"The Book of Me, Written by You" - Jobs and Careers

This is a journey of finding yourself and how your loved ones see you in their eyes. Further, this can be online and carried forward to share, if you wish, to future generations.

This is a journey of finding yourself and how your loved ones see you in their eyes. Further, this can be online and carried forward to share, if you wish, to future generations. - See more at: http://joannfitz.blogspot.com.au/2013/09/the-book-of-me-written-by-you-topic-1.html#sthash.2TuO2bVu.dpuf

This is a journey of finding yourself and how your loved ones see you in their eyes. Further, this can be online and carried forward to share, if you wish, to future generations. - See more at: http://joannfitz.blogspot.com.au/2013/09/the-book-of-me-written-by-you-topic-1.html#sthash.2TuO2bVu.dpuf

The prompt for the week is:    

Jobs and Careers

The Brief:

• Did you have a Saturday job, holiday job?
• Where was it?
• What did you do?
• Can you recall who you worked for and with?
• What was the biggest / most important thing you learnt here?
• Did it inspire your future?
• Do you have any pictures / photos / clippings?
• Did you have full / part time job?
• Job or career
• Does it not matter?
• Is it the same?
• Did you enjoy what you did? - Why?
• Was it a passion or a means to an end?
• Who did you work with?
• Did you have work place reviews?
• Did they fit with your personal plan?
• Did you have a career / employment work plan?
• Did you stay at home?
• Or did you really want to?
• Did you have employment hopes and dreams
• Regrets

While growing up, I started having "jobs" outside of the house at about the age of 12. These were a range of things from babysitting, to picking up trash outside of businesses, to helping deliver newspapers, to wash dishes, to be a prep cook in a bar, to washing down stock shelves that were layered with oil and then you have the toilets to scrub before businesses opened again just to name a few things I've done before the age of 18. Yep, I was a worker.

Work after high school
By the age of 18, I worked on Saturday's and after school at the High School's pool as a student swimming aide. By the summer, they put me in charge of kids from 4 to about 13 that couldn't even put their faces in the water and there were about 2 dozen of them! I still remember when I couldn't

figure out why one of the kids wouldn't even get into the water which puzzled me. When the mother came to get the child I asked her what would be the reason for this. After asking me if I couldn't handle her son, I told her that's not what I asked - I asked why he wouldn't get into the water. After awhile she broke down saying his twin brother died from drowning. Duh! And she didn't think about telling someone? *sigh*  On a positive note, by the end of the summer, I had all of my students up at different levels but they were more than one level up from my basic level, so I was very pleased. In fact, one of the kids that had the biggest problem of putting her face in the water, made up to jumping off of the diving board but she wouldn't do it unless I did it first and then they couldn't keep her off of it. The little boy I mentioned above with the twin? He was swimming above and below the water by the end of the summer, but he hadn't made it to jumping off of the diving board - yet.

Summer vacations
Between high school and trade school and starting the local community college (see prior posts for this information) I worked for temp agencies. It was interesting if nothing else due to the fact I had no office experience to go by. The best one was a local oxygen supplier for people with breathing difficulties. You never knew what you were going to run into and more often than not you would get panicked people, not because they ran out, but they were on their last part of breathing oxygen. Most of the time it was going to be delivered on that day, but the customers "forgot". I think that's how I've learned not to panic with most situations and just deal with what you can and start a list - lists are
what makes the world go around and have saved me loads of times over the years. Also, you are rewarded if you keep up great work as I actually was awarded a Tiffany necklace because of my work.

Working at the community colleges
After that summer, I started at the local community college as I've listed in prior posts. After about a year, I found out I could work in the labs between classes. I wouldn't have to leave the place, and I could fit in work between classes instead of just having to find a place to hang out. I learned about
backing up, different types of computer and audio visual equipment, and just want people, who spend hours in the labs, actually do. Interesting if nothing else. Besides, it brought in the much needed money as my mother was laid off from her job.

