Someone at the Motorcycle Riders Association of Australia in Melbourne is putting a lot of effort into writing press releases. It’s a shame the time isn’t going into fighting prejudice and injustice instead. Here are a few extracts.
“The TAC Motorcycle Safety Levy (the levy) has now been extended indefinitely. Motorcyclists will, however, only be charged the levy once each year – regardless of how many motorcycles they own…”
That’s great for people who are well-off and can afford more than one bike, but it leaves the basic injustice of a discriminatory tax untouched, and ordinary people as badly off as before.“During the life of the levy VMAC has been given total control as to how the levy funds are spent. Many projects submitted by various authorities for consideration of allocated levy funds have been rejected or amended by a panel of predominately motorcycle friendly VMAC members, while only the most motorcycle appropriate proposals have been approved. Consequently, the existence of the levy funds "exclusively quarantined for motorcycles" has generated a political advantage never before experienced by the motorcycle community…”
Predominantly motorcycle friendly, eh? Spending our money. MRAA is happy to trade away our freedom – the freedom to decide for ourselves how we’ll spend our money, for their power – the power to decide how your money and mine will be spent. Are you happy about that? They would do well to remember the words of William Hazlitt, who very wisely pointed out in 1819 that “The love of liberty is the love of others; the love of power is the love of ourselves.”
“The motorcycle community is opposed to the "moral principle" of being singled out for paying the levy, and that inequity is being addressed at various levels. However while the levy is in place, we must maintain control of the spending of those funds, and consequent safety benefits, away from "those not qualified to make good decisions about its future".
That inequity is being addressed, is it? How? By kowtowing to the Minister? To be fair, the Victorian State Government is only ripping each motorcyclist off to the tune of $50 a year with this levy. The Federal Government, with its $17 billion surplus, is ripping off each taxpayer for about $1500 a year. Does that make you feel better? No, didn’t think so. Doesn’t work for me, either.
People, this levy is wrong, and therefore it is wrong to take the money! All that does is legitimize the theft! It’s wrong not just because it costs you and me $55 or whatever the indexed amount is now. It is wrong because it is unjust. It is taking away our freedom and simultaneously branding us as irresponsible. Not unlike keeping back some of your kids’ pocket money so they’ll have enough to buy a birthday present for a sibling.
Benjamin Franklin reportedly said that “They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety.” How did he know, back in 1759, what Victoria’s motorcycle action groups would be up to in 2007?
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