topic Re: I find it obscene that 85 people own almost half of the worlds wealth. in Community Spirit

I find it obscene that 85 people own almost half of the worlds wealth.

margomeoz — Tue, 21 Jan 2014 06:32:07 GMT

No wonder I like the idea of socialism that is disgusting, especially when Abbott is now going to see what he can pry from aged pensioners.

The other 50% of people deserve a share in this wealth they helped earn it for the 85 people.

Re: I find it obscene that 85 people own almost half of the worlds wealth.

lyndal1838 — Tue, 21 Jan 2014 06:45:41 GMT

What are they trying to pry from Pensioners?

Re: I find it obscene that 85 people own almost half of the worlds wealth.

cherry*135 — Tue, 21 Jan 2014 06:47:25 GMT

Capitalism, what are you going to do to change it?

Re: I find it obscene that 85 people own almost half of the worlds wealth.

***super_nova*** — Tue, 21 Jan 2014 06:48:33 GMT

@lyndal1838 wrote:
What are they trying to pry from Pensioners?

They are considering changes to the welfare system, but I do not think it includes the age pensions, in this moment. 🙂

Somebody ought to explain TA that creating even deeper poverty does not help the economy.

Re: I find it obscene that 85 people own almost half of the worlds wealth.

*crikey*mate* — Tue, 21 Jan 2014 06:53:54 GMT

@margomeoz wrote:
No wonder I like the idea of socialism that is disgusting, especially when Abbott is now going to see what he can pry from aged pensioners.

The other 50% of people deserve a share in this wealth they helped earn it for the 85 people.

they do get a share in the wealth.

presumedly they employ a fair few people, inject a lot of money into the economy from personal spending, and pay a fair bit in taxes etc as well.

sure, thwart their desire to make money and see what happens, when those who don't have the ability to own and operate businesses etc are left to sustain the economy.

and what does global wealth have to do with Mr Abbott and policies in Australia?

You're going to blame him cos someone he's probably never even met, is wealthy?

Re: I find it obscene that 85 people own almost half of the worlds wealth.

**meep** — Tue, 21 Jan 2014 06:53:47 GMT

@lyndal1838 wrote:
What are they trying to pry from Pensioners?

Nothing.

Re: I find it obscene that 85 people own almost half of the worlds wealth.

boris1gary — Tue, 21 Jan 2014 06:55:35 GMT

Tones master's are those that own most of Australia's wealth and he and his government will do all they can to make sure that this stays just the way they like it.

Re: I find it obscene that 85 people own almost half of the worlds wealth.

poddster — Tue, 21 Jan 2014 07:04:52 GMT

One in four Australian households on welfare

by:Natasha Bita National Social Editor
From: The Courier-Mail
August 09, 201312:53AM

With annual welfare costs at $119 billion, Australian taxpayers now pay more for welfare than health care. Source: Supplied

ONE in every four households survives on social security payments, with Australian taxpayers now forking out more for welfare than health care.

Annual welfare costs have grown to a staggering $119 billion - or $1300 for every man, woman and child, a new federal government report reveals.

Taxpayers now spend a third more on welfare than on health care.

The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare yesterday released its two-yearly report card, revealing welfare spending grew 3.1 per cent faster than inflation each year, on average, during the decade to 2010/11.

The disabled and elderly have received much bigger increases than families with children.

Spending on welfare for families rose 0.7 per cent faster than inflation, while payments to the elderly grew 3.3 per cent and spending on the disabled grew 6.6 per cent, on average, during the decade.

Spending soared during the global financial crisis (GFC), with welfare payments soaking up 34.5 per cent of government revenues in 2010/11, compared to 29.3 per cent in 2007/09.

Twenty-six years ago, former Labor prime minister Bob Hawke proclaimed that by 1990 no Australian child would live in poverty.

But the latest welfare data shows that poverty afflicts 13 per cent of the population, with no one working in 11.6 per cent of families.

About one in eight Australians lives in poverty - defined as an income of less than $20,000 a year - including one in five single parents.

