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from the when-you-can't-make-them-see-the-light dept.
The Center for American Progress reports
The anti-vaccine sentiments that originated with a [completely] discredited British study linking the MMR (measles, mumps, rubella) shot to autism have made their way to other western countries like Australia.
According to the government agency that tracks Australia's childhood vaccination rates, the rate of kids going without their shots has doubled over the past decade.
[...]Australia has announced an aggressive new approach in this area: Cutting off government benefits to parents who refuse to inoculate their children.
Under the proposal, parents who claim philosophical objections to vaccines will no longer be eligible for welfare payments and childcare rebates that can equal up to $11,500 per child in American dollars. Prime Minister Tony Abbott announced the policy change on Sunday, although it still has to be approved by Parliament.
(Score: 3, Interesting) by anubi on Tuesday April 14 2015, @10:25AM
I believe that is the whole idea of taxing the shit out of everybody, then granting "exemptions" for those compliant to their wishes.
Note how many federal programs giving money to the state are "matching funds" kind of crap, where they first tax money from us, then have the state tax us again so we can get some of it back.
Or if we buy something a lobbyist has lobbied Congress over, we get a tax credit.
And we let these congressmen keep their job?!??!? My government would not stand for it one iota if I did things this way. This whole tax thing has turned into such a extortionist plot that I am surprised the 99%'ers aren't all up in arms about it. My only guess is the government has us all believing someone else is paying the tax and we don't want to give up that special deduction aimed straight at us, so we ignore all the other taxes.
Its going to be an interesting thing when taxes get so onerous that people lose the will to work, and settle for unemployment benefits for being mentally disabled. I already know several people doing just that.
Maddening, but little I can do about it. I just feel so damned foolish for not doing it too. Seems so futile to try to earn something, only to have someone else, far richer than I, confiscate it in the name of "tax".
"Prove all things; hold fast that which is good." [KJV: I Thessalonians 5:21]
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday April 14 2015, @11:29AM
This whole tax thing has turned into such a extortionist plot that I am surprised the 99%'ers aren't all up in arms about it.
Shhhhusshhhh... "Game of Thrones" is on and then it's "Keeping up with the Kardashians"...
(Score: 1, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday April 14 2015, @01:11PM
I am surprised the 99%'ers aren't all up in arms about it.
We are. But we get ridiculed for saying things like 'lets balance the budget' and 'lets pay off the debt'. We get ridiculed and told 'start with the military'. When the military is 1/3rd of that monster. It all needs a haircut. *all*.
The money trough is too deep for them to give it up. You can buy a local guy for as little as 500 bucks, 2k for a local senator, 20k for a congress critter, 70-200k for a state senator. Apparently ~2 billion for a president. I'm sorry did I say buy, I meant 'campaign contribution'.
(Score: 3, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday April 14 2015, @09:45PM
What really needs to be done is taxes raised back to pre-Reagan rates. That alone would balance the budget without having to cut anything. Unfortunately too many morons - even poor, poverty-striken ones - have been brainwashed into thinking that having the poor pay for the entirety of the country's tax burden is somehow a good idea, despite decades of evidence proving that it doesn't work if you want a healthy country and economy, and doesn't help anyone except the sociopaths hoarding all the wealth.