Our Mayor is living proof of the adage ‘tis better to keep your mouth shut and let others think you a fool, than open it and prove them right.’
Didgeridoo or Didgeridon’t: when on-line death threats are OK, even applauded by the our wonky ‘woke’ luvvies.
Columnist Joe Aston nails The Beetrooter and his happy Campion: Now the tears of mirth have finally dried and the gasping for air after helpless laughter has subsided, The ‘Pie now accepts that he is but a rank amateur in the annals of hilarious bitchery. And as an extra, The ‘Pie photograph exclusively shows the moment it all started between the star-crossed lovers.
Is the Horn/Tszyu dust-up about to KO the Townsville ratepayer? Given all the purple prose and signs of panic at the business end of the bout, could be a rocky time ahead in what is shaping up as a major economic fillip for the city.
… and the ad for bargain wine that threw The ‘Pie into deep contemplation.
But first
The Magpie Socks It To ‘Em
Or according to Bentley, ‘sox’ it to ‘em. Looking at the possibility of masks becoming mandatory in Queensland, Benters seems to think should that come about, The ‘Pie will not be put to any much trouble or expense.
Most appropriate, since The ‘Pie is constantly being told to ‘put a sock in it.’
Word Coinage Of The Year
The Courier has come with a perfect portmanteau word to describe those people who flout corona virus restrictions and stupidly endanger others … covidiots. At least, that’s where The ‘Pie first saw it, nevertheless a great contraction.
Prompted by the gum chewing, hair flicking trio of botox-challenged border hoppers, covidiots neatly summed up their selfish, brain-dead antics. And fair enough, too. But what wasn’t fair enough – although wholly expected once their photos were names were mysteriously released – was the generally vile racist pile-on that followed on social media. That led to one of the nastiest pieces of media cynicism from Network 9, who interviewed the developmentally delayed brother of one of the girls, who said the official targeting of the girls was simply a racist smear and wouldn’t have happened to any other ‘white’ person.
Like fuck it wouldn’t have, but let us not mock the mentally afflicted any further.
However, The Magpie thinks there is another fair point to consider. As Australians, the minimum we are entitled to expect from those taking advantage of this country’s generous migrant and refugee intake is that they are law abiding, and not given to criminal activities. So, depending on the status of the girls and their families … visas, residency and/or citizenship … and their alleged links to organized crime now under investigation, would it not be fair for their status to be reviewed?
After all, Peter Dutton is keen on deportation of not just New Zealand crims, even those who lived practically all their lives and have served their time, but also of productive, law abiding, tax paying asylum seeker families, like the Nadsalingham family from Biloela (currently costing the taxpayer untold tens of thousands of dollar for incarceration on Christmas Island). That this family couldn’t have been simply monitored in situ in Biloela until their court issues are sorted out is a deeply disturbing glimpse of the callous fixed-stare fanaticism of Peter Dutton.
But As They Say, There’s No Show Without Punch …
So step up, Mayor Mullet.
Our gormless gal has an embarrassing history of bumptious, even gauche, interventions in matters of no concern to the ‘independent’ mayor of a provincial city (Qantas boycott, advising the Feds on Commonwealth matters – this week, defence – currying personal favour with billionaire miners).
Now Judge Jenny resumed her role as unofficial … and uninformed … advisor to the Queensland judiciary. She has clearly engineered an arrangement with the Townsville Bulletin to give her a free pass into wider arenas in which she has no voice and no business, so it was hardly surprising when she waded into covidiots’ saga on Friday. But as The Magpie pointed out in comments, Jenny Hill doesn’t realize what she’s saying a lot of the time.
| The Magpie |
Submitted on 2020/07/31 at 9:49 am | In reply to The Devil Wears A Doona.
QUOTE OF THE YEAR:
Mayor Mullet wins the Hypocrite’s Gold Stiletto Award with this quote in today’s Astonisher story: ‘For once’, Jenny??? What an inadvertent admission, Madam Mayor!!! You also grabbed your Judge Jenny gavel and called colourfully and embarrassingly for the the two COVID breakers to ‘rot in jail’ if it was proved they had caused any death through careless actions. YOU ARE KIDDING, JENNY HILL, REALLY. The double standard is breath-taking. The parents of motorcyclist Darryl Andrew Lynch, who died in a collision with your turning car earlier this year share your sentiment about prosecution of those whose careless actions cause death. But they will have to wait a lot longer than the Covidiots to learn the outcome of the clearly politically tainted police investigation of their son’s death. |
Secret Women’s Business: Banning Blow Jobs
Down those didgeridoos, girls, or you’ll become as barren as a Broncos win sheet. That’s the dire warning that our First Australian folk and their sox’n’sandals supporters are demanding.
In the latest of those tediously sanctimonious Change.org petitions (which are mostly useless and are started as a just virtue signalling exercise), one Hayley Barwick accuse the women taking part in this …
… of ‘stealing our culture and appropriating it in such a disgusting way.’
What next? The Arkansas-Virginny Backwoods Banjo Brethren seeking to be the only ones to pluck their instruments, the German Beirkeller Guild demanding an end to the cultural misappropriation of the Accordion (The ‘Pie is with them there, any restriction is fine by him). And wait until the Frogs at the Academie des Beaux-Arts fly into a typically Gallic hissy fit about world orchestras using French horns.
Turns out the culture Ms Barwick has got her Victoria’s Secret Womens Business undies in a jumble about is the deeply anti-feminist notion that ‘in aboriginal culture, laws prevented women from playing the didgeridoo , and for a woman to do so was disrespectful to the culture, ancestors and the Dream Time.’ And also no doubt to the men who made up the rule.
So much for woke 2020, with many of the white ‘liberated’ gals of our time supporting this call. But hang on, wouldn’t that be the same woke women who railed against the outdated sexist culture of Saudi Arabia that until recently forbade women to drive? Welcome to Ironyland.
Another supporter of this ridgey didge fairytale – also clearly no fan of Gloria Stenheim – told the paper she was told by her elders never to touch a didgeridoo, as it would cause infertility, or worse.
Or worse? Like …?
Oh, right, gotcha. The one thing worse for a woman than infertility would be an tricky proposition of immaculate conception, hard to explain before the invention of Rohypnol. There is historical evidence of this ‘worse’ situation; it was claimed to have happened once in the Dream Time of Christianity. And look where that got us.
But then the nonsense takes a much more sinister turn, which, no matter how it is dressed up in gobbledygook, it is an online death threat.
The Astonisher quoted this post on the FB page of a Dutch woman planning to take part in the event.
“The Ancestors are watching you and will meet you in your dreams, warning you that you and your friends would be marked for death through a traditional Aboriginal curse known as “pointing the bone”.
If this is culture, then it is a culture of superstitious, manipulative barbarism, the hallmark inter alia of Christianity and Islam and very much akin to the newer version, the nightmare time of Scientology.
And ‘pointing the bone’? The closest we get to that ancient threat (of which an essential part for it to work is believing it) is said to be the habit of various indigenous inmates of our jails harassing weaker fellow prisoners in a secret ceremony after lights out called ‘pointing the boner.’
Is The Mayor Again Using Ratepayer Funds For Favourable Self-Profiling?
Let The ‘Pie be on the record that he sincerely hopes the Horn/Tszyu fight goes ahead without a hitch, or any unpleasant virus aftermath. And at the moment, no real reason why it shouldn’t, although the antics of the promoter during the week, raised a few eyebrows.
| The Magpie |
Submitted on 2020/07/30 at 9:57 am
Animal cruelty corner: Flogging a dead horse … and talk about giving the game away!
