24 March 2009

Spend my pretties! Spend!

| johnboy
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Our Chiefly Leader commands that you stay in town this easter and blow your stimulus locally.

    The print, television and radio advertising campaign is similar to the one conducted prior to last Christmas, encourages Canberrans to shop locally and spend time in the ACT over the Easter long weekend.

    “Due to the current global economic situation, it is important that the ACT Government continues to actively support the local business community in any way we can. We need to work together to help cushion our businesses, and their employees, from any significant decline in consumer confidence, and Canberrans spending their money locally is one way that we can all help,” Mr Stanhope said

    The campaign will run from 23 March to 5 April 2009 in all local media and is designed to coincide with the payment of the Federal Government’s Back-to-School Bonus, the Single Income FamilyBonus and the $900 Tax Bonus for Working Families.

    “The ‘one off’ government payments will mean that many Canberrans will have a little extra to spend and we’d like to see some of this money being spent in our local retail and hospitality outlets”, Mr Stanhope said.

Lord Stanhope suggests you have a holiday at home by attending the National Folk Festival, something we can agree on.

A little disappointing to see the recipients of the advertising loot though:

WIN Television, Southern Cross 10, Prime TV, The Canberra Times, City News, FM104.7, Mix 106, 2CA and 2CC.

Feeling a little bit like the last kid picked here!

So anyway, go on, I know you’ve been gagging to tell us all about how you’re going to spend your $900.

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peterh said :

Mr stanhope can ask us to spend the windfall we got from the govt locally. I disagree with the idea of blowing nearly $1,000 on frippery to appease him. That payment has been spent on local industry. Telstra and Actew bills. That will keep me and my non working wife and 3 kids with a phone and power, water etc.

are we a working family? I work, my wife looks after 3 kids. I have the better part of the deal.

Actually you would have paid those things anyway, so an economist would take that into account when considering where this money has ‘gone’. What you do with the money that you would have put onto those bills but now have spare, is essentially the affect of the stimulus.

Mr stanhope can ask us to spend the windfall we got from the govt locally. I disagree with the idea of blowing nearly $1,000 on frippery to appease him. That payment has been spent on local industry. Telstra and Actew bills. That will keep me and my non working wife and 3 kids with a phone and power, water etc.

are we a working family? I work, my wife looks after 3 kids. I have the better part of the deal.

Did Hockey run out of cliches to use already?

I didn’t see the interview (I don’t think? Not sure). But I guess it showed that Hockey is “all mouth and trousers”, a performer without enough substance.

Keating rolled him up before the lection, dismissing him as “that Shrek thing”.

When reading my reply ant you should know that I as a member of the Liberal Party, think that Lindsay Tanner is one of my favourite Federal politicians. I think he is one of the most intelligent, decent, and able people in our current House and Senate. Even though he badmouthed Milton Friedman and Arthur Laffer in that interview (which I thought was uncouth and false), I and many of the more intelligent members of the Liberal Party rate him highly.

It wasn’t Tanner, it was Hockey. He just did not have anything to say and it had nothing to do with Tanner’s performance or the questions of the interviewer. It was distraction and misdirection at its finest. It was ‘talk gibberish till they run out of time’ politics. It was appalling. That interview was a gift to Tanner wrapped in a pretty little box.

jakez said :

realityskin said :

johnboy said :

And yet he still knows more than Joe Hockey.

JOE IS A GOD

(Jakez): He really isn’t.

I was very disappointed with his performance on Lateline against Tanner just before he got the promotion.

It’s unusual for Hockey to do badly as he’s an entertaining fellow. But I think this speaks to Tanner’s considerable talent. IMO, Tanner is one of the most able people in parliament, he’s a clear thinker, wheras Hockey tends to be a bit all mouth and trousers.

Tanner, for instance, was one of the few in parliament to speak up about the inequity of taking from the childless to give to the childed, made some very clear points about it. I guess now they’re in government, he has to support the current policy but it’s nice to think that, behind closed doors, he’s one of those questioning the bandwagon.

Cletus 2 said :

jakez: so you couldn’t answer any of my questions and you have no idea how to do better yourself but you just know they are doing a bad job. OK.

