On Saturday, January 21, I attended a meeting in the Curtin shopping centre square at which about 200 to 300 people indicated their opposition to the proposal for a developer to build of a multi-storey apartment block on one side of the square.
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I signed a petition, chatted with some of the other protesters, and listened to the well-informed speakers.
The following day I was pleased to see the meeting was given extensive coverage in this newspaper.
I then tried to make a submission, or "representation" as it is called, using the ACT Government website, but for whatever reason this did not work (perhaps it was my fault).
I then tried the second option of sending an email to the appropriate address, but again this did not work.
After two failures, I sent an respectful email expressing my concern to the responsible minister which prompted an automatic reply indicating that the matter "will be responded to as soon as possible".
Three days later I received a long email from another MLA who was acting in the minister's position which suggested I make representation to the website which had stumped me previously.
As I am feeling completely disenfranchised, this letter is intended to bring public attention to this proposal which in my opinion is misconceived and totally unacceptable in this location.
David Biles, Curtin
Rental crisis long-term
Re: ("Surge Smashes Renters", January 24, p.1). Horror? Yes. Shock? No. In fact, sadly, "situation normal".
Canberra's residential rental market problems are chronic. They are not a temporary phenomenon. And they mostly affect the poor. That's because the most acute shortages are at the bottom end of the market. Our comparatively high median rents are a reflection of not just high average incomes but also the inadequate stock of cheaper housing.
Public housing initiatives can help but are expensive and have not filled the gap left by a lack of private investment.
The ACT government could improve matters by releasing more land and by re-jigging its land tax scales to encourage more private investment in low cost housing. State Governments have generally avoided directly taxing lower cost rental accommodation. The ACT Government has not. If anything, it's done the very opposite.
Our land tax scales encourage investors to put their money into something other than affordable housing. And that "something else" can include higher-end, more tax-effective properties. That's one reason why Canberra has an inadequate housing stock and why there's nowhere near enough housing to provide for those who need it most.
Bob Bennett, Wanniassa
Fencing off rights
The architectural detail of the proposed fence to prevent public access to the Parliament House bifurcated grassed roof is not the issue ("Architects back down over Parliament fence", Jan. 26, p. 11). Transcending that are the underlying semiotics of the original design, which the people have embraced and made their own. Ways of making the building secure must be found that do not take away that moral right of the people.
Jack Kershaw, Kambah
Solar benefits limited
Peter Hannam ("Soaring power bills driving move to solar", January 24, p.5) suggests soaring electricity prices are prompting more people to consider adding PV solar and batteries.
Maybe the mathematically challenged might.
It would take about 30 or 60 years to break even (there are a lot of unknowns and variables). The batteries are likely to last around eight years depending on quality and cycling and the inverter for the PV Solar is likely to need replacement about the same time.
PV Solar degrades with time, its output decreases due to circuit problems, etc, and may have to be replaced or just discarded earlier than planned.
Most people forget that they require frequent cleaning for maintaining full output. They are awkwardly placed for cleaning.
Such systems are for feel-good value, one-upsmanship on the neighbours, bragging ability but certainly not for economic benefit.
John McKerral, Batemans Bay
Older revolutionaries
I read on these pages that most of the letter writers are old folk.
Possibly because retirees have the time to spare or, maybe, just nothing better to do.
It may be because, after over half a century, they've developed some strong beliefs.
It may also be because in their twilight years they don't care any more if they're vilified and castigated, mocked, derided, spat upon, or hassled by local traders.
They don't need to keep their heads down and compete for a job. Few with a baby in their arms are likely to lead a revolution. Possibly the Nobel poet laureate can come back and recite, with guitar accompaniment:
"Come young men and women/ Throughout the land
And don't criticise/ What you cannot embrace
Your dads and your mothers/Are beyond your young cares
Your young fears do not affect them/ Please get out of the way if you're frightened to help
For they fear not the costs of resistance.
Gary J. Wilson, Macgregor
Top TPP explanation
Çongratulations to Patricia Ranald ("Time for progressive trade action", January 25, p.19), a clear explanation of what is wrong with the TPP and a policy outline for the Government and the Opposition to take forward that will benefit all Australians and the peoples of our trading partners.
David Groube, Guerilla Bay, NSW
Trump's 'America first' stand could be something to fear
It is most doubtful that Donald Trump knows or understands much history, but surely his speech writers do. Trump's repeated use of the phrase "American first" channelled unsavoury and shameful echoes from the 1930s. The America Firsters, whose figurehead was the aviation hero Charles Lindbergh, were a mixed lot that included genuine old-school pacifists as well as crypto-fascist admirers of Nazism like Lindbergh himself.
Part of the movement was strongly anti-Semitic and generally intolerant of non-Christian "foreigners". America Firsters believed that America could turn its back on the world and live in splendid isolation, protected by distance and two oceans. This idea was shown to be dangerously deluded when World War II began. In today's interconnected world, the idea of isolationism is absurd and even more dangerous. We now live in an age of intercontinental ballistic missiles and international inter-dependence that makes such a concept ridiculous.
The thought the US now has a president who aspires to isolationism and appeasement of Russian aggression is cause for great concern, if not alarm.
Steve Ellis, Hackett
Billionaire Kelcy Warren ("Oil industry eyes big gains from Trump", January 26, p24) says, "My God, this is going to be refreshing" in relation to Trump's decision to revisit the Texas oilman's stalled Dakota pipeline project.
Another "alternative fact" I think. Mr Warren surely means "rewarding" – for him at least.
Eric Hunter, Cook
The first week of the Trump administration suggests that political satirists should seek another line of work for the next four years.
