Having visited the gold coast on the weekend I noted there were many groups of teens wandering the streets and partying away until the wee hours only to leave their garbage all over the footpaths and in gardens, almost everywhere you look.

I realise these offenders are the -bi-product' of parents who are either 'incapable' or 'unwilling' to teach their kids how to show some respect for what others provide, however, I also thought to myself that the clean up staff quite simply can't cope so, why not make it manditory for those who don't work to get off their ass and pick this crap up.

Why should we the tax payer have to pay for additional clean up staff when we already pay thousands in unemployment benefits so they, the unemployed, can continue to do nothing?

You don't see this in places like Singapore! Why do we have to put up with it here?

Perhaps some of the offenders, if unemployed, would think twice before littering if they had to pick it up.

You continue to look at the world in a different way than me rechtub.
Poor old parents cop it again.
Too easy to say it is upbringing, or todays problem only.
Singapore? do we need to be that controlling?
The Gold coast makes its living providing those mid night drunks.
Every motel had stolen from such and such scratched into even ten dollar clocks.
At the lower end or the top it is party town and that is how humans always party, not nice but I doubt we need to flog them ,yet.

Wow what a schizophrenic post.
Is it the teens, the parents or the dolies you hate most?

Why dont we stop these teens trashing the place rather than expecting others to be employed to clean up after them? Are you sure they are all teenagers? None of them are adults at all? How can you be so certain it is their parents fault? We all know children who play up when they are away from parental scrutiny. Doesnt mean the parents didnt teach them the right way to behave. Alcohol (and its pushers and dealers) would have to take some of the blame for bad behavior in our cities at night.

Have you not heard of johnny cowards creation called "work for the dole"? Did you know it is already "mandatory"? Did you also know young people cant be on the "dole". They must be working, studying or training until 21 or they get nothing. Even then if they live at home and their parents work they get nothing unless they move out.

Bashing dole bludgers is so last century and no one falls for it anymore. It is part of that right wing dog whistle politics that seeks to divide and distract those who if joined in solidarity together would smash the wealthy right wing elites out of their ivory towers and stop them monopolising the power and the wealth of our country.

P.S. I bet a lot of the unemployed would be stoked to be offered a job street cleaning on the Gold Coast.

They are supposed to be taught how important nature is at school. But these young offenders are the first to destroy. I think what they are taught at school is immediately destroyed by their parents examples.
Watch parents taking their kids across the road within 50 meters of a school crossing. Parking in no stopping lane on the opposite side of the road to the school. The parents have everything to be blamed for.

Desmond,

I've always thought it a huge anomaly that modern consumer society seeks to confine children most days within four walls, denying them, for the most part, contact with nature and the wider community - and then attempts to "teach" them about it.
It shouldn't surprise us that they have lost the connection.
My own children would not dream of trashing a public space, or their private space, for that matter. But if they did, they would be the ones cleaning up the mess - not expecting it to be taken care of by others.

rectub,

You: "...for those who don't work to get off their ass and pick this crap up"

For the sake of censorship of this site and being sent to the sin bin again I can't say what I really think, but I volunteer while I'm looking for work.

Not everyone who's unemployed is loving it. I've never experienced anything more morale killing and stressful than how I am at the moment.

I'm seriously considering creating my own job - which creates more stress, and debt - because for some reason I can't get work, and don't you DARE think I don't try. I apply for AT LEAST 3 jobs a day and I'll do ANYTHING.

You tell me why I can't get a job...

Rectub,

Were it that simple.
I tend to agree with most of the posts thus far.

there are many causal factors to today's 'me...me...me...me, instant fix mentality.
I think you'll find that our streets are the cleanest they've ever been per head per capita. More people more rubbish.

People often talk about how effective the old ways were, that is a trick of our memories. I remember in the 70's campaign after campaign to clean up.(people having dinner and trashing the swimming pool, the boy reciting 'I love a sun-burnt country while cars went past throwing out their rubbish.)

Then there's the final one who is going to pay for all there people...would you work for 28% of average wage? pigs you would you'd demand more so, who is going to pay extra taxes? you ?

As StG rightly points out many many mature-ish people spend their time volunteering...doing jobs the good right wing dog whistlers refuse to do. They tend to leave it to Somebody else. Somebody Else's Problem SEP(hitch hikers guide...) therefore can't see it clearly.

It's not when the Somebody Else dies of overwork or over expectation, that the demanding good citizen note "we must get another 'somebody else' to fix the problem."

examinator and Poirot, good to see "reasonable" people here again, hey examinator, I am out of work too, and at 56 it may not be that easy to get a job.

I haven't been out of work for 30 years so it is a new experience, and isn't centrelink such a nice place.

I agree totally poirot, when(on the rare occasion) we go to Hungry jacks (wont touch the other one myself), my kids now clear up their tables etc, why, because they always have. My son who is 27 still refers to my friends as Mr this or Mrs that etc, why, because he always has.

