Letters
Sun Herald
Sunday October 22, 2000
Crocodile tears for gamblers
REGARDING ``MPs attack 1,300pc loans" (The Sun-Herald, October 15), it is important to put matters into perspective. I have multiple credit accounts a legacy of poker machines. Despite several attempts to get a consolidation loan from banks and credit unions, all my applications were denied.
For me, ChequEXchange was the last resort. Every month, I get a cash advance from ChequEXchange of $700 and this is repaid in four instalments of $218, which equates to $872. The $700 is used to meet repayments on seven credit accounts.
It is rather rich for MPs (John) Watkins and (Tony) Stewart to shed crocodile tears for problem gamblers. They are part of the Carr Government which introduced pokies into hotels.
KENNETH CLARKE
Marrickville
Go home and fight
REGARDING Frank Walker's interviews with a pro-Israeli and pro-Palestinian (The Sun-Herald, October 15), one says the Palestinians are ``brothers" and the other says the Jews are ``cousins".
Both are correct. They are both Semites, claiming descent from Shem, the son of Noah.
Both say their families sought refuge and safety in Australia. Now their sons are actively trying to excite their fratricidal and religious (not ethnic) hatreds in the country that has given their families sanctuary.
Neither is welcome here.
MALCOLM WRIGHT
Springfield
Sincerely yours
EITHER sarcasm is not yet dead, or Justice (Barry) O'Keefe was not in the country during the republic referendum campaign (``A good word puts judge under fire", The Sun-Herald, October 15). Why else would His Honour, in his fulsome endorsement of Kerry Jones, have included the word ``sincere"?
Wasn't Mrs Jones the person who led the Monarchist campaign using the slogan ``Don't trust politicians"? Yet there she was seeking Liberal Party endorsement to enter the NSW Upper House, presumably to be a politician. No wonder only 18 voters gave her the nod!
I suppose, as a demonstration of her sincerity, Mrs Jones will have to fight any future campaign to enter politics (no doubt she'll try) with the slogan ``Don't trust a Monarchist". Otherwise, Citizen O'Keefe won't know what to put in her next reference.
WALTER BASS
Turramurra
Slap in the face
CHANNEL 7, having presumably made its money from the Olympics, appears to be doing nothing about the Paralympics. The ABC is showing only two one-hour programs of highlights a day. What a slap in the face for our disabled.
ERIC OLIVER
Laurieton
You're wrong
TO quote Mark Twain: ``Reports of my death are greatly exaggerated." I refer to the article ``Man under Carr in next cab off rank" (The Sun-Herald, October 15). It's a shame your columnist failed to check his supposed story with its subject. This is an exciting time to be in government. I can assure you, history will prove it to be entirely incorrect.
ANDREW REFSHAUGE
Deputy Premier, Minister for Urban Affairs and Planning, Minister for Aboriginal Affairs, Minister for Housing
Fair funding
THE Howard Government's proposed School Funding Bill, in concert with the Enrolment Benchmark Adjustment, provides just 32 per cent of the available federally allocated funds for 70pc of Australian students who attend public schools.
The Government should supply funds on a per capita basis so the 70pc of students who attend public schools receive 70pc of the funding.
JOHN PRITCHARD
Blackalls Park
Ebon's gold medal is all in the mind
SO has any sponsor snapped up Ebon Bokody yet?
No, he isn't involved in the entertainment world nor is he a sports star. He is just a 13-year-old kid sitting for his HSC exam this year.
Actually, he's the youngest ever to do so (The Sun-Herald, October 15). No-one knows him and he will not be feted with a gold medal nor given a tickertape parade and presented with the key to the city.
That is because being academically gifted is not regarded with any respect by the media and consequently the public, as we are more concerned with people being able to bowl, bat, tackle, swim or run fast.
Is this the image we want to project a country that only wants to nurture those who excel at sport? Apparently we spent a couple of hundred million dollars on our Olympic competitors during the last four years, just so we could collect some gold medals.
Ebon, whom I would consider has won the equivalent of a gold medal, cost us nothing. If we had redirected the Olympic funds to academic pursuits, imagine how many kids would be able to do as well as Ebon or maybe better.
CON VAITSAS
Ashbury
© 2000 Sun Herald
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