We hear how we cannot afford things like medicare payment increases for doctors, so they increase upfront costs or barr it all together.
We hear how we cannot afford teachers aides to disabled children, let alone proper facilities with schools for them.
We hear how we cannot afford to pay fires & ambo's overtime so stations are closed.
We hear how we cannot afford local emergency dispatchers so every 3 or so months we see deaths due to wrong information
We hear how we can't afford a NDIS
We hear how we cannot afford a duel carriageway national Hwy
We hear how we cannot afford to look after our Soldier's loved ones or even provide adequate care for those maimed
We hear how we cannot afford a national dental scheme
We here how an extra $20 p/week for new start or pensions will send us to the wall


The list is endless when it comes to things that benefit the whole community but we cannot afford.

Then I see this


Quote:

Olympics boss demands support despite $100m cash pile Australian Olympic Committee president John Coates has been calling for more taxpayer funding of elite sports at the same time as his organisation sits on a $100 million cash pile, financial accounts show. In addition to being president of the AOC, Mr Coates is chairman of the related Australian Olympic Foundation, an investment fund helmed by a group of business leaders. Mr Coates raised the alarm over sports funding in November when he warned Australia's London Olympics medal tally would be reduced because state sports institutes were not getting enough money. He had previously dismissed as "insulting" a 2009 government report calling for money to be diverted to grass-roots sports. Advertisement And he returned to the theme last week, saying a flood of money for swimming approved in 2010 came too late to salvage Olympic gold at London. This week Mr Coates blamed the federal government's failure to introduce compulsory school sport in the wake of Australia's disappointing London Olympics campaign. While the Australian Olympic Foundation was set up in 1996, it began seriously investing after receiving a $88.5 million injection after the 2000 Sydney Olympics. After paying a $6.3 million cash distribution to the AOC, the fund had $106 million at the end of 2011, down from $115 million the previous year. The government spends about $170 million a year on elite athletes, with most of the spending focused on Olympic sports. A high-powered committee headed by former opposition leader John Hewson oversees the Australian Olympic Foundation's investment strategy, which is heavily weighted towards shares and property assets that have been hammered by the US downturn and ongoing economic turmoil in Europe. In the annual report, filed in April, Mr Coates defended the foundation's strategy, saying it was designed to produce results over the "very long-term". "Over time these assets can be expected to provide stronger returns and growth than investments in bonds and cash," he said. Since the Sydney games, the foundation has paid cash distributions of $74 million to the AOC, he said. http://www.smh.com.au/business/olympics-boss-demands-support-despite-100m-cash-pile-20120807-23rbo.html

Don't even get me started on the fact Doctors/Engineers/teachers etc in fact every university student graduates with a debt, Tafe has been gutted "Because we cant afford it"
Yet athletes get a free ride at the AIS, then go on to earn millions in sponsorship not to mention being worshiped as a god by the Australian community.

But just watch, we'll have the money for them no problem, because a gold medal makes us all "feel good"
Bullsh!t the cost of that medal & what we as a society have forfeited for it

MAKES ME PUKE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

You're comparing apples with acorns.

Andrei.Hicks wrote on Aug 7^th, 2012 at 2:36pm:

You're comparing apples with acorns.

How do you figure that
Tax dollars for social improvement or tax dollars for athletes.
Its all tax dollars

Sure maybe the athletes tax dollars wouldn't completely cover the social programs, but it would go a long way to accomplishing something with a hell of a lot more value than a INDIVIDUAL gold medal.

Look I might even even be fine with the funding if they graduated with a H.E.C.S debt like real people do.

I graduated with a BSc and a MSc from two stages of uni without a cent of debt mate, so be careful with the "real people" comment. Last time I checked I was a real person.....


Anyway, to the point.
You can't compare.

You have areas of funding and you fund them - you don't bring in the argument of one set of funding v another.

You want to fund all those programs?

You know what? Cut foreign aid programs and you could fund them tomorrow.

We go on about how we are in debt etc - yet we hand hundreds of millions of dollars to fund programs in other countries.

We handed India millions in aid in the same year India spent a $1bn on a space program.