The week started with the White House Press Secretary channelling Groucho Marx in suggesting that reporters should believe him rather than the evidence of their own eyes.
This was followed by a senior administration adviser suggesting without any apparent moral concern that falsehoods could be redescribed as "alternative facts".
Now the President has signed a proclamation declaring January 20, 2017, as a "National Day of Patriotic Devotion".
The President, consciously or not, seems to have channelled the North Korean leader Kim Jon-un, who has used this phrase frequently.
I have to commend Paul McGeough for his measured attempt to provide an informed and balanced assessment of US politics and government.
Doug Hynd, Stirling
Former Australian ambassador to the US, Michael Thawley, advises unhappy opponents of Donald Trump to take a Bex and have a good lie down. In the interests of his health, distraught Washington correspondent Paul McGeough would be well advised to heed this advice.
H. Ronald, Jerrabomberra, NSW
Full marks to Paul McGeough for his article ("Trump declares he's smart", January 23, p.6).
He clearly exposed Trump's mendacity, racist attitudes, misogyny, duplicity and other vices.
One can only wonder at the mentality of the voters who ignored these shortcomings and voted for such an individual.
Similarly one can only condemn potential voters who failed to vote in anticipation of an inevitable Clinton victory.
They effectively handed the Presidency to Trump, supposedly aided as he was by Russian interference in the election.
Trump talks about serving an eight year term. I predict he will only last a year or so as dissident Republicans, angered by Trump's departure from the party's core conservative values will surely side with the Democrats to impeach him.
A. Biela, Gordon
Star Bucks trashed, litter bins set on fire, Trump supporters assaulted, a limo torched and Madonna threatens to blow up the White House. Just another day in the peaceful Democrat protests. Sorry Paul McElligott (letters, January 26), your dummy spitting mates are dime a dozen losers.
Mark Sproat, Lyons
Your Wilcox cartoon (Comment, January 23, p.13) nails it. A small book, On Bullshit, originally published in 1986 by Professor Harry Frankfurt of Princeton University, is becoming required reading in the United States.
According to Professor Frankfurt, the bullshit artist "does not care whether the things he says describe reality correctly. He just picks them out, or makes them up, to suit his purpose".
Considering the then candidate Trump in May last year, Professor Frankfurt said: "It is disturbing to find an important political figure who indulges freely both in lies and in bullshit".
Bullshit is not the same as lying. Liars have to know what the truth is so they can depart from it. Bullshitters have no such constraint.
David Stephens, Bruce
Yes, it is true. Mr Trump is well on his way to making America grate or great? If so, he might do well to remember the only war his great America won by itself was its Civil War. And what is so great about a nation that elects a blustering bully whose business acumen has been sustained on corporate insolvencies and fire sales in which other people have borne the suffering and the little people are to be denied basic health care and education. But then sometimes democracy speaks with a forked tongue – just see our own leaders!
James Grenfell, Spence
MyGov brings shame
Having moved house I tried to log onto MyGov to change address details for Medicare etc. Part of the logon is to create an account. This involved MyGov sending me a logon code.
Well after two attempts and four days I am still waiting for the code.
As someone with 30 plus years in the IT industry it is obvious that the site applications are poor and that it has woefully inadequate infrastructure.
The Prime Minister continually talks about innovation and smart working and yet his Government presents us with this rubbish. He should be ashamed.
Jim Willis, Mollymook, NSW
TO THE POINT
BILLBOARD THREAT
So sad Andrew Barr, taxing air space and endangering Canberra's beautiful billboard-free environment. As Ogden Nash wrote, "I think that I shall never see a billboard lovely as a tree. Perhaps, unless the billboards fall, I'll never see a tree at all".
Roz Lambert, Belconnen
Please Canberra, remember that you will be entrusted as the capital city of the Republic of Australia. The nation expects that at least one city should maintain some standard of visual literacy — so no advertising billboards.
Ronald Elliott, Sandringham, Vic
NILE TRUMPED
So, NSW Christian Democrat Party MLC Fred Nile was denied entry to the United States after offering advice to President Trump ("Fred Nile denied visa for Donald Trump inauguration, deemed a 'security threat'," Canberratimes.com.au, January 25). Trumped by a bigger bigot.
John Richardson, Wallagoot, NSW
REPLACE TOP COP
Can't Victorian Police Commissioner Graham Ashton be replaced by someone with a bit of empathy and common sense? ("Homeless law is misguided, dangerous and doomed to fail", Canberratimes.com.au, January 23.)
Michael McCarthy, Deakin
UNHEALTHY PROGRESS
Re B. M. Cooke, (letters, January 26), you must be a very special customer if you received your Medicare refund in two weeks. My husband and I waited over six weeks for our refunds. All in the name of progress, I don't think so.
Pauline Vincent, Wanniassa
UNITED IRELAND
The UK Supreme Court has ruled Brexit must be approved by the English Parliament but not Northern Ireland's Assembly. This is a great opportunity for Northern Ireland Protestants to gather their courage and join with Eire in a United Ireland to retain all the benefits of EU membership.
Kenneth Griffiths, O'Connor
TRUMP DISQUIET
Disquiet appears to be the new normal as leaders and citizens of the US and the world start living with the reality of Donald Trump. Will it extend to the US generals? That could be interesting.
Stewart Sweeney, North Adelaide
Trump should heed Robert Frost's poem Mending Wall. It begins: "Something there is that doesn't love a wall". He describes the neighbour who wants the wall as "an old-stone savage armed. / He moves in darkness as it seems to me".
J. E. Smith, Nicholls
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