Spending your bread on circuses

According to the Council's website, "the referendum topics that Mr Laws will put before the next Strategy Committee meeting will be:

Water Issues:

• To fluoridate the city's water supply [Yes/No]
• To 'soften' the entire city's water supply [Yes/No]

Representation Issues:

• To change Wanganui's spelling to 'Whanganui' [Yes/No]
• To create a separate Maori ward for Council [Yes/No]
• To abolish the rural ward and create one district-wide ward [Yes/No]
• To reduce the numbers of councillors from 12 to 10 [Yes/No]

Now, we've no problem with putting any of these issues to a public referendum. In fact, provided adequate and unbiased information is given to voters well beforehand, and they're given a forum in which to debate, discuss and ask questions (hint: use the Council's site for more than just self-aggrandisement, Michael) we're all for referenda.

But (yes, the all-important "but") we have a few concerns about the Diva's latest effort.

Search "fluoridation + 'pros and cons'" on Google and you'll get 786 sites. Search for fluoridation alone and you'll get "about 294,000". The majority of those are fervently for or against it. Many are alarming (searching "fluoridation +death" gets 66,400 hits - not that we're saying we believe there's a link). So how is the average person to make a rational decision on such an emotive, polarising issue?

Similarly, the "h" issue - emotive, polarising.

We'd even venture another adjective - distractive. Bread and circuses. And since it's your bread they're spending on this particular circus, it bears closer examination.

While people are taking up and defending entrenched positions for or against fluoride or the "h", they're not focused on other issues which might, if they were given the option, be as, or more, important to them.

We're certain, given the diVision teams' (now disappeared) commitment to open democracy, the distractive potential of these issues is purely coincidental.

But nonetheless, we'd like to give you all even greater openness. Tell us what else you think the Diva ought to put before the next Strategy Committee meeting - what should the referendum to end all referenda actually ask Wanganui?

Bear in mind that yes / no responses tend to work best in referenda, multi-choice less so, and answers requiring any degree of exposition are virtually useless, so phrase your questions accordingly.

Since the referendum is timed to go out with the by-election papers (now there's an issue!) we have a few months till papers are printed. So once your suggestions are collated here we'll create a poll and see what support they have. Then we'll release that to the media and send a copy to Council. Who knows, given their stated pre-election commitment to "literally, give power to the people... a real and direct influence upon all issues of local significance and a more effective input into Council decision-making" and to "create a genuine partnership between the Council and its ratepayers and residents", Councillors might be tempted to listen to you, and not just their leader.

We'll leave you with it. We have to go get some of those flying pigs off of the roof of our cave.

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