Suggestion for the Flood Levy

[Cambridge Clarrie]

I'm surprised the resident communists on here aren't showing more support for Chairman Gillard and Deng Xiao Swan...

[redandblack]

I'm surprised the resident communists on here aren't showing more support for Chairman Gillard and Deng Xiao Swan...

Oh, Clarrie, that is just a devastatingly funny post.

I can't believe this levy is being opposed, especially by those right-wingers who were silent about the gun levy, the East Timor levy, the Ansett levy, etc, etc.

People's flood donations so far would go directly to those who have lost their homes or similar. The flood levy will go towards infrastructure.

To those generous people who are upset that they might have to 'donate' twice, I calculated how much the levy would be per week for its one year in effect, on a taxable income of $60,000.


Answer:

96 cents a week.

Sometimes I think some people are just happiest when they're whinging.

[scoob]

BER halls for schools, Insulation etc....

Wish I owned a Civil Company in Queensland at the moment - Charge what you want and walk away with $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

Give away money to Low income earners when you need money spent then only tax the high income earners when you feel the need to raise money - Robin Hood...

Myself and my GF are middle age workers with no kids paying our taxes with no tax offsets/government hand outs - yet we are again slugged to pay for something the Government could quite easily pull out of the budget... Why?

Why are low income earners exempt - why are people in flood effected areas exempt? Seems harsh but if its is for their infastructure than why shouldnt they pay? Presume they are still earning and still paying tax... It's not my fault they have not been insured proper? If they want to gamble with they biggest investment, just to save some extra $$$'s per month its not up to me to pick up the bill... I feel very dissalustioned by this whole situation and I feel Im not the only one... This levy has done wonders to remove the goodwill/generousity that the Aussie public were showing 3 days ago... Shame

[Drop Bear]

I don't agree with the tax because I don't trust the Government one bit, but if I was earning over $50K per year I'd be quite happy.

[dedja]

Sigh ... the money isn't going to individuals, its to repair and replace infrastructure like roads, bridges, water, power, etc so has SFA to do with whether people have insured their homes or not.

Where does any government pull an unforecasted $5B-$6B out of their arse?

As has been highlighted, the idea of a levy isn't new and the coalition has used it many times in the past so their stance against it is highly hippocritical to say the least.

A few dollars (at most) a week isn't going to hurt those that can afford it ... me included.

[scoob]

Sigh... Its 1.8B that they are raising from the tax not $5-6... They are somehow pulling $4B out of their arse, so what is 1.8B? I think the return to surplus in the election year is the driving force behind this levy.
I never said that it was for the individual - Just asking why the flood effected people and low income earners were exempt?
I am quite aware that it isnt a new concept - also don't agree with the Ansett Levy etc.
Can someone tell me if the Save the Murray levy is paid by all Australians?

[Cambridge Clarrie]

I'm surprised the resident communists on here aren't showing more support for Chairman Gillard and Deng Xiao Swan...

Oh, Clarrie, that is just a devastatingly funny post.

I can't believe this levy is being opposed, especially by those right-wingers who were silent about the gun levy, the East Timor levy, the Ansett levy, etc, etc.

People's flood donations so far would go directly to those who have lost their homes or similar. The flood levy will go towards infrastructure.

To those generous people who are upset that they might have to 'donate' twice, I calculated how much the levy would be per week for its one year in effect, on a taxable income of $60,000.


Answer:

96 cents a week.

Sometimes I think some people are just happiest when they're whinging.

Glad you found it funny R&B. (I knew SA's president of the PLA wouldn't let me down )

I actually agree with you on this occasion!

Anyone who begrudges paying 1 dollar a week is pretty mean in my opinion...

As I understand it, the money will go towards roads, bridges, etc.

If it went to the people who didn't bother to insure, well, that would be an entirely different matter....

[dedja]

Sigh... Its 1.8B that they are raising from the tax not $5-6... They are somehow pulling $4B out of their arse, so what is 1.8B? I think the return to surplus in the election year is the driving force behind this levy.
I never said that it was for the individual - Just asking why the flood effected people and low income earners were exempt? I am quite aware that it isnt a new concept - also don't agree with the Ansett Levy etc.
Can someone tell me if the Save the Murray levy is paid by all Australians?

Because ...

1. it would be a bastard thing to do to hit the very people who were affected
2. because they can least afford it

Do you want everything to be user pays only?

[dedja]

I'm surprised the resident communists on here aren't showing more support for Chairman Gillard and Deng Xiao Swan...

Oh, Clarrie, that is just a devastatingly funny post.

I can't believe this levy is being opposed, especially by those right-wingers who were silent about the gun levy, the East Timor levy, the Ansett levy, etc, etc.

People's flood donations so far would go directly to those who have lost their homes or similar. The flood levy will go towards infrastructure.

To those generous people who are upset that they might have to 'donate' twice, I calculated how much the levy would be per week for its one year in effect, on a taxable income of $60,000.


Answer:

96 cents a week.

Sometimes I think some people are just happiest when they're whinging.

Glad you found it funny R&B. (I knew SA's president of the PLA wouldn't let me down )

I actually agree with you on this occasion!

Anyone who begrudges paying 1 dollar a week is pretty mean in my opinion...

As I understand it, the money will go towards roads, bridges, etc.

If it went to the people who didn't bother to insure, well, that would be an entirely different matter....

Great, now that you two have settled your differences, can you now concentrate your efforts on peace in the Middle East?

[scoob]

Sigh... Its 1.8B that they are raising from the tax not $5-6... They are somehow pulling $4B out of their arse, so what is 1.8B? I think the return to surplus in the election year is the driving force behind this levy.
I never said that it was for the individual - Just asking why the flood effected people and low income earners were exempt? I am quite aware that it isnt a new concept - also don't agree with the Ansett Levy etc.
Can someone tell me if the Save the Murray levy is paid by all Australians?