Don’t get me wrong Cletus, the points you raised make for interesting debate in the right hands, however I just found the irreconcilable conflict between your your complaints and solution extremely interesting. I again note that you have not responded to the points that I have chosen to engage you on.

realityskin said :

johnboy said :

And yet he still knows more than Joe Hockey.

JOE IS A GOD

He really isn’t.

I was very disappointed with his performance on Lateline against Tanner just before he got the promotion.

jakez: so you couldn’t answer any of my questions and you have no idea how to do better yourself but you just know they are doing a bad job. OK.

I already spent mine on a new server & router. Both profits going interstate/overseas. Sorry Mr Stanhope

Cranky.

This story is done here.

I’m sorry for your loss but that’s the end of it.

JB,

Sorry to offend, but the topic is regarding Sonic requesting us to spend locally. Sonic derived lack of funds does cripple my erstwhile attempts to comply.

Jeez thumper, you don’t think I know what I want to run with?

It’s had a tonne of oxygen here, a great deal of it offtopic.

No More.

Cranky, You’re offtopic, and you raise this constantly.

Try other outlets, get a lawyer, but give it a rest here.

It was only on writing the above piece that the possibility of taking this further occurred to me. I have, until now, thought that exposing this bastardry on this forum might have convinced the ACT Labor Party to pay up, simply to shut me up. We are talking a very small amount, but it jars like hell when you can’t afford to lose it.

A little background. I did advertising for another candidate as well, and was instructed to invoice the candidate himself. The cheque in payment was issued by ACT Labor. I invoiced ACT Labor directly for the Hettinger material, but was told to invoice Hettinger himself.

Their system was obviously to pay via the ACT Labor campaign office, except for Hettinger, whom they disowned at the last minute. Just as my invoice hit their desk.

This was an anti-Hessinger campaign, but I am the meat in the sandwich, and probably the only loser financially.

A brilliant demonstration of the arrogance and bastardry of the ACT Labor back office.

Not eligable as I didn’t earn enough.

Assisted by the non-payment of a bill by Sonic and Co for material supplied to ACT Labor for the last election. (Hettinger’s campaign).

I would be taken to court if I pulled the same stunt. Unfortunately, I can’t afford to pursue the debt through the courts, and being business oriented, probably not within the ambit of the Small Claims Court. If anyone knows diferently, I would love to resolve this matter.

(looks suspiciously at caf) But I’m not a Working Family. I bet that those of us who aren’t Families are in fact meant to GIVE the nearest Family $900. Why would they give money to people who aren’t Families?

Much as I hate the middle class welfare and don’t like this whole payment thing…that’s a nice chip on your shoulder there ant.

And yet he still knows more than Joe Hockey.

Joe Hockey is everything I hate about the Labor Party, made worse by being in the Liberal Party.

caf said :

ant: As long as you earnt under $100k last financial year, paid tax, and did you tax return, you’ll get some Rudd Bucks. If you’ve changed your bank account since you did your tax return, you also need to let the ATO know.

(looks suspiciously at caf) But I’m not a Working Family. I bet that those of us who aren’t Families are in fact meant to GIVE the nearest Family $900. Why would they give money to people who aren’t Families?

I already spent mine today anyway. New tyres and new suspension, and i must say, the tyre place and the suspension place seemed to be experiencing pretty steady business.

Timberwolf654:58 pm 25 Mar 09

I put most of it towards the kids private school fee’s as that can be a killer through out the year…aren’t I good!

VYBerlinaV8_the_one_they_all_copy4:51 pm 25 Mar 09

Hazza – didn’t know you read RiotACT!

If you earn over 80 thou you will only get 600 bucks. OVer 90 thou = 300 bucks.
Over 100 thou you get nothing.

pepmeup said :

did you hear that wayne swans economic library burned down on the weekend, its a shame because three of the books weren’t even coloured in yet.

+1

johnboy said :

And yet he still knows more than Joe Hockey.

JOE IS A GOD

ant: As long as you earnt under $100k last financial year, paid tax, and did you tax return, you’ll get some Rudd Bucks. If you’ve changed your bank account since you did your tax return, you also need to let the ATO know.

