OPERA: ARROGANCE

The Nelson City council demonstrates breathtaking arrogance in castigating its own ratepayers, for demanding that the proper financial controls and disciplines, required by the Public Finance Act, be applied to council's out of control, opera and arts and events spending.
Councils extremely churlish position that ratepayers are not able to understand the value of this arts and events spending, instead demonstrates its own grossly ignorant lack of understanding of the proper governance of public funds.
The public understand only too well the value of things, such as those necessities, like clean drinking water, and sanitary waste disposal, etc; and if push came to shove, these less essential and discretionary arts activities, come a very distant second in the funding stakes.
If council applied the same funding criteria to water and sewage as it does to opera then there would be a 300% discount applied to cost, and at that rate council would be paying us to take those services or would be putting rates refund cheques in the mail. Yeah right.
Arts and events spending does not have some patronised privileged position and like all council services, is required to be funded on a self supporting basis, and must also stand in the queue, along with every body else.
It is blatantly obvious that council events funding is being applied whimsically and disproportionately, to satisfy widespread vested interests within council, and to such an extent, that it is at best, political patronage, or at worst a widespread conflict of interest.