Dear Editor, Great initiative from the police to step up and enforce the helmet laws. At the same time, they should also focus on motor bike noisy mufflers.

These are illegal and as everyone in the police force knows, clearly contravening the Transport Act.

Why we continue to allow these clearly illegal vehicles to be on the road is quite ridiculous. Police already know who most of these rider/owners are and in case you can’t see them, you can certainly hear them coming from miles down the road, and shattering a nice quiet Saturday and Sunday afternoon.

So Akava, perhaps we will have a nice quiet Christmas after all. Over to you to enforce the law.

Andy Olah

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Police spokesman Trevor Pitt’s reply: Police do respond to these complaints. I lodged one myself the other day. I took down the rego, which is what is helpful in following up. Same with stunt drivers, two of whom were reported in Muri the other day. Take down the number plate.

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Be like Jesus this Christmas

Everyone is excited with Christmas coming, which is great, to celebrate the Lord, and be excited as a child, is what we’re commanded to do. In Matthew 18 it says, “truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.”

We indoctrinate our children with sayings like “WWJD” or what would Jesus do, so why don’t WE! Do what Jesus would do, why don’t we be like the little children, when we go to celebrations this Christmas, in the churches or synagogues, let’s follow the Bible, think WWJD! There are some good examples.

In Matthew 21: 12-17 Jesus went into the temple courtyard and threw out everyone who was buying or selling there. He overturned the money changers’ tables and the chairs of those who sold pigeons. He told them, “Scripture says, ‘my house will be called a house of prayer,’ but you’re turning it into a gathering place for thieves!” Be like Jesus this Christmas!

Concerned Christian

(Name and address)

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Government borrowings

Do people realise all developed countries around the world borrow money and take on debt? Including Australia and New Zealand. It’s how we pay for infrastructure etc.

It’ll be foolish of the Cook Islands not to, in the midst of a global pandemic and when the country is facing an economic downturn due to the absence of international tourism, of which our economy is completely reliant on.

Stop spitting out xenophobic comments.

The world is not back to normal. Covid is still around and countries in the Northern hemisphere are returning back into lockdowns due to the new omicron strain. Covid isn’t over no matter how much you tell yourself it is.

Also debt levels are manageable and relative to an economies size. What the Cooks is taking on is fairly ok.

Australia forecast debt to GDP ratio is predicted to be 55.2 per cent in 2024, 28 per cent in NZ, 101.5 per cent in the UK. The Cook Islands of this year was 41.9 per cent. It’s manageable.

If you’re looking for a case study go look up debt to GDP ratios and the post-world wars economic recoveries. Some of the greatest periods of growth and wealth in modern history.

Again, it’s normal and sound to take on debt especially in times of global volatility. Without it we’d be looking at bankruptcy.

Remember money still flows in and more so out. Borders to the Cooks aren’t opening for another month. Even then, tourism will likely be running at a smaller capacity and recovery will take years to rebuild. Covid is still here.

Weather the storm.

Brandon Mataio Jammae Ulfsby

(Facebook)