And the dropout rate for young Australians has not budged despite a decade of intervention to make them "earn or learn''.

One in 14 teenagers and one in eight Gen Ys aged 20 to 24 are neither working nor studying.

The number of abused and neglected children has grown 18 per cent between 2007/08 and 2011/12 - based on confirmed cases - with a 27 per cent jump in the number of kids in foster care.

And more than one in every 200 Australians is homeless.

Australian Council of Social Service chief executive Cassandra Goldie yesterday said the next federal government needed to spend more money on wage subsidies to get the long-term jobless back to work, rather than simply paying unemployment benefits.

And the jobless needed more "targeted training'' to find work, she said, instead of "training just to keep them busy''.

Dr Goldie said much of the welfare spending rise was linked to Australia's ageing population and reliance on the aged pension.

"Since the GFC there's been significant increase in people who are long-term unemployed and serious growth in long-term unemployment,'' she said.

"There is an ongoing reluctance for employers to be taking people on without experience.''

Ms Goldie said a third of Australia's unemployed were older than 45, and the unemployment benefit of $35 a day left people living in "destitution''.

"We have one in six children living in poverty and it's on the rise,'' she said.

"There's no point pushing major investment in education if we're not looking at the social situation these children are placed in.''

The AIHW report adds up spending by federal, state, territory and local governments on social security payments and welfare services.

Cash payments - such as the aged pension, dole, disability pensions and family tax benefits - made up 75 per cent of welfare spending.

The report shows the welfare nation is generating jobs - the community services workforce grew by 24 per cent between 2006 and 2011.

Despite the huge cost of welfare, Labor said it was proud of its record supporting struggling Australians - while the Coalition declared a job was the best form of welfare.

Families Minister Jenny Macklin said Labor had worked hard to better target family payments, reform the disability pension and increase the aged pension, which is the biggest single area of welfare spending.

The Opposition spokesman on families, housing and human services, Kevin Andrews, said a Coalition government would grow the economy to "reduce people's reliance on welfare and encourage them to seek employment''.

Re: I find it obscene that 85 people own almost half of the worlds wealth.

margomeoz — Tue, 21 Jan 2014 07:07:03 GMT

Your kidding they pay less taxes than the average garbage man.

The are in Switzerland now with Tone to try and get more than they have already.

They need to employ heaps of people because they would have no wealth without their workers.

And meep aged pensions are in the sights of the government at the moment.

There is going to be a major welfare overhall they are reviewing the aged pension that is disgusting.

The babyboomers most of them did not even get to start super till late in life.

Re: I find it obscene that 85 people own almost half of the worlds wealth.

amber-eyed-girl — Tue, 21 Jan 2014 07:09:46 GMT

Crikey, this is what bothered me about comments from the super-rich during the GFC in the U.S.

they reduced their spending on luxury goods, travel, and other forms of conspicuous consumption not to appear obscene, and made a point of talking about that...a Johnson heir for one, a Kennedy...

all they were doing was putting people out of work by cutting money out of retail and hospitality in an effort to appear ordinary folk.

Re: I find it obscene that 85 people own almost half of the worlds wealth.

**meep** — Tue, 21 Jan 2014 07:12:27 GMT

"And meep aged pensions are in the sights of the government at the moment."

Yes, I understand that's what Mr Shorten is saying. He is just doing his job, I guess, but I did not hear him saying anything of substance on this issue.

"But Social Services Minister Kevin Andrews said the age pension would be quarantined from a review of welfare rules, to be headed by former Mission Australia head Patrick McClure."

"Mr Shorten would not be drawn on whether current welfare spending was sustainable."

Re: I find it obscene that 85 people own almost half of the worlds wealth.

*crikey*mate* — Tue, 21 Jan 2014 07:24:17 GMT

@margomeoz wrote:
Your kidding they pay less taxes than the average garbage man. and you have proof of that?

The are in Switzerland now with Tone to try and get more than they have already. Doing what?