The August 26 fight will have a capacity crowd of 16,000, and Lonergan said all ticket categories were still available. Isn’t he a peach? |
And what but desperation could be behind this absolute childish rot in today’s paper.
But a separate and very serious question is raised by the event. While the it will be a great beneficial blip on the city’s economic radar, the question lingers: are being conned by our mayor and circle-jerk council, once again is trying to lift themselves up by their shoe laces?
The template has been there for years with the V8 SuperPests … the council tips in a veiled and opaque quantity of funds, and there has never been a definitive independent study of the benefits or otherwise of this whole exercise, from a sport peopled wall to wall with conmen. And if that is so for the V8s, make that in spades for anything to with boxing.
So here’s a test for the council … and for the Bulletin, if one of their uncompromising, tough questioning investigative journalists (oh, Lordy, how The ‘Pie amuses himself sometimes) would care to ask : how much has the council agreed to pay the promoters on behalf of all the ratepayers of Townsville, considering that only 16,000 punters will be allowed in.
But never fear, we’ll soon know, as the TCC website itself says:
Maybe in this election year, we should ask Anna Alphabet the same question, keeping in mind her three current Townsville members are sitting on ejection seats.
In All, Enough To Drive You Drink
As tough as fiscal times are just now, be wary… in these tight times, one must still remember the truism ‘if an offer is too good to be true, then it probably is’. The ‘Pie has been pondering this junk email ad he received during the week … great price but ….
‘Brand New Condition’? Wine?
As versus what? Used only once? Pre-loved and pre-tested? And the added concern that it is supposedly red wine – those doing the recycling would be in serious need of a doctor. And that note of ‘98.3% positive feedback’ … from the pathology lab?
Sorry if you find this a bit hard to swallow, folks, not to worry, The Magpie is just taking the piss.
Speaking Of Taking The Piss
The world of gossip columnist, muckrakers and ‘colour writers’ is essential reading for a wanabee like The Magpie, and he is constantly reminded just how far down the pecking order of comic talent he is when he reads the likes of the simply brilliant, side-splittingly funny and excoriating Marina Hyde in the Guardian. But sadly this week, the old bird had to take himself down a further notch, when he read Joe Aston in The Financial Review, and his take down of The Magpie’s former colleague Vicki Campion and her hubby Beetrooter Barnaby. This more than gold, it is the platinum standard for this type of writing, so much so, The ‘Pie is taking the rare (and maybe illegal .. so sue me) step of re-publishing the whole thing from the Australian Financial Review.
The ‘Pie is green with envy, but certainly not of the penis variety. His last visual memory of good-time gal Vicki at the Townsville Bulletin was on the morning of her last day. Decked out in her Flinders Street East white cocktail party frock she had worn the night before, she was curled up under desk of the deputy editor, gently snoring and blowing bubbles. The ever severe Chief of Staff, Bettina Warburton nee Giardina was not amused … but then, Bettina never was. Making it worse for the COS was the fact that apart from being Vicki’s last day, she was even then a favourite of the then editor TB Mick Carroll.
By coincidence, during the week, a photo was supplied to The Magpie, purporting to show the very moment when the adventure between the Beetroot and The Happy Camper started all those years later.
Credibility Corner
You can bet the adrenaline was really pumping over at long-established and well known Townsville business Adrenaline Dive … but not for the thrill of the adventure, more the exasperation of the misadventure. This would have been a great free ad for the company, a front page splash (no pun intended).
Small problem … it was in a paper known for it’s sloppy blunders, and here was one right on the front page … they got the name of the company wrong!
Adrenaline Drive!?! So …Dive Right In, after you ‘drive’ right out to the reef, eh?
A careless front page fuck-up makes you wonder about the level of care and honesty in the rest of the rag. Send answers in on the back of your favourite tourism postcard. Actually, don’t bother, we already know.
And here they are, cleverly hidden in plain view on the Astonisher’s favourite news source, Facebook.
And While We’re Talking Drives
A small digression. The ‘Pie was greatly mystified on his return to Townsville 20 years ago that the city boasted a thoroughfare called Urine Drive. It had to be pointed out to the old bird … by the deeply Catholic deputy editor … that it was Hugh Ryan Drive, named for some deceased pooh-bah of the local church. And speaking of names ….
Police Officer Of The Week
…and the name of the detective who made the find … surely it would have to be Dick Tracer.
The Twitterverse Is About To Implode Later This Week
Trump will have bleeding thumbs within hours of the happy event. This from the week just past.
Biden has already promised his running mate will be a woman, and there is big pressure on him for him to choose one of the four black women on the final list of 13.
Whoever it is, she can kiss her arse goodbye as to privacy and an ordered, equitable and fair life. There are those around the world who will be sweating on the choice, itching to unburden themselves of their political (and racial) wisdom. Why even here in Townsville, regular Magpie commenter, the mildly demented and local Trump cheerleader who calls himself Tropical, is so excited at a new target, he is sleeping in front of his computer, as this pic shows.
Meanwhile, Down The White House Rabbit Hole …
The Tangerine Terrorist, the wilful killer of tens of thousands of Americans, is slowly starting to realize that he may well be a victim of corona virus … albeit a political victim. Critics say that slowly dawning reality is behind his jackboot policy of sending in Federal forces only to democratic controlled cities, as he strives to be seen as the law and order candidate. (Irony, anyone?). Even that doesn’t seem to be working his way, so this week he floated the idea of delaying the election … a thought fart roundly rejected by Dems and Republicans alike.
This is gunna be fun, but deadly fun, one suspects. The country’s penmen are already enjoying themselves, as is Andy Borowitz in The New Yorker.
……………………
Another week down, locked or otherwise. If you haven’t already, why not put Magpie comments on Google alert, so you can be amused or outraged without having to do some heavy scrolling during the occasional visit. And hey, that brings up another idea … some kind folk have placed an automatic monthly donation of $10 or so to support The Magpie’s Nest (much appreciated, much needed). Done once and you don’t have to think about it again. So why not jump on-line and put your regular Sunday morning guilt session behind you for good. Go to the donate button below. But whatever you do, please stay safe and sensible.
Perhaps, in the interests of transparency, our only “independent” councillor Sue Blom can enlighten us to how much ratepayers money has been paid to the boxing promoter, and whether Jenny has also thrown in a guarantee of ticket sales.
Are you still out there Sue?
But she is only going to known what she is told by The Mullet. These things are sometimes broad brushed by the mayor and councillors and flick passed to public servants, so the details can be easily obscured until annual reports are in.
The playing surface at the Cowboys stadium is looming as a major problem.
Players were slipping and sliding all through the game on Saturday and the surface was covered in divots.
Highly respected Ch9 rugby league commentator Brad Fittler described the Townsville surface as “a bit how’s your father” on the Footy Show today.
At the game a bloke sitting near me suggested the fast growing grass they chose for the stadium was the problem.
Oh dear!
“A smarter faster council”
There is a Storm Inlet Pit (SIP) in my street that has been damaged since just after the 2019 floods.
Sent a photo of said SIP with witches hats and para webbing placed around it by council well over 16 months ago on June 30th.
Received a reply with council reference number. Job still not done.
Obviously that is not what they mean with their slogan.