As I've just stated, my mother lost her job, which was a big blow to us because even with unemployment checks, we were not going to have enough to buy food with, run the cars or any of the other necessities you have. I then started working at the local Super 8 Motel, as a front desk clerk. I would work mainly on the weekends, but during the summers or when they needed me I would work. In fact, I even started helping out at the Middletown, NY Super 8 for awhile too. What would be tricky would be when I was slated to work until 4pm at one and start at the other one at 4pm. I told them I didn't care what they did, but I needed

Super 8 in Montgomery where I spent almost 4 years working

about 30 minutes between these times - I had to get something to eat AND drive from one place to another unless they knew of some way they could beam me there. Somehow it all worked out. The main thing that I learned while working at these places? Be nice but be strong with everyone. If you weren't this way with customers, they would walk all over you. If you weren't this way with the bosses and other workers, again they would walk all over you. After almost 4 years of this, I finally had enough, and walked out after giving notice. However, the management must have thought I was kidding as when I went away to college, they actually called my house asking if I could work - after I gave notice and walked out. I guess some people are thick headed like that.

As for working the labs and at Super 8, I was approached to tutor other students by advisers. I asked they why on earth would they think I would be good at it and I would be screwing up these students as badly as I was. They denied that, and thought I'd do a good job. I worked as a tutor on and off for the next 3 years. I tutored in different things from WordPerfect and Lotus (yes it was that far back ok?) to coding in COBOL and answering questions in RPG. I have to admit the coding stuff was great! Lessons learned here were sometimes you had to be patient even when you wanted to slam someone's head into the keyboard/monitor/desk and sometimes you had to say things in more than one way. Further, make sure you backed up and talked with the teacher of the class so you knew if you had to try other things.

Life after colleges
After starting at SUNY, and working more jobs at the temp agency and other part time jobs, I learned that you must be able to get along with the bosses and there are better ones out there than others. Ones that would listen and ones that wouldn't.

Employment in Australia
I found this country is probably one of the hardest to actually gain full time employment - and keep it - in. I've never had jobs that I had a hard time keeping and they were sad for me to leave. I even had one where they were looking for any and all reasons to fire the person that normally had the job so I could stay. I had to talk them out of this due to ligation but even then it was over 2 weeks of talks with them.

I started with Hayes Employment which I had a temp job with. I figured it was a foot in the door with IT and AV equipment with a college. No problem. I know all about the politics that went along with it. It was supposed to be 2 nights a week unless they needed someone. Well, that 2 nights went to 5 nights fairly quickly (within 2 weeks) and I was getting called in even after I told them I wouldn't be available on certain days. What I found was the other 2 people in the full time positions, were calling me in and then going down to the local pub and drinking and picking up women. I lasted less than 3 months (a month after I found out and told them to stop or else I was out).

Then it took me another 4 months to find another position. This one I found on my own with P&O. It

wasn't hard but it was frustrating as they listed me as an EDP Operator (who uses those terms in the late 1990's??). However, they expected me to keypunch, run the mainframe and backups, play IT help desk and a range of other IT duties. Don't get me wrong, I loved it, but I was pulling about 50-60 hours a week, without the IT pay and without the title. Then they sold off about half of the business. They wanted me with the new business but in the accounting department. When I asked about duties they said the same thing as I was currently doing. Really? I asked about pay (the same) and then about a title (the same). Again really? My boss was going to stay with the head company, but I was to go with the new company. I could see it would be a bad decision, and I was made redundant and given a package. Again, off to look for that job.

The ACFE office where I spent hours

I had a few odds and ends jobs here and there but nothing stable.

After 3 long years of looking, I finally landed a job with Adult, Community and Further Education which as a small business. It was only after I was there, temping, for a bit, I realized it was part of the
Victorian Government, which I figure would be stable (as in I was going to be employed) so I could settle in and deal with politics of the place. After nearly 6 years there, my whole level was made redundant. Off to the woods I go, looking for that job.



