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The Forum > Article Comments > Rivers of gold are diverted into wrong hands > Comments

Rivers of gold are diverted into wrong hands : Comments

By Ernest Hunter, published 2/2/2010

Welfare resources that do get to Indigenous communities are often subject to a variety of deductions.

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Government (taxpayer funds, actually) shouldn’t be going to remote blacks camps in the first place; there should be no “children and those unable to scavenge to survive in remote communities”. There should be no money spent on areas where there are no facilities, no jobs and no hope. Aborigines live in remote slums because of white do-gooders who want to keep them as museum pieces. Having people live in conditions worse than they did in the Stone Age – but without the stone-age skills they once had is a disgrace.
Posted by Leigh, Tuesday, 2 February 2010 10:27:54 AM
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I prefer the view that they are a traumatised people who live post the Genocidal crown practices of the past, and having been shattered can no longer fend for themselves.

Traditional living takes serious skill and their is a reason that this knowledge in some parts has been lost - yes - the Genocidal crown.

Still, having had some experience working with the Original Australians and having experience working with the Indos, I cannot for the life of me see any good reason why, in particular, the N.orthern T.erritory communities can't become idealic ozzie versions of Bali on the beach, ala, in my conception, Green Echo - yes that in part means energy positive houses, fresh spices and meats wrapped in leaf .. aaah .. the cockles of my Heart ...

No good reason at all other than the lack of insight and creativity, amongst other things, on behalf of the political establishment.

But then if we taught the BlakFellas extra traditional building and development skills, say by requesting delegations from other country successful original peoples, the grossly overinflated property prices in Australia would come back to Earth with a resounding, and satisfying, THUD.

Yada Yada .. ;-)

..

Oh .. ow .. my green rib .. some areas would post appropriate multi party consultation have to remain wild, for culturally sensitive and conservation reasons, but I'm sure something appropriate could be worked out and note that proper green camps have less environmental impact than otherwise.

..

And I'm sure that the ADF can testify that NForce is coming along well .. Jesus .. couldn't they have thought of a better name than NForce? Maybe I've got the name wrong.

...Adam...
Posted by DreamOn, Tuesday, 2 February 2010 7:08:45 PM
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Unfortunately, everything that Ernest Hunter writes is absolutely true.

How can this Government carry on about the terrible financial control of people in Aboriginal communities that people like Mr. Tomarchio allegedly committed, when many Aboriginal people themselves do the same thing to each other?

Why sugar-coat this undeniable fact?

I have nursed many aged and disabled Aboriginal people who only get to see their loving relatives on pension day.
These relatives arrive in droves to take all the aged or disabled person's pension money for the coming week or fortnight.

Often I was left with only cold water with which to wash these sick people with, because they were unable to pay their electricity bills to heat their water.

I became so disillusioned with the poor elderly, sick or very young hungry children being left to their own devices by their own people, that I left that sort of nursing behind me.

I didn't care whose fault it all was, just that it was happening and is happening now.
The only hope is to isolate some of the money from pensions to be used strictly for food, clothing and paying for bills.
Just do it.
Posted by suzeonline, Wednesday, 3 February 2010 12:48:34 AM
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I have met Sam Tomarchio and his nickname was Teflon Sam. That was because the Police in Western Australia, despite numerous attempts to nail him, have always failed because Sam knows his rights. He sells money just like Woolworths sells fruit and vegetables, because at Laverton, there is no Supermarket, and if a person needs a loan a person will get it, either in a city or at Laverton. In the cities it is at Pawnbrokers who charge 10% a month and after three months sell the security.( bought for 20% of value) The real problem is that Centrelink is lagging behind the times in computer technology.

As Suzeonline so clearly put it, when a bulk gold shipment arrives on Pension Day, the crows are waiting at the tip to tax it. At least the money gets into their hands when they get it from Sam. Computer technology easily enables a computer to make a daily payment, or every second day, no staff required, and the river of gold suddenly become a trickle. Instead of a flood every fortnight, it becomes a steady life giving stream.

I am a professional manager, or was in another life, and at my church one Sunday a woman turned up. This woman had two great problems. One was Bipolar, which restricted her ability to handle money, and the other was she liked gambling much more than she liked anything else. Management problem. As a personal adviser, I advised her to get her rent deducted directly from her Centrelink payment. This guaranteed a roof over her head, but she was still liable to spend a fortnight without any money at all. In New South Wales there is a guardian tribunal, so an approach to them to accept her Centrelink, and dole it out every second day solved her food problem. Tummy won over Poker Machines. She eventually met a man who managed her money, married her and still loves her.

Centrelink should be doing this for problem eaters. Predators are always waiting to prey on the weak and vulnerable. Currently Centrelink is a failure
Posted by Peter Vexatious, Thursday, 4 February 2010 2:43:34 AM
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Centrelink should also be like Sam Tomarchio. When a loan is repaid, it should be renewable. Currently they only give one $500 package, every year, but get paid back in six months. They should have a running balance for the sort of emergency Sam fixes.

Think of Centrelink as you would Vinnies. It is in reality the charity arm of the Australian Commonwealth Church. It is currently not very well managed, and while it serves its well educated and trained clientele well, it allows millions to slip through the cracks of an inflexible and straitjacketed bureaucracy.

I was talking to Sam, while he had the five or six bureau-rats in his office on speakerphone. They were listening to what I had to say, and while Sam knows he is entitled under S 80 Constitution to a jury trial, on indictment, he is going to be fine. He has committed no indictable offence. The real problem is lawyers. While lawyers have a monopoly, on representing people in the dispute resolution centres, and we don’t have judges in courts, this kind of problem will continue to be made evident. ( note the lack of capitals: that is how it is spelt in S 79 Constitution)

Lawyers are an average IQ of about 115. Doctors must be over 130, Engineers must be over 125, so we have the most influential section of society, with a monopoly on Representation in Court, that are a bit slow, if you know what I mean. Average IQ is 100, with about 50% slightly below and 50% slightly above, making up 90% of the population between 90-110.

Jesus Christ is estimated to have had an IQ of over 220, if Time Life Books can be believed. Einstein was about 200, Mozart about 200, and Bach was about 200 also. Sometimes people are brilliant in one area and children in another, they call these Idiot Savants, like the Rainman Movie. Surely Jenny Macklin can solve this problem permanently, with a little computer savvy. Kevin has a former Priest Candidate blowing wind up his Khyber. Time to smarten up Centrelink
Posted by Peter Vexatious, Thursday, 4 February 2010 3:09:23 AM
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So true! Why is it that remote Aboriginal communities are still mainly 'managed' by people with vested interests in keeping the status quo? Why is it sub-standard services to these communities remain unchecked? Who benefits?
Posted by jenni, Wednesday, 10 February 2010 12:09:40 PM
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