Parking madness going from bad to horrendous. AT is obviously determined to go out of business with a vindictive ‘bang'.
Not only is it wasting our money on an obscene explosion of crazy spending of the last of its budgeted funds, but AT seems determined to do as much ideological damage as possible on the way out!
Just one example of the wasteful spending is the unnecessary and useless ‘improvements' such as multiple mini traffic islands now installed on Garnet Road. (All that was needed, if at all, weresome painted ‘islands' in the centre of the road.)
Being pulled back under council control will invariably dent its bureaucratic pride and restrict ability to waste our money on unpopular and unnecessary ideologically driven ‘improvements', but does that justify AT deliberately undertaking projects just to get the money spent before it must justify the expense to elected councillors?
A classic example is AT’s determination to remove any practical, affordable and meaningful parking buildings and car parks (including those for the disabled) from anywhere in the immediate vicinity of the CBD and surrounds.
Parking in the CBD has been destroyed. Now, AT seems determined to charge for any and all on-street parking anywhere anyone might need to park.
'Residents Parking' is just a euphemism for 'AT want to raise more money' rather than allowing people to park outside their own homes.
AT will attempt to raise its revenue base by increasing the insidious spread of 'Residents Parking locations' throughout the suburbs.
This is in addition to councils who will invariably increase fees, levies, admin charges, etc, to cover their perceived losses now that Government has sensibly restricted their ability to increase rates beyond the rate of inflation.
Watch this space! Rather than council looking at the problem from the victims' perspective and trying to limit internal and external costs (and only deliver essential services), it will now take every single opportunity to 'raise revenue' by charging for parking on every possible square centimetre in Auckland, and will increase any internal and external cost and levy, fee or charge it can to offset its perceived loss of financial ‘freedom’.
The bureaucracy will attempt to retain all its revenue raising powers despite the Government's clear intention and will still not accept that the reason they it is being reined in was because it was absolutely incapable of restraining itself.
Its own ideologically driven madness and uncontrolled desire to spend our money on things no one needed, wanted or wanted to pay for is what forced the Government to move on the outrageous rates increases.
It's time to stop spending our money. Reducing council/AT staff by at least one third and putting restrictive approval processes in place are now needed urgently.
Mayor Brown, over to you.
Roger Hawkins, Herne Bay
Letter to the Editor
