Posted on 13-9-2002
Letter
To The Editor
There's Talent And ... Talent
Letter from Stephen Tindall, the woman*
There has been much media commentary
about New Zealands diminishing loss of talented entrepreneurs
such as
Eric Watson, Sir Michael Fay, and David Richwhite.
Given that some of these individuals
enriched themselves from the privatisation of publicly owned
assets, some
may consider that their chief talent is larceny in that they
have acted
as the pirates of old, in taking property to enrich themselves.
This is not a talent that we need in New
Zealand. Rather, we need individuals who are able to create
wealth and
spread it throughout the community.
While some have been lamenting the loss
of Mr Watson, others have been lamenting the loss of yet another
New
Zealand shoe manufacturer and the fifty jobs that went with
it. Over the
past thirty-seven years, this shoe factory has contributed approximately
$100million to the local
economy by way of wages and productive expenditure. This equates
to $2.7
million for each of those years.
The loss of these fifty jobs means the
loss of $20,000 of wages and consumer spending power per week
to the Te
Kuiti community.
The talents of this factory's management
team and of their skilled staff are to be laid to waste, as
large New
Zealand importing retailers continue to spend money offshore,
purchasing
shoes from sweatshop factories that pay 10cents an hour wage
rates.
This is a real loss for Te Kuiti and for
New Zealand.
Rest In Peace, Fabia Shoes.
Yours sincerely
Stephen Tindall - the woman
Founder of MADENZ
PO Box 4580
Mt Maunganui
Tel/Fax 07 5745822
stephen.tindall@xtra.co.nz
Everyone Gets A Bargain, MADENZ Theme Song
Charlie used to be my mate
He's closed his shoe shop down
He's broke and now he's on the dole
Like others in our town
But I don't care I'm on a win
They'll have to take it on the chin
While they go broke I simply grin
Because I've got a bargain
Nyah Nyah Nyah, Nyah Nyah Nyah,
I have got a bargain
I tell you I don't give a darn
I'll buy my shoes at the big red barn
Because I've got a bargain
I know those shoes aren't going to last
They won't stand any wear
But they're so cheap I'm not concerned
I'll buy another pair
They'll end up at the local dump
Such waste will cause our rates to jump
But don't dare think that I'm a chump
Because I've got a bargain
Nyah Nyah Nyah, Nyah Nyah Nyah
I have got a bargain
The Warehouse store has plenty more
I'll be back soon and that's for sure
Because I've got a bargain
Those shoes have come from overseas
Our local factory's closed
If they're made by sweated labour
I'm still going to stay hard nosed
Made by a young girls struggling hand
Who works more hours than I can stand
But still my smile stays wide and bland
Because I've got a bargain
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