Just found out that Australia has become a joke.

http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/ne...00-a-day-begging/story-e6frewt0-1225765125138

This guy is homeless and makes $50 000 a year to pay for his friend's bills, wouldn't you think his friend would let him in? The guy sure has a big heart...

 

so what exactly are you getting at?

 

...if he makes $50000 a year just by sitting on his ass in the street, he can easily buy a house and get a job.

 

pfft. not in sydney.

 

Maybe I am missing something but why does this make Australia a joke?

Begging and homelessness (is that a real word?) happens in every single city in the workd just about.

He makes $50,000 a year, it would take me about 10 years to earn that much since I get on average about £6000 a year. I am not even going to pretend I know what that exchanges at.

At the end of the day he CHOOSES how he uses that money, he doesn't have to be on the streets, he could easily afford to live somewhere. Yes it is great that he pays for his friend's bills and that he is raising money for his friend's liver transplant, but nobody forced him onto the streets.

Also, in the UK you can't have a bank account unless you have an address, so how does he have a bank account if he is sleeping rough? Does it work differently there?

 

Nothing stopping him from going to another town or city.

 

Except that in another town or another city he might not be able to earn quite so much.

He could always rent somewhere small? I don't know what the property market is like in Australia, but it seems a bit extreme to ship him off to another city/town. Moving can cost a hell of a lot.

 

uhh, transport costs.

it says he earns somewhere around $50 000 pa. it doesn't say how much he has saved in the bank account. he doesn't have a regular disposeable income, he can't commit to anything.

 

Aussie right here now.

Sydney is probably one of the most expensive cities in Australia. There are over 4 million people in Sydney.

If the homeless want to live on the streets they can, especially if they make $50, 000. They could stop this habit and get a job, rent or buy a property and live a life. I went to Sydney last year & I'm leaving on Friday again. Let me tell you, Australia cares, that's why they might give out fines. We have welfare here, and there are shelters. Sure, they could be packed at times, but there are others. No need to turn to the streets.

If you ever checked how much a Sydney house cost compared to another city, the difference is amazing & quite shocking. A million dollar house in Sydney (Aust. dollars) would cost around half that much, give or take a little in another city like Adelaide or Perth. Because Sydney is so well known its why it attracts the homeless. They know they'll get big bucks in Sydney, maybe not enough to buy or rent a house. I agree with CtR on the moving expenses, it actually does cost a bit to move cities, especially in a country this big.

But this man, this 'homeless' man he should actually get a job, buy a house and live a better life.

How does this make us a joke? B( This is not Australia's fault.

 

To get a job, he needs to be presentable. Reliable. He probably has no qualifications, so he'd be looking at bare minimum wage to begin with. That's around $30 000 a year.

To get a house, he'd need a loan. To get a loan, they say you need to earn $100 000 a year (usually a combined income).

To be presentable, he'd need clothes and access to facilities which would mean he'd need a house.

He could rent, but in Sydney, rent probably costs anywhere from $300 to $700 per week. I doubt he'd make anywhere near enough to support himself.

It's a vicious cycle unless he gets third party help.

 

Costs? He's 52 and he earns 50,000 a year. If we assume he's been doing it for say, 25 years. Thats $1250000. Which is a lot of money. More than enough to move somewhere cheaper and live quite comfortably for a while, rubbish job or no. My parents only have about £5000 in the bank and we manage just fine. No reason for us to move on the streets.

 

Yeah, first, I'm a Australian too (though I don't love this country as nearly as I should), but I don't live in Sydney. I personally don't see whats wrong with Australia for living off donations and earning so much by begging. In India, (yes I am Indian, but I live in Australia) I knew of a few beggars who were literally millionaires , due to their begging (although I don't know what the exchange rates were back then). However, unlike this guy, they begged solely for their own needs, unlike this guy who at least gives his money to his friend with the liver problem.

So yeah, I see where you're coming from, but I don't understand how it makes Australia a joke.

 

A liver transplant is a one time cost. I just don't think its right for people to beg when they can easily work.

Although I do agree that it doesn't make Australia a joke, just the individual.

 

There is a prolonged hospital stay along with it, and while I don't know the rates in Sydney, judging by what others have said, they must be pretty damn high.

 

Life sucks, then you die.

But- there is third part help that he could get. It's called Centre Link or something like that. He could get a part-time job until he earns enough money. Rent is an option. Suburbs where it isn't too expensive. It's not all one price.

 

Hmm. Even so, something tells me its within his budget of $1250000 plus

 

*ahem* >lives in sydney!<

So basically he can rent something, seriously. He has enough o rent a nice house, they're usually about $1000 a week<<Those being the nicer houses.

But I still don't see how this makes us a joke?

 

I didn't forget about you >:3

Houses are expensive in Sydney. But I guess its half because of the Harbour Bridge/Opera House + major tourist spot. I guess he rather be a professional begger and live on the streets instead of a roof on top of his head.

Once again, how does it make us a joke? B(

 

you're all idiots.

it quite clearly says in the article that he spends money on food and pays his friends bills.
obviously he's spending this money or else he'd be dead.

Centrelink does not offer that much money. I'm on Youth Allowance and I get $200 a fortnight.

because a homeless and jobless man could afford $1000 a week let alone $300.
christ, people.

 

My parents only earn about £30000 but we have more food than we know what to do with. He 'earns' $50000. And no one is making him pay his friends bills, he can stop if he likes and get his own place. He has more than enough money for that rent.