Melbourne’s $1.5 million party to bring in New Year

Posted to Melbourne Leader on 17/12/2009 at 12:18 AM

Commenting on “Melbourne’s $1.5 million party to bring in New Year”

http://melbourne-leader.whereilive.com.au/news/story/melbournes-15m-party-to-bring-in-new-year/

Heartless, inhumane, spendthrift, selfish and stupid are the words I can think of to describe Robert Doyle and his fellow Councillors who will spend $643,000 on the New Year's Eve "street party", out of which $224,000 spent for fireworks alone - more aptly up in smoke!

Only senseless idiots would spend a total of $1.5 million, another $500,000 more than last year’s budget on the New Year’s celebration which probably benefits the fireworks factories in China, imported explosive experts, and underpaid overseas students to clean up the mess. This is no difference from the Rudd’s Government mismanaging the money of the people.

I'm absolutely disgusted that the Councillors do not spare some thought for the homeless and unemployed, who could share the money to buy some decent food or clothing to welcome the New Year.

Robert Doyle and fellow Councillors, do you understand homeless and unemployment rates are not numbers but real human’s suffering? Before you spend that money, check up the words “hunger”, “human dignity”, “self-esteem”, “cardboard boxes” from a dictionary.

(Robert Doyle is the Mayor of City of Melbourne)

Carlton protester dices with death in hunger strike

Posted to Melbourne Leader on 17/12/2009 at 12:49 AM

Commenting on “Carlton protester dices with death in hunger strike”
http://melbourne-leader.whereilive.com.au/news/story/carlton-protester-dices-with-death-in-hunger-strike/

Paul Connor does not get a sympathy vote from me. His inaction of doing something constructive, sitting for more than a month outside the Parliament House, makes him just as useless as the rest.

If Paul is really passionate about the climate change issues, he should start demonstrating and giving talks to the public especially the younger generation how he can help to bring about a clean and healthy Earth - he will use a bike or walk instead of a car, install renewable energy generator, drink from glass bottle instead of plastic one, (photo of Connor in the paper shows that he was holding a plastic bottle of water) grow his vegetables instead of buying from green grocers, turn off his heaters and wear more clothing, etc.

Words are cheap - are Paul's ideals implementable ideas? Almost all the people in the world fail to realise that the experts and governments concentrating on slowing down climate warming will not avoid any future global destruction. Paul, should the climate change gets worse, are there any escape routes for the victims? Why don't you start "preaching" / campaigning for funding in global cooling research?

Einstein was not accepted by his peers when he talked about the Theory of Relativity. Climate cooling is not that farfetched. Is it?

Federally funded insulation sparks 13 house fires in Melbourne

Posted to Waverley Leader on 16/12/2009 at 10:28 PM
Commenting on "Federally funded insulation sparks 13 house fires in Melbourne"
http://waverley-leader.whereilive.com.au/news/story/federally-funded-insulation-sparks-13-house-fires-in-melbourne/

I can't agree more that the Rudd Government has no concept of money management. The insulation grant benefits the insulation material producers, installation companies which employ large team of inexperienced cowboys; many are overseas students and people who don't quite understand English.

Roof insulation is a totally biased grant. A lot of heat gain or heat loss is through glass windows. The grant should have included all drapes, curtains, internal or external window blinds, door seals, window films, and any glass insulation etc.

I really wonder any member of the Government has substantial financial interests in the insulation business. The opposition, Liberal Party, should seriously look into this matter. I smell rats!

Street parties, events make good neighbourhoods

Posted to Waverley Leader (2/12/2010) on 16/12/2009 at 10:01 PM
Commenting on "Street parties, events make good neighbourhoods"
http://waverley-leader.whereilive.com.au/news/story/street-parties-events-make-good-neighbourhoods/

Tenants have neighbours, too. If you are a tenant, and don't mix with the property owners or tenants in your street, you are just another stuck-up like the rest.

I know all my neighbours in the court, and two adjoining ones at the back of my house. I make an effort to welcome new neighbours moving in to my area. I am also a zone leader in the Neighbourhood Watch, dropping NW newsletters in the neighbour mail boxes.

