Irresponsible Handouts

Verity Firth (NSW Education Minister) is preaching:

“We're committed to ensuring that our processes are followed right down to the school level so that everything's being done correctly and no money is wasted.”

Anthony Albanese (Federal Infrastructure & Transport Minister) is not apologising:

“We make no apology for acting early and decisively to insulate, to project Australians from the impact of the global financial crisis”

Only problem is that some schools don’t want the handout if it means having infrastructure thrust upon them, especially if it is not needed.

Baulkham Hills North Public School was one example in the news this week. They have been told they are getting a new hall costing $2.45million that will only house 50 extra people, leaving about 400 student with nowhere to sit. Due to strict deadlines if work doesn’t start by December 1st they risk losing the money all together.

Decisive or irresponsible?

It is fair enough having a strict deadline for such projects because otherwise nothing would ever get done. But if the spending is irresponsible to begin with then what does it matter about a deadline. For a real stimulus to work the infrastructure has to be needed and be of benefit to the public. In the above example it is obviously neither.

The buzzword came out via Kevin Rudd about having shovel ready projects. “Shovel ready” gives me the impression that all the problems we are now experiencing had long been ironed out, not so. So were they “shovel ready” to begin with, I think not.

What is the real motivation behind the program anyway? Well I think the massive signage erected alongside new building projects might give you a clue. But what schools are showing is that common sense does sometimes prevail and that political allegiances cannot be bought by throwing away huge amounts of cash.

Ignore Their Figures

There are so many figures from different agencies used to describe the state of the nation’s economy. Some give a positive outlook, others a negative outlook. It appears that you can grab figures to suit whatever your argument might be at any given time. Sometimes the same statistics can be used to tell different stories. The actual state of the economy is anyone’s guess.

It’s time to ignore the lot from now on, and forget those you may have already heard. I agree with the Barefoot Investor when he featured on channel 10’s ‘7pm Project’. He suggested focusing on your own household budget.

So how is the household budget going? Do you have one for starters? Spending within your means? Able to save and invest?

Work on this and it won’t matter what any politician might say. Your household budget should be able to withstand any crisis.

Stupid Man + Stupid Woman

Here is my simple mathematical equation for the week.

Stupid Man + Stupid Woman = Extra Marital affair

He’s stupid

• Thinking he can get away with it – these things always catch up to bite
• Parading around in public with his mistress – trophy girlfriend
• Bragging about his exploits to his colleagues
• Promising to leave his wife for her – was never going to do that
• Boasting his political aspirations to her
• Risking those aspirations for a fling

She’s stupid

• Jumping into bed virtually straight away – doesn’t everybody these days?
• Appealing to his giant ego
• Acknowledging the existence of a wife yet continued anyway – for six months
• Believing that he will leave his wife for here – not thinking that if he leaves his wife what will he do when he’s tired of you?
• Describing him as a “spunk” “hot” and “sexy” – she must be delusional

Nothing New

I was interested this week in Monday’s Daily Telegraph (31/8/09) to read one of their feature articles in the ‘Your Money’ section about how to get on top of debt. I felt I was already on top of my debt and didn’t feel like I was drowning under the mortgage and car loan. I thought there might be something new being said that could be applied to my situation. Instead it was the same advice people have been giving for years, it’s just that no one has been listening. Now they are forced to listen as they deal with financial hardship.

The advice was:

1. Get rid of bad debt. Well I don’t have any so I have no worries. They consider bad debt to be personal loans that incur high interest.
2. Get rid of other debt. Believe me I’m all over that. Lump sums come off the mortgage quite regularly.
3. Don’t get into bad debt. Sounds pretty basic doesn’t it? Yet to many people are sucked into interest free periods by the big retailers. Then if they can’t pay the amount in the prescribed time then they are given a rude shock when the have to pay a ridiculous amount of interest.
4. Use debits cards instead of credit cards. Have seen more ads for these cards now. Perhaps banks are getting slightly more responsible. Debit means you’re spending your own money and therefore have to show a bit more restraint when it comes time for purchases

Simple advice. Get a budget and spend within your means and financial hardship will be given the boot.

Privilege, Not A Right

There are plenty of things in this great country that we take for granted. May it be the clean air we breathe, water we drink or our access to quality food.

There are also many institutions that we take for granted. They are being abused (I’d consider the use of a stronger word like molested), and kicked whilst down. In particular there is our health system, schools, emergency services and welfare. Granted these institutions are rampant with inefficient bureaucratic administrations but perhaps if they were paid a tad more respect they might be able to provide a better service.

The community at large should feel privileged to live in a country that provides these services and there presence is not a ‘right’ at all.

Out health care is very advanced in comparison to most countries in the world. We have some of the best doctors working right here. They work hard to diagnose sick people and rescue them from potentially life threatening situations. Yet unreasonable demands are placed on them. People want to be seen by one as soon as they step foot into a hospital. Not going to happen. Imagine if they only had to deal with genuinely sick people.

Our schools are affordable and accessible. Last time I checked the only cost that a parent must pay for a child in a state school was slightly over $100 a year, and that is voluntary. This is a joke, as people want value in their child’s education yet is unwilling to pay anything for it. One news story in Queensland had a parent stating that her son had a right to a ‘free’ education. Rubbish!! Your son is PRIVILEGED to have access to such affordable education. Somehow there are people who can’t pay the voluntary contribution. Can’t or won’t? For a few dollars a week per child I would be thanking God that it is only that much.

There are multiple emergency services ready to respond at a moment’s notice. Yet services are being clogged up by non-emergency cases. Ambulances are being sent to minor ailments where people would be better served to visit their local doctor. Police are sent to small fracas because people are just too angry and frustrated over the latest media induced panic. Fire Fighters are sent to motor vehicle accidents to mop up leaking fuels, but if people were more patient on the roads then most accidents would be avoidable.

Our welfare system is very generous. Some would say too generous. Working folk are left to wonder why we bother when it seems so easy to get some form of government benefit. Unfortunately there’s not a government ‘courageous’ enough to change the system and make it harder to obtain. This could possibly result in a loss at the next election. But since when did people know what was best for the country.

So people, look after these otherwise they might not be there when you need them the most.