I note with some satisfaction that new candidates are starting to appear as potential elected local ward members.
We can once again only hope that the next group are more connected with the local community and understand how a democracy works and how “majority rule” is supposed to be honoured than the legacy members who are currently “serving” (themselves) on the Waitemata Local Board.
In particular, I trust that Genevieve Sage has “got the message” that she is neither wanted nor encouraged to stand again.
Her catastrophic decision to immediately “cross the floor” after being elected on the C & R ticket, having sold her soul (and her political future) to Richard Northey and the City “Vision” team in return for the Chairmanship of the ward, has completely destroyed her credibility and of course guaranteed that she is unelectable anywhere in Auckland anymore.
The residents of Waitemata local ward clearly voted for a right leaning (but not extreme right wing) C and R team at the last election and were determined to stop the deliberate destructive madness that is looney left’s City Vision and Auckland Transport’s nightmare “vision” for Auckland and our ward specifically.
Instead with one clearly malevolent and selfish move, and in a “grab for power” Genevieve Sage, ignored the wishes of the voters, and immediately kowtowed to Richard Northey who knew a mug when he saw one, and has manipulated and coerced Ms Sage into following his orders ever since.
The result has been a disaster for the area.
The valued and much enjoyed Leys Institute Library is still closed and is still a mess, but we now have unbelievably expensive raised pedestrian crossings, ($1,500,000 on Ponsonby Rd/Pompallier Tce Crossing alone), traffic lights on seemingly EVERY pedestrian crossing, (when traffic MUST stop for pedestrians on crossings anyway) AND unwanted and unneeded judder bars, approximately ever 200 metres on all the main thoroughfares. Then we have lanes removed, extended curblines that prevent easy turns, and closed access to well used streets.
Over $77,000,000 has been wasted by Auckland Transport on “improving” Meola Road and Point Chevalier Road. On top of that wasted expenditure there is also the “improvements” in Karangahape Rd (who goes there anymore? - now that there is no parking), and now Great North Road. All that was needed for all these roads was a painted line for the bikes to stay inside, and one painted lane for busses in each direction – ONLY in one direction, and only during peak hours.
Add in the fiasco that is the off ramp in Grafton Gully / access to K’ Road and the placement of public toilets in Mercury Lane (which could not have been handled any worse if all the participants tried), and you have the political legacy of Genevieve Sage, and Richard Northey, whose determination to do their own will, rather than that of the voters will remain as a stain on their memory, now and into the future.
Should anyone in future consider that “Crossing the floor” is acceptable to their supporters, then I encourage them to consider whether “Doing a Genevieve Sage” is a smart idea – especially if they have political ambitions.
And/or those who think ignoring the voters and destroying your local community just so that it suits your views on how the local neighbourhood looks (for those who actually live here) is a smart thing to do, then doing a ”Northey” should be your first consideration. Then don’t do it!
Neither Ms Sage nor Mr. Northey will be missed from the local ward, and should the centre right be elected again, then this time we can expect more measured control of the budgets, less targeting of local contributors and with any luck some of OUR MONEY being spent on ripping out the ridiculous “safety measures”, such as having the raised pedestrian crossings at Ponsonby Road / Pompallier Terrace removed and returned to their original state, and the four lanes of traffic there reinstated.
The good news is it will cost a fraction of the cost of building these bizarre examples of unnecessarily disrupting the lives of the residents, to remove and return these imposed solutions to some semblance of common sense and order.
Get out and vote good people, and make sure that those with extreme agenda’s (of any persuasion) are NOT elected, but rather those who have proven themselves to be solid, grounded, responsible board members, and the star candidates who now put themselves forward are elected.
Roger Hawkins
Ponsonby.