You want to look for gaps in the system - look no further than foreign aid.

Funding Australian athletes is fine by me - funding non Australians who have never done a thing for Australia is not fine.

A budget is made of many components, you can't compare one area with a totally different one.

Physical fitness and the pursuit of excellence is the last thing we should be spending money on. 

Far better to throw more money at grievance mongers like the HREOC, refugee advocates and university humanities departments. 

Andrei.Hicks wrote on Aug 7^th, 2012 at 3:02pm:

I graduated with a BSc and a MSc from two stages of uni without a cent of debt mate, so be careful with the "real people" comment. Last time I checked I was a real person..... Anyway, to the point. You can't compare. You have areas of funding and you fund them - you don't bring in the argument of one set of funding v another. You want to fund all those programs? You know what? Cut foreign aid programs and you could fund them tomorrow. We go on about how we are in debt etc - yet we hand hundreds of millions of dollars to fund programs in other countries. We handed India millions in aid in the same year India spent a $1bn on a space program. You want to look for gaps in the system - look no further than foreign aid. Funding Australian athletes is fine by me - funding non Australians who have never done a thing for Australia is not fine. A budget is made of many components, you can't compare one area with a totally different one.

I'm talking today's students, you were lucky, look up what your courses would saddle you with today.

Foreign Aid?????????????, Well that's hard to argue against with the examples you have provided.

I guess the main thrust of my gripe is (as usual these days) we have our priorities ass about face.

Andrei.Hicks wrote on Aug 7^th, 2012 at 3:02pm:

I graduated with a BSc and a MSc from two stages of uni without a cent of debt mate, so be careful with the "real people" comment. Last time I checked I was a real person.....

Nope. Obviously not. Real ppl get HECs debts. You are either one of the 1% (which i doubt) or a fibber or very old. Old enough to have gotten the free education we can no longer afford apparently.

SOB

I reckon we've wasted enough money on these spoilt brats..its time for them to get jobs and support themselves or have a HECS so they can pay back whatever the taxpayers put into them with interest

adelcrow wrote on Aug 7^th, 2012 at 3:54pm:

I reckon we've wasted enough money on these spoilt brats..its time for them to get jobs and support themselves or have a HECS so they can pay back whatever the taxpayers put into them with interest

If only you were as charitable to these Australians as you are towards country shoppers. 

... wrote on Aug 7^th, 2012 at 3:58pm:

adelcrow wrote on Aug 7th, 2012 at 3:54pm: I reckon we've wasted enough money on these spoilt brats..its time for them to get jobs and support themselves or have a HECS so they can pay back whatever the taxpayers put into them with interest If only you were as charitable to these Australians as you are towards country shoppers.

Wes, let us not disagree
Lets move forward arm in arm & strip funding from both of these parasites.

Let the sportspeople contribute back into the society that raised them up & let the refugee's adhere to the true spirit of the UNHCR & be happy with protection until return is possible.
Just like we did with the SERBS in the 90's

... wrote on Aug 7^th, 2012 at 3:58pm:

adelcrow wrote on Aug 7th, 2012 at 3:54pm: I reckon we've wasted enough money on these spoilt brats..its time for them to get jobs and support themselves or have a HECS so they can pay back whatever the taxpayers put into them with interest If only you were as charitable to these Australians as you are towards country shoppers.

I expect refugees to get jobs or sign on to uni and pay their HECS fees...there should be no free ride for anyone

I'm with you smithy.

Look at our schools, they're are slowly becoming privatised to private sporting organisations ie AFL and rugby league. What next? tennis Australia, basketball Australia, swimming Australia.

Soon they won't have any time left for reading and writing.

Our elite sportsmen and women get more funding than they deserve. The AIS and state institutes are sucking the life blood out of our communities.

