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Effing *#&*^@ incompetent bureaucrats
Aug. 7th, 2006 07:40 pm(and yes, some of my best friends are bureaucrats, of the competent kind, and they wouldn't pull this shit on me or anyone)
So. I have been in Australia now for about 20 months. I have had a job - the same job - all that time. In fact, I didn't move here until I got a job. It may have been twoo lurrve that brought me here, but I am not the sort of person who will be financially dependent on anyone. Oh bloody no.
With my job, I pay taxes. Lots of them. In fact, this last financial year, I will have paid $32,000 in just income tax. And then there is the Medicare levy. And the superannuation levy. And this is after I stopped getting the fucking payroll tax deducted from my pay due to being a contractor - I have to "work for" a stupid little shell company so I don't get penalised even more for working a role that should be permanent anyway. And, yes, it's fine to do that kind of dodge in Australian tax law. What a waste of time.
However, I like paying taxes. I like many of the things they buy. Such as infrastructure, health care, benefits for the sick and unemployed, etc etc. If it weren't for the fact that other people paid taxes when I was a child and my mother had to bring up 4 of us on social welfare, I wouldn't be here. (Of course, if we lived in a nice anarchist society, we wouldn't need all this bullshit of transferring money around to exchange goods and services, but that's a rant for another day.)
So, if it isn't evident by now, I do the right thing. I discharge my financial obligations, I pay my bills, I don't claim any of the stupid little fucking exemptions on my tax return that all the boys at work are currently claiming. Many of whom earn more than me, so it's not as if they're strapped. (Ok, they have kids, but guess what, they get tax rebates for that -- which I am effectively paying for. And that is actually fine.)
Getting to the point, I wanted to get a Medicare card so I could get some of my entitlements for getting my knee looked at properly (which will probably require minor surgery). I haven't been to a doctor in over 18 months, and that was for a pap smear and general greeblies tests (yes, I know I'm due). As I mentioned above, I have been getting my Medicare levies deducted from my pay like everyone else.
( cut for more ranting and lots of swearing )
I am so pissed off (no kidding). I think I'll have a whisky. Or three. GRRRAAAAHHHHHHHH!!!!11!!
ETA: And yes, I will go in tomorrow, with the letter, and my nice passport, and be excruciatingly polite when I ask to see the twit who made the decision/signed the letter, and I'll calmly - even if I grind my teeth to the gums - explain the situation, and hopefully it'll all be fixed. It'd better.
So. I have been in Australia now for about 20 months. I have had a job - the same job - all that time. In fact, I didn't move here until I got a job. It may have been twoo lurrve that brought me here, but I am not the sort of person who will be financially dependent on anyone. Oh bloody no.
With my job, I pay taxes. Lots of them. In fact, this last financial year, I will have paid $32,000 in just income tax. And then there is the Medicare levy. And the superannuation levy. And this is after I stopped getting the fucking payroll tax deducted from my pay due to being a contractor - I have to "work for" a stupid little shell company so I don't get penalised even more for working a role that should be permanent anyway. And, yes, it's fine to do that kind of dodge in Australian tax law. What a waste of time.
However, I like paying taxes. I like many of the things they buy. Such as infrastructure, health care, benefits for the sick and unemployed, etc etc. If it weren't for the fact that other people paid taxes when I was a child and my mother had to bring up 4 of us on social welfare, I wouldn't be here. (Of course, if we lived in a nice anarchist society, we wouldn't need all this bullshit of transferring money around to exchange goods and services, but that's a rant for another day.)
So, if it isn't evident by now, I do the right thing. I discharge my financial obligations, I pay my bills, I don't claim any of the stupid little fucking exemptions on my tax return that all the boys at work are currently claiming. Many of whom earn more than me, so it's not as if they're strapped. (Ok, they have kids, but guess what, they get tax rebates for that -- which I am effectively paying for. And that is actually fine.)
Getting to the point, I wanted to get a Medicare card so I could get some of my entitlements for getting my knee looked at properly (which will probably require minor surgery). I haven't been to a doctor in over 18 months, and that was for a pap smear and general greeblies tests (yes, I know I'm due). As I mentioned above, I have been getting my Medicare levies deducted from my pay like everyone else.
( cut for more ranting and lots of swearing )
I am so pissed off (no kidding). I think I'll have a whisky. Or three. GRRRAAAAHHHHHHHH!!!!11!!
ETA: And yes, I will go in tomorrow, with the letter, and my nice passport, and be excruciatingly polite when I ask to see the twit who made the decision/signed the letter, and I'll calmly - even if I grind my teeth to the gums - explain the situation, and hopefully it'll all be fixed. It'd better.
