Tuesday, July 7, 2009

Cop That!


I have often spoken about how my enjoyment of a beer – any beer – can be enhanced by the situation or the occasion that I find myself in. This is a cracker. Sipping a nice refreshing Bridge Road Pale Ale I laughed and laughed as I read the paper. The beer somehow just tasted – better.

I was brought up with a strong belief that you always do the right thing – sense of social justice if you will - and that you do the right thing simply because it is the right thing to do. Still think that way and Mrs Pilsner and I are teaching our girls to think the same. But, sadly, many couldn’t give a fat rat’s clacker about anybody or anything but themselves. It is to one of these groups that Beer Blokes raises a glass now and says; “Cheers! Cop that!!”

The federal government recently launched a series of ‘stimulus packages’ to help the Australian economy. These were a number of cash handouts to many regular people (including some overseas visitors, exchange students and more than a few dead people) payable in a lump sum of up to $900 for individuals and $2800 for families. There was only one stipulation – you had to file a tax return.

Here’s where it gets good. There is a group out there in Australian society who try to avoid their social responsibility to others by refusing to lodge a tax return. This way they can avoid such annoyances as child support payments, spousal maintenance and deductions to their welfare benefits. But sometimes greed, coupled with base stupidity means a win for the good guys.

Many of these deadbeat mums and dads – 21,327 of them actually - were busted big-time when they couldn’t file their tax missing tax returns quick enough so as to scoop up a piece of my hard earned taxpayer dollars. Their tax returns enabled the Department of Human Services to recoup 23.5 million dollars in child support.

That’s worth another beer.

Cheers
Prof. Pilsner

4 comments:

Tim said...

I think the idea of handouts is not teh best way to privide stimulus. It would have been better to offer tax concessions at the lowest level so everyone takes home a little bit more pay each week.
the way the government went about the stimulus seemed liek buying votes to me.
Also the Govnt inherited a 30 billion surplus, and gave away 30 billion in stimulus, but are now 60 billion in deficeit. Where is the rest of the money gone??

Beer Blokes said...

Tim, when you get back to Aus, take a wander down the streets of Narre Warren or Bayswater or Parra or Ashfield maybe and hae a look in anyfront room window. Check out the big screen plasmas. There's the stimulus package.

As for the surplus ... Dr Lager won't let me talk about his litle mate Kevvie ... but he's not the boss of me!! , it dissappeared down a black hole of talk fests and commitees and appointing Ministers for The Warehouse Full of Mirrors ("Leave it with me and I'll look into it") who jey around the world attendng talkfests. Beats the shit outta actually doin' anything. ;)

Hey look - I did awinky thingy!! Next thing you know I'll be Twatterring!! Mrs Lager will be so proud!

Cheers
PP

Anonymous said...

Well, Dr. P, you may get a giggle out of this but Mrs. Lager is actually "mates" with the real Kevin on Twatter!

Tim said...

I asked both Kevin And Malcome to be mates with me on Twatter and only Malcom wanted to follow me. I dont really have much time for either of them, but thats another issue!