25 May 2004

Ratepayers protest letters must be considered during this year's rate setting process.

Rates Rebellion spokesman David Thornton today urged the Auckland Regional Council to include a business differential into the rates system for the coming financial year.

David Thornton was speaking to his submission to the ARC's Long Term Council Community Plan [LTCCP] which will fix the rates for the year commencing 1st July/

Mr Thornton told the council "In your deliberations on this plan in respect of rating issues - especially the revenue policy - I urge you to give every consideration to the thousands of letter, emails and faxes you received during the ratepayers rebellion.

I also ask you to give consideration to the two petitions handed to you last September which contained 40,000 signatures.

And I believe you must also take into consideration the actions by tens of thousands of ratepayers who withheld all or part of their rates - including those who continue to do so.

Your own surveys and research have told you that residential ratepayers want the return of business differentials and a clear recognition of 'ability to pay' when it comes to setting rates for the new year".

ENDS

© Scoop Media

Gordon Campbell: On the Sony cyber attack

Given the layers of meta-irony involved, the saga of the Sony cyber attack seemed at the outset more like a snarky European art film than a popcorn entry at the multiplex.

Yet now with (a) President Barack Obama weighing in on the side of artistic freedom and calling for the US to make a ‘proportionate response’quickly followed by (b) North Korea’s entire Internet service going down, and with both these events being followed by (c) Sony deciding to backtrack and release The Interview film that had made it a target for the dastardly North Koreans in the first place, then ay caramba…the whole world will now be watching how this affair pans out. More>>