I've Had Enough!

[senormechanico]

Originally Posted by SunDevil

And I think a carbon tax would be a good thing here in the US too to reduce foreign oil use and reduce the deficit.

All we need to do is drill for our own oil and gas, but someone is stopping as much of that and giving the areas to other countries like Brazil as he can control. I wonder who?

[senormechanico]

Originally Posted by witzgall

And how exactly does that differ from the gov't spending of any other major economy?

Chris

Sadly, it doesn't.

[DumnMad]

Good on ya Bill, this is what freedom of speech and the press is all about; - protesting and demanding accountability of the big spenders and exploiters. Ever since the Magna Carta, the inefficiencies of democracy and giving protester a voice have proved far better than the alternatives.

[Eric50]

Too much taxes in Australia?...

In 1999, as a single in France, 5,5 months of my salary was given to pay taxes each year...this does not include VAT.

Nowadays there are 214 different taxes, 11 related for your vehicule only...

Cigarettes are taxed 80%

National debt is above 90% of the GPB, 100% of the income tax is used to reimburse the interest on this debt...It use to be 50% ten years ago, the other half was used to pay the civil servants salaries.

There are 18 millions of active people in France, including 5,2 millions of civil servants...and 15 millions of people under pension...

Mathematically would you think that Australia is about the same situation?

I hope not for the Australian.

[micah719]

It would be better living in a society where at least they don't screw you and then tell you it's for your own good. Blatant criminals I can deal with, it's deluded fools that are really dangerous.

[DumnMad]

Eric, not all tax is bad but do you think French protestors have been a bit selfish instead of focussing on the misuse of taxes and inefficient bureaucracy? Government departments can help society to be more efficient or they can be a self serving barrier to economic efficiency. Protestors can be the same.

[Eric50]

DumnMad,

Fully agreed of course, French are the only responsible for what is happening to them.

The system was perfect in the 50', 60' and 70', everybody was doing OK the management and the users (no sheathing, no over employement in the administration, doctors where doing their job...and only their jobs...).

Services were very effective, cheap and getting better every year, 95% of the population was well educated, train where always on time, and so on.

What went wrong ? Fantasy, dreamers issued from the 68 revolution thinking that we could afford not to face the reality and start to change the world. Money was not important anymore, dreaming and dreaming...the society became litteraly childish.

Smart ass politician soon realize that demagogy was the key to gain vote from childish citizen, and make them dreaming of a new life, without working, effort and discipline, was the straight lane to power and presidency.

SInce beginning of 80', in France most of the gouvernement, in order to have a sufficent number of supporting voter, increase the number of civil servant that have of the advantages and privileges in France (30% of the active population!) and always vote for the leftist, the most demagogic of our politician.

And guess who are the protesters in France ? the civil servants ! (actually 8% of them which are in the union, sufficent to block and control the country).

Railways: public company (next strike against "austerity" in 1 week). Monopoly of their market until 2 years ago.
Air France: public company (2 to 4 strikes a year, paid 30 to 40 % than other european airlines, working 50% of the time...).
EDF: public company french generating board electricity, Monopoly up to few years ago.
Post service: public company, monopoly for letters, not for small parcels since few years.
Subway: public company...
School and unversity: public, on strike 4 to 5 times a year, the largest budget of all administration, 50% of the kids leave primary school without being able to read, write and count correctly (at all!)...12 millions of student, 1 million of teachers always complaining that they have too much student par class !

The social aid is so generous that we have 4 millions people being paid doing nothing when, on the other side only 50% of the active people are paying income taxes!

Social aid is so holy in our country, and became such a lifestyle, that most of the youngs have the mentality not to fight but to beg for social assistance as soon as they leave their parents, young girls get pregnant on purpose to have a salary and an accomodation from the social aid (and decent ones believe me).

Demagogy, childness and lazyness that is what leads directly to the nation collapse, we are about to, like greek, spanish, italian and portugal.

Above all of that, politician are smart enough to create plenty of dependance and budgets to finance the "social" aid, to encourage it in a way that they can take benefit of all these billions easily.

Except that the financial markets recently ring the bell for the end of the game and would like now to have their money back....(see Greece and soon the others).

And what sort of money produce a country that spend 90% in debt reimbursement, social aid and close a factory or an industry everyday ?

So, I agree that both governement and citizens have their responsability, but one of the lesson we are learning over here is that the "easiest" way is may be not the best way for democracy.

Assisting may not be helping.

The path to hell is mostly paved with good intention.

[justwaiting]

Nice political debate, few facts, lots of preduice and next to nothing to do with sailing.

@OP - make up your mind if you want to leave Oz to get away from expencese/taxes or if you want to sail to destinations that you havent seen. Sailing away - you can not escape the negatives and there is nothing positive in front of you. Sail towards the Pacific and there is a goal and positives.

BTW all the best with the wife, you are traveling a hard road.

