Israel, no longer the promissed land.

Since the creation, by force, of the "State of Israel" aparently located there by an interpretation from an interpretation of some scripture, the Palestinians have been vocal and in world news for their opposition of that State.

Originally through the "Palestinian Liberation Organisation" (PLO) they gained nothing but world condemnation for the "terrorist tactics used to get attention to their plight and with the main western powers in control were told that the decision was made, and that they had to get over it.

The PLO is gone for all intents and purposes, but not the memories of just how brutal it was for those within the new declared State who opposed its construction and there were rumours of defiant people being dragged from their homes and imprisoned where city's were to be built and those homes were to be bulldozed and it is also alledged that people remained resolute in some homes and were bulldozed within them as all Palestinian things were removed and destroyed and leveled.

The memory, real or concocted of those events drives the older Palestinians on and the aggression of retaliation against any outspoken opposition or even stone throwing at soldiers effectively occupying areas of Palestine keeps the fighting going; many times Israel military have talked about the total obliteration of Palestine as the only solution to ongoing conflict.

Israel controls the media for the region and constantly destroys any new Television station built in Palestine because they really don't want local Palestinians seeing how their bretheren are faring under the war machine of Israel. The media reports show Palestinians living in the state of Israel as Happy, and living a good life, but in my travels there years ago it seemed to me that Israel has created a "slave caste" where Palestinians can live there, they cannot run for office, the cannot own companies or be directors, they cannot go to Palestine unless they stay there permenently, they cannot hold a passport, and they cannot own property (although they can hold title to their home as long as they remain in it, if they leave it; it then becomes property of the state). You can see that these people do not live in equality with the Jewish Israelies but at least they are safe from Israelie gunships , tanks, and indescriminent sharpshooter attacks. Israel is careful not to let this information out to the media and uses Jewish control of world money and media to cover any negative reports.

The majority of reports from media makes claims that whomever died at the hands of Israelie military strikes were Hamas militants, I suppose the dead can't defent themselves and it is easier to believe that the story is true or you'd have to believe that the Israelies are trying to do to the Palestinians exactly what Hitler did to them, tried to wipe them out.

Make no mistake, the UN have proclaimed Israel outside its jurisdiction by remaining in Gaza and other occupied territories, which Israel simply took over by military force, claiming it was growing too fast and that it needed to expand and that there was nothing of value there for the inhabitants anyway, even though the once again dozed everything to allow settlements to be built, when they eventually did pull out (only really the settlers) they left nothing preferring to bulldoze rather than leave accomidation for any returning displaced Palestinains.

To be honest I don't rate that a Jewish state ever existed within the arabic lands, there may have been large enclaves of Jews there but in biblical times the people were still tribal to a certain extent, rather than being unified countrywide, I also don't rate the idea that the Jewish area would have been all the best land, the most arrible and the bets water and that the rest of the local people were happy to live in the remainder ; desert.

I reckon the aggression could be stopped by Israel, it is they who came there and they could make the peace, they are a rich nation who are directly supported by the US and could use money to solve the divide between the two countries, it would cost the same to build roads, housing and dig wells for neighbouring Palestine as to war with them, wouldn't it.

But that would not keep the myth of oppression of the jews alive, world sympathy would wane and they may just have to exist on their own, and lets face it they are all about money, they are very rich and they war against a country where the people have absolutely nothing to fight with and nothing to loose.

No Poo Water for Politicians

Thanks to a Friend who gave this to me, I missed this and i reckon it wasn't too hard to do, apparently it was a tiny piece on page 75 of the weekend paper.

It was titled "Perks for pollies"

Amid all the talk of tightening and tough times ahead, state politicians granted themselves a package of extra perks.

Meal budgets and clothing allowances were raised, ministers' partners were given membership of the Quantas Club's Chairmans Lounge and ministers were allocated $30 a month in bottled water for their chauffeur-driven limousines.

Some of the states mayors didn't miss out either - the maximum remuneration levels were raised by 5 per cent just nine months after most were awarded huge increases with the creation of new super councils.

