Karl Tiefenbacher For Wellington

Its time for a different approach, as the saying goes, you can't keep doing the same things and expecting a different result. 

I feel that now is the time for us to put political agendas aside, and we forget about party colours and start focusing on what will make Wellington a better place to live.  I'm an independent candidate that will focus on the importance of fiscal responsibility and a back to basics approach vs another political party member who will vote in line with party directives without truly understanding the damage they are doing to our city.


I have no party agenda and my simple promise to you, is to put Wellington first. Let's get the basics right, before any of the nice to haves. 

 

Not many people will tell you about the reality we are in but our debt levels have skyrocketed over the last 6 years from 400 million to a staggering and heartbreaking 1.5 billion dollars! It is hard to imagine how we will be able to  pay this back with so many vital infrastructure issues in bad need of investment . Could you imagine having that sort of mortgage on your house? 


Our interest only payments have soared from chewing up 4 cents in every rate dollar collected just a few years back to a shocking 24 cents of every dollar! This means crippling rate rises that are unsustainable for the everyday Wellingtonian. 

 

If we had a gold-plated water infrastructure and a best-in-class public transport system then it could be argued that this debt level is acceptable. BUT WE DON’T! I have no doubt that if we were a publicly listed company there would be serious questions raised on whether the board had failed to perform its duties.


It's easy to suggest or even passionately plead with anyone voting in the  Feb 17 by-election, to please not vote along party lines any more. Local government should not be political, it should be about the people of the city.

 

This election really matters as if the seat moves to an independent it will even up the balance on the council quite significantly. Even more importantly a strong result in favor of an independent candidate will also send a clear message that “Wellington deserves better” and also “Wellingtonians expect better”. While the left will still hold a tiny majority there are several independent left leaning councillors who are willing to vote with their conscience on occasions – and it will only take 1 to get better outcomes for Wellingtonians. 

Let's together make a change, let's stop doing the same things expecting a different result let's start the journey to making Wellington better, let's make our vote count. 

Karl

Comments

  1. I hope that Karl Tiefenbacher stops talking in public2 April 2025 at 18:41

    You aren't non-partisan, Karl. You are a self absorbed hack who has contributed very little of positive impact to the culture of Wellington. You have completely ruined the reputation of your franchise. If it fails, it is because of your moaning.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Karl Tiefenbacher Navigating Wellington's Challenges: A Call for Affordability and Common Sense

Image
I hope you're enjoying the start to 2024 and making the most of the warm summer  days we are starting to get.   Wellington, is a an amazing, compact city. We've   been lovingly referred to as absolutely positively wellington, the coolest   little capital in the world, middle earth and som e not so pleasant names  recently. Wellington holds a special place in the hearts of many of its  residents, myself included. But we're facing challenges that demand solutions  and a fresh perspective. I'm not just wanting to point out the problems; I want  real solutions! Wellington deserves better. We need to be more focussed on  affordability and infrastructure improvements, and this requires better  financially prudent spending. I'm here to listen and help find solutions.  As someone deeply invested in the city's well-being, I'm asking for your vote  because Wellington deserves better. The current trajectory seems unsustainable,  and ...
Read more

The Devils in the detail. Karl Tiefenbacher 4 Wellington

Image
When I first read about the draft Long Term Plan and seemingly the council accepting the fact that we need to focus more on the water issues we are having, I felt excited. Finally we will see some sensible financial decisions being made and Wellington getting back on track to becoming the great little capital we have always been so proud to call home. Or so I thought. Unfortunately on closer examination the recommended savings offer little in cost savings and likely will face so much public backlash that many will not make the cut. They want to cut services while increasing rates. They want to sell assets to fund operational expenditure. They want to decrease safety by stopping live monitoring of CCTV. They want to reduce graffiti removal allowing the city to become even more shabby than it has become already. The fun police even want to cancel New Years Eve, or at least the waterfront public event which is attended by a huge number of Wellingtonians of all ages. They want to cancel pu...
Read more