Re: State Rail - No, State Joke. [NSW]

["Bradley Torr" <truenorth@one.net.au.SPAMTRAP>]

Tezza <tezza2000@dingoblue.net.au> wrote in article
<3b172421$0$25468$7f31c96c@news01.syd.optusnet.com.au>...

> No government collects tax by sending a bill to residents.

Local governments send rate notices to resident property owners (and
non-resident property owners too). Still, the rate notice takes the form of
a bill in the mail.

If you file a federal tax return and you end up owing money, then the
Australian Tax Office sends you a bill in the mail asking you to pay the
remainder of the tax you owe.

I read your points, and I agree that it's difficult to tax RESIDENTS using
current revenue frameworks. Perhaps a Margaret Thatcher-style poll tax
would be in order - but any government game enough to do that would be
facing sure defeat. Still, I can't see anything prohibiting state
governments or regional associations of councils bringing in geographically
specific taxation (whether on income of people living within certain
postcodes or councils, or taxes on property, or whatever) for the purpose
of raising revenue for geographically specific infrastructure projects such
as roads, public transport, water supply and drainage, etc. 

> I disagree, as you still can't show how to tax Sydney Metroploitan
residents
> to pay for the public transport.

There are thousands of ways to raise revenue which would affect primarily
Sydney metro residents. Yes, a sales tax would tax the 'buyers of goods
within metropolitan Sydney' as distinct from residents - but the vast
majority of those who pay such a tax will be metro Sydney residents.

> | Australia has
> | one of the most centralised taxation systems in the world

> Thank christ, I don't want those wankers blowing even more of more money.

It doesn't necessarily mean that you'll pay more money in tax - just that
you'll have to pay a larger proportion of the money you already pay in tax
to higher levels of government directly to lower levels of government.

> | If the rich are allowed to stay rich, their prosperity
> | will trickle down to us lowly peons. Or, that's what the economic
> | rationalist ideologues say.
> 
> Yeah, right! Does anyone still believe that crap these days?

Too many people do. Particularly Reserve Bank and Treasury ideologues,
Cabinet Ministers and corporate CEO's. The people with one hand on the
economic levers, and the other hand on a different lever entirely. Not too
many of us suburban serfs believe it, though.

Regards
BT