Thread: ANY GOVERNMENT.

I reckon the rabbits around my place at the moment are
laughing at me. I disposed of my 22 rifle, (reluctantly) some
years ago when my wife would not sign the paperwork agreeing
to me having a gun in the house.

When I arrive home late in the evening the bunnies are sitting
on my front lawn awaiting my return.

If only they knew that if I still had my "popgun" there would be
rabbit stew for a month.

Perhaps if I knew some "hitmen" they could shoot them for me.

Allan

Originally Posted by bullfright

These three statements tell you a lot about our government and
our culture:

1. We are advised to NOT judge ALL Muslims by the actions of a few
lunatics,
but we are encouraged to judge ALL gun owners by the actions of a few
lunatics.
Funny how that works

And another statement for consideration--

2. We constantly hear about how CPP (Canada Pension Plan) is going to run
out of money..
How come we never hear about welfare running out of money?
What's interesting is the first group "worked for" their money, but
the second didn't.

Finally

3. Provincial Social Services (welfare payments) is proud to be
distributing this year the greatest amount of free money ever .
Meanwhile, the Parks Branch asks us "Please Do Not Feed the Animals."
The stated reason for this policy is because "The animals will grow
dependent on handouts and will not learn to take care of themselves."

That ends Today's Lesson On Irony.

Awww, Bullfright ... please do not make the mistake of thinking that fact, data, logic and clear thinking have any place in these debates.

The entitlement mentality still rules, as do the emotional responses to these issues. We must never make the mistake of asking from where will the money come, or more to the point, who will pay? These are minor side issues.

Wait ten years. By then the baby boomers will nearly all be in retirement, and there are lots of us. The same people who, as students, marched the streets of our cities recently blasting the budget cuts will then be asked to pay the pensions, medical costs and other entitlements for a huge number of retirees who seem to want to live forever. What will be their response when it is they who must foot the bill?

Funny how its easy to be generous with other people's money. Go for it. Reverse the budget cuts. Then we wait to see how generous these folks are when it is their money being taken from them in increasing amounts to pay for all these boomer retirees.

Sometimes I wonder if working hard and saving and investing for my retirement was a mistake. Perhaps I should have frittered it all away and turned up for my pension at the appropriate time. There does not appear to me much sympathy for self funded retirees, who, I was recently told, are all capitalist pigs who grew rich at the expense of the poor old worker.

Have fun!

John

Originally Posted by Allan at Wallan

I reckon the rabbits around my place at the moment are
laughing at me. I disposed of my 22 rifle, (reluctantly) some
years ago when my wife would not sign the paperwork agreeing
to me having a gun in the house.

When I arrive home late in the evening the bunnies are sitting
on my front lawn awaiting my return.

If only they knew that if I still had my "popgun" there would be
rabbit stew for a month.

Perhaps if I knew some "hitmen" they could shoot them for me.

Allan

Pity you are so far away. I know some hit men ... me ... my sons and grandsons. The pic is a target produced by my son when he was 11 years old. The black bullseye is one inch in diameter.
James 0.196.jpg

Cheerio!

John

Just work out what's cheaper.

Would you rather:

Pay unemployment benefits to a small proportion of the population.

OR

Increase the size of the police force and prisons to cope with an increase in crime and violence when unemployable people have to 'provide for themselves'.

With the first approach, you have the chance that you'll be able to transition them to employment in the future; with the second, all imprisonment will do is hit your pocket by at least an order of magnitude more than the first approach, seeing as we lack the ability to use a cheaper control method such as transporting them to another country for stealing a loaf of bread.

Originally Posted by John Samuel

Pity you are so far away. I know some hit men ... me ... my sons and grandsons. The pic is a target produced by my son when he was 11 years old. The black bullseye is one inch in diameter.
James 0.196.jpg

Cheerio!

John

Ouch,
I don't think I would even be able to see the bullseye with out aid at 50 metres.
Think I will stay out of your way.