Current
Since then, I've went back and gotten my Certificate IV in Web Based Technologies. I've also taken up writing my blogs (a personal blog, a genealogy blog, and an IT blog). I have started reading and doing family genealogy and indexing again.

I have been teaching at a few Learn Locals which teaches community people different skills. Its very rewarding and its very interesting. However, the downside is there just isn't enough promised work or the base rate isn't very high, which isn't the fault of the Learn Locals - its because the government doesn't give enough money out for these types of services.

I am looking for work doing Web Based Technology (web design, web content) type of work, but as I don't have any commercial, only personal for our web page for about 18 years, and I'm trying to keep up with the technology in this area, but not many businesses are looking to give people a shot - they look at the lack of experience in this area or the age of the applicant - and they reject the applications. Its very frustrating.

The Future
I will continue on looking for web paging work. However, I think I'm going to be forced to either go back into admin and finance, which is what I was doing, or spend the money to someone to basically buy a internship. I remember when internships you were given an interview and either accepted or not. I feel buying (or paying money for a company to get you one) is wrong. That's why I'm having such a hard time with that one.

However, that being said, I don't want to stop the teaching - weather its at night or on the weekends, I'd still want to teach and help out the community.

If you are looking for people to hire, why not hire someone that is a tiny bit older? I still have a good 30 or so years before the government will let me retire.

  Check back for the continuation of "The Book of me, Written by You" series.    

"The Book of Me, Written by You" - Emigration / Migration / Immigration

The prompt for the week is:    

Emigration / Migration / Immigration

The Brief:

• Have you ever lived overseas from your place of birth?
• Would you want to?
• Could you?
• Did your ancestors or even a more recent generation?
• Do you feel akin to another Country from that in which you were born?
• If so have you found any ancestral links in your research that perhaps explains those feelings?
• As always share (or not) examples, photographs and perhaps events or rationale

This is an interesting topic as when I was elementary school, I was actually asked to write about Immigration old and new. Recently, as I'm starting to scan old documents into the computer for archiving, I found the report. What interesting reading.

A sample of my essay in elementary school

Anyhow, when this topic first came up, I postponed it as I was still looking around for information and it seemed I was getting information from all over the place. It seemed the faster and harder I'd work the more information came up online. Within the last few months in 2014, its finally started to slow down a bit and I can catch my breath and write on this topic.

My Living overseas
In 1995, I met a man that wanted an email pen pal. Since I had a few, or 7, I decided it was ok to add another. Over time the relationship evolved from that into IRL or in real life meet up in late 1995 when he (Brett) came over to the US to visit. Then in 1996, I visited Australia to see where and how they lived. Also, it was a test to see if I could live there. It was fine and we put in paperwork for me to migrate from the US to Australia, which was done in May 1997. We married and now we live in a house we built.

For me, it wasn't hard to adjust and I think that's mainly due to all the moving around I did growing up. For some reason, my mother loved to move from place to place every 3-4 years. Even since I've moved out, she still does this even to this day.

Maternal side living overseas
My Paternal Great Grandfather

From Wikipedia

I have been able to trace our ancestors back to my great grandfather Julius Gauquie who comes from Belgium. From what I've been able to piece together, my great grandfather came to the US in 1888.

Before migrating to the US, he probably lived in the Flanders region of Belgium. I've been able to narrow this down as on the census, he said he spoke Flemish which was common and dominant in this region. Further to prove this theory, was this area was rich in farmers which is what he was in the USA.

I've always tried to take a breath, sit back and go - why leave everything he knew and come to the US where he knew nothing or no one. Then I go to researching the times, country, and do some more searching.

In Belgium in the late 1880's, Catholics were forming a domestic policy in the government's cabinet. This was fine as we are all Roman Catholics. However, by 1878, I found this was succeeded by liberals in the running of the government. The further follow up question I ask - was this enough to force him from his homeland? I don't think so. Then I did more looking and found the following:

King Leopold II was dealing with the Congo and Belgium was doing the most trade with them.