[micah719]

Next to nothing to do with sailing? Sailing is a journey....and to get to where you're going, you have to know where you're going, and where you're coming from (and why you're leaving it, and whether or not to prepare a reverse course someday or burn the charts because you won't). OP doesn't sound like someone setting out on an aimless pleasure cruise, but someone seeking a corner of semi-sanity on this madhouse of a planet. As to politics....since that cesspool invades every corner of our lives and presums to dictate everything we do and say and think, it's hard to discuss anything honestly and in depth without touching on something someone will label as "political".

[Doodles]

Originally Posted by Ex-Calif

Please don't come to SEA. I have lived here 32 years and I can tell you it is horrible.

Stay where you are and do all the bitching and moaning you like.

SEA is corrupt, expensive, has weird food, pirates, crimnals etc., etc. etc...

Trust me. You won't like it. Stay there...

+1 .... and the women are ugly!

[Celestialsailor]

Originally Posted by Doodles

+1 .... and the women are ugly!

I'll second that...and disease ridden too. Taxi cabs will eat your savings in a day and the beer is watered down. Terribly polluted and bed bugs everywhere. I itch just thinking about it. Philippines is a much better place...Although I have never been there...

[savoir]

Originally Posted by cat man do

So what?
Do you have any children?
If so you probably get centrelink payments as well
There are many forms of Govt assistance that get paid via centrelink and really, what % of the population are these refugees anyway?
Quick calculation shows that they are around 0.01% of the population, scary stuff eh?
Family payments and allowances - australia.gov.au

As for the Nationalities I wonder why the Afghanis and Iraqi's are being singled out by the poster?

Figures for 2010-2011 show that there were 1390 Afghanis and 370 Iraqis out of 5000 protection Visas issued.

What about the other 3240 from other nationalities, do they get the same derision aimed at them?
http://www.immi.gov.au/media/publica...arter-2012.pdf

What about the other 58,000 illegal immigrants that are here
Will the poster make comment on these hoards of US and British (amongst others) "illegals" that are here or are they somehow different?

Beats me why you mention children when the report doesn't. It only concerns employment. The report says

"Afghanis and Iraqis are least likely to be employed and also part

of households which are most likely to receive Centrelink payments."

Here is the full table ( I couldn't hold the columns )

Employment category
Household receives Centrelink
Country of birth payments

Employed Unemployed Other Total Yes No Total

Afghanistan n=466 9.0 8.3 82.7 100.0 93.7 6.3 100.0
Burma n=887 35.0 7.5 57.4 100.0 89.0 11.0 100.0
Democratic Rep Congo n=140 29.9 11.7 58.4 100.0 92.7 7.3 100.0
Eritrea & Somalia n=105 20.6 18.6 60.8 100.0 87.5 12.5 100.0
Ethiopia n=122 40.3 19.3 40.3 100.0 74.8 25.2 100.0
Iran n=172 28.8 12.9 58.2 100.0 81.9 18.1 100.0
Iraq n=837 11.8 13.2 75.0 100.0 93.2 6.8 100.0
Other Central & W Africa n=298 51.0 13.8 35.2 100.0 90.4 9.6 100.0
Other South & East Africa n=247 32.4 10.5 57.1 100.0 92.2 7.8 100.0
Sierra Leone n=188 56.3 11.5 32.2 100.0 83.3 16.7 100.0
Sri Lanka n=285 34.0 17.0 48.9 100.0 73.0 27.0 100.0
Sudan n=924 35.5 12.2 52.3 100.0 87.9 12.1 100.0

Other n=707 41.2 11.8 46.9 100.0 72.9 27.1 100.0

[ozskipper]

Originally Posted by cat man do

Yes, and I have a far better lifestyle whenever I am in SEA
Snip

"Only" because you earn Australian wages!!! So, as I said, that comparison is unfair to the discussion.

[BillAU]

Originally Posted by witzgall

And how exactly does that differ from the gov't spending of any other major economy?

Chris

Other major economies are not of my concern, it's up to the citizens of those countries.

I'm an Aussie so I'm only concerned with how “Australian” government departments are spending “our” money and...I'm only going on about the, approximately 6 BILLION AU DOLLARS squandered on only TWO schemes, neither of which work.
That's 6 BILLION AU DOLLARS, not 6 million dollars, that could have been used in our health system, and many other areas, like tax reduction...Which seems to be a dirty word to some on here.
Add to that 6 BILLION AU DOLLARS squandered by our local Victorian government, all the money squandered on hair brained, touchy-feel-good schemes, dreamt-up by our FEDERAL government since our last government was elected, and I dread to think what the total amount of squandered money would be!
My dear old departed Mum and dad always taught me, spend a shilling but save a pound! For those who do not understand Mum and Dads teachings, it equates to living within one's means, save cash for a rainy day, buy only what you can afford, don't go spending money you ain't got!

I live by those teachings but perhaps I have been doing it all wrong for all these years...But I don't think so!
Our government, state and federal, could do better by learning a few of Mum and Dads teachings on house management/money management...Besides...IT AIN'T THEIR OWN MONEY...IT'S OURS!

[BillAU]

A quick update, I forgot to thank those members who shared their views on where a bloke could retire to on his own boat. Thanks mates, your tips are much appreciated


Bill
Australia