Hazza said :

Dont worry about it, it turns out we arnt going to get the cash anyway. Check out what this guy has taken it upon himself to do.

http://www.theage.com.au/national/high-court-challenge-jeopardises-900-bonus-20090319-92ia.html

I actually hope he wins as we have been on the wrong track since the Engineers case. However he has no hope in hell of winning. Let’s look at the last High Court case that dealt with an expansionary reading of Constitutional sections in terms of Federal Power; Workchoices. The two justices who judged in the minority (Callinan and Kirby) are now gone. Besides Callinan, all of Howard’s appointees are centralists. Rudd’s picks are going to be centralists as well (as the ALP is upfront in its belief in centralism).

It’s not going to get any better any time soon.

Cletus 2 said :

jakez: no, it isn’t a system telling anybody how to think. As for what to do, so what? If you find a problem with that, you must either be an anarchist, or think any system that tells you what to do is as good as any other (which would basically equate to insanity).

That’s a hell of a rebuttal there Cletus. Allow me to put forward my own rebuttal. ‘YES IT IS!’.

On a completely technical point, I find your subsidiary explanation inadequate. Far from either being an anarchist or (well I’m not sure what you would call someone who believes that any system of the characteristics you describe is just as good as any other), I could also hypothetically think that some systems are better than others based on the level of control and rank them on that basis.

As for my emerging anarchy, I prefer to consider myself an incrementalist minarchist. I believe that Government is only justified to protect our life, liberty, and property. My views accord to a great extent with the views put forward in John Locke’s Two Treatises of Government. As an incrementalist I believe in gradual change so as to avoid the shocks that would inevitably come from substantial policy change.

Hookers and Blackjack.

Pity Mr Rudd thought some of us on low income don’t need his money. Bastard.

peterh said :

pepmeup said :

I should have know this sight was left

depends where you are looking from.

Straight to the pool room!

grunge_hippy7:55 pm 24 Mar 09

what $900?

we get nada. shame that, I like spending money.

jakez said :

They are still taxed, it’s just going back to the reduced rate.

Some mates and I were in the Phoenix and wanted to celebrate the demise of the Alcopops tax increase by buying a round of alcopops.

Whaaa, whos dropped prices? Local Liquor and Woolworths Liquor sure havent. If anything, their prices have increased slightly over the last month or so, at least when I bought a 6-pack of bourbon last night.

Eh? The $900 bonus is for “working families”? Bugger. I finally thought I was in with a chance at some of the public loot that’s been flung around for the last few years. But no, it appears that this to is only for those squirting out mini-mes. The childless don’t qualify. Second class citizens, as usual.

Actually, I think we may get something this time around…

This depends. Personally, Im on a low-income so I was lucky enough to claim back of the tax I paid last year. To be eligible for this payment, you have to have earnt under $100,000 and have paid more tax than you claimed back. If you fall into the ‘low income’ bracket, which I believe is under $15k, youre not eligible. At least, thats how I read the ATO website anyway.

Dont worry about it, it turns out we arnt going to get the cash anyway. Check out what this guy has taken it upon himself to do.

http://www.theage.com.au/national/high-court-challenge-jeopardises-900-bonus-20090319-92ia.html

Well, I don’t pretend to know how it should be handled, but this:

http://business.smh.com.au/business/geithner-gives-rudd-an-a-on-rescue-measures-20090324-985w.html

Gives me a pretty good idea that we’re not doing a good job 🙂

What do you think should happen? I mean, if housing is over inflated, I would naively think it would be far better to let the market come back to earth than to prop up prices by handing out big grants. On the other hand, construction industries and their suppliers would benefit, but on the other hand do we already have enough housing and prices just being driven up by speculators (if so then it is not very productive to build more houses just for the sake of it).

But really, I think these short term kinds of things are pretty much a drop in the ocean and just make it look like the government is doing something. Much longer term work is really needed to improve efficiency of the economy, help insulate it from fluctuating markets like resources, improve education and training for people so they can adapt to changes in demand and compete with labour overseas at lower living costs and standards, able to retain stability at low or negative growths… None of that can be done in a few months.

pepmeup said :

I should have know this sight was left

depends where you are looking from.