Send in the pic to email hidden; JavaScript is required
While we are on about council and speed. Has anyone noticed that all the works around Townsville, new bike path Abbott st, ogden st upgrade, the ridiculous one way palmer st and round a bout in deeragun. All these that ive seen with QLD government sings up advertising jobs for QLD or creating jobs for QLD I should say. So where are the jobs created?? These are upgrades done by the very workers in TCC that already have a job, if it serves correct, it is there job. NO NEW JOBS! Speed in getting a job done from money TCC didnt have. Sandbagging sests in Townsville mayby?
So, if you are an LNP supporter, whon do nyou vote foir, the choice is not clear.
https://www.townsvillemagpie.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/Screen-Shot-2020-08-02-at-9.44.56-am.png
Deb Frecklington, or Deb Frecklingon?
Probably not that it makes much difference, but still … regional Australians are again second class citizens.
Read your wine post Townsville Magpie – beware of scams involving buying wine from some online spruikers. You might be surprised by what lobs on your doorstep, if anything arrives at all!
If you do get a delivery, check it carefully, it might have real piss in it and a bit of food colouring etc. Obviously only buy from reputable dealers, if there is still such a thing in the current world. HIC
Ummm… think that’s what The ‘Pie was saying, but once again, he tried for humour, and once again – clearly – failed to get the message across.
Oh! sour grapes/gripes; Can do better! so don’t whine, press on.
Only to some Pie, only failed with some !
You can lead a horse to wine, errr water…
Trump must be sick! Not sick from COVID because the great America has it completely under control. But sick because the American GPD has just hit an all time disastrous retraction of a whopping 33%. Not since WW2 has this occurred, not even during the 87 crash, 9/11 and the 2008 crash. You are watching the death of an economy, the death of the US dollar as the global standard and the complete implosion of a civilisation. You ain’t seen nothing yet! The debt level of Townsville and the lack of any advancement economically over the past 5 years is going to hit us in the arse harder than Elton John at a a Ladyboy party. The collapse of the USA is close. The flowdown efeect will be like nothing we have ever experienced. Brace for impact.
Economic growth is linked to activity and growth, so google Worldmeter and you will see the global population is increasing everyday by over 150,000 new human beings, despite wars, starvation, and COVID.
Profits of doom have been around forever and are rarely if ever correct.
heh heh heh’rarely if ever’? Err, prophets of doom only have to be right once, and that’s it.
Dave, are you and Winnie related? Only a naieve sheep would make a statement like yours. If you believe that this is doom porn and that the worlds economies aren’t in a full collapse, I feel sorry for you. Your three biggest clues to what is really happening are the oil, gold and silver prices. Go and res arch the Australian, UK and USA GDP in detail and you might get an idea of what is taking place. We have entered the greatest economic collapse since the late 1930’s and we have barely felt a ripple the far. I will leave it at that, I really couldn’t be fucked sharing data and analytics as I will only be shot down anyway. Each to their own and goodluck peeps.
Queensland Labor Government gives back $195 mil Federal funding on Haughton pipeline stage 2 but continues on the Brisbane Cross river rail costing $7-10 bil with no Federal funding ?. Labor T.C.C. can’t build a $2 mil demountable Cafe on Castle Hill . Did any of our local State MP,s , Councillors , Mayor take a 20% pay cut like many Townsville workers . We know none are with the 20,000 locals that were on Jobkeeper . Is polling so bad for the State election in October the State Government is pork barrelling our $ to prop up other areas? .
Yes.
Well Gomer Pyle, our local Fed member, are you out there? WHAT is the explanation for this? Response please? Queensland taxpayers smashed again by the Qld Govt, or The Feds?
As always with these state and Federal twisters (aka politicians), it’s a matter of who you believe. On the face of it so far, Thompson is making the most believable argument, convincingly shooting down Dick’s very shaky argument that to release the Fed money, Queensland will be hit with $156m GST bill. Thompson points out that that figure would only be reached if ALL federally assisted projects in ALL of Queensland were subject to GST (not all are). And that because of the timing, there is no way Dick could even make a case for this as an accurate figure. And returning money already in their coffers will take some selling to the electorate.
At this stage, given the desperation of the Palaszczuk government in the run-up to the election, it is a dicey gamble based on them secretly and strategically having surrendered the three Townsville seats but appealing to a state-wide audience about nasty feds ripping off taxpaying Queenslanders (as the state government is doing selectively with their X-river rail extravaganza). The capitulation of the Townsville seats makes political sense, because apart from the simmering rage around the crime issue, not unreasonably, many people are angry that the south-east centric Palaszczuk simply dismissed out of hand a strong case for a North Queensland COVID bubble for business.
Two things The Magpie sees in the coming weeks … Labor homing in on the LNP’s weak spot, which is actually not a spot but a freckle … sadly for supporters, the mimsy, politically dainty Frecklington just doesn’t cut a believable authoritative figure and Labor will play this card to the hilt.
On the other side, expect a whole heap of Federal election dollars both here and elsewhere hammering a state government that (they will say) invents financial lies to foster the fear factor.
Anna Alphabet is now heavily … almost solely … counting on her determined and steadfast showing on the virus front …. and state Labor will highlight her resolute stand which, agree with her not, shows strong leadership, further enhanced by Frecklington’s lack of political mongrel.
Mr Magpie it’s easy for you to propose that federal member Thompson is making the most believable argument about the GST and the pipeline when all Thompson is doing is saying the other guy is wrong. What would be good to know is a single uncontested fact. Was it the intention of the Feds to reduce GST payments to Queensland by some amount because the proposed Stage2 pipeline, to which the Feds were ‘granting’ $195m, would be considered a “state asset”? Apparently the Queensland Treasurer’s opinion was wrong (OK, got that on board) so what is the correct interpretation? And while the experts are at it, what of the Feds $100m contribution for the stadium? Is it a “state asset” now? Will there be a reduction in the GST payment to Queensland because of that specific item?
The answer to the first part of your questions would be, from what The ‘Pie has read, yes, there would be a deduction in GST related to the pipeline, because it will be a business proposition making money for the Queensland Government … that has always been the arrangement under universal GST rules. And if that is correct, the amount would be in the vicinity of $9mill or so tops … where Dick proved to be a dick was over-egging and over-complicating his argument into outright dishonesty for political purposes … there is absolutely no way, suggestion or possibility that a $195mill funding could attract approx. 67% $156mill GST reduction. The stupidity is that even the $9mill deduction would’ve been a nice red herring for Dick, but his overkill has rebounded on his dunce’s head.
On the question of the stadium money, the Feds would have trouble arguing that it is a money making concern, The Magpie cannot find any stadium anywhere in Australia makes a profit … i.e. a real profit, not just paper fiddling. Happy to be corrected, but will be super surprised. And the Feds can’t argue that the stadium would brings extra revenue to the government through increased business activity … any benefit there is almost entirely federal through increased …. you guessed it …. GST returns.
Worth keeping tabs on.
And if that is correct, the amount would be in the vicinity of $9mill or so tops …
And you found the formula for this calculation where? Surely not from Phillip Thompson? He wrote to me this afternoon saying that “The $195 million for Stage Two of the Haughton Pipeline is fully funded by the Federal Government.” No mention of the GST cream-off ($9m you say) that will occur if Qld takes the money, no mention of the multi-millions extra that Stage1 will cost if Stage2 is not built concurrently.
Also, if, as you say, that has always been the arrangement under universal GST rules, then Member Thompson’s pamphlet from a fortnight ago makes it clear that the stadium will be considered a “state asset” regardless of whether it makes money. Why won’t they just come clean? Instead of bagging the other guy, why not put everything on the table for all to see?
