I'm sorry Gavin, but I really disagree with your article.

Australian's pay significantly more tax than other developed nations, both in direct and indrect taxation now that GST is here to stay. I work hard to make a living - why should I see it disappear into god knows where.

As a consumer, do I see value for money from the government? I don't think so. I dont believe ANY government is able to spend money in my interest as well as I can. And that includes deciding which charities to give my time and money too.

Taxing more does not mean the inequalities in society disappear. We are already taxed far too much. I would like to see government become more efficient and better organised first. Take the water crises - the inability to sort this issue out perfectly illustrates the inability of federal and state governments to work together, and come up with bold and innovative solutions. You want to give more money to these people?

I am puzzled why Gavin and others who advocate increased taxation always compare us with remote nations in north-west europe, rather than with nations close to us. the tax rates in the US, singapore, china, hong kong etc are much lower than ours, and in an increasingly mobile world people will just move to a lower tax regime (when we won't collect any tax from them at all) instead of staying here and paying something. Perhaps it is because there are a lot of compelled occupations, where the participants work for reasons other than money. If they find it hard to comprehend that most of us work in order to earn money, and have lots of other things we would much rather do instead, just think of the occupation of cleaning toilets.

I'd like to know how much voluntary income tax the author and others of like mind pay.

I'm not talking about donations to charity where you have some control over how the money is used but rather straight out extra tax into government coffers.

I suspect that most use tax return time to look for deductions rather than an opportunity to write the government a cheque - feel free to contradict me.

Until you are willing to show that you do pay more "income tax" than the current government requires then please stop bleating about how wrong tax cuts are.

Taxation isn't the only issue in creating a better, more decent society

>>Crowded, polluted and a mess – the scam list for dehumanising Sydneysiderers for a fast buck

By Darren Goodsir and Tim Dick
May 30, 2005

Some smart asses have come up with a new definition of Sydney - without consulting the people who have to live work and breathe here.

This article basically states that Sydney residents must become more dehumanised to make way for another million people over the next 20 years.

The idea is to treat existing residents like sheep and shear them of some of their most important wealth, rights and humanity by cramming another million people into what is already an unsalvageable festering social mess. You then take the money and let someone else sort it all out.

Cute, real cute!.

http://www.smh.com.au/news/National/The-citys-fix-list/2005/05/29/1117305504228.html

Comment:

What you cannot do is argue in favour of extending the definition of Sydney to include Labor Party "must never again lose" ideas with Big end of town "you don't think this is a democracy" ideas so that your "dehumanise the bastards to squeeze more people in" hypothesis can be accepted as valid; it is like a counterfeiter insisting on widening the definition of "money".

I wonder if Clover Moore were Premier of NSW, she'd gaurantee to stop immigration into Sydney for say a 5 year moratorium, till we, the people can sort out the mess in a more humane and respectful way.

BTW Mr Dick and Mr Goodsir, your statement that we can't control the weather in Sydney is FALSE. I have shown on the New York Times Environment forum (http://forums.nytimes.com/top/opinion/readersopinions/forums/science/theenvironment/index.html?page=recent&anchor=1) that if agricultural, industrial, sewage and stormwater outfalls off the coast of NSW are given secondary treatment in Engineered Wetland Basins that thermodynamic conditions in NSW will change to favour the end of drought. This cannot happen until you at least cease espousing unfettered immigration.

Just look at NSW.More tax more bureaucrats,more stuff ups ,no infrastructure,no planning,more rules regulations ,red tape punishing businesses,OH&S regulations,workers comp debacle,home warranty chaos,industrial relations chaos...The list goes on.WE have to negotiate all this rubbish and pay more tax so they can shaft us more?!!We've got taxes coming out of every bodily orifice and work long hours just to survive!

Tell you what Gavin,you can have my business,and I'll have your job and superannuation.

When you arrive back at Alpha Centuari,have a close look at what all the slaves in private enterprise doing, for you to have the time to indulge yourself in such errant nonsense.

Good old Gavin gets loonier with every article! His answer to all ills - more government, more taxes. Crushing incentive for the people in society who actually produce and contribute doesn't strike me as being particularly smart.

Gavin holds Sweden up as being a model for envy. The average worker pays between 50 & 60% income tax plus a 22.5% GST on everything, including food. Their productivity is a joke, employers must pay on average 40% compulsory superannuation for each employee. Sounds great Gavin. http://www.libertyhaven.com/politicsandcurrentevents/healthcarewelfareorsocialsecurity/swedens.shtml for anyone who's interested.

