What about a test by the mikk's in our midst that the money that's taken from their pay as tax is being used for worthwhile purposes and not being wasted?

R0bert

Deep-Blue,
I'd like to see a system where the mikks in our midst have to prove their worth before getting handed taxpayers' money.
Posted by individual, Wednesday, 10 November 2010 7:31:26 AM

Individual

Mikks ideas are just what they are..Idea's.......which is exactly what the OLO stands for, but will cost more to change than most people think. But from upper level belief, that what you have to do to get the foot in the door so to speak.

National service would be my first thought. Its cost free, the out comes stand alone on there own, and in stead of not having rap dancers running the future country, we will have real man and women that don't smell or look like Americans black want-to-be's.

You fail at school.........auto 4 years.

If you join all the dots in my post history, you will find the mind profile.
I wrote this as one part.

"Now that's quite true, but the thing they don't want anyone to know is, that if you save the poor, all the professionals and religious bodies would be high and dry. That means, DOC's , Centrelink , Law and court personal , Goals , ETC...and all of what the higher skilled people need as a life-line themselves. The high to the low food chain we all enjoy, would just disappear."

Rich-middle-and poor.

Mate, it all makes money.

There not going to change anything.

Sorry.

BLU

A riveting post mikk, the range of views is exhilarating and thought provoking and ironically,
(in the real world), I was telling my son (a long term unemployed person)
that he was giving the people at the employment agency a reason to get up in the morning.They had a job servicing his on going unemployment.
They themselves have done nothing effective to encourage or advocate his employment except given him the funding they have too and he finds himself with a resume that never proceeds to an interview. It's a paradigm and a huge waste of public money. Should never have been privatised.

But Australia is a paradox today post Howard. When recently seeking employment options
I thought of selling real estate, the package was $920 a fortnight gross retainer. Of course a commission structure, clearly that did not ad up against the opportunity to sell, that paid back the retainer if you sold something. The guy said" of course under the Labor Govt, we can only force you to work 38 hrs, but realistically you would have to work 60 hrs to make any money". Honest guy, but why would you do it?.

Isn't there something fundamentally wrong here, with the way we even approach the employer employee relationship?. Are the unemployed more trapped than idle?. As are some who are employed.

I think they are, and any real opportunity to work for due reward would bring a smile to the faces of most of them.

National Service has a punitive connotation and may not be the career choice of many under utilised citizens as is the choice for those of us who can enjoy a contribution to society. To introduce this would be clearly discriminatory

Interesting thoughts. thankyou all for contributing.

I dont support "national service" type ideas for the unemployed. Maybe for young people if it was designed to give them life experience and exposure to different people and experiences than what they would get at home. If it was just regimented marching up and down and shooting things then no. The unemployed could be aged anywhere up to 65. Hardly suitable for "national service".

The whole point of my idea was to reduce the costs, stop the spying and suspicion from centrelink and provide something back to the community rather than just take. The important point in my view is that to get paid all you have to do is not have a job and do your allotted couple of days community work. No looking for work test, no monkey tricks and no paternalistic job network pushing you around pointlessly. Anyone could quit their job and join the ranks of the "unemployed" and get payed as long as they do their required community work. Then we would see how "cushy" people really think being unemployed is. There would also be less scope for the likes of Mrabbot, the parrot and individual et al being able to denigrate and slander those who for whatever reason cant get someone to employ them.

I dont support "national service" type ideas for the unemployed.
mikk,
I truly believe that if National Service were implemented we wouldn't have the many unemployed in the first place. In my organisation they're sending former CDEP now CA people to do courses which qualify them to get employment & therefore award wages. The problem is that those who dreamed up this system didn't dream enough to realise that these qualified people have no practical aptitude to perform the tasks for which they now hold certificates. In fact we now have literally unemployable people in full employment. I shudder at the realisation of this madness when it finally filters through the mindless bureaucrats who implemented it.

*Centrelink Newstart for single person over 21 = $234.85 per week not including add ons like rent assitance.
*Minimum hourly rate for adults = $15
*$234.85 into $15 per hour = 15.66 hrs.

That is roughly equivalent to 2 days work. That 2 days work gives to the unemployed person a routine, a sense of worth, a drive to get more work, that all important reference, 3 days over to look for work and attend interviews.

Sounds great! Excellent idea!

To those who think that the work should be meaningful, please spare a thought for the thousands upon thousands of workers out there stuck in menial work because of their lack of education, aptitude or opportunity.