Are you just full of hot air?

Dry Rot

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For all the passion shown by most of the posters on this Board, do any of you actually do anything about these issues in the real world?

I do, but I wonder if many others do much more than type lots of keystrokes here?

Regardless of whether you are left or right leaning, I'd be interested to see if anybody else actually tries to do something about what they believe in.
 

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crocodileman

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#3
Dry Rot,

voting Liberal and placing your faith in a 'lying rodent' doesn't mean you are proactive.

Every chance I get though, I bag farmers. Being a teacher, I am not afraid to tell my students what I think and let them make up their own minds. It's called education. Luckily, I have convinced most of my classes that it's cool to hate farmers! :D
 

BlueMark

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#4
A full time professional 'do-gooder.' Work in an area that deals with exceptionally marginalised people who have multiple issues who can not access or have been barred from mainstream services. Very interesting job.
 

Dry Rot

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crocodileman said:
Dry Rot,

voting Liberal and placing your faith in a 'lying rodent' doesn't mean you are proactive.

:D
Is that what you do?

I presume you referring to yourself - If you had been here longer, you'd know I neither vote Liberal nor have any faith in a "lying rodent", except that he will lie again.
 

funkyfreo

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#6
I work in sustainable transport and urban design.
I don't own a car - quite a feat in Perth.
I am a member of a few local "grass roots" enviro groups that focus on sustainable household practices - ie the things we can all do, save money, reduce impacts, whether right or left leaning.
Will head into politics.
 

Leper

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#7
I'd love to lead a fight to put unions in their place. Not take away their rights, just their abuse of power. But figure they do that themselves by pricing their own workers out of the market to the point where jobs go offshore. So equilibrium is reached naturally rather than by any political forces. A bit like why you don't have 50 million lions running around the plains of Africa. Only so many antelope to go around.

It's happened in a whole host of manufacturing industries, and now happening at Qantas.
 

BlueMark

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#8
QANTAS made a profit of over 900 mil.

What about the abuses by emloyers.........James Hardie et al

Or the ridiclous executative salaries. Is a CEO really worth 60 times the wage paid to an engineer
 

Dry Rot

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Leper said:
I'd love to lead a fight to put unions in their place. Not take away their rights, just their abuse of power. But figure they do that themselves by pricing their own workers out of the market to the point where jobs go offshore. So equilibrium is reached naturally rather than by any political forces. A bit like why you don't have 50 million lions running around the plains of Africa. Only so many antelope to go around.

It's happened in a whole host of manufacturing industries, and now happening at Qantas.
While I disagree with your views, you are a good example of what I mean.

All talk here. No action. Full of hot air.
 
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#10
I think Dry Rot raises a very good question.

It's something I've raised at several dinner parties with friends in recent times. Our circle of friends are professionals, generally inner city types and have strong views on most topics. the group is split 50:50 when it comes to politics. We are very good at outlining what should be done.

Sick of this I recently challenged them. Other than generally lead self indulgent lifestyles what did any of us do in a community sense?

When push came to shove the answer was bugger all.

I've since tried to rectify this situation. The great irony of course that out in the much loathed burbs there's generally a pretty good sense of community, with voluntary participation in a whole range of community, sporting, school, and health organsiations.
 

funkyfreo

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#11
Wicked Lester said:
The great irony of course that out in the much loathed burbs there's generally a pretty good sense of community, with voluntary participation in a whole range of community, sporting, school, and health organsiations.
I challenge the statement that outer suburb types are more involved in their community than inner city types. I would suggest the opposite in fact.
 

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Leper

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#12
What's wrong with one's right to an opinion?

For example, I don't agree with the whole Iraq thing (conspiracy for oil), but I'm not about to do anything about it beyond maybe voting for Latham over Johnny (bet that surprised you).

BM - did Qantas really make $900M? I don't think so, but am happy to be proven wrong. Yes, unfortunately employers take advantage of employees (eg Hardie's example). This is the basic reason you need unions. What I'm on about is abuse of power by unions - add employers to the equation if you like.

As for executive $$$, I'd pay anybody (CEO / engineer / s**t shoveller) $2mill a year if they could make me an extra $100mill. Wouldn't you?
 
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#13
funkyfreo said:
I challenge the statement that outer suburb types are more involved in their community than inner city types. I would suggest the opposite in fact.
You're allowed to diasagree - but I stand by my comment.

