Marie Hazledine-Barber

On the back of .....

Christchurch City Council boss CEO Tony Marryatt accepts a $68,000.00  pay rise. Christchurch citizens have vented fury and labelled this pay rise as “indecent”.

Marryatt’s 14.4 per cent pay rise has reignited debate over the issue. The increase took his pay from $470,400 to $538,529 a year, effective from July 1, 2011.

A pay – rise of gross indecent proportions when City Council tenants of Christchurch :a few days after the 22nd. February 2011 earthquake, received a 2.2 increase on the rent. For market value. What market value. The truth is as follows ….

This rent rise is on the back of a previous rent rise to carry the burden of Dave Henderson who Christchurch City Council bailed out of seventeen million dollars. For buildings (Dave Henderson too old and no intention to buy back or in a position that he could )but the Christchurch City Council handing him seventeen million dollars saying he would.

However, after battling liquefaction, finding a portaloo, being without power, water, sewage,telecommunications one was somehow suppose to find a newspaper, to look for an article or notice from the Christchurch City Council that the rent had gone up.

Year later 2012 ………..

Rate -payers,council tenants:  especially those still unable to return home or to their council flat : are justifiably distressed at Tony Marryatts’ indecent pay-rise. He talks publicly about how good he is and his team .. what team… don’t see them or hear of them… doing what? Tony Marryatt tells the public he works hard, so does the council worker in a ditch of sludge, mum and dad caring for the distressed elderly in the neighborhood,  the  children digging out dehydrated liquefaction, Salvation Army giving vouchers for food.

At the coal face Christchurch people are suffering. Also working hard on all fronts.

Plenty of expensive beautifully printed pamphlets, or instructions “go on line” or go to Welfare, who give a pamphlet, and answer no to funds, or instructions to “go on line” People have lost employment, homes, live in dire circumstances in temporary accommodation , double expenses.

Tony Marryatt, what does he do? never heard of him, until this pay rise became public, that could support at least three families, or food to the food bank, many are hungry in Christchurch .. food would be good.

So who needs people like Tony Marryatt, and those who worked for EQC and defrauded the system whilst employed with EQC. Or those with excessive wages per day of a $1000 plus.

The city of Christchurch is a dysfunctional mess. EQC ( earthquake commission ) dysfunctional and confrontational to the victims, use of language one needs a lawyers to interpret, insurance companies for business for example with excess rises of 2,400% , Government engineers strolling around the city and suburbs saying the red zone is now green, …… many homes deemed to be a re-build… what lift the house for remedial re-piling on shonky land, repair, then when shattered again the insurance is not paying out again? Or the excess so great who could afford the insurance.

Tony Marryatt claims returning from holiday in Australia that his $68,000.00 pay rise was a reflection of his performance and the market rate for the job. What performance? Market rate, well go back to Australia or anywhere else and he would probably find he would not get a job.

( Another quake……. 5 …or was that a 6 just then………. where are the portaloos, the street is a river of liquefaction, the car has sunk in a hole of sludge, the power is off again.)

Never heard of the bloke.

People living in tents protesting corporate greed…. in New Zealand.. perhaps they have a point.

Play it again Sam

How much did one hear and see, yet was deaf and blind?

The audio bombardment and effects of the global movement is so demanding how much does one actually hear or see and retain or recall with accuracy..on demand.

It is widely known two people in the same situation at the same time will hear and see differently, for example a traffic accident.

Communication technology is so vast it is “Play it again Sam ” tune so the individuals desire to be enabled finding a quiet space, a full stop in life to listen and absorb, or sort information.

Riviera for Skype is a Skype call recorder (for Windows.) a tool which automatically records Skype calls and conversations to MP3 files. Record interviews, tech talks, conferences, audio casts, pod casts for learning later, a valuable tool holding information one can listen to at leisure and ponder on.

Help your business or that life on the run……….. work/life balance You may play call recordings with built-in player or any other external MP3 player. Consequently a level of accuracy is retained and can be repeated for clarification.

The audio armchair : the demands of an ever increasing technological life, in business and life itself,an opportunity to relax, listen … sort information at leisure in a demanding world, great value for the ears.

Discover hear and see: try the link below……

http://jiteco.com/skype_call_recorder.html

Keith Te Momo in his Connectics work truck.

Being connected one thinks of being “on line ” .. internet, either by the PC or cell-phone an instant global reach of communication.

The reliance of this type of connection/communication has reached into all corners of the world.

The business world, the world of professionals, the world of domestic and financial information or help the environmental impact is such to “save paper ” “save the trees ” is to go on line as directed by many banks and organizations.

Communication as in the art of conversation , in the technological advanced world has taken on a new meaning.

In the environment of ” being connected ” one seems to have to become ones own lawyer, administrator, banker and the list goes on. It is like desiring to purchase a car so one is required to go to University, gain a degree in mechanics then buy the car. One then wonders why we have ” professionals” who never speak, or sustain an informative conversation. The “go on line” attitude, that is ever increasing, may well save paper but not human beings in the aftermath of a crisis or disaster.

In Christchurch after the 22nd February 2011 Earthquake and the following earthquakes, communication was confusing, messy and most was “go on line ” very difficult with no power. Or ones PC is under a ton of masonry. Cell Phone towers out of order. Disrupted cables.

But wait…. there is more !! Hard mail, the postman. New Zealand Post at its best keeping communication open and delivering through snow storms, earthquakes, and after shocks.

However the real hero, a gentleman named Keith Te Momo, the man at the coal face of Connetics New Zealand, who stood in a hole knee deep in freezing water repairing shattered cables.

Keith Te Momo in freezing conditions and a work mate took time out in their lunch break to reset, re-secure, with duck tape a letter box, now the mail man can deliver …. that’s real connection. The human hands on kind, all by a simple request for help a fine example of communication.

One did not have to “go on line ” make an   application,    fill out forms, wait for months in hope of any interview.

Demolished after the earthquake,  the workman left standing a book case. now remaining as a community free library, books are borrowed and returned freely, even to new ones being installed. That demonstrates a stunning portrayal of staying connected by physical human effort. A small park bench sits near-by where people gather, sit in the Canterbury sun and have a conversation.

Communication is essential in a time of a disaster such as experienced in Christchurch from the 22nd February 2011 earthquake. Communication by the art of conversation, is even more important in the aftermath of such a disaster, because one does not become a lawyer overnight, or a medic, or a banker, or insurance broker, is that not why one has “professionals” ?

Books anyone ?

Open 24 hours,7 days a week, open air, park bench and picnic table available. Quiet Street, slow traffic.