Joe Hockey being a self-confessed economic illiterate is somehow the fault of this site?

If only I knew how to parlay this power into gold bricks.

but i guess as it is 5:30 and all public servants are home or on there way there that there will not be that much more written tonight.

I should have know this sight was left

And yet he still knows more than Joe Hockey.

the rudd gov did not cause this they are just playing it extremly poorly,

did you hear that wayne swans economic library burned down on the weekend, its a shame because three of the books weren’t even coloured in yet.

Ruby Wednesday5:27 pm 24 Mar 09

We just had some security screens fitted at the new house. The old flyscreens were being held on by blutack, so this is a definite improvement. And Kevin will be paying for most of that. I figured I would get in and get the work done before everyone got the stimulus, which would mean everyone else trying to book tradesmen at the same time.

Pommy bastard5:25 pm 24 Mar 09

I’m planning a holiday in the UK this summer.

What?

pepmeup: If you think the Rudd government caused this, then I think you’re a moron. With an economy so tied to raw mining exports, how would you suggest we could avoid recession and job losses when demand from our biggest trading partners slackens significantly?

We should be increasing investment in higher education, and high tech niches where we can actually compete, without resorting to unsustainable growth in non-renewable resources. I suspect that SOME governments are traditionally very adverse to higher education for the primary reason that a significant portion of their voters are less well educated.

Not that I think this handout is a particularly rational response, but it’s a good deal better (less bad?) than spending insane amounts on unaccountable handouts to big corporations like what is happening in the US.

Steady Eddie5:18 pm 24 Mar 09

Paying off my credit card debt.

jakez: no, it isn’t a system telling anybody how to think. As for what to do, so what? If you find a problem with that, you must either be an anarchist, or think any system that tells you what to do is as good as any other (which would basically equate to insanity).

I’m spending 2 grand tomorrow on some new tyres, and some much-needed suspension work (Capital Suspension, thanks for the recommendations, turns out the work needed was quite different from the original quote!).

So provided the childless are permitted to be given money, rather than have it taken off them as is usually the case, my share of plunging the country into more debt will almost pay for half of it.

Two words: Lotto. Tickets.

Spending it on a carpenter to do some work on a big set of steps on our deck.

This not only helps us to improve the value of our property, but some of the cash then goes back to the taxman, some to a timber yard and the rest goes to put food on the chippy’s table.

A good old fashioned win win…

im buying 3 bottles of Dom, money straight over to france. but I wanty this package to fail along with the economy to teach labor voters a lesson in voting for change alone. come on the rudd ression.

Starscream @ work said :

Straight into the savings acount.

me too. considering that it is an austrlian owned bank, I will help in some small way…

DarkLadyWolfMother said :

jakez, it was sarcasm. Except for me not getting stimulated that is.

I’d still go down the coast for a relaxing long weekend with my friend, no matter how good the campaign is.

Yep cool, I’m a jerk I know.

DarkLadyWolfMother4:30 pm 24 Mar 09

No, male escort service.

Here I was hoping you were going to raise cocks for another series of Puppetry of the Penis.

Or is that market too crowded now?

DarkLadyWolfMother4:25 pm 24 Mar 09

jakez, it was sarcasm. Except for me not getting stimulated that is.

I’d still go down the coast for a relaxing long weekend with my friend, no matter how good the campaign is.

Cletus 2 said :

Anti protectionist shills are the ones who get rich and powerful from centralisation of the global economy (or those people duped by them, eg. via mass media).

Not that total protectionism is a good thing either, but the fact is that we aren’t even close to factoring in the impact of negative externalities, in my opinion (I’m not an economist, but that probably helps me see the forest for the trees).

Buying something from, say, China is fine if they can produce it more cheaply due to abundance of labour. It is not fine if they can produce it more cheaply because of lower environmental standards, lower OHS standards, lower safety standards of the product being produced etc. In that case you’d need to add appropriate tariffs to allow the chance to compete locally.

