Well, yeah, given that I am sleepless again (at 3.23AM) from intolerable pain, I have been surfin’ the net and stumbled upon an enlightening proposed solution-by injured workers- for fixing the Canadian economy on the IWAAC website. With a little bit of imagination, the suggestions were easily adapted to fix the Australian economy AND improve injured worker’s lives.
How to fix the economy: perspective of injured workers
Dear Prime Minister
Instead of giving billions of dollars to banks that will squander the money on lavish parties and unearned bonuses, use the following plan.
You can call it the Patriotic Retirement Plan:
There are about 10 million people over 50 in the work force.
Pay them $ 2 million each severance for early retirement with the following stipulations:
- They MUST retire. Ten million job openings – Unemployment fixed
- They MUST buy a new [Australian] car-ten million cars ordered – Car Industry fixed
- They MUST either buy a house or pay off their mortgage - Housing Crisis fixed
- They MUST send their kids to school/college/university - Crime rate fixed
- They MUST buy $100 WORTH of alcohol (a couple of jugs of good wine ) /tobacco a week …..And there’s your money back in duty/tax etc
It can’t get any easier than that!
Also:
Let’s put the injured workers and the pensioners in jail and the criminals in a nursing home.
This way the injured workers and the pensioners would have access to showers, hobbies and walks.
They’d receive unlimited free prescriptions, dental and medical treatment, wheel chairs etc and they’d receive money instead of paying it out.
They would have constant video monitoring, so they could be helped instantly, if they fell, or needed assistance.
Bedding would be washed twice a week, and all clothing would be ironed and returned to them.
A guard would check on them every 20 minutes and bring their meals and snacks to their cell..
They would have family visits in a suite built for that purpose.
They would have access to a library, weight room, spiritual counselling, pool and education.
Simple clothing, shoes, slippers, PJ’s and legal aid would be free, on request.
Private, secure rooms for all, with an exercise outdoor yard, with gardens.
Each injured worker and senior could have a PC and TV radio and daily phone calls.
There would be a board of directors to hear complaints, and the guards would have a code of conduct that would be strictly adhered to.
The criminals would get cold food, be left all alone and unsupervised. Lights off at 8pm, and showers once a week. Live in a tiny room and pay $400.00 per week and have no hope of ever getting out.
Think about this (more points of contention):
Also:
Think about this ….. If you don’t want to forward this for fear of offending someone — YOU ARE PART OF THE PROBLEM! It is time for us grumpy old folk of [AUSTRALIA] to speak up!
Shortlink: http://aworkcovervictimsdiary.com/?p=4908
Absolutely LOOOOOVE it! Great post! I don’t know how many times I have told my other half that I would be far better of in jail – it’s true! Currently, although severely incapacitated, I am denied home help and in a current fight to keep my weekly benefits going (week 130 awe). I have no money and no help and can’t even buy the meds I need. My surgery has been denied – for that I am attending conciliation too in a few weeks time.
Were I in jail, I would be looked after well – medical care pronto, even dental and eye glasses. Surgery, no worry, I’ll even get a private room! My clothes and bed sheets would at least be washed and clean and someone would watch me 24/7 in the event I fall or can’t get up. Wow, a dream it would be! The way the workcover system is, we’re in any case treated like criminals and guilty before proven innocent (if ever). Freedom? What freedom do you have being on workcover, Private Investigators everywhere, Facebook -watching, looking at your every bloody “move”!
Its quite alarming to read it written that way…. nursing homes/the health system is worse than prison… sheesh! Its true!
I know this is a light hearted post, but having studied crim/crim justice I have enormous empathy for ‘criminals’ – they are merely products of addiction and abuse most often, and I think our mental health infrastructure in society really fails them.
It is my wish that all people in society are taken care of, not just the best looking, highest IQ, or people from most stable, functional and/or accident free-lives. What a wonderful world that would be <3
I’m suspicious that people in prison aren’t particularly well respected or looked after either.
There are rules that promise them what you think they’re getting, but I suspect the reality is a damn lot harsher than the promise…
And people don’t care, I’ve made this analogy for people and they look at you like you’re some kind of malingering complainer who should shut up so they can get on with their uninjured lives.
Ben.