Christmas Road Blitz .. Revenue raising?

I heard a top copper say the other day, in an interview about the increased police activity on the roads over Christmas/New Year. "Every time we increase police activity, the old question of revenue raising comes up".

Well Duh! That statement in itself insults my intelligence, let alone the subject to which it refers. Politicians and the police keep saying that their measures save lives, and yet the death toll does not decrease. They spend millions on new speed cameras, police pursuit vehicles and increased activity, but where does all this equipment get unleashed? on our best and safest roads where it is guaranteed massive traffic flow and therefore increased numbers of offenders, hence more revenue. Where do the majority of deaths occur? Country and Suburban roads, that's where. You see, not enough revenue can be raised in those locations, due to low traffic flow, so they get on the money-go-round on major highways.
Their insulting rhetoric might be laughable if it wasn't contributing to the road toll. By playing greedy political games, they are taking their eye of the real problems of, poor education, poor roads, and lack of presence on lesser roads and highways. They take the easy options where they can make the most money, then bullshit to us that they are making a difference.
I don't pretend to have the answers, but then again, I am not paid the big bucks to come up with them. But please, don't give us the problems, give us the solutions, we know that DUI and speed contribute to road accidents, but so do the more difficult problems to tackle, like fatigue and poor road conditions. For safety sake stop bullshitting to us. Spend at least some of the revenue you collect from the easy marks, on the actual problem areas. Fix the roads, take your speed and DUI detecting equipment to where the majority of road deaths actually occur, no matter how boring or financially unviable.
Have a great and safe New Year.

Dottery Old Paul Keating.

Is Paul Keating a wanker or what?

He rails on about people who are not interested in a Republic, being either Monarchists or Drop Kicks who don’t get it, and he blathers in his own confrontational way, saying that the Drop Kicks are so because they don’t understand that the Monarchy is holding Australia back from becoming a great country. He goes on to say, that as long as we resist becoming a Republic we will never be a great country, that we should throw the Monarchy out and not wait until the “Old Lady” gives us her blessing.

He’s so full of these grandiose, motherhood statements that mean nothing.

How will Australia become greater by installing an Australian head of state Paul?

Is not Australia great now? How much greater can we get?

Which great republics would we emulate? Northern Island, South Africa, or Zimbabwe perhaps.

Perhaps we could become greater than the United States Paul.

I think we are doing just fine, up against the other republics of the world. Maybe even a smidge better Paul. And I don’t think we could become prouder as a people, of being Australian.

And, you want to change the flag. Will our soldiers fight harder under a new one Paul? I think not, our boys are already known as among the greatest warriors in the world.

Perhaps our Olympians would fair better draped in something else. Oh! But we already punch above our weight in most competitions.

Give us some compelling reasons, then we might listen to you, you old goat.

Maybe you just want to have a go at being President.

There may be some good reasons for becoming a republic, although I can’t think of any.

I just say, why fix it if it ain’t broke.

Fix The Economy?

This letter was in an email I received recently, I don't know who the author is, but I wish it was me. I thought it was worth repeating.

Dear Prime Minister,

Please find below our suggestion for fixing the Australias economy.

Instead of giving billions of dollars to banks that will squander the money on lavish parties and unearned bonuses, use the following plan.
 You can call it the Patriotic Retirement Plan:
 There are about 5 million people over 50 in the work force.
 Pay them Â$ 2 million each severance for early retirement with the following stipulations:
 1) They MUST retire.
Ten million job openings - unemployment fixed
 2) They MUST buy a new Australian car.
Ten million cars ordered - Car Industry fixed
 3) They MUST either buy a house or pay off their mortgage -
Housing Crisis fixed
 4) They MUST send their kids to school/college/university -
Crime rate fixed
 5) They MUST buy Â$100 WORTH of alcohol/tobacco a week .....
And there's your money back in duty/tax etc

It can't get any easier than that!

