grputland,

The initial acquisition of land may be an achievement

So what about the times when interest rates increase, or, in the case of rentals where there are vacancies. It takes quite a bit of financial pain and often hardship and sacrifices to own and maintain property.

Now on the other hand. If anyone is aged 65+, just remember, you have lived through what were possibly the most opportune times as far as opportunities go to build and maintain financial independence.

Many of you inherited properties that were 'gifted' to your forefathers who god bless them, returned from the war.

Now excluding the genuine ‘hardship cases’, the rest of you should be ashamed of yourselves to have been presented with such opportunities and simply piss them away.

Remember, I said 'excluding the genuine hardship cases'.

Then, you have the hide to expect the future generations to pick up the slack and, rather than be great full, you have this ‘tall poppy’ attitude that the world owes you a living.

So now the rest of us continue to battle with increased rates and taxes just so the 'under achievers' can enjoy their retirement.

I wish all the underachievers out there a miserable existence. You made your nest, now you must lie in it!

Be greatfull for ANYTHING you are given!

rehctub wrote:

> So what about the times when interest rates increase, or, in
> the case of rentals where there are vacancies...

Yep, buying property involves risks and sacrifices. If it didn't, more people would have been more keen to do it and would have driven prices higher, making it harder for you to get into the market.

> ... the rest of you should be ashamed of yourselves to have
> been presented with such opportunities and simply piss them
> away.

If we had not squandered these alleged opportunities, we would have driven property prices higher, so some people now in the market would have been locked out. The theory that people will succeed if they try harder ASSUMES that one person's success does not come at another's expense.

> ... you have this `tall poppy' attitude that the world owes you
> a living.

Yes, I know: the people who think the world owes them a living are not the recipients of the rising rents or the potential recipients of the rising prices, but those who are paying the rising rents and seeing the prices rising further out of their reach.

> So now the rest of us continue to battle with increased rates
> and taxes just so the 'under achievers' can enjoy their
> retirement.

And that's bad. But it's good that the under-achievers battle with rents, income tax, prices inflated by payroll tax & GST, etc. so that the achievers can enjoy their retirements. I understand perfectly.

> You made your nest, now you must lie in it!

And that somehow doesn't mean "You bought your property; now you must pay the rates on it."

> Be greatfull for ANYTHING you are given!

As I pay tax and rent but don't receive any rents or capital gains or welfare or charity, what am I "given"? Oh! - silly me: those who receive the rising rents and property prices are the givers, and those who pay the rising rents while prices rise further out of their reach are the receivers.

grputland:
You give the general impression that you a very bitter person who seems to resent other people owning land and who at the same time have absolutely no right at all to complain about these rapidly escalating rates.

Have you ever considered that in most cases people have had to sacrifice to purchase "their own land" (which it appears they are simply caretaking for future greedy governments) and have done without a great deal of personal comfort to ensure their own future security from having to, like you, pay rent and then bitch about all the "fat cat" landowners who are taking advantage of them.

I myself paid rents for many years and subsidized the owners incomes, but I was at all times aware that the only way to escape that situation was to purchase my own piece of Australia, which I foolishly believed that once I had paid the full purchase price, and considering it was Freehold, I would then own outright that said piece of land,(and would have to grudgingly pay Rates on it for services rendered) and like many, many others never believed that I could have my Rates increased at a set level of 30% each year......I have always believed that this was the ultimate reason that we have suffered through 2 World Wars and many other skirmishes, to maintain our freedom and independance, BUT obviously I was sadly mistaken, and in reality tyranical Governments like the Beattie/Bligh ingrates can manipulate the removal of my land from my possesion, by continuing their own greedy and misdirected policies, aided and abetted by selfish one-eyed persons like yourself!

Crackcup wrote:

> You give the general impression that you a very bitter person
> who seems to resent other people owning land...

Not only do I not resent their owning land; I pander to their interests in so far as they are compatible with other people's interests: see http://blog.lvrg.org.au/2009/07/smart-growth-through-tax-reform.html (section 3 onwards). In section 2.3 of the same submission, I go out to bat for landowners against stamp duties and Victoria's Growth Area Infrastructure Charge. But it gets a bit awkward to defend people who pretend to be worse off when they're better off.

> ... I foolishly believed that once I had paid the full purchase
> price, and considering it was Freehold, I would then own
> outright that said piece of land

And obviously whoever sold it to you wanted you to believe that, so that you would pay the highest possible price.

> ... never believed that I could have my Rates increased at a
> set level of 30% each year...

No, of course the real-estate agent didn't tell you that. Neither did he tell you that the government could buy back the land on its own terms at any time, or that it could make decisions that devalued your land without being obliged to compensate you, or that it could tax the purchase and resale of the land in ways that leave you with a net loss -- all of which can hurt you far more severely and unpredictably than mere rates.

> we have suffered through 2 World Wars and many other
> skirmishes...

You suffered through all that in pursuit of other people's unstated agendas -- not yours, and not mine.

> ... tyranical Governments like the Beattie/Bligh ingrates ...

The tyranny didn't start there and won't end there.

> ... aided and abetted by selfish one-eyed persons like
> yourself!

But it's still all my fault. :-D