Good neighbourhood is a two-way traffic. Whether you are young, full of grey hair or even bald, go to knock on your neighbours' doors tomorrow first thing in the morning, and give them a great Oz G'Day. You'll be surprised that they are no different from you once - waiting for someone to make the first move!

VCE students get their marks

Posted to Waverley Leader 14/12/2009 at 7:08 PM
Commenting on "VCE students get their marks"
http://waverley-leader.whereilive.com.au/news/story/vce-students-get-their-marks/

Who was the smart cookie that decided 99.95% was the perfect score? No wonder Australia has literacy and numeracy problems!

Literacy problem - not understanding the meaning of perfect; numeracy problem - 100% means the whole without missing bits!

Ban the external heaters outside the cafes

Posted to Your News, Waverley Leader on 25/11/2009 at 2:35 AM

Ban the external heaters outside the cafes

http://waverley-leader.whereilive.com.au/your-news/story/ban-external-heaters-outside-cafes/

The outdoor heaters mounted on the "ceiling" or on a stand are wasteful of valuable energy. A lot of the heat is loss to heating up space not to the benefit of the customers and the pockets of the business owners. At times, heaters are not turned off even when there were no customers. Let's be serious about protecting our environment and slowly down climate change, ban the use of outdoor heaters. Customers should wear the proper clothing, and don't be an idiot to eat in the cold!

Oakleigh bash victim’s pity for attackers

Posted to Waverley Leader 25/11/2009 at 2:12 AM

Commenting on “Oakleigh bash victim’s pity for attackers”

http://waverley-leader.whereilive.com.au/news/story/oakleigh-bash-victim-s-pity-for-attackers/

Punishment must fit the crime or else incidence of the same nature will repeat itself.

Crime should not be glorified, but publicised in the most negative way possible, in order to deter future offenders. If our justice system fails, then media like this paper with the support of the community should take on the responsibilities to be the judge and jury.

I do not advocate violence as a form of punishment, but instead the foundation of these offenders' arrogance and self-centredness must be shaken or even destroyed, by means of doing menial tasks such as cleaning wild animal cages in the zoo, working in a sewerage farm, maintaining road works in the Simpson Desert, etc.

We are not trying to take the laws in our hands, but we must make the lawless offenders feel that they are not as powerful and frightening as the wild animals, their behaviour stinks, and the conditions of the path to repentance is as harsh as a desert.

Ban external heaters outside cafes

Posted to Your News, Waverley Leader on 25/11/2009 at 2:35 AM
Ban external heaters outside cafes
http://waverley-leader.whereilive.com.au/your-news/story/ban-external-heaters-outside-cafes/

The outdoor heaters mounted on the “ceiling” or on a stand are wasteful of valuable energy. A lot of the heat is loss to heating up space not to the benefit of the customers and the pockets of the busines owners. At times, heaters are not turned off even when there were no customers. Let’s be serious about protecting our environment and slowly down climate change, ban the use of outdoor heaters. Customers should wear the proper clothing, and don’t be an idiot to eat in the cold!

Swanston Street shuttle bus ban plan

Posted to Melbourne Leader on 22/11/2009 at 4:34 PM

Commenting on “Swanston Street shuttle bus ban plan”

http://melbourne-leader.whereilive.com.au/news/story/swanston-st-bus-stop/

When those smart people spend a day on a wheel chair or hopped around in crutches, drag a luggage from Swanton Street to a nearby hotel, then they will realise how stupid the proposal is.

Like any business, queues and congestion at event ticket sales windows, and restaurants - queues and congestion are a good sign. They tend to draw in more customers and make the business grow! For goodness sake, don’t muck around with Swanston Street now and in the future plan, unless all non-hospitality businesses and shops are moved away from Swanston Street.

All the money spent on Swanston Street should be channelled to assist the homeless!

Cashed-up Councillors

Posted to Waverley Leader (19/5/2009) on 23/5/2009 at 8:56pm
Commenting on "Cashed-up Councillors"
 http://Waverley-leader.whereilive.com.au/news/story/cashed-up-councillors/

Unlike Mayor Paul Klisaris who “… goes to work and gets paid for it”, Councillors were, once upon a time, well respected, distinguished members of the community serving the it for free.

