Australian Olympic Federation wants more money

Image: Courtesy, the IPA

Despite warnings in the lead up to the London Games that our athletes would be up against stiff and quality competition and would not do as well as before, the attitude of the press and other commentators has swayed between the frantic, and the histrionic. The athletes who apart from the odd bit of silliness have done us proud, despite the absence of the accustomed haul of gold have been pilloried.

Leisel Jones, who has grown up in front of the nation since competing as a 14 year old in 2000, was slammed by the press who decided she was, fat, a disgrace, unfit to compete at that level, and not taking her role seriously. Her three silver and one bronze medals have quietened them down somewhat. James Magnussen, who was beaten by a fingernail in the men's 100m freestyle, after a neck and neck battle down the final 50 meters, was considered disappointing.

Long jump silver medalist, Michael Watt and some others hit back at the press:

Watt said last night there was "absolutely nothing wrong" with a silver medal. "I was copping questions (from journalists) and the first question I got was: is it a disappointing result?

"The team is happy, I'm happy, the head coach is happy. I've got thousands of messages from back home from people saying they are happy. The only people who aren't happy are you guys (the media). You need to wake up.”

[Cate] Campbell, who won a gold medal as part of the 4x100m freestyle team, but did not qualify for the 50m freestyle final, said it was "a bit hurtful when people say we have been underperforming."

One thing we were all certain of in these uncertain times where profligate government spending is driving us into bigger deficits, was that the Australian Olympic Federation (AOF) would have its hands out for more taxpayers money:

I Feel the pain of our Olympic athletes, flopping at the Games. Me, I've got this stabbing feeling, right in my wallet. You wait. Before long, Australian Olympic Federation boss John Coates will come screaming again for more millions of taxpayers' dollars.

He might even say "I told you so", since he's demanded ever since the Beijing Games that we spend $100 million a year more so our athletes could keep over performing. Money should be no object, he told a review of Olympics funding chaired by David Crawford.

Ouch. That stabbing pain again.

It looks like Andrew Bolt got the name wrong, but:

AUSTRALIA'S most senior Olympic official has blamed a lack of government funding for the dearth of gold medals in London and declared "money is the difference between silver and gold.”

Kevan Gosper, Australia's senior representative on the International Olympic Committee, this morning said in a radio interview from London that the Australian team had performed well in the circumstances but had been hamstrung by a lack of public funds and government focus.

"I think there was something wrong with the degree of support that the Australian team got this time round," Mr Gosper told ABC Radio's Jon Faine. "Normally it gets very strong focus from the government. It probably hasn't been as good this time round for whatever reason.

It’s the same old song to the same old tune we are used to, not only from sporting bodies, but from all groups, organizations, bodies, and industries who are assisted or supported by government largesse. Out in the real world though, most would be a bit happier if some of that ‘government focus’ Gosper seems to be pining for, was not directed at us.

NDIS redux; more blame and shame

Cartoon: By Pickering

Not so long ago the National Disability Insurance Scheme was mentioned here with the emphasis being on the political grandstanding and costs involved. The concept is popular here as most people feel that something should be done for at least the profoundly disabled. The states already provide more than $6 million in this area, there is undoubtedly a federal contribution, and private charities do their bit as well, although this is rarely mentioned.

The Productivity Commission first raised the idea some time ago, and it has gathered momentum since the declining figures of the government in the polls have leant some urgency to finding some popular big spending scheme for Gillard to hang her hat on. It is little more than a month ago that the carbon tax was touted as about to become so wildly popular that Gillard could hold an early election and decimate the opposition. This has not come to fruition.

Costs are the biggest problem; they have escalated dramatically even as it is spoken about. The reality given the government’s involvement is likely to be much worse.

Mike O’Connor of the Courier Mail has an insightful piece on the issue:

… The PM has cajoled most of the states into accepting a "trial" of the NDIS. She did this for one reason and one reason only, and it oozes political pragmatism. She needed to do something to pull the Government out of its death spiral and the disabled and the emotive images they conjure, in tandem with their undeniable need of assistance, fitted perfectly into this political strategy. …

… The real political bastardry in play here is the cynicism of the Gillard ploy.

