taxing the patient

 [edited and updated - 2019 Weds 8 June 2011]


Will, of course, leave it up to the reader to figure out what i actually mean by the title. Perhaps it is meaningless, perhaps means many things.

Also, if the reader is expecting a long and clever post explaining what i mean ... forget it, am just being a smart-arse, or thinking about something i wrote in a previous comment.  No new taxes?  Mmmm, ok, Tony; a very clever "political" ploy. Very effective 'slogan', especially if 'repeated' often. Who wants to be taxed? Not many. Vote for ME, no taxes.

However, what Tony Abbot is 'not' saying, is that without 'taxes' there would be no, or very few "public" services - including politician's salaries. Perhaps Tony Abbot would prefer to become an 'Exec' of BP, BHP, Xtrata .. et al. No hospital care if you are not rich enough to pay for it. Bitumen roads? Forget it. Public transport? Nup, or only if you can afford to pay for a 'private' contractor who WILL need to charge fares commensurate with making a "profit".
(or screw the unwary for every cent they a silly enough give).


National Parks? Nah, ferget it - every inch of this land and resources will be raped and pillaged. Live in Nunjikompita? Bad luck. A taxi fare from there to Adelaide would cost you roughly $3,000-00.
 [an aside. I did have to attend a hospital for a few hours in Lithgow recently. Drove myself there, since can still (almost) afford to operate a motor vehicle. Anasthaetic was involved, so wasn't allowed to drive home for 24 hours afterwards (much to my personal chagrin, and impatience). There is no "publicly supported" transport from there to here. A "taxi" fare quoted was $120.00. Was, fortunately, able to organise friendly 'local' assistance.  All this, of course, sort of refers back to the title. "Public Hospitals". I very much doubt that Tony Abbott's 'grand scheme' would have contemplated that sort of "freebie". But do not mis-understand. There is a 'give and take' concept between me and the 'low income' people. they 'help me out' when i ask, as I do with them. None of us actually "profit" - financially, but hey ..]

"taxes" also pay for the Australian Defence Force (and its fuck-ups. Perhaps the few BILLIONS wasted by the Howard/Costello and yes, "Abbot" administration might have been better spent  - but that's a different, and rather more complicated, discussion)

Would remind Tony Abbot that one of the reasons the "Howard/Costello" 'government' ended up with a "surplus" (aka 'profit') was that there was very little spending on 'basic', internal, infrastructure for the benefit of future - or even 'elder' - generations; which, basically, handed the "Rudd/Swan/Gillard" administration a "poisoned chalice"; a massive headache, how to rebuild the infrastructure - especially when coupled with the "Global Financial Crisis", created, mostly, by the sort of "free market enterprise" that is the base premise of the "special interest" political group that Tony Abbot is trying to re-impose on the Australian populace. Wealth for the few - subservience, serfdom and poverty for the many.

However, I DID make the effort to attend the Getup! rally in the Prince Alfred Park on Sunday (yesterday). Am not quite sure who 'subsidises' "Sydney Rail" - but was astonished.

First surprise, the fare. $2-50 ... Lithgow to Sydney CBD and back (but yep, was able to claim 'pensioner' concession .. even so ..  It's a three hour journey each way. Would have been happy enough to fork out $10 or 20 ). Second surprise - the train ran 'on time'. Third surprise .. the staff were polite and helpful. Fourth surprise, the carriages were remarkably clean and tidy.

(um; the title could also be read as - stretching the patience - of the readers (and mine with computers  or could, perhaps refer back to ancient times when Tycho Brahe had no idea what sort of information he felt compelled to 'collect', and needed the 'imaginational shift' of Johannes Kepler) ..so ..

Lithgow railway station

7.15AM

Prince Alfred park - 11.10AM

damn, wrong sequence

Sydney central railway station

recycle

What actually (mm; word discussion courtesy to Tony - Brooks, elsewhere) interested me about this pic .. is that there is, has been - a 10c recycling 'levy' on plastics and glass in the State of South Australia for quite some many years.

[will just collect and post more pics .. when i can find them or if  bulluggerer lets me post them.]

Will be interesting to see what happens under the 'next' NSW State gummint administration.