UA Citygate

Dear Pirate,

I do sincerely apologise if I misinterpreted your words as being of a complaining nature.

If you read the thread carefully, I was not the one that originally suggested you might be having trouble adjusting I was merely commenting on what someone else had suggested (see 17 October). My intention, which seems to have failed, was to try and suggest that some things are too big to worry about as we can't do anything about them and we are best to just muddle along with what we have got. But I would like a few more lines, if I may.

If my friends saw that you labelled me 'liberal' they would fall over in fits of giggles.

I am sorry BUT foreigners in this place do not pay higher taxes. Some foreigners who earn a lot of money like many local people who earn a lot of money may pay more in taxes but not higher taxes. As far as I am aware there is NO distinction between local citizens and foreigners when it comes to rates of taxes applied.

I hate to nit pick, but is there really a connection between taxes paid and the provision of satisfactory restaurant choice? I am a firm believer in the dynamics of markets and we the buying public get what we demand. As I tried to suggest, in my opinion, if there was overwhelming demand for more western restaurants out here they would appear in a simple example of supply meeting demand. I am guessing, again in my opinion, that there is simply insufficient demand. It may be annoying and galling but one of the only solutions is for someone, perhaps you, "to build it" and open up something western for those stay at home hoards "and they will come" as you observe.

I agree in part about Food Republic in TC Mall; that is very patchy, but I find that Buddies Cafe, in CC mall, is clean and the food is pretty good given the price level, given it is fast food and given the basic decor of the establishment - the staff are polite and helpful. It ain't The Ritz for sure.

At Fairwood I think you get what you pay for, it is a cheaper option and therefore lower quality even than Buddies. I am looking forward to trying the new Soylent line... kidding.

But, as we are lucky enough to live in a market economy we have choices. We can shop at ParknRob (I like that), personally I am inclined to avoid those processed food products, we can shop at the various wet markets, we can shop at Olivers / 360 / Marketplace etc (Yes, I know none of those expensive ones are local to here) but we can shop at such places if we choose to. We can eat at expensive western restaurants downtown, we can slum it at Food Republic, etc or we can cook and eat at home. It really isn't that bad here, I think.

Now, if we could overturn this local elitism against the hated public housing tenants that would be an achievement even greater than the provision of a western restaurant or two...