Flood Levy
Jan 27th 2011, 10:14 pm
#121
ah-beng
Joined: Aug 2004
Location: ^.^
Posts: 3,113
Re: Flood Levy
Well said Hevs. If the ones whinging on $100k+ feel hard done by cos they dont get their handouts and they have to pay $5 per week, why dont they give up the $100k salaries and get a lower paying job so they do qualify and dont have to pay. Bet they wont though. They'll just continue to go 'Woe is me.'
Is it wrong to be irritated that you have to give up 'more' money on top of the 50% tax rate, on top of the medicare levy, on top of having Zero rebates for school tax etc on top of the waste for putting electrified insulation into roofs.
Its my money - I earn it - I decide how I spend it , am I to put x% aside in case the government decides that something else needs a hand out?. Should I maybe take a child out of school to fund this ? Would you be happy making that decision? Im fortunate in that I dont have that problem I can afford to pay this but there are LOTS of people who WONT have that luxury who are FORCED to pay it.
Working 80hrs a week to earn a good amount of money is personal choice people do it for various reasons, because they can, becuase they want to,very very few people earn 'lots' of money by sitting on their ass or doing 35hrs a week and taking lunch breaks.
Trying to pay in 1 year for roads and capital infrastructure that has a life span of 50yrs+ is plain bloody stupid. No Company on earth does that - capital projects are funded over long term - nobody puts cash into capital.
And I am damn sure that if you ask 90% of the people who listen to news/gillard roadshow they think this 5B$ is going to the people "Doing it tough" in queensland when its not and yes the charity donations are going to dry up.
Jan 27th 2011, 10:39 pm
#122
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 10,375
Re: Flood Levy
Thats a good plan. Everyone who earns "lots" (which by definition in here means 100k? ) give up and go on the bludger bus. I shall consider it.
Is it wrong to be irritated that you have to give up 'more' money on top of the 50% tax rate, on top of the medicare levy, on top of having Zero rebates for school tax etc on top of the waste for putting electrified insulation into roofs.
The figure you end up with after the govt takes in tax, super, medicare, etc.
* Obviously this will vary on single, kids, income package etc.
Jan 27th 2011, 10:43 pm
#123
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 4,555
Re: Flood Levy
Infrastructure will give a return from the economic activity that will return once rebuilt. Without a rapid rebuild there will be a bigger hit on the economy. We would would pay for it with higher food prices long term without the rebuild.
Jan 27th 2011, 10:44 pm
#124
ah-beng
Joined: Aug 2004
Location: ^.^
Posts: 3,113
Re: Flood Levy
Normally - governments borrow to fund capital long term projects. My point is - doing it in 1 year through tax is poor.
Jan 28th 2011, 12:36 am
#125
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 6,039
Re: Flood Levy
In which case insurance premiums reflect this.
It's all very well and good coming over all flumsy and wibbly about compensation, but the hard reality is that there are many parts of the world where building in defiance of nature is a huge risk. It is crass to do so and then expect others to pick up the inevitable bills.
If a government develops areas with a high risk of flood, earthquake etc it should do so with regard to the consequences and budget for them with contingency funds.
What is going to happen, in the good old Australian way - and you can see the mindset already - is that they will rebuild in much the same way. Let's hope they get it all finished before the next major flood.
It's all very well and good coming over all flumsy and wibbly about compensation, but the hard reality is that there are many parts of the world where building in defiance of nature is a huge risk. It is crass to do so and then expect others to pick up the inevitable bills.
If a government develops areas with a high risk of flood, earthquake etc it should do so with regard to the consequences and budget for them with contingency funds.
What is going to happen, in the good old Australian way - and you can see the mindset already - is that they will rebuild in much the same way. Let's hope they get it all finished before the next major flood.
Jan 28th 2011, 12:41 am
#126
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 6,039
Re: Flood Levy
...
They've only got themselves to blame for living/building in flood prone areas. Caveat emptor. They should accept responsibility for their own decisions instead of expecting the public to bail them out.
If the average self-employed person's business goes under and they 'hit the wall' financially, do they expect the govt or the people to bail them out? No. Does the govt. start a levy for them? No. They chose to start a business and made bad business decisions and thus reap the consequences.
Same with the floods. They chose to live there in full knowledge the areas are prone to floods. Their decision and they need to accept responsibility for their own actions.
This is the biggest problem with society today. The lack of acceptance of responsibility; always expecting someone else to bail them out.
I wasn't.
They've only got themselves to blame for living/building in flood prone areas. Caveat emptor. They should accept responsibility for their own decisions instead of expecting the public to bail them out.
If the average self-employed person's business goes under and they 'hit the wall' financially, do they expect the govt or the people to bail them out? No. Does the govt. start a levy for them? No. They chose to start a business and made bad business decisions and thus reap the consequences.
Same with the floods. They chose to live there in full knowledge the areas are prone to floods. Their decision and they need to accept responsibility for their own actions.
