteed, a full-size Olympic swimming pool and a 25-metre, 4-lane, predominantly warm-up, pool for serious swimmers. It provides nothing for young children who can't swim, or leisure water, which is one of the largest drawcards for young people. It's a sporting facility, not a community facility, and as a sporting facility it will never be more than second-rate because there is simply not sufficient room on the site to provide the best in terms of grandstands, marshalling areas and the necessary heating and shade.

The lack of shade contravenes Council's own shade policy and if it is not provided, to my mind it is at best irresponsible given the prevalence of melanomas and skin cancers in this region. The very small amount of green space provides nothing for those who like to come for the day and combine swimming/playing in the water with relaxing in a cool and pleasant environment.

I maintain that as what is proposed will really only provide a second-rate venue for competition swimmers and nothing for anyone else, future Councils will have to provide additional facilities that meet the needs of all residents who don't have access to private pools.

Although I support keeping the pool at Lismore Lake open, it does not provide the safe, supervised facility that is currently available for the thousands of young children who use the Memorial Baths. There has been much pressure from Council's insurance company and from some sections of Council to close this pool, and in my mind there is no guarantee that, without spending much more ratepayers' money, it will continue for long.

The true cost for ratepayers of the decision by the majority of this Council's elected representatives will emerge over the coming years and will go down in history as a legacy to short-sightedness and financial irresponsibility. No wonder so many people question the value of local government.

Cr Ros Irwin
Lismore

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Pedestrians last

Watching traffic downtown today I was reminded of something I have been meaning to write about for a while.

Why do so many Lismore drivers insist on reversing out of centre parking? Obviously I am not speaking about the new 'nose in' parking but the standard 90-degree centre lane. If you drive out forwards the furthest you will have to travel is a few hundred metres before coming to a gap or roundabout where you can turn around.

The number of near misses, the delay to traffic waiting for them to fumble out backwards, sometimes needing two or three attempts, the danger to pedestrians who have to jump out of the way because these people are watching the oncoming traffic; this is a serious accident waiting to happen especially when there are others who drive way too fast to react safely to the inevitable pedestrians, dogs, etc. (and reversing cars).

Please take care and think about what you are doing, don't just assume that you can do whatever you like.

Gray Wilson
Lismore

PS. A special note to pushbike riders: You are also supposed to give way to pedestrians on a marked crossing and not weave through them at top speed.

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Encore time

Our Federal Government has reached a perilous new low in credibility.

Little Bonsai is now the Prime Misleader. Every time a Federal Minister is 'sprung' spreading 'porkies' they dutifully preface their excuse with the overider that: "The PM had no knowledge of this matter".

As never before, the end, now, always justifies the highly questionable means.

No lie is too blatant to tell a gullible public, bereft of any real ALP opposition.

Trust is now completely gone. Kids Overboard. Siev X sunk. Soldiers being hazed, brutalised and finally, suiciding. A female Naval Lietenant gang raped.

Janette's appointment of the GG. Getting back into bed with Kopassus. The Rome Fantasy Hotel $171,000 four day stay for the scrub and the kitchen cabinet. Pre-positioning of our troops with no intention of Iraq participation. The UN unsanctioned, incursion into the Solomons. $3.55 million extravagantly wasted on Bonsai's personal international travel in the past year. New bulletproof limos. Australia's Fisheries Zones left unprotected by our Navy. Bogus funds set up by Ministers of the Crown.

No denial is too grossly implausible that it cannot now be trotted out to further the cause of the "big end of town". We have a Communications Minister whose sole aim in life now is to destroy the ABC. He has already done the same to digital TV. We have a Transport Minister whose pre-occupation with his self-appointment as Minister for Qantas is costing our inbound tourism industry millions of dollars a day. The health system is at breaking point and all the Federal Health Minister Patterson can do is threaten people. What next?