Because ...

1. it would be a bastard thing to do to hit the very people who were affected
2. because they can least afford it

Do you want everything to be user pays only?

Hell no - I only want the hard working people to pay - everyone else can get a free ride.

[dedja]

LOL ... or maybe just a tightarse that can't afford $1 a week for the less fortunate.

You're right though ... all (relatively) low income earner are bludgers, don't deserve any help and should HTFU.

[scoob]

LOL ... or maybe just a tightarse that can't afford $1 a week for the less fortunate.

Mate you don't who you are talking to? I have personally donated more than $1 a week for a year already and quite happily pay it for 4 years if it was necessary... Im saying its not - the government could get the money from elsewhere or pospone the returning to a surplus... Taxing the public again, sorry only 20% of the public, is not the answer and has proven to divide the public and destroy the willingness to make personal donations and goodwill gestures to those involved. All so at the next election the sitting Government can say they kept their promise of return the country to surplus.

[dedja]

Mate you don't who you are talking to?.

I've some clues ...

Myself and my GF are middle age workers with no kids paying our taxes with no tax offsets/government hand outs
...

Why are low income earners exempt - why are people in flood effected areas exempt?

...

Hell no - I only want the hard working people to pay - everyone else can get a free ride.

Oh, and I'm married with 3 daughters and I'd hazard a guess that pays lots more tax than you ... and gladly accepts that society should look after some of it's own sometimes.


Have a nice day!

[scoob]

Mate you don't who you are talking to?.

I've some clues ...

Myself and my GF are middle age workers with no kids paying our taxes with no tax offsets/government hand outs
...

Why are low income earners exempt - why are people in flood effected areas exempt?

...

Hell no - I only want the hard working people to pay - everyone else can get a free ride.

Oh, and I'm married with 3 daughters and I'd hazard a guess that pays lots more tax than you ... and gladly accepts that society should look after some of it's own sometimes.


Have a nice day!

I would hazard a guess you don't and you are my hero

Have a nice day

[dedja]

Jeez, I've forgotten what the thread was about now ... thanks for the chat Bargearse

[Psyber]

I have been wondering how many people who were about to donate have stopped short because they are expecting to be hit with the levy anyway.
This means that if the levy doesn't get through both houses their donation may be lost.
I'm OK - my Super isn't currently paying enough fore the proposed levy to affect me.

[once_were_warriors]

BER halls for schools, Insulation etc....

Wish I owned a Civil Company in Queensland at the moment - Charge what you want and walk away with $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

Give away money to Low income earners when you need money spent then only tax the high income earners when you feel the need to raise money - Robin Hood...

Myself and my GF are middle age workers with no kids paying our taxes with no tax offsets/government hand outs - yet we are again slugged to pay for something the Government could quite easily pull out of the budget... Why?

Why are low income earners exempt - why are people in flood effected areas exempt? Seems harsh but if its is for their infastructure than why shouldnt they pay? Presume they are still earning and still paying tax... It's not my fault they have not been insured proper? If they want to gamble with they biggest investment, just to save some extra $$$'s per month its not up to me to pick up the bill... I feel very dissalustioned by this whole situation and I feel Im not the only one... This levy has done wonders to remove the goodwill/generousity that the Aussie public were showing 3 days ago... Shame

Just be happy with what you got and can achieve, don't worry what others receive or you will become even more bitter.
Some People give more , some people get more, but in the scheme of things I couldn't think of a better country to live in. ( maybe Canada or New Zealand would run close)

[redandblack]

I have been wondering how many people who were about to donate have stopped short because they are expecting to be hit with the levy anyway.
This means that if the levy doesn't get through both houses their donation may be lost.
I'm OK - my Super isn't currently paying enough fore the proposed levy to affect me.

I'm so glad you're OK, Psyber.

Can't have you worrying about paying 96 cents a week to help repair Queensland.

[Squawk]

A point of clarification here -

the total cost estimated to date is $5.62b, comprised of

$3.9b (Qld impact)
$1.0b (other flood affected states and territories)
$720m for payments made to individuals and businesses to date.
So yes, the total revenue to be used is actually paying individuals who have already claimed. That payment is in addition to any distributions from the Premier's Flood appeal.

There are some other sneaky things going on as well with this mechanism.

What will be VERY interesting will be what happens in the next few weeks, for a number of reasons. One reason is that NSW goes into caretaker period in a fortnight or so. After crying poor and imposing the levy, we all wait with baited breath to see how many $ Julia commits to NSW if Labor is re-elected. Every $ commitment is $1 less that all of Australia needn't pay.

Im not personally saying that Qld doesn't need help and money to rebuild - their own costs are estimated in todays Qld budget announcement to be $5b. The point is, how should they be assisted? Cwlth money is the obvious place, except the Cwlth is not actually putting its hand in its own pocket yet - it is putting its hand in taxpayer's pockets and the governments and businesses who are foregoing business due to program cuts.

[Psyber]

I have been wondering how many people who were about to donate have stopped short because they are expecting to be hit with the levy anyway.
This means that if the levy doesn't get through both houses their donation may be lost.
I'm OK - my Super isn't currently paying enough fore the proposed levy to affect me.

I'm so glad you're OK, Psyber.
Can't have you worrying about paying 96 cents a week to help repair Queensland.

I meant that I don't have to second guess making a donation [and how much] to allow for the government demanding extra as well, and I can act autonomously.
I thought that was clear from the context of my post...

[ Autonomy is what I'm all about, not primarily money. I don't like being told what to do or think, by people who think they know best, or who are sure they are right.]