She knows that in four years - when the trial phase is ended and the $1 billion her Government has committed to fund it has been spent - she won't be PM, Labor will be in opposition and it will have ceased to be her problem. The trial sites won't even be operational until next July and the next federal election must be held by November 30. In the meantime, Gillard can claim political credit for having championed the cause of the disabled and can hope against hope that it might help propel her across the electoral finish line. …

… The Productivity Commission says it will take four years to create a fully operational national scheme for a total cost of $19 billion, with the final year alone costing $6.5 billion. Already these figures are being adjusted upwards. Labor now puts the final-year cost at $7.5 billion. Once it is up and running, it is estimated the scheme will cost $14.5 billion a year, including the $6.5 billion the states are already spending. So someone has to find an extra $8 billion a year.

Place this against the likelihood of falling prices for our mineral exports and the consensus that the best of the mining boom is behind us, and that additional $8 billion might just as well be $80 billion. …

One aspect that is not factored in, is the likely escalation due to easing of the requirements to be met by those who wish to be beneficiaries of it. When unemployment rises, there is a strong urge by governments to get the figures down by whatever means are available. Moving a substantial number of these people into welfare schemes that do not reflect badly on politicians, such as ‘early retirement’ or disability payments is a big temptation.

Rand Paul on public perception of government

Rasmussen Reports are consistently showing the approval levels of congress being at extraordinarily low levels. In the last poll on the subject (Jul 13), ONLY 7% felt that congress was doing a good job, as opposed to 60% who felt it was doing a poor job. Rand Paul gives his opinion in the following video:


While the time of Rand’s speech was not mentioned, the fact that it is 600 pages long and was delivered that morning is a clear indication that no real in depth perusal of it was possible prior to the vote in “half an hour.” Had an advance copy been read in the days prior, it would be out of date, owing to the changes of the night before.

It is questionable whether these documents need to be as long as they are. There has to be a way of simplifying them, unless the purpose of making them that long is to ensure they are not fully understood, and possibly hides some aspects until after they are voted on.

The novels of Tom Clancy are often used as an analogy for documents that are long and complex, but they are normally 1,200/1,300 pages long. Obamacare, was as long as two of them read in succession, were they read at all. It was longer than War and Peace, and Atlas Shrugged combined, and created the memorable quote; “It will have to be passed so we will know what is in it.”

New Jersey Experience Proves Swan’s Policy Madness

Image: Larry Pickering

Treasurer Wayne Swan delivered the John Button lecture and in the preliminaries did the rounds of the media talking mainly about making and slicing pies and handing them out. He also waxed lyrical about his guru, Bruce Springsteen and how he had heeded Bruce’s warnings in his songs, not to follow the “New Jersey experience.”

Tim Andrews of the Australian Taxpayers Alliance has put out a press release on the parallels between government in that state and Swan’s tax and spend policies here:

The Australian Taxpayers’ Alliance today responded to comments made by The Hon Wayne Swan MP in the John Button Lecture to not “let Australia become a down-under version of New Jersey” by releasing research that New Jersey’s economic and civic decline was caused directly by identical policies to what Mr. Swan is now advocating.

“The experience of New Jersey is a warning to all Australians to reject Mr. Swan’s radical ideological agenda” said Tim Andrews, Executive Director of the Australian Taxpayers’ Alliance. “For decades New Jersey has been driven into the ground by the exact failed tax-and-spend policies that Wayne Sawn is himself pursuing. The State of New Jersey has consistently ranked as having the highest taxes, greatest regulation, and more spending than almost anywhere else in the United States. This is why their economy failed, and this is what Mr. Swan wants to bring to Australia.”

The Washington DC based Cost of Government Center, in their 2011 report on the cost of government, ranked New Jersey as having the 2nd highest government burden of any US state in terms of taxation, spending, and regulation. Similarly, The Mercatus Center at George Mason University, in their 2011 “Freedom in the 50 States” index, ranked New Jersey 49th in the United States.

"At the Time Born to Run and The River were released, the New Jersey General Assembly & the New Jersey Senate were controlled by Democrats, and the Governorship was also held by a Democrat, Brendan Byrne, who was elected to office on the basis of his opposition to a state income tax – and who then imposed this great new tax after his election” continued Mr. Andrews.

“The parallels to the Federal Government are obvious.” “If Mr. Swan truly wanted Australia to avoid New Jersey’s experience, he would stop burdening families with crippling taxes to pay for wasteful spending, cease class war rhetoric, and bring in desperately needed economic reform. Mr. Swan says he is a friend of the workers. His actions show that he is their greatest enemy.”