This is the biggest problem with society today. The lack of acceptance of responsibility; always expecting someone else to bail them out.
I wasn't.
The only people with a chance of getting the levy money is business.
Jan 28th 2011, 1:27 am
#127
High in the Dandenongs
Joined: Apr 2003
Location: Listening to Puffing Billy
Posts: 9,183
Re: Flood Levy
Believe me, in REALITY, as a family that used to earn nearly that to a family who now earns less than half of that, the former family were HEAPS better off, HEAPS!!!
Someone of $50k does not get a HCC and the child care rebate is on a sliding scale......
Jan 28th 2011, 1:32 am
#128
High in the Dandenongs
Joined: Apr 2003
Location: Listening to Puffing Billy
Posts: 9,183
I do autism and MS too
Jan 28th 2011, 1:41 am
#129
High in the Dandenongs
Joined: Apr 2003
Location: Listening to Puffing Billy
Posts: 9,183
Re: Flood Levy
Is it wrong to be irritated that you have to give up 'more' money on top of the 50% tax rate, on top of the medicare levy, on top of having Zero rebates for school tax etc on top of the waste for putting electrified insulation into roofs.
Its my money - I earn it - I decide how I spend it , am I to put x% aside in case the government decides that something else needs a hand out?. Should I maybe take a child out of school to fund this ? Would you be happy making that decision? Im fortunate in that I dont have that problem I can afford to pay this but there are LOTS of people who WONT have that luxury who are FORCED to pay it.
Working 80hrs a week to earn a good amount of money is personal choice people do it for various reasons, because they can, becuase they want to,very very few people earn 'lots' of money by sitting on their ass or doing 35hrs a week and taking lunch breaks.
you're lucky you have that choice also.
Trying to pay in 1 year for roads and capital infrastructure that has a life span of 50yrs+ is plain bloody stupid. No Company on earth does that - capital projects are funded over long term - nobody puts cash into capital.
And I am damn sure that if you ask 90% of the people who listen to news/gillard roadshow they think this 5B$ is going to the people "Doing it tough" in queensland when its not and yes the charity donations are going to dry up.
Last edited by hevs; Jan 28th 2011 at 1:54 am.
Jan 28th 2011, 1:53 am
#131
BE Forum Addict
Thread Starter
Joined: Jul 2010
Location: Melbourne
Posts: 2,442
Re: Flood Levy
Did you read the post I was responding too?
Jan 28th 2011, 2:11 am
#132
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 6,039
Re: Flood Levy
I thought so 
This one:
And you said "...No. Does the govt. start a levy for them? No...."
So it looks like you are railing against a levy as people flooded should accept personal responsibility for themselves.
Is this what you meant?
This one:
...
The govt is rasing an emergency tax to repair damaged infrastructure. Big difference! None of the money raised by the levy will go directly to the people affected. Thats why donations are still needed. Gifts to the people to help them get back on their feet.
...
The govt is rasing an emergency tax to repair damaged infrastructure. Big difference! None of the money raised by the levy will go directly to the people affected. Thats why donations are still needed. Gifts to the people to help them get back on their feet.
...
So it looks like you are railing against a levy as people flooded should accept personal responsibility for themselves.
Is this what you meant?
Jan 28th 2011, 2:19 am
#133
BE Forum Addict
Thread Starter
Joined: Jul 2010
Location: Melbourne
Posts: 2,442
Re: Flood Levy
"Thats why donations are still needed. Gifts to the people to help them get back on their feet"
Last edited by Deancm_MKII; Jan 28th 2011 at 3:07 am.
Jan 28th 2011, 3:09 am
#134
You sip .... I glug !!!
Joined: Nov 2003
Location: Over the hill!
Posts: 2,790
Re: Flood Levy
Good point. You're right it would be a nightmare.
Jan 28th 2011, 3:30 am
#135
Forum Regular
Joined: Aug 2007
Location: UK again
Posts: 219
Re: Flood Levy
The Body Shop seems to have introduced its own flood levy - don't know if its everywhere, but the staff in the Queen Street mall have been told to suggest to every customer that they should round up their purchase to the next $ and give the change to the flood appeal. Not many customers that are going to say No when confronted with that at the till are there ;rolleyes: Although the woman next to me said in that case she was changing from cash to paying by card so that there was no change
I object to that kind of charity giving, its like the people who come up to you in the pub and shake a tin under your nose. I give when i want to who I want, I don't want to be made to feel obliged to give.
I object to that kind of charity giving, its like the people who come up to you in the pub and shake a tin under your nose. I give when i want to who I want, I don't want to be made to feel obliged to give.
During the free transport week I used a bus in the Gold Coast and was told I must donate $2 per person into an open tin to get on the bus, I told the driver I don't have $2 but I have a gocard that is in credit, that is the requirment for using translink services. How do I know he is honest? Maybe he is but the system is open to abuse.