 Also:
Let's put the pensioners in jail and the criminals in a nursing home.
This way the pensioners would have access to showers, hobbies and walks.
They'd receive unlimited free prescriptions, dental and medical treatment, wheel chairs etc and they'd receive money instead of paying it out.
They would have constant video monitoring, so they could be helped instantly, if they fell, or needed assistance.
 Bedding would be washed twice a week, and all clothing would be ironed and returned to them.
 A guard would check on them every 20 minutes and bring their meals and snacks to their cell..
 They would have family visits in a suite built for that purpose.
 They would have access to a library, weight room, spiritual counselling, pool and education.
 Simple clothing, shoes, slippers, PJ's and legal aid would be free, on request.
 Private, secure rooms for all, with an exercise outdoor yard, with gardens.
 Each senior could have a PC a TV radio and daily phone calls.
 There would be a board of directors to hear complaints, and the guards would have a code of conduct that would be strictly adhered to.
 The criminals would get cold food, be left all alone and unsupervised. Lights off at 8pm, and showers once a week.  Live in a tiny room and pay Â$400.00 per week and have no hope of ever getting out.

Think about this (more points of contention):

COWS:
Is it just me, or does anyone else find it amazing that during the mad cow epidemic our government could track a single cow, born in Goondiwindi almost three years ago, right to the paddock where she slept in the feedlot at Bony Mountain?
 And, they even tracked her calves to their stalls. But they are unable to locate 125,000 illegal immigrants wandering around our country. Maybe we should give each of them a cow.
 Also:
Think about this ... If you don't want to forward this for fear of offending someone -- YOU ARE PART OF THE PROBLEM! It is time for us grumpy old folk of Australia to speak up!

You Are Selling Australia Out - Yes, I mean you, Dickhead.

I hear the clucking of the tongues when the Current Affairs programs tell us about the contaminated products from China and India, making their way to Australia, disguised as "trusted" brands such as McCain, through our loose import arrangements with our "Friends" from New Zealand.
When I speak to friends and acquaintances about the major chains pushing their home brands onto us, labeled "Manufactured in Australia from local & imported products", I see much hand wringing and hear angry dissent at the deception that foreign manufacturers play on us, in their greedy grab for our valuable dollars.
When we discuss how our farmers are having to plough their crops into the ground because they can't compete against the imports, no matter how contaminated or inferior they may be, there is complete agreement about how wrong it is.
In fact I don't think I have met anyone recently who admits to buying these products and causing the the slow collapse of our Australian Agricultural and Manufacturing Industries, it's almost as hard as it is to find a person who will admit to voting for this current Labor Government.
Enough People!! Do something for your country, listen to people like Dick Smith, put your money where your mouth is.
Buy only Australian Products.
Reject the self serving attempts by Cole's and Woolworth's to push us to home brands.
Don't bullshit to me and yourself about what you buy. I see far to many foreign and imported products in shopping trolleys.
Do something for Australia, someone has to. It's five minutes to midnight, almost too late.
I'm poor and I spent the extra few cents to keep Australia for Australians.
Do it for your children.

Re-distribution Of Wealth

No matter what they say up front, the government's C-Tax does nothing to improve the environment, and the rebates and handouts that they plan to give certain sectors of the community, will not make anyone better off once the tax bites into small business, which is not being compensated in any way. Grocery prices, fuel prices, and in fact the price of just about everything we buy, by their own admission, will rise. resulting in job loss and inflation. While at the same time putting our exporters at a distinct disadvantage.

This policy is just a very poor attempt to redistribute wealth. If they want to do this in an effective way, why not go right to the heart of the problem, greed.
The Banks, Major Grocers (Who also control Fuel Prices), Tel cos, Energy companies among other big business gluttons, who feed of the needs of the many, should be pulled into line and their greedy fees, charges and price gouging should be examined and capped. This would put hundreds of dollars into battlers pockets each month, across the board, giving us more discretionary dollars to spend in the economy, boosting small business, our major employer. Make these monsters work for their blood money, instead of just raising prices.
When was the last time you got good service from any of them. Do you think Cole's or Woolworth's are putting more home brands in each week for you, or for them, and what is this doing to our farmers? And where can you buy the brands that disappear?
Do you think the Banks are closing branches and putting staff of, forcing us to use more and more automated services and the Internet, and charging us for the privilege, for your good or theirs?
Instead of the government giving handouts to boost the economy, they could put legislation into place to let us keep more of what we earn. Sounds simple? Why not? Who said that these gluttons should get rich off our back, just because we need them. They take more than their share, it should be stopped. That would be true tax reform.