Belgium declared itself as bilingual - Flemish was added to French which made both the official languages. Ah! Success! When I was in high school, I was asked what other electives did I want to take and I didn't know. I heard some of my friends talking about how they were going to be taking the Spanish language and I asked what other languages were there. I was told there were only French and Spanish. I had always wanted to learn French (for some reason), so I took that. After much administrative crap (the administration didn't want me to take it for fear it was too hard for me due to my learning disability even though I had an A average) I was allowed to take the class. Now I know why I wanted to learn the language.

Education was on bilingual footing in its teachings.
There was much labour unrest among the working class. 
There was a limitation on women & children working. 
Belgium was being flooded with American grain when the Catholics were in charge. The Catholics promised the people they would protect agriculture. However I don't think the people believed the Catholics and this was probably one major reason why they were succeeded by the liberals.

If you put all of these things together, I believe the last point (agriculture) was probably the reason why my great grandfather probably left Belgium. I think he was probably thinking if the US had such a great flood of that much grain, why shouldn't he go over there and send back his products this way and actually give the people grains and such from their own country person. However, when he got to New York, he found himself in "upstate" and married within 6 years of arriving. Then he took a job on the land to see how things worked there and ended up owning a huge spread in Blooming Grove, New York. Upon his death, the land was first split up and then sold off bit by bit. As far as I know, some of that land has moved down from generation to generation as current as 1997.

What is ironic is most of his grandchildren and great grandchildren are in real estate. If my searching as proved correct, there is still one of his relatives who farms.

Further, a tiny bit ago, I found out Julius DID know someone in the US - his cousin! - so when he left Belgium, he did so in knowing he did have family in the US and in the area he was settling in. 

Julius and his cousin. Upon Researching I found his cousin was in the US from 1895.

Taken from Wikipedia - The tiny bit of dark green is Denmark

Julius was married to Annie Larson of Denmark. She arrived in the US from Denmark in about 1890 or 1891. Most people in Denmark in the 1880s were farmers. However, as the surname Larson, is like Smith in the US, there are thousands with this name and the spellings are also different. Many people
had the surname Lars which means the son of Lars and its revolving. In other words the surname for a child would be different than of the father as they are the son/daughter of their father. For instance, my great grandmother Annie  was Annie Larson, but her father might have been Jenson which means the father of Jens.

Another interesting fact is in the 1860's a large amount of people converted to Church of Latter Day Saints and then they migrated to the US. When my great grandmother came over, this was during the peak period of people from that part of the world going to the US.

This is where, I think, my mother heard the story of one of my ancestors being in Poland and married to a potato farmer. They had an infant son which ended up sick and dying. Then the husband died and the authorities were threatening to take my grandmother's land. Then the Church of the Latter Day Saints came by and she went with them and ended up in the US.

I think it wasn't my grandmother but maybe my great grandmother and it wasn't from Poland but from Denmark. This would then make sense if my great grandmother had gotten married really young (she was 18 when she came to the US) and then had to leave everything to come to the US. Its a theory I still haven't fully completed figuring out.

Maternal side living overseas
My Maternal Great Grandfather

From Find a Grave

On this side, I have been able to trace my 2 times great grandfather & mother - Stanislaw & Walerja Ostrzycki who both come from Russia Poland. Remember during the 1870's and then in the early 1900's Poland didn't exist - It was made up of Russia, Prussia and Austria. Many times you will see documents which state Russia Poland or Poland Russia or any of the combinations with the other 2 countries which invaded Poland. I was able to find Stanislaw's Declaration of Intention paperwork which states he was born in Lipno, Russia. However, when you take into account all the census he put Poland, I would say its Lipno, Poland Russia (some history) rather than Lipno, Russia. Further evidence shows his daughter - my great grandmother - put down they were from Poland and not Russia in her obituary, it would lock it in it was Lipno Poland rather than Russia. 

