I am a single mother working to support threee teenagers. Rates are increasing, as so are taxes and GST. People can't save becase they simply can't afford to. You want my vote. My quetions are:
- What are you going to do as to keep more money in my pocket?
- How much are the rates going to go up? What are you going to do to keep them to a minimum?
- Would you hold referendums to actually ensure you have the opinion of the people money you are spending?
- Colin Craig stated that he would give 50% of the Mayor's salary to the rate payers of Auckland. How many of you are willing to do the same
TracyLynn
Candidate Answers
Candidate
Answer
Kia Ora TracyLynn
Unfortunately we are in the midst of a recession after all the money has gone into a few private hands. It is encumbent on those people who have money to put it back into society.
I was also a single mother and was very grateful for the support of the hard working taxpayers. I never had any money in my pocket but I managed to raise a healthy, good citizen. These are the values we need to focus on. I grew most of our fruit and vegetables and did not own a car. I never bought new clothes and remember once persuading my 10 year old to wear second hand shoes by letting him have the money we saved ( about $25).
I hold to a \'user pays, saver saves\' policy. For example, I do not need a rubbish collection service but *do* use the recycling service. Of course I want to keep the costs down, especially during this economically difficult time and the first thing I would do as Mayor is read the budgets.
Interestingly, I had already made the same committment but did not state it publically. I live on 26,000 a year. The Mayor earns 260,000, a sum I can barely relate to.
I hope that those people elected to represent their communities will be doing so effectively. Referenda are notoriously expensive.
Thanks for taking the time to ask your questions.
kind regards
Marlene
Tracy,
There are lots of people who are in a similar position, there isn\'t much to save.
And I want your vote.
So.
1.Good question but its a more complicated answer.
I want to fix Auckland\'s problems. The biggest one is congestion and I have detailed the steps the Transport CCO has to take to fix congestion within three years. That will save each year the equivalent of the $2 billion cost of congestion to the community. The net effect will be to cut costs, increase productivity which will increase profits, create more jobs and higher wages. That will work for 4-5 years by which time the Transport CCO will have been directed to select the best of the more affordable elevated new mode passenger transport systems and extended a network across Auckland tripling capacity at half the cost of one harbour tunnel.
What this will do is stop the $2 billion a year congestion cost to the community with a sustainable low energy use transport system and cut travel times in half. You will have more time at home with your teenagers or you can work longer and earn more. The new transport will not be adding to your rates via transport subsidies so your rates increase will ease off. If Auckland does the Think big rail projects they will result in Big rate increases via transport subsidies. New York and London haven\'t been able to afford such things and have turned them down.
2. How much will the rates go up? Mayor Banks said he has kept rates down, but he ran up $545 million extra debt in the three years to do it. Mayor Brown only ran up $200 million extra debt to do the same. They obviously thought the extra debt would be lost in the new super City. Unfortunately that\'s around $1 billion extra debt with the other cities \'extras\' added in. Unless something is done rates will increase considerably with the \'extra\' debt added to the previous debt and the cost of the super city startup.
I see only one way to tackle it. It has to be \'got rid of\' in the first year or it will raise rates for years. We will need to review all the projects carried forward from the old councils. If these projects are not fantastically great for Auckland they will need to be postponed or put back into the pot. We need to have the extra handled before the policies and projects start coming through from the Local Boards. These we do want to fund because they will prove the super City for the residents.
It may disrupt some projects but we cannot have the new City strangled by this unexpected and irresponsible extra debt. Responsible mayors would have left their city in a good financial state, and not run up debt.
All projects need to have Benefit Cost analyses done on them. Few have had this done and benefits have not been significant. If we do this on all projects we will start getting better value and rates will reflect this. We also need a better service from the new Council than we received from the old councils. We need more responsibility taken for getting jobs done by having people made responsible. I an also calling for reviews of Council handling of all Consents. There are ways of speeding up their handling and the building industry needs such an improvement. Developers levies will also be reviewed as they have risen alarmingly adding to the cost of every house and apartment before rates start. You will find a number of other measures at www.chapmanformayor.co.nz
These measures will all work to reduce rates.
3. I have no problem with referenda. I would like to see the form of the new super city in operation to see how well the Local Boards work in getting residents opinions. In preference I would like to see referenda start there where most things that affect residents are discussed. Opinion coming from the 13 wards that higher rates aren\'t wanted would be pretty effective in influencing the Council. I see the opinion coming from the Local Boards as being the strength of the new sper City.
4. I believe as Mayor I will earn the salary. Particularly with the program I have proposed in the three years. But I also intend to donate three prizes. In year one, for a Song fort Auckland. We need one. Year two for a Musical about Auckland, and year Three, an orchestral piece for Auckland. I believe I can make a bigger financial difference for ratepayers by ensuring congestion gets fixed, that\'s the equivalent of $2 billion saving for the community each year.
We will all need to start considering Auckland\'s problems in a more analytical way. We need to have a much higher level of discussion on matters that affect residents. I would like to have Aucklanders much more involved in discussing Auckland\'s options with costs and benefits so we get better directions. Then we might feel we are getting value from our rates.
Regards
Hugh Chapman
for Mayor and Orakei Ward
e
Hi Tracy Lynn,
Firstly as Mayor I would break away from the old ways of big spend and big borrowing. This is something that will only put the ratepayers of Auckland in more debt than they already are.
Secondly, a rate change is preset for 2011/2012. I will hold a referendum on this issue so that Aucklanders can have active input in deciding the outcome.
Thirdly, as I\'ve mentioned, i would absolutely hold referendums
And I dont think I need to address the fourth question, my stance is already covered.
Colin
Thanks TRACEY for your questions, I understand your question fully , my mother was a single parent and raised myself and my sister and some of my cousins, I would like to give you an answer with a fairy tale ending but that would also be lying to you .Hopefully we can get the rates reduced but the mayor alone cant makre that decision alone,( it needs the backing of all councillors) , at this stage all rates are set till July 1st next year , between now and then the council needs to find solutions to make them affordable, as for making posible tokeeping money in your pocket I cant give you an answer to that as well as I too am finding it hard to save ( I m looking fo a full time job at the moment, and it is hard enough trying to make money let alone save it). I want to bring more events like the V8 supercars, rugby sevens, and other sporting and social events to get people to come to auckland to spend money and stimulate the local economy ,which will create jobs , they may not be full time jobs for years but it will be a start.
As for referendums, the ball is in your court on that question , I totally support what views the community has , but it is up to you to elect the best people who will listen to you and your community first, that way evry time a councillor comes to a meeting they ll bring yours and your communitys views to the discussion table , so choose the people who will look out for your communities interests and wellbeing.
As for the mayoralty pay I will do it for way less , as long as i get payed enough to cover my rent , power and phone and other bills for me and my family,I\\\'d be happy with that,(less than 60k per year and above 45k
thanks tracey if you have any further questions feel free to contact me on 0276722258
regards vinnie kahui
1. The Communist League campaign presents a perspective to fight for the interests of working people. The amalgamation of Auckland into a so called “Super City” has been imposed by the government in order to strengthen the domination of capital and the bureaucratic powers of local government over us. It will be used to cut back council services and facilities that benefit working people.
2. The Communist League campaign calls for the abolishing of user charges, fees, and indirect taxes like water rates, road taxes, and GST. We are opposed to rates being levied on a persons primary residence. That local and national government be paid through direct tax or surplus gained from production of wealth.
3. No. Our campaign is about fighting for a course so that working people have greater control over all aspects of local and national government including spending.
4. The Communist League campaigns that no elected official should be paid more than the average wage.
