Kevin Luxford personnifies the smug middle-class who, unwittingly, find themselves the recipients of the Howard legacy of middle-class welfare.

The fact that he has to 'guess' that by now his Christmas bonus has gone into his bank account is very telling. Unlike many pensioners and other low-income Australians, who checked every day, he clearly doesn't need the handout.

Similarly, Luxford doesn't know what to spend it on - it's not enough for a new car, which he doesn't need anyway, and he already has too many books. But I can assure him there are many Australians who knew exactly what they needed including to pay off some of their debts, clear the rent backlog, visit a dentist, buy some books for their kids, and get new glasses.

Luxford's phoney and tasteless agonising about not earning his bonus - that 'some poor sod' would have been better off if it had not been taking off him by the taxman in the first place - is puerile posturing and totally self-centred.

If he has qualms, he could easily whip down to the Smith Family or the Brotherhood of St Laurence and make a donation to help the homeless or some poverty-stricken family to have a better Christmas than they are now likely to have.

He might also make a donation to an overseas aid program to help buy a goat or build a well for a subsistence village. Not everyone who needs a hand up is a "wheezy old geezer with one foot in the grave and the other on a banana skin" who is just waiting t spend a gift "on red wine and brandy". Give it away Kevin. It won't hurt a bit if you don't need it.

Kevin, you'ld lend your money to the government so that it "will never be wasted"? Good grief, which planet are you on, have you no knowledge of government spending processess? The States' GST windfall has been blown on rapid growth in public servants and their wages, with no community benefit. Governments have far too much of our money, if you can't spend yours more wisely than they can, then give it to me.

My wife and I received $3100, now parked in a high-interest fund for contingencies following the collapse in value of my (modest) super.

I am not in the least interested in defending myself against comments from people who do not know me and know even less about my affairs, but I do want to apologise to people struggling on the basic pension whom I have upset and for whom the bonus means a great deal of relief.

As some have correctly pointed out, I am not in the class of people who really need this handout. And that is my point, made somewhat tongue in cheek. I am concerned because the government appears to be spraying money around on quick fixes, and I wonder how much proper analysis has been done.

Hopefully, the Henry review of taxation may soon result in a much better deal for pensioners in dire circumstances. In the past I have more or less happily paid all my taxes in the hope that the government of the day would do something useful with the money and provide a decent safety net for those in the community who need it. But I have been dismayed, even alarmed, by the pathetic performance of governments of all political persuasions over the past few decades. Our education system is run down, the health system is woefully under capacity, (and God help you if you have someone with a serious mental illness in your family), and little has been done to increase the capacity of public transport, let alone investigation of and investment in alternative, renewable, energy sources.

Call me any name you like, but in addition to that, please focus on real issues confronting this nation.

Kevin Luxford

Kevin,

"And that is my point, made somewhat tongue in cheek. I am concerned because the government appears to be spraying money around on quick fixes, and I wonder how much proper analysis has been done."

Precisely

Kevin, the rundown systems are precisely because Labour State governments have wasted their resources. Queensland "public servants" (and perhaps others) have tenure, the states have lost revenue but will have to continue paying bloated wages to a bloated workforce. The spending cuts will therefore fall on provision of infrastructure and services. I'm sorry if I was abusive, but anyone who has worked in government will find your attitude very naive. Current and ex-public servants who genuinely seek well-informed policies in the public interest are probably the strongest supporters of smaller government.

KevingtonBeare “I am not in the least interested in defending myself against comments from people who do not know me and know even less about my affairs,”

Ah a man after my own heart.

“I am not in the class of people who really need this handout.”

Someone recently criticized me for applying and getting the grant for a LPG car but I would defend your right in suggesting you are entitled to apply / benefit for everything the state allows you. You did not write the rules around this recent piece of socialist largesse and vote buying. You should not be criticized for benefitting from it.

All that Kevins vomit of dosh has done is weakened the economy for what might happen in 2009….

Oh I forgot, he wants to mortgage our children’s future by running a deficit budget…..

Faustino, with the damage which is going to hit the private sector next year and the way civil servants always whine on about ‘parity’ I would expect them to take a 30% pay cut forthwith but am not holding my breath.

Bugsy “Oh, how very troll Sir Colin.”

Col is not short for “Colin” as to the rest….

Comments like that simply promote you as a Grinch….