My view is based on the fact that where there are children a greater sense of community emerges. And when I think of 'community' I think of people pitching in to help develop the area they call home - school fetes, working bees, child care centre committees - the list goes on.

Don't confuse involvement in activist groups and the like with a sense of community. My own experience of inner city living (where I still reside) is that they are virtually devoid of any sense of community. The only thing that brings our street together is when the residents unite to stop another resident of the street putting a second storey on.
 

crocodileman

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#14
funkyfreo said:
I work in sustainable transport and urban design.
I don't own a car - quite a feat in Perth.
I am a member of a few local "grass roots" enviro groups that focus on sustainable household practices - ie the things we can all do, save money, reduce impacts, whether right or left leaning.
Will head into politics.
I'd be happy to be your campaign manager. We can start with our first press release:-
"Funky Freo says ******** off to Farmers!"
 

funkyfreo

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#15
crocodileman said:
I'd be happy to be your campaign manager. We can start with our first press release:-
"Funky Freo says ******** off to Farmers!"
Hmm then I would have to change my last post to "will make a VERY BRIEF AND UNSUCCESSFUL Foray into politics!!!" :)
 

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#20
crocodileman said:
Dry Rot,

voting Liberal and placing your faith in a 'lying rodent' doesn't mean you are proactive.

Every chance I get though, I bag farmers. Being a teacher, I am not afraid to tell my students what I think and let them make up their own minds. It's called education. Luckily, I have convinced most of my classes that it's cool to hate farmers! :D
As I thought a public servant. How true the old saying, those who can do those that cant teach. How dare you call farmers whingers, teachers are the biggest pack of whingers going around. Despite working bugger all hours a day and having a few mths holiday they are always complaining about wages and conditions. This in a country where basic literacy is still an issue due to the poor efforts of teachers.

If that isnt bad enough, scum like you try and brainwash complete lies into children. No wonder most people are left wing until they get out into the real world and see they have been told a load of crap and change their mind.
 

bunsen burner

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#21
Mr Q said:
Expand please...
Four simple concepts:

1) Market forces. CEO's with a quality CV are hard to come by. Company's have to pay the going rate.

2) Economies of Scale. In just about any price structure, the price of a product increases at an increasing rate compared to quality. A Mercedes is worth twice as much as a Commodore but isn't twice as good, brand name clothing is often worth twice as much as no name brands but aren't twice as good, just as CEO maybe paid 60 times that of an engineer although they aren't 60 times as good. Generally for that little bit extra you have to pay a lot more.

3) The difference in a $4m pa CEO and a $1m pa CEO might be $20m in revenue. Of course it might not be, but people have to make a decision based on past results and speculated future results. Kouta was worth a $5m contract while Darren Hulme was worth $100k per year. Same concept - people's contracts are based on previous performance.

4) It can be argued that some CEOs are not worth 60 times that of an engineer after assessing their performance. But you could also say that some engineers aren't worth their paypack after assessing their performance either. Just like an engineer and a footy player, when a CEO is hired the payment is agreed before any performance is assessed. Them's the breaks (either way).
 

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#23
Milne said:
Unions are what stop us from reach full employment
no unions = increased poverty.

Not a fan of unions in general but they are necessary part of our society. The big question is how much power should they be given. At times they haven't had enough power and at times they've had too much (ie the 80's and early 90's). If unions had either full control or absolutely no control there would be dire consequences. Hence why I have little respect for people who can't get enough left or can't get enough right.
 

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#24
Leper said:
I'd love to lead a fight to put unions in their place. Not take away their rights, just their abuse of power. But figure they do that themselves by pricing their own workers out of the market to the point where jobs go offshore.




What do you reckon are the effects of the astonishing increases in the packages given to senior executives in this country and the amazing payouts given them after, in some cases, only several years service to poorly performing companies. Just as well our union friends are not as powerful as they used to be or they would surely be demanding a bigger slice of the cake.
 

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#25
Don't know, you tell me.

I think BB summed it up with the comment "a CEO is hired the payment is agreed before any performance is assessed". You pay for someone based on expected / anticipated performance. Risk is they don't perform and they have to go, which comes at a price. A price which may mean (at worst) the demise of the company in question. Just ask the Tigers board about the last coach they had to get rid of. Promised but didn't deliver.

ps - 52.6 McGrath to Dravid, OUT: gone! McGrath strikes again! another beauty, pitched touch outside the off stump and moving away just enough to take the outside edge, straight to Warne at first slip, India five down and sinking fast.
 
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