Cost of Living with Government Charges
Thisarticle written by Margaret Wenham typifies the average household and all of these increased charges that we experience today. It shows how out of touch the bureaucracy is on the average householder in trying to absorb all these taxes that Governments want to dream up. Add the Cost of carbon Tax to these and we shall all go broke
So, while the politicians, bureaucrats and corporate types have been busy working out how to visit more costs on ordinary, long-suffering taxpayers - from carbon taxes, to flood levies, to paying for billions of dollars worth of mothballed water infrastructure and extortionately subsidised solar panels on other people's roofs - I've worked out just how much some of my household expenses have increased over the past 10 years.
In 2002, the rates for my Kenmore house for four quarters totalled $1631.05. Of that $395.46 was water charges, including $100 for water access. In 2010-11, my rates for the same house totalled $2143.21 with $400.30 for water and $159.10 of that for access.
My rates, sans water costs, have risen by 41 per cent. Thanks a lot, Campbell.
At first blush, my water charges don't seem dissimilar, but take into account the reduction in water use my family (three hulking sons and I) has achieved since February 2002 - when my rates notice says we used 129kl for the quarter compared to my Urban Utilities bill for the last quarter of 2010 showing a total of 41kl used - then the disgusting hike becomes apparent. It's equivalent to a whopping 201 per cent increase per kilolitre. Cheers, Anna.
What I want to know is where's the reward for our massive water-wise efforts? Where's my reward for carping until I was thoroughly sick of the sound of my own voice for the boys to get out of the bloody shower? Where's my reward for lambasting everyone for wearing too many clothes and my one-towel-a-week campaign?
Then there's my electricity bills, which for 2002 came to $1018.75, while my most recent four accounts total $1702.09. This represents a 67 per cent rise. Thanks, Peter "deregulation will lower prices" Beattie and power company fat cats.
And again, I ask, where's my reward for being unstinting in my efforts to reduce our electricity use?
Where's my reward for replacing all our light bulbs with expensive power-saving ones?
These rises have been so far above the CPI as to almost defy belief.
Using the Reserve Bank's inflation rate calculator, if my electricity bills had risen just by the CPI between 2002 and 2010 then I'd be paying $1273.71 a year, not $1702.09.
Then there's insurance. Just in the past four years my home and contents insurance has increased by 70 per cent and, thanks to the recent floods and cyclones - neither of which directly impacted on me - I'm told to expect a 30 per cent increase this year.
My car insurance also increased 42 per cent between 2006 and 2010. Presumably that will also further skyrocket this year.
I haven't, in living memory, made a claim on either policy.
Speaking of cars, last year I downsized to a four-cylinder and looked forward to a gratifying reduction in registration.
But it was not to be thanks to the State Government's rego hike that sees me paying the same rego now for my smaller car as I did for my old Commodore. Cheers again, Anna.
Then there's petrol. In 2002, according to government statistics, the average price of petrol was 79c a litre. This week I paid $1.49 a litre. The cost difference for a 55-litre tank of fuel is $38.50 - an 82 per cent increase.
The banks have, of course, been at it as well, adding interest rate insult to fees and charges injuries.
In October 2003, the difference between my mortgagee's variable home loan rate and the RBA's cash rate was 1.24 percentage points, a difference that had remained pretty stable for years.
Today the difference is 2.49 percentage points, so that instead of paying a variable interest rate of 5.99 per cent, I'm paying 7.24 per cent.
Now, as a single mum with squat all money in the 1990s, I busted a gut to study and work to increase my income-earning potential.
I've worked sometimes punishing hours and have done modestly well for myself in my journalism career, raising three fabulous sons in the process.
In fact, Julia, I like many others "day after day do the right thing, leading purposeful and dignified lives, driven by love of family and nation", if I may quote your recent speech.
But I'm telling you and every bureaucratic and corporate parasite with his or her hand in my pocket, my "purposefulness" is being undermined by you. I'm now going backwards financially - my 3 to 4 per cent a year award pay rises are no match for the continuous across-the-board hikes.
Bring on the people's revolution I say.
But you better watch your political backside too, Tony.
