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Save Our Libraries campaign leader Vanessa Byrnes says she will stand for Tauranga City Council in this year's election if enough people think she is "worth voting for".
Vanessa headed the campaign against the council's proposal to introduce a 50 cent charge on adult books at Tauranga libraries.
Vanessa Byrnes is being urged by friends and supporters to stand for election to Tauranga City Council this year.
Councillors eventually ceded to public pressure on the issue, many acknowledging it would be an unwise move in an election year, and decided not to adopt the charge.
Vanessa has been approached by various individuals suggesting she run for council.
She is reluctant to run, though, believing she will be accused of using her high profile position with the Save Our Libraries campaign to launch her council bid.
"People would attack me," says Vanessa.
"This whole library issue hasn't been an election platform for me. That's not my long-term ambition."
However, she says a more diverse cross-section of Tauranga's community need to be elected to council.
"We've got to get more accurate representation of the community in there. Because 10 men and one woman, of a certain age, it's just not okay.
"We've got to get some more women in there. We've got to get younger people in there."
18 comments
Think about it
Posted on 10-06-2010 13:12 | By The author of this comment has been removed.
I cannot remember a time when everyone was happy with our council or our central Govt - what pleases one person, irks another. I was against subsidizing the library and truly believe that sooner rather than later costs will have to be passed on to the user simply because continuing to increase rates is just not sustainable (apart from being morally wrong IMHO). I also hope this young lady stands and gets elected because she, like so many before her will start with the best of intentions and when the reality sinks in she will be full of remorse for many of the things she has previously said and done - bring it on!
@ newsroom1
Posted on 10-06-2010 13:49 | By SpeakUp
Teresa Gattung is NOT a positive example for business conduct and ability. She collected exorbitant salaries for extremely poor management. She would have fitted in well within the outgoing Council though.
MAJORITY RULES
Posted on 11-06-2010 09:58 | By The Master
When re-elected I will "Do what I say and say what I do".
Culture and intellect
Posted on 09-06-2010 12:34 | By brycebrown
The more people we have in council that give high value to the rights of the locals, culture, arts and intellect, the better. Vanessa would be great!
Go Vanessa Go!
Posted on 09-06-2010 23:39 | By ricnholly
In our first two years in town we have been singularly unimpressed with this Council - we definitely need more diversity, leadership and vision, especially with respect to historical values, the arts and community. Tauranga ranks miserably on these quality of life factors that attract and hold businesses and employees. Two votes right here for Vanessa.
Fa Fake Sake
Posted on 10-06-2010 20:52 | By Pat
Arnt we well passed the ........We have to get more women in there speech Sorry thats Me gone
Another vote here.....
Posted on 14-06-2010 13:31 | By OVERTHEHILLBIKER
Just reading all the vile comments and racist slurs above makes me sick.........Vanessa would be wonderful standing for council, but should such a lovely lady be subjected to all this clap-trap day in day out, by people that obviously have such major issues with themselves that they harbour such hatred? I say- Vanessa if you feel really strongly, then do it- you have so much support- bucket loads actually, but beware of the vultures tapping away on their keyboards, not even aware of the sounds of the birds singing or the wind whispering throught the trees in our beautiful city. They just have the echos of a childhood that obviously was lacking in something ringing through their ears!
RECEPTIVE DECEPTIVE
Posted on 15-06-2010 23:11 | By The Master
Kate Clark you look and sound like a Librarian. The PIED PIPER is correct, the numbers you have recorded sound like the type of material that is constantly presented in Council chambers being of a selective and somewhat incomplete nature. Only in your dreams do 48% of the Tauranga population have membership cards With all the money spent by TOWN Hall I suggest that you present something meaningful including: 1 How many transactions per annum (one person taking 10 books out on one occasion = one transaction) 2 The exact number of member cards issued as of today 3 How many have been used in the last 12 months for more than 52 transactions 4 How many have been used in the last 12 months between 13 and 52 transactions 5 How many have been used in the last 12 months between 2 and 12 transactions 6 How many have been used in the last 12 months for 1 transaction 7 How many have not been used in the last 12 months I can assure you that the above reported accurately would be to say the lest enlightening
FOGGED IN ON ALL SIDES
Posted on 15-06-2010 23:22 | By The Master
Kate, look at the numbers $895,000 money in from 61 staff = $14,672 each, that is hardly enough to pay for the lunch breaks on a good day. TOWN Hall elected members wanted to look at reducing costs of Libraries instead they have voted more hard earned RATEPAYER money in to the tune of $673,000, that is another $11,033 per employee. The $673,000 is an 11.2% increase in the cost to ratepayers for the coming year, and I am sure a hunk of that will go to wage increases and more staff for what reason or why is completely perplexing. Out in the real world things are actually difficult financially and there is no justification for this kind of extravagance as the punters will surely revolt somewhat like the Rominoff s of Russia early last century.
I will definitely vote for her....
Posted on 09-06-2010 12:26 | By Nick
and not just because of the library issue. The council is sorely lacking in intelligent people and Vanessa is obviously all that and more. She has a background in the arts, is young, is female and yes would redress the imbalance in the current council.