Surely we can't give sports more and cut back on essential life-saving services, it's just stupid.

adelcrow wrote on Aug 7^th, 2012 at 4:04pm:

... wrote on Aug 7th, 2012 at 3:58pm: adelcrow wrote on Aug 7th, 2012 at 3:54pm: I reckon we've wasted enough money on these spoilt brats..its time for them to get jobs and support themselves or have a HECS so they can pay back whatever the taxpayers put into them with interest If only you were as charitable to these Australians as you are towards country shoppers.  I expect refugees to get jobs or sign on to uni and pay their HECS fees...there should be no free ride for anyone

Shame that centrelink doesn't.

I go along with smithy to some extent..sport to me is a GAME..and everyone wants a freebee trip to which ever country has the Olympics.. why wouldnt you??.

all you are asked to do is bring back a medal which is theres  not mine btw. even though we have paid for it..

we have had some shocking behavior from our so called athletes one was charged with assault and then went bankrupt to avoid paying his debt to the man he smashed..he then went on to bigger and better things no not a medal in fact a real flop. but pictures of himself on youtube armed to the teeth..after an appalling shooting in America.. didnt even have the sense not to post up that picture..then we have the rower then we have the whining because they get beaten by a better player on the day..

and so it goes on..personally I couldnt careless about medals..its an ego thing when all is said and done..but if thats what they are paid to do then at least be disciplined enough to put in a decent performance..and to set a good example of aussie behavior instead of thuggish.moronic. cant hold your drink behavior..

having a massive failure in the pool watch all the money in the future spent on these spoilt few..


having watch a program on the homeless the other night have you any idea how many are sleeping on the street every night?????

the idea of sport instead of war is good but its not like that. Wars still happen and sport costs lots of money. Britain is in a "double recession" apparently and here they are forking out for the olympics.

SOB

<<having watch a program on the homeless the other night have you any idea how many are sleeping on the street every night?????>>
......................................................................

Those people have a choice. They either fork out all their unemployment payment or single pension for rent and have nothing left for food and medication or they eat, buy their medicines and sleep rough (rent free).

Imagine how many sleep in their car at night. I personally know one 68 year old woman who does, in between house sitting jobs, which are few and far between.

I will never understand how sports can come before buying accommodation for the disadvantaged, but then again I'm a lefty and the underprivileged are my main concern.

Ex Dame Pansi wrote on Aug 8^th, 2012 at 7:04am:

<<having watch a program on the homeless the other night have you any idea how many are sleeping on the street every night?????>> ...................................................................... Those people have a choice. They either fork out all their unemployment payment or single pension for rent and have nothing left for food and medication or they eat, buy their medicines and sleep rough (rent free). Imagine how many sleep in their car at night. I personally know one 68 year old woman who does, in between house sitting jobs, which are few and far between. I will never understand how sports can come before buying accommodation for the disadvantaged, but then again I'm a lefty and the underprivileged are my main concern.

When I was in canberra i did a lil research and discovered that a high percentage of the couch surfer homeless there are women over 50.

SOB

Ex Dame Pansi wrote on Aug 8^th, 2012 at 7:04am:

<<having watch a program on the homeless the other night have you any idea how many are sleeping on the street every night?????>> ...................................................................... Those people have a choice. They either fork out all their unemployment payment or single pension for rent and have nothing left for food and medication or they eat, buy their medicines and sleep rough (rent free). Imagine how many sleep in their car at night. I personally know one 68 year old woman who does, in between house sitting jobs, which are few and far between. I will never understand how sports can come before buying accommodation for the disadvantaged, but then again I'm a lefty and the underprivileged are my main concern.

pansi there is a huge shortage of housing.. rudd and Co promised all sorts of things in the early days.. of look at us look what we did??

how ever instead of things improving they have got worse..it makes me really angry that this govt can find homes or houses for asylum seekers.. I have yet to see where an asylum seeker sleeps in a car or under a bridge..

a member of my family has an investment property leased by the govt for refugees from Iraq..I nice family I am sure.. but it was spelt out to them just what the govt was paying them, on top of that the govt paid the bond and pays the rent..sorry matey but I dont see this govt doing that for anyone of hardship that was born here..

I can understand why people feel resentment, I am fortunate I have a roof over my head..I also find it appalling in a country like this.. which we keep getting told is in a far better position than any other western country..I bet that makes the homeless feel real good!