Sad Strange Little Men

And they have my pity...

It’s 9pm on Friday night, I’m in a hotel in Kirikiriroa-Hamilton. It’s been a long, weird day. Not because of where I am - and don’t be mean about Kirikiriroa! It’s the fastest growing city, officially most beautiful large size city, it has the most stunning Gardens, the best ice cream and craft beer and is where the internet first started in this country. There’s a lot to like here.

But despite the nice things, there is a weird element to the city which is kind of why I’m here.

HCC Long Term Planning Session on Friday

Last week the Hamilton City Council had been doing it’s Long Term Plan oral submissions. And there was a fair number from local conspiracy theorists. On the last day of submissions I was invited to an event from one of the submitters who wanted the city to build a strategy around Rangitahi which involved cake (the event involved cake, not the Rangitahi strategy). I do have trouble saying no to cake but - in case my Doctor is reading this, I did abstain from cake. But the event itself was moved because of another protest being put on outside Council’s office by the Residents and Ratepayers Association.

The same Residents and Ratepayers Association who last year held a “public meeting” about 20 minute cities in which they issued execution writs for the council. The same association was once run by a man who wrote to people telling them he wanted to take out three female Councillors and beat them behind the bike sheds, that invited Liz Gunn to join them for a By Election candidate event, who are part of the NZ Loyal network and links to VFF that want to create a secret web of like minded individuals around councils to steer the direction of local democracy.

Former RaRA President threatening to beat female politicians. Read more about him here.

Well I was going to be in town anyway and I like a show!