Chick-fil-A bully fired.

August the 1st was declared by Governor Mike Huckabee to be Chick-fil-A appreciation day in response to the progressives attack on the company over the CEO’s statement on gay marriage. Nanny state politicians got involved, actually attempting to deny the company access to states and cities.

The day was a resounding success, with Chick-fil-A recording record sales and some outlets running out of stock. This seems to have caused the ironically named Mr Adam Smith, the CFO of Vante; a medical supplies company to have a brain explosion, deciding to berate one of the service staff and was small minded enough to post a video of his actions:


After he and his position within Vante was identified, he has been dismissed from that company. From Breitbart:

Vante regrets the unfortunate events that transpired yesterday in Tucson between our former CFO/Treasurer Adam Smith and an employee at Chick-fil-A. Effective immediately, Mr. Smith is no longer an employee of our company.

The actions of Mr. Smith do not reflect our corporate values in any manner. Vante is an equal opportunity company with a diverse workforce, which holds diverse opinions. We respect the right of our employees and all Americans to hold and express their personal opinions, however, we also expect our company officers to behave in a manner commensurate with their position and in a respectful fashion that conveys these values of civility with others.

We hope that the general population does not hold Mr. Smith's actions against Vante and its employees.

In a free society people hold all sorts of views and are entitled to express them as well as refuse to trade with organizations for any reason including disagreement with the views of company executives. The author, Dana Loesch makes some valid points about Smith acting in his own time:

“Sure, Smith is a doucher of epic proportions, but this was an individual on their own time acting like a doucher, not while representing the company. Companies don't own their employees thoughts and opinions off the clock unless of course, that is your previously agreed upon arrangement.”

On the other hand, online activities in the public arena are used with growing frequency to assess the suitability of employees and Mr Smith would have been aware of that. Kids are being warned all the time about the possibility of social media activities coming back to haunt them.

The moment he was identified as an executive of Vante acting like an ignorant yobbo, abusing a staffer in a bullying manner and posting it, the company could no longer afford to employ him, especially given the scrutiny given to statements of these people and the reaction they can cause. The Chick-fil-A controversy is an example of the sort of reaction Vante is trying to avoid.

Ironically some liberal bloggers are making an issue of the sacking. Mr Smith as CFO of a company, probably fits well into the dreaded ‘one percentile’ hated by all good progressives. It seems strange that they should feel the need to support the right of one of these, to abuse a hard working employee in a thankless job who is clearly one of the 99%.

Reminiscences:

In the early 60s when the Ferguson tractor was so wildly popular that demand outstripped supply, Batsons Garage was the outlet in the local area. A large landholder who wanted to buy one took umbrage at not being to get one immediately and abused the employee at the desk. Old Mr Batson came on the scene and intervened, ordering the customer out of the shop, telling him that there was no way he wanted his product in the hands of a person who was discourteous to his staff.

In the early 80s the service manager of Sullair Qld had to travel up to a Central Qld coalmine to service a compressor, and due to union demands had to stand on the outside of a chain-wire fence in the full heat of summer giving directions to unionists working under cover. On hearing about it the Qld manager of the company warmed the mine that if this happened again, they would not be supplied with any more Sullair equipment.

It works both ways.

At last, realism on the industrial revolution

On many occasions we find out on deeper research, that some of the traditional villains of history have in fact been heroes who, rather than being simply predators actually improved the lot of mankind. Generally in the case of individuals who succeeded and made fortunes, that in itself has been held against them.

One such case that has been mentioned here before was John D Rockefeller, the man who saved the whales from extinction and provided the poor with affordable lighting. John formed Standard Oil and through efficiency and research lowered the price of kerosene to the point where the poorest households could afford it and so, put whalers out of business.

It is refreshing therefore to find an articulate supporter of Britain’s industrial revolution, which in the modern era has a bad reputation from it’s many detractors. London’s Olympic opening ceremony was a left wing propaganda fest in which that period of history was depicted by smoking chimneys and the usual imagery of an era where power generation was in its infancy.

Rodney Atkinson, brother of actor Rowan, has stepped up to the plate with a defense of that time:

Rowan Atkinson's amusing turn was one of the highlights of the Olympics opening ceremony, but his brother, Rodney, is not impressed with Danny Boyle’s production. “It had strong strands of the parochial Left,” claims Atkinson, who was annoyed by the ceremony’s “assumption that the industrial revolution was oppressive.”