Economists also think it is OK to put people out of work if it means a net gain for productivity/efficiency becaues those people can be supported by those gains, with more left over. But the fact is that firstly, they aren’t supported to the same standard, and secondly there are negatives associated with people being unemployed. A lot of people become stressed or depressed or feel disconnected from society if they aren’t being employed. Now the best outcome of course is to train those people in areas where we can compete better, but particularly the more pro-globalisation governments are strangely adverse to education, which is just crazy.

The fact is that the people telling you what is good for you and telling you how to think and running global corporations and governments are the ones who create these problems. Don’t let them tell you they had no idea it was coming — do a bit of reading from sources not fed to you by big media. Market manipulation by the supposed, self proclaimed free market pure capitalists is what causes these kinds of crashes, and it’s done to consolidate and increase wealth and power.

Paragraphs 1-4: Advocating for a system that tells you what to think and do.
Paragraph 5: Blames current crisis on the people that tell you what to think and do.

…Well I absolutely agree with paragraph 5!

emd said :

My money’s going on fitout for the shop I’m opening in Canberra, retailing lots of Australian made and imported products that are fair trade/sweatshop free.

Fair trade free? I’m THERE!

ant said :

Eh? The $900 bonus is for “working families”? Bugger. I finally thought I was in with a chance at some of the public loot that’s been flung around for the last few years. But no, it appears that this to is only for those squirting out mini-mes. The childless don’t qualify. Second class citizens, as usual.

There are a couple of different payments. Individuals are getting a slice of the debt being taken in their name to spend themselves this time.

Anti protectionist shills are the ones who get rich and powerful from centralisation of the global economy (or those people duped by them, eg. via mass media).

Not that total protectionism is a good thing either, but the fact is that we aren’t even close to factoring in the impact of negative externalities, in my opinion (I’m not an economist, but that probably helps me see the forest for the trees).

Buying something from, say, China is fine if they can produce it more cheaply due to abundance of labour. It is not fine if they can produce it more cheaply because of lower environmental standards, lower OHS standards, lower safety standards of the product being produced etc. In that case you’d need to add appropriate tariffs to allow the chance to compete locally.

Economists also think it is OK to put people out of work if it means a net gain for productivity/efficiency becaues those people can be supported by those gains, with more left over. But the fact is that firstly, they aren’t supported to the same standard, and secondly there are negatives associated with people being unemployed. A lot of people become stressed or depressed or feel disconnected from society if they aren’t being employed. Now the best outcome of course is to train those people in areas where we can compete better, but particularly the more pro-globalisation governments are strangely adverse to education, which is just crazy.

The fact is that the people telling you what is good for you and telling you how to think and running global corporations and governments are the ones who create these problems. Don’t let them tell you they had no idea it was coming — do a bit of reading from sources not fed to you by big media. Market manipulation by the supposed, self proclaimed free market pure capitalists is what causes these kinds of crashes, and it’s done to consolidate and increase wealth and power.

Eh? The $900 bonus is for “working families”? Bugger. I finally thought I was in with a chance at some of the public loot that’s been flung around for the last few years. But no, it appears that this to is only for those squirting out mini-mes. The childless don’t qualify. Second class citizens, as usual.

My money’s going on fitout for the shop I’m opening in Canberra, retailing lots of Australian made and imported products that are fair trade/sweatshop free.

Heaps of cases of glorious tax free, evil, teenage killing alcopops, which I shall then piss up against the wall.

They are still taxed, it’s just going back to the reduced rate.

Some mates and I were in the Phoenix and wanted to celebrate the demise of the Alcopops tax increase by buying a round of alcopops.

Lemon Ruski’s were $9.50 each.

We decided to wait until the price decrease went through (and at a different venue).

VYBerlinaV8_the_one_they_all_copy3:47 pm 24 Mar 09

VY, you wanted to use the stimulus to start your own chicken farm?

No, male escort service.

DarkLadyWolfMother said :

Darn, I wish I’d seen this campaign before organising a trip down the coast over Easter. I’m sure it would have made me stay home.

Though since I don’t get any stimulus, then it’s probably no loss!

My arrogant nature makes me always assume the worst in people. Tell me that is sarcasm.

