Re: $2m Home Tax - Whats next?
Oh this is so funny on so many levels.
Stamp duty on expensive home, insurance tax, private school fees. These are all choices. Cheaper home - less stamp duty, insurance taxes - don't buy insurance, school fees - use the government system. Oh and the federal government provide massive subsidies to private schools. About time this rort stopped, next you will be wanting a subsidy for buying books instead of using the library or installing a swimming pool instead of using the council pool. As for whingeing about luxury car tax, as I recall this kicks in around $55k. It may surprise you, but you can buy cars below $55k, even some BMW's and Mercedes.
As for people being too stupid to save for retirement. Well you are sort of right to a certain extent. The reality of a society is that not all of us are smart enough to go to university and become doctors, lawyers and accountants. Some people are destined to collect your garbage, deliver your letters, clean your toilets. And you may not have noticed from your ivory tower, but these jobs do not pay very well and these people, through the genetic outcome of not being intelligent , will not earn enough to pay for their retirement. If we want to ensure these people are not thrown on the scrapheap at age 65, then the money needs to come from somewhere. And taxes on multi-million dollar houses and reducing rich people's welfare such as non-means testing PPOR and government subsidies of private schools and health insurance seem fair ways of doing it.
And before you accuse of me of putting my hand in your pocket, I have paid loads of tax over the years and my income tax bill for the last six or seven years would have been at least $100k a year. And I pay private health insurance and private pre-school fees. I just happen to believe in an equitable society. I have been to the United States and it was not pretty.
I have got to jump in on this one Gooner, you have made the point I have tried to make so many times and always seem to be shot-down on.
Its a choice, yes. So if you apply your idea of it being a choice, then having a child is a choice - in 99% of cases, so why should there be a baby bonus? Why should childcare be subsidised? Why should there be tax breaks for people with kids? Is the child not a choice, is a child not usually - or it should be - the result of 2 responsible people saying we would like a child, we can afford it regardless of handouts, and so lets have one.
I am happy for private schools to have the money taken away from the public purse if a family sends a child to a private school and claim the cost against their tax, or have a deduction - seems to me like paying twice. Same with health care.
Why should I pay for increasing private health care, and at the same time increasing medicare levy, last tax bill was will into the $4000 mark, for something I dont use - as I have private health insurance.
This is not an equal society and nor will it ever be if the society wants to demonise the apparent 'rich' to give to the apparent poor.
If you want to tax my house because it is worth more than $2million (which I dont have) then make the rest of it a level playing field. We have been propping up a failing car industry for the last 40yrs so that we can sustain jobs which could be shifted elsewhere, and hence we tax better cars to get here, then tax them to buy them and so a car which we class as a luxury is more expensive to move people towards buying a *****y Holden or Ford.
As for the intelligence factor, well what a load of fu**ing bul**hit. Those who get my bins on a weekly basis make very good money, the tradie who paints my house, fixes my car, does my plumbing does very nicely. The Uni factor makes no difference to income. Many accountants and lawyers dont earn more than a Council or Government employee - to which there doesnt seem to have been much education at all (insert sarcasm!).
I have no problem with paying tax, yet there has to be a cut-off at some point. You tax me more, then why should I better myself, I should work less, use less, and buy less quality products, so I earn just what I need to get by - which is a sad way to live, then collect all the goodies from the government. Now, what happens if all those who are not 'rich' apply this sort of idea - where will the money come from to give to these poor unforunates?
Choice - what a joke! I want a choice, yet I dont have one! I have a gun to my head because you want to call me rich, and so I either comply or well, get shot, thats not a choice.
How about everyone get off the world owes me a living mentality and get on with their lot.
There is no reason for unemployment, no one should be, so its a choice - a choice to be unemployed, or employed - whether its something you want to do or not. So remove the dole. Having a child is a choice, and so, if you have one you pay for it, no one else. School is a choice, so pay for the full economic cost of it, or agree to have a public and private system and give incentives to those who can afford it.
Remove regressive taxes aimed at only small groups of the population - your so called rich people. Make the 'poor' earn their fair share and give back.
You cant have it both ways. You might like the idea of working your ass off to be taxed more to have less so the person next to you who does nothing can have something, yet I have some real problems with that! I worked for what I have, and work dam hard. I have earnt every $, so where is my choice.
Ohhh, and I have been on all sides of this. I have worked for the ALP, the Unions, private enterprise, been very very poor, and lived/live comfortably, so my 'right wing' views are not at the expense of screw the 'poor', its because I dont feel like I am owed anything, or that I am envious of others, its because I want better for myself.