“The truth was that it emancipated us all and especially the ex-rural workers who suffered heavy labour in cold, rain and heat. They then had, by comparison, much less strenuous, mechanised lives.”

The academic adds: “Obviously, the pseudo-intellectual Left have never worked on a farm, as Rowan and I did when we were young. The Left never understand internationalism and the wealth which arises from free trade among free peoples and cultures. That is Britain’s greatest achievement.”

"Their aim is supra-national, where peoples and cultures are subsumed, as they were in this ceremony, into a 'levelling’ Statist mish-mash, which inevitably leads to failure and conflict.”

The alternative to industrialization was the continuance of the cottage industry economy, where products were produced on a small scale by labour intensive methods at high cost. Prior to this era products, which we take for granted, were only affordable by the very wealthy. With the benefits of mass production, not only was the workforce transformed to better conditions, but were more productive and better off.

Australian freedom of speech; “There will be no dissent under a government I lead”

Those of us who support unbridled freedom of speech were outraged at the media inquiries that were initially designed to take a slap at Rupert Murdoch. Then the scope changed to the point where blogs were brought into it, which raised the disturbing specter of popular sites such as The Bolt Blog being emasculated.

Now it is apparent that even minnows such as this site are being targeted. RWL usually averages more than a hundred readers per day and will be hit by regulators as the inquiry considered anyone capable of attracting more than forty-three visitors per day is a threat to the state, our system of government, democratic principles, and could possibly destroy our whole way of life as we know it.

The Finkelstein Inquiry recommended among other things, that the government install a new statutory super-regulator that would cover radio, television, newspapers and the web, including blogs receiving 43 hits a day or more. It is unknown why the minimum figure of 43 was chosen, rather than 47, 62, 96, or even 29, but perhaps it was thought that people might think of these as random numbers he pulled out of his hat or some part of his anatomy, or might just look silly.

Researchers here at Real World Libertarian have discovered that 43 is significant in that it represents Douglas Adams answer to the 'Great Question of Life, the Universe, and Everything' (42), plus one. 42 might be considered “Mostly Harmless” but more than that could cause problems in the political space/time continuum. This research has yet to be published in a scientific journal and peer reviewed but we thought we would let you see it first.

They’re gonna regulate me (apologies to John Lennon)

Sitting up late on my laptop
So I post something for you to see
How the governing class
Is a pain in the arse
But my hit rate is plus forty-three

Lord you know it aint easy
You know how hard it can be
They point to a growing
Need to regulate me

Couldn’t they make it a thousand?
Cause that number would sure exclude me
But they claim that they know
That the figures all show
I’m a danger at just forty-three

Lord you know it aint easy
You know how hard it can be
But research is showing
A need to regulate me

Windsor is firmly determined
That all Aussie speech should be free
With a bit of control
So we say what we're told
Like the Canberra Press Gallery

Lord you know it aint easy
You know how hard it can be
He's pompous and glowing
At thoughts to regulate me

Gillard and Oakeshott and Conroy
Swan, Milne and Willkie agree
I could bring down the state
If I get a hit rate
That is over the great forty-three

Lord you know it aint easy
You know how hard it can be
They claim to be knowing
They need to regulate me …

Just in case you all think this is made up, The Australian reports:

The government is grappling with the changing media landscape and the two reviews it has commissioned -- the independent inquiry into the media led by former federal court judge Ray Finkelstein and the Convergence Review.

Cabinet is considering the recommendation of the Convergence Review for a public interest test for media proprietors and the call from Justice Finkelstein for a new statutory super-regulator that would cover radio, television, newspapers and the web, including blogs receiving as few as 43 hits a day.

It has long been recognized that this government is an incompetent, inept, unscrupulous, deceitful, unprincipled, pack of fascists, unmitigated bastards and paranoid control freaks. We have learned to get used to that and draw comfort from the fact the next election is drawing closer; but to find out that they feel threatened by some guy with the ability to get read by 43 or more people a day means that they are also rather pathetic and panic stricken.

Update: An acquaintance pondering the importance of the number, 43 has come up with the old ad for Nescafe coffee, which featured the 43 beans in every cup theme. While it is possible that Mr Finkelstein liked the coffee and couldn’t get the jingle out of his head, we consider it unlikely that this influenced his decision.