Banks banks on his reputation for profligacy?

In just two days John Banks has destroyed whatever reputation he was trying to construct for being economical with other people's money--a reputation that can hardly be taken seriously in any case, having presided over rate rises every single year of his mayoralty.

But it's a reputation that can hardly have been enhanced by his claim that, unlike his colleague to the south, he--John Banks, Honest John--has never, would never, and hasn't ever “charged a sandwich, lunch or coffee to the ratepayers of Auckland"…  Well, apart from-–Oops! What are those!—those receipts in his office files showing him spending ratepayers' money on some mighty fine entertaining.  (Hey, I forgot, they don’t even serve sandwiches at Euro.)

And its a reputation that has now been delivered a fatal blow by his kite-flying suggestion that as president dictator-for-life mayor of the new uber-city he wants to play host to, wait for it, an Olympic Games. 

An Olympic Games, yet!! The event that left Sydney with a bill it’s still paying for, and London with one it never will. And you want to hand that sort of Olympic-sized bill to this humble little city!!

What an idiot. What an ego. No more perfect method could have been dreamed up to convert Auckland's millions of dollars of debt into billions.

Just more evidence how "uber-cities" beget uber-egos with uber-power lust, who peddle uberly-stupid ideas that will cost us all dearly.

More evidence, it should by now be clear, that Rodney's uber-bureaucracy is not going to go well.

I can’t wait until him, or someone like him, hands us all a bill for the flash new building they’ll need to fit all these egos into.