Ratepayers should boycott Auckland City businesses following disgusting attack by business leader.

The vitriolic attack on the people of Auckland by Alec Swey and the Heart of the City organisation in an opinion piece in today's New Zealand Herald is almost beyond belief.

His statement that "Cities are about people, and Auckland is never going to be a city while its citizens behave little better than small-minded hayseeds" - is the most disgusting attack on the men and women of the Auckland region that I have ever seen.

Even worse are his words "Railing against the rates increase is cheap, is late and is, at best, small-minded" Calling the tens of thousands of citizens who have so far signed the the region-wide Rebellion Petition or the Orewa Protest "cheap and small-minded" will cause unparalleld anger among the thousands of less-fortunate people in our community who simply cannot afford to pay these draconian ARC rate increase.

Mr Sweny's comments will add further fuel to a protest which is already spreading throughout the region like a forest fire.

If Mr Sweny's views on the citizens of the Auckland region are also the views of the inner city business association '"Heart of the City" - Auckland City - then these 'small-minded hayseeds' should boycott every single business in that organization.

If that organization does not support Mr Sweny's views then it should sack him immediately and offer a full apology to the people of the Auckland region.

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