Hi all, thanks for the welcome.

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I'm a little bit political too, but socio-politics rather than party politics. This is me 5 years ago:

'It's demeaning': What it's like to be told how to spend your welfare money

People on the poverty line in the Northern Territory are battling logistical nightmares and daily shame due to a long-running income management policy — and it's unclear if their lives will change after the federal election.

www.abc.net.au

 

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I'm only a good fighter against people who can't fight very well

I'm not really that much of a fighter either, but I was a Production Manager and used to telling people exactly what they're going to do and how they're going to do it. If it results in violence then you're not doing the job properly.

I'm also only a little bloke, but most people think I'm a good deal bigger.

 

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That's another reason I wouldn't mind living in my car for a while, I'm very polite and I'd stand a better chance at getting community housing. Victoria is good for helping old blokes get a place but it's a grey depressing place

Do you still have the dogs? That would make getting a place more difficult.

Yeah that's right, also Townsville and a couple of other places in Queensland put people on the ration card, how did you avoid it?

I didn't avoid it. I was on that basics card for 10 years. I couldn't spend any of that money unless I went in to the city so I learned to live on the smell of an oily rag. Even after I came down here they kept me on that card for another 3 months, but once it ended I had a tidy sum of money switched over to my bank account.

 

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The look and the attitude are cultivated, but I had a good head start with that early in life, I grew up in Salisbury. I haven't been in a fight since I was a teenager. I'm not a very argumentive person and no one wants to start a fight with me without good reason.

 

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No, they passed away a few years ago within 3 months of each other. That's why I was stuck in Murray Bridge because of the dogs and now rents in adelaide are too expensive

Going through the homeless system might be good for you then, especially if you have a car to sleep in. You do have to be actually homeless first, they will check up on you. Register with The Hutt Street Centre as homeless and wait for them to assign you a case worker. The case worker will find you a place in one of the hostels as soon a a space becomes available, and if you follow the rules and keep your room tidy the hostel will get you a housing trust home as soon as one becomes available.

I'm not sure how much rent I pay or how much rent assistance I get, I let them all work that out between themselves, but after rent I get $830 a fortnight in my hand.

I thought people were stuck on it forever, good that you've got your independence back

All those systems were abolished just 2 years ago, along with robodebt.

 

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I got sent some amazing tax bills when I was living at Dundee, but I hadn't worked in years at that stage and I knew that if they had to get a forensic accountant to go through my accounts they'd find themselves in the wrong. I got sent 2 bills, one for $11,000 and another for $26,000. I showed them to everyone down the pub, laughed about them and made a show of throwing them in the bin. They never chased me up about it, they were just fishing to see who would bite.

 

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Adelaide is a lovely city, especially as we get older. Nice and quiet and always clean and pretty. That's another thing that happens when you go through the homeless system, they don't just get you a housing trust home, they furnish it for you. All second hand stuff but in good condition, so when I moved in here I had a bed, fridge and freezer, washing machine, microwave, toaster, electric kettle. A whole heap of bedding, towels, cutlery and crockery, everything to give you a good start.

 

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Yeah the tax department hasn't got enough staff to chase everyone up

I haven't put a tax return in since 2003. I had a big argument with them over BAS statements after I closed my business which ended with me saying "I'm terribly sorry lady but I no longer wish to subscribe." and I hung up on her.

I kept working for another 4 years after that, paying tax but never claiming any back. I did this deliberately so that if they took me to court it would turn out that they owed me a considerable sum of money plus interest. They've probably explored my case a few times over the years and decided it's one best left alone.

 

[David C]

Adelaide is a lovely city, especially as we get older. Nice and quiet and always clean and pretty. That's another thing that happens when you go through the homeless system, they don't just get you a housing trust home, they furnish it for you. All second hand stuff but in good condition, so when I moved in here I had a bed, fridge and freezer, washing machine, microwave, toaster, electric kettle. A whole heap of bedding, towels, cutlery and crockery, everything to give you a good start.

 

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Adelaide's always been really good with social services.

 

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got to adelaide and got picked up by 3 guys who all had weed to share with me!

I get my weed on prescription now. Because I'm on a pension I only pay half price, then Medicare gives me a 75% rebate as well, so I only pay $60/oz for really good weed. And no supply issues around Christmas.

 

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Adelaide cops won't bust you for smoking dope unless you're making an arsehole of yourself, they're generally pretty good here and the community attitude towards weed is different to other states too. We're a bit more laid back and relaxed here.

 

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It's a tough life, but someone has to live it.

 

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They can have it after I've finished with it.

I liked your term "forever home". That's what I have now and it makes so much difference to the general stress levels. They can't ever kick me out unless I do something bad, if something happens to this place then they have to find me another. Another bonus for as we get older - I'm not responsible for any of the maintenance here either. And when I pointed out issues with the kitchen, purely for me to be able to deny responsibility later, they built me a new kitchen.

I hate the new kitchen by the way, there's nothing really wrong with it but I got used to the old kitchen.

I spend most of my time reading novels and playing video games, sometimes dabbling with a little programming, sometimes playing with the parliament too. I don't like too much stress in my life.

 

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I want another car, but just an economical little buzz box. There's not much around at the moment for any reasonably cheap price. Ever since covid they've been expensive but I don't think covid's got anything to do with it. People just aren't letting go of old cars as quickly now because there's so much doubt as well as legitimate concerns about EVs and they're not cheap.

 

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Everyone loved Raybo. I saw him do some fantastic interviews over the years.

I mostly read science fiction and fantasy novels.

 

[David C]

I want another car, but just an economical little buzz box. There's not much around at the moment for any reasonably cheap price. Ever since covid they've been expensive but I don't think covid's got anything to do with it. People just aren't letting go of old cars as quickly now because there's so much doubt as well as legitimate concerns about EVs and they're not cheap.

 

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You have to become a member of a vintage car club to get that cheap rego, but it's worth it. I like the hyundai's too, only had 1 but I had it for 11 years, the getz might be too tiny though. I've been looking at mazdas and hondas too because of the reliability/low maintenance.

 

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I've never been in to biographies, I think the closest thing I've read is Spike Milligan's war memoirs - Hitler. My Part In His Downfall. I loved those books, long time since I've read them.

 

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Yep, far too expensive. And the mazdas, hondas and hyundais are holding their value so they're not cheap either. I could pay $10K for a second hand car but the trouble is I don't want to. It's too much, I remember when that was more than my yearly income.

But I'm not in any hurry so I'll just keep looking. All good things come to those who wait.