Margaret Wenham is the editor of The Courier-Mail's Viewpoint section.
http://www.couriermail.com.au/money/time-to-raise-hell-on-costs-of-living-as-double-digit-increases-mean-were-going-backwards-financially/story-e6freqoo-1226033017171
Time to raise hell on costs of living as double-digit increases mean we're going backwards
I KNEW I'd find a use for all my old bills carefully filed away in a great big box in my storeroom at home.So, while the politicians, bureaucrats and corporate types have been busy working out how to visit more costs on ordinary, long-suffering taxpayers - from carbon taxes, to flood levies, to paying for billions of dollars worth of mothballed water infrastructure and extortionately subsidised solar panels on other people's roofs - I've worked out just how much some of my household expenses have increased over the past 10 years.
In 2002, the rates for my Kenmore house for four quarters totalled $1631.05. Of that $395.46 was water charges, including $100 for water access. In 2010-11, my rates for the same house totalled $2143.21 with $400.30 for water and $159.10 of that for access.
My rates, sans water costs, have risen by 41 per cent. Thanks a lot, Campbell.
At first blush, my water charges don't seem dissimilar, but take into account the reduction in water use my family (three hulking sons and I) has achieved since February 2002 - when my rates notice says we used 129kl for the quarter compared to my Urban Utilities bill for the last quarter of 2010 showing a total of 41kl used - then the disgusting hike becomes apparent. It's equivalent to a whopping 201 per cent increase per kilolitre. Cheers, Anna.
What I want to know is where's the reward for our massive water-wise efforts? Where's my reward for carping until I was thoroughly sick of the sound of my own voice for the boys to get out of the bloody shower? Where's my reward for lambasting everyone for wearing too many clothes and my one-towel-a-week campaign?
Then there's my electricity bills, which for 2002 came to $1018.75, while my most recent four accounts total $1702.09. This represents a 67 per cent rise. Thanks, Peter "deregulation will lower prices" Beattie and power company fat cats.
And again, I ask, where's my reward for being unstinting in my efforts to reduce our electricity use?
Where's my reward for replacing all our light bulbs with expensive power-saving ones?
These rises have been so far above the CPI as to almost defy belief.
Using the Reserve Bank's inflation rate calculator, if my electricity bills had risen just by the CPI between 2002 and 2010 then I'd be paying $1273.71 a year, not $1702.09.
Then there's insurance. Just in the past four years my home and contents insurance has increased by 70 per cent and, thanks to the recent floods and cyclones - neither of which directly impacted on me - I'm told to expect a 30 per cent increase this year.
My car insurance also increased 42 per cent between 2006 and 2010. Presumably that will also further skyrocket this year.
I haven't, in living memory, made a claim on either policy.
Speaking of cars, last year I downsized to a four-cylinder and looked forward to a gratifying reduction in registration.
But it was not to be thanks to the State Government's rego hike that sees me paying the same rego now for my smaller car as I did for my old Commodore. Cheers again, Anna.
Then there's petrol. In 2002, according to government statistics, the average price of petrol was 79c a litre. This week I paid $1.49 a litre. The cost difference for a 55-litre tank of fuel is $38.50 - an 82 per cent increase.
The banks have, of course, been at it as well, adding interest rate insult to fees and charges injuries.
In October 2003, the difference between my mortgagee's variable home loan rate and the RBA's cash rate was 1.24 percentage points, a difference that had remained pretty stable for years.
Today the difference is 2.49 percentage points, so that instead of paying a variable interest rate of 5.99 per cent, I'm paying 7.24 per cent.
Now, as a single mum with squat all money in the 1990s, I busted a gut to study and work to increase my income-earning potential.
I've worked sometimes punishing hours and have done modestly well for myself in my journalism career, raising three fabulous sons in the process.
In fact, Julia, I like many others "day after day do the right thing, leading purposeful and dignified lives, driven by love of family and nation", if I may quote your recent speech.
But I'm telling you and every bureaucratic and corporate parasite with his or her hand in my pocket, my "purposefulness" is being undermined by you. I'm now going backwards financially - my 3 to 4 per cent a year award pay rises are no match for the continuous across-the-board hikes.
Bring on the people's revolution I say.
But you better watch your political backside too, Tony.
Margaret Wenham is the editor of The Courier-Mail's Viewpoint section.
http://www.couriermail.com.au/money/time-to-raise-hell-on-costs-of-living-as-double-digit-increases-mean-were-going-backwards-financially/story-e6freqoo-1226033017171
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