Hahahahaha … that last line, coming from you, is hilarious!!!
And being the Labor luvvie you are, conveniently and selectively skipped any mention of the more salient point that Dick had no grounds to come with the scary $156mill figure. Count your blessings, ECQ, your biggest one being The Freckle.
My dear Magpie, I apologise for intruding on your end of week thinking time but I’m interested in the hypothesis that Anna has abandoned her three Townsville seats. Where does this come from?
A Magpie exclusive. Your welcome.
Do we have Sports rort #3 aka State Labor vote seeker? This will be interesting to see where the money is distributed. The dates of interest are in point 5. Well the ALP Feds did it, then 30 plus years later, LNP Feds did it, why not the ALP State under Anna Pluckerduck.
https://www.qld.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0021/133374/active-restart-infrastructure-funding-guidelines.pdf
Didn’t a couple of Australian companies send tons of face masks to China earlier in the pandemic? Then we were advised that masks did not prevent the spread of the virus. I wonder where Victoria would be now had we been better advised.
Bently – Transmission in Victoria can be nailed down to the completely inept hotel quarantine process. Once it got from the hotels into the community is has run rife, not helped by those that are infected not self isolating and the Karens who think their personal rights outweigh any responsibility to the community.
My brother in Melbourne is absolutely livid that everyone who was already doing the right thing are now being punished for the actions of the stupid. I’m sending him more masks today.
Agree wholeheartedly, Gal, but make the point that the Karen’s simply DON’T HAVE the rights they claim to have, probably not at any time but certainly not in this emergency.
Bentley that was two Chinese businessmen that sent two planeloads of PPE to China having gone on a huge spending spree.
Do you mean that the two Australian citizens of Chinese extraction were operating businesses here in Australia, and sent the PPEs to China, or the businessmen were Chinese who came here and bought up big?
27 March 2020, news.com
Exclusive video taken at Perth airport shows bulk surgical masks being airfreighted to China last month as it is revealed a Chinese company sent 90 tonnes of Australian supplies to Wuhan.
The video obtained by news.com.au shows the China-bound boxes of surgical masks stacked up at Perth airport on February 8.
News.com.au can reveal the 90-tonne export of our supplies was made by a second Australia-based Chinese property company, on top of yesterday’s revelation of the bulk shipping of hand sanitiser, gloves and masks by a Chinese government-owned company, Greenland.
That’s more like it. Thanks.
Dr Felchy,
did you mean GDP ?????????
what is your source for this anti USA rant?
so are you a Medico or just another useless arts PHD who is anti USA
Winnie, firstly you are correct – GDP.
Secondly, the USA GDP financial information is all out there on the Internet so go do your own searching. 32.9% to be precise. If you weren’t already aware of the figure then it shows that you are the one who needs educating in finances. Thirdly, it’s not an anti-USA rant. I am highlighting that the USA is economically collapsing and that will continue to effect us. And if it was a rant it would be against the Federal Reserve and Wall Street. Lastly, I’m not an arts student, PHD wanker or anti USA. I am a Townsville local who watches world finances closely and pays attention to what is happening, which is the opposite of what you and the Mullet are doing.
So…are you a doctor or not?
Grumpy, no I am not. You are the second Nimwit to ask me that. Surely because my pseudonym is ‘Dr Felchy’ you don’t believe I am a Doctor? And even if I was, what is the relevance?
The Complete Surf Slang Dictionary – Men’s Journal
https://www.mensjournal.com/adventure/the-complete-surf-slang-dictionary/
felchy: When something is kind of shitty. Example: “Dude, I was out at Steep And Hollow’s and the waves were so felchy
I think the name is a typo it should be Dr Fleching.
Is the Pokemon thingy?
Well, “Doc”, you should have properly answered the question the first time it was asked. Dipstick.
He got his doctorate out of a cornflakes box.
Wow Feltch, you certainly reached deep into the glory hole knowledge to come up with those inspiring pearls of wisdom.
You do realise though that the pandemic is not exclusive to the US with most parts of the world including Europe, Asia and of cause Australia all deeply affected by virus and the economical consequences of it. And yes, the US “PGD” has hit a all time low but so has ever other major financial market in the world.
Australia woes can not be correlated solely with how Trump has handled his finances. I’m sure our lack of manufacturing, reliance on China, tourism and our own sense of entitlement for handouts from the government has had more of a impact on our dollar then the state of the greenback.
So at the risk of being branded the third Nimwit to question your credentials, may I suggest you stick to your specialty in the field infectious diseases and leave the serious discussions to the adults.
You err on a couples of points, Fats … the reference to the American economy is directly in reference to Trump’s boastful bullshit on the subject until it started to openly tank … and the good doctor, if he were one, has little to with infectious diseases, but he would be more a proctologist.
Fuck some people cannot read. Fat ass Tony, indeed you are a nimwit as you reference myself and medical fields/infectious diseases of which I know nought about. And yes, other countries GDP figures are blowing out and are setting records for the worst in 50 years, but those countries you reference do not have their own dollar acting as the Global currency standard. It is the USD that counts. If it collapses it takes the globe down with it, including Australia. The collapse has already commenced. And I never said I blame Trump. Trump inherited a lemon. The beginning of the end comm need way back in 71 when Nixon abolished the gold standard. Currencies normally only last 40 to 50 years, but you would know that already being the big financial top gun that you think you are. The spiral commenced before COVID, but the onset of COVID has escalated the inevitable collapse decades in the making. Tony, did you honestly think that increasing debt and printing paper money would last forever? The Ponzi scheme is collapsing.
Just keep wearing the tinfoil hat and everything will ok.
I would like to fill you all in on the less then zero leadership our mayor showed this weekend at the holden car rally at Ross dam. Todd martin put this together and i took my wife along because we do have a love of older cars. Where does hill fit in you might ask? Well todd approached her about the public toilets that wernt working. She had been parading around big noting herself as usual. She tokd Todd that she will call the 24hr TCC hotline to fix this immediately. Her trouble started when her service went to message bank. No not les walker. Apparently she left shortly after because of embarrassment and maybe the fact that every guy there were just hanging it out and pissing in the bush for everybody to see. I know alot of people were looking for her as word got around. I know of two council workers (not working) there who told me that budgets have been cut hard and not surprised that toilets arnt working. It happens everywhere because TCC have contractors who have been told to cut back services too. Same as lawnmowers TCC have too i guess lookinf around the city. But hey we are getting all this publicity with the new stadium and all the grass being ripped up on national television. How much is TCC stumping up for v8s doon? If all budgets have been cut.
Let’s face it, all pollies at the moment are scared shitless, regardless of party. They took for granted they had been elected to run cake raffles. Now they are faced with a situation in which they could be asked to take responsibility for peoples’ lives. No-one knows where Covid is going and these guys are beginning to feel the strain.
Victoria is out of control.
Australian’s went to wars to fight totalitarianism.
From this week’s blog.
And someone agrees with you.
Wonder how true this comment is but overheard at a major health place around town that Qld Health is preparing for possible Crovid-19 community transmission in 4-6 weeks time. Had to think why the time period and worked out that it’s around the time of the fight at the Stadium and the V8’s so there’ll be many visitors here and I doubt that many will be adhering to social distancing or wearing face masks.