Again, I sit back, take a breath, and go - why leave everything he knew and come to the US where he knew nothing or no one. Then I go to researching the times, country, and do some more searching. However, with Poland, its easy to see why they left after so much fighting and getting overrun, so there is not much research to be done once you understand Polish history. 

From Wikipedia

When the arrived in the US, they settled in a small town in Pennsylvania. Why? Well Pennsylvania is one of the places there was a huge Polish community, so they might have known people in the area. If nothing else, it would have felt like a bit of home with places to eat, food and the language they might have heard spoken. 

I grew up eating, and then later, cooking Polish foods. In fact, one of the restaurants we currently go to is a great little Polish place not far from our house. There is even a Catholic, which is what they were, church on the other side of the street from the restaurant. 

Paternal side living overseas
My Paternal Great Grandfather

Taken from Wikipedia

On this side, I don't know much about my grandfather, Matthew Schmitz who was born in Germany. I do know my father's cousin, Helmut, still lives in the house that "has been in the family for Mendig or Niedermendig, Germany. This is exactly where the surname/last name of Schmitz said it originated from - Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. He left Germany between his birth in 1906 and 1930 when he married my grandmother, Jean. I'm sorry to say, I don't have much more information than that.
generations". I believe the house is located around

We always knew our background was German with the last name like Schmitz. However no one ever talks about this side of the family. 

Paternal side living overseas
My Maternal Great Grandfather

Taken from Wikipedia

On this final side, I can trace my ancestor's back to my great grandparents - Adam Wojtkowski and Maryanne or Maryanna Ślepowron both of Poland. Reminder - during the 1870's and then in the early 1900's Poland didn't exist - It was made up of Russia, Prussia and Austria. Many times you will see documents which state Russia Poland or Poland Russia or any of the combinations with the other 2 countries which invaded Poland. I was able to find documents that showed Adam was born at Ciechanowiec Russia Poland. Further, my grandmother and great grandmother's travel to the US state they came from Malkina. Only upon talking to a local of the area, he stated because of my great grandfather's surname/last name he was actually from the town called Wojtkowice Russia Poland. 

Taken from Wikipedia

My great grandmother, Maryanna, I had narrowed down to the same area as Adam. However, I had her surname/last name down wrong as whomever spelled it for my grandmother's obituary spelled it wrong. The Ślepowron surname/last name was actually from Polish nobility which my father was told about growing up, but didn't know anything more than that. Ślepowron is from one of the oldest and most respected names in all of Poland. The surname has a coat of arms for it and its used for almost 1000 last names/surnames.

As my great grandmother's surname spelling was only just pointed out to me, I'm still researching it.






During my research, over the last 5 of the 10 years I've been doing this, I've been jokingly telling my husband, who is also researching HIS side, I wish I had some royalty or something on my side just to make one side a bit easier. Then we found out about the nobility link in Poland. I am now content - the only way to be fully content is to get all these sides of these families talking and linking up again.

The best part about all of this? Is my DNA does back it all up - including the tiny bit I've read about the Korwin part of the Ślepowron surname.

Taken from Jo Ann's FTDNA Origins map

I wonder what else I'll find. If nothing else, you can always keep track of this in my other blog Of My Flesh and Blood where the whole site is dedicated to each ancestor which I'm writing up as fast as I can.

  Check back for the continuation of "The Book of me, Written by You" series.    

Australian Federal Election 2013 – And the winner is...

Congratulations to 

Anthony Abbott

on becoming the next Prime Minister of Australia

Although, from early indications I got...

Neither major candidate was worth voting for -
Example: A Friend: Who'd you vote for?
             Her Friend:  Me. Got better chance of not ---king things up

Sausage Sizzle wins it hands down. 
This has got to be one of the most talked about topics on Facebook during the election today. Where wasn't or was a sausage sizzle. At 1pm the topic on Yahoo.com.au had the following caption.

A main headline on Yahoo.com.au's website at 1pm today.

You think I'm lying? Below is a snippet from the Herald Sun's Facebook post!

