Slash taxes and end welfare state [social services state], report urges? Dismantle the War Machine not Welfare [Social Services]!Income tax should be cut to a flat rate of 10 per cent to slash the need for welfare [social-services], according to a 'radical' plan released today.
But slash the need for social services for whom?
The Centre for Independent Studies report says the flat-rate income tax of 10 per cent would ensure most Australians could afford to pay for essential services such as health and education, instead of relying on welfare [social service] payments.
The report, entitled The $85 Billion Tax/Welfare Churn, describes the welfare [social-services] system as a "giant piggy bank" which "churns" the money people pay in taxes back to them in the form of welfare [social-services] benefits.
What's wrong with that?
Report author Peter Saunders [Government stooge and head-kicker] says that what a great majority of Australians pay in tax, they get back in pensions, allowances, family tax benefits and in the health and education services they use.
What's wrong with that?
"It's taking money out of one pocket and sticking it into another," Professor Saunders said?
"There's a great chunk of people in Australia who are now effectively paying for their own benefits and services.
What's wrong with that?
SAUNDERS: "We're paying a lot of money into the Government and we're getting a lot of value back but if that money stayed in people's pockets they could make their own arrangements more efficiently."?
I see so what if people spend their savings on a world trip instead and when they returned unforseen they have a heart attack, then they can die in the street because they already spent their hospital money?
I would have thought that people can't see their future and so that makes paying into a state piggy bank 'pool' a good idea especially if some other people can't get a job.
Peter Saunders shake-up is long overdue: Welfare Not Warfare
Although captive industries that produced "drop in on your foot" products remain within the borders of nation states, neither the enterprises nor the workers that they employ are competitive or viable in a globalised world dominated by magic new technologies. Firms made bankrupt and workers made unemployed and unemployable by the changes simply will not have the wealth needed to fill the coffers of central taxation agencies.
Professor Saunders says if the amount of money returned to people could be stripped back, more lower and middle-income earners could choose how to spend their money on health, education, savings and retirement?
"That's what we should be trying to move to over the next 20 to 30 years - increasing people's autonomy rather than people as clients of a monopoly government system," Professor Saunders said?
Is that like privatisation?
AFTINET has joined with community groups around the world to plan a program of events for the Global Week of Action for Trade Justice from 10 - 16 April. The demands of the week are:
NO to the rich and powerful imposing unjust trade agreements, indiscriminate liberalisation and privatisation on the poor.
YES to everyone's right to food, a livelihood, water, health and education.
While Professor Saunders supports moves such as federal Treasurer Peter Costello's push to move single parents back into the workforce, he says no incentive was offered to get people back to work.
What about the corporate welfare how does that work?
AUSTRALIAN AID = CORPORATE WELFARE
The Minister For Foreign Affairs, in his annual statement on Australia's development co-operation program, today pledged to continue the path of Australia's Foreign Aid, by promoting corporate well-being at the expense of the most vulnerable.
Over 70% of the 2002/03 aid budget (.815 Billion) goes to just 10 private companies.
These companies hide behind the shadow of 'commercial in confidence' legislation and their practices are increasingly non-accountable and non-transparent as a result.
One of the top 3 recipients of aid contracts is Australia's richest man Kerry Packer, through his company GRM International Pty Ltd.
I see?Corporate Welfare
Corporate welfare or how to steal social services?
Ever wondered why there are so many homeless, why we need a 10 pc GST, lack of services for mental disability, still paying off the Olympics, poor public transport planning etc etc etc?
Wednesday 20 December 2000
Though the federal government won't confirm the exact figure, it seems General Motors Holden is the latest company to receive a subsidy to build it's new plant in Melbourne. Governments say wooing industry - like Virgin airlines to Brisbane - creates employment. But is it really value for money?
I see?
The Guardian October 31, 2001
For a long time the Adelaide Advertiser has carried stories about Mitsubishi's shaky commitment to the State and how the Government had given $20 million to the car manufacturing giant to stay. The Federal Government topped that with an incentive scheme worth $200 million over five years.
I See?
Corporate welfare - a sweet deal for some 30 April 2004
The $444 million sugar industry assistance package, to give it its political name, is certainly a sweet deal for the industry, especially all those government members in marginal seats along the Queensland coast. But it's also an example of corporate welfarism at its John Howard worst.
I see?
Costello to force single mums to look for work?
What the blind leading the blind? But where is the proof that they do not try? So what he said today merely attempts to back up what Peter Dutton said yesterday that, " 300 PEOPLE A DAY GO ONTO A DISABILITY SUPPORT PENSION?
SAUNDERS: "I think that's one reason why it's essential to do something about tax rates at the bottom of the income scale. You've got to make it worthwhile for people to work," he said
"If you're going to have welfare reform you've got to have tax reform. The two things are linked."
(Photo): Dismantle The Australian War Machine!
by Emma Rodgers and Just Us 8 April 05
Related:
The HoWARd Government is simply robbing the disabled blind
KERRY O'BRIEN: Federal cabinet adjourned today still undecided about the final formula for what has become politically one of the toughest reform challenges the Government will face this term. For the past two decades, the disability support pension has been one of the fastest growing welfare payments [social security payments.]