In one breath Gavin calls for a caring, decent society and in the next he virtually calls for the fleecing of people who have the gall to succeed. Rich doesn't mean evil Gavin. Envy is hardly a decent or caring state.

Once again the loonies look to failed models of the past to determine our future. The joke of the whole thing is that if Gavin thought his fresh, revolutionary ideas actually had a chance in a million of getting off the ground, he'd keep his mouth well and truly shut.

Making Sydney a better, more decent society >>>>

Two more vested interest propagadagas for the Dehumanise Sydney Campaign - for one million more people we have to push shove and hassle with for resources that are never going to see the light of day.

ONE:

About the campaign: Robert Whitehead, SMH Editor

http://www.smh.com.au/news/National/About-the-campaign/2005/05/29/1117305503633.html

It is a campaign not for one set of interest groups or ideals, but a campaign for Sydney - to become more dehumanised and manageable - by us.

If it's a campaign, does that mean the State Labor Govermnent and The Big End Of Town have declared war on the citizens of Sydney and NSW?

TWO:
Do the myths: now is time to create the knowledge city: Edward J. Blakely is Professor of Urban, Regional Planning

http://www.smh.com.au/news/National/Do-the-myths-now-is-time-to-create-the-knowledge-city/2005/05/29/1117305503630.html

To meet the future, we must deal with several myths that are holding us back:

Myth one: let the market do the planning.
Myth two: no growth is an option.
Myth three: we cannot afford the infrastructure.

But he forgets myths four and five, six and seven:

Myth four: That the current Gestalt is not the following: Citizens of Sydney are fed up with population growth, empty promises and slack governance. We want someone, like Clover Moore perhaps who will guarantee a 5 year moratorium on immigration into our city while we find the best way forward.

Myth Five: That citizens of Sydney are so stupid that they believe the Prof's Myths one to three have any relevance whatsoever to 95% of the Citizens of Sydney.

Myth six: The Citizens of Sydney will not revolt against this blatant, vested interest power group, in one way or another, to achieve a BETTER MORE DECENT SOCIETY.

Myth seven: That Citizens of Sydney and the geographical attractions of Sydney don't have the ability or capacity to meet rising world competetitive standards without another million people being stuffed in like a can of sardines or a TV dinner.

Since my last posting .... I have been asked by several people: How do you stop people from immigrating to Sydney?

That is very simple. You stop opening up new land reserves, housing estates and developments like that proposed for Parramatta Road.

Sydney House property values will shoot up inordinately in the short term. But as pent up demand subsides and the demand group finds other suitable relocations, things will return to normal. This may be a window of opportunity for some people to leave Sydney with dignity if they wish. Or they can stay and witness possible environmental changes around Sydney that simply cannot happen under the burgeoning pressure of a planned immigration schema that only benefits some 1 to 5% of citizens.

At any rate this can't happen until we get rid of this sartorial, bullying and dictatorial Labor junta that refers to itself as the NSW State Government.

Another thing that Gavin doesn't address is that investment moves off shore,and the taxes are paid solely by the middle class and the working poor.This happened to England before Margaret Thatcher took control.You only end up punishing the generators of wealth and your society quickly decays.

If you equalise everyone to mediocrity Gavin,the less able will eventually become absolutely destitute,since the middle classes will have no incentive to create wealth.In our modern society,it is organisation and creative skills that create wealth.

Why not give everyone the incentive to be productive and we will all benefit.

I sense Gavin you are a bit fearful of the move to the right in our society with the repeal of unfair dismissal laws and the concept of mutual obligation.

If everyone contributes ,there is less need for social security and big Govt.

Educate people to become more independant and our society will have far more capacity for compassion,the arts and time for individuals to develop as personalities beyond the work place.

Big Govt is a stupid,wasteful,self perpetuating quagmire of bureaucratic self interest.

It is better that the self interest produces something that we can all use.

I agree with most of the poster's here. More taxes isn't, and has never been, the solution.

I'm from the US, married to an Australian, now living here, and there is some sort of misconception about healthcare in the US. I'm not sure who perpetrates it, but it is here. In the US, there are also state hospitals, and a state funded "medicaid" program for the poor and unemployed that resembles the set up here, so services are offered and given, and you do not hear of "bed shortages" which is basically just another word for "staff shortages". Any job I have ever held at least offered some sort of healthcare (even McDonalds when I was 16), and it's cost was fairly minimal (around $30 American per week for a single person). In fact, what I paid there in taxes and in healthcare did not amount to what I pay here in taxes. The BIG difference was that the money I paid for healthcare actually went to healthcare, not down some bottomless government pit, and when I needed health services, they were always readily available.

