What is wrong with the picture of Hawke’s Bay society painted in today’s Hawke’s Bay Today?

$65,000 has been raised, a two-storey building and countless hours of expertise, assistance, skill and labour have been donated for Limitless Hope to help provide emergency shelter for those most in need.

But they almost didn’t make it – if the last major donation had been a single day later, all that money would have been returned – the contributions essentially voided.

Worthy praise has been heaped upon the organisers of what is indeed “such a noble cause”.

Meanwhile at the other end of the socio-economic spectrum another article highlights the regions “Rich-Listers”:

“The father and son dairy duo of Sir Selwyn and David Cushing increased their net worth by $20 million in the past 12 months despite the headwinds in the sector.

“You just have to grin and bear it,” Sir Selwyn said.”

They only INCREASED their wealth by TWENTY MILLION DOLLARS – over 300 times the amount raised for Limitless Hope and this is something you have to “grin and bear”??!!

I can’t help but think that highlights not only the disproportionate levels of income equality in New Zealand, but also the perception of wealth we each have. But I guess it’s just a side effect of New Zealand’s “Rock star Economy”

Can you imagine the net social and economic impacts of Hawke’s Bay’s economic wealth increasing by over $20 Million in a single year?

I could certainly bear the amount of grinning that would cause across our region!