Although there are provisions in the Local Government Act for the Councillor’s allowance review after taking office for seven months, there is nothing in the Act to say that the allowance has to be increased; which means the allowance can be decreased or remained unchanged.

At this difficult time, I could not see any justification for such substantial increase of about 35%. Do keep in mind that payment to the Councillors is allowance and not annual salary. The money cannot and should not be used for other purposes except for Council-related matters. $24,000 is more than excessive for many Councillors, whose role is only on part-time basis. If the increase is performance-base, then they will have to demonstrate their productivity has increased by 35%.

If the Mayor and other Councillors are not happy with what they are getting, there are volunteers with a lot more experience can take over their places. Many voluntary organisations are chaired and managed by unpaid volunteers.

City Alfresco Style Dining

Posted to Your News, Waverley Leader on 10/5/2009
City Alfresco Style Dining
http://waverley-leader.whereilive.com.au/your-news/story/city-alfreco-style-dining/

Many cafes extend their trading floor space to the side walk. The furniture occupies area, thus narrowing the walk way. On very busy sunny days, this hinders free flow of pedestrian traffic, and may post a safety problem.

While the side-walk Alfresco-style dining may give the city a touch of European atmosphere, the negatives may outweigh the positive. Most diners are considerate, but some leave unsightly mess of used bags, bottles, containers and cigarette butts.

Side-walk diners, like many people, are concerned about the air quality they breathe, and yet they are quite contented to sit next to busy roads where unhealthy exhaust fumes are continuously emitting from motor vehicles. If the diners are smokers, they will suck in double dose of carcinogens – the tar and the exhaust particles.

Diners who choose to dine outside on very cold days should wear appropriate attire instead of using external gas heaters installed by the business owners. Most of the heat is wasted in warming up the open air, and only small proportion benefits the diners. Such inconsideration reflects on the naivety and hypocrisy of the diners on climate change and global warming argument.

I would like to call upon all authorities to ban the use of external heating devices, unless for emergency purposes, in the name of energy conservation, climate change minimisation and being a good global citizen.

The Death of “Sweet Sixteen”

Posted to Waverley Leader on 23/3/2009

The Death of “Sweet Sixteen”

http://waverley-leader.whereilive.com.au/your-news/story/the-death-of-sweet-sixteenth/ (has been removed)

Whether we like it or not, casualisation of labour market has been around for quite awhile, and it is here to stay. The last hours of debate to kill off the Work Choices, introduced by the former Liberal Government, was bogged down by the definition of the size of employment capacity. Once again, Senator Steve Fielding, the trump card holder in the Upper House, allowed the bill to be passed after giving concession to Julie Gillard, the deputy prime minister, that for the first five years a small business is defined as one which employs 15 full-time equivalents(EFTs) and after which will amend to 15 individuals in total.

If the politicians care to talk to the store holders in shopping strips and shopping centres, particularly the hospitality business including take away outlets, they will realise that most of them would probably employ more than 15 casuals and part-time. Many current small business owners employ students as casual sales assistants, waiters and cleaners for a few hours of work per week, and are generally paid at under-award rates. Most students understand that they have been exploited and yet remained silent, for the fact that the little money they earn helps to subsidise their accommodation rental, daily expenses and education fees. Many business operators pay the casuals by cash-in-hand, and by doing so, they do not contribute adequately to Work Cover. In short, their annual income reported is not worth the paper it is written on.

Another industry that uses a lot of casual employees is the education sector especially in the TAFE colleges. Public TAFE colleges do employ more than 15 staff, but not many small private institutions or Recognised Training Organisations (RTO). Hundreds of competencies (or subjects) are available and being delivered (or taught) by skill-specific casual or sessional teachers. It is possible that 15 casual teachers are employed to deliver 15 competencies, each for 2 to 3 hours a week. Indeed, the total hours requires engaging the 15 teachers are less than 3 EFT’s.