Come of it, Crits, trying to disguise you’re own theory like this with ‘overheard’ bullshit is a bit insulting to your commenting brethren. ‘Health place’? Get off the fuckin ‘grass, mate, this ain’t FB.
Man up, man.
BTW pretty reasonable theory.
Try hospital cafe
Crits the Townsville University hospital has been re-jigged and set up for a surge in local transmission cases for months now. They already know which wards will be set aside, how the ICU will/can be segregated and extended and all sorts of scenarios have been thought through – up to a point. Meanwhile, it’s business as usual until something changes, which hopefully it won’t.
NECQ – it would have been criminally negligent if they had not made contingency plans for contingency plans. They were just doing their job.
What a bunch of ungrateful fucks we are in Townsville. Good to see our State Treasurer Dick has cemented Townsville to last place for any future funding. I think there are about 10000 towns in Australia too.
Total Tools stadium would still be mud flats if not for the Federal government and we’d be fucked without public servants including the army.
The State can’t even control their own companies, I see all of the executives who once lived in Townsville for Ergon and Energy Queensland have fucked off back to Brisbane.
Bring on the election.
Not the ECQ . Having seen Cameron Dicks train wreck interview on Qld State Govt offering Virgin $200 mil ? begs the question . Has anyone from Treasury explained to the new Treasurer that Qld receives $1.09 for every $1.00 collected as part of the States gst allocation by the Feds .
Hey Mike I hardly ever venture down the GST rabbit hole but I did know that Qld gets slightly more back in GST payments than it submits (per capita). However, there are quite a few variables and politically massaged add-ons which aren’t always obvious. Here’s one from 2019:
“Ms Trad said despite the states securing a “no worse off guarantee” as part of the transition to the new GST distribution formula last year, Queensland would lose $560 million in GST payments next financial year because of the national write-down and the now inclusion of natural disaster payments to local government in calculating a state’s share.”
Then from July this year:
“States and territories are set to miss out on $12.8 billion in GST payments over the two years to mid-2021 due to the coronavirus impact on household spending and home buying.
The Morrison government’s latest budget update released on Thursday noted a $5.2 billion drop in GST for 2019/20 and $7.6 billion in 2020/21.”
I can’t find an itemised list of federal funding that caused a deduction in GST payments although I suppose there’s one out there somewhere. Also, there are some federally funded projects (roads, tunnels, bridges) that don’t cause a deduction.
So not the ECQ if they are going to receive less, due to the fact that they are producing less, how can they suddenly cough up $200m for Virgin, $195m for the pipeline, $150m here, millions elsewhere, considering that none of this has appeared in the budget, you know the one that hasn’t been submitted. Are we going to sell assets like the 1300 Smiles Stadium, or borrow money from China to add to the already ballooning debt that was there before the virus landed?
OT I imagine that Qld, like every other state, is burning money like it’s going out of style to prop up the economy – including throwing something at Virgin which employs thousands in the Brisbane HQ. $200m sounds oh-so-2019 these days eh? And if we get a second wave in this state and a lockdown like Victoria’s there’ll be shitloads more money going out the door – regardless of who or what party wins the October election.
As for the $195m to start/finish Stage2 of the pipeline concurrently (and avoid the two step process including an unnecessary multi-million upgrade of the Haughton agricultural channel and pump station), that’s a great question. Clearly the Palaszczuk Labor government is unhappy with the money ‘deal’ from Canberra but perhaps Deb20 has a different angle, even a better offer? Cards on the table I reckon. More likely they’ll look at the Ross River dam, currently at 72%, and decide there’s no hurry and put it on the never never, or not. What would you do?
Good Afternoon NOT the ECQ, are you a Labor Party paid advisor/supporter, or a very well informed ‘private citizen’ on matters to do with govt policy and procedures (or both)? We are keen to know who we are talking to when considering your lengthy, and very detailed, vociferous statements.
Thank you.
Mr Magpie, there is no ‘reply’ button at the bottom of Stasi’s comment so I have found another way. . .
Stasi, I am not a Labor Party paid advisor/supporter and have not preferenced that party for several elections because of its Galilee Basin thermal coal mining platform. I do follow political developments though and I remember some things like they happened yesterday. I’m also on a few mailing lists and hear regularly from all sorts of riff raff. We can look up old news on the ‘net if we want to. It’s nearly all there if you try hard enough.
Not the ECQ, the first thing I would do is to see that somebody who knows the rate of the GST, you commander in Brisbane, do you remember, didn’t know the rate of the GST and said it varied.
Meanwhile in South East Queensland “State only” cash flows freely.
Nobody up here except Robbie Katter ever raises the hypocrisy of Cross River Rail where the Premier and Treasurer had no trouble finding $5,600,000,000.00 for rail infrastructure that experts say isn’t needed. That is unless you are Jacki Trad who wants to divert trains away from her electorate.
Maybe not, Not in SEQ, but Katter must have noticed that straight after the LNP won the federal election the Palaszczuk government put up $500 million for repair and upgrade work on the Mount Isa to Townsville railway. Half a billion is serious money even if it benefits mining companies almost exclusively.
Mr Stasi, Not the ECQ is either a serving local politician, a former serving politician or business person who has benefited greatly by his/her Labor affiliates over the years. A high probability of paid favours, favourable decisions, bags of money and/or other measures of selfish financial gain that have transpired within a select little group of crooks. ECQ’s vocabulary is littered with Government/bureaucrat words and dialect. If ECQ is a he, he enjoys reading the life stories of staunch Labor leaders both past and present and jerks off while reading local Council reports and business papers.
In reply to Not ECQ. I think you will find that $500 mil was over 10 years, which would just cover maintenance for 10 years.
Not the ECQ . So add Premier Palasazczuk to the list of telling porkies as she said “closing the Qld border would have no financial impact on Qld “ . Anyone who understands finance / business knows if you reduce Southerners spending in Qld you reduce our Gst cut . I’m not debating the border closure simply highlighting untruths by Politicians .
Not the ECQ, you can’t even read your ALP propaganda correctly. I doubt the Government will ever spend $500m on the Mt Isa Railway.
Take your lies to a rail forum like this and the train nuts will tear you a new one https://railbotforum.org/mbs/index.php?topic=12097.0
Robbie asked for money and all he got was lip service with existing QR expenditure rebranded as government funding. The problem for this government is the tell so many lies they forget what the truth is. Mt Isa Railway is funded by the rail companies not the government, ask anyone at Xstrata they will be happy to tell you.
Not in SEQ, here’s a newspaper from back in June:
“The Queensland government says a half a billion dollar plan to reduce access charges and build a new container port in Townsville will boost mineral freight exports on the Mount Isa railway line.
Deputy Premier Jackie Trad said the investment would promote mining and exploration in the north west.
She said freight charges will be discounted to support improved five-year spending on the line maintenance budget on the lsa line which had already been announced.”
See if you can read the fucking thing you dill.
By all means, Mike, add Annastacia to the list. But will it help get her unelected? I doubt it. The Qld LNP is waiting, waiting, waiting to see if Labor can screw itself any further before Deb20 takes a risk with any policy positions. Not sure she will have what it takes when the game really gets down and dirty but it will come soon enough.
Sounds like a typical Labor plan, let’s discount/reduce revenue and increase maintenance expenses/costs = a financial shit show.
NTECQ you seem to have good links to the government so post the link to the relevant budget paper, otherwise it’s all bullshit.