Have you checked out the Federal Election 2013 Sausage Sizzle website? 

Who's in Bed with Who confusion
This was another topic and question that people either took notice of or weren't clear on. Why didn't they make it so clear to the voters? Easy, confusion will make people vote for others by mistake or because they weren't clear enough.  Even my husband confessed he sat there reading literature he was given about the parties and was still confused.

I know one of my  highlights of the day was the online horse race that the AAP did. 

Results
As at 9.20pm 7 September 2013. The voting according to ABC says the voting results are of the following:

This has been taken from the ABC website at http://www.abc.net.au/news/federal-election-2013/results/

Now let's see how the winner handles their job. 

I love to hear from my readers. Please leave me comments - What did I do right? What did I do wrong? Did I forget something? Did I overstep?

C'mon World - Talk to me!

Australian Federal Election 2013 – My View on- Education & Economy Management

In this week’s blog, two of the hottest topics that people are concerned with are:

•          Education
•          Economy management

I will be tackling each of the main parties’ views on these topics. Further, I will put my views on each topic and if I believe either of the main parties and their views.

Education




As we know without education, we cannot get very far in life. We need to know how to communicate with each other and if we know a trade, in any aspect (from Pre Accredited to Doctorate), then so much the better for both, us and the community.

However, how we go about getting people skilled, willing and able to work are another thing together. I know some people want to work, but when you talk to them, it’s a very restrictive work they want – it has to pay at least this amount, only work these hours, and I only want to do this part. Unfortunately the real world does not work that way. I would love if it would, but we all have things that we love and things that we don’t care for in any job no matter who you are.

The two major parties talk about their vision on what they will do for us all in education.

What is the Gonski Review?

It is a national set of agreements and came from recommendations of the independent Gonski Review. The review found that there is an urgent need to invest more in schools and do so by fairer and consistent funding arrangements across the whole of Australia for the next 6 years.

Labour:

Labour’s views on education are below and have been taken from their website.

The Better Schools Plan - introducing education reforms that evidence shows improve results. These will be in the areas of:

•Quality teaching

•Quality learning

•Empowered school leadership

•Meeting student need

•Greater transparency and accountability

•And to get extra money from the federal government you have to show these categories: o             kids from low income families

               o Indigenous students

               o students with disability

               o kids with limited English skills

               o the size of the school

               o attend rural and remote schools

•Provide access to new computer and technology equipment for secondary students

For Adults by 2025, they want:

•40 per cent of all 25-to-34-year-olds will hold a bachelor's degree or above

•20 per cent of undergraduate enrolments will be disadvantaged students from low socio-economic backgrounds

•Investing a record $14.3 billion over the next four years in skills and training like TAFE in the face of savage cuts by Liberal state governments

Gonski: Labour’s View

       

• Extra resources to schools – targeting the need of individual students
• More support through literacy and numeracy programs
• Supporting assistance for special needs students
• More attention to every child and not the ones just drawing attention of the teacher
• Each of these above is flexible and can move depending on where the students need the help more

Liberal:

Labour’s views on education are below and have been taken from their website.

Provide more choice for parents by giving communities and parents greater control over schools.

• We will put parents, principals and school communities, not unaccountable bureaucrats, in charge of determining how their school will be run to improve performance 
• Encourage State schools to choose to become independent schools, providing simpler budgeting and resources allocation and more autonomy in decision making. 
•  We will support teachers in the classroom by ensuring our curriculum is rigorous without being too prescriptive or overcrowded. 
•  We will continue current levels of funding for schools, indexed to deal with real increases in costs and we will ensure that money is targeted based on the social and economic status of the community. 
• We will make more investment in science education at primary schools. We will restore the Primary Connections science education programme 
•  We will work together with social media operators, schools, parents and children to tackle cyber bullying and other harmful material and behaviour targeted at individual children online 
• We will continue the National School Chaplaincy Programme in Schools to support the emotional well being of students.

