Second stimulus package discussion

[Wysiwyg]

Instead of cash, the handouts should be in a voucher/coupon form redeemable at Coles, Woolworths, Harvey Norman etcetera so the money can only go to businesses who will employ more staff.The money could be directly channeled.
This would have a much more positive affect than giving cash to bludgers who spend it on alcohol, drugs and cigarettes.

 

[GumbyLearner]

Instead of cash, the handouts should be in a voucher/coupon form redeemable at Coles, Woolworths, Harvey Norman etcetera so the money can only go to businesses who employ staff.The money could be directly channeled.
This would have a much more positive affect than giving cash to bludgers who spend it on alcohol, drugs and cigarettes.

Maybe they will recover a lot of the stimulus with the new alcopops tax. Lots of morons will continue to buy those expensive pre-mixed spirits in a can.

 

[nunthewiser]

Maybe they will recover a lot of the stimulus with the new alcopops tax. Lots of morons will continue to buy those expensive pre-mixed spirits in a can.

LOL im one of those "morons"

5 cougars thanks

 

[prawn_86]

LOL im one of those "morons"

5 cougars thanks

Why not buy a bottle and some coke nun?

 

[nunthewiser]

Why not buy a bottle and some coke nun?

bit hard when you filling the esky to go fishing .plus if i have a bottle i tend to drink more as in pour them stronger by each glass . actually prefer the taste of a jim beam and cola in a can prefered to my own pouring . yes it costs more but im happy with the conveniance and the lack of drinkin a whole bottle when i only want a 6 pack

 

[Wysiwyg]

Another thing is I`m not receiving one cent and am indirectly contributing to the handouts via the taxes I pay.Don`t worry Australian lazy bludgers, the workers will help you out.

 

[prawn_86]

Another thing is I`m not receiving one cent and am indirectly contributing to the handouts via the taxes I pay.Don`t worry Australian lazy bludgers, the workers will help you out.

Well then your obviously earning too much and Krudd is telling you to stop earning so you can become one of the masses again and vote for him like they all did last time...

 

[GumbyLearner]

Another thing is I`m not receiving one cent and am indirectly contributing to the handouts via the taxes I pay.Don`t worry Australian lazy bludgers, the workers will help you out.

Unfortunately your right. Transfer payments have become the saviour of all!
Even those who like a bottle of Dom or Bundy depending on your income or taste. Im a reformed rum-pig myself!

 

[Trevor_S]

How will this "SUPPORT" my employees if I can no longer afford to keep them as staff?

I guess being in the line of work you are in your business will suffer in the latest "downturn" unless you can turn your hand to the infrastructure spending Gov't are going to do with civil engineering projects.

My business is retail (hospitality, which has always been cut throat, so I am used to running things on a shoestring and being frugal to make a buck) aside from this friggin' rain, business has grown, December and Nov were both up from the year before and the year before that. People are still spending in my business, which is why I guess I got out of mining in the early '90's and went into hospitality... but.. I sold half my business last year (I owned 4 outlets), I have had enough of the continuing red tape and constant crap from Government, they have ground me into the dust, the coming change to unfair dismissal legislation is another example of inane legislation. The business is still making money so I am not complaining to much mind you BUT it's just no longer rewarding spending so much time satisfying everyone from the ATO through to the ABS.

new computers and backhoes. Who in their right mind is going to go out and buy anything in this economic environment?

I am about to spend $150,000 on renovating one of my stores. No backhoe needed though !

In the same boat here, Nun. But Im happy they are spending money on schools, at least (I HOPE!) it might nurture some more educated and open-minds for the future of our country.

I'm not. It seems a tad wasteful and somewhat ill conceived to give money to all schools as a blanket. Some brand new school needs $200,000 and some older dilapidated school needs the same ?

Someone needs to tell Mr Rudd that small businesses are not spending anything so his wonderful way of helping small businesses is totally meaningless.

As I stated above, I am about to do $150,000 renovation in my business, this flows through to my sign guy, my local tiler, my builder, my cabinet maker etc etc so some of us are.

