-=> Rod Speed wrote to Graham Comitti <=- 
-=> On 02-05-95 about Grants and stuff ?? <=-
..cut...

RS>GC> I endorse your comments Phil,  its a bit like the old age
RS>GC> pension, (not that I'm that old yet) but.....

RS>Its nothing like the old age pension. AND society has decided that
RS>it makes no sense to be paying an old age pension to people who have
RS>enough assets etc to provide for themselves too.

A Govt decided to means test old age pensions, so that more welfare 
could be given to those who haven't saved anything for themselves.   You 
appear to be supportive of those that don't save anything.

RS>GC> X & Y start work at age 18, both earn $30,000yr & work until age
RS>GC> 65, both have basic super, but X also invests $5000 yr buying
RS>GC> house/shares etc. but Y saves nothing extra but spends the $5000
RS>GC> on beer etc. so at age 65 the Govt says to X you cant get the
RS>GC> pension because you've got too much assets/money because you
RS>GC> saved some money when you worked, BUT to Y they give a full
RS>GC> pension plus other benefits like some rent assistance etc....

RS>Yes, but thats true of any welfare system. You can also say that
RS>someone who chooses to save/invest/whatever when working can get
RS>themselves into the situation where they dont qualify for the dole
RS>if they get say retrenched. There is no answer for that stuff.

Some sort of work should be performed to get the dole therefore the 
system should be open to all who dont have a job, not just the those who 
haven't any savings.

RS>In the context of Phils original question about handouts for starting
RS>a small business, the only rational case from your position is that
RS>everyone who starts a small business should be entitled to government
RS>handout when they do. That makes no sense whatever and isnt

No I'm not in favour of Govt (taxpayer) handouts.

RS>affordable anyway. Have you any idea what the failure rate of new
RS>small businesses are ?  If you had a scheme like that, heaps of
RS>people would just rock up with their hands out for the wad of cash,
RS>most of whom would have no chance of starting a viable small business
RS>or keeping one going. I wont be paying for a lunatic scheme like that
RS>any time soon thanks. 

RS>GC> What a system.....rewarding Y with a pension etc. for pissing
RS>GC> his money up against the wall and not saving some for the future.

RS>Yes, but thats an inevitable outcome with any welfare or assistance
RS>scheme. It necessarily assists mostly those who have not managed to
RS>provide for themselves for whatever reason. Thats life, better get
RS>used to it, no one has invented an alternative. The last attempt
RS>at an alternative, communism, has just gone down the tubes in grand
RS>style. And the less dramatic attempts like cradle to grave socialism
RS>which was tried in western europe quite a bit is being wound back
RS>fast as they are sick of paying the fantastic cost in taxes.

No I don't believe that we have to put up with the current welfare 
system, the old age pension, single parent pension and the dole can all 
be improved.  Hopefully a change in the federal govt will make some of 
the changes needed.   I am one of the ones sick of paying taxes.



Regards, Graham from Sunbury

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