THANKS fellows, to all who played at the NRL level this year ('The final whistle', Newcastle Herald 5/10). I watched every game you played and enjoyed the wins and was depressed when you lost. You were fifth at one stage and finished seventh. Somehow I believe finishing seventh is something to boast about. You lost last Sunday so I was down in the dumps for a while; now onward and ever onward to season 2021.
I believe that all these football critics who write to the Herald should stop and look around. We, the Newcastle Knights players and real supporters, are readying themselves for a season that will finish above all our expectations. Thanks for season 2020. By the way, a quick thank you to coach Adam O'Brien for your coaching expertise.
Wal Remington, Mount Hutton
We've bin letting a lot slide
WE had the opportunity to show off Newcastle at the weekend. Straight over to Honeysuckle, the first thing noticed was the rubbish bins overflowing and litter blowing around the place. Surely the council must know that weekends, and particularly long weekends, attract many families and the bins should be checked regularly.
We thought we could walk around the mural project along King Street ('City is a canvas', Herald 5/10). We crossed Darby, and just up the road garbage bins were upended with filthy stinking rubbish everywhere. The single digit IQ morons are evidently again on the prowl.
Heading west on the recently repaved Hunter Street, our guests noticed the poor state of cleanliness including vomit, urine, eggs thrown from cars and general filth. We felt ashamed of the state of the city.
The councillors need to pull their heads out of the ivory tower and have a look at the shocking state of the place. The paving would have cost hundreds of thousands of dollars, so please look after it and give it a regular clean.
John O'Connor, Newcastle
Pick of the harvest is steady work
HASN'T Joe Roskell (Letters, 5/10) heard that we have had a coronavirus pandemic and there are no backpackers coming out to do our dirty work picking fruit? I saw a report on TV the other night where they interviewed a farmer and he was nearly in tears because this year he has a bumper crop and no one to pick the fruit. He said that it would rot if not picked in time.
I think we're in a sad old country when we have so much unemployment, especially at a time we need some young people to stand up and have a go. The excuse could be it is forced labour.
Allen Small, East Maitland
Give the people power to choose
IT appears the government is only prepared to dip their toes in the water regarding power stations, with a proposed scattering of smaller ones instead of taking the plunge with substantial ones. I believe this is taking us back to over 60 years ago when smaller local power stations powered local demand and were eventually phased out as being unsatisfactory.
Considering power stations still provide 90 per cent of all power, with power demand yet to surge with the electric automobile, common sense says that until this 90 per cent can be replaced with renewables, new power stations must be built with constructive thinking.
We must decide which one we prefer: coal fired power stations produce carbon, fine air particles and residue called ash, although fine particles can be contained in filters; gas fired power stations produce carbon, no fine air particles, no residue or ash; nuclear fired power stations produce no carbon, no fine air particles and no ash.
Three choices, all being affordable, but a preferred option must be decided as we head into an energy hungry future that's fully aware of environmental issues, with little time to decide.
Maybe after constructive public discussion and information it should be put to a referendum, as it seems obvious to me politics should not be deciding this matter. This decision should be by the people alone; politicians often choose to save their jobs, people choose to save their future. "No power, no future" is the message.
Carl Stevenson, Dora Creek
Waterfront fight flows from past
The Australian waterfront dispute of 2020 bears similarities to that of 1998, in my opinion. In 1998, Patrick Terminals was called Patrick Stevedores. While the name has been changed, I believe the approach of this employer company has not.
The same stance existed with John Howard in 1998 as it does with Scott Morrison in 2020. For example, while evidence to the contrary exists, both Howard and Morrison continue to portray Patrick's as the innocent party in its industrial disputes. Howard during the 1998 waterfront dispute endorsed the use of ADF personnel as strike-breaking "scabs." Morrison in 2020 had threatened to do the same.
Both Howard and Morrison have a history of fomenting divisiveness among the Australian people. Mr Morrison's most recent example of this was his absurd claim 40 ships carrying essential medical supplies were being denied access to our ports as a consequence of the waterfront dispute. Rather than industrial demons, as peddled by Morrison and Patrick Terminal management, the MUA with its decision to put on hold its industrial action should in my opinion be seen for what it actually is: an organisation more interested in the welfare of their fellow Australians than either management or the Prime Minister.