Nothing for me AGAIN ... sigh aside from minor allowances to depreciation for my business and nothing for me personally. I don't need a backhoe though .. what the hell was that in there for

So i'm starting uni, not getting youth allowance...

I get nothing???

again, nothing last time either... welcome to my world.... and I am paying a crap load of tax.

 

[GumbyLearner]

I guess being in the line of work you are in your business will suffer in the latest "downturn" unless you can turn your hand to the infrastructure spending Gov't are going to do with civil engineering projects.

My business is retail (hospitality, which has always been cut throat, so I am used to running things on a shoestring and being frugal to make a buck) aside from this friggin' rain, business has grown, December and Nov were both up from the year before and the year before that. People are still spending in my business, which is why I guess I got out of mining in the early '90's and went into hospitality... but.. I sold half my business last year (I owned 4 outlets), I have had enough of the continuing red tape and constant crap from Government, they have ground me into the dust, the coming change to unfair dismissal legislation is another example of inane legislation. The business is still making money so I am not complaining to much mind you BUT it's just no longer rewarding spending so much time satisfying everyone from the ATO through to the ABS.



I am about to spend $150,000 on renovating one of my stores. No backhoe needed though !



I'm not. It seems a tad wasteful and somewhat ill conceived to give money to all schools as a blanket. Some brand new school needs $200,000 and some older dilapidated school needs the same ?



As I stated above, I am about to do $150,000 renovation in my business, this flows through to my sign guy, my local tiler, my builder, my cabinet maker etc etc so some of us are.

Nothing for me AGAIN ... sigh aside from minor allowances to depreciation for my business and nothing for me personally. I don't need a backhoe though .. what the hell was that in there for




again, nothing last time either... welcome to my world.... and I am paying a crap load of tax.

There isnt much for people in the middle by the looks of things. Great if your a low-income earner/pensioner/student/drought stricken farmer or on the other hand a BANKER!

 

[Smurf1976]

I can't believe they are spending $4 billion to put in insulation. They've lost the plot. Might be time to buy Yen ...

At least it produces an ongoing return on investment, and not a bad one at that, which is more than can be said for most of the other ideas they've come up with so far.

Insulate now and that will still be producing a return as long as the house is occupied.

Also it reduces costs for business since government (taxpayers) have effectively picked up part of the cost of compliance with the Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme (CPRS), costs that would otherwise be met around 80% by business.

Hand out money for a new plasma now and the whole lot will have gone to the tip within 20 years, many of them well before that. I'll take my $300 and pay it straight into the mortgage - a help to me but it's doing nothing to help the economy. Buying imported junk with it wouldn't do a lot of good either beyond helping out a few retailers for a couple of weeks.

Overall, I'd say it's one of the better ideas. Insulating roofs isn't rocket science - it's work that basically anyone who becomes unemployed (and if we're heading for recession then there will be plenty of unemployed) can be employed to do no matter what their background. And it's using a product manufactured in Australia by Australian owned companies from Australian materials. Basically every cent goes back into the Australian economy in some way and then we get ongoing reduction in costs for decades to come.

I already have insulation in the roof by the way so won't benefit from the scheme. I could claim $1600 towards solar hot water however.

 

[IFocus]

Could someone who is cleverer than me please answer the following:

If we were actually in a recession (and not just trying to avoid one) would the schemes that Rudd is putting up be the best way to go?

The experts say we are in for a recession yet Rudd's spending is based on avoiding it. So would/should things be done differently if the recession is actually out of our control

No claims of being clever

The obvious is that the problems in the US and Europe are getting worse not better no bottom in sight. What the various Governments are doing is stuff that's behind the curve.

What I mean is they are trying to slow it down but the broken bits are simply to big for governments to fix they are reacting to the crisis not acting before.

The other minor detail is what the governments are currently doing is all theory particularly in the US and UK.

The Rudd Government no doubt on advice from treasury, RBA and others are acting in front of the curve, their actions on the banks, trying to put a floor under housing prices, the 1st stimulus package etc. Also they are trying to shore up confidence.