I would have to say that if they want us to drink fluoridated, recycled sewage they should at least put out a pretence of doing it as well, right ?

Merry Christmas.

With the looming ogre of unemployment already affecting people at Christmas, and set to see the rate double if the recession cannot be halted, it seems the grinch is alive and well and quite visible to all, in the guise of the local council Mayor.

While they claim an independent tribunal determines salary and conditions, the councillors in Logan seem to have asked, not individually, but as a collective for a pay rise because they work so hard, well it's quite possible that some councillors were unaware of even the request for more money going to that independent tribunal, but the request was rejected.

It is always great though when a so called independent body makes a decision, which forces the battler out there to either have to accept reduced services or pay more, but it would seem that is exactly what has occurred, since our Mayor 9and quite a few others) will be getting a substantial increase.

At least she will have a very merry christmas.

QUEENSLAND'S mayors have won themselves yet another remuneration increase after complaining they are both overworked and underpaid.

However, despite the extra cash, they have been told to spend less time dealing with ratepayers and more time focusing on "strategic plans".

From January 1, 29 mayors will have their maximum remuneration level increased by 5 per cent - only months after they were awarded pay increases of up to 20 per cent to reflect the extra work involved with amalgamation. CPI currently is running at 3 per cent.

In awarding the latest increases, the Local Government Remuneration Tribunal acknowledged complaints from ratepayers that councillors were already "grossly overpaid", with too many taking on the role because of the high salaries on offer.

The pay rise comes as the state's private sector struggles to keep staff in jobs ahead of the looming recession and thousands of public servants face the axe as the Rudd Government cuts spending.

Logan City councillors, who are among the highest paid, asked to be in a higher category rating with an 11.5 per cent pay rise. The application was rejected.

It will be hard to get the christmas dinner down if you're one of those facing downsizing in the new year or even worried about the downturn affecting your job, but rest easily , our hard working Mayor is now getting more.

Merry Christmas and happy New Year

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Palm Island Tragedy - the next chapter.

Up to this point we have seen all the twists and turns of an action movie with the plot well and truly revealed early but the twists are now beginning to take effect.

From early articles in Queensland newspapers it would seem fair comment that there was a level of dissatisfaction in the palm island community with some of the police stationed there which resulted in community outrage when one of those officers was at the centre of one of the most widely publicised Aboriginal Deaths in Custody to date.

The tragic and senseless death of a drunk and allegedly aggressive Mulrunji Doomadgee in custody at the Palm Island watch house at the hands of/ in the care of a senior-sergeant on duty who has made admissions about events of that night and it seems, changed the story more than once is the climatic event which appears to have got the ball rolling and started this saga.

Relatives weren't told, and it's alleged that Doomadgee was either not checked or that he was checked but had not moved at all from the position he was left in by the senior-sergeant and was found to be deceased when eventually someone actually went into the cell to find out why he hadn't moved.

Mulrunji Doomadgee died from injuries which included Four broken ribs, ruptured liver and a ruptured portal vein, which the senior-sergeant alleges occurred accidentally when he fell onto Mr. Doomadgee during a scuffle while putting him into the cell.

Mulrunji Doomadgee was dragged by the senior-sergeant and dumped either unconscious or already deceased, but nevertheless unmoving and in fact never again moved from where he was put by that senior-sergeant.

All hell broke loose when family and friends found out that Mr. Doomadgee was deceased and the well reported riots were the result of community grieving, discontent and anger over the circumstances surrounding the death, many believing the police person involved was culpable.

The coroner confirmed what the media and the community of Plam Island thought to be true, that the death of an Aboriginal in custody had occurred and that it had been a result of a blow or blows inflicted by the officer handling him on the night he died.

After political intervention, the senior-sergeant was tried in court and acquitted, found not guilty of causing the death after it seems retracting his earlier story of how the events took place.

