topic Re: What do you think? in Community Spirit

What do you think?

bushies.girl — Mon, 07 Aug 2017 06:41:57 GMT

There are approx 100,000 homeless people in Aust, yet the liberal gov wants to spent 100 million dollars on a prebicite re gay marriage .... Surely this money could be used ( better spent ) providing a home for our homeless?

Re: What do you think?

not_for_sale — Mon, 07 Aug 2017 07:07:56 GMT

I imagine there are more than 100,000 gay people in Australia, so there is a potential for more votes! But personally, I would prefer if the money was spent on other needs, but not necessarily the homeless. However, I'll drop it here for fear of being branded a homophobic.

Re: What do you think?

bushies.girl — Mon, 07 Aug 2017 07:21:09 GMT

lol at the term homophobic .... a phobia is a fear, it's not an opinion on whether homosexuals should be allowed to marry or not ...... but I guess it sounds good in today's touchy feely, PC world ....

Re: What do you think?

davidc4430 — Mon, 07 Aug 2017 07:39:26 GMT

I think when it comes to our elected represetatives, lack of money is no deterrent to doing what THEY want to do.

after all THEY have have a money tree called the taxpayer, need more money, go to the money tree.

makes no difference which lot are running the system they both are guilty of pilfering and grand theft.

although the libs used to be the tightwads until election time came around,but have decided to give up on that one.

Re: What do you think?

bushies.girl — Mon, 07 Aug 2017 07:44:06 GMT

Ahhhh but apparently the money tree is bare where the homeless, the pensioners, those in very low incomes are concered

Re: What do you think?

kopenhagen5 — Mon, 07 Aug 2017 09:12:38 GMT

Not to water down the point but lets just balance it a little.

Of course, there is a certain percentage of homeless not wanting assistance.

There are also some that have in the past abused and vandalised state housing.

Then there is the criminal element.

Perhaps a lot more can be done, however a very good process for prioritizing those most in need combined with those most deserving would be the starting point. So many tasks the government is burdened with, money is often not the hurdle.

Re: What do you think?

bushies.girl — Mon, 07 Aug 2017 10:09:35 GMT

I agree, there are people who dont/wont/cant look after the accommodation they have been provided. However, they represent a sm % of of total homeless population.

I guess we all prioritise the way the tax payers money should be spent, to me people having a home, food, power etc., is far more important then totally wasting money on a plebiscite

Re: What do you think?

johcaschro — Mon, 07 Aug 2017 10:55:31 GMT

I think that the LNP Govt don't want to support same sex marriage as they are scared they might alienate some of their more conservative voters. Therefore they don't want to have a vote in the house of Reps on this issue and they certainly don't want to support a conscience vote in case a sufficient number of LNP members vote in favour of ssm, thus embarrassing the got's stated anti position, (and for the same reason they don't want an ordinary vote as they would lose, courtesy of the minor parties and the Independant members).

So, they want to stuff around with possible postal voting by the electorate which would shift responsibility from them in the event of a positive response, wasting bucketloads of our money in the process.

I think they should just do the job for which they were elected and harden the f up and vote in the House of Reps and maybe regain a little bit of the respect they've lost for not taking the hard decisions as a govt should. As it is, they look weak and indecisive and are in danger of alienating those not so very committed LNP voters.

They're a bunch of self-serving seat warmers who will be booted out come the next election and they can't even go out having shown a little backbone whilst in govt. Shame!

Re: What do you think?

chameleon54 — Mon, 07 Aug 2017 12:28:28 GMT

@kopenhagen5 wrote:
Not to water down the point but lets just balance it a little.

Of course, there is a certain percentage of homeless not wanting assistance.
There are also some that have in the past abused and vandalised state housing.
Then there is the criminal element.

Perhaps a lot more can be done, however a very good process for prioritizing those most in need combined with those most deserving would be the starting point. So many tasks the government is burdened with, money is often not the hurdle.

It seems the ones who have vandilised public housing still recieve public housing as they are deemed unsuitable for the private sector and regarded as high risk. The same applies to the " criminal element ''. The private landlords wont touch them with a barge pole, so they get public housing.

I have known quite a few homeless people over the years. Some simply have trouble accepting the boundaries and structure that helps society function. Others are afflicted with mental health problems. Often homelessness and mental health problems are compounded by substance abuse.

Theres no simple black & white answers, but in response to the OP. yes the money spent on a plebacite on gay marriage could be much better used in other ways. The simple answer is for the pollies to stop being so gutless and do the job we pay them for. Have a vote in parliment and enact legislation either allowing gay marriage or preventing it as per the vote.

