Councils might consider raising fees for things like pools, recreation centres and other community facilities, Wellington mayor Andrew Little says.

I write to you not as a cordial constituent but as a witness to your betrayal. You claim to “support” the enhanced Affordable Care Act (ACA) tax credits. You voted to reopen the government without securing any concrete protections or binding legislation to extend those credits. That is not leadership. That is cowardice dressed in compromise. Let me remind you of your own words: “Keeping the government open is our core responsibility … and then we would negotiate to extend those tax credits.” “I voted AYE to extend ACA tax credits because I support them—but I won’t vote for the chaos of shuttering our government.” Fine. But the moment you reopened the government without guarantees, you forfeited any moral high ground. Millions of Americans depend on those credits. Their premiums will spike. Their coverage will vanish. And you traded their futures for … what? A “better way forward”? A promise to talk later? A “sincere conversation” with the other side? Here’s the naked truth, Senator: • You prioritized process over people. • You allowed your party’s leverage to unravel. • You let vulnerable Americans stand in the crosshairs of broken promises. • You joined the ranks of those who say the right thing—then do the wrong thing. If you truly loved affordable healthcare, you would have insisted on binding language, not just vague reassurances. If you truly believed you could “have a sincere discussion,” you’d have locked it down before reopening the government, not after. That’s not good policy. That’s safe politics. What must you do now? • Immediately introduce and support legislation that locks in the ACA enhanced credits for the full term required (and make them permanent or at least extend them meaningfully). No more “later.” • Refuse to vote for any further continuing resolution or stop-gap funding until that legislation is passed. Because you relinquished your leverage already—don’t give the Republicans your leverage again. • Communicate clearly to your constituents why you did what you did, admit the trade-off, and explain how you will fix this — not just “work” on it, fix it. • Hold yourself accountable. Next time, don’t just accept “because the government must stay open” as an excuse. That’s always the government’s obligation—but that doesn’t mean you surrender your bargaining power. Senator, you are not doing right by your people if you allow this moment to be forgotten. If you let the ACA credits expire while claiming you “supported” them—you’ll own the aftermath. And the people will remember who took action, and who simply talked. I expect you to do more than “believe” or “hope” or “discuss.” I expect you to fight. Be the senator you told us you’d be.

James Watson, the co-discoverer of the structure of DNA who died Thursday at 97, was a scientific legend and a pariah among his peers.