Stance on stadium softening, with need to swing behind it felt
Righto Jim, what are your passengers most likely to talk about when they talk about the election?Well, a lot of people are talking about debt levels going up, and of course they are worried about how debt will affect their rates.
But many also ask whether some of that debt is there because the money had to be spent, because past councils didn't do what they had to to keep the infrastructure up to standard.
And then there's the stadium.
Ah, the Forsyth Barr Stadium - that didn't take long. What are people saying about it?
Now, I like it, but many of my regulars have been anti-stadium since the start.
Some think the consultation and the whole process could've been better, and they are all worried about how much it will add to the city's debt.
But a lot of regulars have also softened a bit.
They see it is here now and that if we all swing in behind it and help make it work then we could get some benefit for the city.
Because we need to find new ways to benefit the people of the city.
How much of a consideration is "benefiting the city" when people talk about the council?
It's a very big part.
Most of my regulars are older people, and they see that the city has lost a lot of the business and industry and jobs it used to have, and they worry that means more out-of-work young people will leave town.
We need to find or create the opportunities where we can, find ways to stimulate jobs and to keep people here.
I see people who used to have jobs on their pay day - dole day - and their story is often the same - they are good, solid, hard workers and they are struggling to find work.
People want to know if the council has a role in helping turn things around.
What about the things we already know the council has a role in?
Yes, people are very interested in transport and parking.
They say the council puts up parking charges to get them into public transport, but then the buses still aren't right.
I get older people who call for a taxi because they say their legs won't hold up waiting half an hour for the bus they missed, and I see people waiting at bus stops at times when the buses aren't running.
Maybe the council should be looking at taking the buses back off the (Otago) Regional Council.
We're on John Wilson Ocean Dr - what are people saying about it being closed?
They love it - they say the council should keep it closed.
People can walk along it without negotiating cars and it has opened up a whole new recreational area.
It would be interesting to know how much the people who complain about it actually come here.
What are people saying about the candidates' campaigns?
They're not saying much about the council candidates - they are more talking about the mayoral race.
That's where the real interest is.
From what I'm hearing, it is all about Chin and Cull, and I'm probably hearing more about Chin than Cull.
So that's a two-person race, but it will be interesting to see how people vote for the council.
