Howard to withhold welfare from drug offenders

“People convicted of criminal offences involving heroin, cocaine or amphetamines would have welfare payments quarantined under a new scheme announced by Prime Minister John Howard today.”

Great idea Mr Howard! Let’s withhold money from drug users who have already demonstrated that they will commit crime in order to feed their addiction. Quarantining social security payments to ensure drug offenders use the money for essentials like groceries, to my reasoning only increases the risk of re-offending. If you’re a drug addict, all you’re concerned with is feeding your addiction. If social security payments are quarantined, it only means that a person will look elsewhere to find the resources to get their drugs. This policy does NOTHING to treat drug addiction and the crime that is committed in order to feed drug addictions. No doubt some beaurucrat came up with the idea thinking it might win a few votes. It’s completely inept.

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Candidates ’should declare sexual preference’

http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2007/11/01/2078649.htm

You gotta let these bigots know that we oppose their views.
http://www.familyfirst.org.au/contactus.php

I’m writing to express my disgust at comments reported in the Courier Mail today, made by Ben Jacobsen, Family First’s candidate for Leichhardt in Queensland.

A person’s sexual preference has no baring on their ability to represent an electorate. Nor does a person’s sexual preference infer what kind of values a person has.

Ben Jacobsen on the other hand has shown that his values are bigoted and discriminatory. He is reported to be “against gay relationships”. This is an unacceptable position for a political candidate to hold in a country like Australia. It’s completely discriminatory and makes him unfit to be candidate, and certainly unfit to represent the electorate of Leichhardt. They deserve better.

It won’t make any difference. But it’s better than being silent. At least this candidate has declared his bigotry. The Nationals candidate for the same electorate declared his sexism recently as well. I hope these declarations have made it easier for the people of Leichhardt to choose their vote. But the electorate is in far north Queensland… sexism and homophobia is as ingrained in that corner of Australia as sunshine.

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Dear John Howard and Kevin Rudd,

Please be advised that not all your voters are “working families”.

Increasing numbers of your constituents are single and or childfree, the most ever, in fact.

The way you two bang on about “working families” makes those of us who don’t fall into this category feel alienated and outside the scope of your concerns.

Sincerely,
KJE.

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I was just reading a piece in The Age about Myf’s Waurhurst’s move to Triple M. Apparently, when Judith Lucy was doing breakfast on Sydney’s Today FM, she was “asked to produce “a light-hearted piece” about sexual assault, among other things.” Just another reason why my generic term for commercial radio in this country is “bloke FM”.

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I just joined Kiva.org, a website that enables you to lend money to people in developing countries who want to start up or expand their small businesses. The popularity of the site has just grown enormously in the past couple of months thanks to publicity on the Oprah show and in Bill Clinton’s new book. It’s a great concept. All it takes is $25 USD and a paypal account. Too easy. When I read about Letoee Kapeli and her pancake business, I knew she was the one to be my first lendee! Check out my lender page and read about who I’ve lended money too: http://www.kiva.org/lender/kj3750.

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