Until the 4th Jan I worked at Westmead Hospital and across the road is a senior CATHOLIC high school. It had a special drive through for parents and buses etc, but dozens of parents, presumably Christians, presumably well educated (most drive BMWs or Mercs etc) still pull up in what is a traffic lane to drop their kids off, then proceed to make illegal U turns.

These are 16, 17, 18 year old students, they are or will soon be driving, good example Mum and Dad.

Poirot, we will have to have coffee sometime, you to examinator, we could be the three adopted stooges, lol

I ahve usually found that the ones most responsible for causing unemployment are the ones who most whinge about Dole Bludgers

Here we go, protect the unemployed again and make me out to be a hater of them.

For the record, I don't hate people on the dole, but I do hate 'dole bludgers'

Now as for working for 28% of a wage, well, nobody expects anyone to work a 38hr week for 28% pay, but, how about they work 28% of a 38hr week. That's less than 11 hours per week. What's wrong with that?

Remember, that 28% you refer to is TAX FREE and for doing NOTHING!

Nobody deserves a free ride unless they have worked their lifetime and retired.

StG and Wybong, I am sorry you are unemployed.
For most people it is a soul-destroying position to be in.
For the few that choose this unemployment over employment, then they are the ones who deserve Rehctub's scorn, not you guys.

I always thought that unemployed people these days have a certain amount of time to prove they are looking for work and applying for positions before they are 'made' to complete either work experience or new courses or volunteer work ?

Surely there aren't many unemployed people sitting around doing nothing and getting paid the unemployment benefit in cities anyway?

Bigotry against the unemployed is not new, and often miss directed.
Who knows if the person on the streets is working night shift or on leave.
Yes a few may bludge but not having a job can be the worse thing for most.
I feel sorry for the posters who find it every day, good luck and wishes to you.
rechtub, no way I think you are heartless, but you are miss informed and prickly.
Our problems are not poor people, over paid workers, unions, the ALP and this country is not going down the drain.

rehctub,these children are the product of the nanny state.Govt has taken away the parent's reponsibility to do the right thing and now we have chaos.Make people reponsible for their actions and we will have smaller Govt,less regulation and fewer taxes.

Arjay, I agree with you, we have a merging society who have little resapect for anyone or anything.

And Belly, I totally disagree as I am of the opinion that we are going down the gurgler.

Most Gen Y's and beyond have nothing, have no intentions of ever having anything just so long as they have enough to fund thier social lives.

They will simply leave their following generations with little more than a plasma on an interest free deal.

Remember, many of our retirees are in their current position because they were willed something, and that will come to an end, then what?

The fact is we have less people paying positive taxes and, combine this with an aging population and a dwindling workforce (tax payers), the only way ahead is to go backwards.

I agree with Arjay. I believe that most of them are doing a John Galt and I don't blame them!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Galt

It fills me with joy to say gentlemen I do not agree with arjay, rechtub, sorry bloke but you are a man who must rarely be happy.

StG and Wybong - I'm very sorry to learn of your plight. What a rotten biz. I hope that 2010 brings a change for the better.

Rehctub, Don't you grasp how unfair and demoralizing it would be for unemployed people to be picking up rubbish left by party goers? What would it be like if your circumstances changed (like, everyone became a vego or all meat was brought in packaged from overseas) or your health went or something and you were unemployed. It can happen to anyone. Talk about a kick in the guts to then be compulsorily deployed to pick up the rubbish left by youngsters with too much money to spare.

What I would like to see is:

1. Executives in City Council and various Public Service organizations tipped out of their comfy chairs and more actual jobs created for front line workers including council workers, garbos and the like.
2. Police with the authority to nab the grubs and give them a choice - pick up their rubbish on the spot or make a court appearance.

I recall not too many years ago where a youth trashed a police station - broke glass doors and graffitied etc. The police caught him red handed but could only charge him so that he appeared in court. He got some insignificant sentence - P & P or something. Meanwhile, other people had to clean up the mess. I think it would have been much more useful for everyone if the young offender had been put to work at once doing clean up.

Pynchme, The problems go back to when the cane was removed from schools and parents had their rights as parents taken away. The good old 'do-gooders', they have much to answer for.

Now as for being unemployed, I have some views here.

There are those who are unemployed and actively seeking work, good luck to them, and those who simply don't wish to work. These are the ones I have no time for.

But remember, unemployed people are being paid the equivilent of around 10 hours per week, bassed on a basic wage. So, what is wrong with them having to earn that?

Now I don't wish to offend anyone, but, as for not being able to find work, well, I find that hard to believe. Unless of cause you are to fussy.

And belly, you are right, I am not very happy lately so, I think I will go back to providing for my family, making sure they are well set for the future and enjoy life. Perhaps I should retire, but I am to young for that.

Never let the truth get in the way of a good story hey!

Boy the truth hurts sometimes!

The fact is, with our aging population, housing crisis, rising unemployment, and now our plans for a 60% population increase, etc, etc. Can we really afford to keep paying people for nothing?

Think about it! Some how, some where, something has to give!