Yet Another Fee Hike in Oz

[fozrunner]

Originally Posted by El Pinguino

Are you getting spraying confused with spitting?

Just an update. I flew into Brisbane this morning and there was no spraying. Last time I remember a plane being sprayed was over 10 years ago. Perhaps it depends on last port before landing.

[chala]

Originally Posted by socaldmax

I am, a little. When I do a google search about Australia and it's described as the continent with the most dangerous animals on the planet, that's not exactly a ringing endorsement.

And why do think Obama have is Hawaiian Marines trained in the North of Oz? And they are treated gently, no swimming across the Adelaide river or crocs farms like the SAAS do, no kangaroo steak covered with flies (the French have fries). Imagine John Wayne with his nose, ears and eyes full of flies. They can get Ross river and Dengue fever and any other mosquito-born infectious disease, Melioidosis, leprosy, lyssa virus from flying fox, these animals can not only bomb but shoot horizontally. Just watching your car getting sprayed every morning can lead any one to despair without having to wait for the mango season to arrive, just watch Croc Dundee 2 to see how they got rid of yours

Originally Posted by socaldmax

2 big Sicilian

or the like. “big” Gosh what fast food can do these days to proud Sicilians. And the above is just appetizer of what you can get for $380 really a bargain. You never get that amount of excitement for that price from Disney Land or Coney Island.

Originally Posted by fozrunner

Just an update.

Did anybody sing Waltzing Matilda?

[Factor]

AQIS is a public service agency. Thus it is funded by direct charging and or government budgets. So either you pay, or my taxes pay, guess which I choose.

[weavis]

Originally Posted by Factor

AQIS is a public service agency. Thus it is funded by direct charging and or government budgets. So either you pay, or my taxes pay, guess which I choose.

This will affect your taxes how? You dont choose. Your taxes are unaffected. They will go up regardless.

For me it has nothing to do with Australia the country. Its a great country. I see what is happening with fees is like wanting to go to shop in city and being charged for the privelege to do so. Imagine going into Sydney to drop 1K on goodies and being charged an entrance fee.

Governments make up laws to extract money. What they say in terms of the reason for doing so, is not always the whole truth.

[Factor]

Okay - it costs $10 to run Aqis, next year it costs $15, if the charges dont go up then shortfall is made up out of tax contribution which needs to rise $5, if the charges go up then tax contribution stays the same. Unless I was asleep in my Business degree classes at University.

[Ex-Calif]

Originally Posted by Factor

Okay - it costs $10 to run Aqis, next year it costs $15, if the charges dont go up then shortfall is made up out of tax contribution which needs to rise $5, if the charges go up then tax contribution stays the same. Unless I was asleep in my Business degree classes at University.

Should have got a polisci degree..

AQIS in America -

- AQIS cost $10 to run in 2014 and $15 to run in 2015
- AQIS funding of $15 put in budget
- Budget fails to pass 3 times due to lack of sufficient pork for Appropriations Senator from Tennessee
- Government shut down for 3 weeks
- AQIS fee raised to $20 in budget proposal - Money deposited in general fund
- AQIS funding appropriation remains at $10
- $10 appropriated to fund a bridge in Tennessee
- Budget passes
- Money used for rezoning Congressional districts in Tennessee - costs include a fact finding junket to Hawaii
- Senators party picks up 2 congressional seats in Tennessee at next election

Results
- AQIS - Lose - Now closed on weekends and Fridays
- Boaters - Lose - No AQIS on Fridays and weekends, AQIS now costs $20
- Tennessee Drivers - Lose - No Bridge
- Tennessee voters - Lose - Disenfranchised voters
- US Government workers - Lose - 3 weeks pay loss
- US public - Lose - Government closed for 3 weeks & 3 weeks unemployment paid to government workers
- Politicians - Win...

[monte]

Pretty sure last time I went to Sydney I was in fact charged an entrance fee.
I think they call it a toll. Sure I could have driven around and assed about in the suburbs trying to find my way, but a few bucks to get there faster and easier, why not. It's called the user pays system, not the rest of the country paying for some faster more convenient road they will never use. Fine by me. Kind if like asking some guy in Alice springs how he feels about subsidising foreign yacht quarantine expenses from his hard earned tax dollars...
I can imagine the response

[weavis]

Originally Posted by monte

Pretty sure last time I went to Sydney I was in fact charged an entrance fee.
I think they call it a toll. Sure I could have driven around and assed about in the suburbs trying to find my way, but a few bucks to get there faster and easier, why not. It's called the user pays system, not the rest of the country paying for some faster more convenient road they will never use. Fine by me. Kind if like asking some guy in Alice springs how he feels about subsidising foreign yacht quarantine expenses from his hard earned tax dollars...
I can imagine the response

sigh

You were NOT CHARGED AN ENTRANCE FEE.
You didnt have to pay it. It was not compulsory.
Straw man argument.

[monte]

Haha no need to fall off your chair weavis, I thought you were saying the quarantine fee is kind of like an entrance fee in your last post, saying it's similar to being charged and entrance fee to Sydney? Forgive my confusion over your imaginings

[El Pinguino]

Originally Posted by monte

Kind if like asking some guy in Alice springs how he feels about subsidising foreign yacht quarantine expenses from his hard earned tax dollars...

The guy in Alice Springs will either be on benefits or working for the government....I object to paying them out of my hard earned tax dollars...

[Wotname]

Originally Posted by El Pinguino

The guy in Alice Springs will either be on benefits or working for the government....I object to paying them out of my hard earned tax dollars...

Good argument except that when the Alice was a guvmit / welfare town, AQIS was free.

Times have moved on, the Alice is a far more private enterprise town these days and AQIS is a far more user pays arrangement.

Not sure which is better but bludi hard to change

[downunder]

Originally Posted by weavis

This will affect your taxes how? You dont choose. Your taxes are unaffected. They will go up regardless.

For me it has nothing to do with Australia the country. Its a great country. I see what is happening with fees is like wanting to go to shop in city and being charged for the privelege to do so. Imagine going into Sydney to drop 1K on goodies and being charged an entrance fee.

Governments make up laws to extract money. What they say in terms of the reason for doing so, is not always the whole truth.

Last timeIi spent the day in Brisbane city cost me from memory $28.00 for parking for the day. Even for us aussies there is no free lunch.

cheers

[Coops]

If you buy things shopping you are charged already, it's called GST here and VAT in the UK.

I agree that some folks seriously overestimate their importance to the economy. I doubt that Australia would even notice if all the cruisers stopped coming here. It is not even a pimple on the bum as far as affecting the economy.

Coops.

[Ex-Calif]

(pot stirring mode)

The big crooks in Australia are the taxis! When I visit for business I spend more on taxis than food. More than in any Asian city including Tokyo.

I get that people gotta make a wage but taxis are crazy expensive in Oz.

[BandB]

Originally Posted by fozrunner

Just an update. I flew into Brisbane this morning and there was no spraying. Last time I remember a plane being sprayed was over 10 years ago. Perhaps it depends on last port before landing.

Far less frequent than it was and does depend on previous port.