This 2nd round is about still acting in front of the curve but will not stop the coming crunch unfortunately simply put nothing will the numbers overseas are simply to big (remember when a $bil was a lot of money) but hopefully will buy some time and soften the blow.

The real red flag is the speed the RBA are dropping interest rates, never been done before they are very concerned and that's a worry.

Politics aside I though Keating had a reasonable take

http://www.abc.net.au/reslib/200902/r335492_1519593.asx

 

[Nyden]

Overall, I'd say it's one of the better ideas. Insulating roofs isn't rocket science - it's work that basically anyone who becomes unemployed (and if we're heading for recession then there will be plenty of unemployed) can be employed to do no matter what their background. And it's using a product manufactured in Australia by Australian owned companies from Australian materials. Basically every cent goes back into the Australian economy in some way and then we get ongoing reduction in costs for decades to come.

I agree. It's a very practical idea, and it will end up saving homes money in the long run, as well as adding to personal comfort.

 

[benn]

wonder what the go is if you are a share trader with a normal job as well and with your shares going kaput the losses offset the income from your normal job therefore you got all your tax back.

i do hope i should get $950 as well. ill let the ATO sort that one out.

 

[M34N]

wonder what the go is if you are a share trader with a normal job as well and with your shares going kaput the losses offset the income from your normal job therefore you got all your tax back.

i do hope i should get $950 as well. ill let the ATO sort that one out.

According to this media release from the PM himself;

A lump-sum payment of up to $950 will be made to eligible taxpayers from April 2009. The bonus will be available to Australian resident taxpayers who paid tax in the 2007-08 financial year after taking into account available tax offsets and credits.

I am still unsure if this means you had to have paid the Government back some tax from 07-08, or if they mean you have to have paid some form of income tax (ie. had a job with income that was taxed). So if you got money back from the Government/ATO in 07-08 you get nothing?

 

[BradK]

Water pipeline

Why can't the nation build a massive water pipe from up north to down south?

Good point... I am very much with you

Also, let us redirect SOME of our super onto our homeloans seeing that these clowns dont know how to handle it properly.

Brad

 

[So_Cynical]

I'm just happy im getting something...hopefully 950 bucks.

However im still going to follow my informal voting policy.

Would of been nice if they just spent 3 or 4 billion on something
new, that we actually need...even wind farms or a couple of
biomass burning plants....anything?

Even some of those big property's on the darling that guzzle water,
1 or 200 jobs planting them out to natives would of only cost 20 or
30 mill.

 

[Smurf1976]

I guess being in the line of work you are in your business will suffer in the latest "downturn" unless you can turn your hand to the infrastructure spending Gov't are going to do with civil engineering projects.

...

I am about to spend $150,000 on renovating one of my stores. No backhoe needed though !

...

I don't need a backhoe though .. what the hell was that in there for

I think you've answered your own question there. Buy backhoes now, quote on building the civil works as part of stiumuls package 3. More backhoes, more unemployed to operate them = the quotes should be lower. That's my best guess anyway.

Then wait for the "First Excavator Owners Grant" (FEOG) and then the "Pick and Shovel Purchase Grant" (PSPG). After that comes the "Tip Truck Shared Equity Scheme" (TTSES).

With that lot we should be well equiped to dig trenches. Lots of trenches. Trenches all over the country. And in doing so we'll finally build a decent broadband network, hopefully with some water pipes thrown in to fix that problem as well.

It might not be as far fetched and ridiculous as it sounds. It wouldn't be the first time someone tried to fight a depression by building power stations which really isn't hugely different in a "big picture" sense to rolling out a broadband or water network. Actually, with the recent blackouts in Vic and SA, we might as well build power plants too.

An internet, water and power led recovery coming your way soon...

 

[Glen48]

Wonder if I should buy one of them US of A printing machines so I can sell shredded USD for insulation?

 

[brettc4]

I hate trying to work out these things, one little word can trip you up and has done in the past.

For the $950 for low/middle earners less that $100,000, is that for an individual or family.

Individual my wife and I earn less than $100,000, but a little bit more when combined. Will we be eligible for 2 * $950, or nothing like usual?

Thanks,
Brett