My Right of Reply

Sarah

Thanks for taking the time to share your feelings and thoughts about me as a person. Although I question your qualifications for making such personal and offensive comments, considering the glaring fact that you don’t know me at all. And that is fine, I recognise we are not women who would naturally be friends without the shared common ground of Mammoth gatherings to meet on. I’m sorry if you felt I was anything less than civil at Paul and Tram’s over Christmas, I owe you civility and nothing more and I apologise if I gave less than that.

It seems that the activities on FB lately have deeply upset you, and it’s obvious you didn’t take the recommended 10 deep breaths before writing us of your concerns. That’s okay, we all do that at times.

Your comment about Borders, while not directly related to A&R has still managed to upset people, maturity is recognising and accepting that fact.

I think your attack on Sarah and myself to be an overreaction, maybe you’re not quite yourself lately I don’t know. I had thought you to have more poise and self control over your emotions. Re-reading the offending thread , it should be clear to the rational mind that Jenn made far more inflammatory comments in response to your remark than either Sarah or myself.

Your assertions that I am pathetic, and an adolescent sheep minded follower of Liz, while disappointing , don’t really bother me since I’ve never really cared about what you think. They reveal far more about your character deficiencies than they do mine.

Your comment about Liz being an internet bully is so far past the mark it’s laughable. And if any good has come from this, it was the laugh I got from reading that.

Liz is a passionate person and uses her FB to share that at times, I know Liz better than you and I know she’s not a snide person, in fact she doesn’t have a snide bone in her body. Your perception of her comments as snide is purely that, your perception.

Professionally It’s been a trying period for her, and I’ve witnessed nothing but trolling and insensitivity from people who have the nerve to call themselves her friends. I am a loyal person and do tend to come out swinging when people I love are hurting, I don’t owe you an apology or an explanation for that.

There are positive changes coming up in both our futures and I think it best for all involved if we both focus on that. Whether you believe this to be sincere or not, I wish you all the best for your new pregnancy and your upcoming relocation to Sydney.

Daily Mail Comment

You may not be aware dear reader, that I love to write letters and comments, i'm so happy the internet gives me so many opportunities to do so. Please don't think i'm a rabid letter writer, a constant complainer or for that matter a serial pest. I am not. I write when i feel passionate about something, to get things off my chest.

Sometimes it's the only thing that makes me feel like i have some control, like i can actually change things. But not all the time. Other times i just like to correct idiots, or try to steer them in the direction of basic logic and reason.

But (quite less) often i like to use my words to insult, such as today's offering to the Daily Mail, in response to this article (and hopefully you'll find my comment at the bottom, maybe twice because i back tracked to get the text of my comment, because i forgot to copy before submitting. I may be opinionated but not always very bright)

"Someone has to say it, but sorry DM, that coat is not futuristic. If you knew a thing about fashion, you can see very clearly that it has got a retro 60's styling.

Before reading the DM i thought that the room full of typing monkeys was just a comedy device for television, but it's turns out you actually have one! It certainly goes some way to explaining the continual spelling errors and pointless content i find in your articles."

I wonder how many red/green arrows i'll get for this one, or if it'll get posted at all. Stay tuned...

No Response Yet

My letter to Wayne Swan, which was the hardcopy version of the post below, was sent on Monday 31 January 2011. I am still awaiting reply.

The Flood Levy

Dear Mr Swan

I'm writing you as my Federal MP for Lilley to express my extreme displeasure at the proposed Flood Levy. While my income is below the $50,000 threshold for the levy, many other cash strapped, middle class households will be affected. Surely you're aware that practically every other cost of living is increasing. We pay more for fuel now that we have ever done, it's a financial strain to register and insure our vehicles, private health premiums rise steadily and the cost of the weekly grocery shop is on the increase. Not to mention the ridiculous rate hikes in electricity and water imposed on us. For some, and i fear it will be many households, this extra tax will be the final pressure that forces them below the poverty line, and possibly out of their homes.

Taxing the middle class and high income earners isn't fair, is that how the Government shows thanks to those citizens who have studied hard,worked hard to be decent, upstanding members of society? Why should they pay the tax, when there are those whose sole aim in life is to collect all the welfare benefits they can. They contribute nothing to society except more mouths to feed and educate with our tax dollars. How is it fair that they escape contributing to the rebuilding of the state they call home too.

I understand that the rebuilding effort will take staggering amounts of money to complete and supporting victims over the long term will also be expensive. But when the Government squanders a surplus, presides over the highest rises in living expenses in generations and wastes $600M on a never-to-be-built dam. Another tax will add insult to injury to an already disillusioned, cash strapped and debt laded middle class.

It has been suggested that welfare benefits for long-term dole recipients be cut, if not suspended entirely and i agree. Put them to work on the rebuilding effort! I'm also in favour of cuts to Australia's Foreign Aid Program. While i am proud of Australia's international generosity, we are in a time of great need ourselves and we should consider temporarily diverting funds from that to help our own country rebuild. Choosing which country will get less of our aid will require hard decisions, but as Ms Gillard and Mrs Bligh have so often informed us, Labor is capable and certainly not shy of making the hard decisions. Maybe it's time a hard decision was made that helps us instead of hurting us (i.e. the sale of Queensland's public assets, another tax)

I think the Government's focus on getting the budget back to surplus by 2013 is no longer realistic and in the face of these Natural Disasters and their effect on the economy, could even be argued as irresponsible. I fully support deficit spending to rebuild flood ravaged areas and to provide assistance to victims. What good is a budget in surplus if everyday people can't afford the necessary costs of living and if victims are still struggling to get back on their feet months, even years later?

The combination of the tragically mismanaged Home Insulation Program which cost four Australians their lives, the wasteful spending that is that is the hallmark of the Building Education Revolution (BER) and now this new Flood Levy. I no longer trust the future of my country in the hands of Labor leaders, their ideologies and (failing) policies and i certainly don't trust that this levy will be confined to the 2011-2012 financial year.

I support the Opposition's intent to block this levy in Parliament and will be supporting the Liberal party at the next election, both Federally and at a State Level.