As to lowering the taxes on the "rich", well, the author is supposed to be an economist of sorts, so he must realize that by lowering taxes on the "rich", they are free to invest in capital, which is the bedrock of any firm economy. From there springs jobs, growth, and...not surprisingly, more income for the tax coffers.

More NSW Labor Government Propaganda. To cover past incompetence and pave the way for glory and profits for themselves and an elite minority there has been a rash of propaganda coming from people who ought to know bettwer. A course in civics may be something they should consider.

ONE: From Elizabeth Farrelly, the Sydney Morning Herald's architecture writer

http://www.smh.com.au/news/National/Less-traffic-cleaner-air-Manhattan-vibrancy-these-are-thebenefits-of-denser-living/2005/06/02/1117568321810.html

Ms Farrelly should stick to architecture and leave social science to the citizen's of Sydney who know it best, as it pertains to them, and their basic human rights.
This woman even quotes Hellen Keller for God's sake. What has helping the blind got to do with the few, regimenting the many for their own personal profit, glory and salvation? Architects, politicians, editors and movers and shakers are going to have to learn to have confidence in the Gestalt, of their fellow citizens, their capabilitiues and capacity and their knowledge of what is right for them.

The only competent observation in this article is where she says "Fifty years ago we would have welcomed such change. Now the timidity of the times is against us." At least she has the sense to know that jiggering 95% of Sydney's population is a lost cause. Bob Carr, on the other hand will bluster till he loses an election over this very issue, and the incompetence of his government in every single public service area.

TWO: http://www.smh.com.au/news/National/The-flats-that-cannot-be-stopped/2005/06/02/1117568321768.html

Since I posted the article on a 5 year moratorium on all immigration into Sydney, there have been many vehement articles obliquely railing against that concept. This one is the zenith. It holds up the Parramatta Rd overdevelopment fiasco as something that is so essential, the whole of Sydney will shrivel up and die without it. This is tantamount to saying that all the residents and councils along that strip are just sheep and they should learn to be herded when the Macquarrie St farmers crack the whip. Such audacity makes one wonder about the validity of the state electoral system. It is in my view, something that needs a closer examination.

Dick and Goodsir are at it again!

http://www.smh.com.au/news/National/Lofty-aspirations-turned-into-reality-will-serve-city-well/2005/06/05/1117910189973.html

Comment:

A big City Needs a Big Plan? Oh come on. We need at least a 5 year moratorium to allow for ALL opinions not just the 1-5% of opinions like Dicksir's, that stand to gain massive wealth from short notice big plan changes.

I haven't seen this kind of exuberance for opportunistic jiggering of the population since the Republic Referendum. That referendum failed as will this undemocratic push to minimise Sydney citizen's Rights in order to generate wealth streams for a ridiculously few individuals

It will take at least 5 years to deal with the complexities involved in modernising Sydney and to ensure windfall profits are spread evenly amongst the democratic citizens and to ensure that rights and freedoms are not eroded and to ensure that governments are going to provide the services they say they are going to provide as the city expands. Currently they do a magic act on consolidated revenues and let Sydney citizens fight each other for the priviledge of existing with any dignity at all, in a semi-permanent state of social gridlock. The Macquarrie Fields riots were just the tip of this ice berg. We cannot trust the Carr government to provide services vis a vis population expansion of Sydney. For starters, the Carr government must be banned from any unilateral, preemptory population expansion programs for Sydney. They are not trustworthy and they have the track record to prove it.

Well you won't stop the Carr Govt hunger for taxation.NSW is in serious trouble.Since 2000 the bill for salaries of the public service has increased by $6 billion pa.A 50% increase.For each of the people in private enterprise,this represents an increase in their annual tax bill of $2200.oo per working person.Add all the other waste and incompetancies to this and NSW will languish in low growth as some business are experiencing now.

To pay for all the salaries of the NSW PS,private enterprise must find almost $7,000.oo in tax per working person.To keep this state afloat we have to double this to $14,000.oo per working person.Then we have to fund the Federal Govt,the Councils and all their excesses.

It is time to slowly rid ourselves of a layer of Govt, since many will soon decide that working hard is just not worth it.We will then reach the point of the drone mentality,whereby, nothing really matters,it will be too late.