DarkLadyWolfMother3:26 pm 24 Mar 09

Darn, I wish I’d seen this campaign before organising a trip down the coast over Easter. I’m sure it would have made me stay home.

Though since I don’t get any stimulus, then it’s probably no loss!

VYBerlinaV8_the_one_they_all_copy said :

No stimulus for the Berlina family…

Cocks.

VY, you wanted to use the stimulus to start your own chicken farm?

Protectionism is a fraud in the good times and it is a fraud in the bad times. I don’t believe in reducing consumer wealth and wellbeing simply so that a particular lobby (local business) can get a bit more cash in the till.

As for the $900, I will be saving it as I need to take a long term investment strategy so that I can in the future cope with repaying the $4100 that the Government spent on my behalf as part of its stimulus package, and the $900 that it will be giving to me.

Actually, considering that I may be going to the US for a couple of months later in the year I guess the money that comes to me will be well and truly ‘wasted’.

and things that attract as much taxation as possible (like cigarettes or gambling).

This doesn’t make much sense to me. Surely that just gives the money straight back to the government. It would make more sense to seek out businesses with the most possible local input costs from diverse sources. That way as much as possible will be spread amongst transport, ingredients, staff etc. Of course, that only helps if those people receiving the money then also doesn’t go straight to JB-HF and drop it on a Sony Product.

“local prostitutes, local performance acts, local bars that produce their own product, local services , domestic tourist holidays, and things that attract as much taxation as possible (like cigarettes or gambling).”

You’re preaching to the choir, man.

There are plenty of Australian businesses if you look for small family businesses.
Sheepskin products are a good bet – car seat covers or ugh boots.
Or stuff from Ebay or Etsy.
Or local gourmet foods.

Mine’s gong to be a new kitchen floor – dunno if it’s Australian or not…

Starscream @ work3:02 pm 24 Mar 09

Straight into the savings acount.

You can’t spend it on iconic branded food, we don’t own those.
You can’t spend it on tinned food, subsidies and globalisation has meant it is cheaper for Canberrans to buy tomatoes tinned in Italy and shipped acorss the world than buy the tinned tomatoes from around Sydney.
Don’t spend it on fuel, it will end up either in Russia, Africa, or in the US.
You can’t spend it on electronics, it’ll go to China after leaving the hands of Bing Lee\Harvey Norman\Jb HiFi.
If you buy pretty shiny things for David Jones, also to China after leaving their hands.
Nor computer parts, we don’t produce those here, probably to Taiwan, China, India.
If you spend it on clothing, again to China, India, Indonesia, or parts of Africa.

To maximise its impact on the Australian economy:
Spend it on garage sales, plants & vegetables you find down at the flea markets,
local prostitutes, local performance acts, local bars that produce their own product, local services , domestic tourist holidays, and things that attract as much taxation as possible (like cigarettes or gambling).
And encourage everyone who receives the profits on those items to do the same.

Don’t pay down debt with it, the point is to keep it liquid in the short-term.

Haven’t seen a cent yet, doubt we will.
Maybe we should have chosen Centrelink as a career choice?

Also debt. That’s the whizz-bang vacuum cleaner paid off!

VYBerlinaV8_the_one_they_all_copy2:40 pm 24 Mar 09

No stimulus for the Berlina family…

Cocks.

12 months rego for my car ($808), trailer ($52) and a slap-up meal of takeaway Chinese from the Golden Crown in Tuggeranong ($40). That’s it, all gone…

Debt here too. Yeah Yeah I know, not the intention… but I bet a lot of it gets used that way

I think we wll use ours to knock some debt on the head rather than spend it on superflous items.

Upgrade the home PC and a bit of work on the car, or if my wife gets a hold of it, the mortgage.

If I was entitled to the $900 I’d put it on red !

$900 worth of ginger beer. Just imagine it.

I am waiting until I see an advertisement for one of Fyshwick’s adult shops selling a “stimulus package”.

Otherwise, thinking I’ll get a bag and rack for the back of my motorcycle.

Inappropriate1:15 pm 24 Mar 09

Does it count if I stay in Canberra but buy stuff online from HK?

We have a new fridge, called Kevin

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