Why Incentives and Responsibility Makes For a Better Society
Modern society lacks incentive. Governments and corporations believe in punishment without reward. They are quick to apply the stick but they have forgotten the carrot.
Drink drivers will lose their licences immediately under legislation planned by the State Government. That's fair enough.
Nobody condones drink driving. If you do the crime you do the time. But where is the carrot?
The only incentive for people who have been driving for 45 years and never had an accident or committed a driving offence is a reduction in insurance premiums.
Why don't governments offer reduced motor registration fees to drivers who are demonstrably careful and responsible?
No. We all pay the same, whether we speed and drink-drive or drive courteously within the law.
The worst disincentive is taxation. Some are federally based, others we have more control over and are State based.
Although tax rates will be changed, the system still penalises people who work hard and earn good money. Someone prepared to work two jobs and earn perhaps $100,000 a year is taxed at almost 50¢ in the dollar. The tax is half that for someone content to earn $35,000 a year. Where's the incentive to work overtime, to be more productive?
If you own and run a small business, if you want to grow and employ more people, the State government wants a piece of the action. No incentive here!
Also, a little known additional disincentive relates to workcover. Did you know, if you keep your nose clean (ie gain a decent track record of no claims) you might be at the lower end of the scale for your industry. But if you 'open' another location/branch, even though you may operate under the same corporate entity, because the 'location/branch' does not have a 'track-record', Workcover will charge you a higher rate. Again, this is a ridiculous form of 'tax' which clearly inhibits growth and profit. In essence, its simply another layer of tax disguised as a state levy!
If you pay a retail store charge account or a government utility the day the bill arrives you get no reward. If you are a day late with the payment you are charged extra.
People who smoke are penalised with tax disincentives, but for the next 30 years they will clog up the health system. Where is the positive incentive, perhaps in the form of tax deductions or health care rebates, for non-smokers?
We are now being penalised for the over-use of water. But where are the incentives for people who recycle water or construct low-water gardens?
People who are conscious of their diet and join a gymnasium to keep their weight down are given precisely the same incentive as the 120kg person who eats junk food - nothing.
There is no longer incentive to be polite and courteous. You open a door for someone and there is no thank you. You stand when a woman enters the room and there is no acknowledgement. You let in a car waiting at a side street and there is no cheerful wave. You say please and there is no thank you.
The dreadful generation of greed is dying. In these days of plenty, individuals and corporations are becoming more generous, more community minded. There are tax incentives for giving to charities.
But in the broader sense there is little to encourage or motivate us to be decent, considerate, productive community members except our own conscience.
All of the above seem to indicate we, as a society, have got it wrong. Surely we need to take personal responsibility, not be led by minorities and voice a collective opinion that says our society demands and deserves a system that rewards effort and success.
Oh, and by the way, offering incentives, even a cheesy smile, still works wonders!
Tony Martin - Director
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