Not in SEQ, search for your own budget papers. Just because you don’t believe it doesn’t mean it can’t be true. While you’re at it, have a look at your own claim that “Mt Isa Railway is funded by the rail companies not the government . . .”. I’m sure you’ll correct me if I’m wrong but isn’t the actual track owned by the government and leased to QR National etc? Surely you aren’t suggesting that taxpayers invest nothing whatsoever in the Mount Isa to Townsville rail system?
Ah QRNational – that’s right when the Labor Party did huge ASSET SALES in 2010 selling the assets of the people in Queensland without electoral mandate. Then the private company rebranded the former state-owned railway to Aurizon in 2012.
Thanks for the tip to Google too – as it shows that Aurizon (not QRNational – we don’t want facts in your argument do we) operate trains via a contract called an Access Agreement, another company Pacific National also operate trains too. This is an interesting link https://www.queenslandrail.com.au/business/acccess/Compliance%20and%20reporting/Mount%20Isa%20Line%20-%20Questions%20and%20Answers.pdf shows the State Government still own the rail line, but does not get government subsidies to run the railway.
“Queensland Rail sets its access charges on the Mount Isa Line so that it at least covers the operating, maintenance and capital renewal costs of providing service (floor revenue), taking into account the forecast volumes on the system.
Queensland Rail does not receive government subsidies for the provision of infrastructure access services on the Mount Isa Line.”
Not surprised you could not find this information as I used the Google search term “Mt Isa railway FACTS”
So NISEQ, in relation to your proposition that Mt Isa Railway is funded by the rail companies not the government, do you agree that “the government” and the government-owned entity Queensland Rail (QR) does in fact own the railway (though not the rolling stock) and does “fund” at least some of the works on that railway? If so then go back and check on the $500m said to be coming out of the Queensland government. The news item from June 2019 suggested the amount is a “budget” item but I have no idea how to find it.
NtECQ, You are right in saying when in the lead up to the election, it gets dirty. Labor policy!
BTW do you follow there other policy. ‘Vote early, vote often’
There are around a dozen COVID cases that have recorded at Potts Point. I do hope dear Malcolm and Lucy are safe. Then again…….
If you think the White Elephant Stadium is costing taxpayers money, wait till the Cowboys so-called Centre of Excellence gets up and running.
The Cowboys are spruiking that it will create 50 fulltime jobs.
That’s 3 for every Cowboys team member!
Can’t see the Cowboys paying their wages so taxpayers should brace for the pineapple.
Well, that’s a tad ill-informed, Limpy. The Centre of Excellence will house all sorts of other goodies, like health professionals and some indigenous staff to further the footy careers of youngsters. This COE is a totally disgraceful impost on taxpayers, a total con on the CBD business community, and a massively wasted opportunity to get this city moving in the right direction.
A nice little ‘fuck you Townsville’ present from Lozza Lancini.
Yes you can feel the discomfort already, re the Centre of Excellence! I do wonder and always have – just which end of the pineapple is roughest???
Is Win News predicting or know something the public don’t about the State LNP leader?
https://www.facebook.com/233459343336476/posts/4101077429907962/
After travelling here, there, different places over the last couple of weeks and talking to plenty of people I can only come to the conclusion that all these jobkeeper jobseeker payments and business grants is the greatest fucking con ever hoisted on the public of Australia. The amount of worthless basket case businesses that have pocketed a fortune from these govt payments is truly obscene, it’s a fucking disgrace. The govt should stop every single payment to every single business on Sept 30, no exceptions, this free for all has to end.
I’m not in that SME space but I talk to a lot of people who are, and who are genuinely hurting through all this.
The JobKeeper payments are keeping a lot of the consultants, contractors and subbies afloat during the dip to make sure they are there at the other end – when you and I will need them.
Killing off all those businesses will mean that their services are no longer available, employees will disperce to bigger cities where they see more opportunity and not be available when needed, and millions more will end up on the dole queue – with you and I paying for them.
Wake the fuck up – better short-term help to keep people employed (rorted by a few probably) than long-term dole surge which we few remaining workers have to pay for.
A valid point … Jobkeeper is assisting more than just the recipient, and the government probably sees that as a more economical way to preserve some sort of order in the current economic chaos. Flogging the ‘layabout factor’ went eest with the virus’s arrival. FFS now we’re TOLD to layabout.
Rorted by plenty I can tell you, not just a few, and it’s not just the businesses, staff are complicit as well in the handouts, money for nothing, it madness. The 30% loss was always too easy to prove, a bit of creative accounting and put your hand out for the cash, we have become a nation of pathetic parasites.
Channel 7 local news, LNP announcing 60 extra coppers if elected; Cupcake Stewart in response says ‘We have employed an extra 105 officers and put $40 million into support programs to reduce crime’. Hey Cupcake, you insipid fool and failure as our local state member, here’s a NEWSFLASH………it’s not working and crime is out of control.
C’mon October, so we can rid ourselves of this trough swilling ‘politician’ who has failed us miserably! ENOUGH AREADY!
I’m reading that not-for-profit organizations are saying that the government must extend Jobkeeper otherwise thousands of their employees will not have a job. I’m understand that some raise funds through funding raising activities and the like but this must be for a minimal overall number of staff as the majority of staff are paid from government grants. I’m at a bit of a loss to understand their claims about thousands of jobs being lost. Can anyone enlighten me on this issue or is it the do-gooders just after government funds again and using Crovid-19 as an emotive lever.
The not for profit sector as a whole has made a fortune from the Cocid19, charities, sporting clubs etc have pocketed jobkeeper whilst having very little downturn whilst som sporting clubs have made more money than ever, we have all been conned and fucked over with this thing.
‘ Not for profit’ is a euphemism really. The Catholic Church is technically not for profit yet they are worth close to $3 trillion.
Imagine the “real” good the churches income would do if they paid taxes on their extortion by fear income.
No different from any other terrorist mob of stand-over, fear and terror peddlers, just maybe a little more subtle.
Critical, next time you visit someone in a nursing home you will quite likely be inside a not-for-profit institution. For example:
“Ozcare is a leading not-for-profit organisation of professional and caring individuals. For almost 20 years we have delivered innovative and superior health and human services to the Queensland community.”
These places do not run on chook raffles and cake stalls but they do employ hundreds (even thousands) of people on proper wages and conditions – as you will notice if you go there. Why the attitude that they might be “do-gooders just after government funds again and using Crovid-19 as an emotive lever?”
ECQ you need to do more research on the links between various so called not-for-profit or charity organizations and you might be surprised about the complex web of connections between these organizations e.g Oscars is a trading entity of St Vincent de Paul which has links through to the Catholic Churches umbrella organization Catholic Social Services Australia.
Similar structures exist for other church led organisations.
Critical, not sure what your point is. Back up there you asked: “I’m at a bit of a loss to understand their claims about thousands of jobs being lost. Can anyone enlighten me on this issue”. So I offered one explanation I knew about because I used to visit one of the Ozcare places in Townsville. I know about other not-for-profits eg. The Great Barrier Reef Foundation which received $400m+ from the government but I’ve never been to its office and wouldn’t know who is employed there. The point is, some not-for-profits employ very large numbers of real people in real jobs and they are not to be sneezed at because they provide an absolutely vital service which no one else is able to do – in the case of Ozcare – low cost aged care (and other services). If they can pull some more money out of government then good luck to them. I won’t begrudge them a cent.
