what keeps people in the lower economic station?

Question

i for one am sick of winges - it seems to be a mentatility of some of the hard done by or strugglers that we should help them - i was there - we bought a run down house and thru share hard back breaking work we have made a go of it - that was when our neighbours and friends all hired contractors, bob cats etc - we did it by hand - and now thru equity on this home we are doing it again on another house - share hard work - stop looking for handouts - stop buying your smokes - stop your drinking - stop being couch spuds - and get up and give it a go - most people with the right attitude can help their own situation - stop looking for handouts and help yourselves - it pays - the existing government helps people like us - and I for one am thankful - thank you Mr Howard

Answer 1

thank you mr howard......? for what, workchoices, AWB scandal, lies, GST.....? which one is it.
I agree with everything you say, but to thank howard, i think your a sucker!

Answer 2

Hi bj.

It must be tough listening to all those WHINGERS (yes there is an h and an r in the word), when you have had your hard work rewarded.

I am 24 years old, my parents bought their first house 20 years ago for $32 000. My dad was at the time on $16 000 per year (My mum stayed home with children). It was a house in a low-medium socioeconomic area and it was small but adequate.

Fast forward 20 years. That exact same house was recently sold for $330 000 (and the area has gone down the toilet). Let me tell you, my husband's and my COMBINED income is nowhere near $160 000.

I rarely drink anything at all, and never get drunk. I am studying at university full time and working in a nursing home part time and raising our daughter. I am not a couch spud.

My family is in a fortunate position that in a matter of 13 months my husband and I will BOTH hold degrees and with hard work we can eventually be financially secure.

But what about many of our generation who are not so fortunate? What about those who do work hard (but not on the mines) and owning property will be beyond their means forever.

You have been fortunate too. You bought a house, a boom increased your equity and you bought another one. Good for you.

Mr Howards government has little to do with the mining boom, but its failure to release commonwealth land or to fund the states to increase almost non-existent public housing has contributed to the property boom.

Frankly, I found your question ill-informed and insulting. Most people can improve their own situation, but I for one am for an equitable society where we do not make this task nigh impossible for many.

Answer 3

You would make Johnny proud. Your generaliastion of people, your predjuces towards people. Blaming the person because they where abused as a kid, have undiagonsed mental health issues, lame parenting from your generation, using drugs produced by your generation to cover up issues may also be a factor. Are you a Brain Surgen, Cancer researcher, no why? maybe you aren't smart enough, or you are different with different circumstances. Don't judge people by your standards. Work in youth homeless shelter for 12 months, see the result of bad parenting by the older generation and how this effects those peoples lives for ever. I put myself through University while raising 3 kids, bought 2 cars and a House. I don't judge them by my standards. Most people with the right attitude do help themselves, maybe you could get a job and help those people to sought out there lives if you feel so strongly about it? Get a job that will help people solve the problem, actions speak louder then words, sure you have said that before?

Answer 4

I see by your question that you maybe one of those from a different time when as before, you should have a hard look around, I have seen people who have done as you have done an to lose everything not of their own fault ,but because of who was in Govenment at that time, There were big landowner's who had such wealth under the land an had a claim to such, but lost those claims to Govenement, Who helps them ? , Look to all the land clearing for crops that those farmer did clear , now look at what they have not done, I 'm not a farmer, but I still have seen , such clearing that they depend on rain to grow such crops. Now employer's don't like to pay big money for a labouring work , It was such a thing it was impossible to start owning a house because there was no work, banks closed their doors, only the rich had cash reserves at their places, so don't be cruel ,Howard has forgotten it takes Education, Job Skills, and Employers to employ people for those jobs, When a person has a family no matter what type of job it is , he would still be proud to say that he has worked for it, but there has to be work for the workers, Howard recently said that and I quote ( 33000 More Jobs ) well Howard cannot even tell where those jobs are

Answer 5

You have to want to succeed in order to do it!!16 yrs ago I crushed 3 vertibre in my back, nearly lost my left hand!! I lost everything to my creditors! I saw the other side of the banks, and they are as ruthless as they r polite!! It took nearly 4 years to recover at the break even pint of $0$,nothing owed,nothing owned> A relative told me to go on dissability!!(she hasn't worked for 26 years!?!?) I refused, I found a bank that would trust me with a small amount, and went from there. We bought an old hse, repaired it, lived in it, no more 650 for rent, payment was 235, and did this 3 more times, I managed to keep my self respect, and the respect of friends&family(admiration actually), and are living quite well now. I hurt everyday, so I keep busy, too much time=more pain!! But too many times just giv up!! Someday, I'll retire, but not soon!

Answer 6

Poor decisions, plain and simple. Too few people consider "what if" in the decisions. And unfortunately, it's very important to make wise decisions when young.

Avoid sex while young, or make damn sure you are on good contraception to avoid having kids too young. Don't get married too young. Do good in school. Plan for college early. Spend less then you earn to accumulate savings and capital. Spend some time researching how to buy a home. Pass on the new cars every few years and expensive toys, to be able to afford important things, like a house.

These are all things that kids should be drilled in in Middle school and in high school.

How many single moms are trapped in poverty because they had kids too young and with some loser who bailed on them? How many couldn't get into college because they did poorly in school or didn't line up funding in advance? How many young people find themselves trapped in debt due to irresponsible savings? How many find themselves with an adjustable loan and a house they can't sell? How many are making payments on 3 cars, a motorcycle, a boat, but no house?

All can be prevented, but it requires spending a little bit of time thinking about the consequences of your actions, and forgoing instant gratification for the greater good in the future.

Everyone can be a victim of bad times. Most of us lose our jobs or have a medical problem at some point, but because we are not living on the edge, we can ride them out.

And unless you think I'm holier then though, I've made the no funding for college mistake and irresponsible for debt mistake. It's only in my 30's that I finally got my head screwed on straight. Boy I wish I could go back and slap some sense into my 16 year old self.

Mr. Howard? Clark Howard? Big fan. Wish he was around back then too.

Answer 7

Apart from thanking Howard I agree with you up to a point. However I would want to know a lot more about your background before I accepted that you are an example of somebody who came from a deprived environment and rose to dizzy heights from abject poverty. There are people who cannot afford more than a very poor roof over their heads and little else because of their family circumstances as a child. They certainly couldn't afford even a run down place to renovate. Thanks to Howard these people also suffer inequalities in education and health care.

Answer 8

Some can not work, what about them?

Others get laid off and make min wage at 3 or 4 part time jobs and have kids. Now is that lazy, not in my eyes. It has many reasons and lazy is one but not the important one, no livable wage is the more important one.

Answer 9

You answered your own question, but to sum it up lack of ambition and dependance on government handouts, etc. keep most people in that lower economic station.

Answer 10

Bad luck