They need to employ heaps of people because they would have no wealth without their workers. and without the employers? who would employ the people? who would pay them? the government can't support them now, what happens when they don't have jobs? Who would support them then, Margo? You?

And meep aged pensions are in the sights of the government at the moment.

There is going to be a major welfare overhall they are reviewing the aged pension that is disgusting.

They're reviewing it, how can you be disgusted before you even know what they might do?

Ya know what they are overhauling? welfare cheats. Yep, all those people who ring centrelink and tell em they earn the $44,ooo a year, so they qualify for the healthcare card, knowing they have the buffer of some money paid to children if they "accidentally under estimate" You know, people rorting the health system? The reason why they're now considering the co payment?

that's already in progfress with half yearly reporting now instead of every second year.

The babyboomers most of them did not even get to start super till late in life.

you don't even know yet, if or how the pensioners will be affected.

Re: I find it obscene that 85 people own almost half of the worlds wealth.

***super_nova*** — Tue, 21 Jan 2014 07:24:03 GMT

Re: I find it obscene that 85 people own almost half of the worlds wealth.

**meep** — Tue, 21 Jan 2014 07:25:16 GMT

Was it fair to cut single parent's pension?

Who was it that said they could live on $35 a day? That's $245 per week.

Re: I find it obscene that 85 people own almost half of the worlds wealth.

freakiness — Tue, 21 Jan 2014 07:55:29 GMT

@**meep** wrote:
Was it fair to cut single parent's pension?

Who was it that said they could live on $35 a day? That's $245 per week.

No, it probably wasn't fair but they didn't set the precendent. Perhaps they should have increased the other single parents payments rather than reducing the second lot or raised the earnings threshold so those working did not lose out. It hasn't been called a pension for years. Parenting payment, single or partnered. I am not against the principle of making single parents work or study. I'm against using the welfare system and people who get a payment by implying that those getting payments are rip off merchants who cost the country dearly and don't deserve the measly bit they get..

We do have systems in place to reduce the aged care pension burden. Future generations have the benefit of super funds which will reduce the need for aged pensions. That's some serious future planning.

Re: I find it obscene that 85 people own almost half of the worlds wealth.

carls*world — Tue, 21 Jan 2014 08:02:21 GMT

It's all just a big game of Monopoly. One winner will end up with the lot, as they compile more and more of the lowest level's wealth, then swallow up those at the mid levels, then start eating each other, until the biggest takes the rest of the 1% out.

Re: I find it obscene that 85 people own almost half of the worlds wealth.

margomeoz — Tue, 21 Jan 2014 08:34:39 GMT

Supernove I love that cartoon.

Carls world you are right they nearly have it all now anyway.

Re: I find it obscene that 85 people own almost half of the worlds wealth.

topsidesoul — Tue, 21 Jan 2014 08:34:51 GMT

I think it was Pope Francis who said that the so called 'Trickle down effect' of capitalism is not working because the cup is getting bigger.

Happy to have wealthy people so long as they do positive things for society with their money.

Case in point.....Lord Monckton telling those in the Australian mining industry (hello Gina) to buy up the media to use as a mouthpiece to support the industry (hello channel 10 and Sky news)

There is only so much wealth you can make before you run out of time to enjoy the spoils. The best thing to do with ones money sometimes is to see how it helps someone other than yourself.

Re: I find it obscene that 85 people own almost half of the worlds wealth.

**meep** — Tue, 21 Jan 2014 08:36:25 GMT

I couldn't agree with you more, Freaki

And yes, I was referring to Single Parenting Payment (not Pension, my mistake) being replaced by Newstart.

Re: I find it obscene that 85 people own almost half of the worlds wealth.

topsidesoul — Tue, 21 Jan 2014 08:38:50 GMT

Then there are obscene things like two billionares in India who are trying to build bigger houses (skyscrapers) than each other which both look over ghettos and shanty towns of people digging through garbage.

What do you get out of having the biggest house?

In defense Nova, wealthy people do infact work hard. Actually work smarter and a bit of luck they end up wealthy.