NOTE TO POLLIES - Stop dithering and make a decision. .......Show some leadership.......Thats your job.

edit - Appologies to Jo, read your post after pressing the send button.

Re: What do you think?

bushies.girl — Mon, 07 Aug 2017 23:08:55 GMT

Looking like yet another buck pass by the Libs ..... More time and taxpayers money being wasted "trying" to get their plebiscite motion through the senate.

I also have known quite a few homeless people, most of them women, who were fleeing a violent domestic situation. None of them were drug addicts, drunks, vandals etc. Many of them did have a mental health problem, mainly caused by the mental and physical abuse they had been subjected to by their partner/s. Not all homeless people are in this situation by choice.

Of course, there is no b n w answers but atm, I dont see any answers happening, lotsa promises ( excuses ) but not much action on any important areas.

Re: What do you think?

kopenhagen5 — Mon, 07 Aug 2017 23:46:32 GMT

Not all homeless people are in this situation by choice.

Definitely, and if an organised system can seperate those, then it's much easier to lend assistance.

Even the private sector landlords could lend a hand.

Many developers have houses sitting empty for 6 months or more waiting for demolishing permits.

Or housing investors whom don't want to lease out but would like someone to mind a house for 6-12 months preventing possibility of squatters.

I could see this working with mothers with children.

Re: What do you think?

bushies.girl — Tue, 08 Aug 2017 00:42:49 GMT

The operative word is "organised" and that is def not a word I would use for the current Lib government

Re: What do you think?

davidc4430 — Tue, 08 Aug 2017 01:50:25 GMT

the old line that allways gets trotted out when talking about poor people is 'oh they dont apreciate the help they are given'

so out comes the 'look at the houses they trash' and 'they just live off the dole whilst smoking pot and doing drugs'

thats a minority, not the majority.

wrong doing is in every level of society. from the very wealthy to the poorest of poor.

my view, if you trash a provided house you get 1 extra chance, do it again you get booted from public housing for 5 years before you try again, no second chance this time.

lets not tar the people doing the right thing because some choose to do the wrong thing.

Re: What do you think?

lind9650 — Tue, 08 Aug 2017 04:09:30 GMT

Those homeless people in Sydneys tent city for instant are well organisd. No drugs, no alcohol, no fighting or stealing and keep it clean. The organisers are very strict about it so the police have no legal reason to move the homeless. It is not illegal to be homeless.

For those people Housing Commission houses or units should be made available by the city council, but like all little men and women in power, they try to put the onus on the State Government, and it gets thrown back and forth.

Every one of them wanted to be elected in to a power job, but nobody wanys to do anything constructive to help people in need.

Erica

Re: What do you think?

bushies.girl — Tue, 08 Aug 2017 06:08:34 GMT

Personally I like the tent city in Martin Place, it's making a point, the occupants have shelter, food and most important mateship ..... And they are making a point .... shame the NSW state gov, isnt "getting" it

Re: What do you think?

davidc4430 — Tue, 08 Aug 2017 06:55:25 GMT

lots of people know homelessness occurs they just dont want to see it

Re: What do you think?

mloreason — Tue, 08 Aug 2017 07:09:36 GMT

Don't know about now but many years ago when I spent 3 weeks in a refuge (not going to elaborate on that) there were a couple of families there who had been kicked out of public housing for not paying the rent. They were assisted by the brothers (refuge was run by monks) to get back into public housing properties. The waiting list for public housing is very long and there are people like those families being housed before other more needy families even though they have already been kicked out. People know how to work the system.

Re: What do you think?

mloreason — Tue, 08 Aug 2017 07:11:23 GMT

Sorry, that was in response to David's post about public housing.

Re: What do you think?

bushies.girl — Tue, 08 Aug 2017 07:21:39 GMT

MLOR Ive seen it happen as well, they seem to know how to "play" the system and get away with it ..... There is so much public housing being sold atm and sadly it doesnt seem to be being replaced. In my small town there are 3 HC houses which have sat empty for months, eventaully, they will be sold, so 3 more families will miss out on a home.

Re: What do you think?

davidc4430 — Tue, 08 Aug 2017 07:24:32 GMT

being unable to pay the rent is different to trashing a home.

it doesnt cost much to keep a house looked after.

the morons who get into low income housing that then turn it into a pigstye dont deserve much sympathy.