Letter to the Editor: don’t put down young people

DEAR News Of The Area,

I RESPOND to Dawn Lewis’ letter (NOTA 22 May), “Today’s young people want everything now”.

Who exactly are these young people she talks about in such derogatory terms?

As if young people generally are selfish and act badly?

It’s not a bad thing that young people today wish to know they have the potential to own their own home but many believe they never will and many carry big student debts.

When I bought my first home in the late 80’s it was three times my gross wage.

Today homes cost nine to 12 times the average wage, a 400 percent increase, but wages certainly haven’t risen 400 percent.

Because of Howard era policies of capital gains tax, negative gearing and family trusts, buying a home has meant investors are streets ahead and they pay less tax than wage earners.

I had the benefit of free education, which meant I didn’t carry student debt.

I was able to get better paying jobs because I was more skilled and I paid more tax than I would have if I didn’t have the benefit of tertiary education.

I’ve worked with young people for over 40 years, I’ve not known anyone who travelled abroad several times a year, nor went on the dole for fun, nor held up servos in the middle of the night.

The Australian “motto” used to be “a fair go” but with increased inequality, that motto is getting further and further away for many young people.

Don’t put down young people, look at the policies that have been structurally embedded into our society to see where the blame lies for our current poor state of the nation.

Regards,

Dianne JACOBUS

Coffs Harbour