It was no surprise that the police retaliated against the rioters from Palm Island, and they swept in in numbers and arrested several of the most vocal people, one of which has already been tried and sentenced to six years imprisonment. This is the thin end of the wedge, expect more to be charged and taken to court and summarily to jail. We have already seen the officers from Palm Island awarded medals for heroism and for valor in performing their duty during the riots as the rioters are carted off in prison vans.

But wait there's more.

The latest is that the senior-sergeant has taken action to have the original coroners version of the cause of death overturned and have a new ruling of "accidental" replace it.

I almost believe that it will happen, without ceremony, I see nothing salvageable that is good from the police or the courts and they appear to me to be trying to reduce all responsibility for any and all actions from the time this saga began.
I doubt there will be opportunity for community to respond and if the previous press comments are any guide there will be a lack of police on the streets for a while because they will all be writing in letters of support for one of their own in a callous display of arrogance and disregard for the life of someone in their care.

Assuming the death was a result of an accident, which will in all probability soon be the truth, then how do these heroes explain;
1) Dragging and propping up an unmoving body.
2) Not checking that person despite the allegation that he was belligerent and aggressive before the "accident" and still hasn't moved since.
3) the changing stories from all involved.

I'm not taking sides here, nor am I making accusations, but I am stating facts and asking questions, read this from the Courier Mail:

A JUDGE has ordered a new inquest into the death in custody of Palm Islander Mulrunji Doomadgee after an appeal by the policeman at the centre of the case.

Lawyers for Senior-Sergeant Chris Hurley, who was last year found not guilty of manslaughter after a high-profile trial, had gone to the District Court to appealed the adverse findings of an acting coroner on the 2004 death.

In a bid to clear his name, Senior-Sergeant Hurley launched the unprecedented attack on a coronial ruling that found he had killed Mulrunji by punching him three times.

Judge Bob Pack, in a ruling handed down today, said the possibility of “accidental death’’ could not be excluded.

“I order the State Coroner to direct another Coroner to re-open the inquest to reexamine the finding,’’ Judge Pack wrote in his findings.

“I conclude the Coroner’s findings are against the weight of the evidence.

“The Coroner found Hurley did not have physical contact with Mulrunji in a relevant way and thereby concluded the death must have been caused by punching from Hurley.

“I indicate that after taking into account the medical evidence, because there is evidence supporting the proposition Hurley fell on Mulrunji, and there are reasons why he said he did not fall on him, that despite what Hurley said, the hypothesis of an accidental death cannot reasonably be excluded.’’

The appeal comes after an aborted coronial inquest and a subsequent two-year inquest, a finding by the Director of Public Prosecutions of insufficient evidence, an independent review by Sir Laurence Street suggesting the manslaughter trial go ahead, and a manslaughter trial in the Supreme Court where a jury found Hurley not guilty.


The Gold Coast-based policeman admitted during his manslaughter trial to killing Mulrunji in a ``complicated fall'' but denied a deliberate knee drop.


In September 2006, deputy coroner Clements found that Snr-Sgt Hurley struck Mulrunji and caused his fatal injuries on November 19, 2004, at the police station on Palm Island, off Townsville.


Riots erupted on the island seven days later after an autopsy found Mulrunji suffered four broken ribs, a ruptured liver and a ruptured portal vein in a watchhouse scuffle.

Queensland Government endorces fire sales of repossessed homes, in a backhanded way.

Sometimes we hear stories of where people have had a series of bad events occur and have got behind with their repayments, and usually instead of going to their lender and trying to sort out something, they put in in the too hard basket and pay it when they can which doesn't impress the lender very much.

Don't forget that to supply you with the money you borrowed for your property, that lender probably also borrowed that money and like you they also need to pay it back.

However, we also hear stories about properties that have been repossessed going to auction and barely getting the amount owed, leaving the borrower with out the equity they were due, and in some cases we also hear that someone associated with the lender may have been the buyer, true or not.

This Government has just legitimised the practice of fire sales of repo properties because if caught it will attract a $20,000 fine, which to the skeptic means that at auction the buyer will pay what is owed plus the amount of the fine, I can't see any lender hanging around waiting for 6 to 12 months to get the real value of a repo, can you ?

