Booze Baron PR man fights back!

You know you’ve hit a nerve when the hospitality industry [booze] leaders and Mike Knell Chief executive of NZ Community Trust start defending themselves via the letter to the editor pages…over their use of pokie machines to make money.

They really are a strange lot, firstly they create the problem, they profit by the problem, then the blame others for the problem and yet have the audacity to say, we know nothing and we are only here to help the community”. They are like the lawyers [blood-suckers] who chase the ambulance to traffic accidents in the US. Mike Knell is in my view nothing more than a paid Public Relations face for the Pokie / Booze / Gaming industry. I wouldn’t be surprised if he wears a Sky City badge on his lapel. Reducing the number of pokie machines will assist with reducing the number of problem gamblers simply because it may stop or delay the problem gambling addiction commencing. We put warning messages on all tobacco products about addiction; we control outlets and advertising and so on. People employed by the gambling industry should wear the same warnings on their foreheads. Mr. Knell may suggest my message to the PNCC was emotive and subjective, and he is correct it was emotive…because I’ve seen the harm done and being done by pokie machine use…subjective well we can each have our own view. But any outfit that collects 1.5 million dollars a week from my community and that’s around 55 million a year and gives back 10.2 million in community grants which includes the racing industry, professional sports bodies leaves little room for anything other than subjective comments.

We managed before pokies and we will manage once they have disappeared. We would also save on Prison, health, Justice and police running costs which would lead to much better social outcomes for all.

PS, If I was Mike Knell I too might write a letter defending pokie machines especially if my job depended on it...but then again I might not because PR is not my game.  

Horizons PNCC PR Grap

Past Councillor and PN Mayoral candidate Michael Feyen has sent this to the Manawatu Standard and I agree with every word. This is simply proof of the public relations grap pumped out by those who preach honesty but fail to live up to their claims. When found out they simply move into 'Blame mode'...here is what Michael wrote... 

Hello Editor,

PNCC are rightly being blamed for high levels of river pollution by Horizons.  This outcome has occurred as the direct result of continual pressure on Horizons by many determined people and groups to better look after our waterways. As every sewer rat will do when cornered, Horizons have turned on whom ever else they can to put the blame onto. Make no mistake, Horizons are at fault as they have overall responsibility for guardianship of our waterways. PNCC Management also has a case to answer. I absolutely agree with Councilor Teo Sherrell's assertion that PNCC councilors (past councilor in my case) were misled or at best mis-guided by PNCC Management during the numerous times we tried to question them in relation to the various discharges into the river.  For Council Management to claim ignorance of consent breaches is plainly untrue. If we knew and they were doing their job, they must have known.  Mayor Naylor constantly stymied management being questioned on these matters and my guess is will now claim to be in shock that he had no knowledge of the city's effect on our river. All this from the leaders of our River Accord. Baloney. 

Regards

Michael Feyen