stormbird

This explains everything a little more clearly......


This year, taxpayers will receive an Economic Stimulus Payment. This is
a very exciting new program that I will explain using the Q and A
format:

Q. What is an Economic Stimulus Payment?
A. It is money that the federal government will send to taxpayers.

Q. Where will the government get this money?
A. From taxpayers.

Q. So the government is giving me back my own money?
A. Only a smidgen.

Q. What is the purpose of this payment?
A. The plan is that you will use the money to purchase a
High definition TV set or a new computer, thus stimulating the economy.

Q. But isn't that stimulating the economy of China?
A. Shut up.

farrermog

It seems that among those complaining most are those who missed out on their bonus at work and are likely to miss out on stimulus at home and from the government. The rest of us will take any stimulus we can get.

Bushranger

I think your final word was quite apt stormer, especially since you're bordering if nit having crossed over on plaguerism from the Lounge!

LizzyF

Very good stormbird, but perhaps you could explain something for me... are those people who are getting the $938 ( or whatever) happy to get that knowing that the debt for every taxpayer then will be $4,500 in exchange for that $938? If getting $938 in hand gives me $4,500 debt that they can stick it. I would rather see reduced taxation and money spent on the rebuilding of communities in both Victoria and Queensland - that at least will create jobs. What a silly country.

stormbird

Hi Lizzy,

I hear you sister!! I am struggling to make any sense of this package and I completely agree with your comments.

I was going to follow with a political comment but I'll let it go. I thought the joke was enough. But I say let's get the projects happening and people employed.

Bushranger - I'm sorry but once again I haven't got a clue what you're talking about!

Bushranger

I'll say it very clearly then Stormer!

A very similar thread was in the lounge re similar sentiments aired in the media.

As far as political comments go, I wonder if Krudds bandy legs do come from way too much knee jerking?
He and the government have certainly seemed to be at economy panic stations the last few months, that's when he's not taking time off to watch the cricket or doing his own plaguarising writings on the greedy.

stormbird

Well, Bushranger I don't believe I've read that thread over in the Lounge. Someone sent my post to me as an email - with no disclaimer attached - so I thought I would post it here to see the responses.

Yours comes as no surprise whatsoever!!!!!

farrermog

All this expert commentary should have been put before the Senate committee - you all obviously know something that Treasury and the Reserve Bank don't. I do understand of course that for neo libs and cons and others now outside the tent the efficacy of the stimulus response has the potential for even more far reaching implications than complicity in the conduct that gave us the GFC in the first place. Have to admit though that my gut feelings (more sensitive than bile) were that things may not be quite as bad as made out, but hey, it's just too good an opportunity for an old New Dealer to pass up. You'll love this reproduced in today's bolshie <i>Canberra Times</i> from the editor of <i>Guardian America</i> exhorting small 'l' liberals to revel in the new age upon us - &quot;I love the smell of stimulus spending in the morning. It smells like... victory.&quot;

Bushranger

Wow farrermog!

Any relationship to a farmers bog?

And surely around Canberra for a fine day there's plenty of fog.

Not too sure what expert comments you feel ought to go to Senate committees but do please be clearer with your next blog.

farrermog

Farmers' bog is damn good bait - works every time.

Hey Bushranger, who's your favourite namesake? Was a bit of a Ben Hall fan myself as a kid, but gave away thoughts about taking up the trade when the police got helicopters.

Bushranger

Yep, don't think there's much of a life to be had the wrong side of the law farrer, helicopters or not.

Never really read up too much on the namesakes and other than having a soft spot like just about everyone for Ned, suppose I could frrl some affinity for Captain Thunderbolt, having read a novel way back and travelled the New England ranges areas a bit, think he was also known as Captain Midnight and then the &quot;Wild Colonial Boy&quot; Jack donohue, changed to Jack or John Dooland for too many people were singing the WCB, sort of unofficial national anthem for a while.

You've reminded me that on my next trip south I should make a point of taking my time and stopping at some of the old bush pubs with connections.

Jed

Is this about a stimulus package in Australia or the Pacific?