Dave, I see my Gold his an overnight all time of $2,018 an announce. This is the critical barrier as it will continue to rise now. Maybe the odd dip which is normal but it’s all on and upwards! And BP has cut its dividend for the first time in 10 years after losing $9.36 billion in the June quarter. Brent crude sits at around $44 per barrel, which is woeful. Meanwhile Silver continues to fluctuate but is also rising to highest levels. As I said – Oil, Gold and Silver are your economic health indicators.
Dave, you enjoy hanging onto your one asset that hasn’t performed for 10 years – your Townsville house.
Yours sincerely
Prophet of Doom, aka Dr Felchy
You’ve been outed by a reader, Doc.
Never heard of that Dr Felchy before, but your Googling skills are amazing Pie. Dr Felchy is a play on Dr Fauci, plus I like the innuendo ‘felching’. Anyway, no tin foil hat on me – the data I quote is legitimate, go Google it yourselves. And if there is anybody who still believes that all is fine economically and the world is in good shape, well then need to wear the tinfoil hat.
Dr??? You don’t believe everything that google emits, do you?
Magpie wins ‘Funny Picture Post’ of the Year !
Townsville is in comparably good shape economically as it hit rock bottom a couple of years ago so we have all gotten used to how bad it may get elsewhere.
Donald J Trump…. the J is for jenius
Here’s a couple of grabs from yesterday’s interview
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ig_btdrmxD4
Makes perfect sense … to Tropical.
Trump is living proof of the old adage: there’s none so blind as them that will not see.
The Aussie journo who did the interview is going to be lucky to keep his working visa / green card. The great orange ejit is nothing if not vengeful against those who make him look bad.
So Plucka is slamming the borders shut again, is that the end of the NRL and the V8’s?
I did no such thing OT! It was Pala-chook, not me (Plucka)!
Good answer Plucker !
Isn’t Tim Tszyu currently in NSW? He might have to get on a plane this week and relocate up here for the bout.
Not just Tim Tszyu – what about the NRL teams that are still based in NSW? Will they have to relocate into QLD, or will there be special permission given for them to continue to travel from Sydney and Canberra?
I hear that Nanna Anna has announced that the border will be shut to anyone from NSW and ACT come 1am Saturday. Death by a thousand cuts to the tourism sector.
Not just the tourism sector, we are all going to feel this one. Many companies were happy to work in with border restrictions and costs associated with delays etc the first time around, but not this time, freight companies are going to put up the costs of their freight coming to Qld to cover costs of delays and staff rotations to work in with restrictions, they have had a gutful. Considering we make nothing in Qld and get most of our products from NSW & Vic this will cost all people of Qld.
So, NQ Gal, would you prefer your death in one hit by Covid? Would you prefer to see Queenslanders locked up like Melbournites or Sydney people. I’m in business too and this is going to be a hassle like no other but I’m not going to whine about it because I get it that the government has basically no choice. Would you really like to see all the hospitals in SEQ overwhelmed by Covid-19 cases like they are in Melbourne with frontline staff ending up in ICU? Would you prefer to be afraid to go out to our hospital because the place is loaded up with coronavirus? It looks like it would be really, really easy for the virus to get away here just like it has down south. I’m happy to suffer quite a lot to avoid what is happening down there.
Yeah, I’m sure your ‘business’ has been hit hard ECQ. What consulting business is that? One that gets Council contracts/favours/mates rates? Yeah, I’m sure you are doing it tough when you’ve got Labor polical pals with which you feather each other’s nests.
No worries with the fight going ahead as both boxers are already in Townsville.
The Astonisher had an exclusive earlier this week with the BIG news that the two boxers are staying in different hotels. Who woulda thought!
Some of the boxers on the undercard have pulled out but I’m sure the Kiwi promoter will find other scrappers to support the main bout, like Mayor Mullet vs one of thousands of Idalia residents she flooded, or maybe Thurston vs one the oldies from the Rowes Bay RSL Home.
As for the NRL, no probs there as once you pull on a footy jersey you magically become immune from covid-19, at least according to Anna Alphabet.
Same goes for the V8 superpests who are now staying in Townsville for 2 weeks at the invitation of local revhead Jenny Hill.
What could possibly go wrong?
So Not the ECQ –
the short answer is yes are you really in business supporting young employees and their families?
Andrew Bolt gave an excellent dissuasion on the economy verses old people in Aged Care or are/were going to die in the near furure
the Billions now been lost and costed against our children to repay in the future
verses a couple of millions to absolutely lock up Aged Care which those useless Bastards in Victoria failed to do
So Andrew Bolt gave you an excellent dissuasion did he? And you’ll be going back for more? Ho hum.
Yes
we are cut from the same cloth
unlike bleeding heart sooks
what are you ?
I repeat alone with many others this is an AGED CARE disease and
it would have more sense to rigidly enforce quarantine especially on the private sector nursing homes
The ‘Pie has seen Bolt’s comments which in essence criticise ‘ruining the economy so the over-80s can live a few months longer than they would anyway.’ As always, Bolt expresses a widely held notion but in the worst and most confronting terms. Because he is more interested in readers and viewers that contributing his arguments in a more intelligent and less jarring manner. That criticism goes for so many of the right cohort, that mirrors the leftists’ equally destructive zealotry, with both sides effectively stifling sensible and open discussion of this and so many other issues vital to an equable society.
Fuck ‘em all.
OK, winnie, so who is going to look after the aged as they die, sooner or later? Aged care workers, especially the lowest on the pecking order, are not set up to be corona virus “nurses”. Their institutions, most of which are low rent ‘not-for-profits’, are themselves not set up to be quarantine stations let alone palliative care places. We can’t just ‘see what happens’, we have to make preparations, which may end up being permanent. Who is going to supply and pay the trained extra staff and resources needed in each aged care facility in the country? On this particular issue I reckon there is quite a bit of nuance out there but also a sense of urgency. Please don’t just dismiss it.
Nobody was ‘set up’ to be anything regarding corona virus 8 months ago, it is all new. The preparations must surely be there with what has already happened. And if the restrictions are eased, eventually completely, and the economy returns, then the money will be there to buffer the elderly. As The Magpie suggested much to your derision a couple of weeks ago.
Bolt’s comment ‘ruining the economy so the over-80s can live a few months longer than they would anyway’ is not only vile but stupid: the average years of life lost per death is 17 years for men and 14 for women.
While The Magpie shares your opinion of Bolt, your statistic is utterly meaningless. And one suspects, coming from you, deliberately confusing.
Mr Magpie, when the virus hit the hospitals state governments spent whatever it took to ‘set up’ the hospitals with whatever they needed. Aged care and nursing home facilities do not have access to taxpayer funds like government hospitals do. And governments don’t want aged care inmates being brought to hospitals when they get Covid-19 – they want them to stay in their aged care facilities – even though the facilities and existing staff are completely inadequate. Although you think that the preparations must surely be there with what has already happened, that clearly isn’t the case. These not-for-profits need more trained staff only working at one facility and they simply don’t have the funds to pay for them. Right now the Commonwealth is paying to reinforce the staff in aged care facilities in Victoria because they have no choice. They can’t wait till the crisis is over (it may be years) and they can’t just do a Trump and wait and see.
Excuse The ‘Pie’s ignorance – a rarity fo you, sure, but c’mon – ‘since when did the lucrative aged home industry become ‘not for profits’? Bit off-point with your irrelevant rear view mirror navel gazing piffle, but thought worth asking.
