The downing of Mainzeal---should we support them?

The Government (us the taxpayers) has intervened when it suited them re financial institutions as the latter made a habit of folding so why not give support to large firms that employ many people and make sure that they can continue. Mainzeal plays a major role in the 'building industry' and has many fethers in its cap. Maybe I am missing the point somewhere about why they have arrived at their present predicament, but surely a  'helping hand' at times like this will ensure that we keep our 'skilled workers' on the job. Will we regret a 'hands-off' approach sometime down the line, when it is even harder to find firms for the Christchurch rebuild and the revitalzing Auckland market.
How has such an iconic company arrived at such a position, at a time when we need the 'projects' that thye are working on. Do these projects now go on the back burner? Is this not a good reason for 'taxpayer' backing to come into fore. After all, we are talking about real services and bricks and mortor, quite different to the fiance companies that we have backed, with much of 'their' profits going overseas. Let's support NZ companies  that produce NZ results and products, that bennifit NZers.

please send my blog and website to your'circles.'

Yip, that represents my weekly plea for help. It is the only way I can get my site 'out there.' If you have Twitter or Facebook or any other social media sites and you even half like my utterings or books, then you know what to do.
Thanks

www.authorneilcoleman.com

A terrible dilemma---to chase or not to chase!

The Scene-----The police call centre receives a call from a member of the public to report that a group of teenagers has stolen his car and that they are heading down the Sothern Motorway. The police respond and are soon chasing the car at high speeds though suburban streets, The car is been driven dangerously and erratically, causing concern that members of the public will be at risk, to say nothing of the danger to those chasing and the kids ion the car. What to do---what a dilemma

The above scenario is all too common and we have seen far too many kids dying because they made a range of bad decisions. We have sad and angry families and questions asked yet again about the procedures the police use. What is also so hard to take, is that the police are in a no win situation. If they don’t chase the car, the young people will get away, possibly going on to cause more mayhem on the roads and furthering their criminal activity.

That is the crux of the problem; knowing what balance to strike. I know that the police have examined their ‘chase or withdraw policies,’ yet the problem remains. At what point do they pull away form a chase? It would be great if we had helicopters in the skies, but such resources are often needed elsewhere or the incident is playing out well away from such resources. That means that the decision to chase is taken in tandem by the officers on the scene and the call centre.

NO matter what the decision is, there will be criticism. We need to slate the blame for these deaths back on the person(s) making the bad decision to get into a car, stolen or otherwise and then go on to endanger others by their subsequent actions.

Perhaps technology can come to assist the police in these much unwanted situations. Surely it is possible to fit all carts with disabling devises that cut the power to any vehicle. Of course criminals will often be one-step-ahead and be able to find ways around such technology. Also there is a cost factor, but if lives are saved and ‘bad behaviours’ taken off the street, then we would have no ‘losers,’ apart from the idiots who make such crazy decisions.

I k now that there will those of you out there who will say that the police are wrong and perhaps sometimes this may be true, but generally it is the ‘antics of the chased’ that causes the police to be in these totally avoidable situations.

DON’T BLAME THE POLICE; THEY ARE DOING A MAGNIFICENT JOB!

A totaly useless piece of information!

If you live in New Zealand, here is a silly, useless piece of information. As you know, yesterday (Feb 6th) was Waitangi Day and it fell on a Wednesday. That means that this week, everday was either the day before or a day after a day off. There, that confirms that I have just had a 'senior moment' of stupendous proportions. May I have many more.

Sadly, a missed opportunity re my book, 'Sons of Orpheus.'

Over the last week or so, many New Zealanders have been commemorating the demise of the Orpheus, which sank not far from the entrance to the Manukau Harbour during the Land Wars of the 1860’s. Through a series or bad decisions and out-dated maps, the ship floundered and despite the best efforts of its crew, it was unable to pull itself off the ever-moving sandbars. The loss of life was terrible (169) and it remains New Zealand’s worse ever maritime disaster.

The Orpheus was on a mission to patrol the entrance the Waikato River in order to subdue rebellious Maoris who were responding to an ‘invasion’ of their territory  by the settler Government, intent on attaining more land for the growing number of new immigrants. Governor Grey has been touted as one of our best Governors, but if you asked the Waikato Mari Iwis, I doubt that they would hold the same opinion.

I have written a book, based on three fictional survivors of the disaster and I had been hoping to have it printed in time for the commemorations, but sadly that has not happened. A combination of editing issues and decisions around whether to turn the book into a trilogy has caused me to delay this project. This is a bit sad as I feel it is a missed opportunity.

 I am concentrating on making my other 3 books (‘Coastal Yarns,’ ‘Roskill’ and ‘Talk To Me’ more available and more ‘error free.’ I have also been unable to find a publisher for ‘Sons of Orpheus’ given that it will cost more than the other books.

I shall persist and one day, hopefully this year, you will see the launch of my ‘Orpheus’ series.