Originally Posted by John Samuel

Sometimes I wonder if working hard and saving and investing for my retirement was a mistake. Perhaps I should have frittered it all away and turned up for my pension at the appropriate time. There does not appear to me much sympathy for self funded retirees, who, I was recently told, are all capitalist pigs who grew rich at the expense of the poor old worker.

John

But John to quote your header, your wife works to support your woodworking, can't claim it both ways you know. (Just kidding)

The interesting bit for me is that we have been being fed the population growth line (we are going to have X million retirees by 2030, so we will need 6X below retiring age to support and service them) for the last 20 years, but no one seems to take that to it's logical conclusion that 30 to 40 years after that, the 6X million will be retirees and we will need 36X million to support and service them, and so on generation after generation.

...and I note that the Canada Pension Plan problem was solved way back in 1997 by increasing contribution rates; there's been a surplus of contributions since then, and consecutive auditor's reports have shown that the Plan is 'in the black' for at least the next 75 years...

Did anyone mention not letting facts and logic get in the way?

Originally Posted by malb

But John to quote your header, your wife works to support your woodworking, can't claim it both ways you know. (Just kidding)

The interesting bit for me is that we have been being fed the population growth line (we are going to have X million retirees by 2030, so we will need 6X below retiring age to support and service them) for the last 20 years, but no one seems to take that to it's logical conclusion that 30 to 40 years after that, the 6X million will be retirees and we will need 36X million to support and service them, and so on generation after generation.

That's a big part of the reasoning behind the super guarantee. We've known for at least 30 years that the generation following the boomers was not likely to be big enough and rich enough to pay all those boomers their pensions as well as pay for their health care. The numbers I have seen indicate that the super guarantee needs to lift to 15% for a big enough proportion of people are to be able to largely look after themselves in retirement so that the public purse is not over stretched in a low population growth situation, which is what we currently have.

Watch the tax rate on money paid into super, now at 15%. There is a strong chance it is going to be lifted/changed before any of us is much older. Kevin Rudd had his eye on that as his next source of revenue, but got chucked out before he could act. Much as I am not Kevin fan, there do seem to be sound reasons for restructuring tax on loot going into super so that all of us get the same tax break.

Have fun!

John

Originally Posted by John Samuel

Sometimes I wonder if working hard and saving and investing for my retirement was a mistake. Perhaps I should have frittered it all away and turned up for my pension at the appropriate time. There does not appear to me much sympathy for self funded retirees, who, I was recently told, are all capitalist pigs who grew rich at the expense of the poor old worker.

I am currently 54 and I suppose I could retire tomorrow if I wanted to.

I will NEVER receive an old-age pension. I have worked hard to establish several income streams that guarantee that I will never pass the means test. I have never received any money for doing nothing. No government handouts, no inheritances. Everything I get is because I have done the work to justify getting it.

Along the way, I have paid my way in the form of taxes. I have created jobs for others, who in their turn, also paid their taxes. Well, actually, I paid them their pay, less taxes and then gave the government their tax money. I also collected GST for the government on every job I did since that tax was introduced. Did the government pay me for all that work i did for them collecting tax on their behalf? Of course not.

I once calculated, based on the dollars of income tax withheld from my workers, GST collected and personal income tax paid, the number of dole bludgers I was supporting for the year. If they all had the courtesy to send me a Christmas card, it would have been quite a display. But guess what, not one christmas card from them or from the government. Not really surprised.

And the lak of thanks and recognition continue. I would bet that EVERY SINGLE DOLE BLUDGER I have financed while I am working will be entitled to some sort of pension, whereas I will not.

I often wonder how much money Centrelink spends verifying means tests for the old aged pension. I actually think it would be cheaper to pay everyone above the retirement age the pension rather than having to prove entitlement. Cost effective or not, surely it would make more sense. then at least the people like myself who have contributed to the public purse would get the same as those who did not.

Will I need the pension when I stop work? No I wont. Would I like it and do I feel I should have it? Yes I do. I have paid more for it than anyone who is getting it. What wold I spend it on? I would probably give most of it to charities, because i probably wont need it. I give money to various charities every week anyway.