Encouragement is the key to social-services-to-work programs
Corporate Welfare! I think we should start with Ingeus Company. Telling us what we already know for $$$$!
Peter Saunders shake-up is long overdue: Welfare Not Warfare
Peter Saunders: Many DSP claimants are older men with limited skills who have had difficulty finding work?
Welfare Reform for Warfare Expenditure?
John Howard: "Self-evidently we would have liked the major combat to have gone differently ... [but] coalition withdrawal or defeat is unimaginable."
Govt plots post-July strategy?
Fascist Prime Minister insists he is not on a mission to punish welfare recipients [social services.]
HoWARd 'determined' to make the disabled woRK?
The Federal Government is considering a system of "coercion" and incentive to force the disabled to work. But what happened to 6 billion-budget surpluses? Why do they need to force disabled people to work? Do they need more money and less disabled people? Or do would they rather spend the money on WAR?
Opposition pension claims valid
The Federal Governments secret agenda to cut pensions, including the disability and single parent payments while spending billions on military hardware is just too much for most disabled people to accept.
Thousands march for disability protest
"We are not prepared to go back to the dark ages. This has to be reversed," Mr Preston said. "We are hoping that the community sees that we shouldn't be taking money from people with disabilities. These people have had it tough all their lives (and) there is already more unmet need than we can cope with."
Howard's Job Network Bailout
Up to 670,000 people on disability support pensions will be encouraged to sign up to the Job Network under a radical new plan to get disabled people off welfare and into work.
Corporate Welfare
Corporate welfare or how to steal social services?
Ever wondered why there are so many homeless, why we need a 10 pc GST, lack of services for mental disability, still paying off the Olympics, poor public transport planning etc etc etc?
Unemployed:
Work for the dole is legal slavery
Work for the dole was originally sold to us by Howard as a warm and fuzzy light work project. We would be working for nothing but we would be enjoying giving back something to the community, so it was reckoned.
FIGHT UNEMPLOYMENT!
Peter Costello commended this result in his budget speech. Even if we were to believe this figure it still means more than half a million living at a level much lower than that is recognised as poverty.
Mark Latham's, token gestures for older unemployed
StandUp appreciates the fact that Mark Latham is concerned about older unemployed people. His specialist job network proposal aimed at older people might provide a bit of assistance.
Work for the dole failure for two thirds
THE Un-Australian: " MORE than a third of the people who completed the Howard Government's work-for-the-dole programs last year were in jobs or studying within three months of finishing.
Work for the dole? $10.00?
StandUp! Wishes to draw your attention to a serious attack on all of us--work for the dole. We were assured that unemployed would not be forced to work in areas where employed workers would normally be employed. This has shown to be a lie! Under work for the dole, unemployed have been forced to carry out; concreting, tiling, landscaping, repairs, renovation, painting, gardening, nurses and teachers aid work.
'WORK FOR THE DOLE' REDUCES JOB PROSPECTS
A major independent study commissioned by the Government and released today under Freedom of Information by The Australian newspaper indicates that the 'Work for the Dole' program actually reduces the job prospects of unemployed people.
Youth welfare system unfair: ACOSS
The Australian Council of Social Service (ACOSS) is warning urgent action is needed to fix youth poverty and disincentives for the unemployed to improve their job prospects.
Bringing up children Can we afford it?
Peter Costello expects us to carry out our patriotic duty by going home and having more children. But for most people it is a struggle to bring up one child let alone two or three.
Federal Budget: Tax cuts for the rich!
For the Howard government, unemployed people are not even worth thinking about.
Private job network agency blues
Can you trust a private job network agency? No you can't! A friend of ours is registered at MTC Marrickville.
Indigenous Social Justice Association Djadi Dugarang
INDIGENOUS EMPLOYMENT. Part 1
Centrelink puts the screws on prison debt
A 1999 study by the Brisbane Prisoners Legal Service revealed that on leaving prisoners had an average debt of $14,031. Almost one in five had a debt to Centrelink while in prison. This debt arose as a result inability to cancel things such as leases, Social Security payments, utilities and telephones.
Democrats approve tougher welfare penalties: But how does that pan out?
There used to be an old saying in Australia" if your hungry steal a sheep and leave the pelt on the fence.
Six weeks, six months, six years: inmates have little chance of making fresh start Even prisoners who serve short sentences are likely to suffer long-term consequences, including increased rates of homelessness and unemployment.
Military Spending
Howard: We as a nation have got to invest heavily in defence?
Fascist Prime Minister John HoWARd has indicated the Government will make major changes to work place laws, cut disability support forcing the disabled to work and increase his defence commitment.
Hill primed for war!
Australian Caretaker Defence Minister Robert Hill has announced a multi-million dollar upgrade of the Pearce Air Force base in Western Australia. Hill says $87 million would be spent on a major upgrade of the base, which is Australia's main flying training facility.
Troop deployment not a deepening of effort: Hill
Deploying an extra 30 troops to Iraq was not a deepening of Australia's involvement because they were being sent to protect those already there, Defence Minister Robert Hill said yesterday.
Auditor Generals damning defence report
The Defence Department computer system upgrade has cost Australia tens of millions of dollars in a gigantic bungle, according to the Federal Opposition. The Commonwealth auditor-general has issued a damning report into the project.