Gillard’s definition for small business will force many more business owners not to record casual workers on their payroll, thus putting more workers at risk as they will be not covered by Work Cover. For the private RTOs, they will likely to sacrifice quality by employing sessional teachers who are able to deliver multiple competencies but of mediocre standard.

A fairer definition should place more emphasis on the earning capacity of the business rather than the number employed!

Students living in poverty

Posted to Waverley Leader on 5/3/2009 at 5:24 AM

Commenting on “Students living in poverty”

http://waverley-leader.whereilive.com.au//news/story/students-living-in-poverty/

University or higher education is a privilege and not a right. Anyone who can make it should have planned carefully before enrolling and taking on the challenge. We cannot choose whatever societal system just to please our needs. We cannot expect everyone in the society to pick up the bills to educate us, or to clothe, feed or shelter us. Neither should we expect the society to raise our children! If this is what we expect or demand from the society, then we must go for a socialistic or communistic society, not a democratic and capitalistic one. Far too often, when graduates start to earn money, some may earn lots and lots of it, (they will) ill change their mind about supporting students living below the poverty line.

There is no rule to say at what age a student shall be attending university. The student should take responsibility of his/her destiny If one cannot make it by 19 years old then join the education train later, but works towards it with his/her strength and might. He/she may have to work 2 jobs or 3, 60 hours or 90, to save the necessary monies for university fees and expenses.

I had been a university student for many times, but never expected handout. I worked hard for it!

A Special Report on the Glen Waverley Chinese New Year and Lantern Festival

Posted to Waverley Leader on 9/2/2009

A Special Report on the Glen Waverley Chinese New Year and Lantern Festival

http://waverley-leader.whereilive.com.au/your-news/story/a-special-report-on-the-glen-waverley-chinese-new-year-lantern-festival/ (has been removed)

Glen Waverley Chinese New Year & Lantern Festival held on Sunday 8 Feb 2009 at Kingsway, Glen Waverley is the best suburban Chinese New Year celebration I have ever attended. I was at the festival from the start to the end. A few drops of precious rain came down momentarily and lasted for less than 5 minutes. This token drizzle was more of a symbolic cleansing ritual prior to the real swing of things. It definitely did not dampen the spirit of the enthusiastic festival goers, and the crowd soon built up around 1:30 pm.

The rhythms of the drums and gongs went on continuously after the Mayor declared the opening of the festival. The rhythm for the lion dance was different from that for the dragon dance. Besides entertaining the crowd, the lions and dragons also blessed some of the businesses – the formal shops and the street stalls. There were 2 golden and 2 silver lions. Whether they danced on the street, or on steel columns of various heights, their performance is awesome!

In addition to the lions, there were 5 “large” dragons, and a baby dragon. Comparing these dragons with “Dai Loong” – the Big Dragon which performs in Melbourne City festivities, they looked more like large King Prawns! By the way, the Chinese dragons do not resemble the Western dragons, in that they don’t blow fire, and have no wings. However, they do have many legs like millipedes.

The atmosphere was electric, and everybody of all ages just loves the performances of these legendary animals.

Chinese throughout the world are well known for their passion for food. Since there is a good mix of Chinese from different parts Asia residing in the City, there was no surprise that a good variety of barbequed skewed meat and tasty bite-size food items on sale. For quenching the thirst, ice kacang – flavoured ice shavings, was a fantastic alternative to canned soft drinks.

It was a program-pack and fun-fill day - cooking demonstration, cultural dances, karaoke, Ma Jiang, Chinese chess game, chopstick game, etc. There was also an air castle for the kids to jump about. Local residents from City of Monash as well as from other suburbs came for a good time - and they were not disappointed. Despite the doom and gloom news about the global financial crisis and meltdown, there was no sign of recession in the street. The surrounding shops and restaurants and the food stalls enjoyed good turnover. The success of the festival, however, had a negative impact on the food stalls inside The Glen Shopping Centre. Being held on Sunday, a normally busy trading day, the stall-holders would have experienced a fall in takings.

City of Monash, festival organising committee and all other bodies involved in this festival, I salute you for a job well done.