The Bligh Government will fast-track new legislation this week to protect struggling Queensland home-owners from mortgagee fire sales.

Under the new laws, financial institutions that intentionally sell repossessed properties at below the market value - leaving home owners with little or no equity - could face fines of up to $20,000.

Premier Anna Bligh said mortgage stress was becoming an increasing reality for Queensland families and she was committed to delivering this protection before Christmas.

"More and more Queenslanders are doing it really tough," Ms Bligh said.

"The current financial climate is squeezing household budgets to the limit, many to a point where they cannot pay their mortgage.

"The latest data from Fitch Ratings shows an increase in mortgage stress across Australia, with Helensvale on the Gold Coast the most mortgage stressed suburb in the country.

"Applications made to Queensland courts for repossession of real estate has increased dramatically in recent months, jumping from 374 from March-June to 606 in the last four months - and while it's not possible to say what the circumstances were in each of these cases, the figures are sobering.

"The only thing worse than the prospect of losing your home is the concern that your financial institution could sell your property quickly and at below market value just to cover outstanding debts - leaving you with nothing.

"Swift action is needed and my Government will deliver the protection these vulnerable Queenslanders need by Christmas," she said.

Attorney-General Kerry Shine said the Property Law Act 1974 would be amended to extend the obligation to sell at market value to situations where properties are sold under a power of attorney or by receivers.

"Mortgagees in Queensland who exercise a power to sell property are currently required to comply with section 85 of the Act that requires they 'take reasonable care to ensure that the property is sold at market value," Mr Shine said.

"These new laws will extend this protection and introduce tough, new requirements under this section, including:

1. a requirement to adequately advertise the sale; and

2. obtaining reliable evidence of the property's value; and

3. maintaining the property, including making any reasonable repairs; and

4. selling the property by auction, unless it is appropriate to sell it in another way.

"Any mortgagee or receiver that fails to follow these requirements will face fines of up to $20,000.

"These steps are designed to ensure mortgagees don't seek a quick and easy solution when a repossession occurs and rush through with a sale under market value.

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Rent bidding, now outlawed.

We all know that before he was a councillor, Sean Black was a small potatoe in the realty game and it seems he was involved in the practice of lining up potential tennants to see who was prepared to pay the most to get a roof over their kids heads, otherwise known as rent bidding.

The practice puts people in a position of feeling powerless and hopeless and almost forces them to participate or walk away and continue looking and in some cases, due to circumstances or whatever they will bid well past what they can afford to secure accomidation, it is the most un-Australian and some would say unconscionable way to serve the rental community.

It seems also that it is a tactic used by realtors who have no idea of the real market and no clue as to what a property should be rented out for , fairly.

Of course these pariahs usually say things like , my owners are so happy that I'm getting the most money for them, or I've never had a complaint, nut rest assured people with houses where tennants are retained in this fashion have more vacancy days than owners where their property is rented at a fair price.

THE practice of rent bidding will be banned in Queensland from next year after new legislation was passed by State Parliament.

The new laws were to respond to the changing private rental market, Housing Minister Robert Schwarten said.

"There's been skyrocketing rents, the growth in off-campus student accommodation and rental accommodation for seniors, and the emergence of rent bidding or auctions, which I consider to be a most un-Australian and unfair practice," Mr Schwarten said.

"Queensland's tenancy laws needed to keep abreast of these changes."

Rent bidding occurs when the price of a rental property is negotiated, rather than fixed.

Mr Schwarten said the new laws included a number of measures designed to enhance protection of tenants but also balanced the interests of landlords.

Under the new laws rent increases can only be imposed six-monthly, rent bidding is outlawed and the notice period to terminate a tenancy at the end of a fixed term without grounds has increased from two weeks to two months.

The rights of lessors have been enhanced with the inclusion of new grounds of entry to rental properties to check on repairs and whether significant breaches have been remedied.

University on-campus accommodation providers will be required to lodge bonds with the Residential Tenancies Authority.