"I asked you because you decided to ignore the other comments.

Corporate Welfare? I have no idea.

But I do know that if we continue to offer 'choice' (Choice of schools, especially!!) then we will have an underclass that has no hope for its future. And the social costs will be calamitous.

We are slowly heading there.
Posted by Savvas Tzionis, Friday, 12 March 2010 11:04:14 AM"

What “other comments” did I ignore? Sarah Burnside did not comment on so-called corporate welfare. The comments on corporate welfare were made by other posters; and I do not comment on the opinions of other posters unless they address a reasonable question to me as you did. The theme of the article was welfare payments as they pertain to ordinary people. Irrespective of what I think about ‘corporate welfare’ (if what you means is really welfare per se), I expressed my beliefs on the subject offered for discussion by Sarah Burnside – i.e. welfare as in disability pensions etc.

You say that you have “no idea” about corporate welfare, so I still don’t know what you want from me.

Also, I have no idea what you mean when you state:- “But I do know that if we continue to offer 'choice' (Choice of schools, especially!!) then we will have an underclass that has no hope for its future. And the social costs will be calamitous.”

I cannot see what ‘choice’ of education or anything else has to do with welfare.

If somebody wants to write an article about what they perceive as welfare for corporations, then I would probably comment on what they said. In the meantime, what I think or do not think about the idea of corporate welfare has nothing at all to do with the subject in hand – disability welfare

We already prosecute a few people for tax evasion. We have prosecuted others for welfare fraud.

We could alleviate our need to prosecute some of these people if we withdrew the benefits. We don't owe them a living. I just don't see why we are an atm for some people just because they think we have to look after them. Welfare should depend on reciprocity and mutual obligation. Not the tax-payers give and the slackers take.

Some of these people may have mental health problems. But they have to manage their conditions. If they fail to do that we shouldn't be forced to give and give. Some of their problems are also not necessarily chronic problems.

Are you people all that naive, or are you so fixed in your lefty ideology, that you just won't see.

In my district the local farmers have a list of cash in hand, [only want one or two days mate] "workers". They use them, because no one ever applies for their jobs. Most of them are real work, & not too popular.

We have 2 turf farms, a dairy, 2 chicken farms, a couple of row crop farmers, a couple of lucern farms, & quite a few studs, all looking for full time workers. Most of them even accept that the term "workers" may mean different things to different people.

The best they can get is 2 days, but it's mostly only one day's work out of these people.

Why would they work 5 days for $6oo or $7oo, when 2 days at $150 in hand a day, & the dole, all of it tax free is as much, or more take home.

They all hate having to virtually beg these blokes to put in a day, & more than a few are scared of being "done" for the illegal cash in hand payments required, but don't have much choice.

Believe me, full strength dole bludging is alive & well, as is the old "Mediterranean back".

I'm dumbfounded by the nodding nincompoops who can't imagine human life outside their (s)hallowed work ethic--the quotidian drudges of body and mind. What about those "welfare bludgers" (the Diogenes's of the world) who see through the pathetic bickering and tiny-mindedness of the Today Tonight mindest (like polished glass)--well represented here! Apart from these very few savants, the rest of the rotting rorting welfare crew are a salubrious reminder of what reeks about the whole stinking system. How many people are drawing real satisfaction from their careers? And I'm not talking about self-congratulation, counting their money, or schadenfreude!
Milk the system for all its worth, I say. Maybe that will bring it down.

One point some people here seem to forget.......Where the hell are all the jobs going to come from for these "bludgers" to step into? Hard enough to get a job at all without the stigma of attempting to come off welfare!

And yes, I do believe the welfare system is badly flawed. I know of people first hand on permanent disability support who use it to play the pokies or sit around and drink all day. Sometimes it makes me a little mad as I watch my taxes go down the toilet or into the pockets of the corporations who own the pokie machines. I also know a totally blind person who has a permanent full time position and who earns just over $100,000 a year PLUS gets the 'blind pension' without any questions asked on top of it. This person is earning more than four times my annual income and I'm still paying part of their pension and I can't even get a lousy low income health care card. Earn a few dollars (literally) every eight weeks to qualify.

So yes, the welfare system frustrates me too and yet having endured Centerlinks unemployment system for two years ten years ago, I really feel for the genuine people like John DG who are humiliated by this overbearing Government culture. No such thing as compassion at CenterSTINK and forget dignity. One of the first things I was asked to do when applying for the dole was to empty my purse right there on the desk so they could see how much money I had. They'd already scrutinised my bank account, the value of my car and the contents of my home. If anyone else in any other business asked that, you could have them charged!

Hasbeen many people already feel dreadful and guilty prior to claiming centrelink payments given past media and social comments by fellow Australians.

Most people are aware that at the end of contracts and casual work there is a 'positive' for them to receive in addition to the low wages. A Reference or Referee for their next contract or casual position [labour or administration possie].

If people here were honest about their own lives as JohnDG has been; they would realise that somewhere sometime during their lives, government and the tax they have already paid is claimed at some point by themselves and/or they are assisted.

Either through long term work bludging on occasions [and I see it from place to place] on high wages. How wonderful to be 'chatting most of the day in offices in between getting the work done on quiet days' being paid thousands per day. Every person at some point is guilty.

Be wary of those condemning others not working or temporarily seeking asistance for tax those people have in all probability paid for 20-30 years honestly and worked honestly.