Ageism

Whilst waiting at the Airport last night I read two seemingly unrelated stories in The Sun Herald. The first reported on the late cancellation of Saturday’s Rosehill races. A sidebar piece covered two couples who had travelled from the country to attend the meeting,

"We are really pissed off," Mrs Prince said. "We are farmers battling the drought and this is not something we can afford all the time...we have bought new clothes and hats to wear. All in all, I think we probably spent around $1500."

Well, they’re either doing it tough or not, I thought, despite the trip being a special birthday celebration. Sure, battling farmers are entitled to a break from the misery, but an expensive trip to the City races sounded at odds with their claimed plight.

Three pages on was an article on a ‘shock’ new survey, a Sunday paper speciality,

Generations declare war on home and work fronts.

This referred to the current phenomena of baby boomers (BBs) being blamed for hogging senior jobs and groaning assets, at the expense of following generations, X and Y. X resents BBs; BBs resent being resented; both are dismissive of Y as overly demanding. Yet Generation Y can’t even get a decent start, let alone some of the action.

Early this morning I recalled these stories after picking up a young farmer around 20 years old. He was off a western NSW property and had spent the weekend in Sydney with old school mates. "What are they doing here, studying ?" I asked. "Yeah." "And partying..?" I added. "Pretty much," he laughed.

My inquiry of the drought confirmed it’s severity on his parent’s farm. "It’s bloody awful selling the cows." I assume this reduces their ability to replenish the herd, essential for future earnings. A diminishing exercise which would surely end in ruin.

At a City backpacker hostel he painfully counted out coins, loaned to him by a mate, the only money he had until returning home today. "Mate, just give me half," I said, "and buy yourself some breakfast in the morning." Whilst it was enough for a Big Mac Meal, I later regretted not insisting he keep it all.

But then, on second thoughts, maybe he'd simply blown all his money. Yeah, that’s it, claiming hardship whilst partying in Sydney. Sheesh ! I’ve been conned by one of those "young people today... reckless, irresponsible, lazy, rude and abuse drugs and alcohol.." Bloody Generation Y.

Regards,

Baby Boomer.

Comments

[Caroline]

Good on you for giving him a discount. I have found people who cry poor to me usually have a lot more money than I.

[pat]

I would never have picked for a BB Adrian. Sure, the age seemed right but not the attitude.

[enkew]

Don't ever go easy on farmers unless you positively know their individual circumstances. Agriculture is the most heavily subsidised industry in this (any many other) countries, an unfortunate but entirely necessary state of affairs. Ask them about the stock agistment lurk or the taxation averaging rules befpre taking pity. Ask the cane cockies who whine about low sugar content and "that bloody CSR", then afterwards sit and compare notes on their Gold Coast real estate investments as their wives alight from the most recent 4WD mobile roadblock and pat their $150 hairdo into place. No, old fellah, these fellows are either Asset Rich or Dollar rich, always one but never both.
Go Storm.

[Stu]

Adrian, isn't it about time you stepped aside and let someone younger drive your cab? :P

On topic, financial planners working in rural areas look after some of the most high net worth client bases in Australia. It's a tough life, but there are a lot of rich farmers.

[Robyn]

That makes me so angry that couple can afford $1500 on a birthday and still whinge. How dare they make it sound like all us farmers are that well off. That is so untrue. Yes, some areas are subsidised or are better off than they realise but most of us struggle.

We just celebrated our 20th wedding anniversary last week which we labelled 'lamps and lunch'. We spent a grand total of $50 on two bedside lamps and $20 on lunch and that blew this month's budget.

Enkew and Stu I think you have learnt about only a very small portion of farming. Please keep your mind open to the fact that the majority do not have that sort of money. I quote "these fellows are either Asset Rich or Dollar rich, always one but never both." to disagree strongly. Our 400acres is worth far less than most houses in Sydney.

I'd also like to know what is wrong with the averaging tax? I had a dairy and worked approx 10 hours per day, 7 days a week with no holidays or even days off. For that I received around $15,000 per annum although in one good year I made $25,000. Do you really have a problem with my having paid tax on the average of those 5 years?

I hope you're not the same guy who proclaimed on national radio a few months back "Everyone knows farmers are as dumb as dogshit"? Oh and do I drive a 4WD for our dirt road? No, I have a tiny little Starlet that is now 10 years old and will have to last me at least another 10 years.

Stu do you really think that many farmers can even afford to go to a financial planner? You are not hearing about the majority but a portion of the farming community that is lucky enough to have assets or money to plan for.

I could go on and on Adrian but it would only bore your readers. I just want everyone to know that most of us don't have much money and in fact are living off meagre interest from the sale of our herds. We can't afford plasma TVs, dishwashers and floorcoverings or even to get our house painted which is 20 years overdue.

We survive and we don't whinge so long as we eat.

[Stu]

Hey Robyn,

I take your point about only hearing about farmers who have planners, rather than the ones that don't.

In defence, I'd also say that (and this is not a sales pitch) planners are not something you can only afford once you have the money, they are people you see if you want to be able to afford more. Especially if you're a small business owner.

[Robyn]

You're so right Stu - we should be paying someone to tell us what to do with our money so that it all works better for us but most of the farmers I know can't afford a jar of vegemite so it never occurs to us to get someone to plan what to do with $0. I think part of it is the shame. I finally talked my husband into visiting the drought bus when it came to our town and it looks like we might get some help but I can only begin to imagine how this makes my husband feel when his father and his father's father all managed through droughts.

I just got angry when the stupid b***h reckoned she was broke. Yes, it may have just been a big last fling for them but then being off the land they should know that there is a lot we have no power over including disease. Maybe she should stop and think about those killed in the Bali bombings for instance - I bet they were "really pissed off" with their holidays too.