Barry Swan, Balgownie
Don't peddle train-free rail line
IS the NSW Government planning a major railway free and flood free commercial rebirth for North Lismore? That would seem to be the logic behind the scheme to use the Casino-Bentley section of the Northern Rivers railway exclusively for pedestrians and bicycles.
Under proposed legislation the new country railcar sets will never be able to run Sydney-Lismore. It will not even be possible to have a Newcastle-Lismore backpackers train. There is enough room in the rail corridor for trail users to share with trains and enough railway land on the heights at Lismore for rail to co-exist with developers.
Eric Tierney, Eastlakes
Trump flaws aren't Biden virtues
STEVE Barnett (Short Takes, 2/10) erroneously tells us all about my support for Joe Biden, when I think Dozy Joe would have trouble getting out of bed. Criticising Trump (Short Takes, 29/9) I neither mentioned Biden or made or implied any support. Trump, instead of leading and defusing situations, inflames them by encouraging extremist and counter groups into action for political gain. Forget deaths overseas, he will be responsible for an ever-increasing domestic (American on American) death toll.
Colin Fordham, Lambton
SHARE YOUR OPINION
Email letters@newcastleherald.com.au or send a text message to 0427 154 176 (include name and suburb). Letters should be fewer than 200 words. Short Takes should be fewer than 50 words. Correspondence may be edited and reproduced in any form.
SHORT TAKES
TO all Knights knockers out there, (Short Takes, 6/10), we should be proud of our team. In this season like no other, they and us fans have had to endure much ('The final whistle', Newcastle Herald 5/10). Yes, the team has made errors at crucial times, but they will progress if the same team can play together for a season. I won't list the injuries, because there have been just too many to name. Go the Knights in 2021.
Kaye Woods, Adamstown Heights
WITH all those Kmart Waratah memories ('Golden milestone for Waratah icon', Herald 3/10), who could forget the wonderful Bernice Jensen, who virtually ran the store from the front information desk for many a year before becoming a Pink Lady at John Hunter Hospital in later years?
Susan Macleod, Clovelly
ANYONE who actually watches or listens to the ABC rather than just complains about it would know the national broadcaster has just as many right-leaning conservatives fronting their programs as not.
Mac Maguire, Charlestown
OK, Peter Dolan (Letters 5/10), you have converted me. Donald Trump has COVID-19 ('Trump: Maybe I'm immune to virus', Herald 7/10), so there is a God.
Mike Sargent, Cootamundra
THE only setback with abortion in my opinion, John Arnold (Short Takes, 6/10) is that it always proves fatal to the unborn child. Interesting to note, all those who are in favour of abortion are already born. What a waste of human resources, ten thousand or more per year, the future taxpayers of this country. Some of us are more equal than others, born or unborn.
Richard Ryan, Summerland Point
JOHN Arnold (Short Takes, 6/10) my argument is that it's okay for a Christian to support Trump. He can hardly be the anti-Christ with so many heathens and atheists opposed to him. Doesn't history tell us that "hell-bound, heathen atheists" have considerable form about enforcing "a communist-style blanket control over the lives of all of us"?
Peter Dolan, Lambton
JOHN Keen (Letters, 3/10), in reply to your letter everyone is entitled to their opinion mate so for the record we will agree to disagree on that one.
Philip Carter, Metford
JOHN Butler's contribution (Letters 6/10) was all class. It reminds me of something Jimmy Olsen, junior reporter on the Daily Planet, would come up with when he had absolutely no idea what to write about.
David Stuart, Merewether
WITH a cooler and wetter summer just around the corner ('Rain on the way as La Nina confirmed', Herald 29/9) I await the inevitable barrage of comments from the climate change warriors on their reasons for this. No doubt we have some humorous reading ahead.
Brad Hill, Singleton
THE POLLS
DOES the Newcastle Inner City Bypass design need reviewing?