For Adults, they want:

• We will ensure the continuation of the current arrangements of university funding.
• We will work with the sector to reduce the burden of red tape, regulation and reporting, freeing up the sector to concentrate on delivering results and services.
• We will review and restructure government research funding to make sure each dollar is spent as effectively as possible.
• We will ensure the sector has a stable, long-term source of infrastructure funding.
  We will work with the sector to grow higher education as an export industry and to support international students studying in Australia.
• We will boost and retain skills in the workplace and give incentives to employers to take young people and older Australians off welfare and into work.
• Our immigration programme will focus on skilled migrants targeting skills shortages and people who can make a contribution from day one in a job.
• We will work urgently with the States to aim to have 40 per cent of Year 12 students studying a foreign language, preferably an Asian language   

New opportunities for our youth to learn in the Asian region by: 

•  We will establish a new two-way 'Colombo Plan' that doesn’t just bring the best and brightest talent from the region to Australia’s universities but that also takes Australia’s best and brightest talent to Asian universities
• By awarding scholarships to our students and fostering this ‘Asia-capable’ learning and developing these people-to-people relationships in those countries we are really developing the leaders of the future
  
  
  Gonski: Liberal’s View
  
  
  • We will honour Gonski agreements for the existing time left on the agreements.
  • States not signed on would get a portion of Commonwealth funding for 1 year, but they don’t have to put any money of their own in.
  • Reduce legislation and reduce federal control on how money is spent. 
   
  Nothing after 2014 has been announced. 
   
   
  
  
  
  
  
  My View on Education
  
  Upon reading both sides, I can safely say that neither side really calls to me. Anyone who has a teaching degree at all should have the Better Schools Plan and those running the damned thing should a business or accounting background to ensure they meeting budget and allocation just like a business. If they can’t do either of these things, then why are they still operating? Any why should schools get extra income for doing something that they should aim at every year? If kids don’t have a level of English that is required, then put them in a room with likeminded kids, independent of age, and teach them English. I know when I was growing up, I was taken from regular class, put into another class for struggling kids and was taught what I needed to know. I think I turned out fine for having a learning disability. Teach people how to work around their problem area and, as long as they aren’t lazy, then putting back into the main stream. Kids are bored with all the droning that goes on day in and day out in a classroom – I know because I was there. Give them something that challenges them and make it fun and you will get results.
  
  By the way, a chaplaincy programme seriously? If they need to speak to someone, then someone should be there in another capacity, but does it really need to be a chaplain? Unless you have an agreement that they only come in when needed and then it would have to be something pretty severe.
  
  As for Adults, they are only talking about restructuring, which means reducing jobs placed upon them, and not increasing anything except for what they want – results. I think in this area they both fail. 
  
  As for the truth?
  
  I think they both believe, to a certain point, their ideas, but I think they are in the world of Charlie and the Chocolate factory.
  
  
  Economy management 

Labour:

Labour says they will help us all by doing the following for jobs and the economy:

Growth and Opportunity

• Jobs program - grow the new jobs and build the new industries of the future

Workers

• Protections for conditions like overtime and penalty rates that can’t be stripped away by having the Fair Work Commission 
• Major advances in equal pay have been made 
• Workplace health and safety laws are being improved
  o   safe rates reforms 
  o   a right for victims of workplace bullying

• Superannuation going from 9 per cent to 12 per cent on 1 July 2013
• Low and middle-income workers are paying less tax 
•  improved parental leave arrangements with more flexibility, the right to request flexible work or allowing agreement on individual flexibility arrangements 
•  Labor's Paid Parental Leave Scheme - New mums can get up to 18 weeks' pay at the national minimum wage and eligible dads and same-sex partners can receive an additional two weeks' of government paid leave at the minimum wage
  
  
  All this being said, you have to keep in mind the MPs received a pay rise this year. However, the first time the MPs tried to have a raise, Kevin Rudd blocked a pay rise in 2008 but MPs voted this year to give away the power to veto a pay rise and in giving away that power, they voted for and received a pay rise.
  
