N.B. The above was printed 19/11/2002.

A couple of things come out of the latest article.

The first one is, "bloody good job!" While the second is, I'm glad someone was listening the first time around.

At long last sanity prevailed in the rating war. Owners of houses in Manurewa and other depressed areas have received little or no increase in rates, while those in the affluent East have been struck by large increases.

Go and do a quick comparison between average value rises in the East opposed to the South in Manukau.

Then tell me about level playing fields and how every house should pay the same rates as it otherwise becomes a tax on the rich, because I have a one word answer to that....

GOOD