We got distracted when Critical speculated about not-for-profits rorting the trough as in: “I’m understand that some raise funds through funding raising activities and the like but this must be for a minimal overall number of staff as the majority of staff are paid from government grants.” Which, in the case of one major aged care provider, Ozcare, which is connected to the Catholic Church via St Vinnies, is complete bullshit. Poor people staying at Ozcare, basically give up their pensions – that’s it. The Commonwealth pays the rest and I have no memory now of the dollar amounts but I used to have an idea as I was guardian and administrator for an ancient couple staying there. These places run on the smell of an oily rag. Yes, I know there are flash private quasi resort hotels that operate in the sector but I see from Ozcare’s website that they have 3,000 employees in Queensland so they are quite a significant player at the bottom end of the market – the exact place where Covid-19 resources are at the biggest stretch.
The concept of life expectancy is pretty well known, I would have thought?
So someone checks into an Aged care home, and Nurse Ratchet, pencil in one hand, clipboard in the other, tells the new tenant”OK, you’ll be dying in …umm, let’s see … ah, right, 8 years.’
‘But what about my growing dementia?”
‘Forget it, the Stevometre says you won’t be carking it for 8 years. And he’s never wrong.”
Despite the fact he’s a dill.
Never wrong because I defer to the experts, instead of relying on a half-baked confabulation of vague assumptions and half-forgotten misunderstanding.
Selective ‘experts’. Look, the sad truth these days is we all choose who to believe, so The ‘Pie believes you are being honest as far as that goes, but anyone with opposing views does exactly the same. And because people like Trump have deliberately sown the distrust across all basically honest, well-researched media, labelling it fake in the most transparently self-serving manner, balanced discussions very difficult. That’s why exchanges here … and not just with you … are circular arguments that achieve little or anything. But hey, it’s fun to slag off sometimes, ain’t it?
Hey there Pie, what chance The Swannies over the Pies tonight?
Swannies took it to ‘em Pie! Go the Giants Friday night footy.
Geez, what a blog I’ve tripped across. Are all you people winos? Is there anything you don’t complain about? Some of you would probably argue that the Earth is flat. Are u ok?
Wine Bottle – sounds like you’re whining and complaining about us? It’s ok, the Earth is still round.
Sounds to The ‘Pie that Whine Bottles is a bit of a snowflake who doesn’t like robust debate or truth telling, more into a friendly circle jerk.
Wine Bottle – If you think this is bad, just head over to the Townsville Residents and Ratepayers Association FB page to see the real tin foil hat brigade in action.
Strewth, talk about damning with faint praise, thanks a bunch, gal.
Morning Gal, please get it right, it’s BOTTLES, one just doesn’t cut it anymore! I’ll brace myself then and head over to the page you mentioned. Thank you for the recommendation.
Hmmm, perhaps a tad premature with the gratitude.
Of course the earth is flat – if it was round my wine bottles and glass would fall over. Get some science up yam Whino!
I have just received my rates notice due and payable on 7/9/2020.
All the costs and charges are wonderfully laid out and totaled; $1786.21 being the total.
In a box at the top R/H side of page one are three compartments:-
1.Due Date,
2. DISCOUNTED AMOUNT if paid by due date $1786.21
3. Gross amount if paid after due date. $1867.18
Having done fairly well in maths at school, albeit some 60 years since I left those hallowed portals, I am struggling to work out the discount I have received for paying on time. It would appear that the discount amount and the total of costs and charges are the same! Some discount! $0000000000.00, I shall be careful not to spend it all at the one hotel!
If however I pay after the due date the gross amount escalates by $80.97 to $1867.18 an amount almost 5% higher.
I would suggest that the 3 boxes be renamed to the following:-
1. Due Date
2. Amount due if paid by due date
3. Fine for paying late $80.97 New gouged total $1867.18
Surely this would be a better fit for theTCC policy of Open and Transparent Governance. I look forward to seeing this alteration on my next rates notice. I feel I have a better chance of winning lotto or seeing a flying pig.
The ‘Pie has long pointed out that this is con swallowed only by the not so clever, and there is no discount, just a penalty for not coughing up by a given date. A fine for late payment is a reasonable regulation but pretending it is something that would otherwise not be attracted (due date) to make the council appear to be a listening, sympathetic and generous champion of Everyman is typical bureaucratic and political spin.
Question: do other councils also have this smoke and mirrors trick? If so, bet your bottom dollar it was a product of the Mordor-like ideas dungeon on the LGAQ.
Agree Beam and Pie, this has long been a shonk and amounts to absolutely zero ‘discount’! Whilst on the TCC’s new found transparency, when will we be told what Council financial enticement has been paid for the V8’s AND the Horn fight?
Hey independent Councillor Blog, are you out there and can you help us?
Did you manage to download your notice? Mine wouldn’t, and when I complained to TCC via Chat option on web site the TCC chatterer said there was a technical problem preventing the download. The notice is a 6mb file, most of which is taken up with pretty graphics and pretty uninformative. Another case of IT gurus believing that because they can do something even if pointless then it ought to be done. At the expense of getting the basics right.
As for the discount, it’s 10% on the rates only, not on the “Utility Charges” nor the State Govt charges.
I read that they are reopening brothels in the ACT but social distancing measures and the one person per 4 square metres rule still applies. How’s that going to work?
I suppose if it is a bondage parlour they would have a wide selection of masks that you could choose from.
I wonder if the decision to relax restrictions on escort services, strip clubs and brothels has anything to do with Parliament being scheduled to sit later this month?
And I also wonder if the Queensland pollies who head down to Canberra will be doing the mandatory 14 days isolation when they return to Queensland under the border closure rules……..oh that’s right, the isolation requirement doesn’t apply to politicians because they are special……
Some might rightly argue that Canberra is a city comprised totally of whores of various shades and the pimps and panderers who support them.
Wulguru Warrior, it works for ‘water sports’.
Was Jamie Drury involved in this?
Your tax dollars at work.
$500k on leaky pot plants?? That’s nothing. It costs millions per year on cleaning bills to mop up all the endless shit that dribbles out of politicians lying mouths. Canberra bubble alright. A bunch of fairlyland fucktards.
News tonight had The Mayor and the member for Townsville crowing about the double weekend for the V8’s. Simple question for both: HOW MUCH MONEY HAVE YOU THROWN AT THE EVENT, TAXPAYER AND COUNCIL FUNDS? While you at it, in the interests of TRANSPARENCY, same question for the Horn fight, please.
And what is going to happen to Town High and its students during this extended road closure and noise? It is going to be annoying for all of us having the streets closed off … it is going to be a disaster for the school kids! Hopefully, there won’t be many spectators. Can you imagine Friday school drop off in the same street as the main gate? It is chaotic enough when it was only the Supercars crowd during the school holidays.
But wouldn’t the kids like a ride home with one of the SuperPests.
Only if the drivers have a Blue Card
As someone who goes to the v8’s every year I can say that this years event is a complete waste of time, no corporates, no money for the event, , it’s a simple as that with motor racing. So as you say someone must be covering the shortfall, which would be in the millions, it’s a very expensive event to stage, you can’t scrimp on barriers and safety fences etc, there would be a base charge which can’t be avoided.
Indeed, you’re right, and The ‘Pie has so often wondered how much the V8 Supercar organisation pays the Townsville City Council for the supply of the track, pits area and corporate lounge units from which the promoters make so much money. But one guesses like everyone else, the Supercar people have taken a bit of a hit, so surely our rev head mayor will agree to the council receiving a reduced amount in the Year of Covid.