LizzyF

Jed, Australia props up a lot of small countries in the Pacific and if we don't have some sort of economy then we cannot do that soooooooooo this is about Australia - which is the largest country in the Pacific and as Australians then I guess we have some sort of right to talk about our economic package.

LizzyF

Farremog - this was in yesterdays Australian newspaper
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au...3-7583,00.html and I believe that these points would have been put before the Senate BUT I also think that a lot of Senators will take a line that will get them headlines in Newspapers and not necessarily what is best for the country.

farrermog

Only slightly off-topic some may say, but for anyone interested in visiting bushranger sites in NSW and Victoria, Peter C. Smith's <i>Tracking Down the Bushrangers</i> is well worth having, if you can find a copy.

There are for example quite a number of sites in easy reach of Sydney or, better still, Canberra - the Bushranger Hotel at Collector, adjacent to the spot where Hall's gang shot and killed Constable Nelson [the highly regarded Lynwood Cafe - about to change hands - is a great place for lunch, just down the road], John Gilbert's grave just outside Binalong on the Young road, graves at Gundagai of police killed by Gilbert and Captain Moonlite, Ben Hall's grave at Forbes (close to the grave of one of Ned Kelly's sisters who drowned in the Forbes lagoon), Eugowra Rocks, near Forbes, where Frank Gardiner's gang held up the gold escort [Gardiner was one of the few bushrangers to escape a violent death - he saw out his days in San Francisco], among many others.

The National Library in Canberra holds the papers of the popular historian Frank Clune who wrote <i>Wild Colonial Boys</i>, a revolver said to belong to Ben Hall and a gold medallion awarded to the Faithfull boys who took on Hall's gang on their property near Goulburn.

Bushranger history and folk lore was quite popular a while back (in the years around the centenaries of many of the main events), with bushranging reenactment weekends (such as the one I attended in the village of Murringo near Young in 1974), but interest seems to have waned as older popular history buffs have dropped off and the four wheel drives of their descendants have found more interesting exploring further afield.

Bushranger

To the contrary farrer, so much on topic for you cannot forget the old pubs as far as stimulus being needed.

Jed should know that and that it is far better for the public to be associated with stimulating local economies much more so than hearing pollies mouthing off on it.

The Bushranger did come to mind and it is typical of when something is in your own backyard and you do not bother with it for I lived in Goulburn a number of years and travelled over to Canberra often enough but like on trips between A to Z you rarely bother stopping at J or Q.
My one memorable stop near Collector was at about 3 am one frosty morning and seeing as there was little traffic as you would expect and in a car on which the speedo had just failed, a company car actually and so I was not flying but quite possibly motoring a tad above the limit and blow me over with a feather for who is out on the Federal Hwy that time of a morning but a Motor Cycle Copper - he must have been freezing!

Cheap rooms there too as you get in most country pubs, something our overseas travellers usually give a miss.
Surveyor General in Berrima is another to be tried.

farrermog

Yeah, the wallopers were always pretty active both ends of Goulburn and around Collector. Pub breakfasts were much looked forward to (in the days before cholesterol counts) and there were some pretty decent steak sandwiches to be had at small town rodeos. Perhaps there's something to be said for a rubbity-led recovery - we'll be happy if it works and past caring if it doesn't.

Jed

Lizzy &lt;I guess we have some sort of right to talk about our economic package.&gt;

Indeed, you do. But it was not clear to me which country was being discussed. Since the US stimulus will affect other countries, I just wanted to make sure. I assumed there was no problem in asking a simple question.
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Bushranger &lt;Jed should know that and that it is far better for the public to be associated with stimulating local economies much more so than hearing pollies mouthing off on it.&gt;

I'm not sure how that applies to my question.

LizzyF

Sorry Jed, didn't mean to be mean - guess the horror that has been going on here in Australia i.e the deaths and destruction have taken a toll.

LizzyF

PS Jed: I guess my first reply to you was about as well thought out as the Economic Stimulus system that is about to occur in Australia which will do bloody nothing except put everyone in debt for years to come. If, and its a very big if, it does anything good then I will be very pleased but I fail to see that it will and only an ostrich with its head in the sand or up its .... would think otherwise.