John X Berlin
Maclean

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School in jeopardy

Over the past 9 years Lismore's Young and Powerful School has fostered a safe environment in which self-directed learning and strong community and cultural values play key roles. Young people who have had difficulties at other schools are currently excelling at Young and Powerful. Now, due to increases in costs such as insurance and wages (including rent of nearly $4000 a month), inadequate funding and large government taxes, Young and Powerful School may be forced to close.

Federal, State and Local Governments could assist Young and Powerful School to stay open and continue to offer schooling to local young people who would otherwise be excluded from education. As we have no youth centre in Lismore, the Lismore City Council could show it cares about our young people by donating land or subsidised premises from which the school could continue to operate. If you would like to help please contact: our Mayor, Merv King (Phone 6625 0500, PO Box 23A, Lismore), or our Federal MP, Ian Causley (phone 1800 818 012; 63 Molesworth St, Lismore) and register your support for this unique community asset.

Tarryn Corlet
Lismore

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Always question

To respond to M Anderson 'Peace be with you' (Echo, Aug 28).

To answer fully what M Anderson seeks would require a full page spread. So may I suggest where he, she or others can find some answers.

M Anderson has no religion, but is a Christian. (Echo 28/8).

The word 'religion' actually means 'a belief in a divine power'. So Christianity is a 'religion'.

A personal relationship with Jesus was the advent of a Lutheran minister named Jokab Spener 1635-1705. Those who were his followers were called 'Pietists', and were considered as 'unholy Babylon' at the time. For detailed information use an Encyclopedia and look for 'Pietism'.

M Anderson has fundamental tendencies and refers to the KJV in a literal sense, believing only what is being taught. May I suggest you visit a local church that has an available resource centre for perusal or someone you may know and seek out an Interlinear Greek-English New Testament (KJV) by George R Berry?

May I quote two paragraphs from this books introduction?

"We give the Greek text, with an interlinear translation as literal as may be to be useful; and in the margin the Authorised Version, divided into paragraphs to correspond to the Greek text." (p.1)

The Greek Text

"The Greek text is that of Stephens, 1550, which has long been in common use; but as the edition of Elzevir, 1624, in the one often called the Received Text, or Textus Receptus, because of the words, "Textum.ab omnibus receptum," occurring in the preface, we give the readings of this Elzevir edition in the notes, and mark them E. It is the text commonly reprinted on the Continent. In the main they are one and the same; and either of them may be referred to as the Textus Receptus." (p.2)

Look up and note who the authors were of New Testament epistles, then proceed to your King James Version and seek the authors of the same epistles. Then ask yourself this question. How many Pauline epistles did Paul really write?

Shouldn't we question what is truth?

Maybe the knockers that you refer to are aware that there is no reliable evidence for the existence of a historical Jesus.

You say that you seek truth. In all honesty may I say this; always question about what you are taught, outside of the institution, so keep looking?

Jim Lee
Alstonville

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One day

I heard Prime Mongrel Howard mouthing off, in his inimitable mealy-mouthed way, about us getting on with our normal lives in the face of the ongoing threat of terrorism. What this smarmy language manipulating suburban lawyer doesn't say anything about is why terrorism exists. He doesn't say anything about the economic, political and social repression supported by the western countries of the one thirds world, which is the crucible of terrorism. The US actually trained many of these people in the techniques they use, and with the amazing ability to deny the unpleasant, Howard, Bush and Co say nothing and do nothing to alleviate this problem except kill people!

Howard say little about his racist policies of detaining those escaping repressive regimes in gulags at isolated desert locations where few know what really goes on. Howard says nothing about his basic belief in his Darwinian concept of the economic survival of the economically most fit creating an under class of poor or jobless that Australia has not seen since the depression.

Howard tells us to "get on with our lives under the shadow of terrorism" but fails to give us the economic tools to do so. For much life remains a chaotic struggle despite Howard promising to make our lives "relaxed and comfortable." Howard, since his election, has attacked the social and economic fabric of Australian society, undermining Medicare, education and the social security system.

All one can say that is positive about this awful, stupid, imbecile dullard of a PM is that one day, soon he'll be gone and thank god for that.

Michael Mizzi
Tabulam

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