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Theoretical exercise - what is the "average" earnings?
$20 an hour?
Don't forget this has to take into account all the cleaners, janitors, labourers, etc. - you know, the "unskilled labour".
I'm pretty sure they outnumber the "skilled labour" something like 3:1 (my guesstimate, not based on actual fact).
You know the people, the ones society would collapse if they weren't there, but we try and ignore and say they shouldn't complain about their situation, if they just worked harder or went to uni they'd be better off.
$20 an hour x 8 hours a day = $160 a day
5 day week = $800 a week
52 weeks a year = $41600
That's GROSS, not NET. Gotta take out taxes, super, etc. etc. etc.
Somehow amongst all that they try and support a family and have to pay rent / food / electricity / gas / etc.
At the end of the day they have a few hours rest before getting up and starting it all over again.
I'm sorry but whilst I generally agree with stevo68 (please don't take this as a personal attack stevo68 as it's not meant to be) but in this regard I really feel he has his head in the clouds and he's been there too long it's distorting his view on reality (where reality == the majority normal working class).
Lets face it, it is hard out there. If you're in the above situation and renting then there is a good chance you'll never stop renting - unless you take one of the dodgy financial deals where you lend 105% of the value of the property and don't pay any deposit.
I'm not into handouts, I hate handouts - with a passion, but in the past few years (as has been stated) the housing market has exploded much much more than inflation / CPI / anything else can account for. Until our (meaning everyone's) income increases appropriately (which, by the way, will drive up everything else including bread and milk at the same time) then yes I don't see a major issue with helping those less fortunate than ourselves.
It's cliche, it's Marvel (Stan Lee / Spiderman) all over but it's true:
With great power comes great responsibility
We, as people have are affluent (whether we see it or not we are a lucky country and most of us have plenty of opportunities), have a responsibility to those less fortunate than us to help them.
EDIT: Add flame suite, top-up Bourbon, go back to watching 48 hours. Come back later to see how badly burnt I am :eek:
I'll tackle this one first..but what a load of bull**** mate, what do you know of my back ground etc. Also note I do not take it as a personal attack :D. I choose to run my own business and take the inherent risks, I paid myself once in January as business was slow. I support a family of 6 including myself plus one on the way. Lack of education is not an excuse, if you are "unskilled" labour...that is a choice. There will always be unskilled labour, its the laws of the universe, not everyone is going to be successful and wealthy, that is life. Why does everyone deserve to be able to buy their own home? If you do, you have made the steps and the choices to be able to fulfill that. Like my old man was told once by a former boss " Be thankful that not everyone thinks the same as you do, otherwise imagine how competitive it would be then". As I clearly stated, if you are happy with your lot in life, that is fantastic. My bench mark of success isnt the trappings in life it is providing the best for my children........that is a CHOICE.
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Stevo, your attitude to those less fortunate sometimes borders on condescending.
There will be many out there who genuinely struggle but have little choice. Some don't simply haven't the ability to further their education, but they shouldn't be trampled or left behind. They do deserve a break. Don't get me wrong I have no time for the sponges that bleed the welfare system, but being poor or poorly educated doesn't make them any less deserving of having the ability to put their own roof over their head.
Next :D, condescending my butt cheeks, what for telling it like it is. Taking myself for example, I know what it is like to be dirt poor, to have to walk a 4 km round trip to get to a ATM to get $$$ out, to decide whether I buy food for myself or my pet....that was my CHOICE....I dictated those circumstances. It was also up to me to get out of that situation. I put myself through Uni at 30 whilst going through a divorce and having my children 1000kms away, cause the missus took off with my babies. I was the one that came out with a Distinction average, plus raised 2 young children etc etc. FFS do people think that everyone that is doing well today, that it was always like that? I know many people who have come from very humble backgrounds, un educated but decided that they wanted better out of life for them, their family etc and have had to cross many divides to achieve success. 