  Then you have ways the current Federal Government is [has] wasting $1.3 billion a year on prescription drugs and cabinet ministers should not have a say in which drugs are listed on the PBS. Further, there has been a Little Book of Big Labor Waste, but keep in mind, this was put together by the Liberals which is opposition to them.
  
  
  Liberal:
  
  
  Liberals say they will help us all by doing the following for jobs and the economy:
  
  
  

  •             Build a stronger economy

  •             Scrap the Carbon Tax

  •             Help small business grow

  •             Build a diverse 5-Pillar economy

  o             Manufacturing Innovation

  o             Advanced Services

  o             Agriculture Exports

  o             Education and Research

  o             Mining Exports

  •             Generate two million jobs

  •             Liberal’s Paid Parental Leave Scheme – This has just been announced and I cannot find anything online. 

  
  

  Of course, then you have what was said by Tony Abbott, when the MPs received their pay rise this year. “I think that the average Australian, those people who work hard and struggle to meet their bills at the end of the week or month, they want politicians to make their burdens easier, not heavier.”

  
  

  Then in the way they plan on keeping waste of monies under control they keep referring to the “Our Plan" document released by the Federal Opposition leader and its wording confirms undertakings given by the Shadow Assistant Treasurer, Senator Mathias Cormann, around concessional contribution caps and excess contributions but remains very unspecific on the key issues. 

  
  

  
  

   
  
  
  
  
  
  My View on Economy management
  
  
  

  
  

  When I first heard this term, I thought, what the hell are they getting at. However, once you sit down and take a look at what they are actually saying to what they are actually have done, it’s like a siren going off for not one party but for them both. They say they want to build a stronger economy by increasing jobs, but how??? 

  
  

  The Liberal government have tried to say where they are building the economy, but I think they have it all wrong. Manufacturing is almost all out the door, just look at the recent closings of many of the factories here in Victoria. Then you have to figure out what Advanced Services are because nowhere is it outlined. Agriculture Exports – try again as the farmers are being run off their land by either prices or overseas buyers coming in and paying money for the land that they will sell and make millions so this won’t really be here after a while. Education and Research that he’s not increasing any funding for and on the website says “We will continue current levels of funding for schools”. Mining Exports is the last on the list and that is slowing down as we all know.

  
  

  The pay rise has already happened, but I have to say at least Rudd stopped it the first time, but Abbott seems to think struggling Australians won’t get hit with these extra costs and that does make our burdens heavier, so he couldn’t be any more wrong. However, if another pay rise is asked for, will it go through again? I don’t think there’s anyone there to stop it, unless someone who feels like Rudd did the first time, says no and vetoes it.

  
  

  Finally, on last issue is the issue on extra spending. I think this is a complete tie with lies for either party. They both are going to be spending extra but neither is saying how they will be paying for it and what they will be increasing. 

  
  

  
  

  As for the truth?
  
  
  
  

  I think they will spin each of these sections however they want them to look. If they want them in a positive light, then they will spin them that way, if they don’t then it’s the other direction.

  
  

  
  

  

  
  

  
  

  
  

  
  

  
  

  My overall thoughts

  
  

  It seems like Labour’s ideals are the better on paper. That being said, we have seen what the past years have been like by them playing who’s in charge. Further, I’m not sure if they can and will keep their spending in control. I think each party’s policies old and new have enough holes in them that they make Swiss cheese look like a full piece of cheese.

  
  

  
  Future Blogs
  
  
  

  
  For the next few weeks – until the election on 7 September- I’ll be covering each of these topics I have mentioned in the 11 August 2013 blog.

  
  

  
  

  Next week’s topics to be covered will be next week Australian Federal Election 2013 – My View on- Infrastructure & Health, so come back then when I tackle these 2 topics.
  
  I have had problems with the formatting, publishing and saving this week, which is why the page is so weird. I apologize. I am thinking up a new format that is shorter for the next blog post as this one seemed really too long.