However, I do think it is rude that the very people who prop up the economy, create jobs for others nd put money aside for their own retirement are the ones that the government overlooks when they come to the end of their working lives.

Cheers
Doug

PS: Isn't this supposed to be the jokes forum?

I love logic but once it moves from mathematical symbols into social ideas it disappears. Funny that. It's a bit like common sense, an oxymoron if ever there was one.

The human species has come to dominate because of its ability to work cooperatively. That said I still think we should build a 50 metre high wall around the parliament, and then fill it with water )

Originally Posted by Sebastiaan56

I love logic but once it moves from mathematical symbols into social ideas it disappears. Funny that. It's a bit like common sense, an oxymoron if ever there was one.

The human species has come to dominate because of its ability to work cooperatively. That said I still think we should build a 50 metre high wall around the parliament, and then fill it with water )

The 21st century version of the Tower of Babel.

Originally Posted by doug3030

I am currently 54 and I suppose I could retire tomorrow if I wanted to.

I will NEVER receive an old-age pension. I have worked hard to establish several income streams that guarantee that I will never pass the means test. I have never received any money for doing nothing. No government handouts, no inheritances. Everything I get is because I have done the work to justify getting it.

Along the way, I have paid my way in the form of taxes. I have created jobs for others, who in their turn, also paid their taxes. Well, actually, I paid them their pay, less taxes and then gave the government their tax money. I also collected GST for the government on every job I did since that tax was introduced. Did the government pay me for all that work i did for them collecting tax on their behalf? Of course not.

I once calculated, based on the dollars of income tax withheld from my workers, GST collected and personal income tax paid, the number of dole bludgers I was supporting for the year. If they all had the courtesy to send me a Christmas card, it would have been quite a display. But guess what, not one christmas card from them or from the government. Not really surprised.

And the lak of thanks and recognition continue. I would bet that EVERY SINGLE DOLE BLUDGER I have financed while I am working will be entitled to some sort of pension, whereas I will not.

I often wonder how much money Centrelink spends verifying means tests for the old aged pension. I actually think it would be cheaper to pay everyone above the retirement age the pension rather than having to prove entitlement. Cost effective or not, surely it would make more sense. then at least the people like myself who have contributed to the public purse would get the same as those who did not.

Will I need the pension when I stop work? No I wont. Would I like it and do I feel I should have it? Yes I do. I have paid more for it than anyone who is getting it. What wold I spend it on? I would probably give most of it to charities, because i probably wont need it. I give money to various charities every week anyway.

However, I do think it is rude that the very people who prop up the economy, create jobs for others nd put money aside for their own retirement are the ones that the government overlooks when they come to the end of their working lives.

Cheers
Doug

PS: Isn't this supposed to be the jokes forum?

I am not a fan of Robert Menzies. Nevertheless, his wartime speech, "The Forgotten People" sprung to mind when reading your post. I believe it to be one of the finest, most important and quintessentially Australian speeches ever written. People from both sides of politics have sung its praises.

http://www.liberals.net/theforgottenpeople.htm

Have fun!

John

Mark this day down in history: I wholeheartedly agree with doug3030.

So thank you, and those like you, who keep Australia moving and away from the cliff edge of recession/depression.



Oh, I'd send you a XMAS card but I seem to remember you not liking XMAS all that much!

(Read about starting a new Christmas thread in "Suggestions for new forums in this section")

Dare I say; Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night?

Originally Posted by CAG

Oh, I'd send you a XMAS card but I seem to remember you not liking XMAS all that much!

(Read about starting a new Christmas thread in "Suggestions for new forums in this section")

Thanks CAG, I really appreciate it.

I am not a big fan of Xmas and I guess I should be flattered that you remembered. I was just using the xmas card as a symbol for just a small amount of gratitude, a small token of appreciation.

Wouldn't it be nice if after working and paying taxes all your working life instead of drawing handouts from the public purse, and have set up income streams so that the government STILL did not have to support you that they said: "Thanks Doug, you have done your bit. You don't have to pay tax any more."

Thanks again CAG

Cheers

Doug