Power to the people for the people
Posted on 09-06-2010 13:07 | By SpeakUp
The current farce of democratic local administration will be remembered for squandering precious resources (for the benefit of their chums and corporate buddies) and for the delusional grandeur the dealer-wheelers bathed themselves in. Anyone inheriting this Council mess will have their work cut out, while the perpetrators will enjoy their hefty pensions. Tauranga ratepayers will suffer for years to get rid of half a billion of debt. Rates will still explode due to the mismanagement of this Council. These people will not get a statue for good service to the community but they will be remembered as a bunch of affable, unwise, reckless, wannabe go-getters, people who have plunged this town in severe financial trouble. "A nation of sheep will be governed by wolves." ---Edward R. Murrow---
diversity
Posted on 09-06-2010 13:18 | By Croaky
and a real sense of grassroots community - something got missed off the title there!!
SHE WILL HAVE THEM ALL RUNNING
Posted on 09-06-2010 16:35 | By The Master
Of course she will run. Watch the scattering then.
THERE MUST BE REASON
Posted on 10-06-2010 14:28 | By The Master
It is true that being a Councillor is difficult, one enters the fray of an election process and in end result someone must be elected from the offerings. TOWN Hall faces a HUGE problem in the next few years, the reckless expenditures to date are going to have ramifications that for decades for the ratepayers of Tauranga, the HUGE amount of money spent on projects, resulting debt and losses that are and will continue to add to the debt are spiralling to an inevitable end. Should the current core of Councillors that are calling the shots remain in control of TOWN Hall then the destiny will be certain, it is then just a matter of time before an administrator must then be appointed. Decisions will then be made not because it is NICE, warm fuzzes, pet projects or because there needs to be a heaps of bricks and mortar to put a name plate on but because there will need to be a clean up of the bureaucracy. This path is certain, it is just a case of will there be change before?
DEFINITION OF COMMUNITY FUNDED
Posted on 10-06-2010 14:49 | By The Master
Lots of references to arty things here, so we are all clear we need to clarify and define what is meant by COMMUNITY FUNDED . Here we go TOWN Hall says the museum will be community funded, , to anyone reading that it means someone is going to dive into their own pockets and stump up the money to pay for it and run it. . This is a feeble attempt to try and pretend that it is USER PAYS What it really means is that the story gets strung along to get the thing built then ratepayers get hit with the bill for it so it is added to the rates that we already pay.
Socrates
Posted on 10-06-2010 15:40 | By Socrates
Good to see you coming out of the woodwork Murray! Timeing is everything in politics as you know, we will see how your character holds up when we let a few of these stories drop. We will see how the bravado holds up then my friend? The Mayoralty is never going your way rest assured!
POLITICAL AGENDA OR NOT
Posted on 14-06-2010 11:37 | By PIED PIPER
While Vanessa Byrnes of Raging Readers was initially promoting a good cause and had a legitimate gripe with dingbat Council s proposed new book charges, I gradually became uncomfortable with the choice of who she aligned herself with and her manipulation of the media as time wore on. Since the cancellation of the library charges she has still continued playing up to the media, which indicates she will stand for Council and no doubt sees it as a meal ticket. The Newsroom 1 blog suggest she is not an arty-farty, unproductive member of society and I hope that is the case. Gender, single issues and age mean nothing by way of qualification to be on Council. It s what your policies are and whether you will keep your promises. Ms. Byrnes comes across as a left-winger, who by all accounts would happily support throwing money at State of Art Museum, expensive walkways, Art Gallery, Creative Tauranga, Baycourt expansion and of course her beloved Libraries which very few people use yet no one has explained what Tauranga s total library membership is and the numbers who use the libraries. Does Ms. Byrnes have an explanation as to how it is planned to pay for these facilities? My fear is that Ms. Byrnes next step won t be only opposing a surcharge of 50 cents on library books but demanding upgrades to City, Greerton, Mount and Papamoa Libraries and probably a new library at Bethlehem. Cost will be no object and how it is all paid for will be irrelevant to her. Although I personally like books and libraries they are dinosaurs from another age and ratepayers need accountability for any money spent on them. Does Ms. Byrnes have any experience in governance or managing large organisations? We currently have 11 Councillors who lack this skill and the results have been devastating. The last thing we need are more one-issue wonders. I am dismayed that while vehemently attacking the 50 cent surcharge, Ms. Byrne and the Raging Readers outfit didn t see fit to offer any solution on how to save library money such as staff reductions, limiting duplication of book purchases and rationalising services at the branches. Non-contributing users (spongers) are one thing but the majority who end up being the payers for others wish lists shouldn t be penalised for ivory tower edifaces they will never use. For once, I think Brilleaux has it pretty well sussed.
BAIL IN NOT BAIL OUT OF LEAKY HOMES AND LIBRARIES
Posted on 10-06-2010 17:57 | By The Master
TOWN Hall look silly, one day they announce we are going to negotiate the next that all will be done at the last minute, then we agree in principle (brick bat) That is about as cunning bit of planning as you will ever see unfold in five minutes flat! (a bunch of bouquets) Why on earth would they do such an about face in two days on $20 million going to be $300 million and counting, surely that is worthy of a MINUSCULE EFFORT to fend it off to the rightful place being Government (sledge hammer with a sharpened point). But who cares we will just add it all to rates next year after the election (another brick bat) Look out Vanessa, look for the no warning about face on Libraries (roses for Vanessa) Word has it that staff are to be cut, there are over 90 staff and that is going to be butchered to save money, watch this space Lets see if Mike comes clean on that one, maybe Bill F will have to help him answer that one ? (just a single stork)
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